Linguine with Pea Pesto

A huge thing happened to me recently.  For almost a year now, I've been putting off dips, soups, sauces, and smoothies because I haven't owned a blender.  I thought that I could get by without one.  I just didn't need that soup.

That is, until I found this pasta recipe.  This pasta recipe sounded so perfect, so good, that it forced me to go to K-Mart, of all places, and buy a blender.  I did it!  I'm a blender owner!

The recipe in question is summery and fresh and pasta.  I made a pesto out of pine nuts, cheese, garlic, oil, and peas.  Peas!  Yum!

This dish was super easy to make once I bought a blender.  In the blender I added garlic, toasted pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese.

I then added some peas that had previously been frozen but were steamed in the microwave to the blender.

Then I whizzed it all up!  Blenders are awesome.

The consistency was thicker than normal pesto but don't you worry, it gets thinned out later.

While this was buzzing, I was cooking some linguine in some salted water, and when it was finished I reserved some of the salted water then drained it and added it back to the pot and poured the pesto over the linguine.  I also had reserved some peas to add later for texture and because they look like little polka dots.

I added some of the pasta water to thin out the sauce so it would coat all of the pasta and tossed to combine. I served in a bowl with a little Parm on top.

I loved everything about this pasta.  The peas made it sweet and fresh tasting and the bite of garlic and saltiness of the cheese were the perfect complement.

It was also just as good the next day.  I portioned two lunches out of the leftovers and was set for lunches the rest of the week!

This was easy and quick to make and was well worth the cost of the blender.  Plus I've also made tomatillo dip in my blender too.  Bonus.

Here's the recipe!

Linguine with Pea Pesto (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)


Ingredients:

• 12 ounces frozen peas, steamed with 1/3 cup reserved for garnish
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 lb dried linguine

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the linguine until al dente.  Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain.
2. In your blender or food processor, add garlic, pine nuts, cheese, salt, pepper, cheese and peas.  Blend until smooth.  If you are using a blender you may need to add some water so that it blends well.  Also, you'll definitely have to scrape down the sides. 
3. Put the pasta back into the pot and add the pesto and the whole peas.  Add some of the reserved pasta water until the sauce is the desired consistency and toss to combine.  
4. Serve with Parmesan cheese on top

Enjoy!

Low Fat Noodle Bake

A few weeks ago I was feeling pretty crummy.  My stomach was causing me a lot of pain and a doctor said that I should eat a "bland diet" for a couple of weeks to see if that helped.  So I ate saltines, tuna fish, fat free yogurt, and other "bland" things until I honestly couldn't take it anymore.  I was pouting.

I needed to find something that I could eat that was low fat but still tasted good, plus I needed to cook because I was going crazy not being in the kitchen, so I made this pasta dish.  It was low fat, flavorful, and got me in the kitchen.  I was a happy girl.

To make this low fat, I used a recipe from the The Pioneer Woman and basically changed everything that was full fat in the recipe for a low fat alternative.  

I started by browning one pound of ground turkey in a skillet sprayed with Pam.  

I cooked the meat until it was done,

Then I added some tomato sauce to the meat and stirred to combine.  I seasoned with salt and pepper and reduced the heat to simmer.

Oh, and while this was cooking, I was boiling water cooking a pound of pasta to al dente.  

While the pasta and sauce was simmering, I combined 1 cup of fat free small curd cottage cheese with 3/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt.  I seasoned this with salt and plenty of black pepper.

I also sliced up some scallions very thinly.

When the pasta was finished, I drained it and added the hot pasta to the cottage cheese and yogurt mixture.  I added the scallions and tossed to combine.

After all this was done, I started building the casserole.  I put half of the noodle mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish,

Then added half of the sauce,

Then I put some reduced fat cheddar cheese on top.  I repeated these steps until all the noodles and sauce were used.  I baked this in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes until all the cheese was melted.

The original recipe calls for ground chuck, full fat cottage cheese and sour cream, and full fat cheddar cheese. It sounds amazing, but I'll tell you, I didn't miss the extra fat.  

The pasta was still creamy and flavorful with a fraction of the fat.  I figured out how to eat "bland food" without sacrificing flavor.  I win!

