Lita's Linguine and Meat Sauce

1/2 box of whole wheat linguine
1 1/2 cups of Rinaldi's Tomato and Basil Sauce
1/4 lb of beef
1/3 cup of red wine
1/3 of an onion, finely chopped
2-3 pinches of garlic chips
2-3 pinches of parsley flakes
1 pinch of Italian Seasoning
Couple of shakes of grated Parmesan Cheese 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, brown the beef with onions and spices. Once beef is browned, add in tomato sauce, cheese, and wine. Stir until well blended then let simmer. Allow the meat and sauce to cook down a little bit.

Meanwhile, throw in pasta into the pot of hot water. Once tender, drain then serve with meat sauce. Delicious!

Stuffed Peppers for Two

2 bell peppers
1/3 cup of rice
3/4 cup of tomato sauce (I prefer Rinaldi's Tomato and Basil)
5 oz of ground beef
Garlic powder
Onion powder or minced onion
1 pinch of Italian Seasoning

Preheat oven at 375.

In a small pot of water, bring rice to a boil and cook until tender; drain. Meanwhile in a large pan, cook beef until brown all the way through. Set aside.

Cut the tops off the bell peppers. Throw out the stems, seeds, and membranes; chop the remaining of the tops into small chunks. Leave the rest of the peppers whole. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine rice, beef, spices, and sauce. Once combined, stuff the peppers with the rice mix. Place in a small baking dish and add a little extra tomato sauce on top of the peppers. Place in oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes.

Lita's Cream of Mushroom Chicken

A simple recipe that I adapted from the back of a soup can!

1/2 cup of olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp of minced onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp parsley flakes
1 (10 3/4 oz) can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
3/4 cups of water
2-4 chicken breasts, cubed
1-2 cups of elbow macaroni or egg noodles

In a small bowl, combine olive oil and spices. In a medium size skillet or medium heat, throw in olive oil/spice mixture; add chicken and cooked until browned on all sides.Once chicken is browned, add soup and 3/4 cup of water into the skillet with the olive oil mix; heat to a boil then turn burner down to a low heat. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil; once the water is at a rolling boil, add pasta of your choice. Once pasta is tender, drain in a colander and dish onto plates. Serve chicken and soup mix over noodles and voila! Add pepper or other garnishes of your choice!

Getting the Word Out: Facebook, Twitter, and Google+

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Olive Oil Spice Linguine and Chicken

For the Pasta:
1/2 box of whole wheat linguine
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 spoonful of thyme
1 pinch of paprika, optional
1 spoonful of oregano
1 spoonful of parsley flakes
2 pinches of crushed garlic
2 pinches of minced onion
2-4 shakes of black pepper or, with a grinder, 4 grinds of black pepper
Add salt to taste, optional


For the Chicken:
1 chicken breast, boneless and skinless
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 spoonful of thyme
1 pinch of paprika (optional)
1 spoonful of oregano
1 spoonful of parsley flakes
2 pinches of crushed garlic
2 pinches of minced onion
1-2 shakes of black pepper or, with a grinder, 2 grinds of black pepper

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil and spices for the pasta; set aside.

Cut the chicken into cubes. In a Tupperware bowl, combine oil and spices for the chicken breast. Place the chicken in the Tupperware bowl and securely close the lid. Shake until chicken is evenly coated; set aside and let marinate for 1-2 hours.


Spray a medium-sized frying pan with cooking spray. Once the chicken is marinated, cook the chicken in a frying pan with the olive oil mixture. Cook until it is golden brown. Cover and stir occasionally.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Once the water is at a rolling boil, throw in the pasta. After the pasta is fully cooked, throw in the oil and spices that were set aside for the pasta. Add chicken with cooked down olive oil-mix. Stir then serve!

**WARNING** Be cautious when cooking with oil. Oil has a tendency to pop and spritz all over the place so be careful not to burn yourself.