Weeknight Pasta

I recently have found a new love for frozen pasta.  They are so easy and quick to make, come in a huge variety of flavors, and are perfect when you can't muster up a thought for dinner.  Bonus, kids totally dim them! You can bulk up the pasta with healthy veggies and other flavorings to fit your families tastes.  In this particular dish the addition of toasted breadcrumbs on top catapulted it from good to awesome, so I would recommend not skipping that step.  Otherwise, mix it up and enjoy!

Ingredients:
family size frozen tortellini - (I used spinach pasta stuffed with ricotta cheese)
olive oil
salt/pepper
1 onion, diced
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 bunch of rainbow chard
1/2c. seasoned bread crumbs

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss onions and squash in 1-2T of olive oil and season with salt and pepper, place on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes or until veggies are tender and slightly caramelized (turn once halfway through baking).  Boil frozen pasta according to package.   Meanwhile chop the chard leaves (discard stems or save for veggie stock) and sauté in olive oil and season with salt and pepper, cook until leaves are wilted and tender and set aside in a bowl.  Wipe the chard pan clean with a paper towel and put back on heat.  Add 2t. of olive oil to pan and add bread crumbs and a touch of salt, toss and toast the crumbs for 3-5 minutes on med heat and set aside.  Add the chard, pasta and roasted veggies together and toss to combine ( add a ladle full of pasta water to the dish make a light sauce).  Top each potion with bread crumbs. Yum, yum, yum!

And. I'm back.

 It has been a rough and hectic couple of months for me as some of you may know. While I am writing none of this to gather sympathy, I feel the need to put it out there in the world, as part of letting go and moving on.  My dog, Zoe, whom has been with me through college, single life, marriage, and motherhood passed away in September, heart wrenching.  Shortly after we discovered I was pregnant, only to find out a month later that it ended in a miscarriage. Words just can't describe how hard a miscarriage is, both physically and mentally.   In light of recent events, I know my problems are hardly much to talk about and I have SO much to be thankful for. I lead a beautiful and blessed life.  And so it's time to get back to being me, talking food, finding joy and happiness in the little things, and enjoying life.  

                                  Panzanella with Mediterranean Flair

To kickstart my return to blogging I made an easy and versatile salad.  It would make a wonderful side dish with your holiday meal or light lunch/dinner.  I hope you enjoy!

For the *Vinaigrette:

2t. dijon

zest of 1 lemon

1 clove garlic, grated

4T. olive oil

2T. lemon juice

salt/pepper

2t. honey

*make sure to taste for seasoning!

For the Salad:

1/2-3/4 of day old baguette cut into 1" cubes

2T. olive oil

salt/pepper

1 avacado, sliced

1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 english cucumber, diced

8oz arugula

1/4 cup chopped parsley

4 soft boiled eggs, halved or diced (add eggs into cold water, heat to boil, turn off stove and cover for 7 minutes, cool eggs to stop the cooking)

 

Add all the vinaigrette ingredients into a jar with tight fitting lid, shake vigorously until combined.  In a large sauté pan add olive oil and bread cubes, season with salt and pepper.  Coat bread with oil and cook until it becomes crunchy and slightly browned, about 5 minutes.  In a large salad bowl combine all of the salad ingredients, including the bread, and toss with as much vinaigrette as you like.     

Not Your Typical Salad

Monday nights are officially salad night in our home.  After I whipped up a few seriously good salads, it was my husbands idea (shock, awe) that we should be having these suckers weekly.  What to put in a salad is really as endless as pasta, tacos, and stir fry.  Start with some greens (or not) and just add whatever floats your boat.  This particular salad was pretty rockstar, if I do say so myself, so feel free make this your next meal. Something tells me your family will love it!  

Roasted Beet, Goat Cheese, and Salmon Salad

*for the vinaigrette/marinade:

4 T. olive oil

2T. red wine vinegar

2T. honey

2t. dijon mustard

salt/pepper

*Honestly, I never measure out my vinaigrettes but usually a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 2 parts oil works well. Just taste and refine as you go.

for the salad:

salmon

arugula

toasted walnuts

goat cheese

cooked green beans, cut into 1" pieces

roasted beets (peel, and cut. toss with olive oil slap and pepper.  roast in a foil pack at 400 degrees for about an hour, serve warm or room temp.)

Mix the vinaigrette directly into the bowl that you will be making your salad.  Season the salmon with salt and pepper and drizzle a small amount of vinaigrette over the top of each filet.  With a non stick skillet on med high heat add a tablespoon of olive oil, add the salmon flesh side down once the pan is nice and hot.  Let cook for about 4 minutes per side (I like to do a little longer on the flesh side and a few minutes shy on the skin side so the flesh side gets nice and browned).  Meanwhile add arugula, walnuts, goat cheese, green beans, and beets to the bowl with the vinaigrette, toss together and arrange on plates.  Top with cooked salmon and enjoy.  Easy peasy.

Beer Battered Green Bean Bundles

I am still not sure how this happened…while discussing our options for dinner last night, (veggie pizza, or soup) I was somehow coaxed into making fried green beans for an appetizer.  Now, appetizers are not coming place in our house (unless we are entertaining) and I rarely pour a quart of oil in a pan to cook our food, but what can I say?  I admit I was a bit intrigued how they'd turn out and had a ton of green beans in the fridge that needed to be eaten, like, yesterday. And so, Monday night appetizers were had.  They were, in a word, amazing, and a perfect addition to some Monday Night Football.  I saved the oil and plan on making beet chips later this week... the deep frying gods are calling my name!  Let's hope I don't make a habit out of this.  

