Minestrone Soup

Today was a cold day, and I was craving soup. However, I was low on groceries. I made minestrone with what was in the back of the refrigerator produce bin---and it turned out to be delicious.

pasta pot full of veggie broth
pinch Italian seasoning
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, diced fine
1 cup frozen chopped spinach
8 oz dry egg noodles
2 onions, diced fine
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
few grinds of fresh pepper
pinch of salt

Before I get to the recipe, I have to talk about one of my most favorite things. Trader Joe's makes these little packets of concentrated vegetable broth. They come in a small green box. Inside are a dozen tubes of...vegetable syrup? Basically, that's what it is. Really concentrated, thick broth. You add 1 tube to 1 cup of water. They save sooooo much cabinet space, are very light to carry, and are perfect for backpacking meals. Also, they have amazing flavor and are low-sodium. Can you tell how much I love them?
So anyway, that intro is just to say--when I made this recipe, I used a pasta pot full of water with 4 or 5 packets of broth mixed in.

1. Bring the broth to a simmer. Add a small pinch of Italian seasoning ground between your fingers. As the broth is heating, dice the celery, then add it to the pot.

2. Dice the carrots, and sautee them in a tablespoon of olive oil. (Don't skimp on the olive oil, it's the only fat in the dish.) While the carrots cook, dice the onions and garlic.

3. When the carrots are "al dente", add them to the pot, and saute the onions and garlic in the pan. When the garlic and onions are translucent, add them to the pot along with the frozen spinach, and bring the pot to a boil.

4. Add the egg noodles and cook according to package directions. (Mine only took 4 minutes.) Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with grated Parmesan.

P.S. This was so good that after we ate the whole pot for lunch, I turned around and made another batch before the stove cooled down. Now that is a good recipe.

Chicken Sesame Pasta Salad

I had this at a baby shower last weekend and everyone there agreed that it was fantastic.

1 1/2 c. chicken, cooked and cut up
1 12-oz. bag pasta, cooked and drained (bowtie pasta is great)
1 bag baby spinach
1 green pepper, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 c. sliced almonds
3 T. sugar

Melt sugar over medium heat and add almonds. Stir until almonds are fully coated and sugar begins to crystallize. Combine all other ingredients in large bowl. Add almonds and dressing just prior to serving. Serves about 8.

Dressing
1/2 c. oil
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. toasted sesame seeds
1/4 c. fresh parsley
2 T. sugar
salt and pepper

my Fettuccine Paolo

Ingredients:
• 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 broccoli crown
• 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz whole wheat fettuccine, cooked according to package directions
• 1 1/3 cups chicken stock or broth
• 4 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken (I used left over crockpot chicken)
• parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions:
In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add red bell pepper and broccoli, cook until tender. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add stock/broth and vinegar, chicken, and basil bring to a boil, and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Add fettuccine. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm and serve with parmesan.

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

(by Giada de Laurentiis)

Ingredients

* 2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
* 2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
* 2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
* 4 cremini mushrooms, halved
* 1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 teaspoon salt, divided
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
* 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
* 1 pound penne pasta
* 3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
* 1 cup grated fontina cheese
* 1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
* 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
* 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

(Note: I never have fontina cheese on hand, so I've always just made this with all mozzarella. It is sooo delicious and satisfying. You can mix and match the veggies depending on what you like.)

Super Easy Alfredo Sauce

This stuff is super easy and WAY better than the stuff in the jar, in my opinion.  Adapted from allrecipes.com.  

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese

1 teaspoons garlic powder

1 cups milk

3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese

dash ground black pepper

dash nutmeg (optional)

3 T chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:

- Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. 

- Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. 

- Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. 

- Stir in Parmesan, pepper, and nutmeg. 

- Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long. 

- Top with parsley and serve over hot pasta. 

Modifications that I made:

- I didn't have parmesan, so I used shredded mozzarella.  The flavor was definitely milder, but it was still really good.  I also added 1/2 tsp. of salt to pick up the flavor a little bit (which I probably would not do with the parmesan).  

- The original recipe serves 8 at LEAST.  The amounts above are cutting the recipe in half.

- I used low-fat cream cheese and 1% milk, and it was creamy as EVER.  Still probably not healthy, but way better than the original.  I bet you could use no-fat cream cheese and skim milk, and still get a super creamy and delicious sauce.

- I threw in some steamed broccoli at the end when I tossed it with the pasta (yum).  I bet it would be good with chicken and/or mushrooms, too.

Fettucine Alfredo with Chicken

I made this tonight....DELICIOUS. It comes from this month's Kraft Food & Family magazine. (It's free, which is always good...and always has a few good recipe nuggets in there).

Note: Their recipe is for 1/2 lb of pasta...but I cooked the whole box of fettucine (1lb), so I doubled the ingredients when I made it tonight.

For 1/2 lb of fettucine (uncooked):

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

1 1/4 cup chicken broth

4 t flour

4 oz cream cheese

3 T parmasean cheese

1/4 t garlic powder

1/4 t pepper

1. Cook pasta as directed

2. cut chicken into chunks and cook in large, nonstick skillet.

3. Remove chicken from skillet.

4. In the same skillet, mix broth and flour, then add cream cheese, parmasean cheese, garlic powder and pepper. Stir constantly until thickened.

5. Stir in chicken.

6. Mix pasta and sauce mixture in large bowl....sprinkle with parmasean cheese.

Another note: I only used 1 chicken breast and it was PLENTY....even with doubling the recipe. I had some chicken already cooked that I just shredded and added at the end.

Yummy.

Spinach Pasta Chicken Salad

Recipe given to me from BWeed (who recommended involving a lawyer to sort out who gets the leftovers...and it is that good).

Spinach Pasta Chicken Salad
Dressing:
1/2 C. oil
1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sesame oil
3 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs seasoned oregano rice vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame seed oil
1 tsp grated fresh garlic

Salad:
1 sm package baby spinach
1 package bowtie pasta (cooked, drained, and cooled)
2-4 Tbs sesame seeds
1/2 C. sunflower seeds
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 C. sprouts
3 chicken breasts (cooked, seasoned heavily with lemon pepper and cut into bite-sized pieces)

Mix dressing ingredients together, set aside. In large bowl, combine salad ingredients. Add dressing to salad and mix together. Enjoy.

**I topped each serving with a few chow mein noodles**
**I used olive oil instead of sesame oil (b/c I didn't have any)...still tasted great**
**I used 1/2 tsp of jarred minced garlic instead of grated fresh**
**I couldn't find seasoned oregano rice vinegar, so I used seasoned rice vinegar**

Maca-tofu-roni and Cheese

I am aware that I am opening myself up to more mocking from Chris by posting this, but I can't resist: I'm thrilled with this recipe! I made it with whole-wheat rotini so it was the healthiest mac 'n' cheese I've ever had, nearly as quick and easy as the stuff in a box, and pretty yummy too.

10 to 12 ounces elbow macaroni (or other short pasta shape such as cavatappi)
12.3-ounce package silken tofu
2 tablespoons nonhydrogenated margarine
1 1/2 cups firmly packed grated sharp cheddar cheese
Salt to taste

Cook the macaroni in plenty of rapidly simmering water until al dente, then drain.

Meanwhile, puree the tofu until perfectly smooth in a food processor or blender. Transfer to a medium sauce pan and add the margarine and cheese. Slowly bring to a gentle simmer (NOT a boil), stirring often, then cook over low heat until the cheese is thoroughly melted.

Combine the cooked macaroni and sauce in a serving container and stir together. Season with salt to taste and serve at once.

VARIATION 1: For a little more kick, add any of the following you like to the sauce: 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 t. cayenne pepper, a dash of hot sauce, 1 t. dry mustard, or a few twists of black pepper.

VARIATION 2: Top with seasoned breadcrumbs and bake in a casserole dish at 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and crusty.

Alfredo Pasta Pie with Toasted French Bread Crust

Recipe from BWeed

16 oz. package spaghetti, cooked and drained
18 (-ish) thin slices French bread
butter
1 C. shredded white cheese (recipe calls for swiss, I used mozzarella)
2 Tbs. fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried basil
1 jar alfredo sauce
3 roma tomatoes, diced
Parmesan cheese

Butter bread. Place bread butter-side up in a 9x13, going up the sides of the pan. Bake about 10 minutes at 350º or until slightly golden. Mix cheese with alfredo sauce, add basil, then toss with pasta. Spoon into baked crust. Sprinkle tomatoes over the top. Lightly press ingredients down into crust. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. bake 15-20 minutes or until hot.

Pasta with Red Pepper-Feta Sauce

This one is Elie Krieger. And wow...YUM. Really tangy and delicious and easy.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 (16-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 cup crumbled feta cheese or a 6-ounce block
1 pound whole-wheat fettuccine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes. Add roasted peppers and saute until heated through. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Place mixture in the bowl of a food processor with stock and all but 2 tablespoons of the feta. Process until combined and smooth, about 30 seconds. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Toss pasta with sauce, adding pasta water by the tablespoon, if needed. Sauce should cling nicely to pasta. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide among pasta bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and remaining feta cheese.

Baked Zitti

(By Rachel Ray)

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves
1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (14oz) can crushed tomatoes
salt
pepper
Basil
1 lb Zitti noodles
3 T Butter
3 TB Flour
Nutmeg
3 Cups Milk
1/2 cup Asiago cheese **
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese**
1 cup cubed Mozzarella cheese

** I get the Parmesan blend (which includes Asiago and other cheeses) that comes in those shakers, and add a full cup.

Directions:

1. Start cooking noodles. Remove when slightly chewy.
2. Saute garlic for 2 minutes.
3. To garlic, add tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 10 minutes.
4. Add 1/4 TB Basil and simmer another 10 minutes
5. To create a white sauce, heat a separate pan and melt butter and whisk in flour, salt, pepper and a sprinkle of Nutmeg. Whisk in milk and bring to a bubble. Stir constantly and don't let sauce stick to bottom of pan. Cook 4 minutes, or until thickened.
6. In a casserole dish, mix noodles and tomato sauce. Press down slightly with wooden spoon.
7. Poor white sauce over the top BUT DO NOT MIX.
8. Sprinkle with Parmesan and Asiago cheeses and then top with Mozzarella chunks.
9. Broil on Low until cheese on top is melted and slightly browned. (approx 7 minutes). If broiled on High, watch carefully, remove after approx 3 minutes.

Reccomendation

So I tried this Pioneer Woman Cooks recipe. It was yummy, of course. Every recipe she makes is delicious. I cut it in half and I still had enough food to feed at least 12 people. :)

Whole-Wheat Pasta With Green Beans and Ricotta

Mmm! Thank you for this recipe, Giada de Laurentiis! Way easier than making a full-blown cheese sauce. I used rotini pasta and sauteed broccoli along with the green beans to get a double-dose of veggies.

1 pound whole-wheat linguine
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound French green beans, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 lemon, zested

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Transfer the hot pasta to a large bowl and add the ricotta cheese. Toss to combine.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the green beans, garlic, salt, and pepper and saute for 4 minutes. Add 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and continue cooking until tender, about 4 more minutes. Add the pasta with ricotta to the pan with the green beans and toss to combine. Add the tomatoes and gently toss. Transfer to a serving plate and top with lemon zest. Serve.

Paul's Baked Macaroni and Cheese

45 Minutes to Prepare and Cook Yields: 6 Servings Ingredients 8 ounces Elbow Macaroni 1 can campbell's cheddar cheese soup 1/2 cup non-fat milk 8 ounces 2% shredded colby jack cheese
Instructions 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. 2) Place macaroni in a 2 quart casserole dish. Stir in cheese soup and milk until well combined. Sprinkle with shredded Colby. 3) Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until cheese is brown and bubbly. Makes 6 servings
Source: Sparkrecipes.com

Man Soup

(This is named for my husband, who only likes really hearty soup)

1 package dried tortellini
2 cans of vegetable broth
1 cup of water
frozen green beans, french cut
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
boullion to taste
mix of rosemary, oregano, italian seasoning, and a salt-free spice blend (basically I just raided the spice cabinet until the broth smelled good and wasn't too salty.)
This recipe is very adaptable. If you like corn, add it, if you hate garbanzos, leave 'em out, etc. Even the spices are flexible--I think oregano is a keeper though.

1. Bring the water and broth to a boil. While it is heating up, open the chickpeas and rinse them under running water until they stop foaming. Then add them to the broth.
2. While the broth is heating up, add spices and bouillon to taste.
3. When the broth is boiling, add the frozen greenbeans. They heat through really quickly.
4. Bring the broth to a boil again.
5. Add the tortellini and cook to the manufacturer's instructions (mine took about 12 minutes)
6. Serve.
This whole thing takes about 25 minutes, and used just stuff we had in the kitchen. Its very filling, and makes good leftovers--although by the next day, this is way too thick to still qualify as soup. :)

Creamy Chicken Lasagna

So I got this recipe from my Relief Society; they asked for volunteers to make it for a night that we do dinner at the local soup kitchen. It's the kind of excessively creamy recipe I normally try to avoid because of its astronomical caloric contribution, but since it was for charity: I made it. I also made an extra one for us (I used all fat-free and "healthy request" products trying to cut the fat a little bit). To my chagrin, it was quite delicious and my husband had thirds. Man. I hate being reminded that sometimes unhealthiness is super-yummy.

(The recipe format is weird; this is how I received it.)


Cook until done:
3 whole chicken breasts (then cut up)
9 lasagna noodles

Mix together:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2/3 c. milk
8 oz. cream cheese
1 pint sour cream
1 tsp. poultry seasoning

Add to sauce:
the chicken breasts

Also get ready:
1/2 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese
Breadcrumbs

Layer in a 9 x 13 pan:
Noodles on bottom
Sauce, chicken and cheese
Repeat layers
Breadcrumbs

Bake at 375 degrees for at least 30 minutes.

Spaghetti Frittata

I'm putting the original recipe up here. When I made it, I used tomatoes and broccoli instead of the vegetables suggested here and it came out delicious. You could use any veggies that your family likes (or even, I imagine, frozen mixed vegetables).

8 oz. spaghetti (cook it as you're doing everything else)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
8 eggs, slightly beaten
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet on stovetop on medium-high. Add onions and mushrooms; cook and stir 5 min. or until onions are crisp-tender. Add zucchini and tomatoes with their liquid. Cook 10 min or until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.

Mix cooked pasta, eggs, and 1/2 cup of the cheese in a large bowl; mix well. Add to vegetables in skillet; stir until well blendded. Cook on medium-low heat 5 min. or until bottom of frittata is set. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.

Put the skillet in the oven; bake 10 min, or until the center is set. Cut into wedges to serve.

Easy Ravioli Lasagna

1 package frozen cheese-filled Ravioli
1 package frozen chopped spinach- thawed with water squeezed out
Grated mozzarella- about 2 cups
1 26 oz. jar marinara sauce (or about 1 qt. homemade)
Grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup)

1. Place a little marinara sauce in a 9 X 13 pan
2. Put half of frozen ravioli on top of sauce
3. Break up thawed spinach and put over the pasta.
4. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over spinach.
5. Put the rest of the Ravioli over the spinach and cheese.
6. Spread marinara sauce over all.
7. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over sauce. You may sprinkle some Parmesan with the mozzarella.
8. Bake in oven at 350 until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling up on sides, about 30-40 minutes.

Ricotta Filling

I've finally found a recipe for filling for manicotti/lasagna/shells, so I thought I'd share. I've been looking for a good combination of cheese/herbs/creaminess for a while now....EUREKA!!!

mix together:

32oz Ricotta cheese (I really don't like the cottage cheese substitution, especially because ricotta is cheaper where I live, but I'm sure it'd work just fine in this recipe if you run it through the blender).
4oz cream cheese (I use the neufchatel...save some calories where I can)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Enjoy!