Taco Pasta Bake

Ooooh....what a fantastic dish this was! Mexican-check! Pasta-check! Cheese-check! What more could you ask for really?! I found this on a blog, but I can't remember whose blog it was, so if it's yours please let me know and I will gladly give you credit.

Taco Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

1 lb. Ground Turkey

1/2 Onion, diced

1 Packet Taco Seasoning

1 Can (15 oz) Tomato Sauce

1 Box Pasta (I used bowties because they are cute)

1 pkg (8 oz) Cream Cheese, softened

1 C Sour Cream

1 Pkg (8 oz) Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, brown ground turkey with onions. Add taco seasoning and tomato sauce and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Mix softened cream cheese & sour cream in separate bowl. Spray bottom of 9x13 pan. Place pasta in the pan. Spread cream cheese mixture over pasta. Spoon ground turkey mixture over pasta. Sprinkle cheese over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Mexican Redneck Casserole-how can you not love it?!

Ok, so at work yesterday everyone was raving about this recipe-love the name. Debbie found it on sparkpeople.com and made it over the weekend. Well, after smelling it in the microwave I just had to try it! It reminded me of Hamburger Helper-homemade version. Yum-O! I made a couple of modifications and it was FABULOUS! I'll be waiting for the next one, Debbie!

Mexican Redneck Casserole

Ingredients:
1/2 Box Macaroni, cooked
1 lb. Ground Turkey
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning
2/3 C Water
1 Onion, diced
1 Green Pepper, diced
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 C Frozen Corn
1 C Sour Cream
1 Pkg. Dry Onion Soup Mix
1 Can Cream of Celery Soup
1 Can Cheddar Soup
8 oz. Mild Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Directions:
Brown Turkey with onions, garlic, corn and green pepper. Once browned, add taco seasoning, water, and simmer for 5 minutes. Mix sour cream, onion soup mix, cheddar cheese soup, Cream of Celery soup, and cheddar cheese and add to the ground turkey mixture. Place mixture in a 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Invite all of your redneck buddies over to enjoy!

Gemelli with Pancetta (Bacon) and Peas

I found this recipe on http://www.barillaus.com/ and thought I'd give it a try (with a few changes). I had some gemelli & bacon so this sounded perfect! It was delicious!

Gemelli with Bacon & Peas

Ingredients:

1 T extra virgin olive oil
2-1/2 oz. pancetta, chopped (I had bacon on hand, so used that instead)
1 chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T flour
2 C milk
1 (10 oz.) package frozen peas, thawed
1-1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided
1/3 C chopped fresh basil (I used 1 T dried)
1/4 cup half & half (I omitted this)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 (16 oz.) box Gemelli

Directions:

HEAT oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta (bacon) and cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Remove pancetta from skillet; set aside.ADD onion and garlic to skillet; sauté 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in pancetta and flour. Gradually add milk, whisking until blended and slightly thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. ADD peas, 1 cup cheese, basil, half and half, salt and pepper.COOK Gemelli according to package directions; drain and return to pot.ADD sauce mixture to hot Gemelli and toss. Transfer to serving platter; sprinkle with remaining cheese
Stir in 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel before serving. If sauce is too thick, add additional milk or half & half.

Refreshing Summer Orzo Salad

I found this recipe on http://www.allrecipes.com/ and decided to try it out. It sounded delicious and it definitely was! I will be making this one again...

Refreshing Summer Orzo Salad

from http://www.allrecipes.com/

Ingredients:

4 C Chicken Broth (or vegetable broth)
1 (16 oz) package Orzo pasta
1-1/2 T Butter ( I left this out as it wasn't necessary)
1/4 C EVOO
1-1/2 tsp. Minced Garlic
1/2 tsp. Dried Basil
1/2 tsp. Dried Thyme
1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 C Pine Nuts
1 C Pitted Kalamata Olives
1 (2 oz) Jar Capers, with liquid
12 oz. Basil-Flavored Feta Cheese, crumbled
1 (10 oz) Bag Fresh Spinach Leaves, chopped
1 T Lemon Juice (I used lime)

Directions:

1. Bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until al dente, 8-10 minutes. Drain well, then pour the orzo into a bowl, and toss with the butter to keep it from sticking; set aside. NOTE: I cooked the orzo until most of the liquid was gone, but I didn't bother to drain-there was no need to. Orzo tends to get dry, so I felt that leaving the little bit of broth would be the better way to go.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the EVOO in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook until the garlic softens and the aroma mellows, about 2 minutes. Stir in the basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, and pine nuts. Cook and stir until the pine nuts have toasted to a light golden brown.