Here's the recipe:

Low Fat Noodle Bake (Adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

1 lb 99% lean ground turkey

15 ounce can of tomato sauce

Salt and pepper

1 lb Fussili pasta (or another pasta with lots of nooks and crannies)

3/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt

1 cup fat free small curd cottage cheese

4 scallions, white and green parts, sliced very thin

1 cup reduced fat grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and spray with cooking spray.  Add the ground turkey and cook until the meat is in crumbles and no longer pink.  Add the tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to a simmer.

In a bowl, combine cottage cheese and yogurt and season well with salt and plenty of black pepper.  When the pasta is finished, add it to the cottage cheese and yogurt and toss to coat pasta.  Add the scallions and toss again to combine.  

In a baking dish, add half of the pasta mixture, then half of the sauce mixture, then 1/2 cup of cheese.  Repeat with the rest of the pasta, the rest of the sauce, and the rest of the cheese.  

Bake for 20 minutes until all the cheese is melted.  Enjoy your full-fat tasting low fat meal.  I was pretty pleased!

Summer Squash and Goat Cheese Galette

All the blogs that I read are talking about galettes.  A galette is essentially a pie without the pie pan.  It's supposed to be rustic and imperfect.  If pie crusts are involved, then imperfect works for me.  It works very, very well.

I jumped on the galette band wagon last week by making a savory version filled with goat cheese, summer squash, and some onions, and boy was it delicious.  It was like a flaky, yummy pizza.  And we all know how I feel about pizza.

This was actually pretty easy to make, especially since I didn't make my own pie crust.  Pillsbury did all the work, thank you very much.  

I started by very thinly slicing some yellow squash, zucchini, and onions.

That was the extent of the prep work.  So easy.  

Then I unrolled one of the pie crusts onto a baking sheet.  

I added 5 ounces of goat cheese to the center of the crust and then layered the squash over the goat cheese.

I alternated between a band of yellow squash and a band of zucchini, then I topped the squash with a few rings of sliced onions.

I seasoned this with salt and pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat.  When the filling was finished, I folded the edges of the crust over the filling and crimped the edges.

I made an egg wash with one egg and a tablespoon of water and brushed that on the outside of the crust.  I grated some Parmesan cheese over the whole thing and baked it in the oven for 25 minutes until the crust was golden brown and the vegetables were tender.

This was super easy to make, but looked beautiful and tasted delicious.  I ate this for dinner, but I think you could slice it into smaller pieces and serve it as an appetizer.

As a dinner, though, it was tops.  It took ten minutes to put together, then I did homework while it was baking.  For my money, that's the best kind of dinner.  

So pretty.  So easy.  So yummy.  

Here's the recipe:

Summer Squash and Goat Cheese Galette 

Prepared pie crust (one box comes with two crusts, you only need one)

5 oz log of goat cheese

2 zucchini squash, sliced very thin

2 yellow summer squash, sliced very thin

1/2 onion, sliced into rings very thin

Salt and pepper

Crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Slice the squash and onion very thin.  Unroll one piece of pie crust onto a baking sheet.  Crumble the goat cheese onto the middle of the pie crust.  Spread around so it is evenly covering the center of the crust.  Leave about 3 inches of crust on each side.  

Layer the squash over the goat cheese.  I did a ring of yellow squash, then a ring of zucchini, but it would be pretty to alternate between yellow and green in the same ring as well.  That's up to you.  Add the onion over the squash.  

Season with salt and pepper and crushed red pepper.  

Fold the edges of the pie crust over the filling in pieces, crimping along the way.  Make an egg wash by whisking together one egg with one tablespoon of water and brush the egg wash on the outside of the crust.  Grate some Parmesan cheese over the entire thing.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until the crust is golden brown and flaky and the vegetables are tender. 

When it's finished, take a moment and appreciate how beautiful your creation is.  Then eat it, because it's just as delicious as it is beautiful.  

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce

I wasn't really shocked when I saw that many of your ideal meals had something to do with Mexican food.  I'm right there with you.  Mexican food is ideal.  It just is.

Probably one of my favorite Mexican food dishes is enchiladas.  When I was a kid we used to eat at this Tex-Mex place called Zapata's at least once a week.  I used to go there and order the enchiladas "with the white sauce."  I loved those sour cream enchiladas so much, so I was excited to make a variation of what I remembered being absolutely delicious.

