Pesto with shrimp linguine
This is one of my favorite recipes

2 Cups fresh basil leaves (pack it into the cup)
1 tsp minced garlic (or you can mince your own garlic, you just need 2 cloves...I am too lazy for this, but it is cheaper)
1/4 cut part-skim ricotta (If you are trying to cut fat don't add the cheese, though it won't be as creamy of a pesto, I always skip this and I think it still tastes great)
3 tbsp olive oil (If you add lemon juice do not add the olive oil)
1 oz Parmesan cheese (again I don't add this either to cut fat, though 1 oz isn't much so go ahead and add it if you want)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Optional: If you like a little lemony zing add 1/4 cut of lemon juice, and 1 tbsp lemon rind (grated lemon peal) and in this case do not add olive oil it will become too runny.

Throw all ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend away. Is it too thick? Add water, or more lemon juice if you want more zing. Is it a little runny? That's OK cause you are putting it over pasta so you need it a little runnier. Is it too runny? Add more basil leaves.

I use whole wheat linguine (it's healthier), but you can use any pasta you want
1 bag of 50 shrimp, or how ever many you want
1 Cup sliced mushrooms if you want, again or how ever many you want
1/4 cup of white wine, or your cheap 2 buck chuck
1 tsp garlic

Boil pasta...now that's easy isn't it????

De-tail shrimp (make sure shrimp is dry, if it is not before adding it to the pan pat it with paper towels) and add rest of ingredients with shrimp in a pan and saute with out a lid until shrimp is pink and wine has evaporated (this is called reduced). If you are too impatient just drain the wine when shrimp is pink, but it takes some flavor away.
Add everything from above and serve...

I would drink a cab with this

Nothing special tonight just home made french fries and buffalo chicken strips with
mojitos (my husband loved these)

4 potatoes
2 cups of olive oil
4 chicken breasts
bulliards buffalo sauce, or any buffalo sauce from your local grocery store
As much celery as you want
1/4 cup blue cheese, or again as much as you want

Mojito (the best part)
12 fresh mint leaves (I love mint, there is no substitute for this)
1 shot captain morgan spiced rum (I used some generic spiced rum, I am sure this will cause my husband to have a horrible headache tomorrow morning) Also you can interchange the rum with flavored rums or vodkas.....like raspberry vodka, mmmmm.
1/4 cup club soda
1 tbsp sugar
Crushed Ice

Wash and peal potatoes
Cut potatoes into thin slices
Heat olive oil in a sauce pan. Splash a drop of water in the oil if it splats it is ready to put the fries in
Cook fries 10-15 minutes or until golden brown

Cut thawed chicken into long slices (yes, just like the fries)
Bake in preheated oven at 425 for 15 minutes
Pour buffalo sauce over chicken
Use blue cheese to dip chicken and celery in to help cool your mouth

Mojito
Mix all ingredients except club soda and mash together in glass (don't grind, this is just to release a little favor from the mint and mix the sugar)
Add crushed ice
Add club soda
Don't get too drunk they are yummy:)

Go ahead and try this recipe...it's not that great, but you might like it. It just didn't seem right having spice, tomatoes, peppers and cheese on my fish....Oh, and definitely avoid it if you get heartburn from food.

5 lbs of skinned, deboned mahi mahi
3.5 oz of minced garlic
1/2 cup butter, diced (I used smart balance with omegs 3s to make it healthier)
1 tbsp of butter
1/2 large onion, diced
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup dry white wine (again my local store had a 2 buck chuce chardonnay....actuallly it was only 1.98)
10 oz of diced tomatoes in a can with green chile peppers ( I didn't use green chile peppers because I didn't have any)
Salt and pepper to taste
8 oz of shredded pepperjack cheese

1. Preheat gril for high heat...Or in my case light the charcoal.
2. Place mahi mahi in aluminum foil pan (I don't own anything like this so I made an aluminum foil boat), toss with garlic to coat.
3. Distribute butter evenly thoughout pan.
4. Spread onions over fish.
5. Pour lemon juice, wine, and diced tomatoes with green chile peppers over the fish.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Tightly cover pan (or homemade boat) with aluminum foil.
8. Place pan (or boat) on the grill and cook about 35 minutes, or until eadily flaked with a fork.
9. Sprinkle with cheese before serving.

