Main dishes perfect for spring!

No time lately to post new recipes so in the meantime, I'm reposting from the month of April from 2010, 2011, and 2012 so you can find some great recipes for this in-between winter and summer transition.

From April 2010 including shrimp, black bean & avocado salads, pita sandwiches with homemade falafel, slow cooker sloppy joes, strawberry pancake roll-ups, roasted eggplant and red pepper sandwich, strawberry pancake roll-ups and more!

From April 2011 including southwest shrimp salads with lime vinaigrette, pasta with asparagus and bacon (pictured above), calzones, smoked salmon egg salad, soup, pork tenderloin and more!

From April 2012 including a few soups, parmesan crusted chicken, pot roast, muffin tin frittatas, chicken sesame stir fry, pesto pasta bake, pan-fried pork chops, and more!

Enjoy!

Scalloped Potatoes & Ham plus more ideas for leftover Easter ham

Photo from The Pioneer Woman

 

 

NOTES

• Made this last year with leftover Easter ham and it was DELICIOUS. We will make again next week for sure!
• Recipe is from The Pioneer Woman
• Other good ideas for ham leftovers:
• Either this or this ham & cheese quiche recipe with a hash brown crust.
• Frittata with ham & asparagus or frittata with ham, potatoes & cheese
• Grilled ham & cheese sandwich
• Ham & mushroom quiche with traditional pie crust

 INGREDIENTS

• 3 lbs russet or yukon gold potatoes, washed thoroughly
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 whole yellow onion, diced
• 3 cups diced ham
• 1 1/2 c. half-and-half
• 1 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1/4 c. all-p flour
• Black pepper to taste
• 1 c. grated cheddar cheese
• 1 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese
• chopped parsley (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or grease a large casserole dish.
2. Heat butter in a large skillet. Add onions and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they start to turn translucent. Then add ham and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until starting to brown a little. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Combine half-and-half and cream in a microwave-safe container and cook for a minute or so, until no longer cold. Whisk in flour and black pepper and set aside.
4. Combine the two grated cheeses and set aside.
5. Using a mandoline or slicer, slice potatoes into very thin 1/8-inch slices. To assemble: layer 1/3 of the potato slices in the buttered casserole dish, sprinkle on 1/3 of the ham/onion mixture, then 1/3 of the cheese, then pour on 1/3 of the cream mixture.
6. Repeat this twice more, ending with a sprinkling of cheese and a pouring on of the rest of the cream mixture. Cover dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until bubbly and hot. Let sit 5 minutes before cutting into squares. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired.  



Carrot Cake

NOTES

• Just in time for Easter, this dessert will impress all. It's so good!
• The pic is of Oren's 1st birthday carrot cake (which Nana made!) but I usually make it as a sheet cake in a 13x9 inch pan which is what the recipe below is for. Should you want to make a layered cake in round cake pans, I would at least double the recipe below, using any leftover batter and frosting for cupcakes.
• Recipe is from Cooking Light.

INGREDIENTS

Cake (for a 13x9 inch pan, see notes above if you want to do the 3-layer like in the picture):

• Cooking spray
• 9 tbsp butter, softened
• 2/3 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs - 2 egg whites & 2 entire eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 c. all-p flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 c. lowfat buttermilk
• 2 c. finely shredded carrot

Frosting:

• 1/2 c. (4 oz) block-style cream cheese (low fat is fine), softened
• 1/4 c. butter, softened
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 3/4 c. powdered sugar, divided

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. To prepare cake, coat pan(s) with cooking spray and line bottom with wax paper (you only need to use the wax paper if you are doubling the recipe to do the layered cake; for the 13x9, just grease it well). Coat wax paper with cooking spray, set aside.

3. Place 9 tbsp softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 5 min or until well blended. Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla extract.

4. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp salt, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition. Stir in carrot. Spoon batter into prepared pan(s). Sharply tap pan once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes (that's for a 13x9 so less for a round cake pan). Cook until toothpick in center comes out clean or almost clean. Cool in pan 10 min on a wire rack then remove from pan (if doing the 3 layers; otherwise leave in the 13x9 inch pan). Carefully peel off wax paper; cool completely on wire rack. Freeze cake for 30 minutes before frosting to reduce the amount of crumbs that come loose while you frost.

5. To prepare frosting, place the cream cheese, butter,  vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add 2 c. powdered sugar, beating at low speed until smooth (do not overbeat). Stir in the remaining powdered sugar, 1/4 c. at a time, until desired thickness is reached. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Spread frosting over top (and sides if doing layers) of cake. Garnish with orange sprinkles if desired. Store leftover cake in the fridge.

