Italian Stuffed Shells with Fennel and Radicchio

Friday morning my parents flew in from Columbus to visit Moe and I for the weekend.  Last time we had planned a big dinner at a restaurant but Moe's schedule held him up and we ended up not eating until nine (ten o'clock eastern).  To avoid a repeat scenario, we decided to make a homemade Italian meal in the apartment so that we'd have the flexibility to eat it if Matt was running late plus it was a nice quiet evening after a day of traveling for my parents.  This recipe had jumped out at me from the Food & Wine Magazine that my friend had gifted me.  I never have thought of using radicchio outside of salads but it added a very pleasant combination with the fennel and ricotta mixture.  Moe and my parents loved it.  Pretty sure everyone was a member of the clean plate club after this meal!

Italian Stuffed Shells with Fennel and Radicchio
Source:  Food & Wine Magazine, October 2012
Serves:  6

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons EV olive oil
2 pounds fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 medium head of radicchio, chopped
12 oz jumbo shells
2 cups ricotta cheese (part skim)
6 oz Fontina cheeses, shredded (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup chopped parsley (reserve a small amount for garnish)
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups Homemade Marinara Sauce or jarred sauce
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Melt butter and oil in skillet.  Add fennel and onions to the pan and saute until lightly browned, approximately 15 minutes.  If vegetables start to burn, add water as appropriate.  Add radicchio and cook until soft, approximately 10 minutes (again adding water as appropriate).  Move vegetables out of pan and into a separate bowl to cool.  

In a large pot, cook pasta according to packaging to al dente.  Once done, remove shells and pat dry. 

In a small mixing bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup fontina cheese, parsley, and radicchio and fennel mixture.  Once mixed, fold in eggs. 

In another bowl, mix marinara sauce  and heavy cream.  Pour 1 1/2 cups into the bottom of a 13 inch baking dish and spread around.  Stuff each shell with ricotta mixture and align shells in the bottom of the baking dish with opening faced up.  Pour 1 cup of sauce sauce over shells and sprinkle with remaining fontina cheese.  

Bake shells for 40 minutes until golden and bubbly.  Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. While shells are cooling, heat remaining pasta sauce.  Serve pasta shells with warm sauce on the side.  

- Miss J

Ratings:
Miss J, 10 out of 10
Moe, 10 out of 10  

Homemade Marinara Sauce

Homemade Marinara Sauce
Source:  Food & Wine Magazine, October 2012
Serves: 6

1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, halved
35 oz can whole peeled Italian tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 basil sprigs
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add garlic cloves and saute until golden for approximately 5 minutes.  Add tomato paste and cook an additional minute stirring continually to avoid burning.  Add tomatoes and crush with spoon (or dice before adding to pan).  Add pinch of sugar, salt and pepper, and basil and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce to low and simmer for approximately 30 minutes, stirring periodically.  Sauce should reduce down to 3 cups when done.  Remove basil and garlic from sauce and toss.  Sauce can be frozen for future uses or kept in the refrigerator for up to one week. 

- Miss J

Ratings:
Miss J, 9 out of 10
Moe, 9 out of 10

Glazed Chicken and Pad Thai Noodle Salad

Glazed Chicken and Pad Thai Noodle Salad

Serves:  4
Source: Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine, July 2012, page 62

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp low sodium soy sauce
2 boneless chicken breasts
6 oz pad Thai egg noodles
1 tablespoon organic peanut butter, chucky
¼ cup bottled Szechuan sauce (See recipe below if you don’t want to buy a bottle)
2 tsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
½ cup matchstick-cut green onions
 
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. 
Combine first four ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Add chicken to bowl and coat well.  Place chicken on grill rack with cooking spray.  Grill each side for 4 minutes or until done.  Remove from grill and cover until ready to serve. 
 

Cook noodles according to package directions.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Mix together Szechuan sauce, peanut butter, soy sauce, and lime juice with a whisk.  Add noodles, carrots, and green onions.  Toss and serve immediately with chicken. 

