Creamy Ravioli with Squash, Lemon, and Chives

from Keeping Up with the Joneses

kendallandkeith.blogspot.com

We had this for dinner and it was delicious! Definitely on the make-again list.

Ingredients:
16 to 18 oz fresh or frozen cheese ravioli
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
4-5 summer squash (yellow squash and zucchini), thinly sliced
Kosher salt and black pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
1/2 cup grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives

Instructions:

• Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Toss with a little olive oil to keep from sticking.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the squash and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper to the skillet. Cook, tossing often, until the vegetables are just beginning to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cream and lemon zest and cook until the vegetables are tender and the cream is slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the squash mixture, Parmesan cheese, and ½ teaspoon salt to the pasta and toss gently to coat. Serve sprinkled with the chives and additional Parmesan cheese.

Total Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

from Lisa Russo Photography (random? Yes.)

Do you ever see something and it looks so good you have to try it? Even when the thought of brussels sprouts makes you want to gag? Well I made this as a side to the bourbon glazed salmon (see below) the other night...DELICIOUS (and healthy!). I made a ton and they were gone. I'll definitely be making these on a weekly basis.

p.s. I used garlic-infused olive oil and that made them extra special!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts:

Preheat oven to 400 or 450 (depending on whether you’re nearby to keep an eye on them).

Rinse sprouts, trim the ends, remove any brown leaves and cut in half. Place on a nonstick baking sheet (non-stick Reynolds wrap works well). Drizzle well with good olive oil and sprinkle generously with kosher or sea salt. Toss to coat, then put in the oven for 20 minutes or so, until they’re nice and dark brown and crispy – some of the loose leaves will almost look burnt, but those are the best part. I usually give them a flip and shake about halfway through.

Crispy Bourbon Glazed Salmon

from How Sweet It Is.

This was delicious! I will definitely be making it again. I bought about 12 ounces of salmon for the two of us and it was just enough. I made the entire amount of glaze, with the intention of using it again for shrimp or chicken...until Chris cleaned up and poured out the rest. (Argh!) Maybe next time...

Bourbon Glazed Salmon

makes about 1/2 cup of glaze

1 pound fresh salmon

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

1/2 tablespoon black pepper

3/4 cup bourbon

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

Combine the bourbon, sugar, mustard, garlic, honey, vinegar and worcestershire in a small saucepan and whisk. Heat over high heat and allow it to come to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until mixture reduces by about half. Pour mixture in a bowl and let sit at room temperature while the salmon cooks. The glaze will thicken a bit at this time.

Preheat the broiler in your oven. Make sure the salmon is dry and season it with the coarse salt and pepper on both sides. Lay it on a non-stick baking sheet. Broil for about 5-6 minutes on each side, until the top develops a crispy crust. If your salmon is very thick, you may need to go a little longer.

Remove the salmon from the oven and brush it with the bourbon glaze. Add as much or as little as you would like. Feel free to use it as a dipping sauce too. The glaze can be stored in the fridge for a week or two – just allow it to come to room temperature (or slightly warm it) before using.

Savory Sausage Breakfast Rolls

from Keeping Up with the Joneses.

These last few weekends have been lazy ones for us, which has led me to search for new breakfast recipes (see pancakes below). As soon as I saw these, I knew they had to be made.

I accidentally added the entire pound of sausage to the rolls (that's what happens when you Skype with your Dad to tell him Happy Birthday in the middle of cooking), but they still came out great. We are already looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow morning!

Ingredients:
1 can Crescent rolls or Crescent creation dough sheets
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz sage (or regular) pork sausage
3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
cooking spray

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Cook and crumble the sausage. Drain the grease, or pat with paper towels.
• Chop the rosemary. In a small bowl, combine the sausage, rosemary and salt.
• Find lengthwise seam in dough. Beginning at seam, gently unroll dough into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a 13 x 8-inch rectangle; brush with melted butter, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle sausage mixture evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border; top with cheese. Starting with a long side, roll dough up, jelly-roll fashion; press seam to seal (do not seal ends of roll). Cut 1 (1/2-inch-thick) crosswise slice from each end; discard. Slice roll crosswise into 12 (1/2-inch-thick) pieces; arrange in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
• Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden.

Sour Cream Pancakes

from Pioneer Woman's cookbook (link and image via Smitten Kitchen).

I made these a couple weekends ago for Chris and I since I got the cookbook for Christmas and had all the ingredients on hand. And oh my goodness, they were so good! We were both thoroughly impressed (so much so that halving the recipe almost didn't provide enough...) and I'm already looking forward to making them again. These are a definite for breakfasts up at the lake this summer!

7 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/ 2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Butter
Maple syrup

Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat; you want it to slowly get nice and hot.

Stir the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together in the bottom of a medium bowl. Dump the sour cream in on top and stir it together very gently; it’s okay to leave the texture a bit uneven. Whisk the eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl and stir them into the sour cream mixture, once again, being careful not to overmix.

Melt about a tablespoon of butter in your skillet or griddle and pour the batter in, a scant 1/4 cup at a time. Cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, or until bubbles appear all over the surface [See Pancakes 101 for this and other tips], flipping them carefully and cooking for about a minute on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve in a stack, topped with a pat of butter and a cascade of maple syrup.

Chicken Lasagna with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

from Keeping Up with the Joneses.

We had Scott & Nikki and Ben & Claire over for dinner last night. I wanted to try something new, but I'm always a little nervous about testing a new recipe with guests. But I went ahead and made this anyway, because it seemed like an interesting twist on an old favorite. I'm very happy to report that not only was it delicious, but it was a huge hit with everyone and I've already had requests to share the recipe!

You must try it soon!

Ingredients:
4 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 8 oz containers chive-and-onion cream cheese
1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
1 tsp seasoned pepper
3/4 tsp garlic salt
9 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Italian three-cheese blend
1 12 oz jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
1 16 oz jar creamy Alfredo sauce (I bought Bertolli)
1 3 oz package shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350. In a food processor, combine the drained red peppers, alfredo, shredded parmesan and red pepper flakes. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. In a bowl, combine the chicken, cream cheese, spinach, pepper and garlic salt.
• Lightly grease 11x7 inch baking dish. Layer dish with one-third red pepper sauce, 3 noodles, one-third of spinach mixture and one-third cheese. Repeat twice to finish. Place on a baking sheet and bake, covered, for 50 to 55 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes.

Banana Butter Rum Pudding

from Cheeky Kitchen.

YUM YUM YUM!

Excellent comfort food (and it looks great in my glass dessert bowls that I got as a wedding gift!)

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups milk

2/3 cup light brown sugar

3 egg yolks

pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon rum flavoring

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Nilla wafers

3 ripe banana's

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat, then whisk in the flour until a thick paste forms. Slowly whisk in the milk. Add the brown sugar, and yolks, whisking until smooth. Continue whisking over medium heat until thickened. Once thickened, remove from heat and whisk in salt, rum flavoring, and vanilla. Serve warm or cold with Nilla wafers and sliced bananas. Top with fresh whipped cream.