Diablo Pasta Sauce

I buy the big container of Cherub grape tomatoes at our local wholesale club but due to the holiday, they didn't get eaten like normal.  I didn't want them to go to waste so I roasted them then made a spicy sauce that my hubby and I loved.  I knew the kids wouldn't be able to eat it so I just made good old buttered noodles for them.  Don't tell my Italian husband, but our kids would rather have butter noodles then spaghetti sauce and noodles :-/  

This recipe does take some prep time.  I actually roasted them one day and made the sauce a couple days later.  They stored well in the fridge and it gave them a chance to thicken up.  This recipe only serves 2 people, not a whole family.  That is also why the buttered noodles came into play.

1 quart grape tomatoes
2-3 TBS garlic infused olive oil
2 TBS minced garlic
1 can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
4 oz red wine
2 tsp red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place grape tomatoes and minced garlic in shallow dish, a glass pie pan works great.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast in oven until tomatoes have popped and are very soft, usually 20-30 minutes.  Once done, mash tomatoes in dish leaving skins in there.  Place in fridge for later use or prepare to make sauce.
To make sauce, combine grape tomatoes and can of tomatoes, wine and pepper flakes in 2 qt sauce pan.  Simmer for 60 minutes.  Adjust spices to your liking.  Add more garlic and pepper if you want.
Serve over hot noodles.

I served it with my version of garlic bread:
1 loaf of frozen garlic bread
2 TBS finely chopped white onion
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
fresh ground pepper

Place frozen bread on foil lined baking sheet.  Top with onions then cheese then sprinkle with pepper.  Bake at 425 for 15 minutes or as directed on package.

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken

I know, I know, you've tried a hundred crock pot chicken recipes and they always come out bland and dry.  Well, I've finally found one that isn't!  I think using dark meat instead of breasts and a shorter cooking time really keeps the chicken from drying out.I can't remember what web-site I found this at, but it is a keeper in my family's book.

 2 lbs boneless chicken thighs (frozen)
1 bottle KC Style BBQ sauce (i like the one at Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle pepper in Adobo sauce, minced (found in Mexican area of store)
1 TBS Adobo sauce from can of peppers

Combine BBQ sauce, sugar, garlic and pepper and Adobo sauce in mixing bowl. Combine thoroughly.  Place chicken thighs in Crock Pot.  Pour sauce over.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours until chicken falls apart.  Remove chicken from pot, shred and place back in sauce.  Heat another 15 min or so.  Serve on deli roll with toppings of choice (we had pickles jalapenos and red onions).  These sandwiches are very saucy so eat quickly.

5 Spice Shrimp

I found this post on one of my favorite sites, http://sarahscucinabella.com/ and was a little hesitant to try at first.  I was worried that it might be too spicy for the kids or that my hubby wouldn't like the cinnamon.  However, I thought what the heck, might as well try something new and we loved, loved, loved it!  My kids fought us for more shrimp!  I served it with the Saffron flavored rice in the yellow bag (that I add cilantro to after it's cooked) and steamed cauliflower.  It was so flavorful and all of the exotic flavors just melted together.  Joe and I honestly had to get up from the table to stop eating.  It was a fabulous meal for all, hallelujah!! This barely served my young family of 5 so I would recommend doubling for older children.

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb raw jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp dry white wine

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and season with Chinese five spice, salt and pepper. Let cook, flipping once, until almost opaque (about 5 minutes). Add the wine and cover. Cook for 2 minutes. Uncover and cook until the wine evaporates, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately. Drink the rest of the wine.  jk.

Joe and I ate it with Asli Garlic Hot Sauce that we get from a local vietnamese store and it really complimented the shrimp plus it added lots of heat.  My kids just ate it plain and were happy ;)

Steak Salad

We love steak. We love salad. So why not combine the two? Wallah, it turned out wonderful. Even my kids were impressed. What made the salad so scrumptous is that my husand cooked the steak perfectly. Still pink in the middle but the juices weren't crazy pink (I have a hard time with that). The other reason this salad came out so good was the dressing. A friend had given me a sample of a Blue Cheese vinagarette that she eats faithfully. I am not a blue cheese fan, at all, but the dressing was awesome. That's where the steak salad comes in. Gotta have blue cheese with steak, right?