But I have a confession.  I almost finished cooking the enchiladas before I remembered that I hadn't taken a single picture.  So I don't have the step-by-step pictures like I usually do, and I apologize for that.  I just got really into the cooking!

So here's a quick rundown of how I made these.  First thing I did was cook some chicken breasts like I did here, shredded them, and added a can of diced green chilies then mixed it all together.  Filling, done.

For the sauce, I melted a couple of tablespoons of butter and sauteed some minced garlic.  I added two cans of diced green chilies and cooked for one more minute.  Then I added some flour to to make a roux and cooked for one minute more.  I added some chicken broth to the pot and stirred constantly until it was slightly thickened, then I added sour cream to make it nice and creamy.  I seasoned the sauce with salt, pepper, cumin, and a little bit of cayenne for heat.  Once it was thick I took it off the heat until I was ready to build my enchiladas.

To build the enchiladas, I slightly fried some corn tortillas just so they were pliable, but not crispy.  I filled the corn tortillas with the chicken and green chili mixture and placed them in a baking sheet seam side down.  I repeated for all twelve enchiladas, then poured the sauce over all of them, being sure to make it to all of the edges.

Look!  Pictures!

More pictures!

I topped the sauce with a little bit of cheddar cheese and some Julio's seasoning salt, because it's good on anything.  I mean it.  Anything.

I baked them in the oven until the top was golden brown and the sauce was bubbly.

We ate our weight in chips and tomatillo dip before the enchiladas, so I didn't serve rice or beans with the enchiladas.  We really didn't need it.

The enchiladas were creamy and a little spicy and perfectly delicious.  The chicken was flavorful and the sauce was fantastic.

So, so good.  Please make these now.

Here's the recipe

Chicken and Green Chile Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce (loosely adapted from The Homesick Texan)


3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
3 cans of diced green chilies (the small cans!)
12 corn tortillas
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon cumin
Dash of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
Seasoned salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add shredded chicken and one can of diced green chilies to a bowl.  Mix together, and set aside.

Melt butter in a sauce pot and add the minced garlic.  Cook for 2 minutes, until garlic is fragrant.  Add remaining two cans of diced green chilies and cook for one minute more.  Sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine.  Cook for 1 minute more.  Add the chicken broth and stir constantly until thickened, about 3-4 minutes.  Season with cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper.  Add the sour cream and stir to combine.  When sauce is done, remove from the heat and set aside.

To make the enchiladas, heat 1/4 cup of canola oil in a saute pan until it sizzles when you add a drop of water to it.  Cook the tortillas on each side for only 20-30 seconds.  The tortillas should be pliable, not crispy.  Drain on a paper towel lined plate.  To assemble the enchiladas, take a tortilla and add some of the chicken mixture.  Roll the tortilla around the filling and place it in a baking sheet, seam side down.  Repeat for remaining tortillas.

Cover the enchiladas with the sauce and top with cheddar cheese.  Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and the sauce is bubbly.

Serve immediately.  As if you'd be capable of doing anything else.

Enjoy!

Dijon Potato Salad

Summer and potato salad are made for each other.  Whether you are firing up your grill on a Saturday afternoon for the family or attending a potluck-style picnic, potato salad is always a hit.  I like all kinds, too.  I like creamy versions and vinegar based versions.  I'm all about potato salad equality. 

The problem with mayonnaise based potato salads, though, is refrigeration.  They must be kept cool because mayonnaise and sun don't get along.  That's why, when I decided to make potato salad for the 4th of July, I skipped the mayonnaise.  No mayonnaise, no worry!  Perfect for a picnic on the roof while waiting for the fireworks to start overhead.  

Or in your backyard. Whatever.

I started by cleaning a pound of new potatoes and halving or quartering them if they were particularly large.  I boiled them until fork tender.

While the potatoes were boiling, I combined Dijon mustard with white wine vinegar in a mixing bowl.  I seasoned with salt and pepper and set aside.

When the potatoes were finished, I drained them then added the warm potatoes to the mustard-vinegar mixture and tossed until the warm potatoes were completely coated in the dressing.  I let the potatoes cool and added some olive oil and plenty of chopped fresh parsley.

This potato salad was tangy, fresh, and even a little creamy, although it had no mayonnaise!  The Dijon and vinegar dressing soaks into the warm potatoes and flavors them throughout, and the fresh parsley gives it such a nice, fresh taste.

