Bucatini a La Surf and Surf

This is a recipe from Guy Fieri. Jerome and I made this for my family and everyone loved it. We did not have to make any alterations for the picky eaters or my grandparents who have specific dietary restrictions. If your family likes seafood, this is for you guys!

P.S. Bucatini is a hollow spaghetti. We used regular spaghetti and it was perfectly fine.

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound bucatini
• 1 cup pancetta, diced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 16 Manila clams, scrubbed
• 1/2 bottle dry white wine
• 12 to 16 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 sprig thyme, leaves chopped
• 1 pound 16/20 shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail on
• 1/2 pound calamari, cleaned and cut into rings
• 1/2 pound large bay scallops, cleaned, patted dry
• Coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, and add a handful of salt. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and stir to keep it from clumping together and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-low heat, add the pancetta and cook until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan and drain on a paper towel. Drain fat from pan.

Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to pan over medium heat, add garlic, shallots, red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Then add clams, white wine, tomato sauce and thyme to the pan and cook, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes or until clams have opened. Season the shrimp, calamari, and the scallops with salt and pepper and raise the heat to medium-high. Add the seafood and cook until the shrimp just starts to turn pink and the squid and scallops become opaque, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the pasta into the pan and toss until coated with the sauce. Transfer the pasta and shell fish to a large serving platter and garnish with the basil, parsley, pancetta, and coarsely ground black pepper. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve immediately.

Chicken Dumpling and Noodle Stoup

This is a Rachael Ray recipe that puts a twist on Chicken Noodle Soup. So good!

4 servings
Ingredients
Salt
1/2 lb short-cut pasta, such as ditalini or penne
2 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
1 large yellow onion, 3/4 of it thinly sliced, 1/4 of it grated
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 garlic cloves, chopped
Black pepper
5 cups chicken stock
1 package ground chicken breast meat (we use ground turkey b/c there is no ground chicken in stillwater)
1 cup fresh basil, 20 leaves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 egg white
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (we used grated Parmesan cheese)
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 12-oz sack triple-washed baby spinach
1/4 cup store bought pesto

Directions
1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, salt it, and cook the pasta just shy of al dente - about 5 minutes (It will cook more later). Drain and reserve.
2. While the pasta works, preheat a large soup pot with the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onions are tender and golden.
3. Add the chicken stock and bring it up to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium low and simmer while you make the chicken dumplings.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, basil, parsley, egg white, grated onion, lemon zest, grated cheese, and a little salt and pepper. Mix well.
5. Using a serving spoon, scoop out a walnut-size spoonful of the chicken mixture of the chicken mixture. Then, use a second spoon to push the chicken mixture off the first spoon into the simmering stock.
6. Repeat this with the rest of the chicken mixture, working as quickly as you can to get all the dumplings into the stock. (I make all dumplings into their shapes separately. After they are all made, then I place them all in the stock one at a time. That way I don't rush making the dumplings.)
7. Shake the pan in order to settle the chicken dumplings into the stock. Cover and cook the dumplings for 5 minutes.
8. Add the tomatoes, pasta, and spinach to the soup and cook for 2 minutes more.
9. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top each bowl with a dollop of the pesto (1 tablespoon per serving to use 1/4 cup total) and more grated cheese.

Tex-Mex Egg Rolls

When we made this recipe, we only made half of what it called for. Trust me, half is still a pound of meat plus other ingredients. Oh! A great thing to dip these egg rolls into is SALSA!!! Trust me. It's fabulous!

Ingredients:
2 lb lean ground chuck
2 medium chopped onions
2 minced garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 (4 oz) cans diced green chilies
4 cups shredded longhorn cheese (we used cheddar)
1 package egg roll wrappers
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons water
oil for deep frying (we just use our deep fryer =) )

Directions:
1. In a medium skillet, brown beef over medium heat. Drain off the fat and return to heat.
2. Add onions, garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, and black pepper to browned beef. Continue cooking over medium heat until onion is transparent. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in green chilies and shredded cheese, stirring until thoroughly combined and until cheese is completely melted. Set aside.
4. Mix together flour and water to make a paste for sealing the egg rolls. Set aside.
5. Wrap the egg rolls with 1/4 cup of filling mixture per egg roll. (see picture)
6. Use the flour paste to seal the egg roll's last flap.

