Chickpea Pasta with Almonds and Parmesan

Credit to Real Simple magazine (Jan. 08 page 152) for the original recipe:
Serves 4

1 T. olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
7 c. veggie or chicken broth
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
1 lb. angel hair pasta
1 15.5 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 c. flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 c. unsalted roasted almonds, chopped
1/2 c. grated Parmesan

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 mnute. Add the broth, red pepper, and 3/4 t. salt and bring to a boil.

Add the pasta and cook, stirring, until the broth is nearly absorbed and the pasta is al dente, about 6 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and parsley.
Divide among individual bowls and top with the almonds and Parmesan.

Really though.....

This is what I did. I came home late from a doctor appointment and my Hunny had already fixed dinner. Leftover linguine was in the strainer in the sink and a little pasta sauce in a pot on the stove.

I dumped the leftover linguine in a bowl with about a cup of chicken broth, and 2 T. butter. Sprinkled it with garlic powder, red pepper flakes and salt. Poured some leftover chickpeas on top.
Nuked it till the butter melted and everything was nice and warm. Sprinkled slivered raw almonds on top and grated some fresh Parmesan cheese on it. Took a fork and the bowl into living room to watch hockey with my Hunny. Ate half, and saved the rest for lunch at work.

I love this combination. Super easy, and it was great to use everything I had to dress up some leftovers. Of course I could have thrown all the leftovers away or let the stuff mold in the back of the fridge....not.

Superbowl Fav: Bacon Wrapped Smokies

I got this recipe from another coworker, and its been a hit every time he and I have made it for a party. We are having it tonight while we watch the Super Bowl.

1 package Little Smokies
1 lb. bacon
vinegar
brown sugar
toothpicks

Cut bacon strips in 3rds. (You may have some left over. Use another package of Smokies or fry up the bacon and use for another recipe.)
Wrap a raw bacon strip around each sausage and secure with a toothpick.
Place in a glass pan.
Sprinkle the brown sugar over all and drizzle the vinegar over it. At this point you can bake or refrigerate a few hours to overnight.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. May remove to a small crockpot to keep warm, or eat right away. I have frozen these successfully, both raw and leftovers.

White Bean Chicken Chili

This recipe is from a coworker. He and his daughter have won several chili cookoffs with it.

48 oz. Great northern beans

4 c. cooked chicken breast, shredded

1 T. olive oil

2 medium onions diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 (4 oz.) cans chopped green chilies

2 tsp. Ground cumin

1 ½ tsp. Dried oregano

½ tsp. Cayenne pepper (optional)

6 c. chicken broth

3 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

sour cream for garnish

Heat oil in sauce pan. Add onions and sauté until tender. Add garlic, chilies, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper. Saute 2 min. In large pot boil broth and add beans. Add Chicken to the above mixture. Add 1-2 cups of cheese (don’t boil or cheese will burn on bottom). I use my cast iron dutch oven to simmer slowly for a while before I add the cheese. Makes about 4 quarts.

Use sour cream to garnish.

Cheryl's Best Ever Ham

This recipe is from my boss, Cheryl who brought it in for a department Thanksgiving party.

1 semi boneless ham (I like the ones from Publix--about 8 - 10 lbs.)
1 jar pineapple preserves
1 lb brown sugar

Line a roasting pan with foil, and place the ham in the pan.
(Have the preserves and the brown sugar ready as your hands will get super sticky!)
Spread preserves over the ham, then press brown sugar on top of the preserves.
Cover with foil.
Bake 20 minutes per pound at 350 degrees or until internal temperature is 140 degrees.

I serve with Potatoes Anna, and fresh homemade rolls. Leftovers make wonderful ham biscuits.

Shrimp Scampi

This is the best shrimp scampi I have ever eaten, better than any restaurant. The secret ingredient is Dijon mustard, which I don't normally have a taste for, but it's fantastic in it.

1 c. butter
2 T. prepared Dijon mustard
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. chopped garlic
1 T. chopped fresh parsley or 1 t. dried parsley
2 lbs medium raw shrimp, shelled, deveined, with tails attached

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine everything but the shrimp, and remove when the butter is melted.
Put shrimp in a shallow baking dish, and pour the butter mixture over the shrimp.
Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and opaque.

I serve this with linguine noodles and a leafy green salad, but Carraba's Italian Restaurant also serves it as an appetizer with toasty bread. Just an idea for something special or fancy. I usually use a package of precooked shrimp from Aldi when making this, only I bake it just till the shrimp are warmed through. Shrimp gets a nasty rubbery texture when overcooked.

6 servings

Potatoes Anna (5 star recipe)

This is a very simple, elegant way to serve potatoes, it is very easy but takes an hour and 15 minutes to bake. We like them with steaks, meatloaf, or even pork chops. Its easy to double or triple for guests.

4 T. butter
1 t. salt
3 large potatoes, peeled (about 4 cups)

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter with salt. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. With knife, or mandoline, slice potatoes about 1/8th inch thick.

3. Grease an 8" pie pan (I use a quiche plate), arrange potatoes slices around the pan and in the middle, in an overlapping pattern. Drizzle butter mixture over the top.

4. Cover tightly with foil, bake 20 minutes.

5. Uncover and bake about 55 minutes or until potatoes are very tender and crusty. ( I like them to be golden brown). Remove from oven and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. You can unmold it onto a plate and serve in wedges, but we usually just spoon it out of the quiche pan and eat it that way.

4 servings

--from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook, 1980 edition.