Collard Greens

Since we started receiving our organic food delivery last week, I've been challenged to find recipes that I never thought to search for. I've never cooked collard greens. They are a leafy-green, with a different texture than that of spinach or kale. All the recipes I saw said to take off the stems, so I wanted a recipe that was relatively simple and not time consuming so that I could see if I like to eat collard greens.

I found out that I actually do! I wasn't sure about the vinegar in this recipe, but it actually worked. Sometimes I just have to leave it to the professionals to tell me what to do.

Ham, Collard Greens, and Egg Noodle Bowl

To speed up the preparation of this Southern-style noodle bowl, cook the pasta and broth mixture at the same time. Spice it up with hot pepper sauce, if you wish, and serve it with corn bread.

6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)

Ingredients:
3 1/3 cups uncooked wide egg noodles (about 6 ounces)
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups diced reduced-sodium smoked ham (about 11 ounces)
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups sliced collard greens, stems removed
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add smoked ham; cook 8 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add chopped onion and next 6 ingredients (through garlic); cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are just tender, stirring frequently. Add collard greens; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar; cook 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes. Stir in the egg noodles and black pepper, and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 270 (29% from fat)

Fat: 8.8g (sat 2.8g,mono 2.3g,poly 3g)

Protein: 18.8g

Carbohydrate: 29.4g

Fiber: 3.5g

Cholesterol: 76mg

Iron: 2.1mg

Sodium: 999mg

Calcium: 76mg

mmmmmm....pasta.....

One of my favorite comfort foods is a pasta dish paired with a good cold beer or a nice bottle of red wine, depending on the weather. I'm really working hard to incorporate more fresh veggies into our diet and eat a little less meat. I checked my newly favorite recipe site, and found her Mom's recipe for Pasta Primavera. It had all my favorite things , what I wanted(pasta and a little cheese) and what I needed (veggies and less salt). This was a big hit on all sides! Really tasty, and by using whole grain rotini, I felt even better about our healthy meal. Add an ice cold beer and some fresh fruit, and I was a happy CKS.

Mom's Pasta Primavera Recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups of mixed vegetables, for example:
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 2x1/2-inch strips
1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 small eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 red onion, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 bell pepper, any color, cut into thin strips

3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence
A sprinkling of garlic salt
1/4 cup of spaghetti, marinara, or tomato sauce
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 pound pasta (use rice pasta for wheat-free version)
Grated Parmesan (optional)

Method:

1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (for your pasta).

2 Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the vegetables, stir to coat with oil. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring only occasionally, until vegetables are just cooked. Turn off heat, but let pan stay on the burner.

3 While you are cooking the vegetables, add the dry pasta to the boiling water and follow the cooking instructions for the pasta. You want to time it so that the pasta is done soon after the vegetables.

4 Add a 1/4 cup of the spaghetti, marinara, or tomato sauce to the vegetables, along with 1/4 cup of water to thin the sauce. If you are using a prepared spaghetti or marinara sauce, you don't need to add much seasoning, just a 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence, a few sprinkles of garlic salt, and salt and pepper to taste. If you are using a plain tomato sauce, you might want to start out cooking the vegetables by cooking a minced clove of garlic first, and then adding the vegetables, and then add a bit more of the seasoning (to taste). Spaghetti and marinara sauce are already seasoned.

5 Once the pasta is ready - cooked but still a bit firm, or al dente - drain the pasta and put it directly into the skillet with the vegetables. Adjust seasoning. Add more sauce if needed. Gently mix in the cherry tomatoes.

Serves 4. Serve with some freshly grated Parmesan, if you like. A little bit of chopped fresh basil would go nicely with this as well.

Delicious Summer Salad

Hubby and I are on a eat-more-veggies-and-less-meat kick these days. It's also been crazy crazy hot here in Los Angeles, so I find myself craving salads that require as little use of my stove as possible. This salad goes excellent with a crisp, light white wine such as Synergy Blanc from Novella Vineyards (a whopping $4.99 at Trader Joes).

