BAM!

Two of my favorite things in the whole foodie world are pasta & shrimp... this recipe is the perfect marriage of two... kicked up a little, of course :) My mom actually found this recipe and we fixed it a few weeks back and everyone raved about it... o much so that we fixed it again last night! Serve it alongside some crusty Italian bread and be ready to breath some fire!

Spicy Shrimp Pasta
(adapted from Emeril's Shrimp and Pasta with Chilis, Garlic, Lemon and Green Onions)


Ingredients
20 to 25 (1 1/4 pounds) large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon grated garlic
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound pasta (I prefer linguini)
1/4 cup chopped green onions


Directions
Toss the shrimp in a medium bowl with the Essence.
Bring a pot of water to boil for the linguini. Cook & reserve one ladle of cooking water,
Place the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large 14-inch skillet over high heat.
Add the shrimp to the pan, spreading them evenly in 1 layer. Cook for 2 minutes then turn them to the other side.
Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the wine, lemon juice, lemon zest and remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter and cook for 1 1/2 minutes.
Add the salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Add the ladle of cooking water & the pasta to the pot and let simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove pasta from heat, dress with green onions, and serve.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 2/3 cup

Chicken a la Tana

This is a staple in my house... so easy to make & so yummy!! Enjoy!

Chicken a la Tana


4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin (approximately 1/4 inch)
4 pieces of prosciutto di parma
4 pieces of provolone cheese
salt
pepper
seasoned bread crumbs
tooth picks
olive oil
1 package of baby portobella mushrooms, sliced
white wine
worcestershire sauce
butter

Take your pounded breasts and season the inside with salt & pepper.
Lay one piece of prosciutto in each breasts followed by one piece of cheese.
roll up the chicken, ensuring that the sides are tucked in.
Dredge each chicken roll in bread crumbs & then brown in a skillet that has approx. 2 tbsp of butter melted with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
After the chicken is browned, place into a pyrex baking dish & bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees (or until chicken is firm & cheese is bubbly).
While your chicken is baking, take your mushrooms and place into a deep sided skillet along with 2 tbsp of butter, a couple of dashes of worcestershire sauce, and approx. 1/4 cup of white wine (I prefer pint grigio).
Saute the mushrooms until soft & browned (you may need to add more butter or some salt & pepper -- depending upon your taste).
Dress the chicken with the mushroom sauce & enjoy :)

Oh it's ladies night...

Once a month myself, 2 of my bridesmaids, and my matron of honor get together at one of our homes and do dinner, drinks, and lots of girl talk! Instead of us going out every month, the person who hosts that month, also fixes the meal! Not so shabby!

This month it was my turn and I used Ms. Rachael Ray as an inspiration! I went on my quest to find something quick, easy, tasty to make, and impressive (of course!). I stumbled upon Rachael's Chicken Brasciole that she served with Lemon Pepper Cappelini. SWEET! Then the question was, "what veggie to serve alongside?"... how about some simple steamed squash?! FAB! And to drink... well, even I impressed myself with this one! I dubbed it "Semi-Homemade Sangria". So delish & perfect!

The crowning jewel of my meal was dessert... a Bailey's Irish Cream Cake with Bailey's glaze. O. M. G. SO GOOD. It was such an incredibly simple recipe and absolutely one I will make again.

This meal was incredible from start to finish and I got raves from all three of my lovely gal pals!

Now go... Enjoy it yourselves :)

Chicken Brasciole
(adapted from Rachael Ray)



1/2 cup hot water
Handful raisins
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, a few sprigs, leaves chopped

Pour very hot tap water into a small bowl. Add raisins and plump 5 minutes.
Drain raisins and pat dry. Place raisins, nuts, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, bread crumbs, and cheese into processor and pulse into a stuffing.
Butterfly the chicken open by cutting into and across the breast but not all the way through. Pound out the cutlets and season the chicken with salt and pepper. Fill the breasts with stuffing, roll and secure with toothpicks.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Brown the brasciole all over 7 to 8 minutes, remove and set aside. Deglaze pan with wine, scraping up the drippings. Stir in tomatoes and tarragon, add chicken back, cover and simmer 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.