Egg Recipes

Great for an Easter brunch or for breakfast/dinner this week, click here to find delicious recipes for frittatas, quiche, muffin cup eggs, breakfast burritos, and more.

Week 63, Recipe 1: Crispy Chicken Salads

 

NOTES

• Yum! An easy filling dinner and the kids ate up their crispy chicken strips with veggies and dip instead of on a salad.
• I found a copy cat recipe for Shake n Bake, modified it a bit, and used that as my seasoning.

INGREDIENTS

• Chicken breasts - about 1 lb or 2 large
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Stuff for salads - crispy lettuce, tomatoes, cubed cheese, chopped green or red onions, croutons, cooked and crumbled bacon (optional), yellow/red/orange peppers, etc.
• Homemade Shake n Bake coating (combine in a ziplock bag and toss to mix):
• 2 c. panko bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp paprika
• 1/2 tbsp celery salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried parsely (I left this out because I didn't have any)

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all ingredients for the coating in a ziplock bag and toss to mix.
2. If your chicken breasts are thick or are thick just on one side, pound to an even thickness by placing under plastic wrap on a cutting board and using the flat side of a mallet to pound to an even thickness throughout. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Place beaten egg into one shallow bowl and the coating in another.
4. Dip chicken breasts into egg then the coating and fry the chicken over medium high heat oil in a large sauce pan (enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan with a thin layer) until browned on one side. Turn, and cook the other side.
5. Remove breasts to a cutting board and let cool a few minutes before slicing them at the diagonal into thin strips. Serve over your salad with dressing of choice.

Week 63, Recipe 2: Creamy Sausage and Tomato Penne

NOTES

• Recipe modified from the blog From the Girl Who Ate Everything
• My husband asked me to make this again soon!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb ground sausage (regular Italian or spicy would be fine - turkey or pork)
• 1 c. chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 16 oz can Italian style diced tomatoes
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 5-6 big leaves of fresh basil, chopped
• 12 ounces penne pasta
• Grated Parmesan for topping
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

 

1. Cook the pasta in salted water just until al dente, according to package directions.

2. While pasta is cooking, cook the sausage in a large skillet until starting to brown, breaking it up and stirring every so often. Then add 1/4 c. water and cover the skillet until the water starts to simmer. Turn down heat a bit and stir every so often until the water has evaporated and the sausage is cooked through.

3. Add the onions and garlic to the sausage and saute for a few minutes.

4. Add the can of diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce and bring to a low simmer.

5. Add in the cream and bring to a low simmer for a few minutes.

6. Stir in the fresh basil and then mix the pasta in with the sauce. Top each serving with some Parmesan cheese if desired.

Week 63, Recipe 3: Sunday Short Ribs with Cream Sauce

NOTES

• Recipe modified from The Pioneer Woman blog
• I call them Sunday Short Ribs because they seem fancy although the recipe is really easy and could be made any day of the week! They bake on a low heat in the oven for 3 hours hours so you will need to plan ahead.
• These are sooooo good. Fall off the bone, tender, tasty beef with a light cream sauce. YUM.

INGREDIENTS

• 12 whole shortribs
•  salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup red wine (something you'd drink, not cooking wine)
• 32 oz beef broth or stock
• 2 tbsp minced fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp grainy mustard
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 16 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy pot (Dutch oven works great) over high heat. Sprinkle short ribs on both sides with salt and pepper. Quickly sear both sides of the short ribs, using tongs to flip them halfway through. (Just sear about 1 1/2 minutes per side.) Remove the shortribs to a plate.
2. Pour wine and beef broth into the pot. Add rosemary. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze. Return the shortribs to the pot, reduce heat to low, then cover the pot and place in the oven at 300 degrees for 2 1/2 - 3 hours.
3. After they have cooked, carefully remove the shortribs from the pot again. Stir in mustard and cream, then raise the heat and allow it to bubble up and gently simmer for a few minutes, or until it has thickened a bit. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Return the shortribs to the sauce, put on the lid, and turn off the heat.
4. Meanwhile, melt the 1 tbsp of butter in a skillet and saute the mushrooms, adding a little olive oil if necessary.
5. To serve, place a mound of mushrooms on a place, then shortribs on top of the mushrooms, then drizzle with cream sauce.