CKS Note: I used a large red pepper instead. It gave the salad a lot more color and tasted just as good. I also didn't have time to refrigerate the salad before serving, but I still gobbled it up!

Tortellini Asparagus Salad

Ingredients:
18 ounces tortellini, refrigerated
1 pound asparagus spears, chopped
1 large yellow pepper
1 teaspoon lemon peel, finely shredded
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic , minced
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded
1/2 cup green onion, sliced
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions:
1. In a 4-quart Dutch oven, cook tortellini according to package direactions, adding asparagus and sweet pepepr the last minute of cooking; drain. Rinse tortellini and vetetables with cold water; drain again.

2. For dressing, in a screw top jar, combine lemon peel, lemon jice, oil, mustard, surgar, salt, and garlic. Cover and shake well.

3. In a very large bowl, place tortellini and vegetables. Add dressing, toss to coat. Cover and chill for 2 to 8 hours. Just before serving, stir in cheese, green onions, and nuts. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Gnocchi anyone?

I have been meaning to try this recipe for awhile and the ingredients have been sitting in our fridge for almost a week. Since we are moving in 3 weeks from tomorrow, it's time to clean out the fridge and the pantry, and cook up what we've got.

Gnocchi is one of my favorite "pastas" if you will. There is something so very comforting about those little potato dumplings. Trader Joe's has an excellent pesto version, but the ones Matt picked up at the store were parmasean/potato. And they were delicious. I wasn't too sure how this recipe would turn out, especially when I realized that I forgot to reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water! But it was delicious, or so Matt said. For whatever reason I wasn't hungry last night. It was a very hearty meal and I'm sure I'll make it again soon.

CKS Note: I only used about 1/4 to 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 onion to save calories and my sensitive stomach.

Gnocchi with Sausage and Spinach

from Real Simple

Tip: Gnocchi are small, quick-cooking dumplings, usually made from potatoes. You'll find them with the fresh or dried pasta in supermarkets, or you can substitute a short pasta, such as rigatoni, penne, or farfalle.

Ingredients

2 9-ounce packages refrigerated gnocchi or one 17.5-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed

1 clove garlic, finely chopped1

5-ounce bag baby spinach

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Parmesan, plus more for garnishing

Directions:

Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling it with a spoon, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, spinach, salt, and pepper and cook, tossing frequently, until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes. Add the drained gnocchi, the reserved cooking liquid, and the Parmesan and toss. Divide among individual bowls and sprinkle with additional Parmesan.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

CALORIES 815 (53% from fat); FAT 48g (sat 14g); CHOLESTEROL 96mg; CARBOHYDRATE 58g; SODIUM 1,886mg; PROTEIN 36g; FIBER 4g; SUGAR 11g

Real Simple, MARCH 2007

Birthday Dinner

Last month I was parousing through the cable channels when I came across The Food Network and saw that Rachael Ray was on. I checked out the episodes and saw one that interested me. It was called "You and Me, Babe". It sounded like an excellent date night dinner, and that's exactly what she prepared.

Matt's birthday is today (Happy birthday, honey!) and since we planned to get together with friends tonight, I thought a good gift would be to make him dinner by cooking something that is out of the ordinary for me - lots of ingredients, lots of things on the stove, etc. - but it was less complicated that I thought. It did take more than half an hour - probably forty five minutes - but my hubby was completely satisfied. I paired it with a Kelsey Wine that really brought out all the flavors of the dish.

And the dessert. Words cannot describe how much we loved it! We each had two pieces, and I think I'll be bringing it to game night one of these weeks.

I have to say that I was really nervous about making this dinner. However, it turned out so well that all the nerves went away when I saw Matt's face as he tasted the chicken. And that was my ultimate goal. :)

CKS note: I was very fortunate to run into my friend Jenny at Trader Joe's. She is a chef and teaches cooking classes, so I asked her opinion on the recipe. She reccomended using cremini mushrooms instead of portobellos and shitakes, so that's what I did, and it not only saved my sanity (having to not clean out the shitakes) but made it easier on my budget!

