Tagliatelle with Spinach, Mascarpone, & Parmesan

This week is the April Potluck at I Heart Cooking Clubs.  Even though the featured chef is Yotam Ottolenghi, for the potluck participants are able to choose a recipe from any of the eight previously featured chefs that the club has cooked.   Since Ottolenghi is the first chef that I've been cooking with for the club I wanted to branch out and try cooking something from one of the past chefs.  I decided to cook something from Jamie Oliver.  I saw this recipe and it looked so simple and easy, just the kind of recipe I needed this week!  This was so easy to make.  Taste-wise it was okay.  The kids ate it without complaint and my daughter even asked to take some for lunch the next day.  I felt it was kind of plain and needed something.  I have a bunch of Italian sausage in the freezer that I think when crumbled and browned would have gone really well in this dish.  Although I wasn't wowed by this dish, I was glad to have made something by Jamie Oliver and will be trying some of his other recipes out!

Tagliatelle with Spinach, Mascarpone, & Parmesan
recipe adapted from jamieoliver.com

Ingredients:
1 lb. fettuccini
olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
baby spinach, washed thoroughly
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup mascarpone cheese
2 handfuls Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Directions:
Boil a large pot of water,  add pasta, and cook according to package directions. Meanwhile heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, the butter, and garlic. When the butter melts, add the spinach and heat until wilted, approximately five minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste then add the heavy cream, mascarpone and a little ladle of cooking water from the pasta. Let this come to a simmer and then season again.

Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water, then stir it into the spinach sauce. Add the Parmesan and toss everything together.  

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Goat Cheese Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms

I made this pizza almost a month ago and haven't had a chance to post it until now.  Just thinking about it though is making my mouth water.  I rarely repeat recipes but this pizza features some of my favorite things....goat cheese, caramelized onions, and mushrooms! This was definitely a more time-consuming pizza to make, just in caramelizing the onions and sauteing the mushrooms.  But it is well worth it if you have the time!  My husband and I fnished this pizza off in one sitting, though I could probably have eaten the whole thing myself, or vice versa!  I always make the kids a plain cheese pizza to go with whatever specialty pizza I end up making.  My daughter eats none of the ingredients on this pizza and I snuck my son some goat cheese crumbles, since that's all he enjoys from this! 

Goat Cheese Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms
recipe adapted from Meatless Mediterranean

Ingredients:
1 Pizza dough 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced into 1/2 rings
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
3-4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat pizza stone in oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare the pizza crust to roughly form a 12-inch circle.

In a medium skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium to medium-low heat, and saute the onion for 2 or 3 minutes, until the onion begins to soften. Turn the heat down to low, season with salt and pepper, and cook for another 25-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to caramelize. Remove the onion from the skillet set aside.

In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and the garlic, along with salt and pepper to taste. Saute for 4-6 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked through and most of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Remove the mushroom mixture from the heat and set aside.

Spread the ricotta cheese in a thin layer over pizza crust. Next spread the caramelized onions evenly over the ricotta. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella and the grated Parmesan. Top with the mushrooms and then the goat cheese. Top it off with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella.

Bake for 12-18 minutes, until golden.

Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing

Mommy & Daddy Rating: 2 thumbs up!

This post is shared at:
Foodtastic Friday @ Not Your Ordinary Recipes
Tasty Thursdays @ The Mandatory Mooch

Spicy Eggplant and Tofu Stir Fry

My sister is a vegetarian.  She was up visiting  from Maryland with her family several weeks ago.  My husband and I had planned an asian inspired dinner including spicy rice and pork tacos.  I wanted to have something for my sister to eat, besides side dishes, and knew when I found this recipe that it was what I was going to make.  Ashlee at Veggie by Season, where I found this recipe, was inspired by P.F. Chang's Chicken and Eggplant when she created this dish.  I've only eaten at P.F. Chang's a couple of times and have never tried that dish, so I have nothing to compare it to.  However, this recipe was really easy to make and had great flavor!  Everyone (including the non-vegetarians) enjoyed this.  Since my husband and I love tofu, this is definitely a dish that I'd make again for us....the kids, not so much!

Spicy Eggplant and Tofu Stir Fry
recipe slightly adapted from Veggie By Season

Ingredients:
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 large eggplant, slightly peeled and diced in 1" chunks (about 2 lbs.)
Kosher salt
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. vegetable stock
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. sherry
1 tbsp. sriracha
1 tbsp. dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
4 scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 block of firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1-inch cubes

Directions:
Heat a pan over medium heat.  Add sesame oil and eggplant, season with salt and stir fry for 5 minutes, until caramelized and slightly softened.

