Roasted red pepper pasta

I first heard about this recipe while I was walking on a treadmill at our gym while watching an episode of Pioneer Women (oh, the irony of diet and exercise!). It seemed very easy to make so when I got home I pulled out the ingredients and made it for dinner. It was delicious. So, definitely a keeper for me. Try it and you will like it, too.

 You can find a recipe here. 

I made my version similar except I used a different brand roasted peppers, a different type of noodles, lighter cream (half and half), thai basil and water instead of chicken broth to make it lighter. Delicious and quick!

 

Pappardelle egg pasta

 Tassos Fire Roasted Florinas Peppers 

 

Thai basil

Cranberry sauce/ relish

If you did not purchase a cranberry sauce yet for your Thanksgiving dinner this easy recipe will help.

You will need:

6 cups of fresh cranberries

3 medium size apples

2 cups sugar

2 table spoons water

1 table spoon of lemon juice

2 table spoons brandy

Prepare the fruits: wash cranberries and discard all berries that have the signs of spoiling. Peel your apples, core it and chop into small cubes, about 1/2".

Place cranberries, apples, sugar and water into a wide stainless still pot, cook on a medium heat stirring often to avoid burning on a bottom.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook about 10 minutes longer. Add some lemon juice, fold it into the sauce and cook 5 more minutes. Carefully add brandy, stir and bring to a boil. It is ready to be served, hot or chilled - perfect for  your turkey!

I like to smash the berries during cooking to get a thicker jam like consistency, but it is up to you. I also like to use gin instead of brandy, either will work.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Wine charms DIY

These wine glass charms/ tags might be your last minute touch for your Thanksgiving dinner. All you need to do is print it, cut it out and leave them within reach of your thirsty guests :) They sure will thank you for this!

They were created by Irina from graphicland shop on Etsy for my pre-Thanksgiving party last Saturday and they were very useful since we had around 40 guests here!

 Irina kindly gave me permission to share them with my blog readers so here it is! To print, simply click on the image below:

 Please enjoy this last minute craft and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Chicken soup

The chicken soup my mother cooked was delicious but always the same. It had some potatoes, some onions, some egg noodles and chicken in it. It is tasty and warming your soul when it's cold outside but this soup is not diet friendly.

This soup is different from what my mother makes for variety and better for diets. There is no starch in it so it is safe to eat if you are on a diet.

Here is my recipe - try it at home and you will love it, too!

You will need:

1 cup cubed boneless skinless chicken breast

8 cup water

1 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup sliced carrot

1 medium onion

1/2 cup wild rice or country mix

1 medium tomato, chopped
Salt to taste

Boil the water, add chicken breast, celery, carrots and onions. Add rice and cook all together until the rice is tender. Add chopped tomato, salt and cook about 10 minutes more.

Enjoy!

Comfort time, comfort food

As the temperature goes down so is my desire to have a healthy salad. I am trying hard but my body is asking for soups, potatoes, meat and bread. This is all about the change of season!

I'd really like to share with you an easy recipe today. You can make it in no time, just like I made it last night. It's called corn goulash.

You will need:
ground beef, about 1 lbs
1-2 spoons of light olive oil
1 middle size onion, chopped
some mashed potatoes
1 can of cream style corn
some shredded cheese, I used mix of Cheddar and Monterrey Jack
salt and pepper to taste
rectangular baking dish

How to:
Brown beef, add chopped onion and cook about 10 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste. Drain the grease if any. Spray the sides and bottom of the baking dish with a cooking spray and transfer meat & onion into the pan.

While the beef is cooking cook and mash the potatoes. Add some milk, butter and seasonings to taste. Spoon it evenly on top of meat & onion mixture.

Evenly spread the cream style corn on top of mashed potatoes and add some shredded cheese on top.

Preheat the oven and bake at 400'F for about 20 minutes until the cheese is melted  on top.

You are done, enjoy!

What's for dinner?

We are celebrating spring in the garden but it is still chilly at nights.
Nothing beats comfort food in the winter. Potatoes, pasta, white breads are maybe not the best friends of your waist line but they sure taste good!

I was thinking of simple dinner the other day and then remembered of great recipe I saw earlier on Katrin's blog, spaghetti alla matriciana. Katrin lives in Italy so this dish is served pretty often on their dinner table.

The recipe is so simple to make and since this is video supported by lively Italian song it seems like fun to make. I have no idea what the song says but I do like the pasta dinner idea!

So I will make it tonight :)