Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Garlic Chips

Yes it has been a LONG while since I posted. To be fair A LOT has happened since the last post... almost a year ago. The biggest and most important is the birth of my beautiful, amazing and perfect baby girl! She was born on September 3rd! Which was not only her due date but also our 5 year wedding anniversary! What a perfect present. Her is a picture of her. She is 3 months old in this picture and we love her to pieces!We have been doing a lot of cooking. I froze a ton of meals prior to Marin's arrival to get us through those tough nights. I would say we did pretty good. We seem to go out of dinner a bit more then normal but we stayed true to our commitment to cook healthy meals. I have since returned to work. I am beyond sad about leaving Marin but it has to be done. I know life will continue to get even busier and more hectic then it already is but I want to return to actively posting on this blog. I have really enjoyed it and look forward to getting back into it!

Here is a delicious dish we made. I'm sure some of you are a bit sceptical but this was really good and different. Don't let the Swiss chard scare you because this is well worth it and easy weeknight meal. Super simple ingredients and pretty healthy too. We pulled this out of the archives in Gourmet 2006

Ingredients:

1/4 C evoo

1 head garlic, peeled and thinly sliced (only used 8-10 cloves)

1 onion, finely chopped

1/2 C dried currants (used raisins)

1 bunch of green Swiss Chard, stems and center ribs finely chopped and leaves coarsely chopped separately

1/2 C water

1 box spaghetti (used whole wheat)

1/2 C Kalamata olives, sliced

1/2 C feta, crumbled

Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat, add garlic, stirring until golden, about 2-3 minutes. Make sure you keep a good eye on it because it can turn from golden to burnt pretty quickly. Transfer garlic with slotted spoon to paper towel lined plate to drain.

Cook onion in remaining oil over medium heat until softened (about 5 minutes). Add currants or raisins, stirring until they begin to plump up.

Stir in the chard stems and water and 3/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Cook covered over med-high heat (about 5 minutes). Stir in chard leaves and continue to cook covered until tender (another 5 minutes).

In the meantime, cook pasta. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water.

Toss spaghetti with chard, olives, 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, adding more if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with feta and garlic chips.

Creamy Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms

I had tagged this recipe a couple of days ago and decided that instead of it sitting on the very long list I should make it right away! Oh man, am I glad I did! It was delicious. I never have creamy pasta dishes because they make my stomach hurt. I decided to try this one because of the milk rather then the heavy cream. It was a hit on both sides of the table. I know there is a huge aversion to Brussels sprouts but we love them. Slice them nice and thin and maybe you will too. This recipe has a simple ingredient list as far as it goes. I used Sherry wine so I cannot vouch for the vinegar. I did increase the salt and pepper but otherwise kept to the recipe.

Creamy Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms
1 package fettuccine
1 T evoo
4 C sliced cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 C Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C dry sherry or 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 C low-fat milk
2 T flour
1 t salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup finely shredded parmesan, plus more for garnish


Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain, return to the pot and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and Brussels sprouts and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms release their liquid, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sherry (or vinegar), scraping up any brown bits; bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until almost evaporated, 10 seconds (if using vinegar) or about 1 minute (if using sherry).

Whisk milk and flour in a measuring cup, add to the skillet with salt and pepper. Cook stirring, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in cheese until melted. Add the pasta to the sauce and gently toss. Serve with more cheese, if desired.

source: EatingWell

Italian Wedding Soup

I've been meaning to make this soup for a while now. My grandparent's and aunt made it this quite often for family gatherings and I always loved it. I didn't really have a recipe so I kind of made it up. I think it turned out pretty tasty. I used spinach instead of escarole and added tortellini instead of a small pasta. I was so good! We ate it for dinner and then for lunch over the weekend.

Italian Wedding Soup with Tortellini

1 t butter

1 t evoo

1 medium onion, diced

2 large carrots, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

8 C chicken broth

2 T fresh parsley

1 bag of frozen cheese tortellini

a few handfulls of fresh spinach

Meatballs

1/2 pound of ground turkey

2 T finely minced onion

1 egg white

pinch of salt

pinch of dried basil

2-3 T freshly grated parmesan

1 T breadcrumbs

For the meatballs:

Gently combine all ingredients and form into small balls (about 1/2 inch in size). Set a side.

