July 3
· Filed under Recipes · Tagged one-bowl, pasta, shrimp
The combination of shrimp and pasta with the fresh fruits and veggies makes this dish perfect for a summer evening. The spice might surprise you at first, but it pairs well with the citrus flavor.
The original recipe claims to serve four, but we ended up with enough for six decent-sized dinners. (How often does a recipe make more servings than it says it will?)
12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 ounces (4 cups) dried penne pasta
1 tsp finely shredded orange peel
2 oranges
orange juice
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp instant chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 red or green sweet pepper, cut into 3/4-inch squares
1 Tbsp oil
1 1/2 cups fresh pea pods, trimmed and halved diagonally
Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
Meanwhile, peel the two oranges. Section them over a bowl, catching the juice; set oranges aside. Add enough orange juice to the bowl to total 1/2 cup. Add orange peel, 1/2 cup water, cornstarch, bouillon, sesame oil, salt, and ground red pepper; set aside.
In a large skillet, cook sweet pepper in hot oil over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove sweet pepper from skillet. Add shrimp to skillet; cook and stir about 2 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque. Remove shrimp from skillet.
Stir orange juice mixture; add to skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Return shrimp and pepper to skillet; stir in pea pods. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Gently stir in orange sections. Gently toss shrimp mixture with pasta and serve.
My only recommendation for altering the recipe is to cut the oranges smaller. It makes it easier to eat and spreads the flavor around a bit more. (Careful, though, or they may fall apart as you stir them into the pasta.)
Recipe courtesy Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book
June 29
· Filed under Recipes · Tagged FAVORITE, one-bowl, pasta, quick & easy
An amazing dish I had at a local restaurant inspired me to try making gnocchi for the first time. I’d seen it in the store and heard it talked about on The Food Network, but this was my first shot at making it.
Turns out that potato gnocchi (pronounced nyō’kē) is not only SO GOOD, it’s also super quick and easy to make. This recipe* is a great way to get started making (or in our case, eating!) gnocchi.
1 18-ounce package potato gnocchi
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup diced zucchini
1/2 cup chopped sweet yellow pepper
1/4 cup prepared pesto
1 cup chopped tomatoes
Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the zucchini and yellow pepper in oil until crisp-tender. Drain gnocchi; add gnocchi and pesto to skillet. Gently stir until well coated. Stir in tomatoes. Sprinkle with pine nuts if desired.
*posted by the Taste of Home Test Kitchen on Allrecipes.com
June 11
· Filed under Recipes · Tagged pasta
So… can you figure out what’s in this recipe? Ha!
The Lemon Cream-Sauced pasta, et al. is from my beloved red-checkered cookbook (a.k.a Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book). This dish is light and fresh enough to be eaten on a summer evening, yet still has the creamy buttery taste we all crave.
I’m posting the recipe as written in the cookbook, but I substituted a yellow summer squash (cut into about twelve pieces) for the baby squash.
8 ounces dry mafalda or rotini
2 cups asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
8 baby sunburst squash and/or patty pan squash, halved (4 oz)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook asparagus, sqash, and garlic in hot butter for 2 to 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Remove vegetables from skillet with a slotted spoon. Add to pasta.
Combine whipping cream and lemon peel in skillet; bring to boiling. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes or until reduced to 1/3 cup. To serve, pour cream mixture over pasta mixture; stir gently to coat.
January 23
· Filed under Recipes · Tagged FAVORITE, pasta, vegetarian
I was drawn to this recipe in Good Housekeeping because of its label, healthy in a hurry. I’m pretty sure it’s called “festive” because it has red and green in it and was in the December issue of the magazine.
Whatever its name, I call it wonderful!
12 oz rotini*
12 oz broccoli
1 pint grape tomatoes
1/4 tsp salt
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 c Romano cheese
Heat oven to 450º. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccoli during last three minutes. Toss tomatoes, garlic, oil, and salt in bowl. Spread tomato mixure in 9 x 13 pan and roast 15 minutes or until tomatoes wrinkle and begin to burst, stirring halfway through cook time.
Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain pasta. Add pasta water to pan, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Return all ingredients to pot and stir in cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.
*Make the smart choice. Use whole-grain pasta. 
July 29
· Filed under Recipes, Uncategorized · Tagged italian, pasta, slow cooker, vegetarian
The cookbook describes it better than I can: Herb-infused tomatoes tango with garlic, artichokes, and cream–a dance that results in a sauce with Mediterranean flair.
I spent all day today on this pasta… Or rather, my slow cooker did. This recipe came out of my 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Recipes book.
3 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic
2 14-oz cans artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 Tbsp bottled minced garlic (6 cloves)
1/2 c whipping cream
12 oz uncooked linguine, fettuccine, or other favorite pasta
(optional ingredients)
Sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives and/or sliced pitted ripe olives
Crumbled feta cheese or finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Coat a 3.5- or 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Drain 2 of the cans of diced tomatoes (do not drain remaining can). In the prepared cooker, combine drained and undrained tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and garlic. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 4 hours.
Stir in whipping cream; let stand about 5 minutes to heat through. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Serve sauce over hot cooked pasta. If desired, top with olives and/or cheese.
As usual with slow-cooker recipes, I mixed this up this morning and let it cook all day while I was at work (9 hours). No optional toppings for us this time, and it came out great.
Bottom line: Good, unique pasta sauce. If you’re not a huge fan of artichokes, though, I’d recommend using only one can.
July 21
· Filed under Recipes, Uncategorized · Tagged asian, chicken, one-bowl, pasta, salad
I made this for dinner for the two of us and then took the leftovers to a friend’s house. Everyone loved it — the mix of flavors and textures is really fun. You’re welcome to alter the ingredients to your taste. The only thing I will change the next time is to up the amount of soy sauce in the recipe. It was fairly plain-tasting until I added a bit more.
(recipe courtesy of Pillsbury’s “Family Gatherings” Classic Cookbook)
1 1/2 c uncooked rotini
3 c fresh snow pea pods, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
3 c cubed cooked chicken (or turkey)
3/4 c sliced green onions
1 8-oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained
3/4 c mayonnaise (or salad dressing)
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp ginger
1/3 c toasted slivered almonds
lettuce
Cook rotini to desired doneness, adding pea pods during last 1-2 minutes of cooking time. Drain; rinse with cold water to cool.
In a large bowl, combine cooked rotini and pea pods, chicken, onions, and water chestnuts. In a small bowl, combine mayo, soy, pepper, and ginger; blend well. Pour over salad; mix well. Cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours or until serving time.
To serve, line serving bowl with lettuce leaves. Spoon salad over lettuce. Sprinkle with almonds.
Makes 8 1-cup servings.
March 19
· Filed under Recipes, Uncategorized · Tagged chicken, italian, one-bowl, pasta
“This is one of those classic dishes that always finds its way onto Italian-American restaurant menus…”
I found this recipe in the Lund’s and Byerly’s Real Food magazine, where I always seem to find recipes that sound amazing but I’m too afraid to try. This one didn’t look too intimidating, so we gave it a whirl tonight.
1/4 c olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 lb broccoli florets (about 3 cups)
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c white wine
1/2 c low-sodium chicken broth
2 1/2 c diced roast chicken (skin removed) and any juices
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 lb ziti
Boil pasta in a large pot for 10 minutes while everything else is cooking. Heat oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring, until garlic starts to brown (about 3 minutes). Add broccoli, raise heat to medium high, sprinkle with salt, and cook, stirring often, until broccoli turns dark green and starts to brown (about 2 minutes). Add wine and cook, stirring, until it almost completely reduces (aout 2 minutes). Add broth, chicken, and thyme, bring to a boil, cover, and cook until broccoli is crisp-tender and mixture is hot (about 3 minutes). Stir in half of the cheese and a generous sprinkling of black pepper. Remove from heat. When pasta is finished, drain and return to pot. Add chicken and broccoli and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and serve.
We totally loved this dish! We made ours with a Chenin Blanc and substituted pre-cooked chicken breast. The ingredients work very well together to produce a light but flavorful result. I definitely recommend this as a fun-to-make, simple one-bowl meal.
March 12
· Filed under Recipes, Uncategorized · Tagged italian, pasta, slow cooker
This is a new recipe for me, from my 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Recipes book (which, by the way, I LOVE!). I wouldn’t actually call it a “casserole” …It’s more of just a pasta with sauce, but whatever.
I mixed up the ingredients the night before and refrigerated it. All I had to do the next morning was drop it in the slow cooker and turn it on before I left for work. Now THAT’S how to do dinner!
2 15-oz containers marinara sauce
2 14 1/2-oz cans diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic (undrained)
1 12-oz package sausage
1 9-oz package refrigerated tortellini
1 cup shredded mozzarella (4 oz)
Lightly coat the slow cooker pot with cooking spray. Stir together the marinara, undrained tomatoes, and sausage.Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
If using high-heat setting, turn to low-heat setting. Stir in tortellini. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until tortellini are tender. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Let stand covered for 10 minutes until cheese is melted. 8 servings
My thoughts: This was pretty tasty and VERY easy to make. Nothing super out of the ordinary here… We had ours with Italian bread and green beans the first night, salad the second. I will mention that (for us at least) it made 6 servings rather than 8.
Things I used to make it healthier:
- Turkey sausage rather than pork
- Whole-wheat tortellini
- Cheese made from 2% milk
