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- SPRINGTIME FETTUCCINI IN LEMON CREAM SAUCE WITH ASPARAGUS
  
  Posted at 3:46 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 21st
  I use Bruitoni pasta when I want the taste of fresh pasta but don’t have time to go to a speciality store or make the pasta at home. And I love this easy cream cheese pasta sauce for a quick weekend, taste delicious dinner. Don’t you just love the bright green asparagus? Lemon and asparagus the perfect springtime combination to add to pasta, so flavorful!
  
  Ingredients
  
  9 oz. Bruitoni Fettuccini
  
  1/2 cup cream cheese
  
  2 Tbs. olive oil
  
  1 lemon, juiced and 1 Tbs. zest grated
  
  1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese
  
  1/2 – 3/4 cup steamed asparagus, lightly steamed, slice into 2 inch pieces
  
  Preparation
  
  1. Cook linguine according to package directions in pot of boiling salted water.
  
  2. Warm cream cheese, oil, and 2 Tbs. lemon juice in saucepan over low heat.
  
  3. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Stir reserved cooking water into cream cheese mixture. Add pasta, lemon zest, and parmesan cheese; toss to coat. Add asparagus and lightly toss again. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  www.gooddinnermrsmellen.com
  
  www.buzzchomp.com
  
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  Posted in Easy recipes, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Main Dish, Main Meal, pasta, Vegetarian | Tagged pasta, dinner, Easy recipes, Bruitoni Fettuccini, cram cheese
- Baked Penne with Pomodoro Sauce
  
  Posted at 9:51 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 10th
  Some days when the wind is cold and bitting with no sun in sight I know making a hearty pasta dish is just perfect comfort food for dinner. All the ingredients for my Baked Penne I purchased at Trader Joe’s except I made my own Pomodoro sauce. Trader Joe’s has a tasty prepared Pomodoro sauce which will cut down the time to make an easy home cooked meal. Put the casserole together the night before and bake for dinner the next day. Delicious, easy and a quick home cooked meal!
  
  1 pound penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
  
  8 ounces part skim Ricotta cheese
  
  8 ounces Burrata mozzarella, two balls chopped
  
  1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  
  2 teaspoon dry oregano
  
  Pomodoro Sauce* or Trader Joe’s Rustico
  
  8 ounce cooked chicken sausage, slice 1/4 inch thick
  
  Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine ricotta, 1/2 burrata, parmesan cheese, oregano in medium size bowl. Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain and set aside. Place 1/4 cup of Pomodoro sauce in bottom of baking dish( 13 inch x 9 inch). Add half penne to baking dish over sauce. Top with cheese mixture, layer with 1/2 remaining sauce, penne and top with rest of sauce. Finish with remaining Burrata. Bake 35- 40 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling.
  
  *Pomodoro Sauce
  
  1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  
  1 medium onion, minced
  
  4 garlic cloves, minced
  
  1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  
  1 28 ounce can pureed Pomodoro tomatoes
  
  1/2 cup red wine
  
  Kosher salt
  
  3 large fresh basil sprigs
  
  In a sauce pan over medium heat saute onion and garlic in oil for two minutes. Add red pepper flakes, tomatoes and wine. Cook for 5 minutes. Add salt, basil and slice sausage. Simmer for ten minutes.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  gooddinnermrsmellen.com
  
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  gooddinnermrsmellen@blogspot.com
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  Posted in Casserole, Easy recipes, family meals, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Hearty Meal, Main Dish, Main Meal, pasta, Weeknight dinner | Tagged easy meal, family meal, pasta, quick meal, Sausage, Trader Joe's
- Seared Scallops
  
  Posted at 10:12 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 9th
  Scallops are so easy and delicious to make; taking very little time to cook for a fantastic quick dinner. I used a grille pan to sear my scallops; my personal favorite is Le Creuset. You can use a regular pan. I soaked the scallops in lemon juice and garlic for a hint of a lemony garlic flavor.
  