For the soup:

Melt butter and evoo in a large stock pot. Add onion and carrots and cook until onions are soft. Add thyme and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Gently drop meatballs into soup and simmer for 10 minutes. Add spinach and tortellini and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes. Season with salt a pepper to taste.

Note:

I made the soup one night and added the tortellini on the day we had it for dinner. It was even better after it had sat for a day or two in the fridge.

Orzo with Tomatoes, Peas and Sausage

We seem to be going through a pattern here. One week we grocery shop the next we scrounge around and become creative with our dinners. I had high hopes of going the the store last night on my way home just like I did the night before. Since it didn't' fit into my schedule (I had to pick up Dave's anniversary gift, much more important) I created this quick meal. We always have a can of tomatoes in the cubbard, peas in the freezer and pasta, always a box of pasta! This was really great! The splash of half and half added a nice dimension and created a light rose sauce. We added mozzarella stuffed chicken sausage to round out this meal. You could leave the meat out or even substitute chicken. Versitile and yummy!

Orzo with Tomatoes, Peas and Sausage
1 box of orzo
1garlic clove
2 C chicken broth
2 C water
1/2 onion, diced small
1 14oz. can of tomatoes, slightly drained (I think fire roasted tomatoes would be really good)
3 chicken sausage, sliced thin
1/2 C frozen peas
3 T half & half
Parmesan cheese
evoo

Cook orzo in broth and water with the garlic clove. Heat skillet over medium high heat. Add a splash of evoo and sliced sausage and cook until lightly browned. Next add onions and continue cooking for 3 more minutes. Add tomatoes, peas and half and half. Continue cooking until heated through. Toss orzo and sauce together and serve passing cheese.

Lemon-Parsley Pesto

Do you get really nervous about wasting food? I do. We leave for a long weekend rafting trip in Utah tomorrow night after work and I needed to use quite a bit of food. We shopped on Saturday after doing a week of "scrounging" meals. So of course we bought more then we needed for 4 days. I think we did a pretty good job. I needed to use up two bunches of parsley and decided on a pesto. Not only is it a beautiful color but makes a great and simple pasta dish. We were able to get all of our gear together and sit down to a quick meal. Now all we have to do is fold the mountain of laundry on our bed!

Lemon-Parsley Pesto

2 bunches of flat leaf parsley

1/4 C Parmesan

3 T toasted pine nuts

1 lemon (zest + 2 t of juice)

2 garlic cloves

1/4 C evoo (about)

Cut parsley leaves from stems. Combine parsley, Parmesan, pine nuts, lemon juice and zest, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. While motor is running add evoo until combined.

makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Taco Bake

This recipe intrigued me. As I have said before, I LOVE anything Mexican. I just can't get enough of it. So when I saw this recipe I knew we needed to make it. I pushed around the menu for the week and fit this one in even though I had to make a special trip to the store to pick up a few things! I have made a couple of changes of my own. I don't usually use packaged seasoning but we had this party at work a while ago and I bought about 10 packets too many of the fajita seasoning and have been slowly using it up. (I mix it with light sour cream and salsa to make a dip if you are looking for a quick ap.) As always, when you are baking pasta make sure you cook to al dente. In this case I boiled the pasta for 6 minutes. I did use about a 1/2 cup of the pasta water to add a little bit more sauce to the casserole. I think it was needed but you may not. We were able to divide this into two dishes and froze one for later.

Taco Bake

1 lbs. ground turkey
1/2 t evoo
1 medium onion, diced
1 package of taco seasoning (I used fajita seasoning)
2 cans of Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
1 box small shell shaped pasta
8 oz. neufchatel cream cheese, softened
1/2 C light sour cream
1 C extra sharp Cheddar cheese
salt and fresh ground pepper

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add evoo to pan. Add turkey and onion and cook until turkey begins to brown. Add taco seasoning and tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes. Cook pasta shells in large pot of boiling salted water. (Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.) Pasta should still be hard and not cooked through otherwise it will get really mushy when you bake. Mix softened cream cheese and sour cream in a large bowl and set aside. Spray a 9 x 13 casserole pan with oil. (We divided into two pans.) Mix warm pasta into cream cheese mixture and gently stir to combine. Pour pasta mixture into prepared pan and top with turkey and tomatoes. Add reserved pasta water if you feel that it is too dry. Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove top and continue to bake until cheese is lightly browned.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I saw this recipe in a couple of places and had made a version of it a few years back. I hadn't made it again because the recipe I had, called for heavy cream and this isn't something I use. I'm not one for creamy dishes. They upset my stomach and don't really fit into our definition of a healthy lifestyle. So the addition of even milk in a recipe is rare for us. But for some reason I just couldn't get this recipe off my list and decided that it needed to be made! I'm glad I did. It was quite good! We enjoyed the Cajun flavors and the shredded carrots added a nice flavor and helped create the creamy factor. My inspiration came from two different sites- Cooking Light and Annie Eats. Take a look a these two recipes and let me know if you find the other more appealing!

