Cindy's Recipes and Writings

Mediterranean Style Cavatelli

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Cindy Kerschner

Cavatelli is made with Ricotta cheese dough. Does it get any better than that? You bet! Add some pointers taken from the Mediterranean style of sauces by using vegetables in their natural juices instead of pureed tomato sauce. I love the chunky texture of these kinds of sauces. Short cut the recipe by using pre-cut or frozen peppers and canned tomatoes. Quick. Easy. Delicious!
Mediterranean Style Cavatelli
1 13-ounce bag frozen Cavatelli
1 24-ounce can diced tomatoes, not drained
1 8-ounce bag frozen pepper strips
1 6-ounce can (dry weight) black olives, drained
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 Tablespoon whole capers
1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Combine tomatoes, olives, peppers, capers, vinegar, seasonings and cheese in a large skillet. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes to blend flavors while cavatelli cooks.
Cook Cavatelli according to package directions. Drain. Add to skillet, stir and serve!

Posted in cavatelli, dinner, everyday, fasy and easy, main dish, pasta, peppers, quick and easy, tomatoes | Tagged cavatelli, main dish, Mediterrean, olive oil, olives, pasta, quick and easy, tomatoes | Comments Off

Honey Mustard Skillet Chicken

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Cindy Kerschner

I love the idea of one pot meals. The flavors blend into something unique! Even though chicken is one of the most versatile entree selections, I often find myself just staring at it. “What am I going to make with you tonight?” I’ll ask myself, because if I’d ask the chicken, that would be crazy! Anyway, this skillet dinner is fast and easy; including the clean up!
Honey Mustard Skillet Chicken

2 8-ounce chicken breasts
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup baby bellas, sliced
3 cups baby spinach
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup honey mustard
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add chicken and brown on both sides. Add onion and mushrooms, cook 2 minutes.

Drizzle chicken with honey mustard, Place onions on top of chicken. Add spinach and tomatoes along side chicken. Cover, reduce heat and cook until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
Top with spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes. Sprinkle on cheese and cover to melt cheese.

That’s it! A delicious chicken dinner ready in 30 minutes! Enjoy!

Posted in chicken, everyday, fasy and easy, skillet, spinach, tomatoes, What's For Dinner? | Tagged chicken, food, main dish, quick and easy, spinach, tomatoes | Comments Off

Shrimp Cakes

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Cindy Kerschner

Shrimp Cakes

I love to add shrimp to crabcakes but these patties can stand on shrimp alone. I prefer to cook my shrimp but precooked shrimp would work just as well (and faster too with less clean up)!
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 egg
3/4 panko bread crumbs, divided
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons mayo
2 Tablespoons minced onion
2 Tablespoons minced celery
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Steam shrimp until pink and no longer clear (about 4 minutes). While shrimp steams, sauté onion and celery in oil until soft (about 2 minutes).

Dice shrimp into 1/4-inch pieces. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together shrimp, egg, seasoning, lemon juice, celery mix, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and mayo.

Refrigerate for 10 minutes to allow breadcrumbs to absorb mixture.
Scoop mixture onto baking sheet and flatten into patties. Broil on high for about 3 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve alone or with your favorite tarter or cocktail sauce.

Posted in daily special, dinner, fasy and easy, seafood, shrimp, Uncategorized | Tagged main dish, quick and easy, seafood, shrimp | Comments Off

Brown Rice, Quinoa and Vegetable Casserole

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Cindy Kerschner

Brown Rice, Quinoa and Vegetable Casserole
I discovered Herbes de Provence in a chicken recipe and I’ve been hooked on it ever since. The combination of thyme, marjoram, rosemary, basil, fennel, sage and lavender work wonderful together. It smells terrific! I’ve read that this blend is popular in French cooking and I can see why. I added lemon pepper to the mix. Lemon goes well with the herb blend. I keep my veggies on the crisp tender side for texture and flavors sake. My veggie combos vary, but today I used carrots, celery, spinach, green onion, and sun-dried tomatoes. Mix it up with your favorite veggies and let me know how it got! Enjoy!
1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup quinoa
4 cups broth, (chicken or vegetable) divided
3 cups mixed vegetables, chopped
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup shredded cheddar, optional
Preheat oven to 350.
Bring 2 1/2 cups of broth to a boil, add rice, cover and simmer on low for 45 minutes or until soft and most of the broth is absorbed.
While rice is cooking, bring 1 cup of broth to a boil, add quinoa. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until quinoa “pops” and white threads appear.
While rice and quinoa is cooking, sauté vegetables, and seasonings in oil over medium-high until crisp tender.

Spray a medium-sized casserole dish with cooking spray. When rice is finished stir ingredient together and pour into casserole dish. Sprinkle cheese on top if desired. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve alone or with a tossed salad. Enjoy!