In a small bowl whisk together the soy sauce, vegetable stock, sherry, sriracha, sugar, pepper, scallion, garlic and cornstarch. Pour over eggplant and turn heat to low.

Mix eggplant with sauce, bring to a low simmer. Gently stir in tofu, combining with eggplant and sauce.

Simmer mixture for another 5-8 minutes, until eggplant is tender.

If mixture gets too dry, add another splash of vegetable stock or soy sauce (in equal parts).

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

Might Have Missed Monday: Corn and Cheddar Waffles

Re-posting this recipe reminds me that I haven't made waffles in a very long time!  These were a winner with the kids!  They of course love corn, so that helps.  Breakfast for dinner is such an easy, quick, and sure-to-please everyone dinner in our house.  You can keep this a meat-free meal by serving with some fruit, or like I always do, cook up some bacon or sausage to serve with!

Corn and Cheddar Waffles
recipe from All You, August 2011

Cook Time: 7 Minutes
Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
1 large egg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 1 large ear) or 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup grated Cheddar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 200ºF and preheat waffle iron. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and sugar. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together milk, egg and butter. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in corn and cheese.

2. Mist waffle iron with cooking spray. Pour batter onto grates and spread to edges with a spatula. Cook until waffles are golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate, loosely cover with foil and keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining batter, misting grates with cooking spray before each new batch.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up.

This post is being shared at:
Tasty Tuesdays @ 33 Shades of Green
Totally Tasty Tuesdays @ Mandy's Recipe Box
Show Me What you Got Linky Party @ Our Delightful Home

Might Have Missed Monday: Onion Tart

This was a recipe that I made for my husband and I over a year ago, knowing that the kids wouldn't eat it.  It was really good and I wanted to share it with you in case you might have missed it.

Onion Tart
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, April 2011

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large sweet onions
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, salt, and pepper; cook 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Roll dough out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle feta cheese in center, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border; top with onion. Sprinkle with Swiss cheese. Fold piecrust border up and over onion mixture, pleating as you go, leaving a 6-inch-wide opening. Combine egg and 2 tablespoons water; brush over dough. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until golden. Cool for 10 minutes.

Mom & Dad rating: 2 thumbs up!

Meatless Monday: Crock-Pot Huevos Rancheros Casserole

I'm always looking for slow cooker recipes. This recipe was a double plus because it was "breakfast for dinner" which the kids love so much.  I don't think I had ever made or eaten Huevos Rancheros before this, so I wasn't exactly sure what it was supposed to look or taste like.  I took the original recipe found here and adapted it to what I had and what I thought the kids would eat (the original sounded a bit spicy).  This was super easy to put together.  I had it prepared mid-afternoon and by the time we came home from tae kwon do it was ready.  I served this with yellow rice and we all enjoyed it. 

Crock-Pot Huevos Rancheros Casserole
recipe adapted from Crock-Pot Ladies

Ingredients:
8 Large Eggs
1/4 Cup milk
1 cup salsa
1 – 14.5 Ounce Can Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained
1 Teaspoon Cilantro
1/2 Teaspoon Black Ground Pepper
8 flour Tortillas, Soft Taco Size
sour cream (optional for topping)
1 avocado, diced (optional for topping)
shredded cheddar cheese (optional for topping)

Directions:
Spray non-stick spray inside of your crock-pot.

Crack eggs into medium bowl, add milk and pepper and whisk.

In another bowl, mix beans, salsa, and cilantro.

Place two tortillas at bottom of crock.

Spoon about a third of the salsa/bean mixture on top.

Pour about a fourth of the egg mixutre on top of that.

Top with two more tortillas and repeat layering 3 times so egg is your top layer.

Cover and cook on low for approximately 8 hours.