Cajun Chicken Past

For the Chicken:

2 Chicken Breasts

salt & pepper

1 T Emrils Escence

1 t evoo

Pasta:

1 box pasta (I used angel hair)

1 T Emerils Essence

1/2 t cayenne

1 small onion, diced
2 carrots, shredded

1 C frozen peas

2 C milk

2 T flour

2 garlic cloves, minced

pepper & salt

1/2 C flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1 C parmesean

Chop chicken in to bite size pieces and toss with Essence and salt and pepper. Heat large skillet over medium-high add evoo and cook chicken until lightly browned, 4-6 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. Add garlic, onions, peppers, and grated carrots to pan and cook for 3-6 minutes until onions begin to soften. Sprinkle vegetables with essence and cayenne and toss to combine. Add peas and toss. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and mix well. Add milk to pan and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. When the sauce has thickened, add cooked pasta and chicken to pan. Turn heat to medium-low until chicken is heated through. Add cheese and parsley and toss to combine. If you feel that there isn't enough sauce add a 1/4 cup of chicken broth.

Ravioli Lasagna

Is this a pretty picture? I'd say NO! I just think pictures are needed or else you may not make it. You know the saying, "You eat with your eyes not your stomach." This may or may not be true after you look at this picture! I told myself I would put aside the harsh reality that I cannot take good pictures and focus on the recipe. Its all about the food people! So about the food... Dave made this one up on his own. He really is quite the cook and feels very comfortable making up his own recipe when it is his night to cook. This was really delicious and wonderful meal to come home to. Thanks Dave!

Ravioli Lasagna
10 cheese ravioli
2 C fresh mozzarella
3 hot Italian sausage
4 C homemade tomato sauce

Cook ravioli until al dente and drain. Preheat oven 350 degrees. Slice sausage into disks and cook in a medium skillet until cooked through. Thinly slice mozzarella. Spoon 1 cup of tomato sauce into baking dish. Place 5 ravioli over sauce, then spread half the sausage on top of raviolis. Layer half the mozzarella over sausage and repeat with tomato sauce, ravioli and sausage. Finish with remaining sauce and cheese and bake for 20 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned.

Zucchini, Chicken Sausage and Casserole

I prepped this meal on Monday since we were only having garden burgers and there really wasn't any effort involved. I think that all casserole type meals taste better after the ingredients have had a chance to develop. So letting it sit in the fridge for 24 hours was a bonus. I was impressed with this simple weeknight recipe. Since I used an entire box of pasta I divided this into two casseroles and froze one for another time. You really need to make sure that you under cook the noodles. And if you are looking for a saucy casserole you won't find it here. I adjusted the liquids a bit but really wanted to highlight the light, summery and simple tastes. If you don't have feta on hand then skip it, this isn't a must have ingredient. I would even add either a touch of lemon juice or even a bit of zest to bring out the freshness in the end product. The Chicken Sausage are really quite good. If your local Costco has these put them in your basket. The ingredient list is short and legible (meaning so "foreign" unpronounceable names). I forgot to take a picture of this but hopefully you are still inclined to give this a try!

Zucchini, Chicken Sausage Casserole
1 box Rigatoni pasta
5 chicken sausage (I used chicken, artichoke and mozzarella cheese sausage from Costco)
1 t evoo
2 medium zucchini sliced (I used yellow and green)
1/2 a large onion sliced
1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 C chicken broth
1 C reserved pasta water
2 T all-purpose flour
1/4 C crumbled feta cheese
1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400°. Cook pasta in boiling salted water about 6-7 minutes. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add evoo. Add sausage to pan; cook until browned, remove from pan. Add zucchini, onion, salt, pepper, and garlic. Cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and zucchini begins to brown, stirring occasionally. Combine broth and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan; cook 1 minute. Drain pasta, reserving about a cup water. Use the pasta water to adjust the thickness of the sauce. (I used about 3/4 C.) Combine zucchini mixture, pasta, sausage, and feta cheese and toss to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Adapted from Cooking Light, JULY 2007

Pasta Puttanesca

Simple, easy and quick! I'm not sure there is much more to say about this one. We whipped this one up after coming home (I from a long bike ride and Dave from a kayak lesson with a friend). We were starving and were talking about take out to satisfy our immediate hunger. Although this is always an easier option we usually are able to talk ourselves out of it because we know we can throw something together that is ten times better. We sat down in 30 minutes flat with a glass of red wine and a beer respectively and gobbled up this meal!

