7.15.2013

Spinach Artichoke Pasta

Ok ya'll! I'm finally posting a meal I've actually made. It was my night to cook dinner, so I retreated to my Pinterest boards for something delicious looking. Let me just say, this dish is AMAZING!! And it's incredibly easy (after I burned it the first time) :)


  • 1 12-oz box pasta (I used bowties)
  • 1 tsp butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 8 oz package reduced fat cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 14 oz can artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained and chopped
  • 10 oz chopped, frozen spinach, thawed, with as much excess water squeezed out as possible
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
  • Additional Parmesan for serving


Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Slowly stir in milk, then add sour cream, lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes. Stir in artichoke hearts, spinach, and parmesan cheese.
Drain pasta and add to artichoke mix. Toss and season to taste with salt and additional lemon juice as needed. Serve with additional shredded Parmesan.

7.07.2013

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

This recipes is from a fabulous cook from my ward back in Pittburgh.  She keeps her own cooking blog which is fantastic.  When I made this yesterday I got 9 enchiladas, and since my boys don't eat a whole one each, I cooked 5 and froze 4.  There are instructions on how to freeze them included in the post, but here's a picture of mine (minus the cheese).  She writes in her post that the sauce is so good she could eat it with a spoon, and she's right, it's that good.


Here's the link.  Enjoy.  Creamy Chicken Enchilada Verdes

IMPORTANT UPDATE!  I had forgotten this tip last time I froze these enchiladas, but was unpleasantly reminded when I heated up a couple of these for myself and Neil yesterday.  The sauce separates and gets watery in the freezer but the enchiladas do just fine.  If you're pulling these out of the freezer, whip up a fresh batch of the sauce (it's really quick), it'll be so worth it.

7.01.2013

BBQ Pulled Pork

We're not huge fans of pulled pork in general, but this was excellent! I've always avoided purchasing liquid smoke, thinking it was going to be super expensive or something, but it was actually really cheap and provided some great flavor! Give it a try!

Ingredients:
  • 3 to 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (I've also used boneless pork loin – not tenderloin – but pork loin with good results)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon hickory flavored liquid smoke
  • 2 cups barbecue sauce

Directions:
Rinse pork with water and pat dry with paper towels. Rub salt and pepper all over the pork and put in crock pot. Add the water and liquid smoke. Cook on low 8-10 hours, until pork is very tender. Remove pork from crock pot and discard remaining liquid. Shred pork and put back in crock pot, along with the barbecue sauce and allow to reheat for another 20-30 minutes. Serves 10-12 adults.