Homemade Szechuan Sauce

Serves:  4
Source:  FoodNetwork.com

2 tablespoons dry sherry

1 ½ tablespoon minced, peeled ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp dry crushed red pepper
½ cup canned low sodium chicken broth
2 tsp cornstarch
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Asian chili-garlic sauce
1 tsp sugar
 
Mix ginger, garlic, red pepper, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and sugar in a pan and warm to near boiling. 
Combine broth and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir until cornstarch has dissolved.
Stir the cornstarch mixture into the first mixture and continue stirring until thickened. 

- Miss J

Pasta with Roasted Garlic, Mushrooms, and Pine Nuts

I love this recipe!  It is easy and delicious so the best of both worlds.  The other night Moe was working overnight shift so I packed this up and took it to the hospital to eat with him the cafeteria.  It transported well and was super easy to make. I must say the picture didn't turn out well since we were in the cafeteria of a hospital but don't judge a book by it's cover. I encourage you all to give it a try!

Pasta with Roasted Garlic, Mushrooms, and Pine Nuts

Serves: 2

Source:  Adapted from Cooking for Two 2011, pg 87-88

1 head garlic

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

Small container of crimini mushrooms (approximately 10) OR 4 portabella mushroom caps, cut into ¾ inch cubes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Parmesan cheese, freshly shredded
Parsley, fresh, chopped
Salt and pepper
½ cup reserved pasta water, set aside
2 tablespoons pine nuts,
1 tablespoon butter
6 oz pasta (any kind – I used angel hair, original recipe calls for campanelle which is the Italian bell shaped pasta)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Rinse garlic head and remove the outer papery skin.  Cut the top quarter off the head of the garlic and throw away.  On a sheet of foil, place garlic head, cut side up, in the center of the foil and drizzle with a bit of olive oil (approximately ½ tsp).  Seal packet and place in lower rack of the oven.  Roast for approximately 20 minutes.  As soon as garlic is done, open foil and set aside to cool.

While garlic is roasting, cut mushrooms.  Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper.  Spread evenly on a baking sheet. 

 Top with slivers of butter.  Roast mushrooms for 10 minutes or until browned and tender.  Be sure to stir mushrooms on sheet so it doesn’t burn. Remove and set aside.

While mushrooms and garlic are in the oven, dice parsley.  In a small mixing bowl, add lemon juice and set aside. Remove garlic and mushrooms from the oven when done cooking. 

In a small skillet, heat 1 tsp of butter and add pine nuts. Sauté until golden then remove.  Set aside to cool.

Once garlic is cooled, squeeze roasted garlic cloves from the skin and into the small bowl with the lemon juice.  Mash into a paste.  Add 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil to the mixing bowl and whisk together. 

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.  Add pasta and cook according to package directions.  Remove ½ cup of pasta water and set aside.  Drain pasta and return to pot.  Add garlic sauce, mushrooms, parsley, and pine nuts together.  Add pasta water to get desired consistency.  Top with parmesan and serve immediately. 

- Miss J

Ratings:

Miss J, 9 out of 10

Moe, 9 out of 10

Tuscan Grilled Vegetables with Orzo

Moe and I have been traveling like crazy so cooking hasn't been much of an option.  However, now that we are back stateside, I am excited to hit the kitchen again.  While we were in New York, my sister-in-law, Hannah, introduced me to Penzeys spices.  It is an online spice store which has the most amazing chip/veggie dip ever.  I recently ordered some and my spices came with a wonderful magazine. Although it featured recipes using Penzeys spices only, I was able to modify some of them to get some fabulous results.  In the spirit of eating healthy, this was a wonderful spring orzo that can be serve both warm or cold.

Tuscan Grilled Vegetables with Orzo
Source:  Modified from Penzeys Magazine, Summer 2012
Serves:  4 servings

1/2 cup orzo, cooked al dente
1 red bell pepper,  sliced into one inch cubes
1 small zucchini, sliced into one inch cubes
1 shallot, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
8 grape tomatoes, halved
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoon butter
1 tsp Italian seasoning herb mix (any variety - I used a feisty Tuscan seasoning mix I bought at the farmers market) or 1 tsp Penzeys Tuscan Sunset
1/4 cup almond slices or pine nuts
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Toss zucchini and bell pepper in 1 tsp of olive oil, salt and pepper, and 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning.  Vegetables can either be cooked and charred on the grill or in the oven. If you cook them in the oven then cook the bell peppers for 4 minutes at 400 degrees then add zucchini. Cook another 4 minutes then switch the oven to low broil for another three minutes.  Remove and allow vegetables to cool. 