  1 to 1 1/4 pounds dry sea scallops, approximately 16
  
  juice of one lemon
  
  2 cloves of garlic, minced
  
  2 teaspoons unsalted butter
  
  2 teaspoons olive oil
  
  Kosher salt
  
  Freshly ground black pepper
  
  Rinse scallops with cold water and thoroughly pat dry. Place in bowl and pour lemon juice over scallops. Add garlic.Let set for minutes then drain discarding the lemon juice and garlic. Pat dry again.
  
  Add the butter and oil to a 12 to 14-inch saute pan or ridged grill pan on high heat. Salt and pepper the scallops. Once the fat begins to smoke, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other. Sear the scallops for 2 minutes on each side. The scallops should have a 1/4-inch golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. Serve immediately.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in dinner, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, Main Meal, scallops | Tagged Easy recipes, Healthy, le creuset, quick meal, scallops
- Guacamole
  
  Posted at 4:36 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 3rd
  Making Guacamole is so easy resulting in a fresh delicious homemade rather than a packaged version. I keep the ingredients on hand so when friends drop by I can serve Guacamole.
  
  3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
  
  1 lime, juiced
  
  1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  
  1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  
  1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  
  1/2 medium onion, diced
  
  1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
  
  2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
  
  1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  
  2 clove garlic, minced
  
  In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Appetizer, Easy recipes | Tagged easy, guacomole, super bowel food
- Cauliflower & Roasted Garlic Soup
  
  Posted at 9:10 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 3rd
  Living in New England hot soup on a cold snowy day is the perfect accompaniment to a salad for a heathy filling lunch. I like to make soups that are flavorful and healthy. I altered the ingredients in this soup, using almond milk instead of cow’s milk. The almond milk adds just enough smoothness to the soup. I will warn you I love garlic. If you don’t want as much garlic you can add only four roasted garlic cloves: Roasted garlic has a more mellow flavor, not as pungent as boiled or sautéed.
  
  3 tablespoons olive oil
  
  1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
  
  3 leeks, thinly sliced, just the white part
  
  1 bulb garlic, roasted and peeled*
  
  3 cups vegetable stock
  
  1/2 cup almond milk, unsweetened
  
  1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
  
  1 teaspoon black pepper
  
  1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  
  Directions
  
  Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.
  
  Add cauliflower, leeks, and garlic; sauté until the vegetables have caramelized (roughly 15 minutes).
  
  Add stock and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the cauliflower florets are soft and tender.
  
  Puree the mixture in a blender until smooth. Then, pour the soup back into the pot. Add salt, pepper, and thyme.
  
  Stir in almond milk and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
  
  Serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings
  
  * Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice off the top each head of garlic to expose some of the cloves inside. Place the heads on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in the foil. Roast until cloves are lightly browned and tender, about 30 minutes.
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  Posted in cooking, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, lunch, Soup, Soups, vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged Cauliflower Soup, easy vegan, Healthy
- Baked Hot Wings
  
  Posted at 9:45 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jan 28th
  Baked chicken wings are so easy to make and taste delicious. I like to coat my wings in
  
  flour combined with spices, bath in a buttery hot sauce then bake to perfection. The chicken
  
  meat just pulls away when you bite into these juicy wings. Perfect all year long for a casual
  
  party!
  
  Baked Hot Chicken Wings
  
  1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  
  1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  20 chicken wings
  
  1/4 cup melted butter
  
  1/2 cup hot pepper sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot®)
  
  1 cup blue cheese dressing
  
  2 tablespoon blue cheese
  
  baby carrots
  
  celery
  
  Place the flour, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt into a resealable plastic bag
  
  shake to mix. Add the chicken wings, seal, and toss until well coated with the flour
  
  mixture. Place bag with wings into the refrigerator. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
  