Cut and serve with desired toppings.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

This recipe is shared at:
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling
On The Menu Monday @ StoneGable
The Bulletin Board @ Mrs. Happy Homemaker

Jack O'Lantern Couscous Stuffed Peppers with Basil Sauce

Happy Halloween!  Hopefully you have many more treats than tricks today!  I am sitting here in New York typing this post Sunday evening because I don't know if I will have any power as Hurricane Sandy, a.k.a. "Frankenstorm" approaches.  It's predicted to hit us sometime tomorrow morning and last until at least Tues. night.  Last year we had a snow storm this year a hurricane.  Luckily, we already went to a friend's Halloween party this past Sat. and tonight we had our "Halloween" themed supper club.  We brought the kids in costume and had Halloween food.  As I was searching for recipes, I found lots of cute food, like mummy hotdogs, which I plan to make for my kids for dinner Halloween night.  Unfortunately, I didn't see many recipes that involved a high caliber of cooking.  Then I came up with the idea of making jack-o-lanterns out of peppers and then went in search of a stuffed pepper recipe.  I finally found this couscous stuffed pepper recipe which was perfect because I wanted more of a side dish type stuffing versus a meat-filled pepper. This dish can be made vegetarian by replacing vegetable broth for the chicken broth and can totally be a main meal. I just knew that there were going to be other protein filled dishes tonight.  Of course I had to go with orange peppers!  I never make stuffed peppers because I don't really like cooked peppers all that much.  However, I found that orange peppers are much sweeter than green and I actually enjoyed them.  This recipe has an interesting Greek influenced filling.  Posted below are the ingredient amount changes that I made since I made 7 stuffed peppers.  Overall, I found this dish really tasty.  I really liked the basil sauce mixed with all of the other flavors.  The kids weren't big fans, mostly I think because of all of the "stuff" that's mixed in the stuffing.  Normally, they do eat couscous.  With the muffin meatloaves that The Weekend Chef made (recipe coming soon!) and the chicken and pasta that were the other mains, I was stuffed after eating! This wasn't complicated to make, it just takes an hour to cook, so not a good weeknight meal.  I will definitely try making stuffed peppers again and use the orange peppers.

Before cooking

After cooking

Coucous-Stuffed Peppers with Basil Sauce
recipe from foodnetwork.com, courtesy of Giada De Laurentis

Ingredients:

Filling:
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 cups dried couscous
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 packed cups chopped baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
7 medium orange bell peppers
Hot water, as needed

Sauce:
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) creme fraiche (I couldn't find so I used sour cream)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus extra, as needed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra, as needed

Directions:
Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Filling: In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and cumin to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pan until the couscous is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 to 6 minutes. Put the couscous in a large bowl and add the beans, cranberries, spinach, feta and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.

Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all the ribs and seeds. If necessary, cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up. Cut out jack-o-lantern faces, if desired!  Stuff the peppers with the filling and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Put the peppers in an rectangular baking dish. Fill the baking dish with 3/4-inch hot water and bake until the filling is golden and the peppers are cooked through, about 55 to 60 minutes.

Cooks Note: If the filling begins to brown too quickly, cover the pan with foil.)

Sauce: In a blender, combine the basil, creme fraiche, olive oil, water, garlic, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

Remove the peppers from the oven and arrange on serving plates. Spoon the sauce around the peppers and serve.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

This recipe was shared at:
Tasty Thursdays
Full Plate Thursdays
Creative Thursday

Meatless Monday: Pizza Margherita

I've decided that next year I think I'm going to stick to an herb garden out on the deck.  I just have trouble with my container gardening!  But the basil plant that my mother gave me thrived and I was able to use fresh basil throughout the summer.  Although we eat lots of pizza I've rarely eaten a Margherita pizza.  I don't know why.  I made this pizza which was super easy (so few ingredients!), quick, and delicious!  I made a plain pizza for the kids, as usual.  But I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this.  It's a great summer pizza when ripe tomatoes are in season and basil is thriving in herb gardens.

Pizza Margherita
recipe slightly adapted from Cooking Light, September 2008

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 store bought pizza dough
1 tomato, sliced thin
3 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
handful of fresh basil leaves

Directions:
1. Position an oven rack in the lowest setting. Place a pizza stone on the lowest oven rack.

2. Preheat oven to 450°.

3. Gently brush 1/2 teaspoon oil over pizza dough. Pat tomato slices with a paper towel. Arrange cheese over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with tomato slices. Slide dough onto preheated pizza stone, using a spatula as a guide.

4. Bake at 500° for 9 minutes or until crust is golden. Remove from pizza stone. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with basil.

