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Vegetarian Asparagus and Parmesan Pasta Toss

April 25, 2013 in Cassie, Dinner, LIghter Side, Main Dishes, Vegetarian


Looking for a fabulous vegetarian meal? Look no further. I’m not a vegetarian, however, I do limit our meat consumption.  So each week when I put together our menu, I am always in search of a good meatless meal – or four.

I’m one of those people who, once I find something I like, eat it all the time until I’m tired of it. A few years ago when my mom sent me this recipe, I did just that. I had completely forgotten about it until a friend was asking for a good vegetarian pasta dish.

Now I fear my family will have to bear with me as I go through this obsession again.

I changed the veggies that are in the original recipe, and use less red pepper flakes because of the kids. This is one of those dishes where you can use virtually any veggie with it. The original calls for asparagus, red peppers and mushrooms, but I have texture issues with mushrooms, so I omit those and use broccoli and carrots instead. You can, however, use anything with it, seriously.

Here’s how to make it!

recipe adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

Ingredients

  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 package uncooked pasta, I used spirals
  • Cooking spray
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 3/4 cups (1-inch) pieces asparagus (about 12 ounces)
  • 1 1/2 cups baby carrots
  • 1 bunch of broccoli, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan, divided

Directions

  1. Preheat broiler.
  2. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place in a ziplock plastic bag and seal. Let sit for 10 minutes, then peel and cut into strips.
  3. Boil the pasta until al dente.
  4. Steam the baby carrots and broccoli until to desired softness.
  5. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium high heat. Add garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Add bell pepper, crushed red pepper, spices and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer; cook for 7 minutes. Stir in asparagus; cook 4 minutes or until crisp-tender.
  6. In a large bowl, combine boiled pasta, broccoli, carrots and asparagus mixture. Add in the parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
  7. Enjoy!

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Zucchini Lasagna

March 28, 2013 in Cassie, Dinner, kid friendly, LIghter Side, Main Dishes

This surprised me. I didn’t think this was going to be very good, just kind of meh, but I was surprised that it in fact was delicious!

I made mine with ground turkey, however, if you want to make it vegetarian, then simply use lentils or soy crumbles as your meat.

The meat sauce combines your meat choice, broccoli, cauliflower and onion. It was super filling and ridiculously healthy. Even if I don’t make this exact meal again anytime soon, I will definitely make the meat sauce again. It’s a great way to sneak veggies in for kids if that’s an issue.

I made this meal the morning before I cooked it for dinner, and it wasn’t overly watery from the zucchini. It also freezes well.

Here’s how to make it!

recipe adapted from Jo and Sue

Ingredients

4 zucchini, sliced into 1/8 inch slices
1 lb ground turkey (or 1 cup prepared lentils)
1 onion, diced
2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped
2 cups cauliflower, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
pepper to taste
1 jar pasta sauce
2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup parm cheese, grated
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 425.

Slice the zucchini into 1/8 inch slices and line them on cookie sheets. Bake them for 5 minutes on each side.

Reduce the heat to 375. Brown the turkey and sprinkle with pepper. Drain. Add in the chopped onion, broccoli, cauliflower and garlic. Top with the pasta sauce. Cook for 10 minutes on medium/high heat until veggies are easily blanched.

Now build the lasagna. Pour half the meat sauce into a 9×12 pyrex pan. Line half the zucchini on top. Spread the cottage cheese on top, then pour the remaining meat sauce over top. Top with the remaining zucchini, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.

Bake for 50 minutes covered with tinfoil, then remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes.

Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. It may be watery due to the zucchini, so letting it rest will help absorb some of the extra fluid.

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Cheesy Pasta Primavera

March 21, 2013 in Cassie, Dinner, kid friendly, LIghter Side, Main Dishes

I’m not one who usually gets excited about veggies. But seriously? Seriously? This was amazing.

I saw the original recipe yesterday and told about five people about it, then made a vow I was going to eat it. And soon.

I even dragged my four kids to the store just to get the ingredients for it. I was that stoked about it.

This is light, healthy and full of flavor.

I promise.

And remember, this is pasta primavera – therefore, the sauce is thin.

 

Here’s how to make it!

recipe adapted from Recipe Girl

Ingredients

Sauce:
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tsp ground thyme
salt and pepper, to taste

Main dish:
16 oz whole wheat pasta, cooked until al dente
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 cup chopped baby carrots
1 large red bell pepper, chopped or sliced thinly
2 cups cooked and chopped or shredded chicken breast (optional)
1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

Topping:
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Boil the pasta until cooked to al dente, set aside.

Make the sauce by combining the greek yogurt, cheeses and thyme together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Prepare the veggies. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and cook the garlic for a minute. Add in the broccoli, pepper and carrots. Cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add in the pasta and optional chicken and mix to combine. Add in the sauce and stir, again to combine.

Pour into a prepared pyrex pan and top with the halved cherry tomatoes.

Cover with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the cover, top with remaining mozzarella cheese and cook another 10 minutes.

Serve immediately.

 

 

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(The Best) White Pizza

February 23, 2013 in Cassie, Dinner, LIghter Side, Main Dishes

When my husband and I were just dating, he made me this pizza. It’s been changed over the years, but it’s a fantastic pizza. He can cook a few things, and when he does it’s really good.

He virtually made it up, which is the best part.

It’s super simple to make but tastes way better than delivery.

If the dough is made before hand, then it’s ready to eat in less than 30 minutes.

How’s that for a fast dinner?

Here’s how to make it!

 

original recipe

Ingredients

Pizza Dough
olive oil for drizzling
5 tbs parmesan cheese, divided
3-4 roma tomatoes, deseeded and diced
2 tsp Italian seasonings
splash of balsamic vinegar, optional
Italian cheeses (I use Trader Joe’s Quattro Formaggio)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out the pizza dough, drizzle the olive oil and brush evenly. Sprinkle 2 tbs parmesan cheese evenly over the dough. Bake for 10 minutes.

Dice the tomatoes, and place in a bowl and mix in the remaining parmesan cheese, Italian seasonings, and the balsamic vinegar.

Put the tomatoes on the partially cooked pizza dough, spread evenly. Sprinkle the cheese on top, however much is up to you.

Bake for another 7-12 minutes depending on how done you prefer the cheese to be.

Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

 

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Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

January 5, 2013 in Dinner, Jessica, kid friendly, LIghter Side, Main Dishes, Slow Cooker, Soup, Winter Eats

Believe it or not, it’s been a bit chilly in the South lately, and what with the three members of our family rotating through some evil upper respiratory virus, I’ve been looking for easy, healthy, hearty meals. Out comes the slow cooker.

This recipe for turkey chili is a combination of several I’ve found, with a few of my own additions based on what was available in the pantry (you know how that goes). The combination turned out to be a winning success.

This recipe is a bit on the spicy side, though to my great surprise, my almost two-year-old didn’t seem bothered at all by it. It you want it not quite so spicy, reduce the amount of red pepper you add to mix.

Here’s how you do it:

 

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey meat
1/2 white onion
1 can of fiesta corn, drained
1 can of tomato soup
1 can of black beans, drained
1 can of kidney beans, drained
1 can of stewed, chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp of chili powder
1/2 to 1 tsp of red pepper
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
Dash of black pepper
Dash of allspice
Salt to taste (we used about 1 tsp)
Shredded cheese and Fritos for garnish

Directions:
1. Brown the turkey meat and drain.
2. Coat the slow cooker in non-stick spray.
3. Add and mix all ingredients.
4. Cook on low for 8 hours.
5. Serve with shredded cheese and Fritos!

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Sour Cream Baked Chicken

December 28, 2012 in Dinner, Jessica, Main Dishes

As the pay period starts to wind down, I often find myself making the things we have at home stretch until pay day. With Christmas, this was especially true. So I got to playing around on Pinterest, looking for easy chicken recipes. I found a Parmesan chicken recipe that looked promising, but it suggested using a cup of mayo, and mayo kind of grosses me out. It also said I could substitute a cup of Greek yogurt, which is all fine and dandy, but the only Greek yogurt we currently have has blueberries mixed in it (and if you’re brave enough to bake that on your chicken, I’d love to hear about it!) So, I thought, the other substitute for Greek yogurt is sour cream – which we happened to have in stock!

So I mixed this easy, yummy recipe up and it was quite the success! Here’s how you do it:

 

Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (plus 1/4 cup more to put on the top)
1/2 tsp of seasoning salt (all I had was seasoning salt for broiled steaks, but it worked just fine).
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Put chicken in a casserole dish.
3. Mix other ingredients together, saving 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.
4. Cover chicken with mixture, then sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
5. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

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Stove-top Lasagna

December 9, 2012 in Cassie, Dinner, Main Dishes

Who doesn’t love dinner in one pot?

Seriously?

This cooked up in less than 30 minutes, too.

The process of making it reminded me of when I was a kid and I’d make Hamburger Helper. Anyone remember that stuff? Do they still make it?

Any how, this was fantastic, easy and tasted divine. I will say up front, don’t skimp on the parmesan cheese. Get the good stuff that’s fresh. And don’t skimp on the ricotta. And the garlic.

Oh who am I kidding. Follow the recipe and you’ll do fine.

