Super Sloppy Joes

This is a delicious recipe my brother, Steve, makes and it's a Sloppy Joe like no other!  I hope I can make this as delicious as he does!!

2 lbs. ground beef or chuck
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 celery ribs-chopped
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 2/3 cups crushed canned tomatoes
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon vinegar
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
1 Tablespoons A-1 Steak Sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Cook meat, onion, celery and green pepper until done.  Darin and add next nine ingredients.  Mix well.  Simmer for 34-40 minutes.

Serve on buns.  Makes 8-10 servings.

Scallops and Spinach

I made this for the first time tonight.  It is so healthy and so good and a really quick meal.  If you are a meat and potatoes kind of girl this may not be your favorite, but it was a hit with my family.

12 large fresh or frozen sea scallops (about 1-1/4 lb.)
4 Tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 5 oz. package baby spinach
Salt/Pepper
2 teaspoons butter

Thaw scallops, if frozen. Rinse scallops and pat dry with paper towels.  Set aside.  In a large nonstick skillet heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute.  Add spinach and sprinkle with salt.  Cook, covered, for 3 minutes or until spinach is wilted, stirring occasionally.  Transfer to a medium bowl; cover and keep warm.  I added slivered almonds to my spinach.

Wipe most of juice out of skillet and add butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Heat over medium-high heat and add scallops.  Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

I served the scallops and spinach with brown rice and sliced grape tomatoes.

Skinny Chicken Piccata

This delicious dish is under 200 calories....WOW!!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in half horizontally (or use tenderloins)
Salt/Pepper
1 Tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth (College Inn is the best)
2 lemons, thinly sliced
4 Tablespoons capers
2 Tablespoon fresh parsley

Place chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound chicken lightly with the flat side of a meat mallet until about 1/4 inch thick. (You can use back of a heavy skillet if you don't have a meat mallet.)  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

In large saucepan melt butter and add chicken.  Cook until done, browned on edges.  Remove and set aside.  Add garlic to the same saucepan.  Cook for about 1 minute and add chicken broth scraping any browned bits from bottom of pan.  Bring to boil.  Add lemon slices and capers.  Cover and reduce heat; cook for 4-5 minutes.  Return chicken to pan and heat through.

To serve, spoon caper mixture over chicken and sprinkle with fresh parsley.  I served this with brown rice and broccoli.

Italian Penne

This makes a delicious dinner for under 300 calories.  I made this for the first time and everyone in the family decided it should be a staple meal!

1.5 lbs. Chicken Tenderloins
Olive Oil
Salt/pepper
16 oz. whole grain penne pasta
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 - 14.5 oz. cans Fire Roasted Diced tomatoes
1 - 14 oz. can quartered artichokes, drained and halved
3/4 cup Kalamata pitted olives, halved
Mozzarella cheese, shredded or cubed
Fresh Arugula

Cooke pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

Cube chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook in Olive Oil until done.  Remove and set aside.  In the same saucepan, add onion and cook for 3-4 minutes then add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Stir in tomatoes, artichokes, chicken, and olives.  Cook and stir until heated through.  Add mixture to pasta and toss gently.  Top with mozzarella cheese and fresh baby Arugula.

Penne with Beef and Arugula

This is also a great recipe for a tailgate or picnic! It's a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis (with a couple of adjustments). My family loves it so it's a hot item at our house. It's kind of an "all in one" meal, so I simply serve it with garlic bread.

2 New York strip steaks, about 8 oz. each
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup plus 3 Tblsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. penne pasta
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tblsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 cups chopped arugula
1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Season the steak with salt, pepper, and garlic. Heat 3 Tblsp. olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the steaks for about 7 minutes on each side. Remove the meat to a cutting board and let it rest while you cook the pasta.

Cook pasta in salted water until tender but firm. Drain the pasta and reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water.

Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, basil, parsley, and 3/4 cup olive oil. Add half the dressing and the reserved pasta water to the pasta and toss.

Slice the steaks thin and add to the pasta with the arugula. Add remaining dressing, sliced tomatoes, and more salt and pepper.

Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Sauce

This sauce gives the tenderloin a really good taste.

• 1-1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup bourbon or applejuice
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced onion
• 1-1/2 teaspoon white vinegar

Prick pork tenderloins with fork. Combine soy sauce, bourbon, and brown sugar. Put in bag with tenderloins for at least 30 minutes. Discard marinade. Grill on medium-high heat, 12 minutes on each side or bake in oven for 20-25 minutes at 500 degrees. Stir together sour cream and next 4 ingredients; spoon over pork when served.

Baked Feta Chicken

This is another dish we have quite often at our house. It's easy and it's good!

