thieves pasta

Adapted from 365 Days of Slow Cooking

Serves 4

8 oz penne pasta
8 oz chicken breasts
14 1/2 oz diced tomatoes with juice
8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 tsp Italian seasoning
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups frozen spinach (loosely packed)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
4 oz cream cheese
1 Tbsp tapioca
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
feta cheese

Spray sides of slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine chicken, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic, sugar, and red pepper in slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low for 4 hours (until chicken is cooked through). Place spinach in a strainer. Run hot water over it and drain. Add spinach, cream cheese, and tapioca to slow cooker. Stir. Cook for an additional 30 minutes. Add cooked and drained pasta and pine nuts and stir and serve. Salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle some feta cheese on top.

pork tetrazzini

serves 4-6

this is a good recipe to make when you need to clean out the fridge. use whatever vegetables you want - sauteed mushrooms would also be good. chicken or turkey can be used in place of the pork.

8 oz whole wheat spaghetti
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 cup parmesan cheese, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 cups cubed cooked pork
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs (i used crushed croutons)
salt and pepper, to taste

preheat oven to 350. cook spaghetti in boiling salted water for 1 minute less than stated on the package directions. drain well and put spaghetti in a greased 8x8 baking dish. in a medium saucepan, saute carrots, celery, and onion in olive oil until onions are translucent. add to spaghetti along with the red bell pepper and peas. spread the vegetables around to evenly distribute. melt butter in the same saucepan. whisk in flour, add garlic powder and red pepper flakes. add chicken broth and milk, whisking to prevent lumps. bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. stir in 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. taste the sauce and adjust seasonings if needed. pour over the spaghetti and vegetables. add the cubed pork. sprinkle remaining cheese and bread crumbs over the top. bake for 45-60 minutes. let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

balsamic chicken noodle bowl

* Serves 6 - 8
adapted from tastykitchen.com

12 oz linguine
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
4 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
5 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
1 1/2 cups shredded or cubed mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup feta cheese

Cook the linguine according to package directions. Drain.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. When combined, slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is completely combined.

While the pasta is boiling, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the bell pepper. Cook briefly until crisp-tender. Add the cooked chicken and cook for 1-2 more minutes until the chicken is heated through.

Add the hot noodles to the skillet with the red pepper and chicken and toss. Add the shredded or cubed mozzarella and toss quickly to combine before the cheese melts. Pour the dressing over the top and toss with tongs to coat all the ingredients with the dressing. Crumble the feta cheese and sprinkle on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*jessica's note: i also added some sauteed mushrooms, fresh diced tomatoes, and a few handfuls of fresh spinach to the warm pasta. yum!

bowtie chicken caesar salad

i got this recipe from my friend meg, who got it from her sister-in-law, joslyn. it makes a ton so it's ideal for bridal/baby showers and other large gatherings. but don't count on having any leftovers.

serves 30-40

16 oz farfalle pasta, cooked per package directions
2 heads romaine lettuce, washed, spun dry, and chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
1 - 4 oz pkg slivered almonds, sugared
1 - 6 oz pkg grated parmesan cheese
1 - 6 oz pkg croutons
1 - 8 oz carton mushrooms, sliced
24 oz of your favorite caesar dressing

to sugar the almonds: in a dry skillet, add 1/2 cup sugar and almonds, turn the burner to medium. in a few minutes, the sugar will start to melt. stir to coat the almonds. when the sugar reaches a light golden color-it will happen quickly, remove from heat and spread the almonds on waxed paper to cool, then break apart. you can also follow the directions on this website: jeenaskitchen

to prepare the salad: combine all the ingredients in two+ large bowls. (it make so much, you won't be able to fit it all in one.) toss to coat everything with the dressing.

jessica's note: i'm not a fan of soggy lettuce, so i wait until just before serving to stir it in. also, i didn't bother sugaring the almonds and the salad was still awesome.

spring pasta

i got this recipe from a local cooking class many, many years ago. it tasted so delicious then, but i never got around to making it until today. the recipe says it serves 8 -- that would be as a main dish, 12-15 as a side dish. today i used spaghetti, a few pinches of dried thyme, and a diced roma tomato because that's what i had on hand. i think i'll cook up some chicken breasts and serve this for dinner.

ingredients:

1 pound linguini pasta

sauce:
juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons white wine
1/3 cup olive oil
1 stick of butter
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 teaspoons cavender's greek seasoning (found in the spice aisle at any grocery store)

1 bunch fresh asparagus (1-1/2 lb.)
1/2 lb. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1/2 bunch of green onions, finely chopped
1 can olives, coarsely chopped
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

cut woody ends off asparagus. boil asparagus for 5 minutes then run them under cold water. cut into 1" pieces. sauté the mushrooms in a tablespoon or two of butter until golden brown, set aside. prepare sauce in a food processor, all ingredients except butter. transfer sauce to a small pan, add butter and heat until the butter melts, but do not boil. meanwhile, cook linguini according to package directions, drain. add all vegetables and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese to the pasta. pour warm sauce over pasta and vegetables, toss. sprinkle remaining cheese on top and serve immediately.

*jessica's note* i love this pasta dish, but am not a big fan of raw garlic. so the next time i make this recipe, i will either sauté the garlic with the mushrooms, or use roasted garlic. see how to roast garlic here.

baked ziti

i found this recipe in a family cookbook and on allrecipes.com. it looked so easy, i had to try it. of course i can't follow directions; i always end up adding a few extra ingredients. this ziti is so good, i think we all went back for seconds. and thirds...




baked ziti
serves 8-10

1 16 oz package ziti
2 (26.5 oz.) cans spaghetti sauce
6 oz. provolone cheese, sliced (i used shredded, and it turned out great)
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, sliced (or shredded)
1 1/2 cup sour cream, (i used a combo of light sour cream and homemade yogurt)
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1-2 cloves garlic, minced

cook pasta according to the package directions except subtract 2-3 minutes from the cooking time. drain. brown ground beef and onion in a large skillet. drain. add spaghetti sauce, garlic, and cayenne pepper and simmer for 15 minutes.

in a greased 9x13" baking dish layer the ingredients as follows: 1/2 of the cooked ziti, provolone cheese, sour cream (put it in a ziploc bag, snip the end and pipe it on), 1/2 spaghetti sauce, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese, and remaining spaghetti sauce.

tightly cover the dish with foil. bake at 350 for 20 minutes, top with grated parmesan cheese and return to oven uncovered, until the cheese melts, about 5-10 minutes.

couscous for breakfast

couscous is a small pasta that originates from morocco and northern algeria. it is used in a similar way our culture uses rice. i learned about couscous from some college roommates. i liked it, but never thought to buy it after i got married since mark isn't really into couscous. once my son was old enough to eat "people" food, i had an idea to give him couscous and surprisingly he liked it. this recipe is easy to make and doesn't take too much time.

i like the hodgson mill whole wheat couscous with milled flax seed & soy because it has 6g of fiber and 10g of protein per 1/3 cup serving. i've seen this brand at smiths.

breakfast couscous, serves 1 adult or 2 toddlers

1/2 cup water, juice, or milk*
1/3 cup couscous, plain
dash of cinnamon
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 cup blueberries, (i use frozen)
vanilla yogurt

1. in a small saucepan, bring the water, juice, or milk to a boil.
2. stir in the cinnamon, butter, and couscous.
3. remove the saucepan from heat, sprinkle on the frozen blueberries, and cover with a lid.
4. let sit for 5 minutes. serve with yogurt.

variations: add 1/4 cup diced dried fruit to the saucepan with the water, juice, or milk in step 1.

* never heat milk and juice together unless you want curdled milk.