Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti

This pasta dish from America's Test Kitchen was quick, easy, and tasted wonderful! You should definitely try it. It doesn't look like much in the picture, but it was fantastic. We followed the directions to get the nice creamy sauce that's intended, so make sure to get the right ingredients. Oh, we did use our regular H.T. Traders (Harris Teeter) brand whole wheat pasta since it is safe for egg allergies, and that didn't affect the recipe from what we could tell. Enjoy!

Vegetable Barley Soup

We had Vegetable Barley Soup this week. This looks like the type of recipe I'd love and others in my house would tolerate. For some reason it is nearly the opposite. This is my second time making it, and I get remarks that it's flavorful and done well, but when I sit down to eat it, I'm dreading it. I can't even say what I don't like other than that maybe it isn't exciting? I even tried using chicken broth this time instead of just water, but I'm still not interested in it. I do wish as I were putting all the ingredients in the slow cooker that it would have more colors. It's a lot of white and beige with the particular veggies that go into it. So sadly I can't say this is great but I also can't say why. It does have decent flavor and the veggies are tender yet with a little crunch. If you end up trying it, let me know what you think.

Cheesy Shells and Greens

Last night's dinner was Cheesy Shells and Greens which was enjoyed by the whole family. It's a pretty quick meal other than taking stems off the spinach, but overall it's simple and well received. I've made it before but this time added in chopped leftover chicken since I had it. Also, I left out the mustard because of allergies. Enjoy!

Rainbow of Peppers

We've enjoyed all colors of peppers the last couple weeks, either eating them raw as a snack before meals, on our pizza, or in other dishes (delicious fajitas recipe coming up soon). The little boy also enjoys requesting the peppers by color, usually asking for the orange or yellow ones but eating all that are on his plate. If only there were blue and purple peppers available, too. Just after I took this picture, he said a very happy, "Yum."

He got so excited about decorating the pizza that he placed his final pepper strips on it after it came out of the oven. Peppers must be a good pizza topping both cooked or raw.

Fried Rice

We have several types of fried rice we make regularly, and here is one of the egg free versions. I thought fried rice always had eggs in it, but I guess most anything can be modified (reminds me of my egg free quiche...). This recipe is another great one for whatever leftover meat is laying around ready to use, or leave the meat out. You can also throw in veggies you have on hand. Though only peas are called for in the recipe, I added shredded carrots I had prepped and frozen over a month ago, as well as fresh chopped mushrooms. Lots of nutrition in every bite, and it's tasty, too! Remember to prep all ingredients before starting to cook, since the process goes quickly.

Fried Rice modified from "Bakin' Without Eggs"

INGREDIENTS
1 TBSP olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP grated ginger root
5 cups cold, cooked rice
2 cup frozen baby peas
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
5 TBSP low-sodium soy sauce
6 TBSP chicken stock (use water if none available)
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/8 tsp white pepper

METHOD

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add onion and garlic; stir-fry 4-5 minutes, until crisp-tender.
2. Add ginger, rice, and peas; stir-fry 3-4 minutes longer.
3. Add chicken; stir-fry until hot, about 3-5 minutes longer.
4. Stir in soy sauce, stock, thyme, and pepper. Stir-fry until rice absorbs the liquid and food is hot, about 3-4 minutes. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Taco Soup

John's aunt made this recipe when we visited over Thanksgiving; I think it came from their church recipe book. I love having this recipe on hand. All the ingredients come from the pantry or freezer. I have the ingredients stocked up for when our fresh produce is gone and it's time to go shopping. Also, this was my first go-to recipe for the slow cooker. It made me a little less scared of trying new recipes after we had some recipes that were awful several years ago.

