Weeknight Dinners!

Lisa T on Instagram: "let’s make a little cajun alfredo fusion, SO good and creamy with a hit of spice and uses one of my favorite noodles! Easy to make but you’ll want to use a large enough pot to be able to add the cooked pasta in once ready, which I didn’t and had to do a little maneuvering 😅 Ingredients: 1 lb @delallofoods fusilli 1 lb hot Italian ground sausage 1 bell pepper, diced 4 cloves garlic, roughly minced 1/2 small onion, diced 2 tbsp butter 1/2 + cup grated Parmesan, good to have more handy if needed 1-1.5 cups pasta cooking water 1 lb cooked mushrooms (I already had these sautéed shrooms in my fridge to use, can easily skip this ingredient) A liberal amount of Creole seasoning, at least a couple tsp Salt and black pepper to taste Chili flake, fresh mozzarella & parsley to garnish Brown the Italian sausage, mine was probably 80/20 so it had enough fat as is, add some oil if yours is leaner. Once browned, add in the onion and garlic and sweat about 3-4 mins. Then add in the bell pepper and mushrooms, cook everything together another 5 minutes. Add in the butter, 1/2 cup Parmesan & creole seasoning. Let everything melt and really come together until the pasta is cooked. You’ll cook the noodles in the sauce so they can be a couple minutes al dente. Add in the pasta water about 1/2 cup at a time and stir stir stir until a luscious sauce forms. Toss in the pasta and cook until tender and ready to devour! I topped with fresh mozzarella, chili flake for more heat, fresh parsley, some fresh lemon zest for brightness and a drizzle of @getgraza This was some goooood eats people 🤤"

Lisa T on Instagram: "Inspired by mushroom and leek soup, this pasta dish will become a meatless meal favorite!   This has all the richness and flavor you get from a classic mushroom & leek soup, with pasta added to make it feel more substantial! This is super easy and can be made with any of your favorite mushrooms!   Here is what I used, this easily made enough for 4-6 servings:   1 lb short, tube pasta or something with some curves (helps hold the sauce) I used Gigli 1-2 lb of your favorite mushrooms – I used a mix of bear’s head, shiitake, & cremini 1 large leek or 2 if they are on the smaller side. Will need about 1 ½ cups of leek once diced 4-5 cloves garlic, I sliced mine but minced is fine too ¾ cup chicken or vegetable stock 1 ½ cups heavy cream, buttermilk, coconut milk or similar 1-2 tsp salt 1-2 tsp black pepper 2 tsp Italian seasoning 2 tbsp butter 1 tbsp EVOO ½ cup grated parmesan cheese Couple sprigs fresh basil, parsley, thyme or whatever preferred herb to stir in at the end & garnish with Red pepper flakes to garnish   Get a pot of salted water boiling for your pasta. While it heats, slice and thoroughly rinse your leeks. Dice the mushrooms to be 1 inch pieces, they will shrink even more during cooking Add EVOO to a large pan, add the mushrooms on medium heat and don’t disturb them for a few minutes. You will see a lot of water release from them, then they will start to caramelize. Once the mushrooms start to brown (after probably 5-7 minutes) add in your butter, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper & garlic. Cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add the diced leeks and cook down for another 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, add the pasta to your boiling water and cook to package instructions. Add the stock and dairy to your mushroom and leeks. Season with salt & pepper to your preferred taste. Add the parmesan cheese and stir in your cooked pasta. Finish with fresh herbs, more parmesan and chili flake for some spice.   This is rich, creamy and super filling. Grab some of your favorite mushroom varieties and give this one a try!"

Lisa T on Instagram: "Let’s make a comforting classic, spaghetti carbonara! I also seared some scallops to add a little more bulk to this dish, but it’s absolutely INSANE on its own 💃🏼 Here’s what you’ll need to make about 4 servings: 1 lb pasta - @delallofoods spaghetti or bucatini are my preference 1/2 lb guanciale- or bacon, pancetta or prosciutto 5 eggs - 2 full, 3 yolks only 1/3 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese - you can sub in Parmesan if needed 1 ish tsp fresh cracked pepper 1 ish tsp salt Optional 1 lb sea scallops, pan seared Here’s what to do! Start to boil a pot of salted water to bring up to temperature while you prepare everything else. Mix your eggs, yolks, cheese, salt and pepper together in a large bowl (large enough to mix all the pasta in as well) and thoroughly combine. Set aside. Dice and brown/crisp the guanciale in a large pot on medium to medium/low heat, allowing the fat to render for at least 6-8 minutes. When the water is boiling, at the pasta and cook to the package Al dente instructions. Once cooked, be sure to set aside 1 cup of pasta cooking water to use in the sauce. Add the cooked pasta into the pan with the browned guanciale and mix together fully. Meanwhile, temper your egg mixture by adding a small amount of hot pasta water and mix immediately. Keep the eggs and water moving so they combine together instead of scramble! Continue doing this until you’ve used about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. At this point, you can add in the hot pasta and guanciale to the egg mixture bowl without worrying about cooking the eggs. Mix everything together and don’t leave behind any of the guanciale drippings! You can add additional pasta water to the bowl as needed while you mix it to loosen the consistency to your liking. That’s about it! Plate it up and add on any additional proteins you cooked, top with cracked black pepper and shaved Parmesan and dive in… YUM 🤤"

