Whole Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

1 Whole roasting chicken

Olive oil

Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Rotisserie chicken seasoning

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 lemon

1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°; meanwhile prepare chicken for roasting (remove neck and giblets; rinse well with cold water).  Place chicken in a large roasting pan; pour small amount of olive oil over chicken.  Season chicken with salt, pepper, and rotisserie seasoning to taste; add garlic and rub seasoning over whole chicken.   Juice the lemon over top of chicken, and place lemon halves inside chicken.  Pour chicken stock into the bottom of the roasting pan.  For every pound of chicken, bake 20 minutes (ex: If you chicken is 3 pounds, bake for 60 minutes). 

Simple Sautéed Vegetables

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil

2 carrots, peeled and cut on a bias

2 yellow squash, cut into thick strips

1 zucchini, cut into thick strips

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp lemon juice, fresh squeezed

Seasoning salt, to taste

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat a small amount of oil in a large pan over medium high heat; add carrots, broccoli, and garlic.  Saute until slightly less hardened (about 2 - 3 minutes).  Add squash and zucchini; cook until all vegetables are tender crisp (or to preferred doneness) (about an additional 2 - 3 minutes).  Add lemon juice and season vegetables to taste, then serve.   

Sweet and Tangy Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp strawberry jam

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 1/2 tsp soy sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the first six ingredients.  Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly until completely combined.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

This dressing keeps very well in the refrigerator and goes well with just about any salad!  Make a double batch to enjoy it even longer.  It is also an excellent marinade for grilling mixed veggies!   

Shrimp and Scallop Scampi

Ingredients:

1.5 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 lb. bay scallops

Salt and pepper, to taste

8 tbsp butter, salted

8 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tbsp lemon juice, fresh squeezed

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Pat dry shrimp and scallops thoroughly; meanwhile heat a large pan over medium heat.  Melt butter in pan; meanwhile season shrimp and scallops with salt and pepper to taste.  Increase heat to high and place shrimp and scallops in skillet; add the garlic.  Cook for 5 minutes, then remove shrimp and scallops from pan.  Add white wine and lemon juice to pan, and cook sauce until reduced (about 15 minutes).  Add olive oil and parsley, and stir until well combined; remove from heat.  Add shrimp and scallops back to pan and toss until thoroughly coated; salt and pepper to taste then serve. 

Ravioli Casserole

Ingredients:

1 package meat filled ravioli (frozen or refrigerated)

Olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 zucchini, sliced and halved

1 yellow squash, sliced and halved

1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted

1 (14.5 oz) can Italian stewed tomatoes, drained

1 (28 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce (or use 3.5 cups of my recipe)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°; grease a 3 quart baking dish.  Meanwhile, in a large saucepan cook the ravioli according to package directions; drain.  In the same pan, add a small amount of olive oil; add garlic, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, olives, tomatoes, and spaghetti sauce.  Cook the vegetable mixture until heated through; add ravioli.  Pour mixture into greased baking dish, and cover with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.  Bake in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. 

Use whatever type of ravioli that you prefer.  This would be great with beef, pork, chicken, seafood, or even cheese raviolis.  You can even switch up the sauce by using a marinara, vegetable, or Alfredo sauce if you prefer.  Be creative and choose a flavor that your family will like best! 

Garlic Alfredo Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast

Salt and pepper

Garlic powder, Italian seasoning blend

1 jar (16 oz.) Alfredo sauce (or 2 cups of my recipe)

1/2 cup milk

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 bag (1 lb. 3 oz.) frozen broccoli and carrots in garlic sauce

1 cup frozen sweet corn

1/2 cup frozen sweet peas

1 can refrigerated breadsticks

Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.  In a large skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil.  Season chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning blend, and then cook in skillet over medium high heat until cooked all the way through.  Remove chicken from skillet and let cool; once cool cut into cubes.  Meanwhile, mix together Alfredo sauce, milk, garlic, and parmesan cheese; add all frozen vegetables and cubed chicken.  Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, open breadsticks; take each breadstick and twist according to directions, then roll to form into a spiral.  Place breadsticks onto a nonstick baking sheet and top each with a small amount of parmesan cheese.  Once the casserole has been in the oven for 30 minutes, place breadsticks in the oven and cook for 6 minutes; after this step, remove both the casserole and breadsticks from the oven.  Top the casserole with the spirals and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.  Serve warm and top with additional parmesan cheese if desired!

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Ingredients:
1 chuck roast, 3 – 5 pounds
Garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 red potatoes, quartered
1 onion, chopped
1 cup baby carrots
1 celery rib, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet beef gravy mix
2 cups water

Directions:
Place chuck roast in slow cooker and season with salt and pepper, as well as other seasonings. Add cut vegetables to crock pot, arranging around chuck roast. In a separate bowl, whisk together soup, gravy mix, and water. Pour mixture over top of chuck roast and vegetables in crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, then turn to low and cook an additional 5 hours. Serve warm and enjoy!

To make pan gravy, ladle desired amount of slow cooker gravy mixture into a small sauce pan; heat to a boil. Meanwhile, create cornstarch slurry (mix together 1 tbsp cornstarch and 1 tbsp water). Slowly whisk slurry into gravy mixture; continue whisking for 2 full minutes or until gravy has reached desired thickness (may require additional slurry mixture).