Mediterranean Pasta

I’ve really been liking the Mediterranean flavors lately, not to mention that the fact that I found out I like artichokes. This is a pretty quick and easy dish that was inspired by something my husband once had at a restaurant. It was penne pasta that was tossed with olives and various other things with a basil cream sauce. I opted for a tomato base and large wide noodles, oh and I added in some chicken for protein too.  It’s great for summer time as it has zucchini and yellow summer squash in it which you can always find in abundance. The flavors mesh really well, nothing is to over powering which makes it a really successful dish.
What You Need:
1 tbs olive oil
1lb chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
1 medium zucchini, cut into bite size pieces
1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into bite size pieces
1 can artichoke quarters
1 1/2 c crush tomatoes
1/2 c pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 tbs dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
1/2 lb pasta, cooked till al dente and drained (use either a wide flat noodle or a hallow noodle like penne)
What To Do:
Place a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook in the skillet with the olive oil until no more pink is showing. Add in the zucchini, yellow squash, artichoke quarters and garlic and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through and the squash is tender but not not mush. Add in the crushed tomatoes, oregano and more salt and pepper if needed. Cook for a few minutes or until the sauce has started to bubble. Stir in the olives and toss it all together with the pasta before serving.

Cheese Steak Pasta

I have had this idea in my head for a while, it just sort of came to me. I thought I was a real genius! I had never heard of anyone making a cheese steak pasta dish before. I did a quick search to confirm my genius and it turns out I wasn't as great as I though. How the mighty have fallen! At any rate, pasta, cheese, steak, onion and peppers? Yes please! I used pappardelle pasta for this dish. The very wide flat noodle worked perfectly so that the whole dish intertwined. If you don't have access to pappardelle, tagliatelle or even fettuccine would work just as well. This recipe makes a ton of food. I really thought I was going to have lots of leftovers and be able to enjoy it the again the next night. I was wrong, my husband and his brother gobbled it down. I thought they were going to lick the bowl clean! You are sure to love this recipe!

What You Need:

1 lb pappardelle pasta
1 lb steak (sirloin or london broil work well), very thinly sliced
2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
2 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups milk
3tbs flour
1/3 lb shredded Gruyère
1/2 lb provolone
salt and pepper

What To Do:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In the meantime, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, cook the steak, in batches if necessary, until browned and almost cooked. To help cut the steak very thin, place it in the freezer for 15-20 before slicing. This will firm the meat up a bit and help in the slicing. Once the meat is cooked, remove to a large bowl, leaving behind any drippings. Cook the onions, peppers and garlic in the same pan until the onions are translucent and the peppers have softened. Once done, remove the bowl with the steak. Once your water starts to boil, salt it heavily and toss in the pasta. While the pasta is cooking, whisk the 3 tbs of flour with the drippings from cooking the meat and peppers. Slowly whisk in the milk, turn the heat to high and whisk often until the milk has thickened slightly. Season with salt and pepper and slowly whisk in the cheeses a little bit at a time. Turn the heat to low to keep it warm until the pasta is done. Place the meat and pepper mixture into the pot with the cheese, to warm it back through. Once the pasta is cooked, toss everything together and serve.

Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli

Mac and cheese makes a great comfort food for a cold winters night, but it's also great to eat any time of year. I'm not talking about the boxed pasta with that powdery cheese, or even the deluxe version with over powering fake cheese sauce. I'm talking about the creamy, luscious, real cheese sauce that coats every inch of the pasta you're using. The traditional pasta, of course, is macaroni, but I like to use a corkscrew pasta or even a medium shell pasta. When using shells, they fill up with cheese and it's just so ooey gooey and yummy. Plus, because this is mac and cheese, your kids are sure to eat it up! I make it a complete meal by throwing in some chicken breast and broccoli too. I also use a blend of three cheeses. The Gruyère and Cheddar provide the flavor, while the fontina adds creaminess.

