Few and Far Between

I start to get on a roll, then my life gets hectic. Oh well. I figure a few posts are better than none at all. So while I sit in Pine Grove, PA tonite for a little business travel (yeah google & see why I am having a hopping night) I thought I would update.

They are both Annie's Eats-shocker I know. I just default to her blog b/c I know the recipe will turn out great. I made some adjustments & have documented those below.



Salmon Pesto Pasta
Ingredients:
For the pesto:
1/4 cup pine nuts
5 medium cloves garlic, with peels
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, rinsed thoroughly
2 tbsp. fresh parsley leaves (optional)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Pinch table salt
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

For the pasta:
12 oz. salmon
Slice portabella mushrooms (optional)
Salt and pepper
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 oz. pasta
5 oz. evaporated milk
1/2 cup pesto (above)
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions:
To make the pesto, toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, just until golden and fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Saute the garlic in the skillet. Tear the basil leaves off and place in the processor. Blend it all up while slowly drizzingly in the olive oil. Transfer to a bowl & stir in the cheese, add salt if necessary.

--> This could also be bypassed by purchasing the premade pesto at the store <--

If your salmon is not filleted do so now. In a skillet, swirl with olive oil & bring to medium heat. Add sliced portabella mushrooms & begin to saute. Season the salmon w/salt & pepper and add to the pan. It will start to flake apart as it cooks.

While the salmon is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Transfer the cooked pasta to a colander to drain. In the empty pasta pot, heat the evaporated milk over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce to about 1/4 cup. Return the cooked pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Add the salmon to the pasta mixture and stir over medium heat until hot. Remove from the heat and stir in the pesto. Top with grated Parmesan, if desired.


This was so awesome. Not only is it delicious, but I was able to make this on a weeknight in probably 30 mins flat.

More zucchini

I found this gem over at ClosetCooking. He has some of the best pictures. I am extremely jealous of his farmers market b/c they always seem to have the most unique items.

Italian Sausage & Zucchini Pasta



A few changes--> I didnt even look for garlic scape. I just used some garlic cloves. I also used turkey sausage & whole wheat rotini to make it a bit more healthy. I have become a big fan of using leftover pasta water to create a sauce. I used to think it would be so bland but its not! Try it out!

Pasta no sauce

Many of you fellow foodies watch Food Network and I know we all sit there and watch Giada make some delicious pasta dish by only using the water that the noodles were cooked in, but I have always been hesitant to do this. I mean, its just starchy water, how can that taste good? Well I still stand by that statement but I will say that adding some of the extra pasta water to this dish made it really good.

I marinated some chikcen in olive oil, lemon juice & pepper. I then grilled the chicken in a grill pan (only b/c there was a torrential downpour taking place outside) However, this worked in my favor b/c I had extra juices from the chicken to use in the sauce. I sauteed some mushrooms in a separate pan then dumped everything into a big pasta bowl to mix up. I added about 4-5 Tbsp of noodle water to the dish, then sprinkled it with parmesan cheese. I also had some toasted pine nuts to use, so I tossed those in as well.



This was really good (not colorful by any means) but nice & light which is something you dont normally find in a pasta dish.

Creamy Ranch Chicken Pasta

I'll make this a quick post. When I received my daily email from BHG and saw "Ranch" in the title I knew I had to make it for my husband. There are two things my husband loves, anything with ranch dressing (it has to be Hidden Valley though) and anything wrapped in bacon.

So when I actually read the recipe and saw it had ranch & bacon, oh I knew he would just love it. I changed out the whole milk in the recipe, that is too much fat. I just used 2% and it was fine. And we have pretty much banned white pasta in our house. We only eat whole wheat.

Creamy Ranch Chicken
bhg.com
Ingredients
6 slices bacon
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. ranch dry salad dressing mix
1-1/4 cups whole milk
3 cups dried medium noodles
1 Tbsp. finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Cut bacon into narrow strips. In a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels; discard all but 2 tablespoons drippings.

