Serving Up {Pasta}: Herbed Chicken Lasagna

One of the tell tell signs that your kids are growing up (at least for my kids) is their willingness to try different foods and enjoy flavors that they used to turn their nose up to.  What a great plug for this recipe to admit that my kids plug their nose and run away when I make it :)  More correctly, they used to plug their nose and run away.  Like I said, they are growing up.

This past month when I made this lasagna, they actually followed their noses into the kitchen asking what smelled so good.  My daughter's exact comment was, "it looks kind of scary (anything that has green in it is deemed scary) but I just have to taste it because it looks so good!"  I was thrilled with her maturity and the best part was that she LIKED IT - even though I think that she didn't want to :)

The only down side to the maturing of the taste buds is that I had to share.  And this is one of those meals that I would rather not share cause it is so stinkin' good that I could probably eat the entire pan myself (not in one sitting).  So whether you have kids with mature taste buds or kids that will turn away, you really can't lose because you will either be the hero for making a fabulous dish that the whole family raves about or you will enjoy the goodness of it and have awesome leftovers for the next week.  Hey, I'm just telling it like it is.

One Year Ago: Chickpea Masala Sandwiches (Doubles)
Two Years Ago: Coconut Syrup

HERBED CHICKEN LASAGNA     
(recipe from Good Things Utah, 2007)
printable version

1 ½ cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
2 Tbs. butter
2 pkgs. Hollandaise sauce (prepared per directions)
½ large pkg. pre-cooked lasagna noodles
1 pound chicken, cooked and cubed
½ Tbs. fresh basil
½ Tbs. fresh oregano
Salt and Pepper
1 (12-ounce) can asparagus tips
1 ½ cups Italian blend or mozzarella cheese
½ cup shredded parmesan

Sauté mushrooms and onion in butter for about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix chicken, basil, oregano, and salt & pepper to taste.  Gently fold in asparagus tips.
Using a 9x9 pan, spread small amount of prepared Hollandaise sauce on bottom.
Make 2 layers as follows: noodles, Hollandaise, chicken mixture, mozzarella and Parmesan.  Repeat for second layer.
If there is any sauce left over, pour it over the second layer of noodles before adding the last of the cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serving Up {Pasta}: Creamy Baked Fettuccine with Asiago and Thyme

My kids are huge pasta lovers.  Aren't all kids?  And while I love a good pasta dish, there are times when my kids' request for "noodles" is met with me thinking, "not again!".  So I love to find a good pasta dish that appeases my kids request for "noodles" while offering an adult flavor for my own selfish interest.

This recipe is one of those recipes that meets the needs of both kids and adults.  The use of asiago cheese and thyme totally rock this dish and take it beyond your kids cheesy noodles.  I have also taken to adding cooked, crumbed sausage to it to make a complete meal in one dish.  I generally will cook and crumble my sausage when I buy it and then I keep it in the freezer frozen until I need it.  By having cooked sausage on hand, I can pull this meal together in the time that it takes to boil the noodles and yet it tastes like a lot more effort went into it - a little secret that we will just keep to ourselves :)

One Year Ago: Blueberry Buckle
Two Years Ago: Morning Egg Casserole

CREAMY BAKED FETTUCCINE with ASIAGO AND THYME     
(recipe adapted from Giana De Laurentiis, Food Network)
printable version

1 pound fettuccine pasta
2 cups grated asiago cheese, plus ¼ cup
2 (8-ounce) containers crème fraiche
1 cup grated parmesan
1 ½ Tbs. fresh chopped thyme leaves
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. Italian Sausage, cooked & crumbled (optional - my addition to the recipe)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
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 8-10 minutes. Drain pasta reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.
In a large bowl, combine the 2 cups of asiago cheese, crème fraiche, parmesan, thyme, salt and pepper. Add pasta and reserved pasta cooking liquid as needed. Gently toss until all the ingredients are combined and the pasta is coated. Add crumbled Italian sausage and place the pasta in a buttered baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup asiago cheese. Bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes. Let sit for at least 5 minutes and serve.