  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  
  Whisk together the melted butter and hot sauce in a small bowl. Remove wings from
  
  plastic bag. Place in baking dish and poor butter/hot sauce mixture over wings. Coat
  
  wings with mixture. Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink in the
  
  center, and crispy on the outside, about 45 minutes. Turn the wings over halfway during
  
  cooking so they cook evenly. Serve with Blue cheese dressing, carrots and celery. I like
  
  to add about 2 tablespoon blue cheese to the dressing to make a thick dip.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  www.gooddinnermrsmellen@blogspot.com
  
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  Posted in Super Bowl Recipes | Tagged blue cheese dips, easy wings, Hot wings, superbowl food
- Cherry Tomatoes Parmesan
  
  Posted at 8:50 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jan 27th
  CHERRY TOMATOES PARMESAN
  
  Cherry tomatoes, the petite jewel of the tomato family, so versatile, wonderfully delicious tossed in a salad, added to a casserole or baked parmesan style. I like to serve this dish either a side dish or as a lunch entree with a salad and fresh bread.
  
  2 pints cherry tomatoes
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  2 cloves garlic, minced
  
  1 tablespoon dried oregano
  
  2 ounce goat cheese, crumbled
  
  4 fresh mozzarella, sliced
  
  1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
  
  1/2 cup julienned fresh basil
  
  1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  
  2 cloves garlic, minced
  
  1 teaspoon salt
  
  1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  Preheat oven to 400F. Toss tomatoes in bowl with oil, garlic and oregano to coat. Arrange tomatoes in 10 x 14 x 2 ceramic baking dish. Scatter goat cheese, followed by mozzarella, parmesan cheese and then basil. Combine breadcrumbs, garlic, salt, parsley, and oil. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dish. Bake for 40 minutes until bubbly and golden brown. Serve at room temperature.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Casserole, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, vegetable bake | Tagged cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, Mozzarella, Parmesan
- The Best Blueberry Pancakes
  
  Posted at 10:57 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jan 21st
  Pancakes and blueberries; sunshine meets the earth: My favorite pancake combination. Making pancake batter, not using a mix is so easy and quick. I like to make my own batter for freshness and also I can control salt and sugar in my diet. I have also added a vegan option which taste just as delicious.
  
  2 large eggs
  
  1 1/4 cup milk*
  
  3 tablespoon melted butter or vegetable oil*
  
  1 1/2 cup King Arthur unbleached flour
  
  3/4 teaspoon salt
  
  2 teaspoon baking powder
  
  2 tablespoon sugar
  
  Blueberries
  
  Beat the eggs and milk until light and foamy, about 3 minutes at high speed of a stand or hand mixer. Stir in the butter or vegetable oil.
  
  Whisk the dry ingredients together to evenly distribute the salt, baking powder and sugar.
  
  Gently and quickly mix into the egg and milk mixture. Let the batter rest for at least 15 minutes; it”ll thicken slightly.
  
  Heat a heavy frying pan over medium heat, or set an electric griddle to 375°F. Lightly grease frying pan or griddle. The pan or griddle is ready if a drop of water will skitter across the surface, evaporating immediately.
  
  Drop 1/4 cup of batter onto the lightly greased griddle. Bake on one side until bubbles begin to form and break, about 2 minutes; add blueberries, then turn the pancakes and cook the other side until brown, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Turn over only once. Serve immediately.
  
  Yield: 1 dozen large (4 1/2″) pancakes
  
  *For a vegan variation substitute vegetable oil for butter and almond milk for cow’s milk.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  gooddinnermrsmellen.com
  
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  gooddinnermrsmellen@blogspot.com
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  Posted in Breadfast, Easy recipes, Food, vegan | Tagged blueberry pancakes, Breakfast, easy, quick, vegan option
- Hearty Lentil Soup
  
  Posted at 12:31 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jan 13th
  New Year’s resolutions always include losing weight and eating healthy. Lentil soup is low calorie and high in fiber; both important for keeping your resolutions. I like to add garbanzo beans for extra protein and roughage. If you’f like a more spicy version add a tablespoon of hot sauce.
  
