Creamy Parmesan Orzo

This is a quick and excellent side dish recommended to me by a wedding friend! You could sub rice instead of orzo (it's cheaper and more readily available), dried basil instead of fresh, etc. and still get great flavor. Not quite the same as fresh and orzo, but still a great side dish!

 

Creamy Parmesan Orzo

Chicken Alfredo Rollups

Chicken Alfredo Roll-ups

9 lasagna noodles
2  cups alfredo sauce
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp garlic salt
2 cups shredded Mozzarella

Spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray and pour in just enough alfredo sauce to cover the bottom of the pan.Cook noodles according to package directions to the al dente stage.

Drain noodles, rinse with cold water, and blot dry with paper towel. Line up the noodles side by side.

Combine all but 1/3 cup afredo sauce, chicken, oregano, garlic salt, and 1 1/2 cups Mozzarella.

Divide filling evenly among noodles. Roll up noodles and place seam side down in baking dish. Top with remaining sauce, then remaining cheese. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Pasta Bake

Another Pinterest winner! Especially for Norris--he really liked this. He loves it when I make hot food (what I consider dinner food) for lunch, so over break I made this. I prepped it two days before I actually baked it, so I baked it for a little longer and covered it with foil for the first part so it wouldn't overbrown. It also made great leftovers!

 

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Pasta Bake

2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk (I also saw other versions that used regular milk with good results)
1 (1 oz) pkg. dry ranch salad dressing mix (not the dip blend).....I accidentally used the dip blend and it was still good
3 C. cubed, cooked, chicken (about 2 large chicken breasts)
1/8 tsp pepper
2-3 C. uncooked penne pasta
1 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 C mozzarella cheese, grated (I saw another version that replaced these two with three cups of colby jack, and I'd say I used closer to 3 cups)

Spray a 9x13 baking dish.
Cook pasta until about 2 minutes under regular cook time. Drain and add to baking dish.
Combine evaporated milk, dressing mix, and pepper in a heavy saucepan. Heat just to a boil, thensSimmer, uncovered, 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken slightly.
Layer chicken, sauce, and cheese into dish over pasta. Bake uncovered at 350' for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Let rest 10 minutes before serving if you want it to come out prettier, or just eat it in a big pile on your plate while it's still steaming, which is more my style!

from Mommy I'm Hungry

"Panera" mac and cheese

I have a coworker who raves about Panera mac and cheese. I've still never tried it because I'm always swayed by the turkey sandwiches and fuji apple chicken salad, so I can't compare this to theirs, but it's awesome. I should be embarrassed to say how much of this we ate in one sitting, but it was goooooood. The only thing I changed was using yellow cheddar because the white cheddar wasn't in the grocery store I was in. I've seen it in a different store, but wasn't making two trips that day. It was amazing and the best homemade stovetop mac and cheese I have had. 

Panera Bread’s Signature Macaroni & Cheese

1 (16-ounce) package of rigati pasta (or other small pasta shells)
¼ cup butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
2½ cups 2% reduced fat milk (or cream) --I used skim milk
6 slices white American cheese, chopped  (this is basically white Velveeta...processed cheese)
1 cup (8 ounces) shredded extra-sharp white Vermont cheddar (I used yellow cheddar)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon hot sauce
Prepare pasta according to package directions.
Melt butter over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly.
Gradually whisk in milk (or cream); cook over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat.
Add cheeses, mustard, salt, and hot sauce, stirring until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.
Stir in pasta and cook over medium heat for 1 minute (or until thoroughly heated).

Serves 4 to 6

from Panera's website

Lighter Chicken Tetrazzini

This is another meal perfect for after practice this spring. I typically get home from soccer around 5:45-6. Norris starts school earlier than I do, so his track practice gets over earlier, putting him home before me. He doesn't mind cooking, but I know we both prefer that I do the cooking, so I made some dishes a couple weekends ago and stashed them in the freezer. This dish was excellent and I was really looking forward to it and excited to know that I had a good warm dinner to come home to. (it was a little chilly today!)
This freezes nicely, but you have to think ahead the night before so you pull it out to thaw overnight before baking. Whoever is home first can pop it in the oven and dinner will be ready as soon as everyone is home! I steamed some peas and called it done. We both really liked this and will definitely make it again!

Lighter Chicken Tetrazzini

1 tsp butter

1/2 cup finely chopped onion (omitted..used some onion powder instead)
1/3 cup finely chopped celery (omitted..used some celery salt instead)

1/2 tsp ground black pepper
28 oz low sodium chicken broth, divided

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

12 oz sliced mushrooms

2 oz Neufchatel cheese(low fat cream cheese)

8 oz whole wheat spaghetti noodles, cooked

2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 12 oz)

1 slice whole wheat bread

2 tsp Italian seasoning

If baking the same day, preheat oven to 350.

