Alfredo Sauce

I love Fettuccine Alfredo, but I never make it mostly because I think the jars of Alfredo sauce are more on the pricey side. I'm a cheap-o when it comes to grocery shopping. Why spend money on a name brand when you can by generic? Unfortunately, not all generic brands are good. So we go without. I discovered this recipe for Alfredo sauce and it's delicious and so quick and easy. And I bet you have all the ingredients sitting in your cupboard or fridge. 1/2 c butter
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
2 t garlic powder
2 c milk
6 oz grated Parmesan cheese
black pepper to taste
salt to taste
oregano to taste
basil to taste

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and seasonings. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long. Toss with hot pasta to serve.

Lasgana Cassarole

When I had my little boy back in February we got this delicious meal from a friend one evening. It was really good and what I think of comfort food. Just what I needed after having a baby. I got the recipe a while back but never got around to making it, as you can see it makes a lot of food for just two people. The only problem I ran into is no grocery store in the area sells provolone cheese in block form. So I bought deli slices and used my magic bullet blender to shred the cheese. It's really simple to make and it's great for left overs, which we'll be having all week. Warning: it's definitely not low on fat! But high on taste. 1 lb ground beef
onion flakes (to taste)
8 oz shredded provolone
8 oz shredded mozzarella
4 oz shredded Parmesan
1 c sour cream
1 lb rotini noodles
jar of marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe's)
parsley

Cook noodles. Cook beef and onion until done then add marinara sauce and simmer for 20 minutes. Mix noodles with beef and marinara. Take 1/2 of noodle/beef mixture and spread in a 9x13 pan. Spread 1/2 c sour cream, then 1/2 provolone, mozzarella and Parmesan. Sprinkle with parsley.. Repeat steps one more time. Cover and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Uncover the last 10 minutes to make a little crispy. Serves 6-8.

tip: you can half the recipe for smaller servings

Eggplant Parmesan

I was a little skeptically when I decided to make this. I had never had eggplant in any form and I was more nervous that my husband wouldn't like it. But it turned out great. I loved. Husband loved it. It was easy to make. The hardest part was peeling and cutting the eggplant, and that wasn't very hard. It's a great alternative to chicken.
1 eggplant peeled and thinly sliced
1 beaten egg
1 1/2 c Italian seasoned bread crumbs
3 c spaghetti sauce
8 oz mozzarella cheese
1/2 grated Parmesan cheese (use fresh)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dip eggplant in egg, then bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes on each side. In 9x13 baking dish spread sauce to cover, Place layer of eggplant then sprinkle with cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients ending with cheeses. Bake for 35 minutes. Serves 4.

Shrimp and Feta Cheese Pasta

This is a great meal with shrimp. It's light and flavorful and very simple to make. I made a few alterations by using Italian seasoning instead of just oregano and basil and a can of diced tomatoes instead of fresh and I think it turned out great and was ready in about 20 minutes. And for you seafood haters (though you really should enjoy seafood it's good for you) I bet you could throw in some chicken or sausage instead.

4 T olive oil
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 T white vinegar
1 lb spaghetti noodles
1 can diced tomatoes
Italian seasoning
1 pkg crumbled feta cheese

Bring a pot of water to boil and place pasta in and let good until al dente, drain. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet heat 3 T olive oil. Heat tomatoes, garlic and vinegar. Add shrimp when pasta is close to being finished. Add Italian seasoning to taste. Cook until shrimp turns pink. Mix together pasta and shrimp mixture. Toss with feta cheese and serve. Serves 5.

Shrimp Scampi

Even on a budget we are still able to eat shrimp almost once a week. It's delicious and high in protein. This is a very simple recipe and can be made under 30 minutes. I usually buy shrimp fresh from the the store but last time I bought a two pound frozen bag of deveined and peeled shrimp and it's allowed me to have shrimp on hand.



1 pkg angel hair pasta
1/2 cup butter
4 cloves minced garlic
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup dry white wine*
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

*I don't keep any kind of white wine on hand. I found that you can substitute by using half white wine vinegar and half water but I didn't even have white wine vinegar so I used vinegar and water and it was still delicious.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in pasta and return pot to boil. Cook until al dente. Drain well. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and shrimp. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes. Stir in wine and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 seconds while stirring constantly. Mix shrimp with pasta in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley. Serve.

Serves 4

To make it a healthier option you can use whole grain pasta and cut back half of the butter and use olive oil. Also add a spinach salad to the meal to make it complete.

Penne With Chicken and Asparagus

In my family we love asparagus. love it! Except I was getting sick of the same way we were having it. I found this recipe and I love it, plus it's healthy! Not fattening. It's got enough flavor and it's delicious warm or cold. Plus it makes great leftovers for the husband.Penne With Chicken and Asparagus

• 1 (16 ounce) package dried penne pasta
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into cubes
• salt and pepper to taste
• garlic powder to taste
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 bunch slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.Warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in chicken, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until chicken is cooked through and browned, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken to paper towels.Pour chicken broth into the skillet. Then stir in asparagus, garlic, and a pinch more garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cover, and steam until the asparagus is just tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet, and warm through. Stir chicken mixture into pasta, and mix well. Let sit about 5 minutes. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, stir again, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serves 8.

Calories Per Serving: 321
Total Fat: 10.2 g
Cholesterol: 17 mg
Sodium: 77 mg
Carbs: 43.2 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.1 g
Protein: 15.7 g