2. In the same skillet cook chicken in reserved drippings until tender and no longer pink, turning to brown evenly. Sprinkle flour and salad dressing mix over the chicken in the skillet; stir well. Stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Stir in bacon. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Serve chicken mixture with noodles; sprinkle with Parmesan. Makes: 4 servings

I decided to do a salad with this too. I am not always in the mood for a fresh garden salad, so I like to change it up a bit. Greens, an apple, candied walnuts & a homemade dijon balsamic vinaigrette.

Chicken,, Pancetta & Bechamel Sauce

Post cooking club, I had no desire to cook, nor was I even thinking about defrosting something to make for dinner the next evening. But I was refusing to eat out. So I was determined to make something at home.

We didn't use all the chicken in the chicken, fig & pancetta bites. So those small chunks had been marinating in the balsamic vinegar sauce over night. I figured I would saute those up & toss them in a pasta. But I didn't know what kind of sauce.

I was going to do an alfredo, but I didn't have parmesan cheese. I was trying to find some kind of white wine cream lemon sauce, but I couldn't find any in my cookbooks & I didn't want to turn on the computer. So I pulled out Giada & reviewed her bechamel sauce. Easy peasy.

Giada's Bechamel Sauce
1 stick unsalted butter (4 ounces)
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart whole milk, at room temperature
Pinch fresh nutmeg
Sea salt and white pepper

In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Always stirring, gradually add the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, salt & pepper.

So I changed some things here. I had some heavy cream leftover. For whatever reason whenever I need 1 cup of heavy cream, I buy the giant container. If I need two cups I buy the little container & then have to go back to the store. This consistently happens. Anyway, I used about 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream & then 1/2 cup of 2% milk. I omitted the nutmeg & added some oregano.

I boiled whatever noodles I had in the house, I think they were extra wide egg noodles. Then I tossed the chicken, sauce & pasta together. It was delicious.

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto & Chicken Pasta

As I have mentioned in the past, my husband & I used to be members of the Tuscan Club with Viansa Winery. We ended that membership when Baby Rush came along, but I still had a ton of food/pantry items that remain. As I work through my pantry, I am trying to use up some of those. I came across a Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto.

I found a few recipes to use it in. First up, a pasta dish I found on Cooking Light, although I wouldn't categorize this as light. The pesto was very oily. I linked the original recipe below, however, the typed up version is what I did.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Chicken Pasta Toss
Yield
6 servings (serving size: 2 cups)

Ingredients
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Pasta:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 packaged sliced mushrooms
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated fat-free milk
1/2 cup diced swiss cheese (you can use whatever you want)
4 cups whole wheat rotini pasta

Preparation


To prepare pasta, heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan. Add minced garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add balsamic vinegar and mushrooms; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in pesto and evaporated fat-free milk. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes. Add diced cheese; cook until cheese melts, stirring constantly. Return chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Combine chicken mixture and pasta, tossing well to coat.

Three Cheese Chicken Florentine

Chicken was on sale at the local grocery store so I stocked up. I mean when you can get boneless skinless chicken breasts for 60% off, its time to clear out the deep freeze and make room. This time around though, I searched through the chicken containers so I got packages of 4 breasts, instead of 3 ginormous breasts. I mean, when there are 2 people in the house, how is 4 chicken breasts gonna work out?

Anyway, I'll be making a lot of chicken dishes b/c I am now boycotting the grocery store. I go through this every once in awhile. This time, the grocery store not only got me on the chicken sale, but the baking sale. I could bake until the middle of 2009 and still not use all the chocolate chips/bark I purchased.

This dish was delicious! I know it says Cooking Light but I may have used some heavy whipping cream with my milk.

Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine
Cooking Light
Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
Cooking spray
3 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (16-ounce) carton 2% low-fat cottage cheese
4 cups hot cooked penne (about 8 ounces uncooked tube-shaped pasta)
2 cups shredded roasted skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup, undiluted
Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add spinach, oregano, and black pepper; sauté 3 minutes or just until spinach wilts.