What You Need:

1lb pound of pasta (macaroni, shell, etc)
1/2 lb (8oz) Gruyère cheese (shredded)
1/2 lb (8oz)  extra-sharp cheddar  (shredded)
1/4 lb (4oz) fontina cheese  (shredded)
4 tbs butter
4 tbs flour
4 cups milk
1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1 lb broccoli, fresh or frozen cut into bite size pieces
1/4 tsp fresh nutmeg
salt and pepper

What To Do:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once it boils, salt it heavily and cook your pasta a minute or two shy of doneness because it will continue to cook in the cheese sauce. During the last few minutes, add in your broccoli, obviously if you're using fresh, it will take a bit longer to cook then frozen which really just needs to be heated through.
Meanwhile, in a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and let cook for a minute or two to remove the flour taste. Very slowly, whisk in the milk to prevent lumps. Turn the heat to medium high and bring to a bubble so that it thickens about 10 minutes. Once the milk has thickened a bit, slowly stir in the cheeses, little by little, waiting until the additional has melted before adding in more. Stir in the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Add in the bite sized chicken and let cook over low heat for about 5 minutes. This will start the chicken cooking.
Once the pasta is cooked, stir it and the broccoli into the cheese sauce. Place into a large casserole dish that has been lightly sprayed with oil or cooking spray and bake in a preheated 350 oven for about 30 minutes or until it's bubble and a bit browned on top. You can always give it a sprinkle with bread crumbs before baking too which would give it a bit of crunch on top, or even some crushed up cheese doodles.

Peas and Pasta

I am sitting here, watching the newest episode of Grey's Anatomy while I type up this recipe. It will probably take me the full hour to type this quick and easy pasta dish but that is only because I am obsessed with Grey's.It is my favorite show. So onto the recipe. Creamy ricotta cheese is mixed with smushed up peas and then thinned out with some pasta cooking water to make a delicious sauce for penne pasta. There isn't much in the way of flavor to this dish so seasoning it well will go along away. The basic recipe was something that Rachel Ray did not that long ago. I added some garlic and red pepper flakes to boost up the flavor a bit. If you want your kids to scarf this down, (which it's really kid friendly, I mean green pasta? What's for kids not to like!) just omit the red pepper, unless your kids are like mine and enjoy spicy things.

What You Need:

2 cups frozen peas
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 c chicken stock
2 clove garlic, minced finely
dash red pepper flakes
1/2 c parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1 lb penne pasta with the ridges

What To Do:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt heavily. Cook the pasta according to package directions, making sure to save about a cup of pasta water to help thin out the sauce.
In a small sauce pan over medium low heat, cook the peas until hot, about 5 minutes or so. Remove 1/2 c of the peas and set aside. Mash the rest of the peas and stock with the garlic and red pepper or place in a food processor and puree, then stir it together with the ricotta, parmesan, salt and lots of pepper. If the sauce is a little thick, use some of the pasta water to thin it out. Combine the pea and ricotta mixture with the pasta and whole peas that you set aside. Serve.

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

Alfredo sauce is dubbed a "heart attack on a plate" and that is because it is normally made with tons of heavy cream and butter. While my version still has some calories, it's reduced quite a bit by using 2% milk instead of the heavy cream. It doesn't lack in flavor with lots of garlic and Parmesan cheese too. To make this dish a complete meal, I added in some broccoli and sauteed chicken breast. Toss everything together with pasta and you have a big plate of yummy!

What You Need:

4 tbs butter

2 cups milk

2 tbs flour

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 c Parmesan cheese

2 chicken breast

1lb fresh broccoli crowns, cut up

1lb pasta such as fettuccine, or spaghetti

salt and pepper

1 tbs oil

What To Do:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Once it boils, salt it heavily and cook your pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a sautee pan, heat the 1 tbs of oil over medium high heat. Season your chicken breast with salt and pepper. Once the pan is nice and hot, add your chicken, cooking a few minutes per side, or until cooked all the way through. Once cooked set a side to rest. 

To make the sauce, in a pot or large skillet, sautee the minced garlic in the 4 tbs of butter over medium heat. Once the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute, whisk in the flour and let cook for another minute or two to remove the "flour" taste. Slowly whisk in the 2 cups of milk to prevent lumps, bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often until it has thickened a bit. Reduce the heat to medium/low and slowly stir int he parmesan cheese until melted.

During the last few minutes of the pasta cooking, add in the broccoli. Once both are cooked, drained and toss in the pot with the sauce.

Slice your chicken breast and either serve on top or toss together with the pasta.

Mediterranean Salad

I love the flavors of the Mediterranean, Greece especially. They are bright, crisp and fresh. Lemons, feta cheese, kalamata olives, olive oil, all great ingredients and when they are paired together in this salad, it's like an explosion in your mouth. I found a blend in my local grocery store that contained Israeli couscous which is bigger then those tiny seeds that you mostly see marketed as couscous as well as tri-colored orzo pasta, which looks like rice, and red quinoa which is a great source of protein. It was about 1 1/2 cups total. If you can't find a blend like this in your grocery store, you can substitute 1 cup of Israeli couscouse, 1/4 c orzo, and 1/4 c of quinoa. Mix this together in a pot with 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover, leaving the lid vented and let simmer for 12 minutes. After that time, turn the heat off and let rest for 5 minutes before continuing.

What You Need:

1 1/2 c couscous blend, cooked to package directions
juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
a small handful of fresh parsley
salt and pepper
1/2 English cucumber
1/2 c kalamata olives, halved
1/2 c feta cheese
5 or 6 sun dried tomatoes

What To Do:

While the pasta blend is cooking, make the dressing by grating the garlic into the lemon juice and zest. Add in the oregano but giving it a smush between your fingers to waken the oil and then slowly whisk in the extra virgin olive oil. Season with some salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and once the pasta is finished cooking, stir that in as well. You want to stir the pasta with the vinaigrette while it's warm so that it sucks up all the flavors. Set it aside to cool while you get the rest of the salad together. Cut the cucumber down the middle and scrape out the few seeds with a spoon. Cut it into half moons and set aside. Slice the sun dried tomatoes into strips and then in half. Stir the cucumbers, olives, feta and tomatoes into the salad and serve at room temp, or chill and serve cold.

Split Pea Soup

Maybe it's the very cold weather, or the fact that it's been snowing almost every day, but for whatever reason, I've been on a soup kick. I've said before that I'm not a soup person, but this winter I find myself enjoying it more and more. Home made split pea soup has also been close to my heart. It's inexpensive to make, gets flavor from a ham bone or ham hocks which are things that are generally thrown away, and the big pot that I make can be frozen and then enjoyed at a later date. I enjoy very thick split pea soup, so thick you could eat it with a fork. If you prefer your soup to be well, soupy, just add some more water or veggie stock towards the end.

What You Need:

1/4 lb bacon, diced
2 cups (1lb) split peas
1 left over bone from a ham or 2 smoked ham hocks
2 carrots, small diced
4 stalks of celery, small diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lrg onion, small diced
1 potato, peeled and small diced
6 cups of water or veggie stock (chicken works well too)
salt and pepper

What To Do:

Making split pea soup is a process, but not to much work. In a large pot, place the ham bone, ham hocks or both and cover it with the veggie stock or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let simmer for about 30 minutes. This gets the flavor out of the bones and loosens the ham from the bones as well. Remove the bone/hocks and set aside to cool. In a large soup pot, over medium heat, render all the fat out of the bacon. Once the bacon is nice and crispy, remove it from the pan and add in all the diced veggies. Cook until softened and make sure to season them well with salt and pepper. After the veggies are softened, stir in the split peas and let them cook for just a minute or two. This allows them to soak up the flavors from the bacon and the veggies.

Pour the bone/hock cooking liquid over the peas to cover them. Give it a stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cover. Allow to cook for about 45-60 minutes or until the peas have lost their shape, making sure to stir on occasion. While the soup is cooking, remove as much of the meat as you can from the ham bone or hocks, diced it up and put into the soup pot. Once the peas are completely cooked. Turn the heat off and let it sit, covered for about 20-30 minutes. This keeps the soup hot, but because it cools a bit, it will be thickened. If it's too thick for you, just add in some more stock or water.

Spaghetti with Sausage and Fennel

I have been on a fennel kick lately. I love the flavor of this wonder veggie when it's cooked. The flavor becomes mild and sweet and when mixed with the sausage and tomatoes of this dish, it becomes even greater.  This is a recipe I've had around for awhile and honestly forgot about it. When I was looking for something different one night this immediately came to mind. It's simple to prepare and while it does take a little work to slices the fennel up, the whole dish is ready in no time!

What You Need:

1lb spaghetti (use a thicker one, not angle hair)
2 tbs olive oil
1 lb sweet italian sausage (bulk if you can find, otherwise just remove it from casings)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 bulb of fennel, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 c white wine
1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper

What To Do:

Place a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil for the pasta. Once it boils, salt it well and add the pasta, cooking until done.
In the meantime make the sauce by heating a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the sausage in the olive oil, breaking it up into small pieces while it's cooking. Once it's cooked through remove the sausage to a plate. If you need more oil, add another tablespoon or two to the pan and then add in the thinly sliced fennel and onion. After they start to cook and soften a  bit, add in the minced garlic. Try not to let the fennel and onions brown. If the pan gets to hot, just turn it down a bit. Once the veggies are soft, add in the wine and crushed tomatoes. Stir it together well and season it with lots of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and let simmer until the pasta is done.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain it well and add it into the sauce, tossing well to coat.

Chicken and Pasta a la Ruby

Chicken and Pasta a la Ruby is a dish that was inspired by something my husband once had at Ruby Tuesday. It was as if Chicken Parmesan and baked Ziti had a baby and covered it with alfredo sauce to keep it warm at night. This is comfort food to the max and definitely fills your belly on a cold night. This dish does take a little bit of effort but it's something you can do the morning of and still have it taste wonderful after you bake it. You can easily make this a quick dish by buying jared sauces but I tend to make my own. In the ingredients, I've said to use your favorite jarred pasta sauce but to make a quick sauce for this dish all I do is sautee some onions and garlic, add in a big can of crushed tomatoes, some oregano and parsly, let it simmer to thicken a bit and I have sauce that took very little effort.

What You Need:

Parmesan crusted chicken
1 jar favorite tomato pasta sauce
1lb ziti shapped pasta
4 cloves garlic
1 1/2 c milk
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
1 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs flour
salt and pepper

What To Do:

Make the parmesan crusted chicken as directed and set aside to cool.








Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cooked the ziti noodles until just barely done. You want them to have a slight "crunch" to them because they will continue to cook and absorb the sauce when you bake it in the oven. When the pasta is done, drain it and stir it together with the tomato pasta sauce. Transfer the pasta to a 13x9 pan with deep sides.



In a sauce pan, melt the butter together with the olive oil over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add in the garlic and cook it for about 30 seconds or until it's fragarant. Stir in the flour and cook for another minute to remove some of the flour taste. Slowly whisk in the milk so that you don't get lumps. Once the milk is all combined, turn the heat up to medium high and bring it just to a simmer so that it begins to thicken. Slowly whisk in the parmesan cheese and continue cooking until the cheese is all melted and you have alfredo sauce.



Pour about 2/3 of the sauce on top of the pasta. Place your parmesan crusted chicken on top of that and drizzle the rest of the sauce over the chicken. Bake in a preheat 350 oven for 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. If made early in the day and cold, bake for 1 hour.

Chicken Noodle Soup goes to Mexico!

What can I say about chicken noodle soup.... BORING! To be honest, I'm not much of a soup/stew/chilli person in general but every once in a while the mood hits me and I want something warm and comforting on a cold and rainy night. Instead of making the same old boring chicken noodle soup, I decided to add in a hint of mexico with a little bit of spice, and a big punch of flavor!

What You Need:

2 chicken breast, about 1lb, cut into bite sized pieces

1 large onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 large carrots, diced

3 stalks of celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

a big pinch of red pepper flakes

2 tsp cumin

2 tbs olive oil

salt and pepper

1 (28oz) can coarse crushed tomatoes (regular crushed is fine too)

3-4 cups chicken stock

1/2lb fresh cheese filled tortellini or mini ravioli

2 tbs chopped cilantro

Shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream are optional

What To Do:

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and the red pepper flakes together over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the veggies: onions, pepper, carrots, celery and garlic; along with a generous pinch of salt and lots of black pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes to soften the veggie and then add in the chicken and cumin. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is about 1/2 way cooked. Add in the crushed tomatoes and the chicken stock. Stir well and taste adding more salt and pepper if you'd like. Bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer at least 20 minutes but I like to let it simmer for about a hour. Bring the heat back up to medium and once you have a good bubble going on, add in the pasta. Give it a stir and put the cover back on, letting it cook for another 5-10 or until the pasta is cooked through. Stir in the cilantro and serve with shredded cheddar and sour cream if you'd like. You can also easily double the recipe to freeze for later. Just don't add in the pasta or cilantro until you're ready to serve it.

Pumpkin/Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

Fall is in full bloom (or lack thereof) here in Pennsylvania. The markets are being flooded with all the fall harvest has to offer. Apples, Pears, and all sorts of winter squash are every where you turn. Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the all the colors of the leaves and especially all the food. It's the time of year for comfort foods. Hearty soups, stews and pot pies are what this season is all about, they warm you from the inside out. This dish is no different. Tasty, sweet pumpkin and butternut squash turn savory with very little effort. Even better is that I can get my daughter to eat her veggies with this without even realizing it!

What You Need:

Approx 1 1/2lb butternut squash or pumpkin (or both)

2 carrots

Veg oil or melted butter

Salt and pepper

1 tsp dried sage

1 onion sautéed in a little butter or oil

1 c cream or milk

½ c parmesan cheese

1 tbs lemon juice

Fresh minced parsley for garnish (optional)

What To Do:


Preheat oven to 400. Quarter and seed squash. Brush cut sides with oil or melted butter and season with salt and pepper, placing them onto a sheet pan. Use two sheet pans if needed so that the squash have plenty of space for heat to get to all sides. Peel the carrots, brush with oil or melted butter, season with salt and pepper and place on the baking sheet with the squash. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the squash and carrots and soft. Let cool for a bit, the scoop flesh into a blender along with the carrots and sage and blend the milk or cream. Add the mixture to the sautéed onions and stir in the parm cheese and lemon juice. Serve over pasta. It goes really really well with cheese filled pastas.




Here's what Loni (working mom and wife) had to say:

We are not pumpkin people.  When Erica sent us a recipe for a pumpkin pasta sauce I was worried.  But then when I saw I could make the same recipe out of butternut squash I knew I could do this.  To be honest I had never cooked a butternet squash before.  Parker had had plenty of it for baby food but I bought Gerber.  At least I knew he liked the flavor so I thought I'd be safe giving it to him.  I wasn't sure if I liked butternet squash or not.  Now I know, I do, at least as a pasta sauce!  And it really feels like fall when you're eating it!

I loved that the recipe had carrots in it.  First of all I have had a love affair with them lately and I don't know why, but also they added color to the recipe.  I think with the orangey-ness of the sauce Parker thought it was macaroni and cheese, and he ate it as if it was too, good sign!! He loved it, ate two servings of it over plain pasta.  Erica said it would be good with a filled pasta which I would have loved to have tried, but we didn't have any.  I served the sauce over plain penne and sprinkled some more parmesan cheese on top.  It was delightful, perfect for a quick meal yet hearty enough to be full!  I like that the hint of lemon juice gave it such a nice fresh flavor.  And even better is that I have extra sauce, (it makes plenty!) so hopefully I can get to the store and buy some filled pastas. 

Halushki

Halushki is a Slovakian dish of noddles and cabbage, however my husband calls this pasta dish by the same name. Is this the true name? Probably not but it's what his grandfather calls it as well. In fact it seems like every dish is called Halushki and that is most likely because of my ignorance of Slovakian cuisine and pronunciations of their dishes. When my husband first asked me to make him this dish we were house sitting for a friend of my moms. I was looking for simple things to make while we were there so I didn't have much to clean. Now I do have to warn you, I gave my husband a look of disgust when he told me just what was in this pasta. The three main ingredients are very good on their own but I was very skeptical how well they would taste together. In all honesty, I was scared to eat it!!! I made it for him anyway, always a firm believer that something has to be tried before saying that it's gross. While I apply this rule to all food items you will never see me try a Rocky Mountain Oyster or Chitterlings/Chitlins. If you're not familiar with what those two dishes are then I encourage you to click the links and expand your culinary mind. If you've ever had either of those dishes, please let me know how they were!

Back to the matter at hand. I know this dish is going to seem strange to a lot of you, but I do urge you to take a walk on the wild side and give it a try.

What You Need:

1lb box small shell pasta

3 large onions, sliced

2 tbs butter

1 tbs olive oil

1 (16oz) container small curd cottage cheese

salt 

pepper

What To Do:

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, heat the butter and olive oil together in a large skillet. Sauté the onions over medium heat, until caramelized. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat to the lowest possible setting and add in the cottage cheese. Drain the pasta and add to the skillet with the onions and cottage cheese. Stir together well. The cottage cheese will almost melt and coat the pasta. Serve as a side or main dish.