I served this alongside some coleslaw and, since it was the 4th of July, hot dogs.  

It was the perfect side dish for our 4th of July purposes, but I can imagine no better addition to any picnic this summer.  So delicious.

Here's the recipe:

Dijon Potato Salad (adapted from Everyday Food)

1 lb new potatoes, scrubbed clean and halved (or quartered, if very large)

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Add potatoes to a large pot of cold water.  Bring water to a boil and cook until fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes.  Keep testing so as not to overcook the potatoes.  

In a serving bowl or mixing bowl, combine the vinegar and Dijon mustard.  Season with salt and pepper.  When the potatoes are done, drain and add the hot potatoes.  Toss until the potatoes are coated in the sauce.  Let potatoes cool.

When the potatoes have cooled, add the olive oil and parsley and toss to combine.  Serve with hot dogs, hamburgers, or something grilled.    

Enjoy!

Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

I truly don't understand why Brussels sprouts get such a bad reputation.  I never had them as a kid, because I just knew they'd be awful, and when I tried them as an adult, I really did feel like I'd been tricked my whole life.  Who was this person that is spreading these rumors?  Really!  Who?

I'm here to put an end to this.  Brussels sprouts are what it's all about.  They're amazing.  They're small and adorable.  And most importantly, they do magical things when roasted on high heat in olive oil.

I started with about 1 pound of Brussels sprouts that I trimmed and cut in half.

I spread them out on a baking sheet and drizzled with some olive oil.  I seasoned with salt and pepper, then drizzled just a tiny bit of Balsamic vinegar on top.

I roasted these in a hot oven for about 10 minutes, then I took them out and flipped them over.

I put them back in the oven and cooked them for about 15 minutes more until the Balsamic was syrupy and the Brussels sprouts were nice and caramelized.

I served these along side my Baked Lemon Tilapia and the sweet and roasted flavor paired perfectly with the fresh and tangy lemon flavored fish.

Yum.

Brussels Sprouts for President.

Here's the recipe:

Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts


1 lb Brussels sprouts, ugly leafy outsides removed, ends trimmed off, and sliced in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Trim and slice Brussels sprouts and spread out on a baking sheet.

Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top then toss so that every Brussels sprout is coated in the oil and vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.

Cook for 10 minutes, then flip the Brussels sprouts to the other side and cook for 15 minutes more.

Serve along side anything.  Then join my pro-Brussels Sprouts campaign.  We're taking donations now!

Enjoy!

Baked Lemon Tilapia

Do you like dinners you can make in under 20 minutes?

I do.  I really, really do.  

Especially when they are as fresh and flavorful as this recipe I'm about to share with you.

My organization started it's summer programming this week on the same day that I started this quarter's grad classes.  I've been pretty darn busy this week, so I needed a meal that would be fast, but wouldn't taste fast.  Do you know what I mean?

Great.  

I made baked lemon tilapia by thawing a frozen tilapia filet, then patting it very dry with paper towels.  Then I placed it on two sheets of foil.

I seasoned it liberally with salt, pepper and lemon zest and placed three thin slices of lemon on top.  I squeezed the rest of the lemon juice over the whole thing, then wrapped it up in a foil packet.

I baked this for about 12-14 minutes until the fish was flaky and opaque.

I served it along side some roasted brussel sprouts, which I will tell you about soon, with all the lemony saucy goodness on top.

The fish was light and flaky and the lemon was bright and refreshing.  

This was as delicious as it was fast and easy to make, which on a weeknight when I can barely keep my eyes open is just what I need.  

Here's the recipe:

Baked Lemon Tilapia (serves 1)

1 tilapia filet

1 lemon, zested, sliced, and juiced

salt

pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

Line a baking sheet with two large sheets of foil.  Place the tilapia on the foil and season liberally with salt and pepper on each side of the filet.  Zest a lemon over the filet.

Thinly slice three slices of lemon from the middle of the lemon so that each slice is uniform in size.  Then squeeze the remaining ends of the lemon over the fish.  

Wrap the fish up in a packet by folding over each side and rolling up the ends.  You want the fish to have room to steam in the packet, so it shouldn't be too tight.  

Bake for 12-14 minutes until the fish is flaky and opaque throughout.  Serve alongside some roasted veggies and a cold glass of white wine.

Enjoy!