Place cottage cheese in a food processor; process until very smooth. Combine spinach mixture, cottage cheese, pasta, chicken, 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, milk, and soup in a large bowl. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

My changes: I omitted the red pepper. The Hubs and I don't really care for it. I used whole wheat penne pasta, 1/4 cup of milk, 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream & regular cream of chicken soup. The texture was wonderfully creamy, it tasted a lot like an alfredo sauce. I am sure it would have tasted just as good had I followed the healthy recipe options. Also, this made a ton of food. I would say about 8-9 servings so plan for leftovers.

Gourment Mac N Cheese

Ok so I know I said we would be eating healthier and I swear to you we have. I have had some delicious string cheese over candy bars for a snack, I made Ragin Cajun Jambalaya the other night, with turkey sausage. But last night I caved. Well really last week I caved when I put this on the weekly menu. I didn't get around to making it last week, and last night I needed to make something for dinner that didn't require any defrosting.

I saw this Mac N Cheese recipe on Danielle's blog. My husband will eat anything that is wrapped in bacon, has some kind of bacon product in it, particularly he loves proscuitto. So the pancetta in this recipe caught my eye. I almost always opt for the proscuitto, but for this I stuck to the recipe & got the pancetta.

Mac and Cheese with Pancetta
From: Bon Appetit, September 2008
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, divided
4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped
1 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 1/2 cups (or more) whole milk (I used 2%)
2 1/2 cups coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 8- to 8.8-ounce container mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 cups panko
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 pound orecchiette or large elbow macaroni
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; saute until crisp, about 6 minutes. Add onion; saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add crushed red pepper and garlic; stir 1 minute. Stir in 3 tablespoons butter; allow to melt, then add flour and stir 1 minute. Gradually whisk in 3 1/2 cups milk; simmer until thick enough to coat spoon thickly, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in cheeses. Whisk in more milk by 1/4 cupfuls until sauce is thick but pourable. Season with salt and pepper. Do ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cool; cover and chill. Rewarm, stirring over medium heat.
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko and stir until very light golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley. Do ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Return pasta to pot. Add warm cheese sauce; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over. Bake mac and cheese until heated through and topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

I did sneak in some 2% milk & some 2% sharp cheddar cheese, so while the 8 Tbsp of butter probably did us in in the calorie category, I shaved some of the fat off right? I also omitted the red pepper flakes, we had enough spiciness for the day with the jambalaya.

Now a fair warning, I cook for 2 people and didn't really read the recipe before making it. Yes it does say a 13x9 pan and yes that pan is filled to the top. Needless to say, I have a TON of mac n cheese leftover. And you really can't eat a lot of it, b/c it is so rich & delicious. So if you are only cooking for like 4 people, I'd cut this recipe in half.

And b/c I felt guilty about just eating mac n cheese for dinner, I forced us to have a salad.

End of Summer Pasta

With the abundance of zucchini & squash, I am trying to find ways to use them up in recipes. My friend Julie sent this "end of summer pasta" recipe for me to try. It was delicious & healthy! The hubs has something against cold pasta salad, so we ate this heated up.

End of Summer Pasta

Ingredients:
1 cup olive oil
1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 pounds boned, skinned chicken breast halves, rinsed
1 pound zucchini
2 red bell peppers (12 oz. total)
2 portabella mushroom caps (7 oz. total)
1 red onion (12 oz.)
1 package (1 lb.) dried penne pasta
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and fresh-ground pepper
1/2 cup slivered fresh basil leaves

Preparation:
1. In a bowl, whisk together 2/3 cup olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, mustard, and garlic. Reserve 1/2 cup marinade for basting vegetables; pour remaining into a 1-gallon zip-lock plastic bag. Cut chicken lengthwise into 1-inch-wide strips and add to bag. Seal bag and turn to coat. Chill about 45 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, rinse zucchini, bell peppers, and mushroom caps. Slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Stem and seed bell peppers; quarter lengthwise. Peel onion and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Brush vegetables with reserved marinade.

