Showing posts with label entree. Show all posts
Showing posts with label entree. Show all posts

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Portobello Stack/#SundaySupper

I love chicken, and I can (and do) eat it pretty much everyday. So, when I discovered that we would be creating "Veggies as a Main Dish" today for #SundaySupper, I was at somewhat of a loss on what to make. Then I remembered something that helped me come up with this Portobello Stack. I used to run a kitchen in southern Utah, where the restaurant was in a hotel, and the manager of the hotel was vegetarian. However, our most popular dishes were Prime Rib and Pork Ribs! The manager was always asking me to make her some type of vegetarian dish, so I became familiar with creating dishes that made her feel full and happy, but were vegetarian. This Portobello Stack is one of those dishes. If you like mushrooms, this is definitely for you! It is full of four different kinds, and it has peppers, green onions, and tomatoes added for a wonderful robust flavor! Plus, I think you will really enjoy the sauce that is drizzled over the top!
mushrooms, portobellos, peppers, drizzled with sauce, green onion, avocado
Portobello Stack

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Shredded Potato Crusted Chicken/#FoodieExtravangza

We are a chicken loving family here at The Freshman Cook, so when I found out that chicken was the theme for this month's #FoodieExtravangza, I was thrilled. The first thing I thought about was this dish we call "Shredded Potato Crusted Chicken Cutlet". We first began making this a few months ago, and one of the things I love about it is that while pan frying the chicken you are also cooking your potatoes! You are going to love how moist this chicken is. The potatoes act as a barrier to keep the moistness in the chicken as it cooks. Add some corn on the cob, and you have dinner!

Shredded Potato Crusted Chicken Cutlets

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Smoked Baby Back Ribs for #SundaySupper

Today #Sunday Supper is talking about food that travels. You know the kind of food I mean. The dishes you take to pot lucks, company picnics, and family reunions. Or maybe it's the casserole you drop off at your neighbors house when you know they need a helping hand. When I want to make something to take and share with others, I always take Smoked Baby Back Ribs. I love smoking ribs! It is enjoyable watching through the glass as the meat cooks, and the aromas are heaven! Another thing about smoking these ribs~it's so easy! Wash, rinse, season and smoke. The smoker does all the work!
ribs, BBQ, dinner
 Smoked Baby Back Ribs

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Sensational Shrimp Scampi

Are you a shrimp lover?
 Me too!
 Do you like yours boiled, grilled, sauteed, or fried?
Me too!
The beauty of shrimp is that it is so versatile.
 It can be used as an appetizer, a soup or salad,
a side dish, or an entree, and there are just so many ways to prepare it.
So a few days ago I decided to go scampi style and it was incredible!
I received some packs of spices from Healthy Solutions Spice Blends to try out, and the
Shrimp Scampi blend had a recipe on the back that turned out to be a definite winner!

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Quick and Easy Lasagna

This lasagna dish is quick and easy to make. Hence, the name, Quick and Easy Lasagna! It is made with sauce from a jar, 3 types of cheese, ground chuck and whole wheat noodles. That's it!



Quick and Easy Lasagna

Friday, May 9, 2014

Fajita Pizza

This Fajita Pizza is perfect when you are looking for something that is quick and easy to make for dinner. I bet you have most of the ingredients in your pantry or fridge. My family and I have been eating some version of this pizza for many years, and we never get tired of it! We have made it with just sauce and mozzarella, shredded chicken tossed in hot sauce topped with onions and 4 cheese mix with ranch on the side, and with alfredo sauce and chicken, scallions and fresh mozzarella. For us, the main ingredient is the tortilla crust. That is what makes it quick and tasty!
tortilla pizza
Fajita Pizza

Friday, October 5, 2012

Fire Roasted Pulled Chicken Sandwiches and a Giveaway!

Every Halloween, it has been a tradition in our house to have sloppy joes or pulled pork bbq for dinner before trick or treating. I love this tradition, and even though my son is now away at college, my husband and I continue it. This year, however, I am adding something a little different to our pre trick or treat meal.  I received a sample of some of the new Recipe Starters Cooking Sauces from Progresso. I couldn't wait to make the Pulled Chicken Sandwiches, which start with the Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce. OMG, how delish!!!! So quick to make after a long day at work, or just a busy day in general. This meal came together in no time!
 Here is how quick it was to make the
Pulled Chicken Sandwiches 
w/ Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce
  • 1 can Progresso Recipe Starters Fire Roasted Tomato cooking sauce
  • 1/4 cup Yellow Mustard
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
  • 4 cups Shredded Chicken
  • 8 Soft Buns
Grill some chicken breast, or
use a deli rotisserie chicken also!
While your chicken is grilling, mix together the 
Progresso Fire Roasted Tomato Cooking Sauce,
mustard, worcestershire sauce, sugar and chili powder.
Heat to simmering over medium high heat.
Pull your chicken apart after it cools a bit. 
Stir it in to the sauce.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer 20 minutes.
Stir occasionally.
 Yum!  Doesn't that look great!?
Serve on a roll with cole slaw and oven fries!

