Tortellini Soup

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Recipe from Stephanie Cooks

Easy, quick weeknight meal!  This only takes about 10 minutes to make, and the only prep work involved is chopping up a tomato and carrot.  This is perfect for those weeknights when you have no time, yet you really want a good meal. :)  Serve with some hearty bread or salad.

I added in the carrot and some fresh basil because I had them in my refrigerator.

Ingredients:
4 c chicken broth
1 package tortellini
3 c baby spinach
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1-2 carrots, diced
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
1/4 t Italian seasonings
1/4 t garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh basil, chopped - for garnish

Directions:
Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add the tortellini and cook until almost done.

Add in the remaining ingredients (except basil) and cook over low heat until spinach is wilted.  Season to taste and season each serving with basil.

Butter Bean and Zucchini Triangles

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Recipe Source

Wow - it's been awhile since I've posted anything other than a meal plan.  I just haven't had the motivation lately, I guess.  Maybe I just needed a blogging break. 

However, my garden has kicked into high gear in this past week.  And the one thing that we always (never fails) have an over-abundance of?  Zucchini!  With only two of us in the house, I'm always struggling to find different ways to use it, or begging my friends and family to take some off our hands!  I know there are so many ways that zucchini can be used.  So, this year, I'm going to try to explore them all. (Okay, maybe not all, but a lot!)

Yesterday I really wanted to find a different recipe for zucchini for dinner.  For some reason the fact that we had a can of butter beans was sticking in my mind, so I put the two together, and found this!  I guess this is basically like a quiche (though, TBH, I've never made or actually had quiche) without the pie crust.

J and I both thought it was very good.  And it was quite filling!  It's also very easy to make.  Just mix everything together, pour into a pie tin and bake!

Ingredients:
2 c grated zucchini (try to squeeze out as much water as you can)
1 small onion, finely diced (about 1/4-1/2 c)
1 can butter beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 c shredded cheese (I used colby and monterey jack)
1/2 c self-rising flour
3 eggs
2 T olive oil
1/4 t salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a pie pan or 9"x9" baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix the zucchini, onion, beans, cheese and flour.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, olive oil and salt.  Then pour your egg mixture into the zucchini mixture, and stir well.

Pour into your pie pan and cook for about 30 minutes, until top is lightly golden.  Cut into 8 triangles and enjoy!

Rotini w/ Sauteed Greens and Scallion Sauce

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Recipe from Food and Wine

This was a quick, easy, fairly healthy weeknight meal.  It all came together within about 30 minutes, and it was very good!  This recipe involves arugula, swiss chard, scallions and marsarpone.

Ingredients:
3/4 lb rotini (or any smaller pasta)
4 T unsalted butter
1 bunch scallions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
3/4 c dry white wine
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 T EVOO
5 ou baby arugula
6 leaves (about 1 bunch) swiss chard, stems and central ribs discarded, coarsely chopped
1/4 c marsarpone cheese (you can also substitute cream cheese)

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/4 c of pasta water, and set aside.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan.  Add scallions and garlic over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine and cook over low heat until reduced by half, 5 more minutes.  Add 1/2 c of waterand puree the mixture in a blender until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in pasta pot. Add arugula and Swiss Chard and cook over high heat until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the pasta, scallion sauce and reserved pasta water and toss to mix.  Simmer, about 5 minutes, until sauce is thickened.

Stir in the marsarpone unil melted.  Season with salt and pepper, if needed, and serve.

Couscous Salad

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Original Recipe

J had been getting a little sick of the same old thing for lunch every day.  Typically sandwich, fruit and some sort of chip/pretzel/crackers.  And I have to agree.  So we've been trying to mix it up a bit.  A few weeks ago I made a huge batch of this couscous salad for the week. 

I thought it was really good!  Easy to make, perfect for a packed lunch, healthy and filling!

Ingredients:
1 c couscous
1 cucumber, diced
1 can corn, drained
5 small ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/2-1 c fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2-1 c fresh basil, finely chopped
1 lemon, juice of
1 t Dijon mustard
1 t dried oregano
1 c EVOO
1 t balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Cook the couscous according to package directions and let cool completely.