3. Cooking in batches if necessary, lay vegetables and chicken (discard marinade) on a barbecue grill over a solid bed of hot coals or high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning once, until vegetables are slightly charred and chicken is no longer pink in center of thickest part (cut to test), 6 to 10 minutes total. Let cool a few minutes. Chop vegetables and chicken into 1-inch pieces.

4. Meanwhile, in a 6- to 8-quart pan over high heat, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Add pasta, stir, and cook, uncovered, until barely tender to bite, 9 to 13 minutes. Drain.

5. In a large bowl, mix pasta with remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, parmesan cheese, half the chopped vegetables and chicken, and salt and pepper to taste. Top with remaining vegetables and chicken. Garnish with sliced basil

A few things I changed: I only used one red pepper & one green pepper. I omitted the portabello mushrooms, but only b/c I forgot to buy some at the store. I used 1 lb of zucchini & 1 lb of squash.
This was my first success at grilling the veggies & not having them stick to the grill! Also, this makes a ton of food. So make it on Sunday or Monday & have it for lunch the remainder of the week.

Holy Batman!

This has nothing to do with the Dark Knight, Batman is just really popular so I thought I would title my post this way to get your attention because this is huge for me.

I made lasagna & it turned out right!!! Lasagna & I have this problem, I have yet to make one successfully, it usually turns into Lasagna Soup. Its one of things that I just can not do, like make rice. (A feat I will try to overcome tonight)

So I was little leery about making the Tomato Basil Lasagna with Proscuitto, but the recipe was intriguing. It didn't call for any ricotta cheese, minimal mozzarella and I think more importantly, I had other things to do last night so I didn't keep checking on the lasagna in the oven.

I served this with a Garlic Ceasar Salad & some cheesy breadsticks. It was really good, even the hubs liked it & he is not one to like a dish that isn't loaded with meat.

Tomato-Basil Lasagna w/ Proscuitto
Cooking Light
Ingredients
5 garlic cloves
1 (16-ounce) carton 1% low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup (4 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Romano cheese, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 large egg
1 (26-ounce) bottle fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce (such as Muir Glen)
Cooking spray
12 cooked lasagna noodles
1 cup (4 ounces) chopped prosciutto or ham
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese


Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.
Drop garlic through food chute with food processor on, and process until minced. Add cottage cheese; process 2 minutes or until smooth. Add cream cheese, 2 tablespoons Romano, basil, pepper, and egg; process until well-blended.

Spread 1/2 cup pasta sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over the pasta sauce; top with 1 cup cheese mixture, 1/3 cup prosciutto, and 3/4 cup pasta sauce. Repeat the layers two times, ending with noodles. Spread remaining pasta sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Romano and mozzarella.

Cover and bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until sauce is bubbly. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let lasagna stand 5 minutes.

I did not buy jarred tomato basil sauce. I used 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 1 cup of tomato sauce, fresh basil, oregano & Italian parsley from my garden. I put all of this in a saucepan & let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Then I transferred half of it into a blender & blended until smooth.

Presto Pasta!

Over at Once Upon A Feast , Ruth hosts a "Presto Pasta" blog event. I thought I would enter this one into the Presto Pasta Night. The hubs and I got home last night and went for a walk. I didn't want to make anything too heavy, I also honestly didn't feel like cooking.
So I had the following:
one very large grilled chicken breast
8 boxes of Ronzoni Whole Wheat Pasta (thanks Sam's Club!)
Canned tomatoes
mozz cheese
pecorino-Romano cheese.
Tomato sauce


So I cooked up the pasta, diced the chicken, mixed everything together & topped my casserole dish with some mozz & pecorino-romano cheese. I tossed it in the oven at 375 for about 40 mins.
Dinner was done (& delicious) PLUS we had leftovers for lunch today.