Serving Up {Pasta}: Parmesan Orzo with Basil

Isn't Orzo a great little pasta?  I don't know what it is about it, but I think it is so fun and I find myself drawn to any recipe that has it in it.  And man am I ever glad that my fascination with Orzo caused me to stumble upon this recipe.  The basil and Parmesan flavors are subtle enough to make this a terrific side dish, yet flavorful enough that you could easily use this recipe as a base for a main dish - by tossing it with roasted vegetables or sausage or both!

I would normally mention that this recipe makes a large amount if used as a side dish - except for the fact that we have never had any left over when I have made it, despite it's large quantity.  So I guess that speaks to it's deliciousness, as well as maybe also to our tendency to eat a bit more than necessary when it's just darned good!

One Year Ago: Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

PARMESAN BASIL ORZO     
(recipe from Tasty Kitchen)
printable version

3 Tbs. butter
1 1/2 cup orzo
3 cups chicken broth
6 Tbs. freshly chopped basil
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large stockpot.  Add the orzo and saute until the orzo begins to turn golden brown.  Slowly add the broth and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until all of the broth has been absorbed.  Remove from the heat and add the basil, Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.

Serving Up {Pasta}: Rigatoni

Pasta is pretty much a staple in our home.  The kids kind of demand it!  Okay, so I admit that they don't have to ask more than once as I am a pretty big fan of pasta too.  This super easy, super quick, super delicious pasta dish is one that I grew up eating.  It just never goes out of style!

One Year Ago: Coconut Banana Muffins
                        Cashew Chicken Salad

RIGATONI     
(recipe from Linda W.)
printable version

1 pkg. rigatoni noodles, cooked and drained
1 pound hamburger or sausage, browned
2 pkgs. dry spaghetti sauce mix, Italian flavored
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
2 cups water
8 ounces mozzerella cheese, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 8-ounce pkg. cream cheese, cubed

Combine the cooked meat, sauce mix, tomato sauce and water in a large dutch oven pan.  Heat and add 1/2 of the mozzerella cheese and 1/2 of the cream cheese; melt slightly.  Pour the sauce over the cooked noodles and stir to combine.  Add the remaining cheese cubes and transfer all to a large baking dish.  Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serving Up: Broccoli, Grape and Pasta Salad

As we enter summer I find myself craving light meals and meals that don't require the stove or oven to be turned on.  This salad fits the bill and makes a perfect summertime meal.  It is light and refreshing and is satisfying enough to be called dinner.  Although, it would also make a perfect accompaniment to some chicken right off the grill if you are opposed to a meatless meal.

My kids are still too young to appreciate a salad like this.  Although they like every single ingredient, once they are tossed together they become seemingly untouchable - so at our house this is served with a side of chicken nuggets (or something similarly child friendly) while my husband and I enjoy the salad as though we are enjoying a secret that only we share.

One Year Ago:  Pumpkin Muffins
                          Mallow Fruit Dip

BROCCOLI, GRAPE AND PASTA SALAD     
(recipe from Southern Living)
printable version

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 (16-oz.) package bow-tie pasta
1 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
8 cooked bacon slices, crumbled

Prepare pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems, and separate florets into small pieces using tip of a paring knife.
Whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, red onion, vinegar and salt in a large bowl.  To the dressing add the broccoli, cooked pasta, and grapes and stir to coat.
Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.
Stir bacon and pecans into salad just before serving.

Serving Up {Pasta}: Classic Lasagna

One thing I know to be true, it is nearly impossible to photograph lasagna and have the photo look anything close to appetizing.  I get it.  But please stick with me past the photos and believe me that this is the lasagna recipe that you have been dying to make.

I have a total crush on Mel's Kitchen Cafe and this is just one more of her absolute, dead-on recipes that will make you have a crush on her too!  I have always thought that lasagna had to either have cottage cheese or ricotta cheese - not so!  This is a true Italian recipe and that gorgeous layer of white throughout the layers of noodles is not ricotta or cottage cheese - it is a creamy, luscious white sauce!  Brilliant!

I will admit that this recipe takes bit of time to put together - more of a "company is coming over" than a "I need to throw something together for the kids!".  You make a yummy red sauce, while that simmers you make a delicious white sauce and then you layer them both amongst noodles and cheeses.  YUM!  So worth the time and the dirty dishes...I promise I will wash your dishes for you if you don't think so :)

CLASSIC ITALIAN LASAGNA     Pin It
(recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe)
printable version

Red Sauce
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. butter
4 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1/2 large onion, diced
8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained (my family prefers petite diced tomatoes)
2 tsp. Italian seasoning (or a mix of dried oregano and basil)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

White Sauce
3 cups milk (I always use whole milk)
5 Tbs. flour
4 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

9 lasagna noodles, boiled for half the time on the box (or use 12 of the no-boil noodles)
1 pound ground turkey (sausage is a yummy substitution)
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 dish.