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter.  Add nuts and allow to brown for 5 minutes stirring frequently.  Remove nuts and set aside.

Add one tablespoon butter and 1 tsp olive oil and heat in saucepan.  Add garlic and onion and saute until translucent.  Add remaining Italian seasoning and mix well.  Add orzo, grilled vegetables, and grape tomatoes.  Mix and serve with fresh Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.  Orzo can also be chilled and served the next day. 

Rating:
Miss J, 9 out of 10
Moe, 10 out of 10

- Miss J

Herb-Rubbed Grilled Chicken with Creamy Orzo

This past week, Moe had a multiple days off from work so I took a vacation day to spend time with him.  In theory this was great, except I had  to sign on an work for a few hours. We were sitting at the kitchen table  and our good friends sent me a text.  However, since I was working, I tried to "hand" the phone to Matt to respond.  However, my soft hand off didn't turn out so well.  My new iPhone 4S projected through the air, over the counter, and landed straight in the middle of our dog water bowl.  I immediately jump up, screaming in hysterics as Moe just stood there in disbelief of what happened. I dig it out of the water bowl; however, not before it was submerged for approximately 5-6 seconds in three inches of water.  The phone was still on so I frantically try to get the cover off and power it down.  No such luck.  The thing kept turning back on as I am shaking water out of the speakers, headphone jack, and screen.  After several hours of the iPhone not turning off, overheating, and giving me speaker errors, I accepted that this is a lost cause.  Since it was a lost cause in my mind, I decided to try some of the home remedies I had read about on the Internet.  I had been told putting your phone in rice was a bad idea as the grains get stuck in the phone and expand when it hits water.  However, I figured why not give it a whirl.  I fill up a zip lock bag with rice, and place the phone in it for 24 hours.  To my luck, it worked!!!!!   I am going on a week of a fully functioning iPhone!  

This recipe makes me laugh because I realized a day after I saved my iPhone using rice that I actually didn't use rice at all.  I used orzo! Moe and I decided that if we weren't big fans of orzo before, it is now our favorite food.  Not only is it great for cooking, but it saved the day for the iPhone!

Herb-Rubbed Grilled Chicken with Creamy Orzo
Source:  No Peanuts. No Cilantro.
Serves:  4 servings

8 oz orzo

2 chicken breasts

2 tsp Herbes de Provence

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices

2 cups broccoli florets

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Cook orzo according to packaging.  You want them to be al dente so remove from water when still a bit firm. When you drain pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and set aside.

Butterfly chicken breasts so that there are 4 pieces in total. Pat dry and season with salt and pepper and Herbes de Provence.  In a large skillet or pot, heat olive oil over medium - high heat.  Add chicken and cook approximately 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. 

Reduce heat to medium (or even medium - low) and add diced shallots.  Saute for 2-3 minutes then add garlic to the pan and saute for another minute.  Add the can of diced tomatoes and broccoli to the pan.  Scrap the  bottom of the pan to loosen brown bits and prevent burning.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium - low if you haven't already.  Cook until broccoli are slightly tender but still crisp on the edges, approximately 10 minutes.  Stir in orzo, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese. Mix until cheese has melted. If mixture is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to thin it down. Season with salt and pepper (I just used pepper) and serve immediately. 

Ratings:

Miss J, 8 out of 10

Moe, 7.5 out of 10 (Moe's complaint was too much pepper so easy fix for next time!)

- Miss J

Creamy Mushroom Rigatoni with Beef

For you pasta lovers that are looking for a healthier option this is a great option.  Moe loved it and couldn't believe that I didn't use any butter in the sauce.  It thickens into a wonderful cream sauce that is full of flavor from the crimini mushrooms with a small bite from the cayenne pepper.  The edamame is a nice addition as it adds a crunch to the dish to offset the mushrooms and pasta.  This dish was quick and easy and that is perfect for a mid week meal. 

