Well Stocked Pantry

So as I was pondering over what I should make for dinner tonight, I browsed my blog and then looked  in my pantry to see what I had on hand to help me decide what recipe I could make!...So that got me to thinking ..What ingredients should always be stocked in my pantry!,,,,There are the certain staples that I always try to have on hand, like chicken broth, canned tomatoes, canned beans and dry pasta or rice, so I thought I would make a list of what things would be beneficial to have on hand!,,,and by the way I ended up making my Orzo Florentine soup, but used frozen spinach and changed it up and added some canned beans to it!,,,It is smelling yummy,,,,,Here is my list, I hope it helps!!

 

 

CHICKEN BROTH

PETITE DICED TOMATOES

CANNED BEANS

CANNED TUNA OR CHICKEN

DRY PASTAS

RICE

DRY GNOCCHI

CANNED VEGETABLES

FROZEN VEGETABLES

VEGETABLE JUICE

 

THESE ITEMS ALONG WITH SOME OTHER THINGS YOU MAY HAVE ON HAND

LIKE CARROTS, ONIONS, POTATOES

SHOULD BE HELPFUL IN MAKING A LOT OF DIFFERENT RECIPES THAT

YOU CAN COME UP WITH IN A PINCH!!

 

 

 

 

Shrimp Scampi

Every gathering my parents would have at their home with our family,,,,my Dad would always break out his electric frying pan and make a batch of Shrimp Scampi,,,,,Everyone always looked forward to it!,,,,He would melt butter add the shrimp and garlic, then the breadcrumbs, then a squeeze of fresh lemon,,,,They never made it to a platter, everyone would grab a toothpick and would eat them right out of the pan, and he always had the ingredients to make a second batch, the grandkids couldn't get enough of it!!,,,I have been wanting to make it for a while, so I came up with this version, I bake it not fry it and I use a small amount of butter along with chicken broth to try and make it a little healthier,,,I also served mine over Angel Hair pasta (linguine would be great also!),,,,Here is what I came up with,,,Enjoy!!

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

1 pound shrimp (raw, peeled and deveined, with tail)

olive oil

salt pepper

 

3 T butter

3-4 cloves minced garlic

1 Cup chicken broth

1 t dry parsley

pinch crushed red pepper

 

1/3 Cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

Pasta of your choice

Parmesan cheese

 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425

 

Add shrimp to a bowl, drizzle with olive oil add some salt and pepper and mix well

set aside while you make garlic sauce

 

In a saucepan add butter, melt on low then add minced garlic

cook for about a minute then add chicken broth

parsley and red pepper flakes stir then turn burner off

 

Next add  shrimp to a shallow baking dish, pour garlic sauce over them, then sprinkle

with the breadcrumbs

 

place in oven for 12 to 15 minutes until shrimp look done and pink

I turned each shrimp over half way through baking

then served over some Angel hair pasta

then topped with parmesan cheese

 

 

Shrimp Scampi

Every gathering my parents would have at their home with our family,,,,my Dad would always break out his electric frying pan and make a batch of Shrimp Scampi,,,,,Everyone always looked forward to it!,,,,He would melt butter add the shrimp and garlic, then the breadcrumbs, then a squeeze of fresh lemon,,,,They never made it to a platter, everyone would grab a toothpick and eat them right out of the pan, and he always had the ingredients to make a second batch, the grandkids couldn't get enough of it!!,,,I have been wanting to make it for a while, so I came up with this version, I bake it not fry it and I use a small amount of butter along with chicken broth to try and make it a little healthier,,,I also served mine over Angel Hair pasta,,,,Here is what I came up with,,,Enjoy!!