While it cools, mix the cucumber, corn, tomato, parsley and basil in a large bowl.  In a small bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients. 

Once couscous is cool, mix it into the veggies, then pour the dressing over top and mix well.  Chill at least one hour before serving.

Chicken and Gorgonzola Tomato Soup

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Recipe from Cooking Light

J recently mentioned to me that I've been making a lot of soups lately, especially on Sundays. I can't help it!  Soup is such a great winter meal.  It's a comfort food and it makes great leftovers! 

This soup was so simple to make, and it was great paired up with Havarti grilled cheese sandwiches. :)

Ingredients:
1 t olive oil
1 t minced garlic
1 c chopped celery
1 c minced onion
1 t crushed red pepper
3/4 lb shredded or diced cooked chicken
1 28 ou can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 (14 ou can) chicken broth
1/2 c crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Directions:
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and then add the celery, onion, garlic and pepper and saute for about 6 minutes, or until heated through.

Mix in the tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer for about 8 minutes.  Sprinkle each serving with about 2 ou of cheese.

Beef & Mushroom Stir Fry

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Recipe from What's Cookin, Chicago?

I love stir fries.  A one-pot meal that usually comes together in under 30 minutes!  You can't really beat that. :)

Ingredients:
1 lb lean beef, sliced thin
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
2 T cornstarch
1 onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
8 ou sliced mushrooms
2-3 T oyster sauce
2-3 T soy sauce
1/4 c water
3-4 green onions, sliced into 1" pieces

Directions:
Season sliced beef with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder.  Toss to coat with cornstarch then side aside.

Add oil to a hot wok, then add garlic and onion and saute until softened.  Mix in the mushrooms and cook until slightly carmelized.

Once mushrooms have started to carmelize, add beef and brown.
(NOTE: If I were to make this again, I would brown my beef before adding anything else, except for oil, to the wok.  With everything in there it made it a bit difficult to get it nicely browned.  I would then remove it for the previous steps, and add it back in at this point.)

Add oyster sauce, soy sauce and water and mix well.  Allow it to come to a boil, scraping up cooked bits from pan.  Reduce liquid by half.  Just before serving, add green onions and toss.  Serve over rice if desired.

Broccoli in Mustard Vinaigrette

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Recipe from Healthy Food

I love broccoli, it's one of my favorite vegetables.  So I asked Jeremy to make this as a side dish to my tuna steak for my birthday.

I thought this was delicious!  It had a nice little bite from the mustard and vinegar and a good crunch from the walnuts.  And it was very simple to make. :)  You could make this with raw broccoli, but we decided to cook it for this meal.

Ingredients:
1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
2 t whole grain mustard
3 T white wine vinegar
1 T olive oil
1/8 c chopped fresh herbs (we used cilantro)
1 T chopped walnuts

Directions:
Steam broccoli for 10-15 minutes until it reaches desired tenderness.

Meanwhile, whisk together remaining ingredients, except walnuts.  Once broccoli is done, toss together in a medium bowl and serve sprinkled with walnuts!

Seared Tuna w/ Japanese Salsa

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Recipe from My Recipes - Sunset

This is what J made me for my birthday.  It was absolutely delicious!!  It's not often I get a good piece of tuna steak, but it's one of my faves!

This recipe combines the flavors of sake, soy, lemon juice, and cilantro into a great, flavorful combination.  And it's so simple!

Ingredients:
2 sushi grade tuna steaks
1 t minced garlic
Salt and pepper
2 t vegetable oil
1/4 c sake
2 T soy sauce
3/4 c finely chopped tomatoes
2 T finely chopped green onion
1 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 T lemon juice
6-8 slices peeled avocado

Directions:
For the salsa, mix together the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, 1 T soy and lemon juice.

Pat tuna dry and spread garlic on both sides of steaks, then season with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  When hot, add tuna.  Cook, turning once, until browned on both sides (about 1 minute per side).

Pour in the sake and 1 T soy sauce and remove from heat. Let cool, turning fish often.

Lift tuna from sake mixture, reserving juices.  Slice along the grain and served topped with salsa, avocado and reserved juices.