Healthy Stuffed Shells

This recipe was loosely based off the Garlic Chicken Stuffed Shells. I remember we really enjoyed them, but I was wanting them to be a bit more healthy. Plus cottage cheese was on sale and since I am being frugal with the evil Grocery Store, it was a no brainer.

Hum as I am reviewing my pictures I sure did get some good ones!!!


LowFat Stuffed Shells
1lb chicken, sliced thinly
about 12-15 pasta shells
1 cup cottage cheese (lo fat)
2% shredded mozzarella cheese (One package)
Italian Parsley (fresh or dried)
one egg or a little bit of egg beaters
Pasta sauce about 1 jar

1) Preheat the oven to 375F
2) Start by cooking the pasta shells in the boiling water. You want them to be al dente as they will cook in the oven.
3) Saute chicken & season with S&P. Once its cooked, cut into smaller pieces.
4) In a bowl, mix together cottage cheese, 1/2 of the mozz cheese, a little egg & chicken.
5) Drain pasta shells & run cold water over them.
6) In a pyrex baking dish, spread 1/2 the sauce on the bottom. Next fill the shells & place in the dish. Once all the shells have been filled, top off with the remaining pasta sauce. Then sprinkle with mozz cheese.
7) Cover with foil & cook for about 30 mins. I removed the foil, sprinkled it with some Parmesan cheese, increased the temp to 400F & cooked for an additional 10 mins to get the cheese browned & the the sauce bubbly. Then I sprinkled it with some Italian Parsley for looks.

This was very good! I could tell that it was cottage cheese rather then ricotta, but only by texture, not by taste. I wish they made whole-wheat shells, but this will do for now.

Gnocchi!

Well I have had this box of gnocchi in my pantry for awhile. I never could find something to make with it, although in reality, anything you make w/pasta could be made with gnocchi. The April Edition of Cooking Light had a section on gnocchi. I saw one recipe, for gnocchi w/Italian Sausage & Red Peppers and decided to put it on the menu.

Gnocchi is pronouced like "nyawk-ee" not "gu-no-chi". Do not be mistaken on this pronounciation, as I have been told, a true Italian would shiver in horror to hear it pronouced the other way. But hey, I am Irish so whatve!

Anyway, this was tasty and not too heavy. I edited some items to fit our tastes better.

Gnocchi with Sausage, Red Peppers & stuff
Ingredients
1 (16-ounce) package vacuum-packed gnocchi (such as Vigo)
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
6 ounces basil, pine nut, and chicken sausage (such as Gerhard's), casing removed and sliced --> hey it was a Saturday night, I am using real Italian Sausage
1 cup thinly sliced fennel --> um I dont think so, I did use some fennel seed though
1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 cup thinly sliced onion
--> Lets add some sliced mushrooms since I had some
1/2 cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Asiago cheese --> not enough Asiago? Add some parm cheese before mixing into the dish.
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley


Preparation
1. Cook the gnocchi according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain the gnocchi in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Keep gnocchi warm.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Remove sausage from skillet using a slotted spoon.
3. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan. Add fennel, bell pepper, and onion to pan; cook 13 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add sausage, gnocchi, cheese, black pepper, and reserved cooking liquid to pan; cook 1 minute or until cheese melts, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in parsley.

My first attempt with gnocchi went quite well. I wish I had thought to make a salad to go with this but I was being utterly lazy on Saturday and just wanted to sit down!

Orange Glazed Salmon & Garlic Onion Cous Cous

Well last week the Hubs and I sat down and went over our finances. We track everything and was in complete shock when I saw how much we spend at the grocery store per month for two people. I could feed a family of 4! Yes I completely understand that eating healthy is more expensive. But I just went to complain about it too!

Needless to say, I am trying to use everything we have in the house right now. I am tired of wasting things. I sometimes make too much for dinner, so I freeze it, only to forget its in the freezer. Or how about fresh produce that goes to waste? That really gets under my skin!