In a large skillet, crumble and brown the ground turkey until no longer pink. Drain the grease and set aside.

In a medium saucepan head 2 tablespoons olive oil and one tablespoon butter; adding a pinch of salt and pepper. When the oil/butter is hot, add the garlic and stir constantly, cooking until the garlic is lightly browned.  Add the onion and mushrooms and continue cooking until all of the vegetables are soft and browned and the fluid has mostly cooked out. Remove from the heat.  Place the cooked vegetables in your blender and add the tomato sauce and the tomato paste.  Pulse until the vegetables are pureed and well combined with the tomato sauce/puree.  Return the tomato/vegetable mixture to the pot and add the diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Bring just to a boil and then reduce heat, cover and let the sauce sauce simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Right before using the red sauce in the lasagna, stir in the reserved ground turkey.

If using lasagna noodles that need to be boiled, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and boil the noodles for one-half of  the time suggested on the box.  Once cooked, drain the noodles, but do not rinse them.  Add just a dab of olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking together.
Skip this step if using no-boil noodles.

While the noodles boil and the red sauce is simmering, prepare the white sauce by melting the four tablespoons of butter in a saucepan.  When the butter has melted, add the flour and stir constantly to combine.  Allow the mixture to cook while stirring for a minute or two. Gradually add in the milk, whisking constantly. Add the salt and pepper. Slowly whisk the white sauce, ensuring it doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan, while cooking it over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until it has thickened significantly.

Prepare to layer the lasagna by combining the shredded cheese.
Make sure you have added the cooked ground turkey to the red sauce.
On the bottom of your lightly greased baking dish, place three boiled noodles (or four no-boil noodles), follow with 1/3 of the red sauce, 1/3 of the white sauce and 1/3 of the shredded cheese mixture.  Repeat the layers, in the same order, two more times.

Cover the lasagna with a greased piece of aluminum foil and bake in your preheated oven for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and let the lasagna sit for 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Serving Up {Soup}: Italian Pasta Soup with Sausage

As much as I love soup, and I could eat it all winter long, I do get resistance from most of my kids most of the time when I announce "soup" as what's for dinner.  Why is that?  At least my younger ones will try it, and generally love it, yet they have amnesia set in over night and the next time I serve soup they have another soup-induced meltdown.  My older ones are the ones I don't get...if they like every individual ingredient in the soup, how is it that you combine them in a bowl and it all becomes inedible?  That doesn't seem to happen when we go to the self-serve yogurt shop - they combine all kinds of atrocities in a bowl there and declare it a masterpiece!

I was having this discussion with my SIL and asking her whether her kids were any different.  From what she said, they aren't.  She did tell me that she tries to limit the "brothiness" of soups when she can and keep the ingredients identifiable.  I went home that very night and came up with this child friendly recipe - a tweaking combination of multiple recipes.  The result, if I do say so myself, was delicious!  To heck with the kids.  This is one recipe that I hope they don't eat - all the more for me!

ITALIAN PASTA SOUP WITH SAUSAGE     Pin It
printable version

1 pkg. Jimmy Dean Sage sausage
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
48 ounces chicken stock (I use Better Than Boullion Chicken Base from Costco - love it!)
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
3 cups uncooked flat pasta (I used orecchiette but bow-tie would be similar)

In a large pot, brown the sausage over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Remove the sausage from the pot and drain the oil, leaving 2 Tbs. of the drippings in the pan. To the drippings add the onion and garlic and cook until tender.
Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, basil, thyme and sausage. Bring to a boil. Add the uncooked pasta; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 18-20 minutes or until the pasta is tender.

Serving Up {Vegetable}: Roasted Pumpkin with Shallots and Sage

For the next couple of weeks I am going to be a bit out of commission, but I am leaving some (pre) posts of some of my favorite pumpkin recipes.  I LOVE pumpkin and October is the perfect month to enjoy pumpkin in all of it's glory.  Enjoy!