Lemon Pepper Cappelini
(adapted from Rachael Ray)



2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
2 lemons, zested and juiced
Salt
1/2 pound capellini
1/2 cup shredded or torn basil leaves
Grated cheese, to pass at table

Place water on to boil for pasta.
In a large skillet combine olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add garlic, pepper and the lemon zest.
Salt water when it boils then cook cappellini to al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Add a ladle of cooking water to lemon pepper butter and stir in the lemon juice. Drain pasta and toss with lemon-pepper butter and salt, to taste. Add the basil to the pasta and serve a small bundle alongside your entree or serve as a delicate first course.


Semi-Homemade Sangria



2-750 ml bottles of Arbor Mist Sangria wine
Splash of peach schnapps
Splash of Cointreau
Splash of brandy
Fruit of your choice (I used 1 lemon, 1 lime, 1 apple, 1 peach, 1 orange and sliced them all into 8ths)


Place sliced fruit into the bottom of the pitcher.
Pour liquids over top.
Muddle the fruit & liquors together & serve on ice.


Bailey’s Irish Cream Cake



CAKE
1 c. nuts
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 (3 oz.) pkg. Jello instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 c. cold water
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. Bailey's Irish Cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a tube or bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts on the bottom of pan. Combine the rest of the ingredients. Pour over nuts. Bake 1 hour. Cool cake completely. Remove cake and pour glaze over top and sides.

GLAZE:
1 stick butter
1/4 c. water
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. Bailey's Irish Cream

Melt butter. Stir in water and sugar. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. REMOVE from heat. Stir in Bailey's Irish Cream.

*Note: I poured and repoured the glaze over the cake about 5 times to get it to really soak in. I then took the remaining glaze and put it into a tupperware container and drizzled it over top with each piece I served!

A grilling feast!

After returning home from a week on vacation, on Sunday I decided that I needed to cook! I was having serious with drawls but also didn't want to labor over the hot stove all evening!

The solution... beer can chicken! Mr. Tana-Licious' aunt made something similar to this a few weeks back when we joined them for dinner and we fell in love. So simple & so incredibly yummy! I paired it with some grill packet potatoes (took my Lipton potato recipe and tossed it all together into some aluminum foil and stuck in on the grill!) and some locally grown sweet corn. Yum!

Dessert was no let down either! I kept with the grilling theme and made a recipe I had seen in Cooking Light... Grilled pineapple with a rum glaze! To die for!

But first... let's get to the chicken! I started with a quick rub of extra virgin olive oil, pepper, and garlic paste (peel, smash, an then finely chop garlic - add a bit of kosher salt and mash the heck out of it with your knifes side!).



Then I prepped the chicken and the beer can! I tied the chickens little wings together to keep it all nice and compact. For the beer can, I started by drinking just about half of it (someone has to have the hard job!!) and then I shoved about 4 sprigs of rosemary in and then sat the chicken down over the beer can & onto a cookie sheet (this is optional however, it caught a ton of drippings that would have otherwise went into the grill).



Next step was to slather the chicken in the EVOO/ pepper/ garlic rub. I made sure to drip some down into the chicken and lather him up good!



The chicken then made his trip to my grill where we let him cook for 90 minutes over medium low heat!



At the end of his 90 minutes on the grill, he was looking mighty yummy and smelled fantastic!



I then brought the chicken instead and tented him to keep all the juices inside. Helps make a moist bird even moister...




I would absolutely make this chicken again in a heartbeat... ad you can always switch up the ingredients too. For example, you could use a dry rub instead of the EVOO mix I made... or drop some smashed cloves of garlic into the beer can! Endless possibilities!!!


Onto dessert... My favorite part of a fabulous meal!

Rum Glazed Grilled Pineapple
(adapted from Cooking Light)



1 whole pineapple sliced into 1" thick rings
1/2cup of your favorite rum (I used Cruzan Coconut Rum)
Vanilla ice cream

Start by heating your grill to medium heat and place the pineapple rings onto the grill.
Grill each side of the pineapple 2-3 minutes or until heated through/ grill marks are present.
Generously baste the pineapple with the rum and flip to do the same. Repeat the basting/ flipping process for 3 more minutes.
Serve alone or with ice cream!

*Note: I served mine ice cream sandwich style! The coconut rum that I used really gave a deeper flavor or tropical fruitiness (is that even a word?!). Delish!!!

Go to goodness.

Who wants to come home from working all day and slave over a hot stove? NOT I!

This is absolutely one of my go to recipes... I'd compare it to a quick version of Shrimp Scampi. It's really all by taste but the flavors really come together well and you can whip it up in 10 minutes tops. I always keep a bag of fresh frozen shrimp on hand for meals
just like this! Pair it with some garlic bread & a salad and you have a hearty meal!