On the dessert I only used strawberries as blackberries are out of season.

Chicken Marvalasala and Pappardelle with Rosemary Gravy
(Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray)

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 2 servings

Ingredients:

3/4 pound pappardelle pasta (wide ribbons, substitute fettuccine if unavailable)
Salt
4 large, thin pieces boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets
Ground black pepper
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
2 portobello mushroom caps, sliced
12 shiitakes, stemmed and sliced
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste, look for this in a tube (it's easy to store that way)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, eyeball it
2 tablespoons minced rosemary leaves, a couple of sprigs
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 cup Marsala wine
Grated pecorino Romano cheese
A couple handfuls arugula or baby spinach leaves, thinly sliced

Directions:
Put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta. When it comes up to a boil, salt the water, drop in the pasta, and cook to al dente.

While the pasta is working, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, over medium to medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and brown lightly on both sides; remove to a platter and cover with foil to hold in heat. To the same skillet, add 2 tablespoons more extra-virgin olive oil and 1 clove garlic. Cook garlic a minute or so, then remove and add the mushrooms. Let the mushrooms brown evenly and become tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

While the mushrooms work, start gravy for pasta. In a deep medium skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add a clove of crushed garlic and cook a couple of minutes then remove. Whisk flour and tomato paste into garlic infused butter. Cook the flour a minute or 2 then whisk in the stock. Add rosemary and whisk in tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer to thicken, 5 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to your taste.

To the cooked mushrooms, add capers and Marsala and reduce a minute or so. Add 2 tablespoons butter in small bits to finish sauce and shake the pan to incorporate. Slide the chicken back into sauce and warm. Drain pasta and toss with sauce and a handful of cheese. Serve pasta alongside Chicken Marvalasala. Scatter arugula or spinach across both the chicken and pasta, to garnish.


Devilish Angel Cake with Wine Soaked Berries
(Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray)
Prep Time: 5 min
Inactive Prep Time: 20 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 servings (you can have seconds, on a date night)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup dry Italian red wine
3 tablespoons sugar
A few grinds black pepper
1/2 pint strawberries, sliced
1/2 pint blackberries
1 store bought angel food cake
Whipped cream, canister
Finely chopped fresh mint leaves or orange zest, for garnish

Directions:
Combine wine, sugar, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add berries and soak 20 minutes. Cut the cake into thick slices. Serve wedges doused with wine soaked berries then garnish with whipped cream and fresh mint or orange zest.

Cooking Light Night #5

After much debating about whether to cook or go out tonight, we finally decided to go with the recipe I had already assigned for tonight. I'm not a huge pasta person so this was definitely out of the norm from my regular repitoire but I really enjoyed it and would definitely make again. The sauce never really thickened up but it was subtle and clean, and a nice healthy switch from the standard tomato or cream sauces that usually go with pasta. We steamed some broccoli and baby carrots which we ended up tossing into the pasta at the end rather than eating on the side. So healthy and colorful. I'm looking forward to the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Linguine with Sautèed Shrimp and Coconut-Lime Sauce




8 ounces linguine
2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 1/2 cups red bell pepper strips
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon peeled grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound peeled deveined large shrimp
1/2 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup light coconut milk, well-stirred
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated lime rind (bright green part only)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 cup (1-inch) diagonally cut scallions

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Place peas and red bell pepper in a colander. Drain pasta over pea mixture.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger, garlic, and shrimp; sauté 3 minutes or until shrimp is bright pink. Remove shrimp from pan. Add broth to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add coconut milk, soy sauce, rind, and juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thick. Add pasta mixture and shrimp mixture; toss to coat. Top each serving with scallions.