I make some changes to the recipe from what I wrote below. It makes it a little more involved but hopefully also a little healthier. The changes include: cooking dried beans instead of using canned (just guess at amounts, it's not exact); using frozen corn; and mixing my own taco seasoning and ranch dressing (see below). These changes help reduce sodium and other unnecessary ingredients that often come from canned goods. Also, instead of ground beef, feel free to leave the meat out or substitute leftover meat, such as chopped chicken, pork, or beef. Another reason why this recipe is so great is because you can do almost anything to it, and it still tastes great. If after adding all your ingredients, you want a little more liquid, add a couple cups of water. It will be full of flavor after it's done cooking.

Taco Soup from family in North Carolina

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
2 cans corn
2 cans rotel
2 cans hominy
2 cans chopped tomatoes
2 cans pinto beans
2 cans navy beans
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 package taco seasoning mix

METHOD

1. After browning and draining the meat, put everything in the slow cooker and cook on low for about 6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
2. If desired, serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

Yield: 8 servings

Taco Seasoning: Mix together 1/4 C oregano, 3 TBSP chile powder, 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 TBSP onion powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 pinch ground cloves, 1 pinch ground cinnamon. Use a couple heaping tablespoons for the recipe above.

Ranch Dressing: This is less exact as I change what I throw in each time, but sprinkle in some variety of salt, black pepper, sugar, paprika, parsley, and dried onion as you feel led.

Vegetable Curry Slow Cooker Meal

Last week we had several slow cooker meals which was wonderful! It gave us a chance to enjoy doing some other things later in the day instead of squeezing in dinner preparations. One night we had a Vegetable Curry Slow Cooker meal. It was good, but not quite as flavorful as when I had it at a friend's house, so I'll have to figure out what I should change. I left out the chili to make it more appealing for the baby, so perhaps that's where I went wrong. I served the meal over rice but the recipe calls for couscous, so use whichever you prefer.

Vegetable Curry Slow Cooker Meal from a friend (not sure of the original source)

INGREDIENTS
1 TBSP olive oil
1 1/2 C chopped onion
1 C sliced carrots
1 TBSP curry powder
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
3 C cooked chickpeas
1 1/2 C cubed peeled baking potato
1 C diced green bell pepper
1 C cut green beans
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14-ounce) can vegetable broth
3 C fresh baby spinach
1 C light coconut milk

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender.
2. Add curry powder, sugar, ginger, garlic, and chile; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Place onion mixture in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Stir in chickpeas and next 8 ingredients (through broth).
4. Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours or until vegetables are tender.
5. Add spinach and coconut milk; stir until spinach wilts.

Yield: 6 servings (1 1/3 C vegetable mixture)

French Onion Soup and Baps

Last night we had French Onion Soup with our delicious baps. It was a flavorful and easy meal. Next time I'll add more water, maybe another 2-3 cups. There were a lot of onions for the amount of liquid, and we needed more servings. Also, the recipe called for canned beef broth. I try not to use canned broth and usually use water instead. Since there were so few ingredients, I felt I needed to add some seasoning (hence giving in to the bouillon cubes and adding some herbs), so I just sprinkled in a couple herbs that I thought would be good. For the baps, this time I made them with half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour. They turned out great!

French Onion Soup from "A Year of Slow Cooking"

INGREDIENTS
3 TBSP butter
2 yellow onions, sliced into rings
5 C water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 tsp each of oregano and thyme
1/2 TBSP granulated sugar
1/4 C cooking sherry
1/2 tsp kosher salt
slices of wheat bread
swiss cheese or gruyere cheese

METHOD

1. Heat your crockpot to high and add butter to start melting.
2. Add onions to crockpot; break up the slices with your fingers, and rub them around in the melted butter.
3. Add the water, bouillon, seasonings, sugar, salt, and sherry.
4. Cook on high for 6-8 hours or low for 10-12.
5. Before serving, broil sliced bread with cheese on top until melted and browned. Then place bread in soup and eat!

Yield: 4 servings

Pepperoni Portobello Pizzas

Last night's meal was Pepperoni Portobello Pizzas with leftover bean soup from the night before. These were really quick and delicious, but I could have probably eaten three or four. Also, I couldn't find the mushrooms as cheap as I probably needed to for meeting the price per serving listed in the recipe. But it's still a good, healthy, quick meal for when you need one. Even the baby wanted more!