Batter and Bundles

The Finished Product, Complete with Sriracha Mayo

1 quart oil ( I used canola, but any high heat oil will work)

1 lb green beans (steamed to crisp tender)

1 c. beer

1 c. flour

2 t. salt

1 t. pepper

2 T. mayo

1/2 t. sriracha

toothpicks

Heat oil in a large pot to 375 degrees (a candy thermometer comes in very handy here).  Meanwhile string about 5 green beans on each toothpick until you have them all bundled.  Whisk the beer, flour, salt and pepper together in a large bowl (should be consistency of pancake batter, add more flour or beer if needed).  Once the oil has heated, dip the bundles in the batter, draining off any excess and set gently in oil.  Let cook until batter turns golden, about 5 minutes, turning at least once.  Take out of oil with a spider instrument and set on a paper towel lined plate.  Season with salt.  Mix the mayo and sriracha for a quick and tasty dip.  Yum!

Creamy Zucchini Bake

I am starting to dread when a new zucchini pops up in my garden.  Another followed by another, what the crap am I supposed to do with all of these?  Thank goodness for a random Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives I happened to watch that mentioned a killer zucchini bake some BBQ joint serves as a side.  "That's it!" A solution to all those squash and zucchini ominously staring at me every time I open my fridge.  While it's not the healthiest of vegetable sides, it is low carb and gluten free, (just don't top with the breadcrumbs).   So bake it up, serve it with a nice steak, a baked sweet potato and you'll have the perfect weekend dinner. 

8-10 med zucchini and/or squash

1 T. olive oil

1t. salt

1/2t. pepper

6 T. butter, divided

1/4 c. flour

2 c. milk

1 c. sharp cheddar cheese shredded

3/4 c. bread crumbs

1/2 c. parmesan cheese, shredded

chives (optional)

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Dice all the zucchini and squash into 1/2" chunks.  Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over med heat, add zucchini, salt and pepper.  Cook for 10-15 minutes until the zucchini is tender.  Set aside.  Meanwhile, in a sauce pan over med heat, melt 3T. butter, whisk in flour and cook for about 1 minute (until the raw flour taste is cooked out).  Next, whisk in milk and cheese and bring to a bubble, season with salt and pepper to taste.  In a separate bowl melt the remaining 3T. of butter and mix with the breadcrumbs and parmesan, set aside.  Combine the cheese mixture with the cooked zucchini and pour into a oven proof baking dish.  Top with breadcrumb mixture and bake for about 20 minutes, until top is golden and bubbly.  Garnish with chives.  Enjoy!

Summer! Not over yet.

Oh September, such a wonderful month.  Football begins, there's a slight chill in the air, and summer vegetables are still going strong.  Now is the time to soak up all summer has to offer,  before you know it they will move over for cooler days.  So, go on, make a delicious meal chalk full of summer goodness, sit outside, enjoy the hot summer sun and reflect on everything that this wonderful season has to offer. 

Marinated Tomatoes, Basil and Ricotta Pasta

Ingredients:

1lb. Tomatoes (any variety or a mixture thereof)

1 T. Red Wine Vinegar

1 t. Sugar

1 t. of garlic, minced

1 t. Salt

1/2 t. Pepper

8 oz. Ricotta 

1 cup Basil roughly chopped 

3/4 lb Spaghetti

Chop the tomatoes (if they are cherry tomatoes, halve them)  and set in a bowl.  Add vinegar, garlic, sugar,  salt, and pepper to the tomatoes.  Mix and let sit for about 4-8 hours (the more time it sits the better it gets). When it's time for dinner cook the pasta in salted water until al dente, drain and put the pasta in a large sauté pan over med heat, add the tomatoes, ricotta (reserve 2T.), chopped basil (reserve 2T.).  Toss until combined and warmed through.  Serve and top with remaining ricotta and basil. Enjoy!

Birthday Breakfast

My sweet, rambunctious, delightful daughter celebrated her 2nd birthday this past Sunday. Her grandparents came in town for the festivities and we had a jammed packed weekend planned.  Saturday was spent at our neighboring city Fort Collins for some good old fashion tailgating with friends and family followed by a high spirited college football game.  I wanted to have the birthday girls breakfast planned ahead of time since I knew we weren't going to be around much beforehand.  This baked french toast fit the bill perfectly.  I made it early Saturday morning set it in the fridge to soak up all that wonderful custard and baked it off the next day.  I made a quick strawberry "syrup" that was nice and tart, a perfect balance to the sweet french toast.  On the side a simple fruit salad with a squeeze of lime and a drizzle of honey. The result was mm mmm tasty, fit for a birthday princess.  

 This recipe is adapted from the Pioneer Woman Cooks website, to access her recipe go here

Ingredients

• 1 loaf Crusty Sourdough Or French Bread
• 8 whole Eggs
• 2 1/2 cups half and half
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract

• Topping

• 1/2 cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 stick Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces   

Grease a 9x13" pan with butter.  Cut or tear bread into 1" cubes and add to pan. In a separate bowl mix together eggs, half and half, sugars, and vanilla.  Add egg mixture to bread in pan, cover and chill in fridge overnight.  For the topping mix the sugar, cinnamon, salt and butter together with a fork or your fingers until the mixture resembles fine pebbles.

When your ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Uncover the pan, add the topping and bake for 35-45 minutes.  Or until the top is browned and crunchy and the bottom is still moist.

Serve with warmed syrup.  

Strawberry "jam" is easy to make.  Just add 1/2 cup of strawberry jam into a sauce pan, 1 T. of lime or lemon juice and a few tablespoons of water, (if you want it a little sweeter add 1T. of sugar).  Heat up and simmer for about 5 minutes. Serve warm with french toast.

Ta da!  The finished product, with a fruit salad side.  A decadent and oh so delicious breakfast feast.