Getting Creative

Last week our printer broke. This proved especially difficult since I use Master Cook to meal plan. I can print out all my recipes and it even creates a grocery list so I don't have to wonder if I missed something. But as I sat at my computer and began to meal plan, I realized it was moot since I couldn't print out anything. So I turned to my cook-books and came up with a week full of new recipes. I had so much fun and am excited about these new dishes!

Monday: Hamburger Soup (courtesy Nancy, my MIL)

Tuesday: Penne w/ Chicken Sausage & Broccolini (from Almost Meatless)

Wednesday: Quick Beef Tacos (from Real Simple)

Thursday: Italian Tuna Melts w/ White Beans and Provolone (from Rachel Ray)

Friday: Meatballs with Sauteed Chard (from Real Simple)

Saturday: I think we're going out to dinner

Sunday: A new week begins! Maybe our new printer will have arrived, otherwise I'll be going trudging through my cookbooks once again. Maybe I'll just do that anyway, I never know what I'm going to find.

Fresh Summer Pizza

Pizza is generally not one of my favorite meals during the summer. It's usually heavy with cheese and sauce, and don't feel good afterwards. But lately I've started making my own (still using a boboli but will eventually make my own crust) and they are so much better! For one, I can use any sauce I want and TWO it's not drowned in cheese. Cindy & I made a great pizza a few weeks ago -- and I'll post that recipe eventually -- but last night I decided to try a new version and it was delicious! I used mozzarella instead of provolone cheese, but it still tasted yummy!

I have no idea where I got this recipe, I've had it for years. It's probably from Cooking Light or Real Simple!

Fresh Tomato-Pesto Pizza

Ingredients:

Pesto:
4 cups basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil

Pizza:
1 Italian cheese-flavored pizza crust (such as 1lb Boboli)
3 cups chopped seeded tomato (about 2 pounds)
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded provolone cheese (4 ounces)
1/4 cup thinly sliced basil leaves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475°.

To prepare pesto, place 4 cups basil leaves and 2 garlic cloves in a food processor, and pulse 5 times or until coarsely chopped. With processor on, add broth, Parmesan, and oil through food chute; process until well-blended.

To prepare pizza, place pizza crust on a baking sheet. Spread pesto over crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border; top with the tomato, garlic slices, and provolone. Bake at 475° for 12 minutes or until the cheese melts. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup basil. Cut the pizza into 8 wedges.

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.

Cool Pasta Salad

I don't normally gravitate toward pasta salads but I found this recipe when I was looking for things that traveled well and didn't require heavy refrigeration for a camping trip recently.



The Pesto is low-cal since it doesn't contain any dairy. That's right, no cheese. Aside from the fresh herbs, this pesto gets it's big flavor boost from freshly toasted walnuts.


The recipe works perfect for a hot summer night dinner, and also packs well for an easy lunch. I enjoy the salad much better after it has slightly chilled.


I spent about five minutes in the pasta isle at the grocery store trying to decide between whole wheat pasta and regular. I finally chose whole wheat and it was delicious. I also added yellow cherry tomatoes in addition to the red ones which added an extra element of taste and flavor. The kalamata olives are an essential ingredient complimenting the sweetness of the tomatoes and nuttiness of the pesto with their own salty contribution.

Chicken and Farfalle Salad with Walnut Pesto


Total time: 26 minutes. To make sure the walnut pesto ingredients are evenly minced, stop the food processor halfway through processing, and scrape down the sides.


Salad:
2 cups uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta; about 6 ounces)
2 cups cubed cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives

Walnut Pesto:
1 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
1 1/2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove

Remaining ingredient:
4 curly leaf lettuce leaves

To prepare salad, cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; rinse with cold water. Combine pasta, chicken, tomatoes, and olives in a large bowl.

To prepare walnut pesto, combine basil and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor; pulse 6 times or until finely minced. Add pesto to pasta mixture, tossing gently to coat. Place 1 lettuce leaf on each of 4 plates; top each serving with salad mixture.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups salad and 1 lettuce leaf)

CALORIES 374 (30% from fat); FAT 12.5g (sat 2g,mono 5.5g,poly 3.9g); IRON 3.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 60mg; CALCIUM 62mg; CARBOHYDRATE 36.3g; SODIUM 393mg; PROTEIN 29.4g; FIBER 3g

Watermelon and Cantaloupe Salad with Mint Vinaigrette

Hello cooking superstars-- I haven't looked at this blog or posted in ages, but this is so good, I had to share it. It is a great and unusual summer treat. It's also completely easy to make and really fun if you have a melon baller to play with. It's the first time I've used one of those and I had a great time. This is a recipe a friend made for an activity and after I tasted the leftovers, I immediately got the recipe and made it for a potluck synod council meeting and it got rave reviews. The original author is Giada from the Food Network.

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh mint, chopped
1/4c lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1/4c simple syrup (see recipe below)
1/8t amaretto
2c watermelon balls (about half a watermelon)
2c centeloupe balls (about 1 cantaloupe)

Directions:

In a blender combine mint, lemon juice, simple syrup, and amaretto- blend until smooth

put melon balls into a large bowl- add vinaigrette and toss, serve chilled in serving bowl

Servings: 4

Simple Syrup:

1/2c water
1c sugar

In a saucepan combine over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 min, until the sugar has dissolved. Cool the syrup.

Broccoli and Apple Salad

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Cold Asian Salad

A terrific find from my new favorite cooking site. Goes well with a spicy, flavorful wine like Honey Moon Viognier from Trader Joe's.

Sesame and Cilantro Vermicelli Salad Recipe

Ingredients

Honey Soy Dressing
1/4 cup grapeseed oil or corn oil
3 Tbsp dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper or chili powder
3 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp soy sauce (less if using tamari which is more concentrated than soy sauce)

Salad
8 ounces of vermicelli, thin spaghetti, or angel hair pasta
Salt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup sliced and chopped red bell pepper
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

1 Cook the pasta in a large saucepan in salted boiling water, according to directions on pasta package. Drain but do not rinse.

2 While the pasta is cooking, prepare the dressing. In a microwave-safe dish, heat the vegetable oil, sesame oil, and red pepper, in the microwave on high heat for 2 minutes. Add the honey and soy sauce and mix well.

3 Combine the drained pasta with the dressing in a large bowl until the pasta is well coated. Cover and chill for several hours.

4 When ready to serve, mix in the cilantro, peanuts, green onions and bell pepper. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Serves 4 to 8, depending on serving size.