Pasta Puttanesca

adapted from numerous online recipes

8-10 oz. thin spaghetti

2 T evoo

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 button mushrooms, sliced

1/4 C flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1/4 C pitted Kalamata olives

2 T capers

1 T fresh oregano leaves

pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 C tomato sauce

1/4 c. grated Parm

Set large pot of salted water to boil and add pasta, cook according to package directions. Heat oil in medium skillet. Add onions and cook for 8 minutes or until soft and lightly browned. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms release their moisture. Add parsley, olives, capers. oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add tomato sauce. Drain pasta and add to skillet and toss to combine. Pass grated parm as desired.

Pasta Salad

This has to be my favorite new pasta salad recipe. I really don't care for creamy based salads. Not to say that I won't spoon some on my plate at a get together but I will never make one at home. This salad combines my love for Mexican and carbs! This is a keeper and will be be on my summer BBQ rotation. Thanks for sharing Cara!

Wagon Wheel Taco Pasta Salad
1 box wagon whell pasta or other fun shape
1 can black beans, drained
1 C frozen corn
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
3/4 C shredded cheddar
1/4-1/2 C salsa
1/2 C evoo
juice of 1 lime
1 T cumin
1-2 t chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt & freshly ground pepper
1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro


Cook the pasta al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, tomatoes, salsa, and cheese. Add the cooled pasta and mix well. In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin and chili powder. Pour over the pasta salad, add the cilantro, and mix well. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Jason's Chicken and Pasta

This is an old recipe from college that had become a family favorite. There are not many things that I can say I still make from these years! I can name a few but I am not proud of the fact that I ate them! Ramen started out my freshman year, Taco Salad Surprise, (I can't even go into this one!) Cheryl created this "salad"! She also brought to the table Dirt Cake, which I love but haven't made in years! Jason came to visit Nichole and made the girls dinner one night and I can still picture all of us crammed into our little kitchen in Odells watching Jason make this dish. If I remember correctly this was something that his dad made. Well, who ever I need to give credit to I will because this one is a keeper. It has been over nine years and I still make it!

Jason's Chicken and Pasta
2 chicken breast
½ C Italian breadcrumbs
1 egg scrambled
3 T milk
3 T evoo
1 C chicken broth
1 14 oz. can of quartered artichokes
½ C kalamata olives
¼ C chopped sun dried tomatoes
¼ C freshly grated Parmesan
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 box of pasta- your choice

Cut chicken into bite size pieces and place in a bowl with the scrambled egg and milk Drain and toss with breadcrumbs in a plastic bag. Add more breadcrumbs is needed. Cook pasta according to directions. Heat oil in a large skillet until hot but not smoking. Add chicken in batches and brown on each side. Remove chicken to a paper towel lined plate. Add garlic, artichokes, sun dried tomatoes and olives to skillet and cook for two minutes. Return chicken to skillet and toss to combine. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add Parmesan. The sauce should thicken just a bit with the breadcrumbs and cheese. Cook for 3 minutes. Drain pasta reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid. Todd pasta in skillet and add reserved pasta water if it seems dry. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Farfalle with beets and pine nuts

This was really good! I found my inspiration in the February Bonappetit "Going Green" issue. I obviously made my own recipe from this!

Farfalle with Beets and Pine Nuts

1/4 C pine nuts
4 T evoo, divided
1 large onion sliced
3 garlic cloves mined
1 can of red beets (the original recipe calls for fresh golden beets)\
12 ounces farfalle
1/4 C grated parm

Heat heavy skillet over medium heat and lightly toast pine nuts. Transfer to a small bowl. Add 2 T of evoo and onions to same skillet and cook over medium heat until tender and lightly browned. Add garlic and stir two minutes. Cook pasta according to package. Quarter beets and add to skillet. Drain pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Stir onion mixture into pasta add enough reserved water to moisten. Season with salt and fresh pepper. Stir parm and serve. Sprinkle pine nuts.