Super Quick Shrimp Pasta



Ingredients:
2 tbsp minced garlic (jar or fresh)
the juice of 1 whole lemon
1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 stick unsalted butter
1 tsp parsley (fresh or dried)
salt & pepper to taste
1 lb shrimp (frozen or fresh; pealed & deveined)
1 lb pasta

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to boil for pasta. Once it has reached a boil, cook pasta according to directions on box.
In a large skillet, melt the butter. Once melted, whisk in olive oil, lemon juice, and minced garlic.
Once the sauce has combined, add the shrimp.
Saute until shrimp are pink & firm.
Add parsley.
Once pasta is done cooking, drain the pasta and reserve one ladle of pasta water.
Add the pasta and pasta water to the shrimp.
Toss all together and serve!

Pizza Night!

While house sitting, Mr. Tana-Licious and I cooked up a BBQ feat of chicken on the grill, corn on the cob, and some great onion potatoes. As yummy as it all was, we made far too much chicken and ended up with a ton of leftovers... probably about 3 full breasts!

What to do with the yummy BBQ chicken... take it for lunch? Sure. But why not make a BBQ chicken pizza! And so my pizza was born... it was so easy to throw together and tasted great.

Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Pizza



3 precooked chicken breasts, cubed or shreded
1 ½ C BBQ sauce
1 precooked pizza crust (suggestion: Boboli)
1 ½ C of shredded mozzarella cheese
½ C chopped scallions

Preheat over to 425 degrees.
Spread ½ C of BBQ sauce on pizza crust; set aside.
Toss chicken in remaining 1 C of BBQ sauce.
Pile chicken ontop of pizza crust.
Sprinkle scallions onto chicken & follow with cheese.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.



Tana-Licious’ notes: I used leftover BBQ chicken that we had made on the grill a few nights prior. It worked out really well & you could taste the smokey grill taste too!

A taste of Maryland!

Whenever we go out to eat and see Crabcakes on the menu, my Mom & I always giggle a bit and say "bet they aren't really Maryland Crabcakes!

Anyone who is from MD or who has had a true MD crabcake will understand where I'm coming from. In Maryland, crabcakes are an art unto themselves.... packed full of juicy crabmeat, lots of spicy Old Bay seasoning, and just a touch of "filler". Here in RI it's almost the opposite.... lots of "filler, little bits of crab (sometimes imitation... GASP!), and no Old Bay. It's a sad, sad thing!

However, fear not my friends... I have a amazing crabcake recipe that is my secret that I am willing to share with ya'll... and it is the easiest recipe to make. And the results are delicious! You can eat these with or without sauce... I usually serve them with cocktail sauce as well as tartar!

My biggest tip: don't skimp on good crabmeat. I'm not advocating that you steam your own crabs & pick the meat from that (far too much work!!). I usually head to the grocery store and get a can of fresh packed crabmeat claw meat. It's usually in the seafood section. The 1 lb. can is just enough for 7-8 palm sized crabcakes.

Enjoy! :)

Crabcakes



Ingredients:
2 slices white bread, crusts removed and crumbled into small pieces
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of Old Bay seasoning
2 teaspoons of fresh parsley, chopped
½ teaspoons yellow mustard
1 egg, beaten
1 pound lump crabmeat
Extra virgin olive oil (for browning)

Directions:
Mix bread, mayonnaise, Old Bay, parsley, mustard and egg in large bowl until well blended. Gently stir in crabmeat. Shape into patties of your desired size. Sprinkle each patty with a bit of Old Bay on each side for an additional hit of flavor.
2Broil 10 minutes without turning or fry until golden brown on both sides. Sprinkle with additional Old Bay, if desired.


Tartar sauce
Pickle relish
Mayonaise

Combine relish & may until you reach your desired flavor & amount to make.


Cocktail sauce
Horseradish
Ketchup
Hot sauce (option)

Combine horseradish & ketchup until you reach your desired flavor consistency. Add in a couple of dashes of hot sauce for an extra kick.

Breakfast yum yum's!

Anything that Paula Dean makes you know is going to be # 1: delicious, and # 2: be incredibly rich & sinful!

I made her French Toast Casserole before for a "Breakfast at Tana's themed ladies night with a few of my bridesmaids a while back and it was a hit so I figured that it would be perfect for our Mother's Day brunch at my future in-law's house this past weekend.