Last night was one of these clean out the pantry nights, that turned out pretty well. I marinated some salmon in OJ for about 45 minutes. Then I used my grill pan to grill it up. I topped it with about 2 Tbsp of cream cheese that had been mixed with dill. Since I topped the salmon with the cream cheese while it was still warm, the cream cheese turned into a nice sauce.

I checked out the pantry to see what else I could make. I had some plain couscous, so I got that out, realized I had some green onions in the produce bin that HAD to be used. I sauteed some chopped green onions & garlic in some olive oil. Cooked the couscous, then added the onions & garlic to the couscous. I added a little garlic salt to give it some more flavor.

Then I steamed some broccoli. (You know the BirdsEye frozen kind that steams in the bag in 5mins)

And there you have it, healthy dinner, without going to the store!

Thanks Dad!

My dad has discovered a new love of all that is cooking. If he was Internet savvy I would lead him to the blog-o-sphere that is all food related. He watched a lot of Food Network & has a special place in his heart for Paula Deen. But he is always concocting something at my parents house and its usually something that has to cook for hours upon end.

Last year some time, he made this spaghetti sauce but with pulled pork. It was so good! I mean, its not genius or anything, but I had never put those 2 things together. Usually when I have a pork tenderloin I roast it in the oven with some spices and call it good. So when I pulled out the tenderloin from the freezer & starting thinking of what to do with this, I went to spaghetti side.

I mentioned before I make my own marinara sauce. Its very easy to do and I have more control over the taste. Since I seasoned the pork with garlic, salt & pepper, I didn't add any to the sauce, but I did add some rosemary this time around & it added that pop of flavor that I really like.

Basically, you brown your pork tenderloin in a large pot/dutch oven. Pour the marinara sauce over the pork-it needs to be completely covered. Cook this on a simmer for at least one hour. You could easily do this in a crock pot, but I forgot about this method until 6pm. When the pork is completely cooked, pull it out of the sauce and shred it. Add it back to the sauce for about 30 more minutes. Serve over noodles. We used the Ronzoni Whole Wheat penne.

Hum, what a letdown

So I was super excited for the dinner I had planned for Friday night. Smoked Salmon Pasta-yum!! I love pasta, I miss pasta. But we pretty much only eat it one night a week. I found this recipe and had some smoked salmon at home. I thought this would be a delicious healthy, yet scrumptious dinner. Not so much. It was missing something. Hubs said it had too many peas, but then again he doesn't like peas. I didnt have any tomatoes, as the recipe said to add on diced tomato, but I dont think that would have helped. It lacked the "umph" I was going for. It was bad, I just expected it to be better.


Pappardelle with Smoked Salmon
Courtesy of Cooking Light
Ingredients
1/2 pound uncooked pappardelle (wide ribbon pasta) or fettuccine --> I had to get whole wheat and the only option was spaghetti1 teaspoon butter
2 cups chopped Oso or other sweet onion
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup chopped plum tomato --> omitted
1 (10-ounce) package frozen petite green peas, thawed
1 (4-ounce) smoked salmon fillet, skinned and cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Preparation
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Keep warm.
Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add broth and cheese; cook 4 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Add tomato, peas, and salmon; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in dill, salt, and pepper.

Combine pasta and salmon mixture in a large bowl; toss gently.

Like I said, not bad, but not what I was expecting.

oh Elly! Thank You!

I haven't been able to make an EllySaysOpa recipe in awhile. I have made many of Elly's recipes and not one has ever not been welcomed with a "this is really good! You have to make this again!" Dern diet & new year's resolutions make my list of Elly recipes I want to try grow longer & longer. But alas! She recently posted a Greco Linguini. Now, I planned our day so we had no carbs for breakfast or lunch so we could have some for dinner-just to try this recipe!

I wont post the recipe again, because I will force you to visit Elly's site, as she has a wonderful collection of unique dishes, but here are some of the things I changed. Greco Linguine!

It was really good!! I subbed whole wheat thin pasta & added some toasted pine nuts. I also didn't have any fresh tomatoes at home, so I just used a can of diced tomatoes that I seasoned with oregano. Definetly on the list to make again!