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese all baked together till hot and bubbly is a dish that will please anyone. It's one of those simple dishes that taste wonderful any time of year. It can be made in several different ways but I prefer to make Parmesan Crusted chicken and go from there. I promise this is one dish that won't disappoint you in the slightest. Serve it with some spaghetti and steamed broccoli for a complete meal.

What You Need:

Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Jar of your favorite pasta sauce
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

What To Do:

Spread some of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish. Place the chicken in a single layer and cover with more sauce. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake in a preheat 350 degree oven until hot and bubbly and the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes.

Eggplant and Sausage Pasta Bake

I love eggplant but I was getting a little tired of eggplant parmesan and I needed something easy to feed a crowd one night. That is how this dish was born. Sautéed eggplant combined with sweet Italian sausage, pasta and fresh mozzarella cheese are combined with tomato sauce and baked together for a delectable dish. It's simple to throw together even though it has a few steps to get it going. It's a great comfort food and perfect for when company is coming over because one pan will fill the bellies of many. Serve it with some garlic bread and a garden salad to complete the meal.

What You Need:

6 links of Italian sausage (about 1lb)

1 large eggplant, (about 1 1/2lbs) cut into 1 inch cubes

1lb of tube shaped pasta such as penne or rigatoni

1 (28oz) can of crushed tomatoes

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1lb of fresh mozzarella cheese

Veg oil

salt and pepper

What To Do:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions and your liking.

Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, brown the eggplant in veg oil, working in batches if needed so that the pan isn't over crowded. Remove to paper toweling to drain an excess oil and season with a sprinkle of salt.

In the same pan, brown the sausage, making sure to cook it almost all the way through. When done, set aside to cool for a bit. 

Again, the in the same pan, sauté the onion and garlic, adding in more oil if needed. Once the onion is soft add in the crushed tomatoes and oregano. Season with salt and pepper and let simmer for about 15 minutes to make a sauce.

While the sauce is simmering, slice the sausage into bite sized pieces. Cut 2/3 of the mozzarella into cubes, and thinly slice the rest, setting it all aside for later.

In a large bowl, combine the pasta, sauce, eggplant, sausage and cubed mozzarella, mixing it well so that everything is even distributed. 

Place into a 13x9 pan and top with the slices of mozzarella. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly and the cheese has melted.

Stove Top Eggplant Parmesan

I know I've said this a lot lately but during the summer, I honestly hate truing on the oven. It's hot enough without adding the heat of turning on my gas stove. It does, however, leave few choices on what to make for supper. I can't tell you how many cheeseburgers, BBQ Chicken samies, and bratwurst we've eaten since the weather has gotten hot. Craving something different, I started digging through my freezer and found some eggplant I had left over from the the last time I made eggplant Parmesan. During the colder months when I do use my oven quite a bit, I tend to make extra of whatever it is that I'm making that night. Eggplant, that has been breaded and cooked freezes well and I thought to myself, well it's just eggplant, tomato sauce and cheese so why can't I do it on top of the stove? I tried it and it was pretty darn good! Took a lot less time too, since the eggplant was already made and I just basically heating everything through. If you don't have any already cooked eggplant in your freezer, you can easily make some for the dish by slicing the eggplant into rounds, breading it by dipping it into egg and then into bread crumbs and cooking in a tiny bit of oil in a skillet. I cooked up some spaghetti and made a quick salad to go along with it. There was plenty of sauce in the pan with the eggplant for the spaghetti so I didn't have to make any extra.

What You Need:

Several slices of breaded and cooked eggplant
1 (28oz) crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

What To Do:

In a large skillet, heat the tomatoes together with the oregano and garlic. Let simmer for about 15 minutes. Arrange the slices of eggplant into the sauce, pressing them down to be covered.






Sprinkle with cheese. Place a lid on and simmer for another 5-10 minutes until the eggplant is heated through and the cheese is melted.