Orzo its snowing

Once again, we had a wonderful weekend! Yesterday we worked all day blowing out sprinkler systems. I like to say we but I guess this is all Dave. His business is really taking off. We got a glimpse into the second homeowners of Summit. The houses were pretty amazing. Then we came home just in time for the rain to start. Go figure. As soon as work is done and its play time the weather turns. It didn't stop us, we got on our bikes for a quick ride across the street came home showered and headed to the the Guinles for some amazing barbecued pulled pork. It was so darn good! We got to catch up with some friends and had a very nice night. Woke up this morning to snow on the peaks and headed down to Golden to better weather for some more biking. It was the perfect temperature down there and we had a great ride. I've got a nice purple bruise to show for it on my rear end. The drive home really sucked. We knew it would be snowing at the tunnel. As soon as we hit the west side of the tunnel we started sliding down the highway for about 100 yards. I was screaming and holding on to the "oh shit handle". Dave did a very good job of keeping us on the road just in time to see a huge pile up and a mangled SUV on the side of the road. Great. Winter is slowing tightening its grip on the Rocky Mountains. Anyway, we are all fine and made it home safe and sound. After a little recuperating we started our fabulous dinner. I was a nice way to end the weekend and snuggle in for a cold night.

This week I made our entire menu out of the Gourmet Cookbook. It never fails and is always tasty. As you can see by the picture, Dave really enjoyed the Orzo!

Baked Orzo with Shrimp, Tomato Sauce, and Feta
2 T evoo
1 medium onion finely chopped (I used the mini prep)
3 minced garlic gloves
1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 red pepper flakes
1/2 c dry white wine (used chicken stock)
1 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 t salt
1.5 large shrimp peeled and deveined
1 pound orzo
1/2 chopped Kalamata olives
1 C give or take of feta

Heat oven to 425. Lightly oil a 13/9 baking dish.
Heat 1 T oil in heavy skillet and add onion, garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes. Cook until onions are translucent. Add wine/broth boil and reduce by 1/2 about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and salt, reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened- 8 minutes. Stir in shrimp and cook until just cooked through.
Meanwhile cook orzo in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 C cooking water and then drain. Return orzo to pot and toss with 1 T evoo.
Stir sauce and reserved cooking water into orzo, then add olives. Spoon half of pasta into oiled baking dish and sprinkle with half of feta. top with remaining pasta and feta. Bake, uncovered for 15 minutes or until it bubbles. (Page 224)

Homemade Feticini & Pumkin Raviol

Some times I wonder what is going on in my head! My bike rides home are so invigorating that I arrive home energized and ready to tackle something too large for a weeknight dinner. This particular night I decided to pull out the pasta maker. You can just imagine what lay ahead! I got home around six and Dave must have been kayaking, surprise, surprise! Long story short we didn't eat until quarter to 10 and Dave was really not pleased with the mound of dishes in the sink. Our usual agreement is one cooks the other cleans! That night he got the bum end of the bargain. I really enjoyed myself and all in all that is what counts! I wish I had gotten a picture of my sous chef. George kept nibbling on the fettuccine that was hanging all over the kitchen to dry! It was really cute, he would just meander up to the counter and take a bite of the pasta drooping down to his big old head! What a mess it was! I ended up having to sweep and mop the floor. What started this hole adventure was the discovery of a ravioli maker at work. I had wanted to make pumpkin or squash ravioli and this was the perfect excuse. Well long story short the ravioli mold didn't let go of my ravioli so I had to make them by hand and threw out the entire mold with caked on ravioli. I was really disappointed with it but proceeded to pull it out of the trash can in the morning and have vowed to try it again. What can I say I'm a glutton for punishment! So here is the recipe I "followed":

24 oz can of pumpkin
4 T or there about of real VT maple syrup

2 T brown sugar
1/2 t Cinnamon

8oz. goat cheese

salt/ pepper

Note: after I added all these ingredients I went back and kept adding a little more of each. It was too bland and I believe you just have to keep tasting it until you get it the way you like it.

The sauce:

evoo

2 C Chicken broth

2 shallots

2 T corn starch

dried cranberries

walnuts

chopped spinach

salt/ pepper