Cleaning Out The Fridge

In preparation for the "new years resolution" diet, I need to use up the food items in my house that we can not eat. I absolutely hate throwing away food. Something about my mom telling me kids in Africa are dying of hunger. Anyway, #1 on the list of things you can no longer eat, heavy cream. :( My friends would tell you that I am the only person they know who cooks with heavy cream. I don't do it often but there are times its called for. Like in Vodka Sauce. I don't know that I would ever make this with milk or half and half.
This recipe is from Williams-Sonoma. I added the shrimp at the last minute since it was already pre-cooked.

Penne Alla Vokda Sauce
5 large tomatoes ** I didn't have any fresh tomatoes, so I used a 14.5 oz can and drained it well
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup vodka
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 lb. penne
1/2 cup heavy cream
Leaves from 3 or 4 large fresh flat-leaf parsley
sprigs, coarsely chopped

Peel and seed the tomatoes, then cut them into small dice. If the tomatoes are very juicy, drain them for about 10 minutes in a colander. Set aside.

In a large fry pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté until just starting to turn golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the stovetop and add the vodka. Return the pan to medium heat and cook until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the boiling water, add the pasta and cook until al dente (tender but firm to the bite), 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well and add the pasta to the fry pan.

Add the cream and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the pasta is well coated with the sauce, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Pour into a warmed large, shallow bowl. Add the parsley and toss briefly. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Sunday Dinner

I like to make something on Sunday that takes a bit of TLC. Its nice to cook & relax on a Sunday night. The Hubs was wrapping presents so I had some time to myself in the kitchen. I had a recipe for porcini mushroom risotto & bone-in pork chops were on sale at the store, nice 1 1/4" thick ones. So we had Parmesan pork chops & mushroom risotto. Well the risotto recipe I got from Williams-Sonoma I didn't totally read, really I just read the ingredients, then as I was cooking was like, huh? pressure cooker?? So I pulled out the risotto recipe I made awhile back & used its directions.


Porcini Mushroom Risotto
Williams-Sonoma

2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
4 1/2 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed
1 cup water
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups Carnaroli rice
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus
more for serving
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the mushrooms, 1 cup of the stock and the water. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Let soak for 30 minutes to soften. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid and discarding any sediment that falls to the bottom of the pan. Chop the mushrooms and set aside.

**This is where I started to use the Giada Risotto recipe, but I used some of the mushroom stock & chicken broth. HOWEVER, what am I doing wrong?? My risotto rice is always hard-not a nice soft rice, but crunchy. Really pissed me off since I spent $8 on 10 oz of porcini mushrooms!**

Parmesan Pork Chops
Giada

2 large eggs
1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon wedges, for serving

Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to plates and serve with lemon wedges

** I marinated the pork chops in a lemon & buttermilk sauce for about an hour to keep them from drying out. After pan frying the chops, I placed them in the over at 350 until my thermometer read 160. They were still pink, so I hope we don't get tapeworm. **

Baked Penne

This is what happens when you have a little bit of this and a little bit of that leftover in the fridge.


Last week we had spaghetti for dinner and I had some of the sauce leftover. I had some ricotta cheese in the fridge, some other shredded cheese and 2 italian sausages. I had some homemade marinara in the freezer so I pulled that out too. And voila

Delicious! I boiled the italian sausages & sliced them into bite size pieces. I cooked the corkscrew pasta until al dente. Then I combined the leftover spaghetti sauce, the marinara sauce, the ricotta cheese & other cheeses and the pasta in a bowl. Mix well. Place in a baking dish & cook at 350-375 for about 30 mins or until bubbly. I sprinkled the bake with more cheese and let it get nice and brown.

We also had a hlaf a loaf of french baguette, so I spread some butter & garlic powder on it, wrapped it in foil & placed it in the oven with the pasta bake.
So easy, great use of leftovers & delicious!