Parmesan Knots

I tore this recipe out of a "Taste Of Home" Magazine a few years ago. DELICIOUS! Easy, Quick, fum, yummy. You also find the recipe Here.

PARMESAN KNOTS

(Picture taken by Taste Of Home; see website)

Ingredients

• 1 tube (12 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
• 1/4 cup canola oil (I used 2 Tbs butter and 2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Directions

• Cut each biscuit into thirds. Roll each piece into a 3-in. rope and tie into a knot; tuck ends under. Place 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet (They will be small!). Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
• In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; add the warm knots and gently toss to coat. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

*I served these with Ravioli with marinara sauce, turkey meatballs, and green salad. 

Black Beans

This is delicious and very easy. I like to serve them as a side dish with any mexican style main dish. These are very healthy as well.

2 T Chopped Onion
2 teaspoon Chopped Garlic
1 T Oil
1/2 t Cumin
1 can Black Beans, drained
8 T Tomato Sauce
3 T Cilantro


Cook chopped onion and garlic and cumin in oil until soft. Add other
ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes.

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Turkey Meatballs

We love these meatballs. Yesterday I made spaghetti for the 1st time in the almost-7-years we've been married. My husband isn't a huge fan of spaghetti, but I figured if I made spaghetti and meatballs, maybe it would go over a little better. And it did. We LOVE these (I've actually made them for me and the kids, but never for the hubby). Now if I could just find an AMAZING spaghetti sauce to go with it, we'd be set. So if you have a good one...please post it!

Meatballs
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 tbs Parmesan cheese
1 tbs Worcestershire
1 slice of bread (ripped or cut into small pieces, I use the end piece that nobody will use for a sandwich)
1 egg

Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Form meatballs (I use a cookie scoop to make them about the same size). Bake on 350 degrees for 45 minutes. I served with angel hair pasta, spaghetti sauce, salad, and breadsticks. Makes about 20 meatballs. YUM :)

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

These cookies are easy and delicious. They contain only 61 calories per cookie and really satisfy your sweet tooth. You can find the almond paste in a can on the baking ailse of the grocery store. You can also make your own almond paste. There are many recipes available on the internet. These are very fast and easy to make and they look very elegant placed on a platter for a party. Enjoy!

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

3/4 c Grated Almond Paste
2/3 c Sugar
5 T Butter,Softened
1/4 t Vanilla
1 lg Egg White
1 1/4 c Flour
1/4 t Salt
6 T Raspberry Jam

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Line large cookie sheet with parchment of use silpat on bottom of
pan.
3. Place first 3 ingredients in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium
speed for 4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg
white; beat well.
4. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
Add flour and salt to almond paste mixture; beat at low speed until
well blended. Use a cookie scoop and shape dough into 34-36 1 inch
balls. Place balls on cookie sheet and press thumb or back of cookie
scoop into center of each cookie, leaving an indentation. Bake for 10
minutes until set.
4. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks. Spoon about 1/2
teaspoon raspberry jam into center of each cookie.

Chicken Noodle Soup.

We are NOT soup fans. So when I say that we LOVE this soup and my kids ask for seconds and thirds, I mean this is really really good! I got this recipe from here: http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/recipe_view/the_ladys_chicken_noodle_soup/  (Paula Deen recipe)
But I changed it a little to make it easier to me.
I usually make this when we have a leftover rotisserie chicken; or the last time I just boiled two chicken breasts in the water.



Photo courtesy of PaulaDeen.Com

 

Ingredients Add to grocery list

4   bay leaves
3   chicken bouillon cubes
1   onion, peeled and diced (I sometimes just do 2 T of the dried stuff)
1 teaspoon Paula Deen Lemon Pepper Seasoning (Just regular is fine)
3   cloves garlic, minced
1   2 1/2 to 3-pound fryer (chicken), cut up
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 1/2 quart water
kosher salt and pepper to taste

For Step 2:
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops (I rarely have celery on hand but it was still good without)
2 1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I never use fresh, I usually use 1 to 2 T)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional) (NOT optional!!!! THis makes it sooo good)
3/4 cup heavy cream (optional) (I usually just use regular milk)
1/3 cup cooking sherry (Sometimes I put 2T of a vinegar wine I have on hand)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
Fresh parsley (I never use fresh)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Paula Deen Seasoned Salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
crusty french bread, for serving

Directions

What I do is add everything together instead of the chicken, noodles, cream, and parm cheese.  I simmer it for 20 minutes. 
    Note: If you are using a rotisserie chicken then boil in just the water and seasonings for 30 minutes or more. 
Then remove the Bay leaves.
Bring to a boil 
Add chicken
I add the noodles (I make them)
Reduce heat or remove from heat and add the cream/milk and Parm cheese 


For the stock: add all ingredients to a soup pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves and onion. You should have approximately 3 quarts of stock. When chicken is cool enough to touch, pick bones clean, discarding bones, skin, and cartilage. Set chicken aside. 

For the soup: bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package. When noodles are done, add chicken, mushrooms, parsley, sherry and rosemary. Add Parmesan and cream, if using. Cook for another 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if needed, by adding seasoning salt and pepper. Enjoy along with a nice hot crusty loaf of French bread.