Creamy Mushroom Rigatoni with Beef
Source:  Miss J Original
Serves:  4 servings

3/4 lb Rigatoni
1/2 lb beef sirloin
8 crimini mushrooms (or baby portabella)
1 handful of spinach, uncooked
1 roasted red pepper, cut in long strips
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups fat free milk
1 cup edamame, cooked (shells removed)
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup white wine, dry
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
olive oil

Cook rigatoni according to packaging (al dente).  Once done, remove and rinse with cold water and set aside.  Chop onions and garlic and slice mushrooms. 

Remove edamame from shells (unless you bought it frozen with the shells already removed).

Add olive oil to a three inch deep large saucepan.  Cook onions until translucent.  While onions are cooking, slice sirloin into thins slices about 2 inches long and a 1/4 inch thick. Add garlic to the pan stirring frequently to avoid burning.  Cook garlic for one minute and then push garlic and onions to the perimeter of the pan.  Add steak to the middle of pan and sear on both sides until cooked (medium doneness).  This should take approximately 4-5 minutes (2 minutes on each side).  Remove from pan.  In the remaining juices from the steak, add mushrooms and wine.  Cook until wine has been reduced and mushrooms are softened.  While mushrooms cook, whisk together milk, cayenne pepper, and flour in a separate bowl until mixed well. 

Add milk mixture to the mushrooms.  Reduce heat to low and allow mixture to thicken.  Once thickened ad roasted red peppers, edamame, and spinach to the pan.  Stir while new ingredients heat up.  Toss in steak and cooked pasta and mix well.

  Once pasta is thoroughly heated, remove and serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Ratings:
Miss J, 8.5 out of 10
Moe, 9 out of 10

- Miss J

Shrimp Linguine in a Spicy Cream Sauce

This is a modification from a traditional shrimp diablo.  It has a healthy kick to it which is enhanced by the use of Thai spicy pasta that I had bought at the farmers market a month or so ago.  Moe has turned out to be a very tough critic which I find funny because before we met he was living off mac and cheese and canned ravioli.  The first ten was a chicken Parmesan recipe that I made for him the night before his boards.  The second is this recipe.  Enjoy!

Shrimp Linguine in a Spicy Cream Sauce
Source:  Miss J Original
Serves:  4 servings

1 lb of linguine (spicy Thai if available)
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, minced
20 jump shrimp - thawed, deveined, and tails removed
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper (more if you want it extra spicy like we do)
1/2 can of diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons of butter

Cook pasta al dente according to directions.  Strain and run cold water over pasta to prevent further cooking.  Set aside.  Prepare and brine shrimp (see directions below).

Chop shallots finely. 

In a skillet, heat up butter over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic to the pan and saute until onions are translucent.  Be careful not to burn garlic as it is easily done.  Add shrimp and cook until each side is lightly browned and shrimp is pink. Remove shrimp from the pan and set aside.  In the remaining pan juice, add whipping cream, tomatoes, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir while mixture thickens.  If necessary, add thickening agent (water mixed with flour).  Once sauce has reached desired thickness, add linguine and shrimp and lightly toss.  Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan on top. 

Notes:  I was limited on vegetables in my fridge, but I would consider adding sweet peppers and or/corn to this recipe next time.

Directions for brining shrimp: Dissolve 3 tablespoons of salt in about 1 gallon of cold water. Soak for 20-30 minutes if peeled shrimp and 40-50 minutes for unpeeled shrimp. Remove shrimp and rinse with cold water. Pack with ice until ready to use

Ratings:
Miss J, 10 out of 10
Moe, 10 out of 10

- Miss J

Lassagna Rolls

Over Thanksgiving week, Moe and I went home to spend time with friends and family.  On Tuesday night, we decided to cook dinner for everyone on my side of the family since they would all be rushing home from a long day of work.  I thought for days about the menu and finally decided to keep it very simple.... lasagna, garlic bread, and salad.  My sister-in-law had introduced me to the idea of lasagna rolls last year; however, I was yet to take on the task of preparing them for myself.  After experiencing the benefit, I have to share it with you all!  I never liked cooking lasagna because it was so messy and hard to serve.  However, rolling the noodles with filling instead of layering them makes a world of difference.  With a simple scoop, you can serve everyone hassle free!  Plus it helps control portions so your guests generally don't overeat and are left with the terrible "full" feeling which runs a perfect meal!  If you haven't tried these, I STRONGLY recommend giving it a try!