The only adaptations I make to this incredibly yummy recipe are that I cube the bread instead of laying it in slices because I feel it soaks up more of the sweet eggy mixture this way!

Some say you don't need syrup with it... other's say bring on the sweetness... all up to you! No matter how you have it, understand it makes a huge dish & serves a crowd!

Enjoy :)

French Toast Casserole
(Paula Dean)



French bread, ends discarded and the remainder cubed (20 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrup

Slice French bread into cubes. Arrange cubes in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.


Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

Breakfast yum yum's!

Anything that Paula Dean makes you know is going to be # 1: delicious, and # 2: be incredibly rich & sinful!

I made her French Toast Casserole before for a "Breakfast at Tana's themed ladies night with a few of my bridesmaids a while back and it was a hit so I figured that it would be perfect for our Mother's Day brunch at my future in-law's house this past weekend.

The only adaptations I make to this incredibly yummy recipe are that I cube the bread instead of laying it in slices because I feel it soaks up more of the sweet eggy mixture this way!

Some say you don't need syrup with it... other's say bring on the sweetness... all up to you! No matter how you have it, understand it makes a huge dish & serves a crowd!

Enjoy :)

French Toast Casserole
(Paula Dean)



French bread, ends discarded and the remainder cubed (20 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrup

Slice French bread into cubes. Arrange cubes in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.


Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup
chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

Oh Rachel Ray... sometimes you are a rockstar.

Since I have this unhealthy Obsession with chicken, I'm always looking for new ways to cook it! New sauces, marinades, coatings... you name it, I'm on the constant search for it!

When I saw this recipe on Rachel's show a few weeks ago, I knew it would be the perfect summer marinade for amazing grilled chicken! The recipe calls for fresh herbs, which are of course, more fragrant and vibrant, but I used the dried herbs that I had in my pantry and it worked out just fine! I also added the juice of one lemon into the marinade.

For sides, I made steamed broccoli (my favorite veggie!) and my no fail Lipton Onion Soup roasted potatoes! They're always a huge hit!

Enjoy :)


Lemon Herb Chicken, Steamed Broccoli, Lipton Onion Soup Roasted Potatoes



Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken
(adapted from Rachel Ray’s recipe)

4 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt
2 lemons, zested
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 heaping teaspoon of dried thyme
1 heaping teaspoon of dried rosemary
1 heaping teaspoon of dried parsley
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Black pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high.
Grate the garlic onto a cutting board and add a couple teaspoons salt, mash into paste with the flat of your knife.
To the garlic, add the lemon zest, fennel seed, thyme, rosemary, parsley, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice and some black pepper. Stir with a fork to combine then add chicken pieces and coat evenly.
You can let chicken sit in marinade in the refrigerator to absorb the flavor or cook right away (your choice)
Grill chicken 12 to 15 minutes until juices run clear.


Lipton Onion Soup Roasted Potatoes

1 packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
4-6 potatoes, cubed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Toss potatoes in a bowl with olive oil & onion soup mix.
Place potatoes in a singe layer on a 9x13 baking sheet.
Roast for 35 minutes, turning occasionally.

Who says that buffalo sauce is just for wings?

Mr. Tana-Licious & my father went absolutely crazy over this dish! It's chicken... stuffed with everything that makes buffalo wings so fabulous!

The only adaptations I made to the recipe are that I spooned the leftover cheese mixture over the pieces of chicken and drizzled the remaining buffalo sauce on top of that. Gave it a little extra kick!


Stuffed Buffalo Chicken




2 Pound(s) chicken breast halves
4 Tablespoon(s) plus 5 T softened, divided butter
1 Clove(s) minced garlic
4 Ounce(s) bottle hot sauce
8 Ounce(s) room temperature cream cheese
1 Cup(s) ranch dressing
3/4 Cup(s) chopped celery
1/2 Pound(s) crumbled blue cheese
olive oil for frying

Mix together cream cheese, Ranch dressing, celery, 5 T butter and blue cheese. Form into 3" oval patties. Melt 4 T butter. Add hot sauce and garlic. Flatten chicken until 1/4" thick. Arrange cheese mixture on chicken & roll up, tucking in sides to enclose filling. Secure the ends with wooden picks. Dust chicken rolls in flour. Dip in the butter/Red Hot/garlic mixture. Roll in bread crumbs. Spoon remaining cheese mixture over top of chicken. Drizzle remaining hot sauce mixture over top of the cheese. Brown chicken rolls on all sides in olive oil. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes.