Posted by Ree on November 15 2009

Week 63, Recipe 4: Quick Baked Chicken Parmesan

Photo from Joyful Mama's Kitchen blog

NOTES

• Recipe modified from Joyful Mama's Kitchen blog.
• That was quick and really good! The picture doesn't do it justice (and Joyful Mama says so herself). I wish I would've gotten my own photo but it was a Saturday night and we were all hungry!
• Serve with these delicious soft Italian breasticks (ready for the oven in just 30 minutes!) from an earlier post (the recipe is within Recipe 1 of that week).

INGREDIENTS

• 4 thin chicken breasts or 2 large, sliced crosswise in half to thin
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or finely shredded
• 1 (5 oz) bag butter and garlic croutons
• 2 c. marinara sauce
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 3 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 c. parmesan cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS

1. Spray a 13x9 inch baking pan or casserole dish with oil.
2. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and place the minced/shredded garlic evenly over the olive oil.
3. Layer the chicken breasts in the bottom of the pan then pour the marinara sauce over top and sprinkle with the dried basil.
4. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese over top of the chicken then top with the croutons followed by the rest of the cheeses. salad and breadsticks.
5. Bake for about 40-50 minutes (cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts) at 350. Check chicken temp at 35 minutes and do so every 10 minutes until chicken is 160 degrees. If desired, serve with the quick Italian breadsticks (see link above in NOTES).

Week 63, Recipe 5: Cheesy Chicken & Wild Rice Bake

Photo from A Picky Palate blog

NOTES

• A great dish! I made two and froze one and we just ate it last week - it freezes nicely! Recipe below makes one 13x9 inch pan so double if desired.
• Recipe modified from A Picky Palate.
• Buy a large whole chicken, roast and then shred and chop to make 2 13x9 inch pans. See how to roast a whole chicken here. You can also bake some chicken breasts, boil some chicken breasts, or buy a whole roasted chicken at your grocery store.

 

INGREDIENTS

• Cooking oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 3 stalks celery, finely diced
• 4 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or finely shredded
• 2 c. shredded, cooked chicken breast (see ideas for getting the chicken in NOTES above)
• 1 1/2 c. dry white rice, cooked according to package directions
• 1 1/2 c. wild rice, cooked according to package directions
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• For cheese sauce:
•  2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 c. all-p flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 c. chicken broth
• 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, plus additional for topping casserole

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat a little oil into a medium dutch oven or pot over medium-low heat. Saute onion, celery and carrots until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in chicken, both of the cooked rices, salt and pepper. Transfer rice mixture to a large bowl.
3. To prepare cheese sauce, melt the butter into a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper then slowly pour in chicken broth whisking continuously. Whisk until thickened a bit and nearly boiling then stir in cheese until melted.
4. Pour cheese sauce over rice mixture in a large bowl then transfer to a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Top with additional cheddar cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted through.

Week 62, Recipe 1: Quick Fried Rice

NOTES

• Make your rice the night or day before you want to make fried rice. Freshly cooked rice is too wet. 
• This is quick, flavorful and makes great leftovers so double the recipe below to have lunch for the next day!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups cooked leftover rice, white or brown
• 1 1/2 c. frozen mixed diced vegetables (or just corn & peas or whatever you have on hand), cooked according to package directions
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 3 tbsp soy sauce, more to taste (I like the Tamari brand)
• 1/2-inch chunk of ginger, grated
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• Splash (1-2 tsp) sesame oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a skillet to medium-high heat and add a tbsp of oil. Add rice, making sure all grains are coated with a little oil then spread into a thin layer across the bottom of the pan. Let the rice cook for a few minutes then stir and spread out again. Continue until rice is starting to brown a bit. 

2. Push rice to the sides of the pan and spray a little oil or add a little oil to the center of the pan. Pour in eggs and let cook 30 seconds before stirring. Let sit again and stir, until just barely scrambled. Mix them into rice.

3. Add soy sauce, ginger, and garlic then stir. Add the cooked diced veggies, cooking until they are warmed through. Stir in the green onions and a tsp or 2 of sesame oil.

4. Taste and add more soy sauce if needed before serving.

Week 62, Recipe 2: Creamy Tortellini & Spinach Bake

Photo from What a Dish!