Mommy & Daddy Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

California Pasta with Artichokes and Almond-Citrus Pesto

This past month our supper club theme was "California" cooking.  The host couple, which wasn't us usually makes the protein. In my search for a recipe to make I found all kinds of good "main dish" recipes....fish tacos, cioppino, grilled pizza.  Unfortunately, I had a hard time finding a side dish.  After many internet searches I finally narrowed it down to a California Cobb Salad and then I found this recipe.  It has California right in the name and used lots of ingredients from California.  I should have stuck with the salad!  I just wasn't a fan of this dish.  I think a large part was due to the fact that this pesto was made from parsley and I'm not a parsley fan.  As my husband commented, "Well, if you don't like parsley why did you pick this recipe?"  I told him that I like pesto and I thought that the parsley flavor wouldn't be so strong mixed with the other ingredients.  I was wrong though.  The parsley flavor was pretty strong.  Note to self, do not make any more dishes, especially pesto, that calls for this much parsley!  If you're a fan of parsley though this may be right up your alley!  My husband ate all the leftovers and the kids surprisingly ate some....so you never know!

California Pasta with Artichokes and Almond-Citrus Pesto
recipe from The Rachael Ray Show, April 30, 2008

This recipe is dedicated to Maria Shriver. I wrote it in honor of her visit to our show. It highlights many ingredients that California is the proud producer of: artichokes, citrus, almonds, olive oil, garlic and of course, fine wine.


Ingredients:
2 leeks
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 10 ounce box frozen quartered artichoke hearts, defrosted or 1 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
Salt and pepper
1 pound fettuccine
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lime zest
1 cup flat-leaf parsley tops
3 tablespoons (a small handful) slivered or blanched almonds, toasted
1 clove garlic, grated or finely chopped
1/3 cup (a rounded generous handful) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup dry white wine

Directions:
Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil for the pasta.


Trim off the root ends and top four inches of the leeks. Cut them in half lengthwise then into slices 1/4-inch thick. Wash them vigorously, separating the layers to free grit in either a colander under cold running water or in large bowl of cold water. Drain and pat dry.

Heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and artichokes, sauté 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper.

Salt the boiling pasta water and drop in fettuccine.

Place zest, parsley, almonds, garlic and cheese in food processor and season with salt and pepper. Turn processor on and stream in 1/4 cup EVOO until it combines into a thick pesto sauce.

Add wine to the leeks and artichokes, and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir in the pesto sauce and a ladleful of starchy cooking water. Drain pasta and add to skillet. Toss pasta with sauce to coat evenly. Serve with Orange and Arugula Salad with Marmalade Dressing alongside and pass more cheese at the table for topping.

Family Rating: So-so.

Meatless Monday: Baked Ziti and Summer Veggies

I can spend hours looking for, sorting, and organizing my recipes.  I have pages and pages of ripped out recipes from the various food and cooking magazines that I've subscribed to over the years.  I have most of them organized my dish (appetizer, dessert, main course, etc.) in labeled manila folders.  However, I recently took it one step further and organized the main dish recipes into spring/summer and fall/winter.  This is how I came upon this recipe that I tore out of Cooking Light from last July!  Summer veggies.....August.....perfect!  Unfortunately, my kids are not summer veggie eaters.  But after their mandatory try a bite, they were easily able to pick out the veggies from this dish.  My husband really enjoyed this, while I thought it was okay.  Meaning, I won't be making it again!  If you have a bounty of leftover veggies from the garden this is a good dish to use some of them in.  

Baked Ziti and Summer Veggies
recipe from Cooking Light, July 2011

Ingredients:
4 ounces uncooked ziti
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow squash
1 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups chopped tomato
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup (2 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

2. Preheat oven to 400°.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Add squash, zucchini, and onion; sauté 5 minutes. Add tomato and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pasta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper.

4. Combine ricotta, remaining salt, and egg. Stir into pasta mixture. Spoon into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until bubbly and browned.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Around the World: Vegetable Lo Mein (The Weekend Chef)

I have to admit this is a recipe that I've made before.  Many years ago, but nonetheless, I have made this.  My husband, "The Weekend Chef" wanted to make a noodle dish to go with the pork tenderloin he was making (see tomorrow's post).  I remember making this dish and it having a sweet and tasty sauce.  I didn't remember the recipe having a little heat, which my daughter didn't like! We adapted the recipe to use a can of baby corn and straw mushrooms that we found in our cabinets! Although probably not authentic Chinese, we enjoyed this tasty noodle dish.