KC strip steak, 2 lbs worth
Montreal Steak seasoning
3-4 eggs
1 lb asparagus
1-2 packages of Spring Baby Mix salad
grape tomatoes, red onion and croutons-all to your liking
fresh Parmesan (not much, just a little for show)
Blue Cheese vinagarette (I found it in the refigerated section of the produce)

Preheat oven to 350. Place eggs in a sauce pan. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Cover and remove from heat. Let sit 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, line baking sheet with foil. Spray with PAM (I used Olive Oil PAM). Lay asparagus flat on baking sheet. Spray asparagus with PAM. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic (I use McCormick pepper/garlic blend). Place baking sheet in oven. Bake for around 20 minutes or until asparagus is tender crisp and green. Not burnt.

When eggs are done, pour out boiling water and replace with cold water. When cool to touch, peel and place whole eggs in fridge to get cold until ready to slice. Preheat grill to medium high. Put steaks on the grill and cook to medium rare. Let steak sit 10-15 minutes before slicing.

While steak is resting, cut up onions, tomatoes, eggs and asparagus. Place salad greens on large platter. Top with onion, tomatoes, croutons, eggs, asapragus, and Parmesan. Slice steak and place on top of salad. Drizzle with dressing (really doesn't take much, especially with juicy steak). Serve and enjoy.

BBQ Chicken wings

Our weather has been absolutely georgeous and it's grilling time again, yay!!! So, if you have followed my blog, as boring and inactive as it is, you would know that every year I come up with a grilled chicken recipe for the Summer. This is it. I am anxious to try it with boneless and bone-in chicken breasts to see if they come out as juicy and messy as the wings were. My kids had bbq sauce from one temple to the other :)

24 wing drumettes
1/2 cup or so Italian dressing (enough to cover all wings)
1/2 lime, juiced
4 TBS honey
BBQ Sauce (we used Sweet Baby Rays Hickory and Brown Sugar)

Place thawed chicken in Ziploc bag. Squirt in rest of ingredients. Close bag and knead bag to combine ingredients and coat chicken. Let marinade for at least an hour. Grill chicken at medium/high heat. We had the grill pretty hot and it flamed up so the wings were crunchy with burnt spots (my fave). Baste with BBQ sauce towards the end of cooking time.

Queso Corn Salad

I cannot say enough good things about this salad. I love, love, love it. I could eat it everyday by itself or as a topping or as a salsa. Wonderful is what it is. Okay, I'm done! I served this on top of frozen fish sticks in a soft-tortilla with some shredded lettuce and salsa verde and my hubby couldn't get enough (my kids just had fish sticks). I can only imagine what it would be like with grilled fish or freshly battered fish. And like always, the longer it sits the better it is. I get this from a site I visit regulary www.ourbestbites.com and adapted it to my tastes.

1 bag of frozen corn or frozen roasted corn
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced (de-seeded)
1/2 cup queso fresco cheese (or cotija), chopped
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped
cilantro, 1/4 bunch chopped (more if you really like cilantro)
salt and pepper to taste


Dressing:
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 TBS sugar
1/2 cup Italian dressing
juice of 2 limes

Place 1 in of water in large stock pot or dutch oven. Bring to boil. And corn, boil for 3 minutes and drain. Mix dressing together in separate bowl. Place all ingredients except avocado in large bowl, pour dressing over and mix. Refigerate at least 30 minutes, overnight is best. Add avocado right before serving.

Tip: I sprinkle my avocados with Fruit Fresh after chopping and add avocado in the beginning and it doesn't turn brown. And at my local grocery story, queso fresco cheese is located by the fancy, gourmet cheeses, not the shredded cheese aisle.

Spinach Ravioli's

My new favorite pasta. My brother-in-law made a wonderful manicotti at Christmas that was smokey and filled with spinach and mushrooms. I am usually not a manicotti fan so I decided I needed to find a way to re-create this recipe for my taste. I was planning on using just cheese raviolis and adding spinach to the sauce, but I found spinach and cheese filled raviolis. Perfect. My dish doesn't equal his by any means, but I made it easily and we loved it! I plan on making this many times. Hope you enjoy!





1-2 pkgs of refrigerated spinach and cheese raviolis (depending on how many you need, I found them at Sam's Club)
1 big can crushed tomatoes
1/4-1/2 pound double smoked bacon
glug of Cabernet or other red cooking wine
Italian Seasoning and dried basil to taste
1 TBS brown sugar
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Grated Parmesan
Parsley for garnishment, optional

Cook bacon in medium sauce pan until crispy. Remove bacon to plate, pour out most of bacon grease. Add crushed tomatoes, wine, seasonings, sugar and crumbled bacon back to sauce pan. Let simmer until ready to pour over raviolis.

While sauce is simmering, bring a big pot of water to boil. Cook raviolis according to package directions. Drain and place in casserole dish. Top with tomato sauce and coat with cheeses. Bake, uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted. Broil for a minute or so to brown cheese. Sprinkle with parsley for color.