NOTES

• This was really good. The creamy sauce bakes into the pasta and the bacon adds a nice flavor. We all ate it up! Double the recipe below for sure as a 8x8 inch casserole was NOT enough! 
• Modified from What a Dish! website

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pkg (16 oz) cheese tortellini 
• 4 strips bacon
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 c. milk
• ¾ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp dry basil
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes 
• juice of half a lemon - about  1 1/2 - 2 tbsp
• 1 package frozen spinach, cooked according to package directions and squeezed of excess liquid once cooled
• ¾ c. grated mozzarella cheese, divided
• ¾ c. grated Parmesan cheese, divided

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350. 
2. Cook tortellini according to package instructions and drain. Do not over cook or it will get mushy.
3. Cook bacon until crisp in a skillet at medium-high heat. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain then crumble when cooled. Reserve two tablespoons bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest. 
4. Reduce heat to medium low and add garlic to pan. Cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute. Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and bring sauce to a simmer. Add lemon juice to sauce and continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. In a large pot or bowl, gently mix the cooked tortellini, half of the crumbled bacon, spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese with the sauce. Place pasta mixture in an 8×8 or 9×9 (or similar sized) baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan and extra crumbled bacon.
6. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Week 62, Recipe 3: Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Photo & recipe from afarmgirlsdabbles.com

NOTES

• Recipe modified from afarmgirlsdabbles.com
• LOVE this soup. We've made it several times now and I've taken it to a friend of mine who'd just had a baby. 
• Double it!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 c. uncooked wild rice
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 carrots, sliced into 1/4'' thick circles
• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 8 c. (2 boxes) chicken broth
• 2 c. half and half (or a mixture of half and half & milk)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
• 1/4 c finely chopped fresh parsley (or 2 tsp dried)
• 4 c cooked and coarsely shredded turkey or chicken
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook wild rice (ahead of time if you want). Mine takes 45 minutes so plan accordingly.

2. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, celery, carrots, mushrooms, and garlic. Stir well and saute until the onion is transparent and softened. 
3. Blend in flour, stirring and cooking it for bit. Gradually add the broth, stirring constantly.
4. Turn up the heat and bring the soup to a simmer for 1 minute. Reduce heat slightly and add the cooked wild rice, half and half, soy sauce, salt, pepper, bay leaf, thyme, parsley, and turkey or chicken. Simmer slowly for 20 minutes or until thoroughly warmed. 
5. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and add more salt and pepper if needed. 

Week 62, Recipe 4: Baked Pork Chops in Gravy

NOTES

• These were tender and flavorful!
• The pork chops take an hour or so to cook so plan ahead if needed by setting out all ingredients and the utensils you will need to get them in the oven as quickly as possible. 
• Recipe modified from Taste of Home

INGREDIENTS

• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp water
• 8 pork chops (1/2 inch thick)
• 3/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs (or use Panko and add 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can condensed French onion soup
• 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
• Mashed potatoes (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a shallow bowl, beat egg and water. Dip pork chops in egg mixture, then coat with bread crumbs. 

2. In a large skillet, brown chops in oil. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. 

3. Combine the soups; pour over chops. Sprinkle with cheese. 

4. Cover and bake at 325° for 1 - 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Serve with mashed potatoes if desired.

Week 62, Recipe 5: Taco Pizza

NOTES

• Recipe modified from Kiddies Corner Deals
• Buy pizza crust or make your own (and freeze extra dough while you're at it)

INGREDIENTS

• Pizza doug (see link above to make your own)
• 3/4 lb lean ground beef
• 2 tbsp taco seasoning (make your own, it's so easy and no preservatives!)
• ¼ cup water
• 4 tablespoon sour cream
• hot sauce -a  few drops
• 1 cup chunky mild salsa
• 1 tablespoon diced jalapenos (optional)
• 2.25 oz black olive rings-drained (optional)
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1½ cups shredded Mexican taco cheese or Monterrey Jack or whatever you have on hand
• lettuce to garnish

Sauce for drizzling - 

• ⅓ cup sour cream
• hot sauce (optional)
• 1 tbsp salsa or taco sauce

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 (or whatever you normally cook your pizza at).
2. Brown ground beef, drain. Add water, taco seasoning and 4 tablespoon sour cream to ground beef, cook for a few minutes.
3. Top the crust with salsa then add ground beef mixture, jalapenos (if using), olives (if using), onions, tomatoes and cheese. Bake according to pizza crust directions (see my link above in NOTES for cooking instructions).
4. While pizza bakes, mix ⅓ cup sour cream, a few drops of hot sauce and salsa or taco sauce in a small bowl. 
5. Remove pizza from oven and top with lettuce and drizzle with the sour cream mixture.

Layout problem

I wanted to post to let everyone know that for whatever reason, all the items that used to appear in the column to the right of my blog (search field, archives, popular posts, etc.) all appear at the bottom of this page. My layout still shows it being to the right but for whatever reason, it appears below all the posts on the main page. Sorry for the confusion!

Update - it appears (at least on my computer), that the layout issue is only when viewed in Internet Explorer and not in Google Chrome.