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery, salt, pepper, and mushrooms. Saute until mushrooms are tender, about five minutes. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth.

Add flour to pan and stir continuously for a few minutes. Whisk in the rest of the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer five minutes, stirring often.

Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and cream cheese. Stir until combined. Add the pasta and chicken. Pour mixture into 9x13 baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Place bread in food processor along with Italian seasoning. Pulse until fine crumbs form. Combine breadcrumbs and remaining Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over pasta dish.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes OR cool completely in the fridge, then wrap for the freezer and freeze. To bake the frozen casserole, thaw it out overnight, then bake at 350 for 40 minutes.
from Cooking Light

 

Hope you had a nice Easter! We certainly enjoyed our family, beautiful weather, and this beautiful view! 

Toasted lemon pinenut couscous

Israeli couscous is one of my favorite forms of pasta. The other is cavatappi...love that stuff for mac and cheese.  Every year for the grains section, I teach the kids how to make homemade pasta and we make something with Israeli couscous as well as some other grains they aren't as familiar with as boxed, dried pasta. When ProStart competition time or their final meal assignment comes around (when they can make what they want), a lot of them go back to the couscous for their grain because they like it and it's something a little different. When you make couscous with chicken stock instead of water, you add so much flavor (just like preparing rice the same way). Combined with toasted pinenuts and lemon, this is a great refreshing side that pairs well with a spicy meat or a sauce that can also be used with the couscous. Add in some sauteed veggies and I could definitely make a meal out of this, hot or cold. This went well with their ribeye with orange cider glaze and broccoli with pecan butter.

Toasted lemon pinenut couscous

1 cup chicken stock
2/3 cup Israeli couscous (the big kind)
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp salt


 Heat oil to medium heat in a small sauté pan. Toast pinenuts in oil for about four minutes, until golden brown.


Bring chicken stock to a boil in a small saucepan.  Stir in couscous and lemon rind.
Remove from heat; cover and let stand for five minutes.
Fluff with fork, then add toasted pinenuts.

Mushroom Rigatoni Bake

My Valentine loves mushrooms, so I put this on our menu for the 14th. He got me a beautiful orchid and some of my favorite treats, and he got mushrooms in return:) The only thing I'd change for next time is to add mustard into the sauce to add to the flavor, so I'm adding that in to the recipe here. If you love mushrooms and pasta, this is one of the many I have here suited perfectly for you!

Mushroom Rigatoni Bake

serves 4
8 oz uncooked whole wheat pasta

2 tsp butter

1/4 cup diced onion
12 oz sliced mushrooms
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup flour

2 cups skim milk

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 cup grated Italian blend cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cook pasta according to package directions and set aside.

Spray 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Melt butter in saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for about two minutes, until soft. Add mushrooms, thyme, s&p, garlic, and W sauce. Cook until mushrooms are tender, about five minutes. Remove mushroom mixture from pan.

Add the flour to the pan and start whisking. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the milk and whisk to form a ball, then slowly pour the remaining milk in, whisking constantly. Stir in the mustard and simmer for about five minutes or until sauce thickens. Stir in 3/4 cup of the cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings (can add your favorite seasonings here...nutmeg, cayenne, whatever you like).

Remove sauce from heat and stir in the mushroom mixture. Pour into baking dish, top with remaining cheese, and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly. Remove from oven, let stand for five minutes, then serve.

adapted from Cooking Light

The "octagon of doom" packed with purple for the K-State/KU game! We put up a decent fight, but left without the W. We had fun and totally paid for it the next day after getting home from Manhattan at around 1 AM!

Skillet Barbecue Chicken Pasta

I feel like I should lead off by saying that Norris loved this stuff! I really liked it too, so it's definitely a winner!
One skillet, quick prep, and loved by all = something that will be in our regular rotation.
 I added a little extra barbecue sauce and sprinkled a little extra cheese plus jalapenos on top because I like them on everything. I know I botched Prevention RD's nutrition facts by adding the extras, and it was good the way the recipe was written, but I just love jalapenos too much and was okay with a few extra calories from the bbq sauce and cheese!

Skillet BBQ Chicken Pasta

from Prevention RD

Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta

If you like macaroni and cheese and buffalo wings, this one is for you. We both really enjoyed this and will like it even more next time when I use the mild wing sauce instead of the hot sauce. Despite the sweat beads forming from eating this with spicy sauce, we both went back for more and polished off the leftovers, which is a sign of something great in our house. You can prep this a day or two before and just bake when ready!

Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta

very slightly adapted from Prevention RD
Serves 6 generous portions

13.25 oz whole wheat pasta (that's the box size they sell at my market)
1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp buffalo wing sauce, divided
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup feta or Gorgonzola cheese
Nicole suggested topping with green onions and cilantro, which I think would be excellent!