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 2 cups)

CALORIES 467 (22% from fat); FAT 11g (sat 4g,mono 2g,poly 3g); IRON 5mg; CHOLESTEROL 173mg; CALCIUM 120mg; CARBOHYDRATE 55g; SODIUM 862mg; PROTEIN 35g; FIBER 5g

Health, JULY 2002

Cooking Light, Italian Style!

Spinach Fettuccini

This recipe also turned out pretty well overall. Even Kirstie liked it, which really passes the taste test! The preparation was a little cumbersome, as I discovered it would have been much easier having a pair of extra hands in the kitchen. There are times when one person could be doing the "stirring with a whisk" role while the other person is getting the next ingredients ready. If I use this recipe again I will be sure to plan it for a time when I can use the teamwork method.

I used spinach fettuccini noodles, so it made for an extra spinachy dish. It could have used a little more garlic than called for. I ended up adding some garlic salt to the leftovers to help bring out the flavor a little more. I also used fat free half and half and added another splash when reheating the leftovers. I loved the fresh crumbled bacon as this really added to the "homemade" taste. Since I rarely cook bacon at home, this was a real treat. Omit the bacon for a vegetarian-friendly meal. For the cheese I used a preshredded combination of parmesan/romano/asiago. I did not add the parsley.

Ingredients
1 pound uncooked fettuccine
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
3/4 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
10 center-cut bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (about 1 1/4 cups)
Parsley sprigs (optional)

Preparation
Cook pasta according to package instructions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add reserved pasta water and cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until smooth.

Combine broth and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture to pan, stirring with a whisk to combine; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add pecorino Romano, stirring until smooth. Add half-and-half, salt, and pepper. Stir in spinach. Combine cheese mixture and pasta in a large bowl, tossing to coat.

Place about 1 cup pasta mixture in each of 8 bowls; top each serving with 2 1/2 tablespoons bacon. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Yield: 8 servings

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 365(30% from fat); FAT 12.2g (sat 6.3g,mono 3.3g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 15.9g; CHOLESTEROL 34mg; CALCIUM 188mg; SODIUM 681mg; FIBER 2.3g; IRON 1.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 46.6g

Kathy Gordon, Mission Viejo, California; Cooking Light, August 2006

The Joy of Squash

I'm finally jumping on the bandwagon, inspired by previous posts, and ready to strut my stuff in the kitchen alongside the rest of the Cooking Kama Sutras.

After making the most of all of my Thanksgiving leftovers, I made a quick run to Costco this past weekend to pick up a couple of things. Much to my delight I discovered a new item in stock: Fresh Butternut Squash Ravioli. The package describes it as "Ravioli stuffed with a rich blend of Butternut Squash, Sage and Fesh Cheeses." I definitely wanted to give this a try! Our Costco also carries a fresh Spinach and Cheese Ravioli that is delicious, and I was hoping this flavor would turn out to be an equal hit. Indeed it was!

My dilemna, however, was this: What kind of sauce should I pair it with? Truth be told, I am not much of a tomato sauce enthusiast. So, this did not sound like a match that would help accentuate the flavor of the squash. A cream sauce of some sort would probably have been good--the package itself provides a recipe for mushroom alfredo; however, I didn't have the ingredients for such an option. Instead, I scavenged around and came up with a homemade sauce of sundried tomatoes, garlic, basil and spinach, cooked in olive oil. It turned out to be quite tasty, as these are all some of my favorite ingredients!

Here is a picture of the sauce in its final stages of cooking:

The entire meal was relatively quick and easy to make. The pasta itself cooks in 4-5 minutes, and the sauce took about 10 minutes. All of the ingredients I used in the sauce were in "ready to use" form, so this minimized any preparation time. I used Julienne Sundried Tomatoes (the kind that come in an oil-packed jar), and fresh cubes of Crushed Garlic Cloves and Fresh Chopped Basil (available from Trader Joes in the frozen section--see photos at the bottom of this post), and fresh chopped spinach that I had stored in a ziplock bag in the freezer--and I simply mixed them all together in an Olive Oil base.