Pretzel Bites

Once again, my friend Kim C. does not let me down. She had recently given me the following 2 recipes. They are party faves and although I did not get them posted for Christmas or New Years, you could make them for a Super Bowl gig.










Pretzel Bites

1 package Rhodes Texas Rolls, thawed (only thaw half bag for small event or lack of pans)
1/2 stick butter, melted
sea salt

Take a thawed roll. Cut it in four equal sections. Place dough bites on greased sheets. I placed five across and five down on large baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, and let dough rise until double in size. (about 1 hour) Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil. When dough has risen, plop about 10-15 pieces into the boiling water, tossing gently for about 45-60 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon, and place bites on towels to drain slightly. Move bites to greased baking sheets, and bake at 375 degrees for about 25-35 minutes or until done and golden brown.

Brush bites with melted butter, sprinkle with Kosher or Sea Salt. Serve with Nacho Cheese and watch them disappear.
You can also make Cinnamon and Sugar bites or Garlic Parmesan bites.






Chocolate Rolo Cookies

1 pkg Devil Food cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 pkg Rolos, unwrapped

Mix cake mix, oil and eggs. Take a small ball of dough and form a ball around Rolo, covering entire Rolo. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cool on wire rack. Yields 2-3 dozen.

The cookies don't really spread much so you can place them pretty close together on cookie sheet and get them done really quickly.

Basil Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I love lettuce wraps from a local restaurant and have finally come close to their recipe. Nothing beats going to the restaurant but this will work when the craving strikes.











1 lb. ground chicken
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup of chopped shitake mushrooms
1 TBS dried basil
1/2 cup chopped peanuts (I used unsalted, dry roasted)
1/4 cup Classic stir-fry sauce or more to taste (found it in Asian isle)
2 TBS wok oil or peanut oil
1 head iceberg lettuce, cored and separated

Heat wok or heavy skillet on high heat. Turn down and add oil. Add carrots, onion and garlic. Saute until fragrant, less than a minute. Add ground chicken and mushrooms. Cook thoroughly. Add stir-fry sauce, basil and peanuts. Stir until combined. Serve immediately with lettuce.
**I combined a little stir-fry sauce, soy sauce and chopped scallions for a dipping sauce. It had good flavor but a little salty. Still working on the dipping sauce.

Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup

I stumbled across this recipe and I am so, so glad I found it. It is just what the doctor ordered on this cold, December day. It tastes like restaurant style soup but without any of the work. I tweaked it to my liking so feel free to do the same. Here's what I did:









1 package frozen hash browns
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 box + 1 can chicken broth
1/4 onion, chopped
Course ground black pepper to your taste
12 oz or 1 1/2 packages cream cheese (do not use FF, it won't melt)
1/2 package real bacon bits

Combine all ingredients except cream cheese and bacon in crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or more if needed. An hour before serving, add cream cheese and bacon to crock pot. Stirring occasionally. Serve topped with scallions and cheese.

It can be made on stove-top also and takes about an hour. If you like really thick soup then go ahead and add the other 1/2 of the cream cheese.

Tomato Basil Soup

This recipe is actually a "Copy Cat" recipe for a famous department store's soup. It is a great knock-off but the original recipe makes 128 servings!!! I usually halve it and it still makes probably 8 qts of soup so be ready to eat and/or freeze the soup. It freezes and reheats well.














1/2 cup olive oil
1.5 lbs carrots, chopped
1.5 lbs onions, chopped
6 cups canned, peeled plum tomatoes
2 TBS dried basil
1/2 lb chicken base
1 gallon water
1 to 1.5 qts heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot, saute the olive oil, carrots and onion at medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.

In a large bowl, whisk the chicken base into the water until dissolved. Add the water mixture to the stock pot, bring to a boil and then simmer for 45 minutes.

Puree the soup using a hand blender while adding the cream until it reaches a thin consistency or in my case, it's the color I want.

Cilantro Hummus/Bean Dip

I was trying to re-create the Cilantro Hummus from TJ's because I am tired of always being out of it and craving it! However, I didn't have any tahini so I'm hoping with the addition of that it will be more like it. As written, it doesn't taste anything like it but it is just as addicting. My husband loves it. It's kinda spicy so the kids haven't tried it but it would be a great party dip (double or triple for guests)

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

1 bunch of cilantro, stems removed

1 TBS chopped garlic (jarred kind works)

5-6 pickled jalapeno slices (more if you want spicy)

couple glugs of olive oil

1 TBS Tahini if you want hummus. Leave out for bean dip.

Combine everything in food processor until as smooth as you want it. Serve with pita chips or veggies.