Vegetable Lo Mein
recipe adapted from allrecipes.com by ANGCHICK

Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 can straw mushrooms
1 can baby corn
1 cup shredded carrots
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon curry powder

Directions:
1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2.Heat oil in a large wok or saute pan. Stir fry mushrooms, carrots, corn, onion and garlic until tender. Stir in green onions; cook one minute. Mix cornstarch and chicken broth in a small bowl and add to stir fry. Stir in hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, cayenne pepper and curry powder. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

3.Add cooked spaghetti, and toss. Serve immediately.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Pasta with Roasted Garlic, White Cheddar & Wine Sauce

To me this recipe shouted grown-up mac and cheese....roasted garlic, cheddar, and wine sauce.....yum!  The original recipe called for broccoli and chicken.  I adapted the recipe to make it vegetarian and use some different veggies.  As much as I love roasted garlic I'm not sure that I ever did it myself before this recipe.  Instead of turning on the oven in the summer heat to roast two heads of garlic I ended up using my toaster oven.  It took a little longer but it got the job done and didn't make my kitchen a steam box!  The kids enjoyed this and ate everything including the one bite of mushroom that  I made them eat.  Overall, I thought it was just okay.  You definitely tasted the garlic paste, which I think overpowered some of the other flavors. 

Pasta with Roasted Garlic, White Cheddar & Wine Sauce
recipe adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
8 oz. tube shaped pasta
1½ tbsp. butter
¼ cup roasted garlic paste*
1½ tbsp. flour
¼ cup dry white wine
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
2 ears of fresh corn, cooked and cut off cob
1 8 oz. pkg. sliced, fresh, mushrooms
Salt and pepper, to taste

*To make roasted garlic paste, peel the outer papery skins off two heads of garlic, leaving the heads still intact. Slice about a quarter off the top of each head so that all of the cloves are partly exposed. Wrap the heads in foil and bake at 350˚ F for one hour. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool enough to touch, squeeze the garlic cloves out of the peels and smash with a fork to make roasted garlic paste.

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the roasted garlic paste and cook just until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Whisk the flour into the mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to turn golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Stir the white wine and broth into the pan. Add mushrooms to sauce.  Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and stir until melted. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Mix in the corn and cook just until heated through. Mix in the cooked pasta until evenly coated with the sauce. Serve warm.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Meatless Monday: Creamy Avocado Pasta

I had a leftover avocado that I wanted to do something with.  I saw this recipe and thought that it looked tasty.  My husband and I love avocados.  I had never thought to mix avocado with pasta.  Honestly, after making this recipe, I don't think that I will again!  Unfortunately, I didn't have usable cilantro.  I knew I had some in the fridge, but when I went to use it I discovered that it had gone bad.  I don't think that cilantro would have made this recipe more palatable.  It was just kind of plain and tasteless.  The avocado was creamy and coated the pasta but added little flavor.  I made this on a Saturday as a quick lunch for my husband and I, knowing the kids wouldn't eat it.  They had pasta with butter and cheese.  Overall, my husband and I weren't too impressed.

Creamy Avocado Pasta
from two peas & their pod

Ingredients:
6 ounces pasta
1 large ripe Avocado, pitted and peel removed
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Bring water to a boil in a pot. Add pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook until Al Dente, about 8-10 minutes.

2. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce by placing the avocado, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper into a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and creamy.

3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and put into a large bowl. Add the sauce to the pasta and toss until pasta is well coated. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.

Family Rating: So-so.

Guacamole

When I went grocery shopping on Monday for the Black Bean Burgers (see Monday's post!) I needed an avocado  for the salsa.  The loose avocados were hard as a rock though.  I've learned from a past bad experience that hard, unripe avocados are not tasty.  The bag of four avocados though were nice and soft.  So, instead of one avocado I ended up with four.  My husband and I both love avocados, even though the kids don't.  So I was super excited to be able to make some guacamole.  There are tons of guacamole recipes out there on the internet.  I had never made homemade guacamole before this, but have eaten it many times when I've gone out to eat at Mexican restaurants.  I referred to foodnetwork to find a recipe and adapted it a little to fit my needs.  Overall, I thought the guacamole was okay.  I ended up using it as a dip for my quesadillas that I made that night, instead of eating it with tortilla chips, like I originally had planned.  It was nice having homemade guacamole, but next time I may try making this recipe as originally written!