Bacon and Leek Spaghetti

This is a very simple, flavorful recipe that is great for using up all the wild leeks that seem to grow around here. They really are more like a scallion then a leek and are called Ramps. Ramps have a red cast to them but the onion flavor is still there. They grow all over the place in my area and start showing up in late spring. In the fall and winter time when I can't go into my back yard and pull some up, I purchase the leeks that everyone is used too right at my grocery store. Leeks have a sweet, oniony flavor and can be used in several dishes. They should be firm, with dark green leaves and the medium ones (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter) have the best flavor. Leeks need to be washed very well because of the way they grow, the soil and sand gets trapped in between each of the layers. To clean them, cut off the dark green tops and remove the tough outer leaves. Slice them down the middle and rinse well under water. You can also slice them into half moons and place in a large bowl, full of cold water. Agitate them with your hands a bit to help loosen the dirt and then just let them sit for about 10 minutes so that all the dirt falls to the bottom of the bowl. Then just carefully remove the leeks without stirring up the water, and they'll be ready to go!

What You Need:

3 leeks, sliced in half moons and cleaned
2 tbs olive oil
5-6 slices of bacon, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper
1 (28oz can) crushed tomatoes
A handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
1 lb spaghetti
Grated Parmesan Cheese

What To Do:


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.

In a deep skillet over medium high heat, cook the bacon in the olive oil until crisp. Add in the garlic and leeks and cook for a few minutes to soften and bring out their flavor.

Season with some salt and pepper and add in the can of tomatoes. Give it a stir and let simmer over low heat while you cook the pasta. This lets the sauce thicken. Once the pasta is done, add the parley into the sauce and then toss it all with the spaghetti.
Serve with more chopped parsley on to and a good handful of grated parmesan cheese sprinkled over it. Make sure to have some nice crusty bread to mop up the sauce and serve it with a nice garden salad.

Pasta with Summer Squash

If you have every grown any type of summer squash you know by the end of the season you have quite the collection of these long green or yellow veggies. Zucchini is one of my favorite veggies and because of it's light flavor it's a very versatile vegetable. It can be shredded up and baked into a sweet quick bread, or hidden in pasta sauce and other dishes to get your kids to eat more veggies. In this dish it's combined with yellow summer squash and lots of garlic for a very quick meal. The skin is completely edible on summer squash, so just give it a light scrub and you're ready to eat it. The skin is not only packed with lots of vitamins and other good stuff but it also gives the dish some color. I really hope you enjoy this pasta dish. It's one of my favorite ways to use up some squash!

What You Need:

2 small zucchini, cut into chunks

2 small yellow squash, cut into chunks

4-5 large cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 c olive

1/4 c white wine

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 box of penne rigate or rigatoni pasta

salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese

What To Do:

Fill a large pot of water and set over high to boil for the pasta. Once it boils add in a generous pinch of salt and the pasta. Cook till al dente.

While your waiting for the pasta, start the squash. Place a skillet over high heat. Add in the olive oil. Once it's hot, add in the garlic, and immediately add in the squash, giving it all a toss so that the garlic doesn't burn. Season with some salt and pepper. You want to sautee the squash so that it's a light golden brown. I know it seems like a lot of oil, but the squash will absorb some and the rest is used for the sauce. Once the squash is done, your pasta should be done, so drain it and return it to the pot. Add the white wine to the skillet with the squash and let it cook just a for a few minutes so that the alcohol cooks off and the wine reduces just a bit. Add in the oregano and give it a stir. Pour it all over the pasta and toss it well. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top. 

H A P P Y  C O O K I N G !!

Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata was one thing I never imagine eating, let alone making. Why? Because I hadn't the foggiest what capers, a main ingredient, were or even what they tasted like. So finally I just said what the heck and bought a couple lemmons and a jar of capers and went to work. I have to say it was really good. I thought it was time to find out what capers where. I had thought that they were simply a undried peppercorn but to my surprise they are actually a flower bud from a perennial spiny bush that is normally found in the Mediterranean region. They are picked and either salted or brined. I served the chicken with Parmesan Pepper spaghetti and roasted broccoli with garlic and I've included those recipes here as well.

