Chicken & Penne w/ Basil Sauce

This is a great recipe & a family favorite. Hope you enjoy!

1-can chicken broth

4-tsp cornstarch

1/8-tsp pepper

1-package penne pasta

cooking spray

1-med red bell pepper-cut into thin strips

1-med yellow bell pepper-cut into thin strips

3-cloves garlic-minced

1-tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1-package chicken breasts-cut into 1" cubes(approx)

1/4cup-fresh basil-shredded

2-tbsp Parmesan cheese

Stir together chicken broth, cornstarch, and black pepper. Set aside. Cook pasta & drain.

Meanwhile, coat an unheated large skillet with non-stick spray. Preheat over medium heat. Add sweet peppers and garlic. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes or until crisp tender. Remove from skillet. Add the oil to skillet, increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken, stir fry until no longer pink. Stir broth mixture and add to skillet. Cook & stir until thickened and bubbly. Add peppers to skillet. Add basil and cook & stir for 2 minutes. Toss with hot pasta & serve. Add Parmesan cheese to the top.

Tip of The Day

When cutting onions, light a candle & put it next to you. This will reduce or stop your eyes from tearing up. Happy cutting :)

Pork Chops w/Asparagus & Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

2-butterfly pork chops

8-red new potatoes

1-bunch of fresh asparagus

3tsp-olive oil

3tsp-rosemary

1tsp-parsley

1tsp-salt

1tsp-pepper

2-cloves of garlic

1tsp-season all

2tbsp-butter

Pre-heat oven to 350deg. Cut the potatoes in half, then the halves in quarters. Take a baking sheet & cover with foil. Spread potatoes on sheet evenly & sprinkle olive oil all over them. Sprinkle with season all, salt, pepper, & rosemary. Put in oven for 45min to 1hr.

Next, take the asparagus & wash them off. Then take each one & hold in the middle & at the fat end. Bend until it breaks. It will break in the right place. Discard the bottom (fat) end. Put the asparagus in a steam zip-lock bag or a regular zip-lock bag. Add 1-3 tbsp of butter, salt & pepper & seal, put aside.

Season pork chops with salt, pepper, parsley, & season all, both sides. Add 3tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet & turn heat to med-high. When it gets warm, add minced garlic & stir (don't let brown too fast). Add pork chops to skillet & cook for about 3-5min. Turn pork chops over & stir them around. Cook for another 3-6min.

Next, put the zip-lock bag with the asparagus & put them in the microwave for 2-3min. Take them out & serve, along with potatoes & pork chops. Hope you enjoy as much as my family does.

Pantry Soup or (bean soup)

I have to give credit for this recipe to Barbara W. of Beaumont, TX. She is my brothers mother-in-law, & while staying with her for the clean up of Hurricane Rita, she would cook us some amazing dinners. This particular dinner looked so complicated, yet it was so easy. She would simply clean out her pantry & make a soup.

1-lb of ground beef

1-large onion-chopped

1-large can of rice & chicken

1-can of diced potatoes-drained

1-can of rotel

1-can of black beans

1-can of northern beans

1-can of red beans

1-can of kidney beans

1-can of chili beans

1-can of diced tomatoes

1-package of taco seasoning

and really, any other kind of beans you want

Brown ground beef in a skillet with onions. Drain. In a large pot, add all ingredients & stir well. Put on low to med-low & season with salt & pepper to taste. Add 1 package of taco seasoning & stir well, or just add your own mix of seasonings. Stir & heat well, then serve. This is a great dish on a cold night. Hope you enjoy & change it up however you like.

A Tribute To Mom's Cooking

My mother, Dolly, is one of the finest cooks I know, & taught me most of what I know today. The passion she has for cooking is more than enough to land her a spot on the FOOD NETWORK, right next to the likes of Paula Dean. Growing up with momma's cooking was not just food, it was an experience. The kids in the neighborhood, the baseball team, football team, & family members, would love to be invited for dinner or just show up & eat.

Her chicken & dumplings are world renowned (ok, Texas), her chicken spaghetti is an all time favorite, her skillet fried chicken is awesome, her fried bass fillets are yummy, and her breakfast casseroles are " to die for", as mom would say. She can cook, fry, bake, shake, grill, simmer, boil, mix, blend, & stir, anything with food.

This blog is dedicated to cooking, food, & how mom influenced me & my passion for cooking. I will be adding recipes, stories, techniques, pictures, & video on my daily blogs. I hope you enjoy & check back often for some good home cooking! (p.s. dad is no slouch in the kitchen either)