Mediterranean Couscous

I've been cooking 
light meals lately, just throwing things together, trying to use 
lots of veggies and other healthy stuff, like quinoa and couscous instead of the traditional side of potatoes, pasta or rice. Here is something we had the other evening and  loved it! 
I quickly wrote it down 
so I can duplicate it again. The additional recipe that follows is a variation. I love roasted tomatoes, too. If I had them on hand I may have added them. 

Other side dish recommendation: hummus and pita bread and a bowl of olives.

2 cups couscous

2 1/2 cup chicken broth

1 Tb. olive oil

3-4 garlic, minced

1/2 - 1 cup cooked chicken, chopped

1 Tb. basil

1 Tb. oregano

1/2 onion, finely diced

2 zucchini, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 handful fresh green beans

1 tsp. parsley

2-3 roma tomatoes, peeled and diced

parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add couscous and cook according to packaging directions, or till soft. Remove from heat, fluff with fork and toss in cubed chicken. ( I had some rotisserie chicken on hand, so that is what I used, otherwise I would have chopped up some fresh chicken and sautéed it in some olive oil, then added it to the couscous.  In another pan, heat the oil and sauté the carrots for several minutes. Then add other veggies except tomatoes. Sauté for a few more minutes, then add spices and garlic. Sauté until veggies are al dente. Add tomatoes for last 1-2 minutes. Serve over couscous with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Mediterranean Grill Over Quinoa

Another evening, we had something similar, except we grilled the chicken and veggies and served it up over some cooked quinoa, but you could use rice if you don't have quinoa on hand. Here's the exact recipe:

2 chicken breasts, sliced in half or thirds

olive oil

2 zucchini, cut into several pieces

2 bell peppers, cut into several pieces

1 onion, quartered

2-3 roma tomatoes, quartered

garlic powder

dried or fresh oregano

dried or fresh thyme

dried or fresh basil

salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese

Slice the chicken into halves or thirds, and drizzle with olive oil. Then season with oregano, basil, thyme, and garlic powder. Place on grill over medium heat. Cook 13-18 minutes. Cut veggies, drizzle with olive oil and season with herbs. Place on grill over med-low heat. Grill till preferred doneness, about 8-12 min, turning occasionally. (I actually cut my veggies into bite size pieces and grilled in a grill basket.) Cook quinoa in rice cooker just as you would with rice, or on stove top according to packaging directions. Serve chicken and veggies over quinoa and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Gnocchi

I've been wanting to make some homemade gnocchi, and I thought this was something my girls would love to help with. They loved it! And they did a fantastic job rolling and cutting the dough, and pressing the little ridges in them. In Italy, this pasta is more of an appetizer, served with a pesto sauce. But I made mine into a main dish, and added the pesto to my alfredo sauce, to make a creamy pesto sauce. It turned out great! There are lots of different kinds of gnocchi, depending on what you add to the dough, such as ricotta gnocchi, or spinach gnocchi. My recipe (from Food Network) is a basic recipe, and is very versatile, and is even great to add to a soup.

2 lbs. potatoes (approx.)

2 cups flour

1 egg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup oil

Peel and boil the potatoes until soft. Drain, and while still warm, mash them very finely. Add the flour, egg, salt, and oil, and mix well. Knead the dough until soft, adding flour if it is too sticky. Place the dough on a floured surface and divide into several pieces. Roll out the pieces into thin ropes, and cut it into small bite size pieces. Using a fork, press slightly in the middle of each piece, and pull the fork toward you at the same time, rolling the gnocchi as you press it. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Bring a pot of water, with 1 Tb. salt, to boil and cook the pasta in batches. The gnocchi is done when it floats to the top. With a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi and place in an oiled dish to keep warm. You may also toss with 1 Tb oil, and refrigerate for a few days. Serve with your favorite sauce.

Mushroom and Leek pasta

serves 4~6
3~4 strips bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 carrot, cut in half (and in quarters at the thickest parts) and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces, on the bias
1 medium leek, cleaned and sliced thin, discarding the green parts
1 8oz package of baby bella or white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 lb pasta
finely grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese for serving

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, cook pasta to al dente, about 8 minutes. Reserve some pasta water, drain and set aside. (Do not rinse pasta)
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the carrots with 1/4 t salt for 5 or so minutes, or until they are tender-crisp. Add leeks and cook until softened.
   
3. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a small skillet over medium heat until crisp. Reserve 1 T of bacon fat and discard the rest. Drain the bacon over paper towels and set aside.
4. Add garlic to the leeks and carrots and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and 1 T reserved bacon fat and cook until softened.
5. Add bacon and pasta to the pan and toss together. Use a little of the pasta water to loosen the sauce, if needed. Serve with freshly grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

serves 4
3 large eggs
3/4 C parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 C pecorino romano cheese, grated (or use a whole cup of either cheese)
3 garlic cloves, minced or grated
8 oz bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 C dry white wine
salt
1 lb spaghetti (or linguine or fettucine)
pepper

1. Preheat oven to 200°. Place an oven proof serving bowl in the oven. Meanwhile, bring quarts of water to a boil in a large pot for the pasta.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cheese, and garlic. Set aside.
3. Cook the bacon and olive oil in a large skillet until crispy. Add white wine and simmer until it is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cover.
4. When the water is boiling, stir in 1 T salt and pasta. Cook, stirring often, until pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes.
5. Reserve 1/2 C pasta water then drain the pasta, leaving it slightly wet. Remove the serving bowl from the oven and add pasta. Immediately pour the egg and bacon mixtures over the pasta and toss to coat. Season with salt and a lot of fresh ground pepper to taste. Add the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce before serving.
6. Serve with some more freshly grated cheese.

