Busy Bee Lifestyle » What’s For Dinner?

Penne with Grape Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Host Bee — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 12:36:58 +0000

Ingredients

12 ounces ridged or plain penne
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 pint ( 8 ounces) bocconcini (small fresh mozzarella balls), halved, or 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar

Directions

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions
Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water
Add chickpeas to the pot
Immediately drain pasta mixture and return to pot
Add tomatoes, bocconcini, thyme, oil and vinegar to pasta
Toss, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time to create a thin sauce that coats penne (you may need all the water)
Season with salt and pepper
Toss to combine
Serve, garnished with additional thyme

This recipe is from Everyday Food.

Easy Chicken Dijon Recipe

Host Bee — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:51:07 +0000

Delicious Chicken Dijon Recipe

Compliments of Southern Living

Hands-on Time: 25 min.; Total Time: 45 min.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

6 skinned and boned chicken breasts (about 2 lb.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium-size red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium-size sweet onion, diced
1 (14 1/2-oz.) can chicken broth
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preparation

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken, and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove chicken from skillet; add bell pepper and onion, and cook, stirring often, 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Return chicken to skillet.

3. Whisk together broth and next 2 ingredients, and pour over chicken. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is done.

Frances Matthews, Birmingham, Alabama, Southern Living, JANUARY 2010

BLT Mac n’ Cheese Recipe

Host Bee — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:44:13 +0000

BLT Creamy Mac n’ Cheese

Compliments of Rachel Ray

Serves 6

Ingredients

Salt
1 pound ziti rigati pasta
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 leeks, trimmed, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Two bricks cream cheese (3 ounces each), cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups shredded Asiago, Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 cups baby arugula
1 cup basil leaves, torn
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 500°F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp at the edges, 3-5 minutes.
Add the leeks and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute. Stir in the cream cheese until melted. Stir in half of the shredded cheese, then the reserved pasta cooking water.
Add the pasta to the sauce and toss. Pile into a casserole and top with the tomatoes and remaining shredded cheese. Bake until browned on top, 7-8 minutes.

In a large bowl, toss the arugula and basil with the lemon juice and a drizzle of EVOO. Serve on top of the pasta.

Rachel Ray, 10/31/09

Flat Bread Tacos Recipe

Host Bee — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:36:30 +0000

Flat Bread Tacos with Ranch Sour Cream

Compliments of Taste of Home!

Ingredients

1 c. sour cream (8 ounces)
2 t. ranch salad dressing mix (i.e. Hidden Valley packets)
1 t. lemon juice
1 ½ lbs. ground beef
1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 ½ oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 T. hot pepper sauce
1 tube (16.3 oz.) large, refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

Optional toppings: chopped olives, scallions, avocado, cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce.

Directions

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, dressing mix and lemon juice. Chill until serving.
In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain. Add the beans, tomatoes, taco seasoning and pepper sauce. Heat through.
Meanwhile, roll out each biscuit into a 6” circle. In a small, non-stick skillet, over medium heat, cook each biscuit for 30 – 60 seconds on each side until golden brown. Keep warm.
To serve: spread each flatbread with 2 T. ranch sour cream and top with 2/3 c. meat mixture. Add toppings as desired.

From: Taste of Home, Oct/Nov 2009

Slow Cooked Lamb and Beans Recipe

Host Bee — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:56:51 +0000

Slow Cooked Lamb and Beans

This is a fabulous recipe that is worthy of company and so easy to prepare ahead!

Serves 6

Ingredients

4 lamb shanks (2 ½ – 3 lbs. total)
Flour
2 T. olive oil
1 8 oz. package of mirepoix (a finely chopped combination of carrots, onions and celery – you can make your own, or pick it up at Trader Joe’s!)
1 bay leaf
1 c. dry white wine
6 T. flour
3 cans (15.5 oz.) cannellini beans, drained
1 can (28 oz.) cut Roma tomatoes with basil
1 lemon, zested and juiced (1 – 2 T. juice)
32 oz. chicken stock
1 t. chopped rosemary
1 t. thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Dust lamb shanks with flour and pat off excess.
Heat oil in a large braising pan. Place lamb in pan and sear on all sides until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Transfer lamb to the slow cooker and discard all but 1T. of the olive oil.
Add mirepoix and bay leaf to pan; cook stirring until slightly softened, about 4 minutes.
Add wine and cook, stirring to loosen browned bits on the bottom of the pa, about 4 minutes, until syrupy. (about 4 minutes) Stir in the flour.
Transfer to the slow cooker, along with the beans, tomatoes, lemon zest and juice and stock. Cook for 5-6 hours on HIGH or 8 -10 hours on LOW. Remove the lid carefully. Stir in rosemary and thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste.