Pasta

Broccolini with Chicken

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broccolini with chicken 2

This recipe originally posted on November 7, 2013.  I am cheating today, but now that I look at this dish, I am inspired to make it again really soon!

This started out as someone else’s recipe but when I couldn’t find a key ingredient, I just changed it into my own with a different sauce.  Hope you enjoy it.  It’s quick and easy and has some healthiness to it.

Ingredients:

1 13-oz. package frozen cheese tortellini, about 3 cups
1 10-oz. package frozen broccoli florets, about 3 cups
2 T. butter
1 1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used the tenders) cut into 1-inch cubes
Creamy Cauliflower Sauce. 

1.  Cook tortellini and broccoli in large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes or until tender.  Drain well.

2.  Melt butter in large skillet on medium-high heat.  Add chicken and stir fry for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

3.  Add chicken to tortellini and broccoli mixture. Gently mix well until chicken is distributed evenly. 

4.  To serve, spoon desired amount of tortellini mixture onto plate and top with the Creamy Cauliflower Sauce or your favorite Marinara.

Broccolini with Chicken
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Ingredients
  1. 1 13-oz. package frozen cheese tortellini, about 3 cups
  2. 1 10-oz. package frozen broccoli florets, about 3 cups
  3. 2 T. butter
  4. 1 1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used the tenders) cut into 1-inch cubes
  5. Creamy Cauliflower Sauce.
Instructions
  1. 1. Cook tortellini and broccoli in large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain well.
  2. 2. Melt butter in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and stir fry for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
  3. 3. Add chicken to tortellini and broccoli mixture. Gently mix well until chicken is distributed evenly.
  4. 4. To serve, spoon desired amount of tortellini mixture onto plate and top with the Creamy Cauliflower Sauce or your favorite Marinara.
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Risotto with Brussels Sprouts & Browned Butter

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risotto and sprouts
 

Yes it has Brussels Sprouts and yes it is delicious!  How can we have Brussels Sprouts and delicious in the same sentence?  Did not think that was possible.  The Pioneer Woman does work miracles and I snagged this one from her on Facebook.  Holy moly.  Now, I did not use the European Style Super Premium Butter she used–just regular butter.  I can’t even imagine what it would taste like with the fancy stuff.  Next time I make this, I might try–if I can find it.  Let me just say that we were “testing” the sprouts before adding them in to the risotto and just those alone–after having been sauteed in the butter–was amazing.  One tip, though: be sure you have no leftovers.  When I reheated this a few days later the sprouts weren’t all that.  Just sayin’.

Ingredients:

1 stick (1/2 cup)  Land O’ Lakes European Style Super Premium Butter, or just regular butter 
2 cups trimmed and halved Brussels Sprouts (about half pound–I found these bagged and ready
1 whole medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio Rice
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, warmed (more if needed)
salt and pepper to taste
2 t. fresh thyme leaves (or you can adjust and use dried)
Parmesan cheese for serving
 
1.  Heat a large, high-sided skillet (nonstick is best) over medium-low heat.  Add butter and allow to melt completely.  Continue letting it heat to a very gentle bubble–swirling the pan to keep it from burning–until butter starts to brown.  There will be golden solids in the bottom of the pan and the liquid will be deep golden brown.  Pour half the browned butter into a heatproof bowl and set aside.
 
2.  Add the Brussels sprouts to the pan and increase heat to medium. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until slightly tender.  Remove from pan and set aside. 
 
3.  Add the onion , garlic, and 1 T. of the browned butter to the skillet and stir, cooking for 3-4 minutes, until translucent and golden.  
 
4.  Add the rice and stir for 1 minute.  Add 1 cup of the warm broth, stirring while it absorbs.  Continue adding the warm broth a cup at a time, stirring after each addition until the broth is absorbed, about 20-25 minutes.  Test for tenderness and add more broth if necessary.
 
5.  When the rice is tender but still has a slight al dente bite to it, stir in Brussels sprouts, thyme, salt, pepper, and the remaining browned butter.
 
6.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve. 
 
 
 

Source:  The Pioneer Woman

Risotto with Brussels Sprouts & Browned Butter
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Ingredients
  1. 1 stick (1/2 cup) Land O’ Lakes European Style Super Premium Butter, or just regular butter
  2. 2 cups trimmed and halved Brussels Sprouts (about half pound–I found these bagged and ready
  3. 1 whole medium onion, diced
  4. 3 cloves garlic, minced
  5. 1 cup Arborio Rice
  6. 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, warmed (more if needed)
  7. salt and pepper to taste
  8. 2 t. fresh thyme leaves (or you can adjust and use dried)
  9. Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
  1. Heat a large, high-sided skillet (nonstick is best) over medium-low heat. Add butter and allow to melt completely. Continue letting it heat to a very gentle bubble–swirling the pan to keep it from burning–until butter starts to brown. There will be golden solids in the bottom of the pan and the liquid will be deep golden brown. Pour half the browned butter into a heatproof bowl and set aside.
  2. Add the Brussels sprouts to the pan and increase heat to medium. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until slightly tender. Remove from pan and set aside.
  3. Add the onion , garlic, and 1 T. of the browned butter to the skillet and stir, cooking for 3-4 minutes, until translucent and golden.
  4. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the warm broth, stirring while it absorbs. Continue adding the warm broth a cup at a time, stirring after each addition until the broth is absorbed, about 20-25 minutes. Test for tenderness and add more broth if necessary.
  5. When the rice is tender but still has a slight al dente bite to it, stir in Brussels sprouts, thyme, salt, pepper, and the remaining browned butter.
  6. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Fettuccine with Tomato-Cream Sauce

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fetuccinne-with-tomato-cream-sauce-2
Well, it’s officially 2015!  Have you made any resolutions?  I bet some of you have made diet and weight-loss resolutions.  While I LOVE cakes, pies, and cookies, I’m going to try to post a few healthy recipes (for you and for myself!)  This first one is from the Cooking Light magazine, and I have modified it to make it even healthier than originally published.  I am trying to eat whole wheat (instead of refined grains), organic, and nothing artificial.  It’s tough to find all of the groceries I need, and I’ve got to say, it’s quite a bit more expensive!  But, I guess I’m paying for my family’s health by buying wholesome foods!  I’d rather pay a few more dollars for healthy foods now than pay for doctor’s bills later in life!  In the pictures you’ll see regular white pasta, but if you can use whole wheat pasta, you should try it! 

Ingredients List:

8 oz. uncooked whole wheat fettuccine
4 quarts boiling water
1/2 tsp. salt (divided)
1 T. olive oil
3 T. minced garlic
1 (28 oz.) can organic whole peeled tomatoes (drained and crushed)
3 oz. organic cream cheese
10 kalmata olives (pitted and chopped)
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

Directions:

1. Cook pasta in 4 quarts boiling water with 1/4 tsp. salt for 8 minutes or until noodles are almost al dente.  Drain pasta through a sieve over a bowl; reserve 1 1/3 cups pasta cooking water.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Add oil to pan.  Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

3. Stir in remaining 1/4 tsp. salt and tomatoes; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

4. Stir in reserved 1 1/3 cups pasta water.  Bring to a boil. 

5. Add cream cheese; stir until smooth. 

6. Add pasta, olives, and crushed red pepper.  Cook 3 minutes or until pasta is al dente, tossing to coat.  Pasta will look runny and liquidy, but this will thicken.

fettuccine-with-tomato-cream-sauce-1

7. Divide pasta evenly among 4 bowls.  Enjoy your healthy dinner!
Yield: 4 servings

Nutrition Information, using white pasta and reduced-fat cream cheese, per serving: 358 Calories, 9.8 g Fat, 3.8 g Fiber, 10.3 g Protein

Source: Cooking Light

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

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Okay, I admit it.  I’ve never tried spaghetti squash before this.  But I’ve always wanted to.  It always looks so cool….all those little curly fibers.  But I never had motivation to try it until I had to go wheat-free.  You know, rice pasta is nice and all, but it’s a little bland.  So I was really hoping for something interesting here.  I got it, and it’s pretty versatile to boot.  You can serve it with a sauce like you would pasta or just top it with Parmesan cheese and chopped basil, or serve it as a side with salt, pepper, and butter or ghee.

And it’s just so stinkin’ fun to scrape all those little fibers!!!  Seriously, I giggled.

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut a spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.  Scoop out seeds and loose flesh and discard.  Place cut-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Bake for one hour.

Remove from oven and carefully turn the squash halves over to cool.

When it has cooled enough for you to handle it, take a fork and scrape the squash flesh towards the middle.  (This would be so fun for kids to help with!)

You just made spaghetti!!  Now wasn’t that fun?!

Cheesy Sausage Pasta Skillet

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First off, I want to share how happy I am to be back with the Mormon Mavens. I took a year hiatus… and missed it! I love trying new recipes and sharing the good ones I find as well as those tried and true recipes that you can never go wrong with. Thanks for having me back, friends!

Now… onto the yummy food….
Cheese.
Sausage.
Pasta.
YUM!
This recipe is a true one pot meal and comes together quickly. 
Cheesy Sausage Pasta Skillet


Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. Smoked Turkey Sausage, sliced
1 C. diced onions
1 Tbsp. minced garlic (about two fresh cloves)
2 cups Chicken Broth
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream (if you don’t have this on hand – milk would work too)
8 oz dry pasta (any small pasta will do)
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chopped scallions, for garnish
Directions

1.  Add olive oil to a 4-5 quart saute pan over medium high heat. Add onions and sausage and cook until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
2.  Add chicken broth, tomatoes, milk, pasta, and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
3.  Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover for about five minutes to allow cheese to melt. Top with sliced scallions and serve.
Makes about 4 servings.



Many thanks to Yellow Bliss Road for sharing this recipe!

