Farfalle is Italian for butterfly . . . and American for bow tie pasta

Italian Vegetable Farfalle


8 ounces Barilla farfalle
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
salt and pepper
1 medium zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 medium yellow squash, coarsely chopped
1 jar (26 ounces) Barilla Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce
Grated parmesan cheese

Cook farfalle according to package directions and drain.  Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large skillet.  Add chicken; cook and sir over medium-high heat until cooked through.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add zucchini and yellow squash to skillet; cook and stir 5 minutes.  Reduce heat; stir in pasta sauce.  Cook 5 minutes.  Pour sauce over hot drained farfalle.  Sprinkle with cheese.

For all of my loyal readers out there (some of you are reading right?), sorry for not posting a recipe last week.  Who knew going to the rodeo, homework, and getting sick wouldn't leave time for cooking and blogging.  Well I'm back in action this week with a simple yet tasty recipe that can be whipped up in no time.  Seriously, this could not have been easier to cook.  Minimal ingredients and quick cooking time, I'm all over that.  You could probably sub out the zucchini and squash for other veggies if you had a preference.  This basic recipe could really be changed up to be whatever you wanted.  I'm guessing this recipe was from a Barilla advertisement considering it lists buying their brand of pasta and sauce.  I'm sure you could use whatever brand you wanted if you were feeling rebellious.  Oh, and in case you were still wondering, farfelle is bow tie pasta.  

This week's real recipe

Carrot-Banana Bread


1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (3 medium-sized)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped nuts

In a large bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs.  Mash bananas in small bowl.  Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Blend in flour mixture alternately with bananas.  Combine mixture with egg-butter-sugar mixture.  Stir in carrots and nuts.  Turn into greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.  Bake in 350 degree oven 50 to 60 minutes, or until cake tester inserted comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes, turn out of pan and cool completely.  Makes one loaf.

This is a very sneaky way to eat carrots for someone like me who doesn't really care for carrots. A tasty recipe, however I like my own tried and true banana bread recipe better (if anyone is interested in that recipe, just let me know, I'm more than happy to share).  I did not add the chopped nuts because I don't believe nuts belong in bread.  I am a bit of a bread purist.  I had some issues getting the loaf out of the pan.  I greased and floured it since the flour tends to help that, but part of it still got stuck and the loaf broke apart.  

Even when I tried to slice it the slices crumbled.  The bread was plenty moist, so I'm not sure what was going on.  It just didn't hold together very well.  

Better late than never . . . and it's not really a recipe

Italian Bread Crumbs

2-3 cups bread crumbs
3 cloves garlic, minced (or more to taste)
3 green onions, minced
3/4 cup grated romano or parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

Combine in a food processor and pulse until mixed.  Store in a zip-locked bag in the freezer.


Ok, no picture for this one.  I didn't think anyone would want to see a ziplock bag of bread crumbs.  This was the recipe I picked last week and as I have been reminded by some, I didn't post last week.  Sorry, the week kind of got away from me.  But I'm back at it so here it is.  The only thing I can say about this one is that is smelled good.  I didn't taste them.  A spoonful of bread crumbs just didn't sound appetizing.  I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with a big bag of bread crumbs just yet.  I have some leftover chicken in the freezer, maybe I can make chicken fingers with marinara for dipping.  If anyone has any other ideas on how to use these bread crumbs, please feel free to share.  These are definitely going to last me a while.  If I still have the bag in my freezer a year from now, you will all be the first to know.  

New year, new recipe

Macaroni and Cheese


1 (1 lb) package elbow macaroni, uncooked
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
pinch black pepper
2 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Cook macaroni as package directs; drain.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In saucepan melt butter, stir in next 4 ingredients.  Blend in milk and worcestershire.  Cook, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly.  Add 1 1/2 cups cheese, stir until melted.  Combine macaroni and cheese sauce, blend well.  Pour into a 2 quart casserole, bake 20-30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.  Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, broil just until light golden.

Well, after a break last week for the holidays the shoebox is back in action for the new year, randomly throwing out recipes in this culinary adventure.  And if this recipe is any indication of how the new year is going to go, then 2012 is going to be a bland year.  This recipe had no flavor . . .  at all.  And I was so excited when I pulled the recipe from the box.  For those of you who know me, macaroni and cheese is one of my favorite foods.  However, this version of macaroni and cheese is not.  I've never made mac and cheese from scratch and I'm not even sure what I would do to change this up to make it better.  If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.  Or if you have a better mac and cheese recipe you're willing to share, that would be even better!  

If you don't like these, you're a scrooge!

Cinnamon Rolls

Prepare dough as directed on back of package adding 2 tablespoons sugar to flour mixture.  Grease 13x9-inch pan.  To shape, roll dough to 15x10-inch rectangle.  Spread 1/4 cup softened margarine evenly over dough.  Sprinkle with mixture of 1/3 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon.  Starting with 10-inch side, roll up tightly, pressing edges to seal.  Cut into 12 slices; place cut side down, in greased pan.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and cloth towel.  Let rise in warm place 30 minutes.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Uncover rolls.  Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool 1 minute; remove from pan. 