Here’s how to make it!

original recipe

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey (or beef)
1 full bulb of garlic, peeled and minced
1 tbs Italian seasonings
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 – 2 cups water
12 lasagna noodles (not oven ready) broken up
1 cup Italian cheese mix (or just mozzarella)
1/2 cup shredded fresh parmesan cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese

Directions

In a large skillet, brown the turkey with the minced garlic. Drain the remaining grease. Sprinkle the Italian seasonings over top of the meat. Pour the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and 1 1/2 cups water into the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, add in the broken pieces of lasagna noodles, cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the sauce has reduced, but the noodles aren’t soft enough, add in the remaining 1/2 cup of water and allow to simmer longer.

When the sauce is reduced and thick, remove from heat and spoon the ricotta cheese into dollops over the top of the lasagna. Top with the Italian cheese and parmesan and let sit for about 5 minutes until the cheeses are melted. Spoon into a bowl or plate and enjoy!

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Ricotta Gnocchi

October 31, 2012 in Cassie, Dinner, Main Dishes, Vegetarian

My husband is seriously picky about pasta. Being as he’s Italian, I suppose he has reason. A few years back I bought some frozen gnocchi for dinner, and he stated it tasted awful and we haven’t had it since.

This is a completely true story.

So to say I was nervous about feeding him this tonight was an understatement. But there’s something about homemade pasta. Every Superbowl Sunday I would make home made linguine with my dad and it was probably the most amazing thing ever.

But this requires no pasta making attachments. It simply requires three ingredients, (yes three!) a large bowl and a refrigerator.

Super easy, super winning.

Oh, and the husband? He went for seconds. And my picky three year old cleaned his bowl.

Here’s how to make it!

recipe adapted from Katherine Martinelli

Ingredients

15 oz ricotta cheese
2 cups all purpose flour
1 egg

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, 1 cup flour and egg. Mix until well combined.

Using your hands, mix in 1/4 cup flour until dough comes together in a ball that is elastic but not longer overly sticky.

Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into at least 4 pieces. On a floured counter top, roll the divided dough into a long snake and cut into 1/2 inch segments.

Repeat with remaining dough.

If serving immediately, bring water to a boil and boil the gnocchi until it floats, about 3-5 minutes. Drain and serve.

If using later in the day, lay out on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator until ready to boil and serve.

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Sloppy Joes

October 15, 2012 in Dinner, Jessica, kid friendly, Main Dishes

I have to admit, most of my life I have thought sloppy joes were disgusting. I think that was probably because my parents never served them and the only other ones I had came from a school cafeteria. When my husband informed me recently that he loves them and hadn’t had one in a long time, I did some research. This girl refuses to use canned meat, and I knew that if there was any chance to redeem the sloppy joe, then it was going to have to be made from scratch.

And, what do you know? Turns out that when they’re fresh and not out of school cafeteria, they are pretty darn good. Also good news: they’re toddler approved!

I apologize for the poor photo quality. My SLR was occupied.

Here’s how you do it:

 

Recipe adapted from Crockin’ Girls:

Ingredients:
1 lb of lean hamburger meat
1/2 a large sweet yellow onion, chopped
tsp. olive oil
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 tbsp. of chili powder
1 tbsp. of mustard
1 tbsp. of Worcestershire
1 tbsp. of brown sugar
1 tbsp. of sugar
Hamburger buns

Directions:
1. Chop the onion and sautee in olive oil over medium heat until they start to soften (about 2 minutes).
2. Add in hamburger meat and brown.
3. Add in the ketchup, chili powder, mustard, Worcestershire and sugars. Bring to a boil.
4. Turn down the heat, cover and simmer for about 7 minutes.
5. Put on a hamburger bun and enjoy!

 

 

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Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

September 14, 2012 in Dinner, Jessica, kid friendly, LIghter Side, Main Dishes

We had chicken thighs and I didn’t feel like going to the store, nor did I feel like just baking them in the oven. I did a little searching online for recipes, then my daughter turned off the power strip to my computer. So I took her outside and continued my search on my phone. I found a recipe for teriyaki chicken and modified it a bit to fit the ingredients I had at home. The result was a resounding success!

Here’s how you do it:

 

Ingredients:
6 chicken thighs (I used boneless, skinless)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp corn starch
1 1/2 tsp cold water
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Combine sugar, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic, ginger and black pepper in a small sauce pan over low heat.
3. Combine water and cornstarch, then add to other ingredients.
4. Cook until bubbly and thick. Remove from hear.
5. Put thighs in a 9×13 pan. Mop sauce over each thigh, turn over and mop again.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, mopping chicken every 10 minutes. Turn chicken over half way through.

 

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