What you need:

4 chicken cutlets or 2 larger chicken breast, butterflied, then cut in half and pounded semi-thin
salt and pepper
flour for dredging
4 tbs butter
6 tbs olive oil
1/3 c lemon juice
1/2 c white wine
1/4 c capers
parsley

What to do:

Season each piece of chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Melt 1 tbs of butter with 3 tbs olive oil. Once hot, cook chicken a few minutes on each side or until browned. Remove to a plate, add in another tbs of butter and remaining olive oil and finish cooking the rest of the chicken. Remove to plate. Whisk in lemon juice, wine and capers to deglaze the pan, scraping up any bit on the bottom. Return the chicken to the pan and let simmer in the sauce for about 5 minutes. Remove chicken to a serving platter and whisk the remaining two tbs of butter into your sauce, then pour it over the chicken.

Parmesan Pepper Spaghetti:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a bowl and cook 1 lb of spaghetti until al dente. Drain, saving about a cup of the cooking water. Toss the spaghetti with 1 tbs olive oil, 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese and several grinds of fresh black pepper. Use the pasta water to help melt the cheese and get it to stick to the pasta.

Roasted Broccoli:

Take two boxes of frozen broccoli spears out and let them thaw. Place them on a baking pan. Drizzle with a good amount of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle two cloves of chopped garlic over it. Toss it all together with your hands and bake in the oven at 350 degree for about 45 or until the broccoli is cooked through and has started to brown.

H A P P Y  C O O K I N G !!

Farfalle (bowtie) Pasta Salad

My daughter has troubles with foods that are high in acid, such as tomatoes. It's hard finding things for her to eat sometimes as we are a big pasta family. One week grocery shopping, I came across a jar of this green stuff with a layer of oil on top. It was basil pesto. Pesto was something I had never had growing up. My dad was very much a meat and potatoes man and "strange" or different things never really graced our table. So now in my adult, married with children life, I have vowed to try to new things. Pesto was one of the first things I tried. Originally I bought the jar so that my daughter could have something else on her pasta. Then of course I had to experiment with other dishes as well. Once a month my husband and I would try a different cheese and around the same time I bought the pesto, I bought some feta cheese. Feta has a tangy flavor and I felt it would go great with the flavors of the basil and garlic that pesto is made with. I cooked some pasta and while it was still nice and hot, I stirred in the pesto. The pasta soaked up all the flavors and was absolutely delicious! This pasta salad has become one that I make often, especially in the summer time when I do a lot of grilling. It takes minutes to make too which is another reason I love it.


What you need:
1lb box bowtie (farfalle) pasta
1/2  c basil pesto
1/2 feta cheese, crumbled
3 or 4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half


What to do:
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water, according to the package directions.  Drain and while it's still hot stir in the pesto until the pasta is coated. Then stir in the feta cheese, scallions and tomatoes. Refrigerate until cold. You can serve it with just about anything!





H A P P Y  C O O K I N G !!

Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Kinda spicy, kinda creamy, totally different! Chicken seasoned and grilled then simmered in a spicy buffalo wing sauce plus a mac and cheese that your momma would never have thought to make! This meal is quick and easy, yet very very impressive and perfect for a dinner party. This serves 4 but is easily doubled.

Ingredients:
Spice Rub:
    1tbs paprika
    1 tsp chili powder
    1 tsp ancho or cayenne pepper
    1 tbs ground cumin
    1 tsp celery salt
Sauce:
    2 tbs butter
    2 tbs veg oil
    4 tbs flour
    2 c milk
    1/3 c blue cheese, plus more for garnish
1lbs chicken tenders or breasts cut into strips
1/2 c your favorite hot sauce or buffalo wing sauce
2 tbs salt
1 lb box rigatoni pasta

Directions:
Bing a large pot of water to a boil. Add in the salt and pasta and cook till al dente.
Meanwhile, mix the spices together and rub into the chicken pieces. You won't need all the spice rub, so save the rest for another time. Grill or saute quickly on both sides. In a small sauce pan heat the hot sauce and add in the chicken. Cook over medium until the chicken is cooked though, about 5 mins.
Once the pasta is cooked, leave it in a colander while you prepare the sauce in the pasta pot. Melt the butter and oil together over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and let cook for a min or two, then while whisking, quickly pour in the milk, making sure to get all the flour whisked in. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn. Once it boils, reduce heat back to medium and add in the blue cheese. When it has almost completely melted, stir in the pasta.
To serve, divide the pasta among four plates. Top each with a few pieces of chicken the drizzle some of the hot sauce over the top. Finish it with some blue cheese crumbles on top. Serve with a tossed salad and some hard bread!


H A P P Y  C O O K I N G !!