Balsamic vinegar is love.

I swear I could drink it straight. I love it on and in everything so when I found this recipe on Robin's blog, Made with love..., I knew I was going to have a winner on my hands! I'm actually eating the leftovers of this yummy Balsamic Chicken
& Sausage Pasta as I blog!

I adapted the original recipe a bit... changing the chorizo to hot Italian sausage and upping the amount of liquid to make more of a sauce. I also added the ladle of pasta water for the sauce effect.

The result was a hearty meal that everyone (including the super picky Mr. Tana-Licious) enjoyed!

Balsamic Chicken & Sausage Pasta



2 large boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
4 links of hot Italian sausage, cut into chunks
1/3 cup tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Medium onion, grated
5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup white wine
1 pound pasta, cooked with 1 ladle of pasta water reserved

Bring a salted pot of water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente.

Toss chicken chunks in salt, pepper, and paprika Place 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken and toss until almost cooked. Add sausage, onion, and minced garlic. Add balsamic vinegar. Cook until chicken chunks are cooked through and garlic and onions are browned.

While still on medium heat, add the cup of white wine to chicken/sausage mixture to deglaze pan. Make sure to get all of the brown bits on the side of the pan. Add pasta to skillet and toss in meat mixture and resulting "sauce" until well coated and pasta is heated through. Add in the reserved pasta water. Add an extra tablespoon or two or olive oil if you feel you need more of a coating on your pasta.

Comfort Food!

My favorite meal as a child (and even sometimes now!) was fish sticks, Kraft mac & cheese, beets, and stewed tomatoes. Weird combo? Slightly! So when I decided I wanted fish & mac & cheese, I decided to class it up slightly and put a modern twist on it all!

I pulled up a recipe called Busy Day Baked Fish on this fabulous recipe site run by one of the ladies on the RI Nest board. And, I had a mac & cheese recipe sitting here that I was dying to try! Put it together with some steamed asparagus and what do you get? A modern day version of my favorite comfort food (and I'm pretty sure it's a bit healthier too!

Quick Fish, Mac & Cheese, & Steamed Asparagus



Quick Fish
8 Ounce(s) sour cream
2 Tablespoon(s) onion soup mix
1 1/2 Cup(s) seasoned bread crumbs
2 1/2 Pound(s) fresh or frozen, thawed fish fillets
1/4 Cup(s) melted butter
1/3 Cup(s) Parmesan cheese

In a shallow bowl, combine sour cream and soup mix. Place bread crumbs in another shallow bowl. Cut fish into serving size pieces; coat with the sour cream mixture then roll in the crumbs. Place in greased 13x9 baking dish. Drizzle with butter. Bake, uncovered, at 425 for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan; bake 2-6 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with fork.

Mac & Cheese
2 cups elbow macaroni
1/8 teaspoon of onion powder
1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder
2 T butter
2 T flour
1/8 t pepper
2.5 cups milk
1.5 cups (6 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1.5 cups (6 oz) shredded American cheese

Cook macaroni; set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour, pepper.=, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened and bubbly. Add cheeses, stirring until melted. Stir in cooked macaroni. Transfer mixture to 2-quart casserole. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Serious Shrimp

So I've been totally slacking with my food blogging! Whoops! With Spring Break, Easter, and traveling don to MD for a big family gathering, I'm beat! However, I did make this fabulous Giada recipe before we left! Anything with Shrimp & Pasta & Lemons is a good choice in my book! I had made it before I started blogging and did not have any arugula on hand, so I used fresh basil... and it was fabulous! This last time I actually used the arugula as called for and frankly, we didn't enjoy it nearly as much!

So here's my adapted recipe for Linguini with Shrimp & Lemon Oil.... Enjoy!

Linguini with Shrimp & Lemon Oil



For the lemon oil:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested

For the pasta:
1 pound linguine pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
16 ounces frozen shrimp
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 lemon, zested
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces basil (about 3 packed cups)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

For the lemon oil: Combine the olive oil and the lemon zest in a small bowl and reserve.

