Old Spaghetti Factory's Creamy Pesto Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

 

1/2 cup mayonnaise (full fat) 

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk 

2 1/2 tsp dried basil* 

1/4 tsp garlic powder 

1 pinch salt 

1/4 cup freshly, finely grated Parmesan cheese**

 

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until well blended.

 

2. Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate 30 minutes. Serve over green salad.

 

 

 

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey 

Butternut Sage Sauce

Ingredients:

16oz butternut squash ravioli
1/2 Cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
2 TBS fresh sage minced
1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 Cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 Cup freshly grated Parmesan
Coarse salt
Fresh ground black pepper
3-4 extra fresh Sage leaves for garnish if desired.

Directions:
Cook butternut squash ravioli according to box instructions. Drain.

Make the sauce: While cooking ravioli, melt butter in a large, preferably light colored, skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently and swirling the pot to ensure even cooking. After about 5min, the butter will start to foam up. Add the minced sage and continuing stirring and swirling the pot. Golden brown flecks, milk solids, should start to form on the bottom of the pan.

Continue stirring to make sure these don't stick and burn. When the butter is nutty in aroma and golden brown in color with plenty of flecks, about 2 minutes. Slowly pour the chicken broth and whisk frequently, as the butter will foam up, until completely incorporated.
Repeat this process with the cream. Be careful of splatter!

Add Lemon juice and parmesan cheese, whisking until completely combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in the cooked ravioli. Garnish with extra Parmesan.

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey

Garlic Knotts

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup unsalted butter, melted
1 TBS freshly grated Parmesan
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp salt
12 frozen roll balls, thawed to soft but still cold.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together butter, Parmesan, garlic powder, oregano, parsley, and salt; set aside. Roll each dough ball into 8-inch rope, about 1/2-inch thick, and tie into a knot, tucking the ends.
3. Place knots onto the prepared baking sheet and brush each knot with half of the butter mixture. Place into the oven and bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.
4. Serve immediately, brushed with remaining butter mixture.

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey

Steak Marinade

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Italian Dressing
• ½ cup A1 (Original)
• ½ cup Worcestershire Sauce
• salt
• pepper
• seasoning salt

Directions:
1. I use a meat mallet to tenderize the meat (I like New York Strip Steaks) you can also fork the meat then salt, pepper, and season salt both sides.
2. Combine liquids and pour into a zip lock bag with the steak or place in a pyrex casserole dish to marinate in the fridge for about 24-36hrs.
3. Grill and enjoy!

Submitted by: Amy Brice from Liluna

Molten Lava Cake

Ingredients:
10 TBS (1 1/4 sticks) Butter
8 oz (1 cup) Chocolate Chips (any type of chocolate chips will work but I recommend semi-sweet or combination of bitter and semi-sweet)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar
2 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray 6 -6ounce custard (ramekin) cups or cupcake tin. In a medium bowl, melt chocolates and butter in the microwave for 60 seconds and then 30 second increments until smooth (about 1.5-2 minutes total). Add flour and sugar to chocolate/butter sauce. Stir in the eggs and yolks until smooth. Add vanilla and mix everything until combined.
Divide the batter evenly among each cups. Place cups on top of a cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes. The edges should be firm but the center will be runny. Run a knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto dessert plates or you can serve each molten lava cake still in the cup.

Some optional "finishing" ideas are: sprinkle powdered sugar on top, add a dollop of whipped cream of ice cream, add raspberries or strawberries, or any combination of the above. Enjoy!

Tips from Jenie:
*use butter not cooking spray in the pan
*if using only half muffin tin add water to empty muffin tins to prevent the pan from warping
*don’t over cook chocolate it will still have tiny chunks when pulled out of microwave it will still melt
*don't stir lava mixture too much
*use mesh colander to sift powder sugar

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey adapted from Paula Dean's Home Cooking

How to Cook the Perfect Steak in a Cast-Iron Skillet

 Ingredients

2 steaks (I generally use grass fed New York strips or a similar cut)

Coarse sea salt (or kosher salt) & coarsely ground black pepper, to taste
--I recommend Pink Himalayan, Celtic or Utah sourced salt--

1 tablespoon of cooking oil (I recommend avocado oil as a good high-heat oil)

2 tablespoons of butter (this pastured butter is amazing)
Fleur de sel, for finishing (optional)

Recommended Equipment
cast-iron skillet
stainless steel tongs
large lid (big enough to cover the skillet)*

*The lid is for safety purposes in case you unintentionally get your skillet/oil so blazing hot that it causes a grease fire and you need to quickly extinguish the flames (do not use water). This has never happened to me, but it doesn't hurt to share safety tips in case this is your first time cooking or you're in the habit of walking away while something is on the stove (eek). 

