Greek Shrimp Pasta

I saw this recipe in a Cooking Light cookbook I have. I adjusted the recipe some. Here is our version and I must saw it was delicious! We love spaghetti but this was just different enough to have a very different flavor than my usual recipe! Chris and I both loved it! The original recipe called for chicken but we thought the shrimp was fabulous!

Ingredients:

1 bag of pealed, deveined raw shrimp
1 tbs garlic
8 oz pasta
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 tub mushrooms chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes (basil, garlic and oregano blend if available)
2 tbs lemon juice
herbs of your choice
1 bag spinach
feta cheese

Directions:

In a skillet, add cooking spray, shrimp and garlic. Cover and let cook until done.

In the meantime, cook pasta according to package directions.

Add onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, diced tomatoes, lemon juice and herbs to the skillet, cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Add about half a bag of spinach to pan, cover and let wilt then mix in and repeat until all spinach is mixed in.

Serve pasta in bowl topped with meat mixture and top generously with feta cheese! YUM!

Paula Deen's Shrimp Gumbo Casserole

Ingredients
Gumbo:
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 cup chicken or fish stock
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
10-ounce package frozen cut okra
2 cups shrimp, cleaned, peeled, and deveined
I added 2 cups of cooked brown rice

Topping:
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup milk
12-ounce package corn muffin mix

Directions
In an iron skillet, saute onion and celery in oil. Add bay leaves, thyme, lemon-pepper seasoning and House Seasoning. Pour in stock and add tomatoes and okra. Cover pot and gently simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in shrimp.

To prepare the topping, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix together egg and milk, add to muffin mix, and combine until just well-blended. Drop by tablespoonfuls on top of hot shrimp mixture, leaving the center uncovered. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.

Cook's Note: This Southern dish usually is prepared and served in an iron skillet, but may be cooked in a frying pan with an ovenproof handle.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt

1/4 cup black pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
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I don't have an iron skillet so I used a regular one then transfered to a glass dish and baked in that. This was delicious!

Chicken Rotini Casserole

We love this meal! Super easy, healthy and makes great leftovers. Chris and I love to put tabasco, green or red, on top of it! You could also make this recipe with a can of tuna instead of chicken.

Ingredients:
2 Cups cooked chicken cut into cubes
1 small box of cooked rotini pasta
approx 1/2 cup skim milk-just enough to thin mixture a bit
1 can LF cream of chicken soup
1 can LF cream of mushroom soup
1 bag frozen mixed veggies
1 8 oz bag 2% LF cheddar cheese (I never use an entire bag)
Bread crumbs


Directions:
Preheat over to 400 degrees.

In a 9 x 13 pan mix chicken, milk, soup, pasta and veggies. Add a little of the cheese to the mixture and seasonings as desired. Mix together well. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese and a light coating of bread crumbs and spray crumbs with cooking spray to help it harden a little bit.


Cover pan and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes and then serve!

Deviled Eggs

Ah, a holiday favorite....really an anytime favorite! My mother in law showed me how she makes hers a few years ago and I went with her recipe with some adjustments to fit out taste! Of course, I just measure by eye.

Ingredients:

eggs
pimentos
relish
mustard-I often use spicy
mayo
chopped green onion
salt
pepper
white/rice wine vinegar-just enough to add some tang

Directions:

Boil as many eggs as you decide to use. Slice eggs in half, peel, and separate the cooked yolks into a mixing bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork, then add all other ingredients with as little or as much as you would like. Mix together and dollop into the egg whites. You can add a little paprika or chipotle chili on top for color if you desire! Chill and serve!

Texas Caviar

I have had this before and it is so yummy! This looks like a good rendition of it and like something I will be making as an appetizer the next time we have company!

I took this from THIS blog, which I really enjoy reading.

Here are her instructions:

Texas Caviar is a great salad or a dip for chips.

Ingredients:
1 can of garbanzo beans

1 can of black beans

1 can of kidney beans

1 can of corn

2 avocados

1 small yellow onion

a bunch of cilantro

Italian dressing

sugar

lime juice

salt

Directions:

Drain the beans and corn well. Put them in a bowl.

Chop up the onion into very small pieces. Add them.

Add about 1/3 bottle of Italian dressing to the mixture. Squirt in a whole buncha lime juice. Add some sugar. Like a 1/2 cup or something. And then add some salt. I love salt. Stir well. Cover. Chill overnight in the refrigerator.

Before serving, drain the Texas Caviar quickly in a colander. Cube up the avocado and add it. Rip up as much cilantro as you want and add it too. Toss together.

Serve with blue corn chips. Or Fritos. Or do what I did when I had guests last week and add some shredded smoked chicken breast and eat it with a fork as a salad.

Yum. Yum. YUM!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

It has been years since I made this dish. It used to be a favorite in our house but I think maybe we ate it too much. I recently made a modified version of it for my aunt who had just had surgery but I was really wanting it this week. Wow, it might have to make a regular appearance on our menu again for awhile. It was just as yummy as I remember it being!

Ingredients:
2 Cups cooked chicken cut into cubes
approx 1/2 cup skim milk-just enough to thin mixture a bit
1 can LF cream of chicken soup
1 can LF cream of mushroom soup
1 can rotel (undrained)
1 small can corn (drained)
4-5 green chopped green onions
6-8 tortillas, torn in strips
1 8 oz bag 2% LF cheddar cheese (I never use an entire bag)

Directions:
Preheat over to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl mix chicken, milk, soup, rotel, corn and green onion. Add a little of the cheese to the mixture. Mix together well. In a 9 x 13 pan, spray with cooking spray, place a layer of tortilla strips along bottom, half the soup mixture, a layer of cheese sprinkled, another layer of tortillas, the other half of the soup mixture, cheese sprinkled, another layer of tortillas and the rest of the cheese sprinkled on top.

Cover pan and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes and then serve!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

We recently had dinner at a friends house and they made us a delicious tortilla soup. With the weather starting to think about getting cool again, I always love to make a good soup. They are hearty, healthy, and warm your soul.

This is my rendition of tortilla soup and was delicious!

1 large container of low sodium/reduced fat chicken broth
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 can reduced sodium corn
5 chopped green onions
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into cubes
1 cubed squash
1 cubed zuchini
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups of cooked brown rice
1 handful diced cilantro
1 lime-juiced
1 tbsp Chipotle Chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
tortilla chips
shredded Cheddar cheese
1 avacado chopped in cubes


DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine the broth, tomatoes and chilies and tomato sauce, corn, and green onions. Bring just to a boil then add the chicken, squash and zuchini. Boil for 10 minutes until chicken is cooked. Add black beans, cilantro, lime juice, rice and chipotle chili powder along with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat.

Serve bowl of soup. Top with crumbled chips, cheese and avacado.

ENJOY!