3. Stir the pine nut mixture into the orzo along with the olives, capers, feta cheese, spinach, and lemon juice. Serve either warm or cold, but it's better the next day.
I had this both warm and cold-it was FANTASTIC either way. Enjoy!

Sesame-Peanut Noodles & Ahi Tuna

Last night, we had Sesame-Peanut Noodles and Ahi Tuna. It was seriously the best meal ever...

Sesame-Peanut Noodles
(from "The Food You Want to Eat" by Ted Allen)

Ingredients:
Kosher Salt
1/4 C Sesame Seeds
1/4 C Peanut Butter (I used natural)
1/4 C Toasted Sesame Oil
1/3 C Roasted Peanuts, Cashews, whatever nuts you have (I used toasted cashews)
1/3 C Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
1 T Red Wine Vinegar
1 T Mirin
2 Garlic Cloves
1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 English Cucumber
1 pkg. Buckwheat Soba Noodles
1/4 C Chopped Fresh Cilantro
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
3 Scallions, sliced on an angle 1/4 inch thick

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they turn golden brown, about 5 minutes.

3. In a food processor (I used a blender), combine the peanut butter, sesame oil, peanuts (I used cashews), soy sauce, vinegar, mirin, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Process to a puree. Stir in half the toasted sesame seeds.

4. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon; discard the seeds. Slice the cucumber halves crosswise about 1/4 inch thick; set aside.

5. When the water comes to a boil, add the noodles and cook until tender, 4-5 minutes. Drain very well, shaking the colander until it stops dripping, and dump into a bowl. Add the peanut mixture, cilantro, and black pepper, and toss to coat. Turn out onto a large platter. Arrange the cucumber slices around the edge of the platter, sprinkle the scallions on top, and arrange the remaining sesame seeds on last. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Ahi Tuna

For the ahi tuna, we simply put some soy sauce on it, coated it with toasted sesame seeds and grilled on each side for approximately 3 minutes. DELICIOUS!

Rice Noodle Stirfry

We had a box of Thai Kitchen Rice Noodles, so I looked at the back of the box and found a recipe that sounded great! It was very, very simple and tasted great! Of course, I threw out the box and don't have the exact recipe now, but it was pretty simple.

Stir Fry Rice Noodles

Ingredients:

1 Box Thai Kitchen Noodles, cooked according to package directions

2 Chicken Breasts, very thinly sliced

6-8 Stalks Asparagus, chopped

1 Red Onion, diced

3-4 Green Onions, chopped

1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped

2 T Olive Oil

1 T Sesame Oil

2 T Soy Sauce (I used Tamari)

1 T Fish Oil

In a large skillet or wok, heat olive oil on high. Add chicken and veggies and cook until chicken is cooked through. Add the cooked noodles along with the oils and mix until all combined and heated through. Enjoy! How is that for easy??!

Cajun Flounder & Pasta

I'm late on updating. This was (I think) Tuesday's dinner. I simply tossed some flounder fillets in flour and cajun seasoning and sauteed in olive oil. Yum!

For the pasta, I was craving black beans & corn, so this is what I came up with...

Ingredients:

1/2 Box Barilla Plus Rotini

1 C Frozen Corn

1 Can Black Beans, drained & rinsed

1 Onion, diced

2 T Whole Cumin

Olive Oil

Cilantro

1 C Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add about 2 T olive oil to the pan. When hot, add the cumin and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the onion and cook until until translucent. Add corn and black beans. Season and add the pasta with salt & pepper according to taste. Garnish with cilantro & cheddar cheese. Enjoy!

Better than Takeout!

We had an ice storm last week and lost our power for TWO DAYS! It was excruciating, but fortunately prior to the outage my husband made me some chicken lo mein. We wanted to get chinese delivery, but the only local place that delivered was closed. So, I looked on http://www.allrecipes.com/ and found a recipe which my husband tweaked. It was really good!

Ingredients:

1 T Cornstarch
1 tsp. Ground Ginger
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
2 T Chicken Broth
2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon Chicken Base (can also use boullion cubes if desired)
1/2 cup hot Water
6 ounces uncooked Whole Wheat Angel Hair Pasta
1/2 Cup Mushrooms, sliced
1 Cup Frozen Mixed Veggies (corn, peas, green beans)
2 Green Onions, chopped
2 T Olive Oil, divided
2 tsp Sesame Oil

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, ginger, soy sauce and broth until smooth. Add chicken and stir to coat; set aside. In a small bowl, dissolve bouillon granules in hot water; set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry mushrooms, frozen veggies and green onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 3-5 minutes or until tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same skillet, stir-fry chicken mixture in remaining olive oil for 2-3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in dissolved bouillon. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Return vegetables to skillet. Drain pasta; add sesame oil and pasta to skillet. Toss to coat. Cook 1-2 minutes longer or until heated through.