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Remove steaks from the fridge and season both sides with coarse sea salt (or kosher salt) and coarsely ground black pepper, to taste. Just eyeball the spices, but make sure you use enough to form a nice crust. If you have a favorite meat seasoning blend, you can also use that. Let the steaks rest 45-60 minutes on the counter prior to cooking so the meat comes closer to room temperature. 
3. Add 1 tbsp of cooking oil to a seasoned cast-iron skillet and turn the burner to medium-high heat. Warm the oil until the surface just begins to shimmer (that's how we know it's hot enough to sear). Note: We want the pan/oil to be plenty hot in order to create a proper sear on both sides of the steak; however, the oil should not be smoking before you place the steak in the pan. If it is, remove the skillet from the burner and let it cool down for several minutes before continuing the process. You may want to remove the batteries from your smoke alarm temporarily, turn on a ceiling fan or vent fan and/or open a few windows, as once the steak goes in the pan it will likely create a bit of smoke (using an oil with a lower smoke point like butter or olive oil will definitely contribute to this). 
4. Place steaks into the hot pan (it should sizzle). Make sure not to crowd the pan. If you're cooking more than 2 or 3 steaks you may need to use two pans. Let the steaks cook for 2 minutes. Flip the steaks over, then let them cook another two minutes. I recommend using a timer here. If you want to sear the sides, cook them for about 30 seconds on each side using your tongs to hold up each steak. 
5. Using an oven mitt, transfer the pan to the oven and let it cook for 4-5 more minutes. This will create a medium, pink center. If you want it medium rare or rare, try 2-4 minutes. IMPORTANT: For smaller, leaner steaks you'll want to keep it in the oven no longer than 2 minutes, even less if you want to achieve medium rare. For a larger, fattier cuts, 4-6 minutes will achieve a pink center. And if you're uncertain, you can always do the finger test to check for doneness. 
6. Remove pan from the oven. Using tongs, place the steaks on a cutting board or plate, cover loosely with aluminum foil or a dish towel and let rest for 7-10 minutes without cutting into it.
7. A few minutes before serving, when you plate the meat, top each steak with a tablespoon of the organic, grass-fed butter. Give it a minute to melt over the steak, then serve.
8. Optionally, before serving, you can sprinkle fleur de sel (it's a top-quality French finishing salt) over the buttery steak. 

Notes & Tips

• If you have extra time or plan ahead, I HIGHLY recommend Alton Brown's method for dry aging a steak in the fridge. It really takes the flavor to a whole new level.   
• For an even better steak experience, top them with homemade herb butter or a blue cheese crust.

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey from The Rising Spoon

Iron-Skillet Steak with Thyme Butter

Ingredients (for 2):

    •    1 1/2 lb/680 g Porterhouse or T-Bone steak, preferably grass-fed or organic
    •    Kosher salt
    •    Freshly ground black pepper
    •    4 tbsp/55 g unsalted butter
    •    2 sprigs of thyme

Directions:
Remove your steak from the fridge about 30 minutes before you begin cooking. Preheat the oven to 425˚F/220°C/gas 7

Season the steak generously on both sides with salt and lots of pepper. Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the pan. When the butter foams, lay the steak in the pan and watch it sizzle. Let the steak cook, without touching it, about 4 minutes. The steak will contract and should come away from the pan easily. Flip the steak {admiring your deep golden sear as you do}, and continue cooking on the other side, 4 minutes more.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and thyme in the pan and heat until the butter melts and sizzles. Tilt the pan so that the butter pools near the edge of the pan, and, using a large metal spoon, scoop the flavored butter and pour over the steak, repeating to baste the steak it with flavor. Transfer the pan and steak to the oven to finish cooking, about 4 minutes for medium-rare, or 6 minutes for medium.

Remove steak from the heat and transfer to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes. Slice the steak against the grain and drizzle over with the warm thyme butter."

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey from E.A.T.