Bacon & Parmesan Pasta

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Recipe from Tasty Kitchen

In case you can't tell from the title, this is not a healthy recipe.  But it is oh, so delicious!  To make myself feel better about eating it, I added in some diced tomatoes and mushrooms.  That makes it healthier, right?  ; )

This is very easy to make. It only takes about 10 minutes if you cook the pasta and bacon at the same time.  Great comfort food!  I halved this recipe when I made it because J and I don't need to eat a pound of bacon and pasta for dinner. :)

Ingredients:
1 lb bacon
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb rigatoni or penne
1/2 c heavy cream
1/4 c cream cheese
1 tomato, diced
5-6 button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/4 t freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain (reserving 1/2 c pasta water) and return to pot.

Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a skillet, sprinkling it with red pepper flakes. Once done, allow to cool and roughly chop.  While cooling, drain all but about 1 T of bacon grease and cook mushrooms and tomatoes in bacon grease skillet until softened.

Place cream and cream cheese in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Whisk until cream cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat and whisk in the Parmesan cheese, eggs and pepper until well blended.

Add the white sauce to the pasta and toss to coat. Then stir in the bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes.  Add reserved pasta water if needed to thin the sauce.

Taco Soup

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Recipe from Cook Like a Champion

This is a delicious, cheap, easy weeknight meal.  Yes, it uses pretty much all canned ingredients.  But that's what makes it so easy!  :)  I did a quick cheese quesadilla as a side.

All cans are standard sizes.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 can each of dark kidney beans, light kidney beans and black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can whole-kernel corn, drained
1-2 c chicken broth
1 chipotle in adobo, minced
1 packet of Ranch dressing mix
2 packets taco seasoning
Shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, tortilla chips (optional), for serving

Directions:
In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown meat until cook through. Add one packet of taco seasoning and stir to combine.

Add all remaining ingredients.  Use as much or little chicken broth as needed. 

Increase heat and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to medium-low.  Simmer at least 20 minutes.  When ready to eat, ladle into serving bowls and top with cheese, sour cream and/or green onions.

Chicken Scampi

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Recipe from Joelen's Culinary Adventures

J loves scampi, and we are both big fans of garlic.  This recipe seemed pretty easy, and it came together in under 25 minutes.  We both thought it was really good, though I overdid it on the noodles.  I always do - I have a horrible eye for knowing how many to make.

Ingredients:
3 T butter
2 T olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 c white wine
2 T lemon juice
1 1/2 t Italian seasoning
1 T fresh parsley, minced
3 medium bell peppers (red, green, yellow), seeded and sliced thin
1 medium red onion, sliced

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium high heat until butter is melted.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant.  Add the chicken along with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and brown on all sides.

Deglaze by adding wine, lemon juice, Italian seasoning and parsley to the skillet, stirring to pick up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet.  Lower the heat and allow the chicken to simmer about 10 minutes.

Add peppers and onions and cook until tender - 7-10 minutes.  Serve over pasta, rice or potatoes.

Spicy Tomato and White Bean Soup

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Recipe from Cooking Light

I paired this soup with grilled cheese sandwiches.  This recipe took maybe 20 minutes to come together.  It was a great weeknight meal for a cold day.

Ingredients:
14 ou chicken broth, divided
2 t chili powder
1 t ground cumin
1 can navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium poblano chile, halved and seeded
1/2 onion, cut into wedges
1 pint grape tomatoes
1/4 c chopped cilantro
2 T fresh lime juice
1 T olive oil
1/2 t salt

Directions:
Combine 1 c broth, chili powder, cumin and beans in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Combine remaining broth, poblano and onion in the food processor and pulse until vegetables are chopped, then add to the Dutch oven.

Add tomatoes and cilantro to the food process and process until coarsely chopped, then add to pan.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in juice, olive oil and salt.

Quick Tomato and Sausage Stew

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Recipe from Healthy Food

This was a really good stew, and very easy to throw together.

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 Italian sausages, sliced
14 ou diced tomatoes
1 c water
1 t ground cumin
1 t chili flakes
14 ou chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 c frozen peas
Parsley for garnish, if desired

Directions:
Heat oil in a large pan, add garlic, onion and sausage and cook until sausage is browned.

