Ma Whats For Dinner?

Bow ties with spring veggies and bacon

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:00:47 +0000

Happy Spring!

Aren’t you glad it’s springtime?

Though we’ve had a mild winter…

And it’s a bit chillier here than it’s been all winter…

So I’m pretending it’s spring.

And this will make you feel like spring…

A delicious and quick pasta that the kids will adore!

Mom and Dad too!

Feel free to add grilled chicken or shrimp to make it a heartier dish.

Bow ties with spring veggies & pancetta

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 box bow tie pasta

4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped

1 1/4 pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces

1 scallions, thinly sliced

8 ounces crimini mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup heavy cream

3 T extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 T lemon zest

1/4 cup italian parsley, chopped

1/4 cup basil, torn

WHAT TO DO:

Heat a large pasta pot over high heat. When boiling add salt and cook pasta until al dente. Drain, but reserve 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Set aside.

Pour off all but 1 teaspoon drippings from skillet. Add mushrooms to the drippings. Cook for 3 minutes. Add asparagus, scallions, and garlic to the mushrooms in skillet and cook for 3 more minutes minutes. Remove from heat.

Add veggies, 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid, 1/2 cup Parmesan, cream, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, basil, and S&P to pasta.

Mix well. Add more pasta water if necessary. Sprinkle with bacon and more cheese if desired.

Tasty Tidbit – Kids not asparagus fans? Try this dish with frozen peas!

Pork Pops with peanut dipping sauce

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:00:30 +0000

Spring Fling continues with this fun dinner!

Everyone loves food on a stick!

These pork pops are sure to have your kids begging for more!

WHAT YOU NEED:

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

2 T toasted sesame oil

2 T honey

1/4 cup orange juice

2 T dijon mustard

1 t grated ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 t lemon pepper

3 scallions, chopped

1 pound pork tenderloin

1/2 cup peanut butter

WHAT TO DO:

Combine the first 10 ingredients in a bowl and mix well to incorporate the marinade. Place half the mixture in a large ziploc bag. Reserve other half of marinade.

Place the pork tenderloin in the ziploc bag and let the meat marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 375 and heat up a grill pan on your stove top. After the pork is marinated, place on a hot grill pan and sear each side of the tenderloin. Transfer the pork to the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes or until a thermometer reaches 155 degrees.

Remove pork and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile make your dipping sauce by using the marinade you set aside and mixing it with the peanut butter. Mix until smooth.

Slice pork into 1 inch slices, then thread onto a kabob skewer.

Serve with peanut sauce, rice and grilled asparagus.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:00:43 +0000

Surfing around bloggie land a couple weeks back and I happened upon a chicken noodle casserole dish on my girl Anne’s Annie Bakes. It looked so good I knew I had to grab the boys and throw together a version.

If you’ve been following along then you all know how I have recipe OCD so we switched things up a bit, but Anne is the inspiration behind this one…

Thanks Anne!

WHAT YOU NEED:

1/2 T olive oil

1 onion diced

1/2 pound cubed bacon slab

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 cups water

2 cubes beef bouillon

1/2 cup white wine

1 spring thyme

1 package cooked ziti

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup dry sherry

S&P
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 T melted butter

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray 2-quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan heat olive oil and bacon until bacon is crispy. Add in onions and cook for about 7-9 minutes, until onions are soft. Set aside to cool while your chicken cooks.

Place chicken, water, wine, thyme and bouillon cubes in large saucepan over medium high heat.

Cook 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Drain liquid and discard; cut chicken into cubes.

Combine cooked ziti and chicken in prepared casserole dish.

Combine soup, sour cream, Asiago cheese, mayonnaise, sherry, onion, bacon, and S&P in medium bowl: mix well.

Pour over pasta and chicken; toss lightly.

Toss Panko, Parmesan cheese and butter in small bowl. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake 30 to 45 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Serve with crusty bread and a big ol’ salad and everyone is happy!

St. Patty’s Day – Corned Beef and Cabbage

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 11:00:08 +0000

It’s St. Patty’s Day!

What’s better than Corned Beef and Cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day?

When it’s waiting for you after the parades…

This Crock Pot version is easy and delicious!

Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 8 hours

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 3-4 pound corned beef brisket (with seasoning packet)

1 lb potato cut into bite sized pieces

1 bag baby carrots

2 onions quartered

1 bulb fennel, sliced

2 garlic cloves

1 can beef broth

3 T apple cider vinegar

2 T brown sugar

2 T soy sauce

2 garlic cloves minced

S&P

1 head cabbage cut into 6 wedges

WHAT TO DO:

Toss potatoes, carrots, onions, fennel and 2 whole garlic cloves into the bottom of a slow cooker.

In a large measuring cup combine beef broth, spice packet from the corned beef brisket, cider vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, S&P and stir to combine.

Place the brisket, fat side up) on top of vegetables in slow cooker. Lay wedges of cabbage around brisket. Pour beef broth mixture over corned beef and cabbage.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Remove corned beef from slow cooker and slice thin on an angle.

Serve on a platter along with veggies and potatoes.

St. Pattys Day – Irish Soda Bread

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:00:54 +0000

Irish Soda Bread

Did you know that Irish Soda Bread is apparently not even Irish?

It’s true…

But soda bread is historic!

Historic in the fact that you didn’t need yeast or an oven to make it.

That meant that everyone could now have this delicious delight and bake it right over their own fire!