Santa Fe Chicken Pasta

Ok, the picture came out horribly-I guess I need to get hubby to change the setting for me. BUT, this dish was incredible! I found this on a blog that I checked out today-I'm so glad now that I did! Here is a link to the blog if you'd like to check it out:

http://www.ashleescooking.blogspot.com/

I did make a couple of changes-since I'm cleaning out the pantry & freezer (still), I thought I'd use what I had on hand. I didn't have any snow peas, so I used frozen peas instead. I also used frozen corn which was good considering it was a southwestern dish. Anand gave this recipe 2 thumbs up!

Santa Fe Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb. Penne (I used Barilla Plus)

4 Chicken Breasts

1 Onion, sliced

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Red Bell Pepper (I substituted 1 roasted red pepper that I had on hand)

1 Cup Snow Peas (I used frozen green peas)

1 15 oz. Can Tomato Sauce

2 Cups Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

1 T Flour

1 Cup Milk (I used Half & Half)

1 Can Black Beans, drained & rinsed

2 T & 1 tsp. Chili Powder

2 T & 1 tsp. Cumin

1 T Coriander

2 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Ground Black Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sour Cream for Garnish

Directions:

Cook pasta as directed. In the last minute of cooking, add snow peas and/or green peas and corn. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, season chicken breasts on each side with 1 tsp each of salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder. Grill (I used the gas grill, but you could use a grill pan) over medium heat until cooked. In a large skillet, saute sliced onion, garlic, and red bell pepper over medium heat in about 2 T EVOO. After vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes, sprinkle in flour. Toss to coat and cook through. Add half & half and heat until thickened. Stir in the cheddar cheese. When the cheese is melted, stir in tomato sauce, black beans, and the remainder of the spices. When everything is warmed through and combined, add in pasta, peas, and corn. Slice the chicken on an angle. Plate pasta and arrange chicken over it. Top with cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Yum!

Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Shells

We had some ricotta left over from my last stuffed shells recipe, so I decided to make some spinach & ricotta stuffed shells. I found a recipe on www.allrecipes.com and adjusted it a bit. These were really easy and delicious! I made my own tomato sauce-simply used 2 cans of tomato sauce and added garlic, oregano, basil, and mushrooms.

Ingredients:

1 Box Large Pasta Shells

2 Cups Ricotta

2 Boxes Frozen Spinach, Thawed & Drained (make sure you squeeze the liquid out)

4 Cloves Minced Garlic

1 Cup Fresh Parmesan Cheese (2/3 cup for filling and 1/3 cup for top)

Pasta Sauce (or make your own as I did)

Directions:

Cook pasta shells as directed-drain. In the meantime, mix other ingredients. Place a small amount of tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish (just enough to cover). Stuff shells with cheese & spinach filling and place filling side up in baking dish. When full, top with leftover tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Saturday Lunch

I decided to whip up a pasta dish for lunch as we had been working around the house. Since I've been on a black bean kick lately (as you can tell from this blog), of course it had to involve black beans! I cooked a box of Barilla Plus Penne and at the end of cooking, added about a cup of frozen corn. Once cooked, I added 2 cans of black beans (drained & rinsed), 1/2 cup of mexican shredded cheese, and approximately 3/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette. Then, I topped with some crushed tortilla chips and chopped cilantro. It was yummy!

Mom's Pasta Salad

Mom made a yummy pasta salad that had whole wheat penne, black olives, chopped egg, chopped cucumber. It was really good. She also sent some home with us (I like that!) so we had it for lunch today and I finished it off tonight!

Spicy Garlic Lime Pasta

I found this recipe on "Amber's Delectable Delights" and thought I'd give it a try. It was great!

Ingredients:

1 Cup Chicken Broth

1.5 T. Lime Juice (I used lemon)

2 tsp. Corn Starch

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Black Pepper

1/8 tsp. Cayenne Pepper (I used Chili Powder)

1/4 tsp. Paprika

1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder

1/4 tsp. Onion Powder

1/4 tsp. Dried Thyme (I used Italian Seasoning)

1/4 tsp. Dried Parsley

2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 T Butter

Few drizzles of Olive Oil

8 ounces Pasta (I used Whole Wheat Rotini)

1-2 Cups Broccoli Florets

Directions:

Bring pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. During the last 5 minutes of cook time, add the broccoli into the boiling water. Drain.

Mix together all the sauce ingredients (chicken broth through parsley) and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in saute pan over medium heat. Add bite-sized chicken pieces into the heated pan. Cook chicken until no longer pink. Pour the sauce ingredients into the pan with the chicken and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened.

Toss cooked broccoli and pasta with the chicken & sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired, and serve.