Creamy Italian Noodles and Bruschetta Salad

As much as we all love to be Pinterest perfectionists and domestic goddesses, there are going to be those nights where we just don't have time to cook the most delicious meal ever served AND clean the mess up. Tonight I found myself in a pinch for time, and this meal was PERFECT. No, it's not the most succulent pasta I've ever had, but it was good, creamy, and satisfying. (Who doesn't love some good, plain comfort food every now and then?!) The salad was delicious, simple, and refreshing. All in all, the husband said it's a keep-on-hand for those busy nights.  I thought it was on the plain side, but he actually really liked it that way (probably really good for kids/picky eaters). You can play with the recipe and make it your own. We plan on adding a few things the next times we cook it and seeing if we can put our own flare on it. But for now, here are the bones of this easy peasy meal.....

Pasta Ingredients: 

1. 1 package (16oz) Bowtie Pasta
2. 1/2 cup butter
3. 1 cup whipping cream
4. 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (probably best if you grate your own. doesn't mix that well when it's pre grated)
5. 1 packet Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix

*Directions:
Cook Pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Add butter and mix until the butter has all melted. Add cream and Parmesan. Mix well. Add seasoning packet and mix again. Serve right away while it is creamy and hot! (Top with extra parmesan cheese if desired)

Salad Ingredients: 

1. baby spinach
2. 3-4 plum tomatoes, diced
3. 1 clove garlic, crushed
4. 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
5. 1/2 tbsp olive oil
6. salt and pepper

*Directions: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. You can serve it over a salad of baby spinach, like I did (no dressing needed!) Or, you can serve it on top of toasted bread/crostinis, or even on top of some regular cooked pasta if you are avoiding the creamy white sauce.

Sorry about the blurry pic... we added a little parmesan to the top of the salad as well! This was before it was stirred... you definitely want to stir it up to get the best taste!

Quick picture of my plate before I devoured its contents! 

Avocado Chicken Salad

In this house, we love ALL things Mexican/Tex-Mex. I wouldn't exactly go as far as to call this dish Latin-American at all, but its delicious cilantro/lime flavor definitely puts a different spin on traditional southern chicken salad.

All you need is:

1. chicken, cooked and shredded (I ALWAYS use boneless, skinless breasts and I shred super finely in the processor)
2. avocado
3. plain greek yogurt (you only need a little, so I used greek yogurt to be healthy. You can use mayo if      you prefer!)
4. green onion, sliced
5. cilantro
6. lime juice
7. salt/pepper

There are really no measurements, as I got this basic idea from a website that simply posted the ingredients without exact quantities. I would say I had about three or more cups of chicken, and I used almost 5 whole avocados. I went heavy on the cilantro (I threw mine in the food processor to make it really fine) and the green onion. I juiced two whole limes, and only used about 3 or 4 spoonfuls of greek yogurt. I was pretty generous with the pepper and moderate with salt.

It looks a little strange at first, especially if you are used to an ultra mayonaise-y chicken salad. It tastes a lot lighter and has a neat flare. My husband suggested that we remember this during summer beach trips for a light and delicious lunch!

I served it on a thin bagel sandwich (toasted) with the baby spinach/goat cheese/ strawberry salad with home made dressing. This would probably be really tasty on chips or pitas, also!

Healthy Chicken Noodle Soup

I have NEVER liked chicken noodle soup. Not even when I'm sick, not when I'm cold, and definitely not on a random October night. 

However, on a recent quest to find some decent soups for the impending winter, I found this gem on Pinterest. We gave it a try, and it was a husband-approved hit! 

The full recipe can be found here: (I figure I should give credit where credit is due here.)  

http://www.theyummylife.com/chicken_noodle_soup

I served it with a side salad of baby spinach, goat cheese, and strawberries. I used the same home made dressing I used in the Tomato Tortellini Soup post: 

1/4 cup vinegar 

1/4 cup oil 

1/4 cup sugar 

(mix well and toss salad in it) 

Bradley asked me when I was going to blog about his awesome cleaning skills and help in the kitchen. Love him.

I always feel the need to add a picture of our precious chalkboard, just because. 

Question: every time I clean it, the white dusty look comes back and won't go away even after it dries. Any tips? 

And last but not least, baby Oliver (our 0.5) enjoyed the little pieces of chicken I dropped on the ground while cooking this delicious dish. haha! My little buddy needs a haircut.... 

Taco Soup

I was introduced to this recipe on two occasions in college, and each version had significant differences. I took a little inspiration from both, then added my own twists. This is a Dorsett family favorite, and always a good Fall/Winter go-to for entertaining. If we make a pot for just us two, the leftovers last us for a few days. 

