Cheesy Spinach Pesto on Spaghetti

Pesto:
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 clove garlic
1/2 mozzarella, shredded
1/2 parmesan, grated
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tsp. dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

Pasta/chicken/veggie portion:
1 box spaghetti noodles
1 1/2 lbs. uncooked chicken, cut into bite size pieces
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 14oz. can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed quartered
1/4 cup olive oil

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Prepare pasta according to package.  In a large skillet put olive oil and chicken and cook on medium heat.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Continue to cook and stir chicken until it is fully cooked.  On a large cookie sheet place tomatoes and artichoke hearts.  Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until artichoke hearts are lightly browned.
In a food processor put in all pesto ingredients except for spinach.  Gradually pulse and add spinach until pesto is smooth.  In a large bowl, completely coat spaghetti with pesto.  Once veggies and chicken are finished mix those in as well.  Sprinkle with parmesan and serve.

Breakfast Cookies

3 ripened bananas, smashed
1/3 cup applesauce
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon


Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a mixer combine all ingredients and mix on medium speed until completely combined.  Spoon onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 15-20.  Let cool.  Serve.  Keep refrigerated for up to a week.

Banana Muffins (Gluten Free)

2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup greek yogurt
2 ripened bananas
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease muffin tin with cooking spray.  In a blender or food processor blend oats, bananas and yogurt until smooth.  Pour into a mixer and add the rest of the ingredients.  Mix on medium until smooth.  Spoon into muffin tin, dividing evenly.  Bake 20-25 minutes.  Remove from tin to cool.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting

Cake portion:
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 small box chocolate instant pudding
1/2 cup whole milk
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sour cream
15 oz. canned pumpkin (separate 2 Tbsp. out for frosting)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting portion:
1 cup or 2 sticks butter, softened
2 Tbsp. pumpkin
1/4 ground cinnamon
4-5 cups powdered sugar
2-4 Tbsp. milk

Cake:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease 2 9x5in. loaf pans.  In a mixer combine all cake ingredients except for chocolate chips.  Mix on medium speed until smooth.  Add chocolate chips and mix on low until completely mixed in.  Pour into loaf pans evenly.  Place in the oven and bake for 55-65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting:
In a mixer mix butter, pumpkin and cinnamon on medium speed.  Gradually add powdered sugar and milk.  Mix until smooth.

Cool cakes for about 10 minutes, remove from the pans and place on a cooling rack.  Once cakes are cool frost and serve.C

Honey Mustard Pork Roast

1 2-3lb. pork roast
1/3 cup spicy brown mustard
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. dried parsley

In a ziplock bag(I double bag) put pork roast, mustard, honey, Worcestershire sauce and parsley.  Shake it a bit until it is all mixed and roast is coated.  Place in the fridge 4hr up to overnight.  Put in a Crockpot on low and cook for 6 hours.

Roasted Provencal Potatoes and Carrots

This one depends on how many you will be making this for.  I have a larger family, so I make a lot.

2-3 red potatoes per person, quartered
1/2 cup of baby carrots per person
1/4-1/2 cup of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 Tbsp. dried rosemary
1 Tbsp. dried thyme
1 Tbsp. dried basil
Heat oven to 375 degrees F.  Dump all of the potatoes and carrots onto a cookie sheet.  Drizzle olive oil over the top.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle the rest of the seasonings over the top.  Mix thoroughly with your hands until everything seems well-coated.  Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a fork can slide into the carrots and potatoes easily.

Corndog Muffins

2 packages of corn muffin mix(each package says it makes 6 muffins)
1 package of hotdogs
cupcake liners

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice up all the hot dogs.   Mix up corn muffin mix according to package directions.  Fill each liner about 1/3 full.  You will have about 18-20 muffins worth.  Put about 8 slices of hot dog in each.  You may add more if you can.  Bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes or until muffins are golden around the edges.  Serve.

Cajun Coconut Chicken Pasta

1 1/2 lbs. of chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces, uncooked
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning of your choice
2 Tbsp. butter
2 cups coconut milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. corn starch
1 tsp. black pepper
1 package or box of rotini pasta
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
3/4 cup green onion, chopped
Shredded parmesan

Cook pasta according to directions.  In a skillet on medium high heat add olive oil to the pan and chicken.  Sprinkle the cajun seasoning over the chicken as it cooks.  Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.  While chicken is cooking, in a medium sauce pan combine butter, cream, coconut milk, garlic powder and pepper.  Remove about a cup of the sauce and whisk in the cornstarch and then pour it all into the sauce.  Heat until boiling, stirring frequently.  Once the sauce is done combine it with the drained pasta and chicken.  Serve and top with tomatoes, green onion and parmesan.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

2 lbs. chicken, cut up into strips, uncooked
1 1/2 10oz. cans of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. dried rosemary
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 Tbsp. dried basil
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups diced ham
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
6-8 oz. of croutons

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.  In a 13x9 casserole dish drizzle the bottom with the olive oil.  Then sprinkle the parsley, rosemary and thyme in the bottom of the pan.  In a medium mixing bowl, mix the cream of chicken soup with the sour cream.  Lay the chicken so that it covers the bottom of the pan.  Sprinkle the chopped ham over the top.  Next, pour and spread the cream of chicken mixture over the ham and chicken. Evenly top with the croutons and sprinkle the cheese over the top.  Bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes, uncovered.

Beef Taquitos

3 14oz. cans of beef or 2-3lbs. cooked and shredded beef
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup water
white corn tortillas, at least 30
cooking spray(vegetable oil)

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.  In a large skillet, combine all of the ingredients except for the tortillas and cooking spray(obviously).  Cook on med. heat until everything is well mixed and combined.  Warm the tortillas in any sort of non-stick pan on medium heat(I use my griddle because I can do about 5 at a time).  Heat one side for about 1 minute then flip and heat another minute.  Stack all of these on a plate and cover them with foil.  Spray a cookie sheet with vegetable oil.  Once everything is ready put a strip of the meat, about 3/4 of an inch thick, down the center of the tortilla and roll it.  Lay the tortilla flap side down on the cookie sheet.  Repeat until cookie sheet is full or meat mixture is gone.  Lightly spray all of the taquitos with the vegetable spray.  Place the cookie sheet in the oven and back for about 20-25 minutes.

Fiesta Chicken Pasta

2 cups of shell(or rotini) pasta, uncooked
1 Tbsp. of oil
1 1/2 lbs. of chicken cut into small bite-size pieces
1/4 cup of zesty Italian dressing
1 Tbsp. of chili powder
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup of your favorite salsa
3/4-1 cup of shredded mexican style cheese

Cook pasta according to the package.  While pasta is cooking put the oil in a large skillet and cook the chicken in it on med. heat.  Cook for about 4 minutes, then add the Italian dressing.  Cook until chicken is done and add the rest of the ingredients, except for the cheese.  Mix until everything is fully combined and let it simmer for about 3-4 min.  Next, drain the pasta and put it in a very large serving bowl.  Put all the cheese on top of that then dump your skillet mixture on top of that.  Mix everything until it is fully combined and serve!

No Name Pork Roast

1 2-3lb. pork roast
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup red sine vinegar
juice of 1 lemon or 4 Tbsp of lemon juice
1-2 Tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce
1-2 Tbsp. of fresh parsley, finely chopped.  Or 1Tbsp. of dry
2 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard
Pepper to taste
4 cloves of garlic, minced

The night before or the early morning of, put all the ingredients in a ziplock bag(I double bag to be safe) and shake well.  Keep this in the refrigerator for 4-24 hours.  When you're ready, dump the bag into a crock pot on low and cook for 6 hours.