Lisa T on Instagram: "Let’s make dinner!! I included a few #fails for you guys so you know what it actually looks like when I’m cooking/filming dinner 😂 This is a super delicious pasta dish that uses fresh veg, clams, and BACON 💃🏼 I started by sautéing the following in 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp EVOO: 2 ears of @dillnerfamilyfarms corn - cut off the cob 2 Roma tomatoes diced 1/2 red onion diced 4 cloves garlic, minced Season with salt and pepper Once tender, add in 2 cups of chicken stock (or any stock you prefer) and let it come to a gentle bubble. Once it does, add in 1 lb of little neck clams and cover with a lid. You’ll know it’s ready when the clams open, usually takes about 5-7 minutes. Add in your Al dente pasta, I used 8oz of bucatini (after dropping my spaghetti on the floor 😅) Toss until everything looks nicely combined then top with cooked, diced bacon and fresh parsley. YUM!"

Lisa T on Instagram: "We had a little pasta night with some fresh spaghetti and chicken Parmesan and MAN it was darn good. I reached out to the pasta queen herself @apinchofpgh to get some advice on a solid flour to egg ratio for a basic noodle and she delivered! I used about 350g of 00 flour and 200g of egg, about 50/50 full egg and egg yolk only. I let it rest on the counter for about an hour and it rolled out beautifully! For the chicken, I butterflied some breasts just slicing them in half and giving them a couple wacks with a frying pan. (or you can get thinly sliced tenders) In total I used about 2 lb chicken. For the breading set up for this much chicken, you’ll need: 1 bowl with about 3-4 large eggs beaten 1 bowl with 1 1/2 cups panko (I added 2 tbsp Italian seasoning to it) 1 bowl with about 1 cup flour (seasoned with salt pepper and garlic powder, a generous amount of the pepper and garlic) Chicken goes into the flour first, then into the egg, then into the panko. I shallow fried the chicken in veg oil for about 2 min each side, at medium high heat. You want it to crisp up nicely but it doesn’t have to fully cook as it’ll be going into the oven too. Once brown, set the chicken on a rack to cool and immediately sprinkle with salt. I used my homemade marinara plus some sautéed onions and garlic for the sauce, but any red pasta sauce is good! I added a spoonful to the bottom of a baking dish, then layered the chicken on top. I added a very generous pile of fresh basil on top of the chicken, then a layer of fresh mozzarella and shredded Parmesan. The baking dish went into the oven at 425 for about 7-8 minutes to finish cooking and fully melt. I tossed my fresh pasta once cooked (took maybe 1 min to cook) in the remaining sauce and plated the chicken on top. Finished with a drizzle of EVOO, more basil, grated Parmesan and chili flakes. So so good and so fun to make! Thinking about how long I have to wait before I make this again 🤤"

Lisa T on Instagram: "These crispy shrimp tacos will have you feeling like you are at the beach! Tons of flavor, they are fried and crispy but still feel vibrant and light... Here’s what you need:  1lb shrimp - I used the Argentian red shrimp from @traderjoes 1 cup panko ½ cup flour 2 eggs, beaten  Seasonings with your heart, on the shrimp and in the panko and flour - garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, ancho chipotle, cumin, paprika  A couple tbsp of your preferred oil for shallow frying 5-7 of your fav tortilla, it’s soft corn for me  Toppings:  About 1 cup cabbage, shredded 1 avocado ½ red onion, sliced and soaked in seasoned rice vin for a quick pickle  Fresh cilantro  Fresh jalapeño Spicy crema sauce: 3 tbsp @dukes_mayonnaise 1 tbsp Greek yogurt 2-3 tsp sriracha depending on your spice preferences ½ lime, juiced S&P to taste For the shrimp, drain and pat really dry on paper towel, then season generously with whatever spice mix you like. Dunk in the beaten eggs, then coat in flour, back into the eggs and coat in the panko so you get a really nice crispy crust. Place in a pan with oil on medium high heat (you want them to get crispy quickly because the shrimp will cook in 4-6 minutes total) Fry on one side for 2-3 minutes, flip and fry another 2-3 minutes. Set on a wire rack to cool and stay crispy while you cook the remaining batches! Tacos.... ASSEMBLE!  For me, it’s got to be charred soft corn tortilla, slightly salty cabbage, spicy crema sauce, raw jalapeño, pickled red onion, lots of cilantro and fresh lime juice. YUM WOW YES PLS... You should make these ❤️"

