Chinese Noodle Stir-fry

This meal is one of my favorites! its easy and super healthy!

12 oz angel hair pasta

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 T. soy sauce

1 T 7up

2 T vegetable oil, divided

1 bunch scallions

3 cloves garlic, minced (1T)

1 red sweet pepper, cut in strips

5 C. shredded cabbage

1 C. cooked chicken

1/2 cup broth

1 tsp hot pepper oil or to taste

Cook angel hair for 3 minutes or until done, drain and set aside. Combine Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and 7 up, set aside. In wok, heat 1 T oil and stir fry scallions, garlic and pepper for about a minute. Add cabbage and stir-fry for another minute. Add meat and cook for another minute. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Heat remaining oil in wok over high heat and add noodles, letting them brown for about 3 minutes. Reduce heat and add broth, stirring and combine well. Add vegetable mixture and Worcestershire sauce mixture to the noodles- toss. Heat stir-fry for about a minute- sprinkling it with hot pepper oil just before serving.

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce

the best thing about this meal is that everybody liked it! Gray went up to his dish "hmmm let me smell it...mommy it smells good!" The added chicken was perfect too!

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce
adapted from Our Best Bites

12 oz bag cheese tortillini
4 oz bacon (about 4 strips bacon)*
3 cloves garlic, pressed in garlic press or finely minced
2 Tbs flour
2 C milk
¾ tsp kosher salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp dry basil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1 medium lemon
2 C loosely packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped
¾ C grated mozzarella cheese, divided
¾ C grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.

Place bacon in a medium sized skillet on the stove-top at medium-high heat. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain. Reserve two tablespoons bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest. Add garlic to pan and 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.

While sauce is heating, use a microplane grater or a fine-holed cheese grater to zest lemon. Then cut lemon in half and remove juice. Add 2 teaspoons zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sauce. Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Drain tortellini and place back in stock pot. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta mixture. Add spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add sauce and gently stir to combine. Place pasta mixture in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup mozarella and 1/4 cup parmesan and also crumbled bacon.

Cover pan 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.

Chicken Marsala

We loved this dish. It tasted delicious with garlic mashed potatoes...

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour for coating
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded 1/4 inch thick
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup Marsala wine
• 1/4 cup cooking sherry

Directions

1. In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together the flour, salt, pepper and oregano. Coat chicken pieces in flour mixture.
2. In a large skillet, melt butter in oil over medium heat. Place chicken in the pan, and lightly brown. Turn over chicken pieces, and add mushrooms. Pour in wine and sherry. Cover skillet; simmer chicken 10 minutes, turning once, until no longer pink and juices run clear.

Instead of cooking with wine- chicken broth or apple cider works as a good substitute.

Oreo balls

1 bag Oreo Cookies, ground up in blender or food processor

1 8oz. pkg cream cheese, softened

1 pkg Almond Bark (white chocolate candy coating)

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips or 1 square of the Chocolate Bark for drizzling

1. Combine ground Oreos and cream cheese in mixer. Roll into 1 inch balls (makes about 30) and place onto baking sheet or tray. Refrigerate overnight or until very firm.

2. Melt white chocolate in microwave. Using 2 little spoons, dip balls into chocolate and place onto parchment paper to harden. Once dry, melt dark chocolate and drizzle back and forth over the truffles. Let dry.

Sage-and-Pecan Pork Tenderloin Cutlets

From: Southern living

Ingredients

• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 5 tablespoons seedless blackberry preserves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 TBS sugar
  
• 1 pound pork tenderloin
• 3/4 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 2 teaspoons rubbed sage
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• Fresh spinach leaves (optional)
• Garnish: fresh blackberries

Preparation

1. Bring vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 6 minutes or until reduced by half. Stir in blackberry preserves, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in salt and sugar.

2. Remove silver skin from pork tenderloin, leaving a thin layer of fat covering meat. Cut pork into 8 slices. Place pork between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, and flatten to a 1/4-inch thickness, using a rolling pin or flat side of a meat mallet.

3. Stir together breadcrumbs, pecans, and sage in a shallow bowl.

4. Dredge pork in breadcrumb mixture, dip in beaten eggs, and dredge again in breadcrumb mixture.

5. Cook 4 pork slices in 2 tsp. hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 8 minutes or until done, turning every 2 minutes. Repeat procedure with remaining pork and oil. Serve pork over fresh spinach, if desired. Drizzle with vinegar mixture; garnish, if desired.

Pizza Factory breadsticks

1½ cups warm water

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. yeast

Let that sit for 5 minutes. Then add:

3½ cups flour

1 tsp Salt

Mix until smooth then let raise for 10 minutes. Roll out dough into a large square on a floured surface. Brush with melted (real) butter mixed with garlic and then sprinkle with kosher salt. Fold in half and cut into 1 inch strips. Twist and place on a cooking sheet. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes to raise. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately after baking, brush with more garlic butter and sprinkle with kosher salt and grated parmesan cheese.

Serve with marinara, alfredo sauce, or ranch for dipping.

*Dough also makes a great pizza dough, just roll out into a large circle, add your favorite toppings, and bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

No Bake Reece's Peanut Butter Bars

from: our best bites

1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs
1 lb (3 1/2 C) powdered sugar
1 1/2 C creamy peanut butter
1 C (2 sticks) real butter, melted
1 12oz bag chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, or dark, you pick!)
2 tsp shortening

In a large mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and peanut butter and butter and beat until combined. Press into a parchment (or waxed paper or foil) lined 9x13 pan.

Place chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals, stirring after each one, until melted and smooth. Pour chocolate over peanut butter mixture and spread out evenly. Place pan in the fridge just until chocolate is set and then cut into bars. Tip: If the bars chill until the chocolate is too hard to easily cut, use a sharp knife and score the cuts first, then gently cut through. Can be stored in the fridge or at room temp. They will stay firmer if stored in the fridge.

*Tip: Love this tip from one you readers! Instead of adding shortening to the chocolate topping, add a scoop of peanut butter. That will prevent the top from getting solid and it will taste yummy!