To glaze, combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.  Blend until smooth.  Spoon over warm rolls.  Makes 12 rolls. 

Did anyone read the first line of this recipe?  I did.  Are you confused?  I was.  Here is what the recipe card actually looked like:

"Prepare dough as directed on back of package."  Uh, and what package would that be exactly?  This little 2x2-inch cardboard square doesn't really specify.  So, being the true problem-solving genius that I am, I started to think.  My grandma and my aunt both buy this specific hot roll mix to make runzas (if you don't know what a runza is, you need to find out because it is one of the best foods of all time).  So I went to the grocery store (Walmart) with my mom to hunt for the hot roll mix, but we couldn't find it (even after asking an employee who said they didn't sell anything like that).  So we called my aunt to see where we could buy it.  Turns out she buys it at Walmart!  So we went back to the baking aisle and found it hiding on the top shelf.  We should have found that employee and showed her.  With all of the clues I pieced together I could be a detective.  Scooby Doo and the gang ain't got nothin' on me!  And why do most of the recipes I pull from the shoebox require some ingredient that is difficult to find?  It's like the shoebox thinks I have time for difficult.  Here is the mix you will need for this recipe:

And guess what is on the side of the box?

Ok, to make a long story short, you need Pilsbury Hot Roll Mix to make this recipe.  I used butter in place of all the margarine the recipe called for because I don't like to buy extra ingredients when I have perfectly good substitutes at home (except when it comes to subbing Miracle Whip for mayonnaise, seriously, just get the mayo when the recipe calls for it).  And as Paula Deen would say, butter makes it better!  These were yummy, especially right out of the oven.  I took some over to my parents house after I baked them and they both thought they were delicious.  My mom told me so as she was using her finger to scoop up the extra icing from the plate.  I take that as a sign that they must have been good.  Sometimes actions speak much louder than words.  She told me I wasn't allowed to put that in the blog.  Sorry Mom! 

When life gives you lemons . . .

Lemon Cheese Bars


1 (18.25-ounce) package plain lemon cake mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil, such as canola, corn, safflower, soybean, or sunflower
2 large eggs
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Place rack in center of oven and pre-heat to 350 degrees.  Set aside un-greased 13x9 inch pan.  Place cake mix, oil, and 1 egg in large mixing bowl.  Blend with electric mixer on low speed 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.  Stop machine and scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula.  Mixture should be crumbly.  Reserve 1 cup for the topping.  Transfer remaining crust mixture to pan.  Using your fingertips, press mixture evenly over bottom of pan so it reaches all sides.  Bake crust until light brown, 13-15 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and set aside.  Leave oven on.

For filling, place cream cheese in same mixing bowl used to prepare crust and, with same beaters (no need to clean either), blend with electric mixer on low speed until creamy, 30 seconds.  Stop machine and add sugar, lemon juice, and remaining egg.  Beat on low speed until well combined, 1-2 minutes.

Use rubber spatula to spread filling over baked crust so that it covers the entire surface.  Scatter reserved crust mixture over filling.  Place pan in oven.  Bake until crust is golden brown and filling just starts to set, 14-15 minutes.  Remove pan to wire rack to cool 30 minutes.  Cut cake into 24 bars.  Remove bars from pan with metal spatula and serve.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade . . . I mean Lemon Cheese Bars!  This was the easiest recipe so far and I am thankful for that since I am still trying to write my final paper for my class (which I was hoping to have finished today; so much for that).  These are very tasty, which makes how easy they are to make even better!  Although I baked it the second time for 15 minutes and I'm not sure that was long enough.  The topping wasn't very golden brown in color. Oh well, still tastes good.  Get excited, coworkers, because these are coming to work tomorrow!

The whole enchilada

Chicken Enchiladas


10 flour tortillas
1 cup sour cream
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chiles
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
3 - 4 cups cooked chicken
1 can chicken broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Mix all except tortillas, 1 cup of cheese, and chicken.  Heat ingredients in saucepan.  Mix chicken with half of the sauce, fill tortillas, roll up, place in lightly greased 9x13-inch pan.  Top with remaining sauce and cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until hot.

It's snowing this evening and hot and cheesy enchiladas were perfect for the weather.  I used raw tortillas that I fried up myself (the brand is Tortilla Land and they are sold at Walmart if you are interested) and they really made this dish.  They are my favorite tortillas.  I also used an entire 4-ounce can of chopped green chiles, not just 2 tablespoons.  The sauce was a little soupy because of the chicken broth, but it tasted great.  They took a little while to put together only because I had to cook up all the chicken first; I would recommend doing that ahead of time if you plan on making these.