Pasta e Fagioli

serves 6~8
3~4 slices of bacon, chopped medium
1 onion, chopped fine
4 garlic clvoes, minced
1 t dried oregano
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28 ounce) can diced/petite diced tomatoes
2 (15.5 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3-1/2 C low-sodium chicken broth
2-1/2 C water
salt
8 oz Ditalini pasta (1-3/4 C)
1/4 C minced fresh parsley
pepper
2 ounces Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (1 C)
extra virgin olive oil for serving

1. Cook the bacon in a large dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Stin in the onion, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, beans, broth, water and 1 t salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the pasta and cook until just slightly underdone. Off the heat, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle individual bowls with grated Parmesan and drizzle with olive oil before serving.

Lillian's Veggie Sausage Pasta

This is a really good affordable, healthy dinner. And don't let the cabbage scare you, it ends up really sweet and rich. You'll love it! Only 492 calories per serving. And these are big, filling servings.

serves 6~8
1 package turkey smoked sausage (about 14 oz), cut in half lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch pieces diagonally
3/4 head of cabbage, sliced thin
1-1/2 onions (I used 1/2 spanish onion and 1 red onion), sliced thin
2 meium carrots, peeled and sliced very thin
1 lb multigrain long pasta (I use Barilla Plus spaghetti or thin spaghetti)
6 T heavy cream
3 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot bring water to a boil. Add salt and cook pasta to al dente, about 7 minutes.
2. Meanwhile in another large pot, heat the oil on medium-high heat until just starting to ripple. Add the sausage and let brown just a little on each side. Add carrots, a slash of pasta water (or white wine or chicken broth) and scrape up browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add cabbage and onions, tossing often. Add 1/2 t salt and place the lid on the pot. Let the cabbage cook down and soften. Check on the vegetables once in a while and toss them to make sure they all get cooked evenly.
3. Once vegetables are tender, add the pasta and heavy cream and toss to coat. Add some salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.

Bruschetta Pasta

Makes 1 lb of pasta
4 pints cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 large bunch of parsley, chopped fine
7-8 basil leaves, carefully cut into a chiffonade (rolled up and sliced thin)
1-1/2 C parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 C olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
4 cloves of garlic, grated or minced fine

1 lb linguine pasta

1. In a large bowl, combine the oil, salt and pepper, parsley, tomatoes, and garlic. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 2~4 hours.
2. When ready to eat, boil pasta to al dente. Make sure and reserve a little bit of pasta water.
3. Meanwhile, grate parmesan cheese and put in the bowl with the tomato mixture and toss to coat.
4. Once pasta is done, place in the bowl with tomatoes and combine. Add a little pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.
5. Serve with extra cheese and crusty bread.

"Asian" noodles

Since I'm Japanese, I feel like I have to give the disclaimer that this isn't really Asian. I found a recipe for sesame noodles using whole wheat pasta, and I thought I'd try something similar. I changed a lot of things to make it more authentic. I just played around with a lot of South-East Asian flavors, and I think it turned out really well. It would be really good with shrimp instead of chicken if you want to try that. It's a fast meal that you can pull together during the time it takes to boil the pasta.

makes 1 lb of pasta
sauce:
1/2 C chicken broth
3 T creamy peanut butter
2 T fish sauce
3 T soy sauce
2 T mirin
1 T chili garlic sauce
1 T grated fresh ginger

1 lb whole wheat spaghetti

1~2 carrots, grated
bean sprouts (as much as you want)
4 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces (or thinly sliced, if you like)
1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded
3 T toasted white sesame seeds
1 head nappa or savoy cabbage, core removed and sliced thin
juice of 1 lime
cilantro

1. Boil pasta to al dente with salted water. (probably about 8 minutes).
2. In a sauce pan, heat the sauce ingredients together and whisk until peanut butter is dissolved. Set aside.
   
3. Toss pasta, sauce, vegetables, lime juice, cilantro, and sesame seeds. Garnish with some more sesame seeds and cilantro. Serve hot or cold.