Lasagna Rolls
Source:  Adapted from my sister-in-law, Lisa
Serves:  12 rolls

1 box of uncooked lasagna noodles
1 lb of sausage (sage flavored)
4 cups of spinach
15 oz of ricotta cheese
1 cup of parmesean cheese, plus extra for topping (1/4 cup)
3 cups of sliced button mushrooms (approximately 10 large mushrooms sliced thinly)
1 small zuchinni
1 small squash
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp parsley
1 egg
1/2 cup of shredded mozerella cheese
3 garlic cloves, diced finely
1 container of Classico Marinara Sauce
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice squash and zuchinni long ways into slices.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Arrange squash and zuchinni slices on the sheet. Bake for approximately 15 minutes until vegetables are tender and slightly browned.  Set aside and allow to cool. 

Change oven temperature to 375 degrees. Heat a skillet, and add two tablespoons of water to the hot skillet.  Add the spinach and heat until wilted. Set aside.

In the same skillet, add sliced mushrooms and cook until tender.  Set aside.  

In a skillet, saute pork until cooked. Set aside in a dish.


Cook lassagna according to packaged directions (al dente).  Remove each lassagna noodle and lay flat on a plate lined with foil.  This will prevent them from sticking together until you are ready to roll them. 

Chop garlic finely.  In a bowl mix together parmesean, ricotta, parlsey, oregano, and garlic.  In the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish, add 1/4th a jar of Cassico sauce to the bottom of the pan.  On a flat surface, begin assembling of the lassagna rolls. For the vegetable rolls, spread ricotta mixture and layer spinach, mushrooms, and zuchinni / squash on the lassagna noodle. Top with a small dap of marinara sauce.  Roll and place in the bottom of the lassagna pan with the seam facing the bottom of the pan. 

Follow the same method for the sausage rolls except only layer ricotta mixture, spinach, and sausage. Once the pan is filled with rolls top with remaining marinara sauce and parmesean cheese.

Top the veggie lasagna rolls with the extra mushrooms and the meat ones with the remaining sausage.  Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Serve immediately. 

Ratings:

Miss J, 10 out of 10

Moe, 10 out of 10

Pasta with a Balsamic Brown Butter

This meal was inspired by a dish that I used to order at my favorite restaurant in Oxford Ohio, Kona.  My friend was describing a dish she made the other night, Ravioli in a brown butter sauce, and I instantly began to crave my college favorite.  I absolutely love this dish, and the best part is that it only took about 30 minutes to prepare!

Pasta with a Balsamic Brown Butter
Serves: 4 servings
Source:  Miss J

1/2 lb of pasta (any type works - I used spicy Thai linguine to add a kick to the dish)
4 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
2 red bell pepper (orange will work as well)
1/2 cup of roasted corn
1/8 cup of pine nuts or 1/3 cup of walnuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup of arugula
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Toss red pepper whole with a bit of olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and put on top sheet of preheated oven.  Roast pepper for about 20-25 minutes turning ever 10 minutes until done. When bell pepper is halfway done, add corn to baking sheet.  Once bell pepper is blacked and corn is browned, remove from oven. Set corn aside and place bell pepper in a plastic bag.  Once the pepper cools, remove the blackened skin and slice into long slivers.

Cook pasta according to packaged directions. While pasta is cooking, heat butter on medium heat in a skillet until butter is melted.  Once melted brown the butter for approximately 3 minutes stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Mix in balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper and set aside.  In the same skillet, toast pine nuts until golden brown.