The Easiest, Juiciest Steak EVER

Ingredients

• 2 New York Strip Steaks
• Salt & Pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8-10 Thyme sprigs
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. Bring the steaks to room temperature by setting out on the counter for about 30 minutes. Season generously with kosher salt and a little fresh cracked pepper.
2. Heat the oven to 275 degrees F.
3. Heat a heavy bottomed skillet (like cast iron) over medium high heat with the olive oil; 1-2 minutes.
4. Place the steaks a couple of inches apart in the hot pan (press down lightly to ensure that all of the meat is touching the pan. Cook steaks for 4-5 minutes, without moving them. Check for a dark golden sear, then flip the steaks over and turn off the heat.
5. Add the butter to the skillet, basting the meat with the butter and pan juices with a spoon for about a minute.
6. Slide the skillet into the 275 degree oven. Cook for about 5-7 minutes for medium. Temperature should be: Rare - 130°F, Medium Rare - 140°F, Medium - 155°F, Well Done - 165°F. (If you don't have a thermometer, use the fist test described in the post).
7. When steaks are finished cooking, baste again with the pan juices, then transfer to a cutting board to rest for at least 10 minutes.
8. To serve, slice against the grain and transfer to a plate. Serve with additional pan juices spooned over the top.

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey from YellowBlissRoad

Lemon Lava Cake

Ingredients

• 8 ounces white chocolate
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
• 3 large eggs
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• zest of 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and butter the cavities of a 6 cavity jumbo muffin tin.*
2. In a large microwave safe bowl, melt white chocolate and butter together. It should only take 60 seconds in the microwave.
3. Once melted, whisk in sugar, eggs, yolks, vanilla, lemon, and lemon zest until the ingredients are fully combined.
4. Using a spatula, gently stir in flour and salt. Don't overmix.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin.
6. Bake for 15-17 minutes (mine were perfect at 15).
7. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes.
8. Run a knife along the sides of the cakes.
9. Place a baking sheet on top of the muffin pan and flip them. The cakes should pop out.
10. Top with more powdered sugar, whipped cream, fruit, ice cream, etc and serve immediately!

Notes

*I found that using butter instead of cooking spray helped prevent sticking, but you need to really butter the cavities to keep the cakes from sticking.
*place a little water in unused cupcake pan to prevent the pan from warping

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey from Show Me the Yummy

Sauteed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp light olive oil
• 1½ lbs (24 oz) baby bella (cremini) mushrooms
• garlic salt, to taste (or use salt and garlic powder)
• black pepper, freshly ground
• 1½ Tbsp fresh lemon juice form 1 small or ½ large lemon
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

Instructions:

1. Rinse and quickly pat dry mushrooms. Cut off stems to be parallel with the base of the mushroom (important for sautéing ease).
2. In a large heavy pan over medium heat, add 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp oil. Once oil is hot, add mushrooms in a single layer, cut-side-down. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Sautee until bottoms are browned (5 min), then flip over, season again with garlic salt and pepper and sautee until browned on the second side (5 min).
3. Squeeze in 1½ Tbsp lemon juice and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp parsley. Stir mushrooms and cook another 1-2 min, adding more seasoning to taste. Remove from heat and serve.

Tips from Jenie:
*Remove stems and cut into chunks so they cook more evenly
*Open mushrooms as soon as you purchase them
*Don't rinse under water, wash mushroom by grabbing damp paper towel and wipe the dirt keep them dry for cooking.
*Use unsalted butter because it handles heat better on stove.
*No need to stir while cooking but shake the pan

Submitted By: Jenie Rainey from Natasha's Kitchen

Candied Walnut and Pear Salad with a Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

Ingredients:

• 5 ounces (1/2 of a 10 ounce bag) spinach
• 1 can sliced pears
• 1 cup candied walnuts (find near salad toppings)
• ⅓ cup dried cranberries
• 1 large avocado
• ⅓ cup feta cheese

Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

• 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard, do not use regular
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• ½ tablespoon poppyseeds

Instructions

1. Combine the lemon juice, lemon zest, onion powder, dijon mustard, salt and sugar in a blender or food processor. Blend or pulse until completely smooth. Slowly pour in the vegetable oil and blend.
2. Stir in the poppyseeds.
3. For the rest of the salad:
4. Rinse and dry the mixed greens.
5. Thoroughly drain the pears.
6. Add in the candied walnuts and dried cranberries.
7. Remove the skin and pit of an avocado and dice.
8. Toss all of the ingredients together with the dressing, add some feta cheese, and enjoy immediately.
9. If not enjoying immediately, do not add the dressing until right before eating.
10. If desired, add some grilled chicken to this salad!

Submitted By: Jenie Rainey from The Recipe Critic