Lasagna Bolognese

makes a 9x 13 pan1 box no-boil lasagna noodles (I use Barilla brand)
2-1/2 C Mozzarella & Parmesan cheese

for the Bolognese sauce:
2 jars Ragu sauce, "flavored with meat"
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
equal amount of carrots, chopped also (I use my food processor)
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced (optional)
vegetable or olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef

for the Béchamel:
3 T butter
3 T flour
3 C milk
1/4 onion, chopped fine
salt & pepper to taste
1/8 t grated nutmeg (optional)

1. For the Bolognese: In a large pot, cook onions, garlic, and carrots on medium-high heat until soft and slightly browned, stirring constantly. Once cooked, add beef, breaking up as you go. Cook through. Add ragu sauce and combine. Set aside.
2. For the Béchamel: In a medium pot, melt butter and cook onions until soft. Add flour and stir constantly. Add milk gradually and stir quickly and make sure no lumps form. Add salt and pepper and nutmeg and combine. Keep cooking until sauce thickens. Set aside.
3. In a 9x13 inch pan, pour a layer of Bolognese sauce on the bottom. Layer with 3 pieces of lasagna noodles. Top with Béchamel and generous amount of cheese. Place 3 more pieces of noodles. Repeat until no noodles are left. I put a combination of Bolognese & Bechamel with left over cheese on the top layer (because Blake insists that we have Bolognese on top).
4. Bake at 375° for 50-60 minutes. Pull out of the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Pasta Puttanesca

serves 61 lb pasta (use long, thin pasta such as spaghetti or linguine)

3 T olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
3 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes (I used "petite diced" onces because I think the texture blends a little better, but of course normal ones work great, too)
1/2 C Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped medium
1/4 C small black olives, chopped medium
1/4 C minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon
zest of 1 lemon

1. Boil pasta to al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook the oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes on medium heat, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant but not browned. About 2 minutes.
   
3. Stir in tomatoes with ther juice and simmer until thickened, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Stir in olives, parsley, lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss in pasta. Add a little reserved pasta water to loosen sauce if needed

Turkey Tetrazzini

This is a great way to use up leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. And with that little hint of cinnamon, it's really festive. 

1/4 Cup Butter

1/4 Cup Flour

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Pepper

1/4 tsp. Cinnamon

1-2 Cups Chicken Broth

1 Cup Whipping Cream

1 package Angel hair pasta

2 Cups Cubed Chicken or Turkey

1 3oz can Mushrooms

1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

slivered almonds

Cook noodles, drain and set aside. While noodle are cooking you can work on the sauce. Melt butter and whisk in flour, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Cook over med. heat it will make a thick paste, then add the chicken broth and cream, heat to a boil, stirring while it thickens. Then add the chicken and mushrooms. Put the pasta in a 9x13 pan and pour sauce over, mix a little and let the sauce spread through the pasta. Add the Cheese and bake at 350 for 30 min uncovered. Serve with grated parmesan and a scoop of slivered almonds. Enjoy with a salad and some garlic bread!

Aglio E Olio and Lemon Chicken

Serves 4



For the pasta:

6 T extra-virgin Olive Oil
12 garlic cloves, minced (4 T)
1 lb spaghetti
3 T minced fresh parsley
2 t fresh lemon juice
1/2 t lemon zest
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper
grated Parmesan cheese for serving

1. Boil pasta to al dente. Reserve 1/2 C pasta water and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook 3 T garlic and 3 T olive oil and 1/2 t salt in a medium sized skillet over low heat. Stir often and cook until garlic is light brown and sticky. (If the garlic turns a weird blus-ish color for a few minutes there, don't be afraid. It will still work!) This will take about 10-12 minutes.
3. Place the pasta in a large bowl and toss with cooked garlic mixture, 2 T pasta water, parsely, lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, remaining 1 T garlic, and remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more pasta water a little at a time to loosen the sauce as needed. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.


For the chicken:

4 small chicken breasts, patted dry and trimmed of excess fat and tendons
1 lemon, sliced
2 T chicken broth
salt and pepper
2 t fresh lemon juice
2 T fresh parsley, minced
vegetable oil for the pan

1. Heat a skillet to medium/medium-high with about 1 T vegetable oil. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place on hot skillet. Cook one side until lightly browned and flip over. Add lemon slices to the pan and continue to cook. Once browned, add chicken broth and cover.
2. Check the chicken periodically to make sure the chicken isn't burning, but just getting a nice dark crust on it. Once the lemon slices are dark brown and the chicken is completely cooked through, take off the pan and sprinkle with lemon juice and serve with minced parsley on top.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

serves 6-8

2 lb spaghetti (or linguini is really good, too. That's what I used this time)
2-28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 medium sized onions, diced (I like it diced small, but it's up to your personal preference)
5 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped roughly
olive oil (to cook the onions and garlic)

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
3/4 c. italian bread crumbs
2 L or XL eggs
1 small block of mozarella cheese, cut into small cubes that will fit inside the meatballs

1. Cook onions in olive oil over medium heat until soft. Add garlic until fragrant and soft.
2. Add crushed tomatoes and continue stirring.
3. Mix meat, bread crumbs, and eggs ina seperate bowl with your hands. Make little meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter, make a hole in the middle, add a cube of cheese and seal up.
4. Drop the meatballs into sauce and let cook for about 15 minutes until cooked through.
5. In the mean time, boil pasta according to packaging directions, to al dente. Don't overboil!
6. When the meatballs are cooked through and the pasta is done, take meatballs out of sauceand place in a seperate bowl. Put pasta in sauce and toss until the sauce it thorooughly incorporated on pasta.
7. place in a large serving bowl, put meatballs on top and serve.