Asian Grilled Chicken

There are lots of diffrent versions of this marinade but this happens to be our favorite. I can't make enough of this chicken at a time. I use boneless thighs but breasts work well, they just aren't as juicy. I always marinate overnight, the longer the better for sure. We usually have plain, old white rice and steamed broccoli with it. Quick, easy and a kid favorite. Enjoy!

6 boneless thighs or breasts

2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground ginger

2 green onions, minced
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tsp honey
2 tsp sesame oil

Mix the marinade together. Place chicken in baggie and poor marinade over chicken. Turn freq to coat. Heat the grill to medium-high and grill until done. Let it rest a few minutes before cutting or serving.

Cucumber Salsa

Sorr for not having a pic!


I received this from a friend (thank you Kim C.)at the beginning of the Summer and have just fallen in love with it. I should have shared a long time ago! I have fed it to many people and it has always gotten rave reviews. I can't seem to make a good regular salsa but I can make this one. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend and be safe.

Cool Cucumber Salsa
Mama Socorro Salsa Mix (not sure if this is local but I buy it at my KC grocery store)
1 pkg Ranch Dressing
2 Cucumbers
4 Tomatoes (or 28 oz. can petite)
1 Red Onion
1/2 cup Rice Wine Vinegar

Mix together and let sit overnight. Serve with tortilla chips.
(Not a breathe friendly dish, just so you know)

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

I found this on a blog the other day and thought to myself "these sound awesome". They sounded a little tedious so I waited for a good time to make them and I will definitely be making these again and again! I boiled the chicken but I will plan ahead next time and cook in the crock-pot for better tasting and moister chicken. I will say, my stomach actually hurt after eating these because I ate way too much. That's how good they are!

1 small, onion, peeled & diced (use a sweet onion if you can find it)

3 chicken breast halves

1/2 c. chicken broth (or box, if you are boiling)

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. garlic, minced (2-3 cloves)

salt & pepper (to taste)

5tablespoons honey

5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)

8-10 flour tortillas

1 lb. Monterey jack cheese, shredded16 ounces

green enchilada sauce (I used the green Verde sauce from Trader Joe's and loved the flavor)

1 c. heavy cream or half and half (i think FF would work just fine)

Cook onion in butter (or spray butter to save calories) until translucent. Place chicken, chicken broth, onions, chili powder, garlic, salt & pepper in the crock-pot. Cook on low for 8 hrs, adding more broth as needed, you don't want it to dry out. Remove chicken from crock and keep 1/4 cup of the juices for marinade. Discard rest.

Shred chicken, place in in large Ziploc bag, add honey & lime, marinate for at least 30 minutes, longer if possible. Grease 9x13 casserole, coat bottom of dish with enchilada sauce. Drain marinade from chicken into small bowl, add cream and rest of enchilada sauce. Mix together. Fill tortillas with chicken and cheese (saving some cheese to top enchiladas). Top enchiladas with cream mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until brown and crispy on top.

No crock-pot way: Boil chicken in half chicken broth, half water, chili powder and garlic. While boiling, cook onions in butter. Once chicken is done, shred chicken and combine with onions and marinade. Marinate in Ziploc, continue recipe as written.

Baked Chili Rellenos

Note: this is not what a the baked chili relleno will look like, it was the only picture I could find quickly and easily.

Chile Rellenos are my favorite Mexican dish, following closely with bean burritos. I have mastered bean burritos and finely mastered the rellenos! You just have to like peppers, that's all there is too it. I do nothing special to change the flavor, I broil them to enhance the flavor. So, if you didn't like rellenos before now, then you more than likely won't want to make this recipe. They are too spicy for my kids but my husband and I wished I would have made 4 peppers instead of 2! Also, make the enchilada sauce ahead of time and freeze what you don't use, it freezes beautifully.

2-6 poblano peppers, roasted (how ever many people you have), recipe for roasting follows

shredded monterey jack

Enchilada Sauce, recipe follows toothpicks

Enchilada Sauce:

3 TBS oil

2 TBS flour

1/4 c. chili powder (yes, you really use that much)

1 TBS cumin

Stir in saucepan on low heat until bubbly, then add:

2 c. beef broth

2 c. tomato sauce

1/2 tsp. oregano

1 clove minced garlic

Simmer on low until ready to use or let cool then refigerate or freeze until ready to use. I used half of the sauce on enchiladas and then froze the rest 6 months ago. I just pulled the other half out for these peppers and I still have a quarter of the sauce left. So 1 batch of sauce would probably cover 2 big batches of enchiladas.