Summer Pasta Salad

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This is just a simple pasta salad that I thought I would try out from SAVING DINNER (see below for link).  I really like the subtitle on this cookbook: “The Menus, Recipes, and Shopping Lists to Bring Your Family Back to the Table.”  Well that is a mouthful, isn’t it!  So far, I have really like the recipes in the book and they are all pretty healthy.  This will be supper tonight.  Well, I also brought some to work for lunch so I will be getting a double dose! 



Ingredients:

1 pound ziti pasta
1 T. olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 cups chopped zucchini
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups chopped fresh tomato
1 cup fresh corn, or 1 cup frozen, thawed (I re-hydrated 1 cup of freeze dried corn–always trying      to rotate my food storage, you know!)
1/4 t. red pepper flakes (more if you want spicier)
1 cup non-fat milk
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese (I didn’t have any so I used the Romano Asiago blend from   a jar)
Salt and Pepper to taste 

1.  Prepare pasta; drain and set aside.
2.  In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add red onion and zucchini and cook until the onion is golden, stirring frequently.
3.  Reduce heat to medium and add the garlic, tomato, corn, red pepper flakes, milk, and Romano cheese.
4.  Stir until the cheese is melted and the vegetables are hot.  Add the pasta and mix thoroughly.
5.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
NOTE:  There was no mention in the original recipe on whether this is served warm or cold–by trial and error I have found that this is a dish best served HOT.  Trust me on that.
SOURCE:  “Saving Dinner”, Leanne Ely.

Three Cheese Chicken Alfredo Bake

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Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) box Penne pasta noodles
2 (10 oz) containers Alfredo sauce
1 c. sour cream
1 (15 oz.) container Ricotta cheese
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 c. cooked, diced chicken
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 t. dried parsley
1 t. Italian seasoning
2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1.  Boil Penne pasta in a large pot of water, according to package directions.  Drain water and then return pasta to pot.

2.  Add all the remaining ingredients, except for the mozzarella cheese.  Stir together to combine and then pour mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.

3.  Sprinkle the top evenly with the mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Enjoy!

Source:  life-in-the-lofthouse.com

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

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Baked Macaroni and Cheese
    Who doesn’t love a good old Mac n’ Cheese? I certainly haven’t met anyone who doesn’t! This is supposedly the original version of the recipe that Thomas Jefferson brought back from Europe along with the first Macaroni machine. Feel free to fact check me on this. 
Macaroni and Cheese
1/2 lb Macaroni
1 Tbsp butter
1 egg
3 cups cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of Paprika
Cook macaroni, add butter, 1/2 to 3/4 of the cheese to hot macaroni. Mix. To make milk mixture warm milk (not too hot), add egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Put pasta in 13×9 inch baking dish. Pour milk mixture over pasta. Top with remaining cheese (or extra if desired). Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. 
Optional: top with buttered cracker crumbs or panko.
Source: Kim Anderson

Zucchini Pasta with Lemon Yogurt Sauce

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I am not kidding when I say that we have been eating a lot of zucchini around here. If you are friends with me on FB you might have seen a picture I posted of my counter full of zucs! It has been good though because it has given me the opportunity to try new recipes. This is one that I got from Ezra Pound Cake. I followed the sauce recipe but I cut my zucchini differently and used some yellow squash from my garden as well. 
Zucchini Pasta with Lemon Yogurt Sauce 
8 ounces pasta of your choice 
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt 
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 
1 tablespoon olive oil 
3 medium (8-ounce) zucchini, cut however you like them. (Here I used 2 zucs and 1 squash)  
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 
1/2 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook according to the package directions. Remove 1/4 cup of the cooking water, and set it aside. Drain the pasta. Set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, Parmesan, lemon zest, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
  3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, (and squash, if using) and cook just until wilted
  4. Use a spoon or spatula to push the zucchini aside so a space on the bottom of the pan is clear. Add the garlic, and cook for 15 to 30 seconds, until golden but not really brown.
  5. Mix the garlic into the zucchini.
  6. Stir in the tomatoes and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. 
  7. Add the zucchini mixture to the pasta and add the yogurt sauce. Toss to combine. Add the reserved pasta cooking water a tablespoon at a time, if necessary, to thin it. Divide among four bowls and serve.

Slow Cooker Mac n’ Cheese

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I first had this recipe at a baby shower a friend was having. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it! I am from the “boxed macaroni” generation, but this homemade recipe changed my ways! It is so simple and so tasty. Try it, you won’t forget it!



Slow Cooker Mac n’ Cheese

Ingredients:
2 cups evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
16 oz. Velveeta Cheese, cubed
10 oz. Cheddar cheese, cubed
1 (8 ounce) package macaroni

Directions:
– Combine evaporated milk, paprika, salt, egg, butter and cheeses in a slow cooker; stir. Cook on high for 1 hour.
– Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.
= Stir cooked macaroni into cheese sauce, reduce temperature to low and cook for 3 to 5 hours. Stir frequently to avoid burning on the bottom.

Adapted slightly from allrecipes.com