Red Wine Sangria

Ingredients:
2 bottles red wine
1 cup brandy
1/2 cup triple sec
1 cup orange juice
1 cup pomegranate juice (I used cherry pomegranate juice)
1/2 cup simple syrup, or more to taste (equal parts sugar and water, heated until sugar dissolves, cooled)
Blueberries
Orange slices
Apple slices
Blackberries

Directions:Mix all liquids together and let stand in a tightly sealed container or pitcher for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator before serving.  Add fruit 1-2 hours before serving.  If there are any leftovers, be sure to remove the orange slices before refrigerating so the sangria does not go bitter.

Roast Salmon

I love finding new ways to prepare fish for my family. We love eating it, but enjoy a variety of flavors with it. This was delicious and all my kids cleared their plates!

3 tbsp olive oil
1.5 tbsp Dijon mustard
1.5 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
4 pieces salmon fillet, with skin (4-5 oz each)

Preheat oven to 400. In a small bowl, whisk oil, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Place salmon fillets, skin side down, in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Spoon the mustard glaze over the fish. Bake 12 minutes or until salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.

Island Chicken

This is a simple chicken marinade. It's my favorite way to fix boneless skinless chicken breasts for a tasty dinner. Usually I bake it in the oven, but it's also great grilled.

1/2 cup canola oil
3 TBSP lime juice
1 1/2 TBSP soy sauce (I use San-J Wheat Free Tamari for gluten free)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Mix together all the ingredients but the chicken breasts. Place chicken breasts in a plastic bag and pour marinade over chicken. Refrigerate and marinate up to 10 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in baking dish and pour marinade over it. Bake for about 45 minutes or until it reaches 165.

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

I don't like mashed potatoes, but I did like this and it seems to be an acceptable lower-carb option if you like mashed potatoes.  I actually steamed the broccoli first so I didn't have to mess with draining it and patting it dry.  I also omitted the butter at the end because it was flavorful enough without it.

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cauliflower
• 1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh or dry chives, for garnish
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

Set a stockpot of water to boil over high heat.

Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes, or until well done. Drain well; do not let cool and pat cooked cauliflower very dry between several layers of paper towels.

In a bowl with an immersion blender, or in a food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, Parmesan, garlic, salt, and pepper until almost smooth.

Garnish with chives, and serve hot with pats of butter.

Hint: Try roasting the garlic and adding a little fresh

rosemary for a whole new taste.

Chicken and Dumplings or homemade chicken stock

This is my favorite recipe of the winter! I love making this for dinner. Bonus the kids gobble it up. Because I puree the soup prior to serving, that means my kids are happily consuming all their veggies rather than picking them out. If you stop after simmering and just remove the chicken and veggies you have some delicious homemade chicken stock and can eat the chicken and veggies on their own for a meal as well. This can also be mostly made ahead of time. You can do the recipe, including pureeing the soup and shredding the chicken the day before and just bring it to a simmer and make the dumplings just prior to serving.

Ingredients:
4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
2 carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 stalks of celery, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
6 to 8 cloves of garlic, whole with skin removed
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into large chunks
1 dried bay leaf
2 tablespoons kosher salt (I use less, I think it's too salty, but the original recipe calls for 2)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup all purpose flour (I use Better Batter for gluten free)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (not skim)

1. Place the chicken, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, squash, bay leaf, salt and pepper in a large stock pot. Pour in just enough water to cover the chicken and vegetables.

2. Cover the pot (with the lid tipped a bit) and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and the mixture is very fragrant.

3.Remove from heat. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, blend the vegetables into the liquid. Blend until no large pieces remain. Return pot to the stove top and turn the heat to medium-high. Cover partially and allow the liquid to simmer.

4. In a separate bowl,  blend the flour, baking powder and salt until well combined. Add in the milk in a slow, steady stream, whisking as you go. Continue to whisk until batter is smooth.

5. Remove the cover from the pot and drop in dumpling batter by the spoonful, allowing a little space between each dumpling. The dumplings will swell as they cook. Cover the pot partially and allow dumplings to simmer until they are cooked through, about 10 minutes.

