Italian Sausage and Ravioli Skillet

3 Italian sausage links

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup diced onion

1 can tomato paste Italian style 5oz

1 1/2 cups water

1 tsp Italian seasonings

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (unless it is spicy sausage)

15-20 spinach and cheese raviolis

1. Sauté pepper and onion over medium-low heat. Meanwhile slice sausage into 1/4" thick pieces. Add to skillet and brown each piece on both sides. 

2. Mix together tomato paste, water, and seasonings. Add to skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add ravioli and simmer 10 minute until ravioli is heated through. 

3. Serve and top with Parmesan. 

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Cookies

These are Ground Almond thumbprint/shortbread cookies. I have been into using ground almonds lately in place of flour, both for added texture and health (or so I'd like to think). This worked really well in my previous pancake recipe. I just pour them into my Ninja blender and pulse it up a few times until it is powdery with a few small pieces left in there. 

Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Makes about 30 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup toasted almonds (1/3c ground)

1/3 cup seedless red raspberry jam
1 cup powdered sugar
3 teaspoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

Directions:

1. Mix together the butter with the extracts, then add sugar and mix until well combined.

2. Grind almonds into a fine meal using a blender then combine with the flour. Add to the butter mixture and cut together until just combined. 

3. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour. 

4. Scoop out 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten slightly and make a small indent in the center. Add a small amount of jam to the indent, about 1/2 teaspoon. 

5. Preheat oven to 350*F and place cookies back into the refrigerator until oven is heated. Bake for about 10 minutes until the edges are slightly browned. Let cool on wire rack. 

6. For icing, mix together the powdered sugar, water, and remaining almond extract. Drizzle over the cookies and enjoy!

This first time around I substituted the ground almonds by weight, but I think it should have been by volume, so I have updated the recipe here to be by volume. The weight of 2/3 cup of flour was 3.4oz. While baking, the bottoms started melting out and spreading too far. Once they cooled and set up they were crumbly, buy not gooey like I was worried about. Next time I'll try to sub by volume and replace 1/3 cup of ground almonds with 1/3 cup of flour and see if they have a better consistency. 

Get your kids involved too! My three year old loves helping measure and pour the ingredients. She had fun pressing the dent in these thumbprint cookies and scooping in jam is great for perfecting fine motar skills. 

Chocolate Chip Almond Pancakes

Makes 4 pancakes

Serves 2

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 over-ripe medium banana

1 egg 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon almond butter (or favorite other nut butter)

1 Tablespoon applesauce

4 Tablespoons milk

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1/4 cup raw almonds

1 Tbsp flaxseed meal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Mash banana in a large bowl. Add egg and beat together. Mix in vanilla, almond butter, applesauce, and milk. 

2. In a blender, pulse oats, almonds, and flaxseed meal until broken down into a coarse powder. Add baking powder, flour, and chocolate chips and pulse to combine, breaking down chocolate chips slightly. 

3. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just combined. 

4. Scoop 1/2 cup of the batter onto a griddle preheated to 300*F. Cook 4-5 minutes per side.

5. Serve with berry syrup or nut butter. 

Chicken and Summer Vegetables Skillet

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast

1 small yellow squash

1 small zucchini 

1 red bell pepper

2T butter

Garlic Powder, Salt, & Pepper to taste

2c penne or other pasta

Progresso Parmesan Basil Pouch

1.5c water

1c milk

1T butter

1/2t salt

1/2t pepper

1/3 c Parmesan 

Directions:

1. Slice vegetables into equal pieces, about 1/8" thick. 

2. In skillet, sauté vegetables in butter and seasonings until soft.

3. Dice chicken and season. Add to skillet and continue cooking with vegetables. 

4. Meanwhile, combine into a pot the Progresso sauce with water, milk, butter, salt, and pepper, and Parmesan. Bring to boil then add pasta. Reduce heat to medium and cover, stirring occasionally. Boil for 15 minutes

5. Add pasta to skillet and mix together. Serve with extra Parmesan. 

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

This is a easy dish to prepare, but does take time to cook, so plan ahead. I use frozen chicken because I always forget to dethaw it first, but if you remember to take it out when you start the rice it will speed up the cooking time. I also hate cutting raw chicken, so I put it in the dish whole and chop it up at the end. The pineapple is optional but adds an extra level to the dish. My husband does not prefer sweet, fruity dishes so I leave the juice out of the sauce and keep the pineapple bits separate to spoon on top as desired. 

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

Rice-

1c brown rice

2 cups chicken broth (1 15oz can)

Sauce-

1T cornstarch

1T cold water

1/3c brown sugar

1/2c soy sauce

1/4c cider vinegar

1/4c pineapple juice (optional)

2 clove garlic 

1/2t ground ginger

1/4t black pepper

2 chicken breasts

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 can pineapple (tidbits or crushed)

Directions :

1. Combine rice and broth, bring to boil then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 1 hour, until rice is almost done.

2. Preheat oven to 375*F

3. Mix together cornstarch and water until dissolved, then combine remaining ingredients to make sauce.

4. In 8x8 baking pan, spread rice and bell peppers on bottom. Nest chicken breasts into the center, then pour sauce over everything. 

5. Bake until chicken reaches 160*F, about 45 minutes.

6. Remove chicken and dice, then return to pan with pineapple and mix everything together.