Guacamole
recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com - courtesy of Alton Brown, Good Eats
original recipe here

Ingredients:
2 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:
In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

Mommy & Daddy Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Meatless Monday: Spinach and Potato Pizza

In the past I have joined a couple of different gyms.  Due to moving and/or rare use I ended up ending those memberships.  For the past couple of months I have been trying to get in shape on my own via exercise DVDs.  However, I'm really not disciplined enough and lacked motivation to really see any improvements.  This past week I ended up joining a local gym.  It's not one of the nation-wide chains and I feel like we're paying a fortune for me to go.   However, it's really close to the house, they have a pool, tennis courts, and tons of exercise classes.  They even have a women's only room with weight and exercise machines. Even with the cost, my husband has been very supportive of my decision.  I'm not going to diet on a program but I'm hoping to cook a little healthier for the family. 

Pizza is pretty much a weekly dinner menu staple in our house.  I love finding new pizza recipes.  When I saw this one in All You magazine I thought it sounded like a good vegeterian pizza.  My husband ended making this one for us.  It was quick and easy and really tasty!  I liked getting the extra veggies into my diet!  Of course we made a plain pizza for the kids. 

Spinach and Potato Pizza
recipe slightly adapted from All You , November 2011
Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 store bought pizza dough
8 ounces Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
8 ounces shredded Gruyère

Preparation:
1. Preheat pizza stone in oven to 475ºF.  Spread pizza dough out to desired shape/thickness.  Toss potatoes with 1 Tbsp. oil and scatter over dough. Sprinkle with salt. Scatter spinach over potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese.

2. Bake until underside of crust is golden and cheese is bubbling, about 12-15 minutes.

Mommy & Daddy rating:  1 1/2 thumbs up.

Shared with Makin' You Crave Monday

The Weekend Chef: Ramen Skillet

I used to love ramen noodles growing up.  In high school it was something quick and easy that I made, probably more often as an after-school snack than a meal.  Today, it is very rare that I eat the noodles.  I find the flavoring packets way too salty.  However, being budget conscious, ramen noodles are so cheap!  I knew that there were creative people out there that could find ways to use these noodles in a more healthy way.  I was so glad that I found this recipe.  My husband, the Weekend Chef made this one.  It was super quick and easy to make.  The original recipe used pork, but I had him substitute tofu to make it a vegetarian dish.  It was super tasty and the kids loved it!

Ramen Skillet
recipe slightly adapted from Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker

Ingredients:
1 pkg. firm tofu, drained
8 tsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2-3 green onions, chopped
6 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 14 ounce cans vegetable broth
4 3 ounce packages ramen noodles (discard seasoning)
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 10 ounce box frozen broccoli, thawed

Preparation:
Drain tofu, pat dry, cut into bite-size cubes and toss them with 2 tsp of the soy sauce.

Heat the vegetable oil and sesame oil in a skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add the tofu, and cook until it begins to brown. Flip over the cubes and let it cook on the other side, too.

Once browned on both sides put in a bowl, and keep it warm. Cook the onion in skillet until soft, add garlic, and heat through. Meanwhile,in a separate pan, heat the broth and add the ramen, broken into small chunks. Simmer until ramen is just tender, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp soy sauce and the oyster sauce, stirring to mix well. Add the broccoli and cook until done and sauce thickens a bit. Add in the tofu and the onion mixture, heat through and serve.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

The Weekend Chef/ Meatless Monday: Lentils and Rice with Fried Onions

 Our weekends have been pretty busy recently so my husband, The Weekend Chef, hasn't had that much of a chance to really get to cook.  A couple of Sundays ago we had been visiting our neighbors and had spent most of the afternoon outside.  By the time we got back home I was exhausted and ended up taking a nap on the couch while my kids watched a show.  I had my husband, who was responsible for cooking dinner make this.  This was one of those recipes that I had picked out awhile ago and had all the ingredients for. Although it takes a little time to cook, it was easy to make.  Although I'm trying to eat more lentils and other "good-for-me" foods, I wasn't a big fan of this dish.  The onions and yogurt really helped make it palatable for me.  The kids barely ate theirs.  But please don't let the opinion of someone who doesn't really like lentils sway you!  My husband who does like lentils enjoyed this. 

Lentils and Rice with Fried Onions
allrecipes.com - by Melissa Mueller

Yields:  4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion, sliced into rings
1 1/3 cups uncooked green lentils
3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup plain yogurt

Directions:
1.Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions, and cook about 10 minutes, until browned. Remove from heat, and set aside.

2.Place lentils in a medium saucepan with enough lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 15 minutes.