To Roast Peppers:

Preheat broiler in oven. Place peppers on foil lined baking sheet. Rotate the peppers every 5 min, you want the skin to be mostly black. The whole process took me about 15 minutes. Let cool enough to handle. Remove skin, you can keep a few blackened spots for flavor. Can also be roasted on the gas grill or electric grill.

To Make Chili Rellenos

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut a slit down the top side of the pepper, from stem to bottom. Be careful not to cut all of the way through. Remove as many seeds as you can without ripping up the pepper. (And if you do rip it up, chop it and freeeze to use in a dish another time) Stuff with a handful of shredded cheese. Insert 1 toothpick at a time into top of pepper, making an "X" with the toothpicks so the pepper stays closed while baking. Coat with enchilada sauce, covering all parts of the pepper. Sprinkle with more cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling. Serve warm. And don't forget to remove the toothpicks before eating (because I would never do that!)

Spanish Chicken

I am so happy with the recent weather we've been having here in the Midwest. We've grilled the last two nights, busting out new marinades both nights. We absolutely loved this one. My son ate two pieces of chicken and wanted more, but we didn't have more! I am considering making this again next week because I will crave it. I know the weather won't stay around but this recipe will. It can be grilled or broiled so give it a try, even if you aren't having perfect 80 degree weather ;)
5 WW+ points per thigh, less if you don't eat the skin



6 chicken thighs, extra fat removed
1 TBS vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
1 packet Sazon (in the Spanish aisle)
Adobo seasoning (in the Spanish or seasoning aisle)

Combine vinegar, soy sauce and Sazon in Ziploc bag. Add the chicken then sprinkle with as much Adobo seasoning as you would like (I used at least 1.5 TBS). Marinate for at least 20 minutes in fridge, overnight recommended. I put in the fridge before I go to bed and grill the next night for dinner. Grill or broil until cooked thoroughly, being careful not to burn chicken. I had the chicken over low heat on the grill and had the other, indirect burners on med-high. I grilled it for 20 minutes with thigh meat up and then flipped it over to brown skin. Always check with a food thermometer.

***I served this with Birds Eye brand Garlic Cauliflower and Knorr Spanish flavored rice. It was perfect. Enough said.

Angel Food Cake Bars

I didn't take a picture of these bars before we scarfed them down nor could I find one. So ignore the picture. I was worried at first about these bars because the recipe said to bake them for 30 minutes. At 30 minutes, they were brown but soggy. Is that done? Since I am not a baker and have actually never made an angel food cake before (I let Grandma and mom do that), I put it back in for another 20 minutes. However, the longer is sat outside of the oven, the drier it got. My point being, bake it at least 30 minutes and see what you think. This is a Weight Watchers recipe and has 2 points for 1/24 of the bars.

1 box Angel Food cake mix

1 can Light Blueberry pie filling

Mix ingredients together by hand (no water needed). Pour into 9x13 ungreased baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until done. Let cool and serve.

Cornbread Casserole

My Mom made a casserole like this when I was little and I loved it! However, I've never asked her how she made it, I just went from memory. It turned out just like I remember. We loved it (the kids needed ketchup to tone the spice down) I liked that it was quick and easy and that the ingredients can be stored in the pantry/freezer for a last minute dinner.


1 lb. HB
1 white onion, chopped
garlic powder, chili powder, salt & pepper
1 can corn, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained a little
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 TBS chili seasoning (I use Williams)
1 box Jiffy cornbread, made as directed on package

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place hamburger and onion in skillet. Season with garlic, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook hamburger until done, approx 10 minutes. Add rest of ingredients (except cornbread) to skillet. Simmer for a few minutes. Make cornbread as directed. Place skillet ingredients in a 2 quart baking dish. Top with cornbread. Bake for 20 minutes or until cornbread is baked all the way through and golden. Let it rest for 10 minutes or however long you have. Mine set for almost 20 minutes and it was still steaming when served.

Pinto Beans

These are some our favorite beans to eat aside our favorite Mexican dish. They're quick, easy and healthy. Not much else to say besides, enjoy now because they're musical
later :)








1 large can pinto beans
1 red mirasol pepper, chopped (by jalapenos but not near as spicy.Use jalapeno if you want spice)
minced onion
1 close chopped garlic and dried garlic
1/2 pkg pre-cooked bacon, chopped
cilantro, to taste (i used a handful)

Heat sauce pan on medium heat, add bacon. Cook until it's greasy again. Add pepper, onion and garlic. Cook 1 minute. Add beans and cilantro. Simmer for 20 minutes or until dinner is ready.