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This recipe came from an episode of "Cook Yourself Thin." I have not tried the cookies with the raisins. However, they are some of the best oatmeal cookies I have made besides the recipe in the oatmeal canister. They are even healthier options!


Makes about 40 (2 1/2-inch) cookies
Calories per cookie: 116


Ingredients
2 tablespoons whiskey or rum
2/3 cup raisins
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup natural unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups oats (not instant)


Directions
1. Set the oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.


2. Sprinkle the whiskey or rum over the raisins in a bowl and let stand while you assemble the batter.


3. Using a handheld or standing mixer, beat the butter, applesauce, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through. Beat in the egg and egg white, milk and vanilla.


4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and cinnamon, add to the batter, and beat just until the flour is absorbed. Gently fold in the oats with a rubber scraper.


5. Use 2 spoons to scoop out the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are set but still soft in the centers and beginning to brown on the edges, 17 to 20 minutes.


6. Let cool on a wire rack.

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

Jambalaya is fabulous. This slow cooker recipe makes it more convenient. This is a Robin Miller recipe. She makes food that can be prepared ahead of time and made later in the week. This one lets you mix the spices in a baggie (they keep for a week). You can also pre-chop all the veggies and store them in a baggie in the fridge. However, they only will only keep for 3 days.

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 pound andouille sausage, diced
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 pound frozen peeled and cooked shrimp, thawed
• 2 cups cooked rice

Directions

In a slow cooker, combine chicken, sausage, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, celery, and chicken broth. Stir in oregano, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce, bay leaves, and thyme.

Cover, and cook on LOW for 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours. Stir in the thawed shrimp, cover and cook until the shrimp is heated through, about 5 minutes. Discard bay leaves and spoon mixture over cooked rice.

Mac and Cheese Lorraine

This is a Rachael Ray recipe. Don't be scared of the Gruyere cheese. It makes a great made-from-scratch sauce. To make this vegetarian, just leave out the bacon.

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound gemelli pasta or other short cut pasta
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound bacon, chopped
• 2 onions, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup whole milk
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups shredded Gruyere
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Directions

Heat water for pasta, salt water and cook pasta to al dente.

While pasta water comes to boil, heat extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add bacon and crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Add onions and cook 10 minutes until soft and beginning to caramelize. Add wine and cook out, 1 minute.

While onions cook, heat a sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter, melt and whisk in flour. Cook 1 minute then whisk in stock and milk and bring to a bubble. Thicken a few minutes then season with salt and pepper. Melt in cheese stirring it in a figure-8 motion with a wooden spoon. Add nutmeg and mustard and adjust salt and pepper.

Drain pasta, toss with onions and stir in cheese sauce to coat. Top with crispy bacon and serve.

Cajun Catfish Wraps with Slaw

This is a Cooking Light Recipe. So fast, so easy, so good!!

Ingredients

• SLAW:
• 3 1/2  cups  thinly sliced red or green cabbage
• 1/4  cup  light mayonnaise
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  cider vinegar
• 1/2  teaspoon  sugar
• 
  WRAPS:
• 1  tablespoon  all-purpose flour
• 1  tablespoon  paprika
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  dried thyme
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  dried oregano
• 1  teaspoon  garlic powder
• 1  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 4  (6-ounce) farm-raised catfish fillets
• 1  tablespoon  butter or stick margarine
• 4  (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas

Preparation

To prepare the slaw, combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl; cover and chill.

To prepare the wraps, combine flour and next 7 ingredients (flour through red pepper) in a shallow dish. Dredge fillets in flour mixture. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fillets; sauté 5 minutes. Turn fillets over; cook 4 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Heat the tortillas according to package directions. Cut each catfish fillet lengthwise into 4 pieces. Arrange 4 fillet pieces on each tortilla; top each serving with about 3/4 cup slaw, and roll up.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

397 (27% from fat)

Fat:

11.7g (sat 3.7g,mono 3.9g,poly 2.7g)

Protein:

35.6g

Carbohydrate:

36.6g

Fiber:

3g

Cholesterol:

106mg

Iron:

4.7mg

Sodium:

918mg

Calcium:

126mg