I have carved pumpkins before, but never in my life have I cut apart a pumpkin with the sole purpose of cooking and eating it.  Until this recipe.  My sister-in-law passed it along to me and I have wanted to make it for a while, but it's hard to find sugar pumpkins to purchase except during the month of October.  So take your chance now and try this recipe before the pumpkins are gone for another 11 months.  

(I found my pumpkin at Trader Joe's and it was the perfect size)

This posting is really two recipes - both completely simple, yet very gourmet.  

The first recipe is for the Roasted Pumpkin with Shallots and Sage.  

Once you have your pumpkin roasted, there is a recipe to follow that pairs the roasted pumpkin with pasta and goat cheese.  

I really liked both recipes, but goat cheese is a bit of an acquired taste and I don't think it went over very well with the kiddos.  If goat cheese isn't your thing either, make the Roasted Pumpkin and serve it as a side with anything.  I am not exaggerating - it was so sweet that I felt like I was literally eating candy.  So good!  I hope you think so too.

ROASTED PUMPKIN with SHALLOTS and SAGE     Pin It

(recipe from Martha Stewart)
printable version

1 medium sugar pumpkin (about 4 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 2 inch chunks
4 shallots, peeled and quartered lengthwise
3 Tbsl olive oil
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
coarse salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Divide pumpkin, shallots, oil and sage between two large rimmed baking sheets.  Season with salt and pepper and toss.
Roast until the pumpkin is tender, 30-35 minutes, tossing once nad rotating sheets halfway through.


RIGATONI with ROASTED PUMPKIN and GOAT CHEESE
(recipe from Martha Stewart)
printable version

12 ounces rigatoni
2 Tbs. butter
5 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Roasted pumpkin with shallots and sage (recipe to follow)
coarse salt and ground pepper

In a large pot of boiling slated water, cook pasta until al dente.  Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.  Add the butter, cheese and pasta water; toss until butter has melted.
Gently fold in oraste pumpkin; season with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately.

Serving Up {Pasta}: Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce

My recipe card for this recipe is well used!  You know the type - the writing is smeared where milk has been splattered on the card and there are notes written all over on it.

In the corner is written "quick".  I have made this recipe countless times and I am always pleasantly surprised how quickly this meal comes together.  In the time it takes your noodles to boil, viola!  That is why I wrote "quick" on the card so you would think I would get over it, but it's like a bonus each time I make it.

The card also says "oregano" next to the basil that is listed.  I will second that substituting oregano is a really tasty alternative (and still just as quick), but if I have fresh basil then that wins out every time!

I also wrote "can use other pasta" next to the penne but that seems like a no-brainer.  Not sure why I wrote that all those years ago, but in case you were wondering, the shape of the pasta will not alter the flavor of the end result.  That is, of course, as long as you don't do something weird like whole-wheat pasta or ramen noodles or something.  Okay then.  Enough said.

This is really one of my favorite meals to make for a Sunday dinner so that I don't spend the entire "day of rest" in the kitchen.  It is also a favorite to take to someone needing a meal because I can easily increase the portions so that it feeds two families.  Oh, and it's quick!

CHICKEN WITH BASIL CREAM SAUCE     Pin It

printable version

16-ounce Penne Pasta

1 Tbs. butter

1 lb. chicken tenders

1 tsp. garlic salt

2 cups whole milk

8-ounce cream cheese

1-2 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped (1 tsp. dried - but use fresh!)

1 cup shredded Parmesan

In a non-stick skillet, melt the butter and add the chicken, sprinkling the garlic salt evenly over chicken tenders.  Cook the chicken until it is no longer pink.

Add the milk and continue to heat until the milk begins to boil.  Cut the cream cheese into small chunks and add to the pan.  Add chopped basil.  Reduce heat and stir until the cream cheese is melted and the chicken has finished cooking all the way through.

Remove from heat and toss with the shredded Parmesan.

Serving Up {Pasta}: Garlic Chicken Farfalle

As I am sorting through all of my recipes (the purpose of this blog, lest I forget) I am a bit shocked at how many of our frequently made recipes are pasta dishes.  I guess we really like us some pasta!  I hope what they say about pasta being bad for our diets isn't really true or else I am in big trouble.  Maybe I have some Italian in me deep down and that accounts for my affinity for all things al dente.