Stir in tomatoes, water, cumin and chili and cook for about 10-15 minutes over medium heat.  Mix in chick peas and peas until heated through.  Serve sprinkled with fresh parsley.

Chicken Corn Chowder

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Recipe from Cooking Light

This was extremely good and so easy to throw together.  The chicken was cooked in advance over the weekend, making the most difficult part was chopping up the green onions.

I added in some red pepper flakes because both J and I like just a little bit of spice.

Ingredients:
1 T butter
6 green onions, chopped and divided into white and green parts
2 T AP flour
2 c cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 t red pepper flakes
20 ou frozen corn kernels, thawed and divided
14 ou chicken broth
2 c milk
1/2 c shredded cheddar

Directions:
Melt butter in Dutch oven and then add the white portions of the onion to the pan and saute about 2 minutes.  Whisk in the flour and continue to whisk for about 1 minute. 

Stir in the chicken, salt, pepper, 10 ou corn and broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.

While that simmers, add the remaining 10 ou corn and the milk to your blender, and process until smooth.  Add milk mixture to the pan and cook until heated through.  Serve sprinkled with green onion pieces and cheese.

Hawaiian Ginger Chicken Soup

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Recipe from Delish

This quick recipe was made even quicker by using some rotisserie chicken that I had cooked over the weekend. If you don't like ginger, you probably won't like this soup.  But J and I really enjoyed it.

Ingredients:
1 T sesame oil (or canola)
1 lb pre-cooked shredded or chopped chicken
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 c dry sherry
1 can (14 ou) chicken broth
1 1/2 c water
2 T soy sauce
1 t sriracha
1 bunch mustard greens, chopped


Directions:
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add sherry and cook until mostly evaporated, 2-3 minutes. 


Add broth and water and bring to a boil.  Boil for 5 minutes then stir in soy sauce, sriracha and mustard greens.  Cook about 3 minutes, until greens are tender, then add in your chicken and cook until heated through.

Chicken Stir Fry

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Recipe from Katie's Cucina

This was supposed to be Pad Thai, but I couldn't find Pad Thai sauce.  I know I probably could've made some, but this wasn't a night that I felt like getting all that involved, so I ended up grabbing some stir fry sauce. :)

This was good, but could've used a bit more spice, which I probably would've gotten from the Pad Thai sauce.

It came together extremely quickly, and, like most stir fries, is one of those dishes that you can add whatever veggies or extras that you like.

Ingredients:
4 ou stir-fry noodles
2 T vegetable oil, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 chicken breast, cut into strips
6 ou stir fry sauce
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 c bean sprouts
1/4 c coarsely chopped unsalted peanuts

Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions.  Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.

Heat 1 T oil in a large wok.  Add the egg and cook, scrambled, until set.  Remove from wok and set aside.

Add remaining T oil to wok along with the chicken.  Cook until cooked through then add noodles, sauce and green onions.  Stir fry another 3-4 minutes.

Stir in bean sprouts and egg and remove from heat.  Serve sprinkled with peanuts.

Pumpkin-Maple Granola

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Recipe from Pink Parsley

I love granola.  It's healthy and a great snack!  This recipe was delicious with the pumpkin pie spices and maple mixture.

I used homemade pumpkin puree for this recipe, which is really simple to make.  Just roast some pumpkin and put it in your blender! :)

When I make granola, I do have some trouble knowing when to take it out of the oven, so this was just slightly overdone.  I've noticed it doesn't actually get crunchy in the oven, but begins to crunch as it cools. I think next time I may try to turn the temp down and cook it low and slow and maybe this will avoid overcooking.

I made a few changes from the original recipe, skipping the flax seeds, pepitas, raisins and figs.  I didn't have any on hand (not exactly sure what pepitas are), but it still tasted delicious!

Ingredients:
3/4 c pumpkin puree
1/2 c pure maple syrup
1/4 c canola oil
2 T honey
3 c old-fashioned oats
1/2 c whole almonds (I did almond slivers)
1/3 c sunflower seeds
2/3 c coconut
2 T cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t ground ginger
1 t salt
1/2 c dried cranberries


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the puree, syrup, oil and honey in a large bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients except the cranberries and mix well.

