Roasted Asparagus and Garlic Pasta

Both of these recipes minus the shrimp come from my teammate mersaydees in the November 2009 Aussie/NZ recipe swap. I am a huge fan of asparagus - I wasn't always though. Thanks to my mother-in-law it's now one of my favorite veggies. The garlic pasta was a huge hit as we like this kind of thing anyway.

Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan
(This recipe amount calls for 4 servings - I made just enough for me as I am the only one here that likes it - I am posting the 4 servings amount.)

1 1/2 lbs asparagus
1 TBSP vegetable oil
course salt
fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Trim asparagus. On a rimmed cookie sheet mix asparagus with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Make sure there is a single layer and sprinkle with cheese. Roast in the oven about 10 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Serve immediately.

Garlic Pasta (with Shrimp - my addition)

8 garlic cloves
3 TBSP vegetable oil
1 cup whipping cream
salt
pepper
1 lb angel hair pasta (measured dry)
parmesan cheese or romano to taste
2 TBSP fresh parsley for garnish OR throw in some dried parsley to add a bit of color

Mince the garlic and saute in the oil for a few minutes. Add cream, a little salt and ample fresh ground black pepper. Simmer for a bit to reduce the cream. Toss cream with hot pasta. Add lots of cheese to taste and parsley for garnish.
**I made this a main dish by sauting shrimp and adding it over the pasta.

Hamburgers and French Fries

We had this for dinner tonight and boy was it a hit! I love those drive-in hamburgers and that is what this recipe is. It comes from JanuaryBride who hails from Missouri, USA. She found it in a cookbook belonging to her grandma called "The Ozark Pain Killer and Hog-Lot Cookbook."

Drive-in Hamburgers
1 lb ground beef
1/3 lb ground pork (the original recipe calls for pork sausage)
2 cups soft bread crumbs
2 TBSP worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
10 hamburger buns, toasted

Mix all meat ingredients well. May need to add up to 1 TBSP of water to make the mixture stick better. Divide into 10 even portions and pat out very thin. Fry the burgers in a skillet until crispy and cooked through. Make sure the buns are toasted and serve immediately.


I found a french fry recipe that sounded really yummy so I decided to try it out to go with the burgers. This tastes a lot like the thick steak fries you would find at a restaurant. Now that I know how to make them - well....let's just say we have some competition! Peter J from Tasmania, Australia posted this recipe on recipezaar.

Greatest French Fries on Earth!

potatoes (how many depends on how many people are going to be eating)

oil for frying

Fill a saucepan with plenty of water and bring the temperature up to 145 degrees F. About medium - med/low on the stove top. Peel potatoes and make fries about 1/2 inch thick. Precook in water for 30 minutes. Drain very well and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Meanwhile heat oil to 265 degrees F. Deep fry potatoes for 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Meanwhile heat oil to 375 degrees F. Again - deep fry potatoes until golden and done to your personal tastes. It's best to cook the fries in small batches. Serve immediately with some salt and your favorite fry sauce!

Ice Cream Pie

Mommy Diva was on my team for the November Aussie/NZ recipe swap this time. We chose this recipe and the one below from her posted recipes.

Ice Cream Pie
2 graham cracker pie crusts
1 3/4 quarts favorite ice cream (Or use half a carton from 2 different kinds)
16 oz cool whip

Soften ice cream until soft enough to mix with cool whip. If you are using two different ice cream flavors - use 8 oz of cool whip per flavor.
Scoop ice cream mixture into graham cracker shells. Smooth evenly. Cover with lid and freeze overnight.
Garnish with favorite garnishes and enjoy!
Pictured is Mint Chocolate Chip with hot fudge sauce. I also made Moose Tracks with hot fudge sauce and caramel sauce. I didn't get a picture to share yet because the boys had inhaled their dessert before I got around to taking a picture.

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

This recipe originally was meant to "hide" such things as zucchini and carrots. Well....I already add such things to cookies/cakes/brownies, etc. so there was no point in "hiding" them. The chef who shared this recipe is Mommy Diva from recipezaar who is also from Oregon! She likes to make these into cupcakes and frost. I liked these brownie style.

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies
1 1/4 cups butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup grated carrot

In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and watch your kids inhale these with a tall glass of milk!
If they really, truly don't like zucchini or carrots - they won't even notice/taste the veggies in here. Then you really can feel "sneaky."