White-Bean Zucchini Soup

Last night we had White-Bean Zucchini Soup, and it was a hit! The baby kept squealing for more, and John particularly enjoyed the slight crunch that the zucchini added. I also threw ingredients into the bread maker for cornbread which paired well with the soup. This is a very quick dinner, as long as you follow the directions (which I didn't do)!

To keep the ingredients fresh and be sure that I knew exactly what was in the soup, I made the beans by simmering them for three hours with a chopped onions, a couple strips of bacon, salt, and pepper. (As a bonus, I made a little extra so I can use the beans for a chili recipe in a couple days.) Also, instead of chicken broth, I used the liquid made from making the beans which was already well seasoned. Once the beans were done, it was easy to add everything else to the pot and call dinner done in time to let the baby play in the backyard while I raked some leaves before John got home. This could be a veggie meal if you use veggie broth and take out the bacon, but it was good just as it is!

Soup and Pasta

It's been awhile since my last post. We've cooked real meals far less in the last year between buying a house, preparing for the baby to come, and now being with Sam in the evenings after work. Despite everything that's going on, we're doing what we can to resume more healthy eating.

To add to some leftover pasta, I decided to make Butternut Squash Soup so we'd have enough food for dinner. I got this recipe and the can of squash from my aunt. She made it while we were visiting in New York, and I really enjoyed it, so she sent me what I needed to make it at home. While Sam was taking a short nap, I was able to chop veggies, and then I finished off the rest of the recipe with him looking on in the sling. It was quick to come together and didn't require too much with two hands, so I was able to finish. I'd say this recipe is baby friendly and tasty, too!

Next time, I may blend the veggies in a food processor after cooking them. Also, I may reduce the half and half a little more and substitute with more milk to reduce the sweetness a tiny bit. This was my first attempt at making soup, and this was a great first recipe since it's so easy.

Butternut Squash Soup

INGREDIENTS
14 oz. chicken stock
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/3 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. pepper
15 oz. can of butternut squash
1 C half and half
1 C skim milk

METHOD

1. In a large pot, add chicken stock, onion, carrots, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until vegetables are soft.
2. Stir in butternut squash, half and half, and milk.
3. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes and then serve.

Yield: 6 servings

I discussed this recipe here.

Pork with Polenta and Broccoli Rabe

We don't usually make meat with two side dishes, but that's what happened last night. We made Parmesan and Sage Crusted Pork, Creamy Polenta, and Broccoli Rabe with Garlic. Despite the meat being on its own, even I enjoyed it! The flavors were good, and the meat was thin. The side dishes were made with some random stuff we had that didn't have a purpose originally. The polenta was smooth and delicious. We scaled down the recipe a bit so we wouldn't have too many leftovers. Also, we haven't had broccoli rabe since earlier in the year, so we enjoyed its return.

Also, this is what we discovered tonight. Not great pictures, but you should be able to see the kittens. I've been wondering why water seemed to be coming out of the tree stand and making the sheet wet, but now I know!

For some reason, they like water that isn't in their bowls. Now that we've shut the toilets off from them, they've discovered another source.

Broccoli Rabe with Garlic

(adapted from Sunset's Sauteed Broccoli Rabe with Garlic and Chiles (Rape Fritte))

INGREDIENTS
1 lb whole broccoli rabe
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved lengthwise, if large
~1/4 tsp sea salt

METHOD

1. Trim broccoli rabe, removing tough parts of stems and any stems with a hollow core. Split stems (or quarter them if large) so they'll cook at the same rate as the florets. Rinse well.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add broccoli rabe (you may have to add in batches, waiting until some cooks down) and cook until tender, 2 to 5 minutes. Scoop out and set aside about 1/4 C cooking liquid, then drain broccoli rabe in a colander. Let sit until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes, then squeeze gently to remove excess moisture.
3. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add broccoli rabe and 1/4 tsp salt, and toss to coat with oil. Increase heat to high and cook until broccoli rabe is heated through and flavorful, about 5 minutes (if it looks dry, moisten with some of the reserved cooking liquid). Season with salt to taste. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Yield: 4 servings

I discussed this recipe here.