Try it!

It’s simple and comes together fast and great for the kids to get involved with.

WHAT YOU NEED:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup butter, melted

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. Blend egg and buttermilk together, and add all at once to the flour mixture. Mix just until moistened. Stir in butter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the bread comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

St. Patty’s Day – Potatoes Fitzpatrick

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:00:23 +0000

Being Fitzpatricks and all…

You know I had to come up with a good potato dish to celebrate the big day…

This one is it!

It’s got everything you need for the perfect St. Patty’s day meal.

If for some strange reason you have leftovers…

Reheat them in a pan the next morning with some corned beef and some eggs…

Sure to make you feel better…

If you had a wee bit too much Guinness!

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 T butter, divided

1 T olive oil

1 onion, sliced

S&P

1/2 head of cabbage, sliced

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 T apple cider vinegar

WHAT TO DO:

In a large skillet heat olive oil and butter over medium high heat.

Add in onions, season with S&P and allow to cook until soft, about 5-6 minutes.

Toss in your cabbage and garlic and cook until cabbage wilts down, another 6-7 minutes. Remove from pan.

Toss in another tablespoon of butter and lay in your potatoes in an even layer along the bottom of pan, don’t touch them, let them crisp up a bit.

Once they’ve browned add the cabbage and onion back in and stir to combine.

Let the mixture brown a bit more then deglaze with cider vinegar and season with S&P to taste.

Delish!!!

This ain’t your nana’s cabbage!

St. Patty’s Day – Pots of gold at the end of the rainbow

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 11:24:02 +0000

These refreshing little sipsters are good all year round

But your little leprechauns will be drinking them up this time of year for sure!

WHAT YOU NEED:

strawberries

oranges

pineapple

kiwi

and

blueberries

WHAT TO DO:

Layer chopped fruit into an ice cube tray.

red = strawberries

orange = oranges

yellow = pineapple

green = kiwi

blue = blueberries

Top each cube with seltzer water. Freeze. Serve with pineapple juice and fun straws.

Cupid’s Arrows

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 11:00:42 +0000

Happy Valetine’s Day!

Here’s a sweet treat for your honey today.

These are perfect for you Valentine’s party!

Serves: 12 Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes

WHAT YOU NEED:

24 pretzel rods

2 11 oz white chocolate chips

24 caramel candy squares

1 T vegetable oil

red colored sugar sprinkles

WHAT TO DO:

Pour white chocolate chips and oil into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes stirring once halfway through, set aside.

Using the heat from your hands roll a candy square between them until it is pliable. Once easily workable wrap the caramel around the top of the pretzel rod and wind around leaving a 2 inch space at the bottom. Dip the caramel covered part of the pretzel and roll in the white chocolate to coat. Then sprinkle with red sugar sprinkles. Place on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet to set. Cool in fridge for 20 minutes. Repeat with remaining pretzels.

While those arrows are cooling, head over to Fitness Magazine to see Alex’s Cupid’s Arrows featured as a great Valentine’s Day treat, as well as Alex’s advice for working off all of those Valentine’s calories.

Holiday Gift Week Holiday Bark

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 11:00:37 +0000

Do you have as many gifts to give this year as I do?

The kids have friends, teachers, and coaches galore…

Not to mention all the neighbors, mailmen, trainers, etc.

How many coffee gift cards can I possibly give out?

Well here’s the answer…

This one comes together in a snap and it’s super delicious to boot!

Holiday Bark

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes

Cool Time: 1-2 hours

What you need:

2 11 ounce bags white chocolate chips

1 T walnut oil

¾ cup dried cranberries

1 cup shelled pistachios

gift boxes or bags

ribbon or raffia

What to do:

In a large microwave safe bowl combine chocolate and walnut oil. Heat on high at 30 second intervals stirring in between until just melted.

Remove from microwave and stir quickly to finish melting. Pour in cranberries and pistachios and stir to combine.

Pour out onto a greased sheet pan into a thin layer.

Refrigerate until cool. Break up into jagged pieces.

Place into gift boxes tied with ribbon and raffia. Perfect festive holiday gift for anyone on your list!

Holiday Gift Week – Hot Cocoa in a Jar

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 11:00:54 +0000

You asked for it…

You got it!

Baby It’s Cold Outside…

Nothing better this time of year than a big ol’ cup of hot cocoa.

Why not wrap up some love for your friends, teachers, coaches and neighbors this year

It’s ok…go ahead and steal this great idea for a holiday gift.

Hot Cocoa in a Jar
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes

What you need:

2 cups Instant Nonfat Dried Milk
¾ cup sugar
½ cup Unsweetened Cocoa
1/2 cup non dairy creamer
1 t salt
1 cup mini marshmallows

Options:
add a layer of nutmeg and cinnamon
add a layer of crushed candy canes
make a flavored hot chocolate by adding a layer of flavored powdered non dairy creamer – Amaretto, French Vanilla, Irish Coffee, etc.

What to do:

Layer all ingredients into a jar with Marshmallows on top. Or you could combine all the ingredients into a bowl then place into the jar and top with marshmallows.

We did it both ways. Close jar tightly and cover with fabric and ribbon. Affix with the following instructions.

Hot Cocoa Mix – remove marshmallows, set aside. Shake jar well. Take out 2-3 to tablespoons and place in a mug. Mix with 8 ounces hot water, or coffee. Top with marshmallows. Enjoy. Happy Holidays!