This recipe is delicious!  Pasta, chicken, bacon, cream - how can you possible go wrong?  I frequently will double the chicken as I cook it in the crock pot so that I end up with twice as much chicken as I need and I will then freeze half of it for later use.  Because the chicken cooks all day in the crock pot (easy!), putting dinner together only requires the boiling of the pasta and about 10 minutes to make the cream sauce.  Toss it all together and viola!

GARLIC CHICKEN FARFALLE     

(recipe from Becky Higgins)

printable version

3-4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
1 (12 oz) Lawry’s mesquite marinade with lime juice
16 oz. Farfalle pasta 

1 c. heavy whipping cream 

2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed 

1 Tbsp. pepper

1/2 c. butter 

1 lb. bacon, cooked & crumpled 

1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese 

Place chicken in a crock pot and pour bottle of marinade over it.  Cook on low for 6 hours. When cooked, remove from crock pot and shred it.  Set this aside. 

Prepare the pasta by boiling it until al dente.  Drain.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter; add the garlic, whipping cream, pepper, parmesan cheese, and crumpled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. 

Place pasta in a large bowl.  Pour butter/whipped cream mixture over the pasta and add the shredded chicken; gently toss.  Prior to serving sprinkle a bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top.

Serving Up {Pasta}: Ravioli with Balsamic Browned Butter

Sometimes a title says it all - I believe that anything that includes "browned butter" is something worth making.  When Giada (notice the first name basis) made this ravioli with BALSAMIC browned butter I nearly fainted as I gasped "must" "make" "this"!

I admit that I frequently make pasta meals - it's the stage of life I'm in with four young kids.  This, thankfully, is not your kids pasta.  The kids are happy because it's ravioli, but you will be happy because you can top it with freshly shaved Parmesan and toasted walnuts (or my preferred pecans) and serve it with a side salad and feel that you have just treated yourself to a little slice of gourmet.

RAVIOLI WITH BALSAMIC BROWNED BUTTER      Pin It

(recipe from Giada de Laurentiss)

printable version

18 to 20 ounces store-bought ravioli (cheese, mushroom, or squash)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts (or pecans)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the ravioli and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain ravioli onto a large serving platter.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 3 minutes, turn off the heat. Let cool for about 1 minute. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Transfer the ravioli to the pan saucepan with the balsamic brown butter. Sprinkle walnuts and Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.

Serving Up {Pasta}: Creamy Lemon Pasta

The first thing that you might notice when you read the recipe for this dish is that it calls for thin spaghetti and yet, the photos are definitely not of spaghetti.  While the recipe calls for thin spaghetti (and I have always made it with thin spaghetti), the night I made this recipe I had children requesting a different shaped pasta.  While my kids may think that the shape of the pasta matters, I realize that it generally does not and I can report that this recipe turns out just fine using a shape other than thin spaghetti.  Oh, and I also added some cooked chicken.  So basically I took a photo that will look very different from what you will end up with were you to follow the recipe as written :)

I LOVE the light lemon flavor and would definitely encourage the use of real lemons versus bottled lemon juice.  There was something about squeezing a fresh lemon over the dish as it came out of the oven that just set my spirits high.  One bite and my spirits went soaring!

BAKED LEMON PASTA    
(recipe from The Sister's Cafe)
printable version

1 pound Thin Spaghetti
4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
2 cups Sour Cream
½ teaspoons Kosher Salt, Or More To Taste
Plenty Of Grated Parmesan Cheese
Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
Extra Lemon Juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente. In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat. Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish. Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.) When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end or feel free to add as much as you like.

Serving Up {Salad}: Teriyaki Bowtie Chicken Salad

Can I just say that by simply posting this recipe I am craving it!  A lot!  I mean, read through those ingredients and tell me what there isn't to love?  Okay, so my kiddoss don't actually love that the ingredients are all touching each other - and being the ultra cool (pushover) mom that I am, their salad looks more like a plate of Teriyaki chicken with a side of noodles and a serving of spinach.  But throw out those childish inhibitions and toss it all together.  You will be so glad that you did!  I will be so glad that you did.  In fact, I might come over and eat it with you because I cannot get enough of it!!!  