  2 teaspoons olive oil
  
  1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped (1 1⁄2 cups)
  
  2 celery stalks, finely chopped (1⁄2 cup)
  
  3 large garlic cloves, minced (1 1⁄2 Tbsp.)
  
  2 teaspoon ground cumin
  
  1 cup baby carrots, sliced
  
  1 package (15.5 oz) dried brown lentils
  
  1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  
  8 cups lower-sodium vegetable broth
  
  1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  
  2 teaspoons kosher salt
  
  1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  
  Directions
  
  Put oil in a large Dutch oven heat medium-high. Add onion, celery, and garlic to Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add cumin, and cook, stirring constantly, until toasted, about 1 minute. Stir in carrots, lentils, garbanzo beans, broth, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until lentils are tender, 45 to 50 minutes.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Healthy, Soup, Soups, vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged Healthy, high fiber, Lentil soup, low calorie
- Hearty Beef Stew with Beets and Carrots
  
  Posted at 10:55 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jan 12th
  New England winters are cold, snowy, and harsh! I love to embrace the weather with old fashioned stick to your bones, comfort food; my remedy for enjoying the winter season. My beef stew is a twist on the traditional recipe, I add beets instead of potatoes. Beets are full of nutritional and add a deep red color to the stew. If beets aren’t to your liking you can substitute potatoes. I suggest you give the beets a try, you will be surprised by how delicious and tasty beets are in the stew. Beef tenderloin, so flavorful, adds a company worthy touch to this stew. As an accompaniment to the stew I toss a beautiful salad( I like arugula)*, add fresh baked bread and a bottle rich red wine for a elegant, easy company dinner. I set my table with an eclectic assortment of dishes and glasses, light tapered and votive candles, dim the dinning room chandelier and build a roaring fire. Then I can sit and enjoy entertaining friends for dinner rather spending time in the kitchen. The stew can be made a day ahead and gently warmed before serving.
  
  2 pounds beef tenderloin, cut 1-inch cubes
  
  Flour (for dredging)
  
  2 tablespoons butter
  
  2 tablespoons oil
  
  4 cloves garlic, minced
  
  2 shallots, chopped
  
  2 cups dry red wine
  
  2 cups beef stock
  
  2 cups homemade tomato sauce
  
  4 sprigs of fresh thyme
  
  1 bay leaf
  
  1 onion peeled and studded with 4 cloves
  
  3 red beets, pealed and slice
  
  2 cups of baby carrots, sliced
  
  1 cup fennel, thinly sliced
  
  Salt and ground black pepper
  
  1/2 cup chopped parsley
  
  Preheat oven 400F. Dredge meat in flour. Melt butter and oil in large pot. Cook the beef to rare, remove from pot. And set aside. Cook garlic and onions in pot until translucent, don’t brown.
  
  Add wine, and beef stock to pan, scrape up any pieces stuck to bottom. Add tomato sauce, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 1/2 hour.
  
  Add beef, onion, beets, carrots, fennel. Cover and bake in oven for 1 hour. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Toss with parsley and serve.
  
  *Arugula Salad
  
  1/2 pound fresh arugula (3 large bunches)
  
  Lemon Vinaigrette:
  
  1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (two lemons)
  
  1/2 cup olive oil
  
  1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  
  1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
  1/4-pound piece Parmesan cheese
  
  Cut off stems of arugula. Wash by filling the sink with cold water and toss for the arugula for a few minutes. Spin-dry the leaves and place in a large bowl.
  
  In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour enough dressing to moisten arugula. Toss well and place on individual salad plates.
  
  Use a cheese knife or vegetable peeler to shave the parmesan into large shards and arrange on the arugula.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Hearty Meal, Main Dish, Main Meal, Stew | Tagged beef stew, beets, company dinner, Easy recipe, Make ahead, wine
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