6. While the dumplings are cooking, remove the skin and bones from the chicken and shred. Add the chicken back into the pot. Serve when the dumplings are done cooking.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This Rachael Ray recipe is FANTASTIC and my whole family gobbled it up!  It is a bit on the spicy side, so cut down on the peppers if you can't handle the spice.  Enjoy :-)

Ingredients

• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 pound chicken tenders
• 1 bay leaf, fresh if available
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 4 slices thick, smoky center cut bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 chipotles in adobo, chopped, plus 2 tablespoons sauce
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
• Salt
• 4 cups lightly crushed corn tortilla chips
• 2 cups shredded fresh smoked mozzarella or smoked sharp white Cheddar, 3/4 pound
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• Freshly chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

Bring broth to a simmer and add chicken tenders, poach 6 to 7 minutes with a bay leaf.
While chicken poaches, heat extra-virgin olive oil in a medium soup pot or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp then remove with slotted spoon. Drain off excess fat, leaving 2 to 3 tablespoons in the pan. Add onions and garlic to the skillet and cook 5 minutes then stir in chipotles and tomatoes.
Remove chicken from stock, dice and then add to soup. Pass stock through a strainer then add to the soup.
Place a pile of crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of each soup bowl. Cover liberally with smoked cheese then ladle the hot soup down over the top. Serve with lime, raw onions and cilantro at table to finish the soup.

Mushroom Cream Pasta

This isn't exactly kid approved, my kids wouldn't touch it. It also isn't healthy. But it is wonderful! Mike and I loved this and it came together super quickly.

Ingredients
8 ounces sliced baby portabello mushrooms
1/2 cup marsala wine
1 cup cream
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces of pasta (use gluten free pasta to make the dish gluten free)

1. Bring water to boil and start prepping pasta.
2. Combine musrooms and wine in a large skillet; bring to a boil over medium heat.
3. Cook until wine is reduced by half.
4. Add cream and tarragon to mushroom mixture. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper and remove from heat.
6. When pasta is ready pour into large serving bowl and mix with the mushroom sauce.

Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

I can't believe I have never posted this recipe!  I got it from Food Network Magazine a couple years ago and I LOVE it!  It was on the cover as one of their "lighter" options and it only takes 30-40 min to make!  I've updated the recipe a bit to fit my needs, and I always freeze half the meatballs for a quick meal any time.

Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1/4 c. minced garlic
2 28 oz. can plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 c. fresh basil leaves (or 2 T. dried)
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2 lb. 93% lean ground turkey
1/2 c. chopped parsley
2 slices stale whole wheat bread, crust trimmed, bread chopped
1/2 c. part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
2 egg white, lightly beaten
12 oz.whole wheat spaghetti

Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add 3 T. garlic and cook 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes with their juice, 1 c. water, 1/2 c. basil (or 1 T. dried), and salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until thickened.

2. Chop the remaining basil, then mix with the turkey, parsley, bread, ricotta, parmesan, egg white, minced garlic, 1/2 t. salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl or food processor.  Form into 8 large or 24 small meatballs.  (Note: At this point, I freeze half of the meatballs on a tray, then move them to a freezer bag once frozen.  You can make the sauce again any time and add the frozen meatballs directly to the sauce to cook.)  Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer, turning, until cooked through.  6 min. for small meatballs and 12 min for large (increase cooking time if using frozen meatballs).

3. Meanwhile, cook and drain the spaghetti.  Toss with some of the sauce, then divide among bowls.  Top the spaghetti with the meatballs, the remaining sauce, and more parsley and parmesan.

Antipasto Pasta Salad

The absolute BEST pasta salad in the world (at least of the ones I've tried)!

Vinaigrette:
1 1/2 T. capers, drained
2 t. anchovy paste
2 t. minced garlic
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1 t. dried oregano
6 T. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Puree all ingredients in a food processor except for oil.  Slowly drizzle in oil and blend until emulsified.

Salad:
12 oz. tri-color rotini pasta, cooked and drained
2 c. seeded and half-moon sliced cucumbers
1 c. halved grape or cherry tomatoes
1 c. diced smoked mozzarella or gouda
1 c. diced hard salami
1 c. thinly sliced red onion
3/4 c. pitted and chopped kalamata olives
1/2 c. sliced roasted red peppers
1/2 c. marinated artichoke hearts, quartered

Combine all salad ingredients.  Toss with vinaigrette to coat.  Refrigerate salad overnight for best flavor.  (Note: I usually serve it immediately and then have leftovers for lunch the rest of the week.  The flavor does get better as it sits overnight.)

New Fave Mac-n-Cheese

I started making my roux a little different in my mac-n-cheese, just to give it a bit more flavor. It turned out GREAT and now it's my new fave! I've made this quite a few times this summer - it's perfect for a BBQ side dish. I also have thrown it in the oven with a bit more cheese on top, after doubling the recipe for a crowd. Yum!

1 lb elbow macaroni
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
pinch pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1-1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar (or colby jack is also great)
dash Worcestershire
dash hot sauce

Cook the macaroni in boiling water according to package directions. Meantime, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, and ground mustard (I combine them all in a little bowl ahead of time, then add at once). Stir with a whisk and let the flour taste cook out but don't burn. Whisk in the milk until combined - let cook until thickened. Turn off the heat and add the cheese. Once the cheese melts in add the Worcestershire and hot sauce, and add cheese sauce to the cooked & drained noodles.