TERIYAKI BOWTIE CHICKEN SALAD     

(recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

printable version

Dressing:

1 cup canola oil

1/3 – 2/3 cup bottled teriyaki sauce

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/3 cup cider vinegar

6 Tbs. sugar

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

Salad:

16 ounce bow tie pasta, cooked al dente, drained and cooled

1 bag (10 ounce) fresh spinach

6 ounce craisins

2 (11 ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

4 green onions, thinly sliced

¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted

6 ounce honey roasted peanuts

2 cups cooked chicken, tossed with 2-3 Tbs. teriyaki sauce

In a blender, combine all the dressing ingredients and blend until well combined and smooth. 

Mix about 1 cup of the dressing with the cooked pasta in a large bowl and marinate for at least one hour. Combine the remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl. Just before serving, add the pasta and toss. Add dressing to taste and toss. Serve immediately.

Serving Up {Pasta}: Angel Hair Pasta with Sausage and Clams

I have been reading on the news about so many areas of the country experiencing some serious heat waves.  It seems unreal to me because I'm still trying to grasp that it's June when our average temps are still only in the 60's.  I made soup just last week and would love to be posting soup recipes, but they are probably out of place for most of my (family) readers.  This recipe isn't out of place.  In fact, it's the perfect summer recipe because you use the stove top and don't have to heat up the house with the oven.  Perfect if you are experiencing some of the heat seemingly prevalent everywhere but where I am :)

If you read the ingredient list of this recipe and you jump to the conclusion that the recipe is complicated or time consuming you would be wrong!  This dish comes together SO fast because you simmer the noodles in the "sauce" versus cooking them separately.  Not only that, angel hair pasta only needs to cook for about 6 minutes to be done so by the time you have asked your kids to set the table for the third time, the meal is ready!

ANGEL HAIR PASTA with SAUSAGE & CLAMS     Pin It

(recipe from aunt Sue)
printable version

10 ounce angel hair pasta
2 Tbs. olive oil
6 ounce Italian sausage, mild
½ cup minced onion
1 Tbs. minced garlic
2 tomatoes, chopped
½ cup water
4 cups chicken broth
1-2 cans clams, rinsed and drained
4 Tbs. fresh basil (or 2 Tbs. dried)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat olive oil. Add sausage, onion and garlic and cook until sausage is cooked through. Add chopped tomatoes, sautéing 5 minutes more. Add water and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add clams, basil and uncooked pasta. Reduce heat and simmer 4-6 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper and top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Serving Up {Pasta}: Chicken Tortellini Bake

This is one of those recipes that at first glance may not grab your attention (and these photos do it NO justice, for which I apologize) but the flavors of this quick pasta dish are definitely memorable.  I don't know about you, but most nights our dinner hour is complicated - homework, scouts, piano lessons, chores, etc.  A recipe that can be put together in the morning and then put into the fridge until the dinner hour, when it's a quick pop into the oven to cook through, is a huge bonus in my book.

The tortellini, cheese and chicken are all child friendly ingredients.  The mushrooms may be a bit much for some children (or husbands) but they definitely add a flavor that knocks this dish out of the park!  The evening I took these photos I had actually made it without the mushrooms (an easy oversight at the market) but in the past I have used a variety of wild mushrooms, none of which have disappointed.  Get creative - even if you can only put the mushrooms in "your" corner of the casserole dish.

CHICKEN TORTELLINI BAKE     

(recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe)
printable version

16 ounce package of fresh cheese tortellini (the kind you find in the refrigerated section of the grocery store)
1 Tbs. oil
2 chicken breasts, cut up into bite size pieces
3 green onions finely chopped, white and green parts
2 Tbs. flour
1 cup chicken broth
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
3/4 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese 

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook tortellini for 2-3 minutes (this is if you use the “fresh” tortellini from the refrigerated section.  Drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Brown the chicken for 1-2 minutes and add the fresh mushrooms and green onions, cooking until chicken is done and mushrooms are golden brown. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken broth and stir until thickened. Mix in sour cream until mixture is creamy and slightly thickened.

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Pour the tortellini into the bottom of the 9x13 pan. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the tortellini. Put the cooked chicken/sauce mixture on top and the sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Bake covered with tin foil at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes until bubbly and golden brown around the edges.