3.Stir rice and enough water to cover into the saucepan with the lentils. Season with salt and pepper. Cover saucepan, and continue to simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until rice and lentils are tender.

4.Mix half the onions into the lentil mixture. Top with yogurt or sour cream and remaining onions to serve.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

I first thought about making this recipe for the Eating the Alphabet Challenge but thought it was too easy/simple.  Plus, I've already made something similar before.  But I love grapefruit and avocado so I ended up making this to serve with the Pepperoni Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.  I thought it would be nice to have something nice and light.  Effort wise though this salad probably took more time to prepare than the sandwiches!  Segmenting a grapefruit is not something I do very often and am not very good at, as seen in the photo below!  My husband and I enjoyed the salad a lot.  The kids are not avocado fans though and wanted to only eat the grapefruit.  I ended up quartering the recipe knowing that the kids probably wouldn't be big fans.  I didn't want leftovers because I didn't think they'd hold up very well.  I'd definitely make this again though for a nice, light side.  Especially over the summer when it's hot and I don't want to turn the oven on, I think this would make a great side for something barbecued on the grill!

Grapefruit and Avocado Salad
allrecipes.com - by Sugar-N-Spice

Ingredients:
4 large red grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
4 avocados - peeled, pitted, and sliced
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Directions:
1.Arrange the grapefruit sections and avocado slices attractively in a shallow serving dish. In a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, olive oil, lime juice, and honey until well combined; drizzle the dressing over the grapefruit and avocado slices. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Pineapple Bread Pudding

For Easter we went to my parent's house and my mom made pineapple bread pudding as one of the sides.  It was so different and tasty!  We recently had our family over to celebrate my daughter's 6th birthday.  My husband cooked a turkey and I wanted to make the pineapple bread pudding as one of the sides.  Somehow I mixed up the website that my mom had found her recipe at (Cuisine At Home) and I found and made this version from Taste of Home.  This was a little different than the one that she made - hers used heavy cream, a stick of butter, and fresh pineapple.  Mine was a little "healthier" if you can call it that!  Regardless, it was delicious.  It's a nice "sweet" side dish with some savory elements.  Surprisingly, the kids weren't big fans of this, which I thought they would be because they love pineapple.  But, my daughter has an issue with warmed fruit.  I'm still giving it 2 thumbs up because all the adults enjoyed it!

Pineapple Bread Pudding
recipe slightly adapted from Taste of Home

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yield:  8-10 servings

Ingredients:
10 slices white bread
3/4 cup butter, melted
5 eggs
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
Place bread on a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 4 minutes; turn over and bake 4 minutes longer or until very light brown. Cut toasted bread into 1-in. cubes. Toss with melted butter; set aside.

In a bowl, beat eggs until thick and lemon-colored. Add the pineapple, sugar and vanilla; mix well. Fold in bread cubes.

Pour into a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. 

Family Rating:  2 thumbs up.

Greek Pizza

Pizza is usually a weekly meal at our house.  When I was growing up, Friday night was always pizza night, but it was from the local pizzeria.  I can't remember the last time that our family had pizzeria pizza! My daughter loves it though, so luckily, it's a staple at Kindergarten birthday parties.  When I saw this pizza recipe I had to try it.  I'm always on the lookout for new variations of pizza and this one had flavors that I knew we (meaning my husband and I!) would enjoy.  I ended up not needing a whole can of artichoke hearts or olives and had leftover cheese, tomato and onions.  Lucky me, my husband made me a Greek omelet with the leftovers the next morning!  Delish!

Greek Pizza
recipe adapted from For the Love of Cooking

Ingredients:
1 store-bought pizza dough
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 can tomato sauce
Mozzarella cheese
Feta cheese
1/2 14 oz. can quartered artichoke hearts
1/2 6 oz. can sliced olives
1 Red onion, sliced thinly
1 Roma tomato, sliced thinly
Penzys Pasta Sprinkle

Directions:
Preheat pizza stone in oven at 425 degrees.
 
In a small frying pan on medium heat melt butter and saute red onion slices until wilted.


Roll the dough into whatever shape and size of pizza you desire.  Evenly spread sauce, mozzarella, artichoke hearts, tomato slices, red onions, sliced olives, feta cheese and Penzys pasta sprinkle on top.

Place in the oven and bake for 10-14 minutes or until desired crispiness.


Mommy & Daddy Rating: 2 thumbs up!