The butternut squash was deliciously sweet smooth, and I loved the particular combination of pairing it with the taste and texture of the sundried tomatoes. The leftovers today were equally tasty! Here is the finished product:

Sundried Tomato and Garlic Sauce with Spinach and Basil

(Measurements are approximate.)

Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a skillet on Medium heat

Add the following ingredients:

• 2 cloves of garlic (I used 2 frozen cubes of crushed garlic from Trader Joes)
• 2 teaspoons of fresh chopped basil (I used 2 cubes of frozen chopped basil from Trader Joes)
• 1/4 cup of julienne sundried tomatoes (oil packed)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped spinach

Keep the heat turned down to a simmer in order to avoid oil splatter. Warm on stove until pasta is ready.

Basil and Garlic cubes (each packaged separately; cilantro is also available):

Gamer Food

Thursday is gaming night and we have so much fun! I enjoy my character and picking new spells, but I must say it's spending time with my friends and spending 4-5 hours laughing and telling stories that makes the night special. We regulary congregate over at Cindy and Don's place each Thursday night for a night of gaming.

Well now, it's also a night of food. Husbands, be prepared! Cindy, Katy, and I have turned Thursdays into a weekly potluck where each week, one is responsible for the main dish and the other two prepare sides, like dessert and salad. Tomorrow is our first try at this new tradition and I asked to be the first to bring a main dish. Considering that I have to work all day, I decided to make a lasagna that could be made ahead of time. Thanks to Google and www.cooks.com, I found an appetizing recipe that's sure to fill the ladies' curious appetites and the guys' growling bellies.

EASY MAKE - AHEAD LASAGNA

1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage or ground turkey
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 can (28 oz.) chopped Italian style tomatoes
14-16 oz. spaghetti sauce
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
9 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 container (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
3 c. (12 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1. In medium skillet, brown sausage and onion; drain.

2. Stir in tomatoes, spaghetti sauce and Italian seasoning.

3. In lightly greased 12 x 8 inch baking dish; layer 1/3 each of the lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese, meat mixture, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese; repeat layers 2 more times. Cover.

4. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

5. When ready to bake, remove cover, place in cold oven. Turn oven onto 350 degrees. Bake 45-50 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is lightly browned. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Cooking KS note: I used a 9x13 pan and could only layer it twice, but still used all my ricotta cheese and meat mixture. Also used 4 noodles across and there was enough room to lay one across the top too.

Dinner for My Man

Don has been working really long hours the past week with the big move for his work. We are talking 14 to 15 hour days. It has made my evening meal preparation even that much more important. Not only do I want to create a tasteful enjoyable meal to share when he gets home and is finally ready to relax, but those super long days can be hard on a person's body and I want to be sure he is getting some good balanced nutrition to sustain him during this busy time. Though he doesn't have the time or energy to help in the kitchen this week, I know he is grateful for the hearty meals he gets to come home to. I'm telling you, cooking is good for a marriage. Good food and a shared meal are never under appreciated and the benefits go a long way. Don and I even ate dinner together at the table tonight with no television or distractions. And I'm glad we did because he pretty much went to bed straight after that before 8:00 p.m. I don't blame him since he has to leave the house before 5 a.m. all this week. At least I know he went to bed well fed.

Don and I both gave tonight's dinner rave reviews: Chicken Puttanesca with Angel Hair Pasta from Cooking Light and Bluegrass Salad from Southern Living. The main dish was a nice variation using chicken instead of ground beef or sausage with pasta and the kalamata olives, capers, and chili flakes pair well to bring out the full flavor of the sauce. In fact, the chopped fresh basil at the end really was not needed. The sauce is bold enough and stands well on its own. Next time I make this I will save some money and leave out the basil garnish. The Salad also was amazing. Bosc pears are my new secret obsession. I can't get over how good they taste this time of year. I substituded broccoli floretts for Asparagus since they are more in season. The recipe is enough to feed a crowd so consider pairing down the ingredients for a regular family meal. However, this would be great to take to a barbecue or potluck for a nice fresh side. Just bring the vinaigrette in a recycled glass jar and toss just before serving.