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

1 pound shrimp (raw, peeled and deveined, with tail)

olive oil

salt pepper

 

3 T butter

3-4 cloves minced garlic

1 Cup chicken broth

1 t dry parsley

pinch crushed red pepper

 

1/3 Cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

Pasta of your choice

Parmesan cheese

 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425

 

Add shrimp to a bowl, drizzle with olive oil add some salt and pepper and mix well

set aside while you make garlic sauce

 

 

 

In a saucepan add butter, melt on low then add minced garlic

cook for about a minute then add chicken broth

parsley and red pepper flakes stir then turn burner off

 

 

 

Next add  shrimp to a shallow baking dish, pour garlic sauce over them, then sprinkle

with the breadcrumbs

 

 

place in oven for 12 to 15 minutes until shrimp look done and pink

I turned each shrimp over half way through baking

and served over some Angel hair pasta

then topped with parmesan cheese

 

 

Ammoglio Sauce

A fond memory I have of my Dad is of him grilling breaded steaks when I was young! When he made them, my Mom always made Ammoglio(a-moy-gue) to go with it!!,,,,Ammoglio is a Sicilian tomato salsa used to top grilled steaks or chicken,,,,,,It is best to make this the day before to let all of the flavors marinate together!,,,,I used it on Porterhouse steaks that I breaded,,,,I first rubbed olive oil on them and then dredged them in Italian seasoned breadcrumbs ( we call this Steak Siciliano), then left to room temperature before my hubby grilled them!,,,,Here is how I prepare my sauce (everyone does it a little different, and I am sure they are all yummy),,,,Here is what I did, Enjoy!!

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

1- 14 1/2 oz. can of Petite Diced Tomatoes (with juices)

2-4 cloves of minced garlic (depending on how bad you want your breath) lol

1 T Olive Oil

1 T sugar

1 t dried basil (if you have fresh on hand that is fine!)

1 t dried oregano

1 t salt

dash pepper

 

 

DIRECTIONS

 

Mix all ingredients together, cover and refrigerate until ready to use

(This can be stored covered in fridge for 4-5 days)

 

Here are my breaded steaks

 

 

 

String Bean Potato Salad

I remember my Mom making a version of this when I was young, and I always loved it!,,,,She may not have made hers exactly like this (because she never measured anything!),,,,But the flavor is still the same! The key here is to add oil and vinegar and salt to the potatoes while warm so the flavor soaks in!,,,,Here is what I did....Enjoy!!

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

2-3 pound bag of Baby Redskin Potatoes

1-1 1/2 pounds of Fresh String Beans

1 small purple onion

fresh chives (snipped)

salt

1/4-1/3 Cup Olive Oil

1/4-1/3 Cup Red Wine or White Balsamic Vinegar

 

 

DIRECTIONS

 

Clean green beans and snap in half, then steam for 10-15 minutes

When done submerge in a bowl of iced water (to retain bright green color)

set aside

 

 

 

 

Boil potatoes in pot with 2 cloves of garlic and salt about 20 minutes or until fork tender

 

 

While still warm cut potatoes in quarters and add to a bowl

add 1/4 Cup of olive oil and 1/4 Cup of the vinegar while potatoes are warm to soak in,,,,,add salt also

 

 

You can then add the green beans, slivered purple onion and chives,,,stir well to coat

add more salt and the rest of the vinegar and oil

 this can be served right away at room temp

or refrigerate for future use!

 

Pizza Cupcakes

Here is a quick and easy way to make pizza's when you don't want to deal with pizza dough!,,These are made with canned biscuits in a muffin tin,,,You could easily do these in a mini muffin tin for a great appetizer!...I just added chopped pepperoni slices but you could add your favorite toppings!,,,Here is what I did,,,Enjoy!

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

(This recipe makes 10 cupcakes, you can double if needed)

 

1 Can (10 biscuits) Grands Jr.

pizza sauce

pepperoni (diced)

Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)

 

 

DIRECTIONS

 

Preheat oven to 350

 

Spray muffin tin with cooking spray

Press a biscuit evenly into tin, so it comes up the sides, place a tablespoon

of pizza sauce in center. add pepperoni and then cheese, add a dollup of sauce on top

Bake for 10 minutes

 

 

 

 

 

Cutting a Watermelon

Here is a great way to cut a Watermelon!,,,,Cutting it this way will make it last longer in the fridge too.
And it's an awesome way to serve and eat it!!
This can also make it easy for little fingers to enjoy!

 

 

1. Cut Melon in half

 

2. Turn it over to flat side down

 

3. Cut in slices

 

4. Turn the other way and cut more slices in the opposite direction

 

Serve and Enjoy!!