Baked Lemon Pasta I love simple dishes like this. They remind me of my single vegetarian days in L.A. when I’d often come home from work and find a total of three grocery items in my kitchen. This is in contrast to the 9.446 grocery items in my kitchen now—everything from bacon grease to a freezer full of beef, but we won’t go there today. Lemon is an unlikely flavoring for pasta, but oh…is it ever refreshing and good, especially in the spring and summer. There’s something about this baked version, though, that I just love. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it. This recipe may be doubled, tripled, or octupled—it’s totally easy. The Cast of Characters: Spaghetti, lemons, garlic, butter, sour cream, olive oil, salt, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Start by grating the zest from one lemon. If you don’t have a microplane zester, please remedy that situation immediately. In a skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Add an equal amount of olive oil. And mince it very finely. Oh, yum.
Baked Mashed Potatoes with a Creamy Gruyere Topping My friend Donna Natale Mason…what can I say other than that Texas is not nearly as colorful without her? She is a vibrant, loud, gorgeous bit of Texas stomping through the snow in Indiana in red cowboy boots. We were debutantes together in Wichita Falls and she keeps threatening to come back to Texas and have a get together where we all wear our (very small sized yet shockingly poufy) deb dresses and eat lots of food and tell raunchy jokes. In the meantime she has given me a very decadent, yet simple recipe that is dear to her heart. This is part of the note that Donna sent to me: “My sweet Momma made these for me when I was pregnant with my daughter, Molly in 2005. Hence, I call these Donna’s Good Luck Potatoes. My only other comment on mashed potatoes is that it is important to mash in the butter before you add the milk. Scrub the potatoes and poke several holes in each with a fork. Whip the cream until it is fluffy, but soft and fold in Gruyere cheese. Notes: In closing:
Lentil Vegetable Soup Nothing beats a good, hearty soup that has inexpensive ingredients, feeds a lot of people, and doesn't take long to make. For a twist on this triple threat, add some bacon or pancetta. To prepare a vegetarian lentil soup, don't add meat and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. From the book "Mad Hungry," by Lucinda Scala Quinn (Artisan Books). Photography: Mad Hungry, September 2010 Ingredients Directions Heat a large soup pot over high heat and swirl in the olive oil. © 2014 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
Cajun Chicken Pasta Note: Since this recipe is featured on the Food Network episode this morning, I’m bringing it to the front for easy reference. This really is one of my favorite recipes here on The Pioneer Woman Cooks, and I regularly hear from people who’ve made it with great success. Crowd-pleaser! This is an exceedingly yummy, decadent pasta dish with chicken, vegetables, and lots and lots of scrumptious carbs. It’s a cinch to throw together, and if you don’t have prepared Cajun spice in your cabinet, you can just throw a few spices together to make your own combination. Different Cajun spice mixtures use different combinations of ingredients, but if you stick to basics like cayenne pepper (important!) Just remember: part of the deliciousness of this pasta dish is the spicy kick. Here’s how you make it. Oh. Start by slicing the veggies: Lop the top and bottom off of the red pepper… Then slice the pepper down the middle. Rip out the innards… Then make slices—not too thick, not too thin. Be generous! Yum.
Old School – Self Reliance 101 » Blog Archive » make your own ricotta cheese in five minutes Homemade ricotta? Really? That smooth, beautiful layer of yum in lasagna? Yes, dear students, it’s possible. And it’s as easy as kindergarten. The Damsel suspects you have everything you need, at this moment, in your kitchen. At the Old School, the Damsel likes to teach things they used to know by heart in the olden days, and put a new twist on them when she can. First, set a colander over a dish. Measure 2 cups of milk (the higher the fat content, the higher your yield) into a glass bowl or other microwavable vessel. Add two tablespoons of plain white vinegar, or, in other words, one tablespoon per cup of milk. Microwave this for 2-4 minutes, or until you see it start to bubble around the edges. Stir gently. Scoop the solids into the colander and let it drain until it reaches the desired consistency. The resulting cheese is soft and sort of like cream cheese, but less firm. The Damsel loved its fresh taste. Thanks, Kenji, for the microwave method.
Barbeque Chicken Pizza « Slice & Dice 20 Feb Absolutely nothing hard about this one!! Pizza is one of my favorite foods, but I didn’t feel like making the typical pepperoni or sausage. Seemed a little boring at the time. So I took a gander at the online menu for California Pizza Kitchen to get some ideas for a fun and unique ingredient combination. Barbeque Chicken Pizza 1 roll of refrigerated pizza dough pizza sauce 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 red pepper, sliced or diced 1 green pepper, sliced or diced 1 small onion, diced 1-2 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces barbeque sauce shredded mozzarella or pizza-blend cheese 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Like this: Like Loading... Tags: Main Dish Broccoli and Orzo A simple side dish which combines orzo, a rice shaped pasta with fresh broccoli, garlic and oil. A perfect side for fish or chicken or enjoy it as a main meal. This was one from the archives that was ((gasp)) missing a photo. As soon as I realized this I whipped this up real quick and updated this post. I love orzo as a side dish because it's quick and incorporates my vegetables and carbohydrates all into one easy dish. Broccoli and Orzo Skinnytaste.com Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 3/4 cup • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 5 ptsCalories: 174.1 • Fat: 4.3 • Carbs: 30.2 • Fiber: 3.8 • Protein: 6.0 Ingredients: 4.5 oz uncooked orzo pasta2 cups of fresh broccoli florets only (no stems)4 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped3 tsp extra virgin olive oilsalt and fresh pepper to taste Directions: Trim stems off broccoli, cut into small pieces and season with salt. Meanwhile, cook pasta in medium pot of salted water as directed for al dente. Makes 3 cups.