Chicken Puttanesca with Angel Hair Pasta

We add olives, capers, crushed red pepper, and fresh basil to bottled pasta sauce for a quick variation on the traditional version.

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut in 1 inch pieces
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups tomato-basil pasta sauce (such as Muir Glen Organic)
1/4 cup pitted and coarsely chopped kalamata olives
1 tablespoon capers
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup (1 ounce) preshredded Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh basil or basil sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and keep warm.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Add chicken to pan; sprinkle evenly with salt. Cook chicken 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in pasta sauce, olives, capers, and pepper; bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring frequently. Arrange 1 cup pasta on each of 4 plates; top with 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese. Garnish with chopped basil or basil sprigs, if desired.

Yield

4 servings

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 530(21% from fat); FAT 12.4g (sat 2.8g,mono 6.6g,poly 2g); PROTEIN 51.8g; CHOLESTEROL 104mg; CALCIUM 165mg; SODIUM 971mg; FIBER 2.1g; IRON 4.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 55g

Karen Levin , Cooking Light, AUGUST 2007

Bluegrass Salad

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon butter or margarine
3/4 cup walnuts
2 heads romaine lettuce, torn
2 pears, chopped
1 cup asparagus tips*
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preparation

Whisk together first 4 ingredients. Chill at least 1 hour.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat; add walnuts, and sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove walnuts with a slotted spoon.

Toss together lettuce, pears, asparagus, and toasted walnuts. Sprinkle with cheese and cranberries; drizzle with dressing.

*1 cup broccoli florets or 1 cup snow peas may be substituted.

Yield

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Southern Living, NOVEMBER 2002

The ties that bind

Ok, I admit. I'm a lazy cook. The quicker the better, but not necessarily fast food (though In And Out is right up there when Matt and I are so inclined). As much as I love to cook, I want to be in and out in about 45 minutes. For this reason, I never make my own spaghetti sauce until now. I was tired of all the choices on the shelf and wanted to make my own. Except I didn't know where to look!

When I got engaged, I was thrilled with one of my presents that I still carry with me. A recipe notebook filled with recipes from my 2 cousins, Aunt Sharon, and Grandma Betty. Full of things I never thought of, or dishes that I wondered as a kid "how did they do that?" I love making these dishes, it's a connection that I feel when cooking Grandma's Soup, putting together Sharon's Lasagnae, or the aching temptation over Lisa's Cinnamon Rolls.

Last night, I decided in honor of our blog, to create one of Staci's tempting dishes. It's her famous spaghetti sauce, which I absolutely adore. When mom died last year, she came over with about 10 tupperware dishes full of this wonderful red sauce. The double batch easily makes more than enough to put away and freeze for later, for those nights you're too tired to cook but are trying to save money and don't want to order in.

Here's to you, Staci, and all the other fabulous women in my family that have and continue to teach me how to love and live, especially in the kitchen!

Cousin Staci's Spaghetti Sauce

Seasoning Mix:

1 T instant minced onion (I chopped my own)
1 T parsley flakes
1 T cornstarch
2 t green pepper flakes
1 1/2 t salt
1/4 t instant minced garlic (I crushed one garlic clove)
1 t sugar
3/4 italian seasoning

Sauce:

1 lb lean ground beef or italian sausage
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce (I used diced tomatoes)
1 (6 0z) can tomato paste
2 cups water or tomato juice
Seasoning Mix
1 jar spaghetti sauce (for double recipe)

Directions:
Brown meat, drain grease, add tomato sauce, paste, juice/water, and sauce (if making double receipe). Stir in seasoning. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Staci's note: I make double recipe and freeze the remaining in "gladware" for easy dinners!