Wasn't that fast! 
Progresso has created 80 different recipes using their new line of sauces.

The new Progresso Recipe Starters Cooking Sauces are inspired by the five "mother" sauces that form the basis for french cooking. They are available in Fire Roasted Tomato, Creamy Parmesan Basil, Creamy Roasted Garlic w/ Chicken Stock, Creamy Portabello Mushroom, and Creamy Three Cheese.

 Check out their web page for all the recipes and some money saving coupons!

How about a Progresso Recipe Starters Gift Pack for yourself?
Here is what you get:
  • 2 cans Progresso Recipe Starters
  • $10 Gift Card to purchase your recipe ingredients
  • Progresso Recipe Starters Recipe Book
  • Baking Dish
  • Measuring Cups
  • Sauce Scraper 
 How do you win this fabulous gift pack?
Then come back here and leave me a comment that you liked it. 
This is a mandatory entry. For additional entries:
  • Like The Freshman Cook on facebook!
  • Follow The Freshman Cook blog!
Each of these is an additional entry. Leave me a comment
on this page that you are following, liking, or both.

This giveaway will run through next Friday, and will 
end on Friday, October 12 at midnight PST.
Good Luck!!
You are on your way to easy, quick, home cooked meals!

Thanks for joining me!
"Disclosure: The information, products and Progresso Recipe Starters
gift packs were provided by Progresso through MyBlogSpark."






Monday, July 23, 2012

4 Cheese Stuffed Shells

I love Italian food, so when I was assigned the blog, Cookin' with Moxie, for this months Secret Recipe Club, I was thrilled. Cookin' with Moxie is a wonderful blog written by Jamie, whose blog is stuffed as full as these pasta shells of delicious sounding and beautiful looking foods. What to make was a difficult decision, but I finally decided on Jamie's 4 Cheese Stuffed Shells. They were so delicious, and cheesy and just yum!!
4 Cheese Stuffed Shells
1 pound Jumbo Pasta Shells
30 oz. Ricotta Cheese
2 1/2 cups Mozzarella, divided
1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 cup Provolone Cheese
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Egg
2 tablespoon minced, flat leaf Parsley
2 tablespoon chopped, fresh Basil
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 cups Marinara Sauce, preferably homemade

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta.
Cook the shells until soft but not cooked through
(about 1/2 the cooking time on the box)
Drain pasta and set aside until the filling is ready.
Place the ricotta in a bowl.
Add 1 cup of the mozzarella and the Parmesan.
Add the provolone.
Mix together.
Add the garlic powder, egg, parsley, basil, salt and
pepper. Mix thoroughly.
In a 13X9 casserole dish, pour in half of your
marinara sauce. 
Fill your partially baked shells with the cheese filling.
Place the shells in your dish on top of the marinara.
The shells should be open side up.
(I used a smaller dish)
Place the rest of your marinara on top of the shells.
Top the marinara with 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese.
Garnish with minced basil and parsley, if desired.
Cover your dish with foil, and bake for 30-40 minutes.
Uncover and continue to bake for an additional 15-20 minutes,
or until the sauce starts to bubble.
Serve immediately.
Enjoy!

Thanks for joining me today!
Stop by and see what all my fellow Secret Recipe Club members made:

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Cafe Rio Barbacoa Pork

 It's time for another Holiday Recipe Club, and for Memorial Day we could choose between 3 ingredients to use. Our choices are watermelon, pork, or beer. You can also choose two or all of the ingredients, if you would like. I chose pork because I love it. I love to cook with it at home, and I do so very often. I also love to get it when we go out to eat. When it comes to my favorite place to eat out, I guess I go in cycles, just like anyone else. Sometimes, it's a slice of pizza and a great salad bar. Other times it's an all you can eat sushi place. Right now it is a Mexican, stand in line and order kinda of place called Cafe Rio. I just love it! I went searching for a copy cat recipe mostly because my husband is sick and tired of Cafe Rio being the only place I want to go eat.Oh, he likes it too, but he is not obsessed anxious to have it all the time.  He doesn't say anything, but sometimes you just know. Ya know? Anyway I found one, and it is delicious. You will love it! For the true Cafe Rio experience you need to make the pork and the enchilada sauce.