Soupy Sundays: Lasagna Soup It’s holiday time… yeah!!! You’re decorating, baking, shopping, running around like a chicken with your head cut off… you don’t have time to slave all day for a yummy lasagna. But you do have time for a quick, easy, and delicious fake out in soup form. Similar to goulash, this soup makes a lot, reheats well, and is so hearty that you’ll be good and full for a long day of holiday madness. My version is a happy little melding of Paula Dean’s and A Farmgirl’s Dabbles. I know you’ll love it! Lasagna Soup Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, diced 1 green bell pepper, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 pound ground chuck 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon thyme 2 teaspoon dried oregano 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 32-ounce can, chicken broth 1 28-ounce can, fire roasted diced tomatoes 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce 2 cups broken lasagna noodles 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese Directions: Preheat broiler.
lasagna-timpano.html from thefoodinmybeard.com - StumbleUpon I went to see tUnE-yArDs on Monday night with some friends, and as always we wanted to cook a meal that somehow related to the show we were heading to. Sometimes this is hard to do, but other times it seems to come naturally. Finding culinary inspiration in Merrill's lyrics seemed like it would be tough, but my sister knew what she wanted to make without hesitation. "How about something layered, because of all the vocal and instrument layering in the music?" From there we worked together to come up with this deep, colorful, and multi-flavored lasagna version of a timpano. Start by making a lasagna crust. Finally got it together. Now it's easy, just start building the layers! Alfredo sauce with some salami goes first. After 3 alfredo layers, I switched to pesto. A cheese only layer, just for fun. Tomato sauce is last. It's important to press things down as you go. In my opinion, it can't be lasagna without at least a little ricotta! I painted on some alfredo at the end as a glue. All sealed up.
Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwich | Grilled Cheese Recipe Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwich Josh’s brother is visiting us from California and we are having a great time. Caleb sure loves having his uncle around and I love having another person to feed:) The other day the guys wanted a snack so I whipped up a bowl of guacamole and made homemade baked tortilla chips. The guys were still hungry so I offered to make grilled cheese sandwiches. There was still some guacamole left so I asked them if they wanted a Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwich. I used crusty white bread to make the sandwiches. Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwich Yield: 2 sandwichesPrep Time: 5 minutesCook Time: 5-7 minutes The guacamole takes this grilled cheese sandwich to a whole new level of goodness. If you like this Guacamole Grilled Cheese, you might also like:
Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes I know, I know, au gratin potatoes aren’t the most authentic of Thanksgiving dishes since mashed taters usually take the starch center stage for this holiday. However, I have to say that I love a cheesy, creamy potato dish at Thanksgiving and since this one will be appearing at my Thanksgiving table (and probably Christmas, too!), I wanted to share it here. This recipe takes all the delectable requirements of an au gratin potato dish and streamlines it into an easy, no-fuss process. I’ve tried a lot of au gratin potato dishes in my day and this is the one that makes me declare, “Bring on the potatoes, baby.” One Year Ago: Whole Wheat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip CookiesTwo Years Ago: Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes Note: the key to this dish is the evenly sliced potatoes. Ingredients Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and adjust an oven rack to the middle position.
Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli Broccoli is roasted with thinly sliced garlic then tossed with freshly squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, basil, and toasted pine nuts. This zingy side dish is the perfect accompaniment to many grilled foods. This side dish is my husbands favorite and since it is super easy to make we have it often. Give this recipe a try and I am certain that everyone will eat their veggies and it just might be your new favorite side dish! Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli Printer Friendly Version Ingredients: 3 tablespoons pine nuts4 to 5 pounds broccoli4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced6 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper2 teaspoons grated lemon zest2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves) Directions: Yields: 6 servings Source: Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics Leave a Comment
asparagus, goat cheese and lemon pasta A couple weeks ago, I had a fantastic warm asparagus salad at a nearby restaurant, one I immediately swore I’d make at home. It had segments of white and green asparagus tossed with goat cheese and a tarragon and lemony mint vinaigrette and it was piled on a bed of red endive, my favorite. It was stunning. After trying and failing to find all three elements — the green asparagus, white asparagus and the red endive — for the next two weeks, I gave up. But this did, for now at least. One year ago: Mushroom StrudelTwo years ago: Homemade Oreos Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Lemon Pasta Adapted from Bon Appetit As it turns out, goat cheese makes a really great quick, creamy pasta sauce. Serves 6 Cook your pasta in a large pot of well-salted water until it is almost tender, or about three minutes shy of what the package suggests. Meanwhile, combine olive oil, lemon peel, tarragon and cheese in a large bowl, breaking up the goat cheese as you put it in.