Once pasta is done, mix pasta, corn, bell peppers, and pine nuts together and toss with balsamic brown butter sauce.  Serve over a bed of spicy arugula. 

Ratings:
Miss J, 10 out 10
Moe, 9 out of 10
- Miss J

Baked Mac and Cheese with Button Mushrooms and Truffle Oil

For those of you who don't know Moe very well, he loves Mac and Cheese.  I'm pretty sure that if he had to come up with a list of five reasons why he wanted to have kids, excuse to eat Mac and Cheese with hot dogs would be on the top of his list.  If I send him to the store for milk, there is a 100% guarantee that he will return home with a box (if not numerous boxes) of Sponge Bob Mac and Cheese. Yes, the Sponge Bob part is the kicker in the whole thing.  Now, I see two problems with this.  One,  why is a grown man getting so excited about cartoon shaped noddles? And two, there is ZERO nutritional value in this meal which I have a problem with!

However, since I am SUCH A NICE WIFE, I am willing to meet in the middle on this one.  I have been in search of a good homemade mac and cheese recipe and finally found one that is worth blogging about! I'm sure Moe will get home tonight and say that Sponge Bob wins in comparison, but at least I can say I tried!

Baked Mac and Cheese with Button Mushrooms and Truffle Oil
Source:  Modified from Cooking Light, November 2011

2 cups of uncooked penne pasta (any tube shaped pasta will work)
10 small button mushrooms, rinsed, and sliced
1 tsp of butter
6 oz of low fat cottage cheese (1% or 2%)
1/2 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided into two portions
2 tablespoons of panko
1 tablespoon of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste
truffle oil (minimal amount - less than 1/4 tsp) - a little goes a long way

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cook pasta according to packaged directions. Drain and set aside until ready to use. 

While pasta is cooking, put cottage cheese in a food processor and process until smooth.  Combine cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, and 1/8 tsp of Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.  Rinse mushrooms and remove the stem.

Slice mushrooms and saute in a pan with butter until softened for approximately 4 minutes.  Add mushrooms to cheese mixture. Add cheese mixture to pasta and stir together.  Spoon mixture into a ceramic or glass baking dish coated in cooking spray. 

Combine remaining Parmesan, panko, and parsley in a small bowl.  Sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.  Preheat the broiler (leave dish in the oven while broiler preheats).  Broil pasta for 1 minutes until top is golden brown.   Drizzle with truffle oil and serve immediately.

Served with a arugula salad with cherry tomatoes and a balsamic vinaigrette.

Ratings
Miss J, 9 out of 10
Moe, 9.5 out of 10

Notes:  This can be made the night before and heated up in the oven (add 10-15 minutes to the cook time).  Add a little bit of milk or cream to the top of the pasta dish before it goes in the oven to avoid the pasta from drying out. 

- Miss J

Quick Pastitsio

I will be completely honest, I have never heard of the term "pastitsio". I googled it and it is a Greek and Mediterranean dish that is baked pasta that has ground beef and bechamel sauce. Since this is the first time I've come across this term, I felt obligated to make it. The Emmys are on tonight which I super excited about for two reasons. First, Jane Lynch is the host and I LOVE her. Second, we can actually watch this on our TV in our apartment since it is on one of the four stations we get from our bunny ears!!! We invited another couple over for dinner so I thought this would be a great dish to serve as I can assemble it ahead of time. I also am going to serve a spinach, orzo, and chickpea soup that I have been simmering in the crock pot all day.

Quick Pastitsio
Source: Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine, October 2011
Serves 6


8 oz uncooked Rigatoni pasta
1/4 lb ground turkey (supposed to use beef but I had left over turkey in the fridge)
6 sun dried- tomato trader Joe meatballs (thawed)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 chopped onion
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 cups of skim milk
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 cup (6 oz) of cream cheese, softened and cubed
3/4 cup shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
salt and pepper


Preheat broiler.  Cook pasta according to package.  You want the pasta to be al dente so once done cooking run under cold water to stop the pasta from continuing to cook.  Heat olive oil and the skillet over medium heat.  Add ground chicken or turkey to the pan and saute for 5 minutes or until browned.  Remove from pan.  Add onions to pan and saute for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add garlic and saute for 1 minute stirring constantly so the garlic does not burn.  Add beef back into skillet and season with salt and pepper. 

