Dinner

Classic Marinara Sauce

May22013

If there is one thing our family eats a lot of, it’s pasta. Almost every Friday night, we serve up a big bowl of pasta with marinara sauce and a crusty, buttery loaf of garlic bread. I love that this meal takes barely any preparation or thought, and it always pleases the little ones. Our toddler gets an extra kick out of grating the Parmesan on top of his plate. Sometimes I will just open a can, but most of the time I grab a tupperware of this sauce out of the freezer. Everyone needs a go-to marinara recipe, and this has been mine for years. It’s all about choosing good quality canned tomatoes, San Marzano with basil being my favorite. I usually will make a huge batch of this on a random weekend, and then I’ll be set for the next month in the sauce department. It’s really as easy as dumping it all into a big pot, stirring every once in a while, and letting it simmer for an hour while it fills your home with the most mouthwatering smell. Trust me, your family will be ready for dinner after smelling this all afternoon! My husband’s favorite pasta dish of all time is this sauce served along with cooked penne, cabbage, and Italian sausage pieces. That’s the beauty of a good, classic marinara, you can add anything you like, or nothing at all and it will still make for a delicious and soul-satisfying meal.

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· Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes · Tagged With: freezer friendly, Italian, marinara, Pasta, sauce

Drunken Fruity Chicken

Apr242013

I’ve been in a bit of a cooking rut lately. There just seems to be a lot going on, and quite simply, the kitchen has not been on my must visit list. So we’ve been eating breakfast for dinner, lots of pasta, and tons of these easy no-fuss recipes. Just because I haven’t necessarily been in the mood to cook, does not mean I haven’t been in the mood to eat! Come 6 o’clock I still want something tasty to sit down to (and a dessert to follow wouldn’t hurt either). That’s why I love dishes like this that are filled with flavor (you did notice the drunken and fruity part of the title, right?), but take hardly any effort. Feel free to use nearly any stone fruit of your choosing (peaches, plums, apricots, etc). And be sure to serve with a heaping pile of rice to soak up all that yummy sauce.

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· Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes · Tagged With: barbecue, chicken, dinner, recipe, whiskey

Honey Roast Pork Tenderloin with Apples

Mar282013

Can you believe Easter is this weekend?! I feel totally caught off guard, partially due to the early holiday this year, but also due to the lingering cold. Going to church Easter Sunday in boots and sweaters just doesn’t seem to jive in my mind. I do, however, feel totally re-energized from our days at the beach and am super grateful to my mom and dad who watched the boys for us. I love my kids, but days when you aren’t called “mommy” are priceless in their own ways as well.

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· Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes · Tagged With: apples, dinner, Easter, honey, pork, roast, tenderloin

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Mar192013

Spring is only a few days away, but it is still seriously cold here. Like, stay-in-bed-all-day kinda cold. The only thing good about this never ending winter weather is that we get to keep on eating hardy, warming dinners like this beef stew (and that we get to hide all our winter eating under big comfy sweaters). You are going to love this recipe. It uses frozen vegetables, so you can get it into your slow cooker with barely any prep time. And the end result is a bit lighter and definitely more flavorful than your typical beef stew, all without even having the brown the meat. We loved it over rice, but you could do mashed potatoes if that’s more your style. If you are still dealing with the cold, put this one on your list to make soon!

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· Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes, Slow Cooker · Tagged With: beef, dinner, rice, slow cooker, stew

Chicken Curry with Apples and Raisins

Mar52013

So it has been busy, busy, busy around our house! We moved at the end of last week, and even though it was only a total of 14 floors, moving takes a heck of a lot of work. Thank goodness for my in-laws, brother-in-law, and husband who all pitched in to watch the kids, organize (we had people pack and unpack but I pretty much found clothes in the kitchen), hang pictures, and make many, many trips to Bed, Bath & Beyond. Things are no less crazy today as we have a construction crew in doing all kinds of last minute work. Tequila shots at 10 am sounds just about right to me.

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· Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes · Tagged With: apples, chicken, curry, dinner, easy, raisins

Praised Chicken with Mustard & Dill

Feb252013

As I promised in my last post, here is the recipe for “Praised” Chicken. It’s a Nigella recipe that I’ve been making for years, and is probably the most requested meal around our home in the winter time (it’s one of my husband’s favorites and both the kids love it, even my 11 month old). It’s like a super kicked-up version of chicken soup. It’s called “praised” because the chicken is first pan seared, then braised. It comes out super tender but with that almost roast chicken flavor. Plus, you get a nice amount of stock to keep in your freezer and use another time. You serve the chicken, veggies, and a little stock over rice with a side of Dijon mustard and a healthy portion of dill. It sounds a little different, but the whole combination is amazing. It’s these little additions that make this a company worthy dish. This a surefire crowd pleaser, and although it takes a little time to simmer in the pot, is really a cinch to make. This has Sunday dinner written all over it.

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· Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes · Tagged With: braised, broth, chicken, Dijon, dill, dinner, mustard, soup

Chicken Caesar Pasta

Feb142013

Happy Valentines Day! So, I had this lovely, romantic meal planned out for my husband and I that I was going to share with all of you today, but I just didn’t feel like cooking it! We all have those kinds of days, right? After battling a cold for a few days and having the kids all to myself while Brad was away, I just couldn’t muster the energy to make a more involved meal. Instead, I made one of my old standbys. People, this could not be simpler or more delicious. It’s like an elegant version of mac and cheese and I have been making it for nearly a decade (seriously, I got the recipe from one of my college sorority sisters). This is the dish that I often make to bring to people after they’ve had a baby or are just in need of a comforting home cooked meal. Not that it takes any time to put together, but you could easily make a double batch and throw one in the freezer for just that sort of occasion. I am constantly getting asked for this recipe, and am nearly embarrassed to share it because it is so insanely simple. Please don’t be afraid of the “Caesar” taste, both of my kids (2.5 and 11 months) devour this.

If you are having a “I just don’t feel like cooking” kinda day (even if it is Valentines!), give this one a shot. It’s a tried and true winner!

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· Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes · Tagged With: baked, caesar, casserole, chicken, dinner, easy, Pasta, simple

Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings

Jan282013

Oh, Monday. Did you really have to throw in this freezing snowy weather to add to your sting? Going on my 8th year here in the Northeast and I still haven’t come to terms with the winter weather. About the only thing cold weather is good for is an excuse to stay indoors and eat warm, hardy, comforting food. And yes, chicken and dumplings fits just that bill. This is especially perfect for a weekday since it takes no time to throw everything into the slow cooker. I mean, how fabulous is it to hit 6 pm and realize that dinner will only take another few minutes of your time. Just the kind of end of day you need on a freezing Monday like today.

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