• 6 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, divided
• 1/4 Teaspoon salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon pepper
• 4 oz. Crumbled Feta Cheese
• 1/2 Cup red pepper, chopped
• 1/4 Cup fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in baking dish and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and top with Feta Cheese. Drizzle with the remaining lemon juice. Bake for 40 minutes or until chicken is done and top with red pepper and parsley.

Garlic Pork Chops

This recipe came from a friend who cooks this quite often for her family. She loves garlic as much as I do and says it's guaranteed to ward off mosquitoes and vampires!

• 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 can Evapoated Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Grey Poupon (country style)
• 3 cloves garlic, shopped
• Olive oil
• 6 Butterfly Pork Chops
• Garlic Powder

Mix soup, milk, Grey Poupon, and garlic in large bowl. Set aside. In large frying pan, cover bottom with olive oil and over medium-high heat, fry pork shops until lightly browned on both sides. Sprinkle with garlic powder while cooking. Drain oil and add soup mix. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, turning chops at the half-way point. Taste while cooking to see if more garlic is needed. It makes a lot of gravy and it's great to put over mashed potatoes!

Prosciutto Ravioli

This recipe came from a friend and her daughter who saw it being prepared on Food Network by Giada De Laurentiis. They tried it and loved it.

• 1 - 15 oz. container whole milk Ricotta cheese
• 1 - 10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 4 oz. thinly sliced Prosciutto, chopped
• 2 large egg yolks
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 48 Wonton wrappers
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1-1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Freshly grated Pecorino cheese

Whisk the Ricotta, spinach, Prosciutto, egg yolks, salt and pepper to blend.

Place 1 tablespoon of Ricotta mixture in the center of each Wonton wrapper. Brush the edge of the wrapper lightly with water. Fold the wrapper in half, enclosing the filling completely and forming a triangle. Pinch the edges to seal. This can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Working in batches, cook the Ravioli in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just tender, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer the Ravioli to a large shallow bowl.

Melt the butter in a skillet and add the Oregano and stir 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the oregano butter over the Ravioli and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle the Pecorino over the Ravioli and serve.

Bourbon Marinated Salmon

This recipe came from my neighborhood Publix. It's what they marinate their salmon with, and it gives it a real good taste.

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons bourbon (Jim Beam)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons green onions, chopped

Mix all ingredients and marinate salmon in mixture for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight. Broil, bake or grill and enjoy!

Shrimp Gumbo

This is the Shrimp Gumbo recipe from Shelby, my mother-in-law, that everyone loves. It's great for those fall football gatherings or any cold night.

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 oz. okra
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
• Tobasco or red pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 16 oz. can diced tomatoes in sauce
• 10 bay leaves
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
• 1/8 cup brown sugar
• 4 cups cooked, chopped chicken or hen
• 1 lb. shrimp
• Cooked Rice

Boil chicken in water until done. In saucepan, brown oil and flour to make a roux; careful not to burn. In separate 8-qt. saucepan, brown onions, green pepper, celery, and garlic 1 tablespoon of oil. Mix in okra and next 11 ingredients. Add rue. Stir and cook on medium until okra is tender. Add cooked chicken. Add shrimp. Add cooked rice or serve rice separately and let guests mix with gumbo to their taste.

TIP: I use the broth from the cooked chicken. If it isn't enough add College Inn canned chicken broth for the best taste. I double the recipe to feed about 12+.

Cheesy Pork Chops

This is another regular dish at our house because it's so easy to make.

• 4 - 1 inch thick pork chops
• Salt and pepper
• 1 large onion, cut into 4 slices
• mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup or more of parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. Place in greased baking dish. Top each pork chop with an onion slice; spread mayonnaise over each onion, then sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cook uncovered for 1 hour.

Shrimp Pasta

Here we go! It's day one in this endeavor and I want to share with you a dish that is a staple in our house. This is a great quick dinner for those evenings the children have to get to soccer, guitar lessons, or golf. It's great with a simple salad and garlic toast. Of course, I think garlic toast is great with everything!

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ceyenne or red pepper


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 2 tablespoons olive oil


• 1/2 cup white wine


• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard


• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce


• 1 tablespoon parsley flakes


• shrimp (amount you desire)


• 3/4 cup butter


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon jiuce


• 1 lb. your favorite pasta, cooked as directed


• parmesan cheese

Heat ground pepper and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until garlic is cooked without burning. Stir in white wine, dijon mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, and parsley. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes. Add shrimp, butter, salt, and lemon juice. Cook about 2 minutes. Serve over pasta and sprinkle with parmesan.

TIP: Publix has 2-lb. bags of medium shrimp that are already cooked and cleaned. I simply take the amount I want to use from the freezer and rinse them in a colander and remove the tails.