Add flour and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly.  Stir in milk, tomatoes, and cream cheese.  Mix until smooth.  Bring to a simmer.  Cook 2 minutes or until heated thoroughly. 

Stir in pasta. 

Spoon pasta mixture into a 13 x 9 inch broiler safe baking dish, coated in cooking spray.  Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over the top.  Broil for 4 minutes or until golden.  While pasta is in the oven, chop parsley.  A quick tip is to remove the leaves from the stem and then use scissors to chop the parsley.  

Sprinkle with parsley before serving.


Notes:  I made this earlier in the day.  Instead of broiling.  I heated the pasta dish up for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. I then put it under the broiler for 4 minutes before serving. 

Ratings
Moe, 9.1 out of 10
Miss J, 8 out of 10

- Miss J

Peppercorn Lasagna with Chicken, Spinach, and Mushrooms

This past weekend I went to the Soulard Farmers Market.  It was amazing!  It had endless rows of stands with anything from fruits & vegetables to fresh pasta to live geese.  The prices were also very affordable and significantly less expensive than the Tower Grove Farmers Market.  However, I later found out that unless that stand is labeled "organic", it is the leftover vegetables from the local grocery stores that didn't sell that week.  Although this seems terrible, there were wonderful organic stands spread through the market.  My favorite find was a pasta stand that sold a wide assortment of unique flavors... anything from chocolate to lemon garlic to spicy Thai.  The best part was you get a recipe with each 1/2 lb or 1 lb of dried pasta you buy. As part of this blog, I am going to try out a couple different kinds of pasta a month (and yes, this includes the chocolate one that I was a bit scared of)!  The first recipe will be cooking with the Peppercorn Trio Lasagna pasta. 

 

Peppercorn Lasagna with Chicken, Spinach, and Mushrooms
Source:  Pappardelle's, The Fine Art of Pasta , http://www.pappardellesonline.com
Serves: 8 (unless you are feeding Moe then you are only going to get six out of this dish)

1 bag of Pappardella's Peppercorn Tri Lasagna Noodles
1 10 oz block of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 tablespoon of butter
2 small chicken breasts (approximately 1/2 lb total), diced into small cubes
8 oz portabella mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup of onion, finely chopped1 8 oz container of low fat sour cream
1/4 block of sour cream1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (split into 1/ and 3/4 increments)
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add lasagna noodles and cook for 6 minutes.  Drain spinach with a strainer and press out excess water.  Chop the mushrooms and onions.

In a large skillet, heat up butter.  Add chicken and saute for three minutes*.  Add mushrooms and onions to skillet.  Saute for 8 minutes.  Turn off heat and stir in mushroom soup, cream cheese, spinach, salt and pepper.  Once mixed, toss in 3/4 a cup of cheddar cheese. 

Spray lasagna pan with olive oil spray or pam.  Spoon 1/4 of chicken mixture in the bottom of the dish and spread evenly.  Arrange a layer of noodles on top of mixture.  Repeat this process for two more layers.  Add remaining 1/4 of chicken mixture to the top.  Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese on the top.  Cover with foil and cook for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top of lasagna.  Bake uncovered for 15 minutes more or until heated through. 

Ratings:
Moe, 8 out of 10 (Moe is a traditional lasagna guy.  He loved this dish but refuses to give it higher than an 8
because it was a "white" lasagna and not a "red" lasagna.
Miss J, 10 out of 10 (I loved it!)

*Note: I am always pressed for time on a work night so I decided to prepare this meal a couple nights before.  I baked the chicken at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  I then allowed it to cool and diced it into small cubes.  I also drained the spinach and mixed it in with the soup, cream cheese, and sour cream.  That way all I had to do was add that mixture to the mushrooms and onion and toss in the chicken and I was ready to go once the noddles were cooked.  I also added a tiny bit of half and half to the lasagna pan while it was cooking to avoid the noodles on the edges from drying out.
- Miss J

Chicken Asparagus Casserole

My sister-in-law, Lisa, made this casserole for me when Moe and I went out to LA to visit several years ago. It is a perfect weeknight meal as it is quick, easy, and doesn't require an extensive list of ingredients or prep time.  You could really pick any type of vegetable to mix into this and would yield a similar result.