Lisa T on Instagram: "easy lil veggie fajita night! This is a great meal if you’ve got a pile of vegetables you need to use, or if you just want something yummy and meatless! Once you pile in the toppings and salsa you don’t even miss the meat, I promise! Here’s the veggies I used - I like including mushrooms to make things feel more hearty! Portobello mushroom Zucchini Bell pepper Red onion I sautéed them in EVOO with the following seasonings (eyeballed) Cumin Chili powder Garlic powder Paprika Salt Black pepper Oregano Chili flakes While that sautéd, I whipped up some rice using 1 cup washed basmati rice, 1 @goyafoods Sazón packet and 1 cup of frozen mixed veggies (corn, green beans carrots & peas) I also added about 1 tbsp butter to the rice to give it a little more umph The rest is whatever your heart desires! I charred corn tortillas which is what I prefer on the burner, got out some shredded romaine, shredded cheese, and also made a quick salsa with avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice salt and pepper. So delicious and satisfying! You can use leftover veggies to make a quesadilla, add to an omelette, or of course make more tacos with. 😋"

Lisa T on Instagram: "Easy dinner idea, taco bowls! I always have ground beef on hand from @dillnerfamilyfarms and this is a super filling meal to make! Fill your bowl with whatever you have on hand and have a meal ready in no time 💃🏼 Here’s what I used in my bowl: Mexican style rice - cook basmati rice like normal but add in 1 packet @goyafoods Sazón seasoning plus 1 can @roteltomatoes I topped with seasoned ground beef, lettuce, onions, salsa, guac, queso and ate with tortilla chips. Took no time at all and is just delish. Make some homemade margs to go with and call it a night!"

Lisa T on Instagram: "I was made for loving TACOS 💃🏼 Lengua tacos part 2! thank you so much to @ottosnaturals for sending me this awesome grain-free taco kit! They are a family run company making eating grain-free so easy! The texture of the cassava tortillas was delicious, crispy and slightly chewy and held in all the fillings perfectly. Check out part 1 to see how I made the protein filling for these delicious tacos. In this video, you can see how easy it is to whip up some incredible homemade tortillas and it’s honestly fun too! I made a salsa that I have to say came out SO fire (recipe below) to pair with with tacos and added some fresh avocado. This felt light and delicious and I knew since it was grain-free my stomach would be feeling good after dinner! Check out @ottosnaturals to see what other grain-free products they have! Roasted tomatillo poblano salsa: 2 large poblano peppers 5-6 cloves garlic 4 large tomatillos 3 small spicy peppers (can be jalapeño, habanero, Fresno etc depending on how spicy or not spicy you want it) Add everything to a dry pan on medium high heat and roast until all the veggies start to blacken and blister (keep and eye on the garlic, you’ll want to pull that off first so it doesn’t burn) After about 10 minutes, pull everything into an bowl and cover with Saran Wrap so it steams (makes the skin easier to peel off) once cooled to touch, peel off the skins and as much of the char as you can - if some is left behind it doesn’t hurt! Add everything to a food processor with 1/2 medium white onion, a handful of fresh cilantro, and about 1-2 tsp salt and 1 tbsp white vinegar. Blend until the texture you want is achieved, taste test and adjust seasoning/vinegar as needed. Make your own tortillas, salsa, and protein for dinner with friends or family! It’s a fun, hands on way to make a meal! Let me know what you think of this Lengua recipe and if you liked seeing a more in depth video like these! #ottosnaturals #grainfreejustgoteasy #cassavaflour #ottoscassavaflour #ottosapex #onlyottoswilldo"

Lisa T on Instagram: "Southwest steak salads 🥵 These were the perfect end to this past weekend, something slightly lighter for dinner but so flavorful and filling! Here’s what I used: @dillnerfamilyfarms porterhouse cast iron seared medium rare with Salt, pep and a splash of Worcestershire Chopped romaine Heirloom cherry tomatoes Corn roasted in its husk Red onion Fried corn tortilla strips coated with @tajinusa Smokey chipotle ranch dressing: 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup sour cream 1/4 cup milk 2 1/2 tbsp finely minced chipotle in adobo 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 2 tsp chopped fresh dill 2 tsp chopped fresh chives 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper A total crowd pleaser, I wish I had made more steak to have this for the lunch the next day! 🤤🤤"