Creamy Polenta

(adapted from Southern Living's Creamy Polenta Recipe)

INGREDIENTS
7 C chicken broth
2 C polenta
1 (8 oz.) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese

METHOD

1. Bring 6 C chicken broth to a light boil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Slowly stir in polenta. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until polenta thickens. (Do not boil.)
3. Stir in cream cheese until blended. Stir in remaining chicken broth. Cover and keep warm.

Yield: 6 servings

I discussed this recipe here.

Black Bean Burgers

Vegetarian type meals aren't always well received in our house, but I've been looking for some good recipes that we can add to our list of keepers. These Black Bean Burgers with Spicy Cucumber and Red Pepper Relish were a great alternative to the standard beef burger. Even better, they were enjoyed by all and approved for a return to our dinner table. We were missing some of the key ingredients (red pepper), but liked the recipe despite the alterations. I look forward to trying these burgers in their original form sometime soon.

Black Bean Burgers with Spicy Cucumber and Red Pepper Relish

(adapted from Cooking Light's Black Bean Burgers with Spicy Cucumber and Red Pepper Relish)

INGREDIENTS
Relish:
2/3 cup peeled and finely chopped cucumber
1/2 C red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 C red onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp dill, finely chopped
1/8 tsp salt
Dash of ground red pepper

Burgers:
1 (15-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 C dry breadcrumbs
1/4 C red onion, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 large egg
Cooking spray
1/4 C light mayonnaise
4 hamburger buns
dill sprigs (optional)

METHOD

1. To prepare relish, combine first 8 ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and chill 2 hours.
2. To prepare burgers, place beans in a large bowl; partially mash with a fork. Stir in breadcrumbs and next 5 ingredients (through egg). Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2 inch thick patty.
3. Heat pan to medium-high and coat with cooking spray. Cook patties for 5 minutes on each side or until thoroughly heated.
4. Spread 1 Tbsp mayonnaise on the bottom half of each bun. Top each with a patty, 1/4 C relish, and top half of bun. Garnish with dill sprigs, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

I discussed this recipe here.

Soup and Sandwiches

I don't remember ever having split pea soup, but it seems to generate contorted faces when I ask people what they think of it. Despite its reputation, I was up for giving it a try, so I made this Shaker Split Pea Soup with grilled fontina sandwiches. We did have to allow time to simmer the soup, but otherwise, this meal required little preparation.

I made a bit more than the original recipe so we'd have enough for lunch the next day. Also, I put a little less water in because of the comments I read saying it was too watery. Though it may have been fine, I'd rather it be on the thicker side. I didn't mash the peas at all at the end of the simmer, since the soup was already a good consistency.

The sandwiches were made with fresh baguettes from Costco that we treat ourselves to on occasion and thin slices of fontina cheese. I mixed Dijon mustard with chopped green onions and put a thin layer on the inside of each slice. After lightly coating the sandwiches with cooking spray, I grilled them for a couple minutes on each side.

The soup and sandwiches were both very good. The soup had plenty of flavor and a good consistency. Maybe the bacon pieces could entice skeptics to give it a try.

Shaker Split Pea Soup

(adapted from Cooking Light's Shaker Split Pea Soup)

INGREDIENTS
4-5 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
2 1/4 C onion, finely chopped
7 1/4 C water
2 1/4 C green split peas
3/8 tsp dried thyme
3/8 tsp dried savory
3/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
thyme sprigs to top, if desired

METHOD

1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add onion to pan; cook 5 minutes or until onion is tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
2. Add water, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add peas, thyme, savory, pepper, and salt to pan. Bring to boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour and 20 minutes.
3. If desired, mash with a potato masher to desired consistency. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings (about 3/4 cup)

I discussed this recipe here.