Chicken Asparagus Casserole
Source:  My sister-in-law, Lisa

1 can undiluted cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups diced, cooked chicken (or one can of white meat chicken)
1/4 tsp rosemary
 1.4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups dry egg noodles
2 cups asparagus, cooked and cut up

Combine mushroom soup, milk, and sour cream.  Add remaining ingredients except for cheese. 

Mix and put into a casserole dish.  Sprinkle top with cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until noodles are cooked and casserole is hot and bubbly. Enjoy!

-Miss J

Kind of Curry Couscous

I love couscous. It is quick, easy, and elegant. I started out the evening thinking I was going to make Israeli couscous; however, I stumbled across a Curried Couscous recipe on another blog I follow, The Parsley Thief. I absolute love this blog and have yet to make a recipe on it that I have not enjoyed. I started the recipe but quickly realized I was missing several main ingredients including the CURRY part. My curry is "MIA" in my kitchen so I had to improvise quickly. I must say, it turned out to be a masterpiece. It was a beautiful dish that I will definitely be making again.



Kind of Curry Couscous

Source: Adapted from The Parsley Thief, http://www.theparsleythief.com/2008/06/curried-couscous.html

8 oz couscous
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup almonds
3 tablespoons of almonds
1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
1 3/4 cup of chicken stock
salt and pepper
1/4 cup of parsley
1/4 cup cranberries
1/4 cup chopped sweet chili peppers (or red peppers)
1/2 cup of extra small curd cottage cheese (fat free)
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp honey
1/8 tsp cinnamon
3 tablespoons of olive oil


Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet. Add slivered almonds to the pan and stir until golden brown. Remove from pan and transfer to a bowl. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and minced shallots and saute until golden brown. Add couscous and bay leaf and let couscous brown slightly. Add broth to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce head and cover. Allow to simmer until mixture is absorbed in the couscous and desired tenderness is reached.

Meanwhile, combine chopped parsley, cranberries, and almonds in a separate bowl.

Set aside. In a small mixing bowl, mix olive oil, cumin, cardamom, honey, cinnamon, turmeric, and cottage cheese. Set aside. Chop red peppers and set aside.

 Once couscous is done, remove from heat. Combine everything into the skillet and toss together on a low heat so flavors meld together. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

- Miss J

Served with baked fish and sweet asparagus.

Tri-Color Pasta Salad

This pasta salad recipe has been around the block and back!  On my dad's side of the family, you can't host an event without this pasta salad making an appearance.  It is relatively easy and you can alter the recipe to include your favorite vegetables.  Additionally, any left overs keep really well.

1 lb box tri-color rotini pasta
green olives
carrots
broccoli
cauliflower
green onions
tomatoes
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1/2 cup sour cream
1 T mustard
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning


Chop up vegetables into bite sized pieces and set aside.  Mix mayo, Italian dressing, sour cream, mustard, and Italian seasoning in a mixing bowl.  Cook pasta according to packaging.  You want it to be al dente so that it won't fall apart when you mix the sauce in.  Once pasta is done, strain and run cold water over pasta through the strainer.  This will stop the pasta from continuing to cook.  Once pasta is 100% cooled, mix vegetables and sauce together in a large bowl. Reserve a bit of the sauce to toss with right before serving. Place in fridge for 1 hour to allow to set. Before serving mix in remaining sauce and serve immediately.  If you are out of sauce, mix in some extra sour cream to create some moisture in the pasta salad.

Notes:  This is a great recipe to make the night before.  Additionally, you can switch up the vegetables that you include.   I hate olives so peas and red bell peppers are good substitutions. 


Ratings:
Miss J, 10 out of 10
Moe, 8 out of 10
- Miss J