1 Large roast (4-5lbs)
2 packages of lipton onion soup mix, or any onion soup mix, it really doesn't matter
Lots of time:)
Potatoes amount depends how much crock pot room you have
Baby carrots, or regular carrots, but you have to cut them, amount also depends how much crock pot room you have
About 2-3 cups of water
Salt and pepper to taste

Place roast into crock pot cover with water just until the roast is submurged.
Pour 1 package of onion soup mix over roast and water.
Cover and cook for 2 hours.
Turn roast, add another half of a packet of soup mix over roast...
cook for 2 more hrs.
Taste soup mix...is it too salty? Add water. Is it not flavorful enough? Add the rest of the soup mix.
Cook for at least another hour. I notice the longer I cook it the more tender it becomes. Also, it it is not submurged in the water it tends to dry out...not good, so even if you need more than 2-3 cups of water, keep adding it (but you shouldn't need it if you keep it covered).
1 hour before dinner time peal and cut potatoes into about 1 inch slices (the long way) and place in crock pot submurged in onion soup mix
Also add carrots 1 hour before dinner.
You may salt and pepper to taste

Peach Pears in Red Wine Sauce
(Takes 25 minutes to make, and 2 hrs for cooling)
I have not made this, and do not like pears....AT ALL...so make at your own risk

4 Basc or D'Anjou Pears (I vote, just get some pears, I have no idea what basc or D'Anjou pears means)- peeled, stem intact and seeds removed through the bottom (you can use a melon baller if you have one)
2 cups of dry red wine ( try your local liquor store's 2 buck chuck, but honestly though a port is sweet, and not usually dry, I think it sounds more appetizing for this already sweet recipe).
1 cup of sugar
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
8 oz of heavy whipping cream whipped to soft peak with out sugar
1. Add red wine, sugar, water, bay leaf and cinnamon in a pan large enough to hold 4 pears on their sides. Bring to boil, turn and simmer, add pears. Poach til tender, Remove pears and allow to cool.
2. After cooling and removing pears bring red wine mixture back to a boil and reduce to 1/2 cup of liquid. Remove bay leaf and cinnamon stick and discard. Cool the liquid.
3. Placed cooled pears into cooled liquid. Refrigerate for 2 hrs turning pears occasionally in the liquid
4. When serving place pear upright on a plate, add whip cream and drizzles pear and cream with the sauce to serve.

I have actually tried this recipe. It is light, kind of appetizer like, but good. I got this recipe from the wine bar in my area, which is where a lot of my recipes will come from, but with slight changes for the money saver, or can't cook so well person. I am not a good cook, and I am on a budget so I need to experiment for simpler recipes. Enjoy... Careful though this makes six 10 inch pizzas. When I made this recipe I was stuck with six pizzas for two.

Pizza Dough:
1/2 Oz dry Active yeast
1 tbsp of sugar
1/4 tsp of salt
2 cups warm water
2 tsp olive oil
5 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
1. Mix yeast, sugar and water in a bowl. Set aside until yeast becomes active (about 5 min)
2. combine flour, olive oil, and yeast mixture. Mix in a kitchen mixer for 2 min on low speed for 2 minutes, then knead it for 5 min. If you don't have a kitchen mixer knead it the entire time until everything appears mixed, then for safe measure continue to knead for another 5 min.
3. Put dough in large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hr
4. Punch down dough (this is fun if you have some frustration). Divide into 6 pieces and roll each into an 10 inch circle. Place on pizza pan (if it's not non-stick I suggest using olive oil to grease), you can also use a cookie sheet or pizza stone. Add toppings (listed below) and bake in a preheated 425 degree oven approx 13 minutes (may take 10-15 minutes according to your oven).

Toppings
1 package or 6 thin slices prosciutto (this is very similar to EXTREMELY thin sliced ham if you don't have the budget)
3 cloves of garlic peeled and crushed
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 bag cleaned arugula (very similar to spinach for those on a budget)
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper (better if the pepper is fresh ground)
1. Mix 2 tbsp olive oil with crushed garlic and brush over all pizza rounds using all up. (I brushed over flattened pizza dough, but ended up needing more olive oil and garlic than the recipe called for)
2. Take one slice of prosciutto (thinly sliced ham) and tear it into 3 pieces placing on one pizza round. Evenly divide the rest on the rest of the pizza rounds.
3. Bake 10-15 minutes in 425 preheated oven
4. While pizza is baking put arugula (or spinach) into a mixing bowl, pour 3 tsp olive oil over and toss to coat. Add salt to taste, and add red wine vinegar and toss again lightly.
5. Remove pizza from oven, divide arugula or spinach evenly for the 6 pizzas and place a mound in the center while each is hot. add, or grind black pepper over the salad and serve.