Bow Ties and Broccoli Alfredo

My kids love Broccoli and Bow Ties in Alfredo Sauce. Easy to make, and quite tasty. Here is an easy recipe my son Caden and I make together.

Preparation:

16 oz bag of Broccoli or Fresh Cut Broccoli
1lb of Bow Ties Pasta
Dad's Alfredo Sauce Recipe

Prepare the Alfredo Sauce first in a separate Medium Sized Sauce Pan

Ingredients

1 Pint Heavy Cream

1/2 stick of butter

8 oz Fresh Parmesan Cheese ( Or 4 oz Asiago and 4 oz of Parmesan)

Cracked Pepper

In a medium saucepan, add the heavy cream and butter. Slowly, add the Parmesan cheese. Bring the ingredients to a thick consistency over a medium heat. Remove and let settle.  A sprig of cracked pepper on top adds to the flavor After 10 minutes, you can add the mixture to pasta.
In a separate 4 quart pan, prepare the bow tie pasta according to the directions. (Do not forget the salt for boiling as bow ties easily will stick together)

In a skillet, add the Bow Ties, Broccoli, and Alfredo Sauce together. Bring the Alfredo to a soft boil to ensure that the broccoli will be steamed to perfection. (Roughly 10-15 minutes until the broccoli is tender)

Serve in a bowl. Provide some fresh cracked pepper and parmesan cheese of top and enjoy!

Easy Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo sauce is easy to make. We love Alfredo and Pasta with multiple recipes that we will share in future posts. For now, here is how we make Alfredo Sauce:

Ingredients

1 Pint Heavy Cream

1/2 stick of butter

8 oz Fresh Parmesan Cheese ( Or 4 oz Asiago and 4 oz of Parmesan)

Cracked Pepper

In a medium saucepan, add the heavy cream and butter. Slowly, add the Parmesan cheese. Bring the ingredients to a thick consistency over a medium heat. Remove and let settle.  A sprig of cracked pepper on top adds to the flavor After 10 minutes, you can add the mixture to pasta.

Dad's Notes: I have made Alfredo in cooked pasta. I have found that it is easier when time is short. It is up to you. You can use a grated parmesan, however fresh in my opinion makes all the difference.

Strawberry Smoothie

Smoothies are a favorite in our house. We make all kinds. If we post them on our blog, it went through many trials before posting.

We tried a new smoothie recipe for strawberries. A bit different that our other smoothies. We hope you like it.

Ingredients

1 and 1/2  Cups Frozen Strawberries
1 Cup Orange Juice
1 Cup 2% Mile
1 Cup Frozen Vanilla Ice Cream
2 tsps. of sugar
(Optional Pure Vanilla instead of Vanilla Ice Cream)

Place all of the ingredients in a blender. The frozen strawberries replace the ice we normally use in smoothies. They provide for a nice consistency. Tinker with the amounts of OJ of Mild to change the consistency to your liking.

Chicken Wing Dip- Super Bowl Favorite By Caden Giardino

Hey all of you football fans, the Super Bowl is around the corner and what does that mean? Parties! It's time for a classic dish that everyone is sure to love.

Ingredients-

8 oz of cream cheese 

1 lb skinless boneless chicken breast 

8 oz ranch (or blue cheese)

1/2 cup hot sauce
 

Preparation

Put all ingredients in a 1 quart cooking dish

preheat oven to 350 

bake for 20 minutes 

when cool add green onions on top (optional)

This delicious dip is ready to serve!

Buffalo Chicken Wings - Finger Licking Good

Dads, chicken wings are easy to make. Whether a deep fryer or the fry pan, chicken wings can be a great appetizer or snack for the big game. Here is a simple recipe for Buffalo Chicken Wings. First, how to prepare the wings.

Wing Preparation

2-4 lbs wings - (If Frozen - Try to defrost prior to frying.)
Deep Fryer - Follow the directions that came with the fryer.
Pan  Fry - Layer the pen with a coating of vegetable oil. About 1/8th to 1/4th inches. Pre-heat the oil to a medium heat.
(Healthy Alternative - Use Coconut Oil.)

Fry the wings until crispy. To ensure that the wings are evenly cooked, be sure to frequently rotate the wings in the pan. (Deep Fryers Are Simple - Drop and Fry Until Crispy - You will have a suggested time in your manual for wings - If not use a timer)

Buffalo Wing Sauce

2/3 cup hot pepper sauce (Any Louisiana Sauce Is Fine)
1 Stick of Butter

1/2 tsp of Worcestershire Sauce                              
1/4 Cup Cayenne Pepper                                    
1/4 Cup of Yellow Mustard

Heat the burner on your stove to a low/med heat setting. Add all of the ingredients in a small sauce pan. Stir the ingredients together as the butter starts to melt. within a few minutes, you will have the wing sauce. Try different variations for hotness.

In a Tupperware bowl add the wings and the sauce on top. Shake the bowl to evenly coat the wings.
You are finished.

Tips on wings - Try a light breading on the wings. Flour, salt and pepper as a light coating can give the wings a different texture.

Mexican Casserole

Recently, I made a Mexican casserole for the kids and I to enjoy. One of my favorites, I have not made one in years. Simple to make, and you can have fun with adding different meats and variations of cheese and salsa.

Corn Tortillas
2 cups Cheddar Cheese
1 16 oz can of Enchilada Sauce (Depending on the size of the casserole, you may need an extra can)
1 diced sweet onion

Optional Ingredients
Chicken
Pork
Steak
Salsa
Olives
Green Onions

Choose a baking dish. On the bottom of the baking dish, layer your first row of Corn Tortillas. On top of the first layer, drizzle enchilada sauce so that the tortillas are covered. Add cheese and onions. Add additional layers following the same pattern. In between layers, you can add some salsa if you would like. Your casserole should reach the top of the pan in 5-7  layers of tortillas.

Preheat the oven to 350. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil. Place the casserole in the oven for 40 mins. Some people crisp up the top the last five minutes by taking off the aluminum foil. Either way is fine.

I like the simple casserole the best. However, many will prefer to add meat. I suggest using my carnitas pork recipe and add this in between layers. You can also add carnitas or regular chicken. A fajita style steak would also be a great addition. Garnish the top with my homemade guacamole and salsa recipe and OH MY, you made something special.

Additional garnishments include sliced black olives and green onions....try any and all combinations. It is great to be a dad and try new things with the kids.

Non-Dairy Dark Chocolate Smoothie

A non-dairy recipe for smoothies is easier than some people might think. Almond, Rice, and Soy milk are a great alternative to dairy. I prefer Almond Milk. The consistency is closest to milk in my opinion. When I make a non-dairy smoothie, I love to use a Dark Chocolate Almond milk. Here is a recipe the kids and I enjoy that is easy to make.

2 Cups Dark Chocolate Almond Milk
2 Ripe Bananas
1.5 cups of ice cubes
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3 tablespoons of sugar (Optional)

In a blender, add all of the ingredients. Blend until you see a rich thick consistency. Poor immediately and enjoy.