Ingredients: 

1 lb ground turkey breast (you can use ground beef if you want, I go healthy) 

1 package chicken broth 

1 Ranch Dressing Dip Packet 

1 Taco Seasoning Packet **See Note**
1 can Green Giant Southwest Corn OR Chipotle White Corn (both are good) 

2 cans Bush’s Medium Chili Beans 

1 can Rotel (Cilantro Lime Flavor) 

1 can Rotel (Hot or Medium Flavor) 

1 bell pepper 

1 onion 

Cayenne Pepper (to taste) 

Chili Powder (to taste) 

Tostitos Scoops 

Sour Cream 

Shredded Cheese 

*For this particular batch we used a couple of different ingredients since Target did not have my usual (chipotle corn instead of southwest, old el paso instead of taco bell seasoning) I really liked this batch, and it’s really just a matter of preference as long as you stay along the same lines. 

**After posting this originally, I found a recipe for making my OWN Taco Seasoning, which tastes way better than the packet from the store. If you want to opt for that, use 1 Tbs chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder. Then, add 1/4-1/2 Tbs crushed red pepper! (Still add the chili powder and cayenne pepper to taste at the end as usual!) 

1. Dice bell pepper and onion 
2. Brown turkey breast 
3. Add bell pepper and onion in the skillet with turkey breast, then add the ranch AND taco packet to the mixture (add a tiny bit of water to help stir if needed, but NOT the amount of water called for by the back of the packets)
4. Let this simmer for a few minutes while you open up all the cans of beans and rotel. Choose a large soup pot and empty the cans into the soup pot. 
5. Empty the meat/veggie mixture from the skillet into the soup pot and stir well. 
6. Add chicken broth as desired (I like mine more soupy, but some like theirs chunky and thick without much juice. I use about half of a can usually.) 
7. Add cayenne pepper and chili powder to taste. (I like it spicy!) 
8. Put on medium heat and cover. Cook for an hour, stirring frequently. 
9. Serve and enjoy with Tostitos mini scoops or the mini rounds, cheese, and sour cream. 

 This is a picture of the soup as it was going on the heat... I forgot to take a picture of the finished altogether product. I was so hungry by the time it was done, that eating took precedence over photography. :) 

Just in the midst of setting the table I decided to capture a quick pic of the chalkboard that I love so much  :) 

Hope you enjoy this tried and true recipe as much as we do! 

Hostess With The Mostest

Over the past year and two months of marriage, I have not had the opportunity to entertain quite as often as my Pinterest boards might suggest. (Yes, I have over 11,000 pins. Oh, the life of a grad student/housewife combo). 

This week, however, I am pretty much living the dream. My maid of honor came in to spend the night on Tuesday night before a flight the next morning , a couple from our new church came over on Thursday night for dinner and fellowship, and my matron of honor is coming in Friday night to help me throw a bachelorette party for one of our DG sisters. (Don’t worry--our party planning on a budget is going to be a great post on all its own)

SO.... here are three delicious (husband approved) Pinterest recipes I used this week, and one of my very own will follow in the next post. Well, one that I learned in college and have adapted in many ways over the past year and a half-ish. 

ENJOY! 

Tomato Tortellini Soup 

For the exact recipe of the SOUP, click here: 

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Tomato-Tortellini-Soup

This is so easy, and so delicious! 

I served it with a salad of my very own. 

-1 package baby spinach 

-1 package white grape raisins

-2 granny smith apples, chopped 

dressing: 

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil 

1/4 cup vinegar 

Just mix up the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Next, combine the three dressing ingredients in a tupperware or gladware bowl that has a top. Close the top and shake vigorously until well-mixed. Pour onto salad and toss. It’s a really light dressing that doesn’t take away from the sweet tastes in the salad. LOVE IT! 

Then I just bought a soft French loaf and sliced it up into four big pieces. I proceeded to cover that mug in butter (a la Paula Deen), and then added a little bit of the Parmesan shredded cheese I had leftover from the soup ingredients. 

Sausage and Cream Cheese Pinwheels 

These have got to be the simplest, yet most crowd pleasing snack I’ve ever made. I made them for our church community group Wednesday night and they were a hit! 

The only thing I did not follow about the below listed recipe is that I used SPICY sausage (Jimmy Dean brand) instead of regular sausage. I think it gave it that extra kick it needed. :) 

Find the full recipe here:

http://abiteofmylife.blogspot.com/2009/02/cream-cheese-sausage-pinwheels.html

Chocolate Eclair Dessert 

I have seen/tasted variations on this dessert at family gatherings before, but I MUCH prefer this version. It has a little bit more of a homemade taste, and does not involve that much more work! 

The best part about making this was tasting the home made whipped cream (and using my kitchen-aid mixer, of course!) YUM!! 

Find the full-length recipe here: 

http://cakedish.blogspot.com/2011/05/chocolate-eclair-dessert.html

Stay tuned for my tried and true TACO SOUP recipe coming up next!