Penne all’amatriciana

Time: 30 minutes

8 oz. penne pasta

4 oz. pancetta or good-quality bacon, cubed

1 cup chopped onion

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 large can diced tomatoes

1 tsp each kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, and red chile flakes

¼ grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
2. Cook pancetta in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until partly translucent. Spoon off most of the drippings/
3. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until browned.
4. Add remaining ingredients except Parmesan and cook over high heat until juices have reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
5. Add pasta, stir to coat, and transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle with Parmesan. 

Drunk Chicken - we ate this all the time when I was a kid!

¾ cup vin Rose

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup salad oil

2 tbsp water

¼ tsp oregano

1 tsp clove garlic (or 1/8 tsp powder)

1 tsp ginger

1 chicken, cut up

1. Salt and pepper chicken, pour sauce over.
2. Bake about 1 ½ hours in 350* oven, baste if necessary and start in a cold oven.
3. Serve with rice

Mexican Beef Stew - south of the border favorite!

2 pounds beef stew meat

¼ cup flour

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup oil

1 (14 ½ oz.) can beef broth

1 (14 ½ oz.) stewed tomatoes

2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce

1 crushed large garlic clove

1 teaspoon oregano leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin

3 large carrots

2 ears corn

1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans and liquid

1. Combine flour, seasoned salt and pepper.
2. Coat meat with flour mixture. Brown in oil in Dutch oven.
3. Add beef broth, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce. Garlic, oregano, salt and cumin.
4. Cut onion into 8 wedges and add to stew.
5. Heat to boiling
6. Reduce heat and boil gently 1 ½ hours or until meat is almost tender.
7. Cut carrots and corn into 1 inch pieces. Add carrots, corn and garbanzo beans to stew.
8. Boil gently covered 30 minutes or until meat and vegetables are tender.
9. Serve with warm flour tortillas.

Quick and easy Salmon with Lentils

Package of Trader Joe's cooked lentils  

Olive Oil - we use the spray bottle kind to keep it light on the oil 

2 cups chopped sweet Maui onions  - about one large onion 

2 cups well washed chopped leeks, white and light green parts only

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (if you don't have fresh 1/4 tsp dried works) 

1 teaspoons sea salt

Garlic salt 

¾ teaspoon or more if you love pepper  freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 ½ cups chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrots

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 (8 oz.) salmon fillets. We love the frozen wild caught salmon from Costco. If you can get fresh that is awesome! 

1. Spray a pan with a bit of olive oil. Saute onions, leeks, thyme, garlic, celery, 1 tsp salt and carrots in a pan until cooked through.
2. Add lentils and cook until the lentils are warmed through. 
3. For the salmon, preheat the oven to 450*. Rub the fillets with olive oil, garlic salt and pepper and bake for 10 minutes. Or grill the salmon - we prefer to grill but we also live in a sunny place where you can grill year round! 
4. Serve with lentils.

My boys loved this dish and it's so easy!!! The lentils also are great for lunch the next day - if you have left overs. 

Pizza Margherita

1 12-inch pizza crust, prebaked

4 teaspoons olive oil

2 heaping cups grated mozzarella cheese

2 large tomatoes or 6 Italian plum tomatoes, sliced

¼ cup chopped fresh basil or 1 heaping tablespoon dried

1. Preheat oven to 425*
2. Brush prebaked pizza crust with olive oil and sprinkle with all but ¼ cup of the mozzarella
3. Place tomato slices over cheese; sprinkle over remaining mozzarella on top.
4. Sprinkle with basil over topping and bake pizza until nicely browned. 

Hot Cocoa Mix

Total Time: 10 minutes

1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa

1 ¼ cup sugar

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped.

In food processor, with knife blade attached, blend cocoa, sugar, and chocolate and ¼ teaspoon salt until smooth. Store in container at room temperature for up to six months. When ready to serve, heat milk and add mix to taste. Top with marshmallows or whipped cream.

     Originally found in Good Housekeeping  

Pacific Short Ribs

Pacific Short Ribs
This is a family favorite.

3 – 4 lbs beef short ribs cut into 2 – 3 inch lengths – just make sure they will fit in the crock pot.
1 onion chopped
2/3 catsup
3 TB Soy sauce
2 TB cider vinegar
1 TB brown sugar

Broil ribs or pan fry them in canola oil until brown – remove excess fat. Transfer to the crock-pot. Sauté onions in canola oil until a bit brown and put those in the crock-pot too. Add the catsup, soy, vinegar and brown sugar. Cook on low 200 degrees for 8 hours. Stir and serve. If you can stir it mid way through great – if not it still tastes good! Makes 4 servings.

Serve with rice.