Cafe Rio Barbacoa Pork
(adapted from barbarabakes.com)
2 pounds boneless Pork Ribs
12 ounce can Coke (not diet)
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
dash Garlic Powder
1/4 cup Water 

Place the pork and the brown sugar  in a plastic bag.
Pour in the coke. Marinate for a few hours
or even overnight.
Pour the meat and the marinade into the crock pot.
Add the garlic powder and the water.
Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
When done, drain the liquid and shred the pork.
Now make the enchilada sauce:
Barbacoa Enchilada Sauce
1 cup Coke (not diet)
1 small can diced green Chilies
1 cup red Enchilada Sauce
1/2 cup brown Sugar

Put all ingredients in food processor or blender and blend.
 Put shredded pork and enchilada sauce in to 
crock pot and cook on high for 2 hours.
Then it is ready to serve.
I put my pork on top of white rice on a flour tortilla.
I also added sauteed onions and peppers.
At Cafe Rio their burrito is served with Cilantro Lime Rice
and Black or Pinto Beans. I have some recipes
for those that I will be posting in the near future.
I topped my burrito with the enchilada sauce
and some shredded cheddar.
So delicious! 

Thanks for joining me today! 


Stop and see what everyone else made:








 

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Chicken Stir Fry!

When I originally wrote about this stir fry, I was planning on using pork as the main attraction. But somewhere between posting the plans and executing them, things changed. What I mean is that the pork was used for something else, by someone else, leaving me to make this stir fry with chicken. Which is not so bad, because it is really, really good.! and fast!! and easy to make!!!
Chicken Stir Fry w/ White Rice
(This recipe makes enough for 2 people, with left overs!)

1/2 cup Orange Juice
1 tablespoon Lime Juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Fresh Ginger
  2 Scallion
1 tablespoon Ketchup
1 teaspoon Cornstarch
Salt and Pepper
  1 cup White Rice
1 pound Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
1 medium Onion
1/4 Red Pepper
1/8 Green Pepper
2 Eggs
I prep everything before I start making the meal.
I especially do this when there are a lot of 
ingredients that need to be chopped or measured.
It makes things go quicker, and I never lose
control of what I am doing.
So, anyway, I butterflied my chicken breast, 
then I cut it into strips. I cut the strips
into small chunks like...
this!
I only used 1/4 of the red pepper. I didn't want the red or 
the green pepper to over power the meal. I cut the pepper
into strips,
and then I cut them into smaller, bite size strips.
I did the same with the green pepper.
I chopped the scallions into minced pieces. I separated
the two scallions because I need one for the sauce, 
and one for the stir fry.
I cut the ends off of my onion, 
then I peeled the onion, and cut it in half.
I only used about 5 thin slices.
Peel the fresh ginger with a veggie peeler, then chop with a knife.
This is hard to see. But really chop them tiny. Minced actually!
Now that your chopping is done, make your rice.
I used a medium grain rice. Follow the directions on
the package.
While the rice is cooking, make the sauce.
Add the orange juice, lime juice, ginger, and 1 chopped
scallion to the pot.
Next add the ketchup, the salt and the pepper.
It's time to add the cornstarch.
The cornstarch is added to act as a thickener to your sauce.
In order for it to work effectively, add the cornstarch to
1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl. 
Mix it together very well.
Add it to the pot.
Add it to your pot, and bring it to a boil.
Reduce to medium, and simmer until thick and shiny.
This should only take about 1 minute.
Then set your sauce aside.
Start the chicken cooking. 
Because you are stir frying, cook on med-high to high,
and keep turning the chicken. Keep it moving around the pot.

Whip your 2 eggs together. You are making scrambled eggs
Get them cooking.
Now start your veggies. I put them in a separate pan,
but you could put them in the pan with the chicken if you would like.
Cook the veggies with some butter, or pan spray
on medium high.
When the egg is just about done, add it to the
veggies to finish cooking. If you stir fried your veggies in the
same pan as the chicken, still add the eggs to the pan.
It won't make any difference.
Build the plate by first laying down a scoop of rice.
Flatten it a little on the plate. 
Top with the veggie and egg mixture, then some chicken,
and finally the sauce, drizzled over the top.
Enjoy!

Here is a side note to this recipe.
If you would like, once you have built your plate,
take the plate and put everything on it in a frying pan.
Stir fry on high for just a few minutes, until the rice gets
brown with little crispies. 
Then put it back on your plate and eat. 
It's delicious both ways!
(The sauce recipe is from Get Saucy by Grace Parisi)

Thanks for joining The Freshman Cook today.