Lisa T on Instagram: "Steak & sweet corn, burrata, farm tomatoes & homemade pesto, this salad is the perfect taste of summer 🥹 I was going to make a potato side dish for this but it was begging for some crusty bread to pile everything on top of so I served the salad with some toasted ciabatta and it was definitely the right call! 🤤 Here’s what you need for the homemade pesto, everything gets blended in the food processor and is 100% better than store bought! 2 cups packed fresh basil 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley Couple sprigs of lemon thyme 1 lemon, juiced 4-5 large cloves of garlic 1/3 cup walnuts (just as good as using pine nuts and way cheaper) S&P to taste, about 1/2 tsp each EVOO during blending, you’ll drizzle it in slowly while processing, will take about 1/4-1/3 cup in total 1/2 cup Parmesan, I used a diced up block, starting with grated is fine! Add the pesto to a bowl and set in the fridge until ready to use! For the steak, I used a 3/4 lb NY Strip from @thomameat I had on hand and added about 1 tsp each of salt, pepper, garlic powder along with a couple dashes of Worcestershire, 1 tsp agave, & a couple tsp vinegar. I covered and marinated in the fridge about an hour. Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before going to cook. I tossed some corn from @dillnerfamilyfarms on the @blackstoneproducts until it got nice and steamed in its husk and got a little color on it. Only takes a few minutes since it’s so fresh! I popped the steak on with a little avocado oil and cooked about 3 minutes per side for med-rare. For the salad, I added the corn cut off the cob & steak along with: Dressed greens (EVOO, lemon juice, pinch of salt) Diced heirloom & grape tomatoes, coated in flakey salt & cracked pepper Diced spring onion Burrata Pesto Chili flake A little more salt and pepper & more fresh thyme & basil This is a serious show stopper, would be impressive for hosting or makes an easy weeknight meal! Give it a try 🫶🏼"

Lisa T on Instagram: "Dense bean salad a la @violetwitchel is such a great snack or easy meal prep dish to have handy. I made this last week and munched for at least 3 days on it, a couple times just as a side, and for bigger meals adding chicken sausages & avocado. It’s so filling and flavorful, while still being good for you and using up some of those cans of beans you have on hand (I literally have 9 cans of chickpeas in my pantry 😅) I don’t have exact measurements but I loved this too because it was great way for me to use up some odds and end in my fridge, even down to the dressing I had made a few days prior for salads! Here’s what I tossed together in a big bowl: 2 cans drained chickpeas 1/2 cup chopped cucumber 1/2 white onion, diced 1/4 cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped + a little splash of the olive oil/vin they come in 1/4 cup diced cherry tomatoes Handful of diced Kalamata olives 1/4 cup crumbled feta 1/4 cup each thinly sliced pepperoni & salami 1/4 cup diced pickled banana peppers I tossed it in about 1/3 cup dressing I already had on hand, a simple Dijon vinaigrette using: EVOO Dijon ACV salt & pepper Grated fresh garlic Lemon juice I added another 1/2 of a lemon juiced, about 2 tsp Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. So good and will be making on repeat!"

Lisa T on Instagram: "no song added b/c birds in the background 🥹 breaded chix cutlets, mixed greens, radish, red onion, tomato, cucumber, pepperoncini, crispy lil shoestrings + ranch Good salad, good sunset"

Lisa T on Instagram: "A veggie-packed winter salad that will impress! This is a hearty and delicious salad that is filling and full of different flavors. The ingredients are listed below, but depending on your taste and preferences you could use as much or as little of each salad topper as you like! There’s also room for many substitutions for things like a different fruit option, a different nut, other greens etc. Ingredients: Grated, raw Brussels sprouts Baby arugula Red onion Toasted sliced almonds Pomegranate seeds Pecorino cheese, shaved For the 1 lb ish of chicken I cooked for the protein, I actually meant to use panko for the coating but realized I didn’t have any so went with some saltines I had handy instead! Crackers are a great option to bread chicken with for frying 👍🏼 Otherwise, just do a typical egg /breadcrumb coating and season it as you like - I went with a heavy amount of garlic powder & Italian seasoning along with black pepper and some salt. Coat and pan fry until crispy & cooked through, my chicken pieces were thin and only took about 4-5 minutes per side. For the dressing I made a simple but sweet and tangy lemon & maple vinaigrette using the following: 2 tbsp maple syrup 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1 tbsp black garlic balsamic vinegar Juice from 1 lemon (about 2-3 tbsp) 1 tbsp grainy mustard 1 tsp black pepper Pinch salt 1 ish cup EVOO 2 tsp Italian seasoning Add to a jar and shake vigorously, you can adjust sweetness with more maple, more lemon for acid, etc based on what you like! Serve up your greens and toppings, add on the sliced crispy chicken and drizzle some homemade dressing on top. Fresh and light but still enough bulk from the Brussels sprouts and chicken to keep you feeling full!"