For the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked linguine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Turn off the heat and add the basil. Using a mesh sieve, strain the lemon zest out of the reserved lemon olive oil and add the oil to the pasta. The zest can be discarded. Add the chopped parsley to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Channeling my inner Asian goddess

I, for one, love Asian style cooking... anything in an orange sauce or a szechwan style gets two thumbs up from me! I spotted this recipe for Szechwan Shrimp on another blog yesterday and knew I could adapt it for the chicken I was planning to have for this evenings meal. Needless to say, it was incredibly yummy. Lots of kick to it too... Myself and Mr. Tana-Licious' noses are still running!

Not only did I switch the shrimp to chicken, I also added a ton of blanched vegetables to give it a more rounded appeal for a meal... and served it over white rice. Enjoy!

Szechwan Chicken Stir-Fry



8 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoon soy sauce
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup sliced green onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
Mixed vegetables, blanched (I used broccoli, mushrooms, water chestnuts, green beans, and red bell peppers)
1 lb of chicken tenders, cubed
White rice (follow directions on box for serving size & cooking times)

In a bowl, stir together water, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, crushed red pepper, and ground ginger. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Stir in the garlic; cook 30 seconds.
Brown the chicken and stir in half the sauce.
Once the sauce has thickened, add in the vegetables as well as the remainder of the sauce.
Cook and stir until sauce is bubbly and thickened and vegetables are heated throughout.
Serve over white rice.

I heart Giada.

Ok, so if I'm being honest, I have a strictly platonic food crush on Ms. De Laurentis. Although I find everything she says to be a underlying sexual innuendo (I think she describes every food as "creamy"... creamy = sexy? You decide), I do love her recipes.

Tonight's attempt at Shrimp Lasagna Rolls with Creamy Marinara could have been a disaster, but with some quick thinking culinary skills, I turned my rolls into an actual lasagna! See, I knew I had lasagna noodles here... I was just unaware that they were the no boil kind until I was just ready to toss them into the boiling stock pot of salted water!

So here's the recipe... I'll post it as it's meant to be, however, if you're interested in making it into a lasagna, ya just layer pasta sheet, shrimp mixture, creamy marinara sauce. And if you're using the boil-less pasta sheets, follow the bake time direction on your box. Enjoy :)


Shrimp Lasagna Rolls with Creamy Marinara



1 lb lasagna noodles
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (15 oz) containers whole-milk ricotta (I used part-skim and it was fine)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 cups marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 6-8 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and garlic to the pan and saute until shrimp are cooked, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool. Coarsely chop the cooled shrimp and place in a bowl with 2 cups ricotta cheese, the Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the nutmeg. Stir to combine.
In another bowl, combine the marinara sauce with remaining 1 cup ricotta and stir to combine.
To make lasagna, cover the bottom of a 9 x 13" baking dish with 1 cup marinara mixture. Lay 4 noodles flat on a dry work surface. Spread about 1/4 cup shrimp mixture evenly over each noodle. Roll up and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat twice more to make 12 lasagna rolls.
Drizzle the rolls with the remaining marinara mixture and top with mozzarella. Bake until lasagna rolls are heated through and cheese begins to brown, about 25 minutes.

Food Bloggin'

So I've decided to start my own food blog. I've been inspired by a few blogs that I've seen on the fabulous world wide web and decided to go for it! This is me going for it... ;)

So last night I made Buffalo Chicken pizza for dinner. Buf Chix is a fav of my dear fiance (hereinafter will be known as Mr. Tana-Licious) so I gave it a whirl. I bleiev I used a Rachel Ray receipe but modified it slightly. What a hit it was! Original receipe called for scallions on top but I omitted those completley... Enjoy loves!


Buffalo Chicken Pizza



3/4 pound chicken breast cutlets (I used 2 half breasts = 1 whole breast)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Salt, pepper, garlic powder (to season chicken)
1 pizza dough, store bought or from your favorite pizzeria
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
2 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce, medium to spicy heat
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, a few generous handfuls
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Preheat grill pan to high.
Place chicken on a plate and drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the chicken then season with s, p, gp. When grill is hot, add chicken and cook about 3 minutes on each side.
Stretch dough to form pizza. If you let it rest and warm up a few minutes it will handle even easier. Set pizza on pizza pan to the side and clean board.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter and stir in Worcestershire, hot sauce, and tomato sauce.Remove the chicken from grill and thinly slice it.
Add chicken to sauce and coat. Cover the pizza dough with the saucy Buffalo chicken, and cheeses. Bake 18-25 minutes or until crisp.