Pour mixture onto the baking sheet and spread out to uniform thickness.  Cook about 30-40 minutes, mixing every 10 minutes, until granola is golden brown and crispy.

Cool to room temperature and then mix in the cranberries.  Store in an airtight container.

Creamy Carbonara

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Recipe from What's Cookin, Chicago?

This was delicious, though mine doesn't look nearly as nice as Joelen's did.  Oh well, in our house, it's all about taste... mostly because I'm not good at presentation. :)

This was a good, easy weeknight meal.  Though I can't claim that it's healthy!

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 c grated Parmesan
2 T heavy cream
1/4 pound thick cut bacon, cut into 1/4" pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t pepper
1/2 c white wine
1 T salt
1 lb spaghetti
Parsley and additional cheese for garnish

Directions:
Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain (reserving 1 c pasta water) and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, cream and cheese and set aside.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp, then transfer to a towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all of 2 T of bacon fat from the skillet.  Place pan over medium-high heat and add the garlic and pepper.  Cook until fragrant (about 1 minute) then whisk mixture into egg/cream/cheese mixture.

Place pan back over medium heat and pour in the wine. Scrape the bottom of the skillet to remove browned bits and reduce the liquid by half, then slowly whisk the liquid into the bowl.

Add pasta to the empty skillet, then pour in the contents of the bowl and toss to combine.  Pour in 1/2 c pasta water and toss to combine. Add crumbled bacon and thin the sauce as needed with remaining pasta water.  Serve with garnish.

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

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Recipe from Senora Espanola

Wow... I have quite a few recipes to catch up on.  I'm sorry, I have no excuse for my slacker blogging... er, non-blogging.  But I promise from now on I will do better. :)  Cross my heart...

This was a super-easy soup for a weeknight meal.  In order to make it a little more hearty, I threw in a bit more chicken, noodles and mushrooms than the recipe calls for.  I also mixed some soy sauce into the soup for a bit more flavor.  It was a hit for both J and I, and I'd definitely make it again.  Now that the weather is cooling down, this will be a great recipe to add to my quick and easy weeknight meals.

Ingredients:
6 ou dry Chinese noodles
2 (14.5 ou) cans chicken broth
8 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2-3 green onions, sliced
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, chopped
2 eggs
1 T soy sauce

Directions:
Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

In a medium/large stockpot, bring the chicken broth to a boil with the mushrooms, green onions and soy sauce..  Once boiling, add the chicken and crack eggs into broth - mix well.  Cook for about 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through.  Serve over noodles.

Toasted Garlic and Sweet Pea Pasta

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Recipe from Rachel Ray, Express Lane Meals

This was a good, simple recipe for a weeknight.  It does make a ton of food, though.  So if there are only two of you, like us, I would halve this recipe.

It calls for 20 ou of peas, but I think I was closer to 16.  It seemed like a lot to me.

Ingredients:
1 lb pasta (I used tri-color rotini, but RR calls for long-cut pasta)
1/4 c olive oil
5 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 t dried thyme
Salt & Pepper
3/4 c white wine
2 c chicken stock
20 ou frozen peas
1/2 c flat leaf parsley, chopped (I just used about a 1/2 T dry)
1 c grated Parmesan plus more for serving

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, reserving 1/2 c of pasta cooking water.

While pasta cooks, add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat, then add the sliced garlic.  Toast garlic until lightly browned and then place on a paper towel.

Add the red pepper flakes, onion, thyme, salt and pepper to the skillet over medium heat until onions are tender.  Stir in the wine and cook for 2 minutes, then the chicken stock and cook 2 more minutes.  Add the peas and reserved pasta liquid.  Bring sauce to a boil, and, with the back of the spoon, crush about 1/2 of the peas in the skillet.

Mix in the garlic slices and parsley (season with more salt and pepper if needed) then mix in the cooked pasta noodles.  Toss to coat and heat through.  If sauce is too thick, add more stock.  Stir in the cheese and then serve hot.