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cook pasta according to package directions.
Heat butter in saucepan over medium heat, then whisk in flour to form a roux. Cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in milk and turn heat down to low. Simmer while stirring until milk thickens slightly. Stir in cheeses until smooth. Stir in 1/3 cup wing sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
Spray a 9x13 with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine pasta, sauce, and chicken, then pour into baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown, top with feta and bake another five minutes. Drizzle with remaining wing sauce and top with other garnishes if using.

Pasta with Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce

I am normally pretty good about putting the leftovers away without picking at them, but when I make this, I definitely sneak a few extra noodles and mushrooms out of the pan in the process (or maybe "accidentally" pick a container that's a little too small and be forced to eat what doesn't fit...I may have done that once!) Norris and I both love this and I love that it comes from Cooking Light.



Pasta with Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce

from Cooking Light

Serves 6

10 oz uncooked whole wheat farfalle (bowtie pasta...used rotini the second time but prefer farfalle!)
1 tbsp butter
12 oz sliced mushrooms (I used a mixture of cremini and button)
1/2 cup chopped onion (omitted)
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots (omitted)
1 tbsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup half and half
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley


Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
Metl butter in saute pan over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper (I also put in a little onion powder here to make up for at least a bit of onion flavor). Cook until liquid evaporates and mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth and cook for about 6 minutes or until liquid is mostly evaporated, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Add half and half, cheese, and parsley. Stir well to combine. Add in salt if desired. Stir in pasta and garnish with minced parsley.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 257; Fat: 8.5 g; Carbs: 31 g; Protein: 12.9 g

Low Fat Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Anybody watch Real Housewives of New York?? This recipe is from Bethenny Frankel, a "star" of that show who also had her own spin off. Yes, I am admitting that we watched both shows!! I also read her book Naturally Thin this summer and liked it for the most part--it was an interesting read at least.
We really liked this with the exception of the brand of whole wheat pasta I bought, which can easily be changed! This comes together so fast. I doubled the sauce and added 2 chopped chicken breasts. Great easy weeknight meal!

Low Fat Creamy Mushroom Pasta

adapted from Bethenny Frankel via Stephanie Cooks

1/2 box whole wheat fettuccini or linguine
8 mushrooms, sliced thin
2 chopped chicken breasts (raw)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
Parsley and crushed red pepper flakes for garnish

Directions:
Bring water and salt to a boil.
In nonstick pan, over high heat spread out the mushrooms and the onion powder with 1 tablespoons of oil.
Sauté for approximately 5 minutes without touching or moving the mushrooms. Stir mushrooms, add chicken, and saute for another 5 minutes.
Add butter, sour cream, broth, remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
Add pasta and toss. Top with parmesan and red pepper flakes.

Spaghetti with Clam Sauce

This was another of Norris' requests--something he grew up eating and wanted me to make. I kind of knew before I made it that I wouldn't be eating it, but gave it a go anyway. Remember, I'm all about the textures, and the texture of the clams just don't agree with me. I did try it though, and the flavor was very good! Norris really liked it and wants it again, which is always a good sign. He said his mom would blend the clams with the sauce, so maybe I'll try that next time to alter the texture. This recipe is from Epicurean. It's a quick and inexpensive weeknight dinner!

Spaghetti with Clam Sauce

(I didn't make a single change to the recipe since I'd never had it before, so the link gets you to the original!)

Shrimp Pasta with Cilantro Lime Pesto

I know I keep saying this, but this was another AWESOME dish!
When I did my menu plan last week, I planned on a fairly cool week so I had a shrimp soup planned. I got home from work sweating and knew soup would not cut it that night. I almost always stick to my menu plan, but I found myself searching for something to use similar ingredients, but not in soup form.
I love pesto, so I was excited to see a cilantro pesto, plus it had shrimp and feta in it, so I was sold! Norris and I both loved this dinner, and he doesn't even normally like meals with a lot of fresh herbs. I sprinkled the feta and crushed red pepper flakes on top, and the flavors blended perfectly. I would encourage you to try this very soon!!
**(two hours after the original post): Woah!! I just went to my cousin Amber's blog to print off her banana bread recipe, and I saw this recipe is at the top of her page!! I remembered seeing it somewhere before finding it through random search, and what a great source it is!!

Shrimp Pasta with Cilantro Lime Pesto

from Bon Appetit, July 2010 as seen on Erin's Food Files

1 1/4 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves, plus 1/4 cup chopped (I used a bit more than this in the pesto portion of the recipe)
1/4 cup chopped green onions (used about 3 Tbsp chopped chives, since they were growing in the herb pot!)
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tbsp chopped seeded jalapeno chile (didn't have one, so used a little cayenne pepper instead)
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb pasta (used whole wheat thin spaghetti)
1 lb uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tbsp tequila (used reduced chicken broth instead)
1/4 cup crumbled Cotija or feta cheese (used feta!!)
red pepper flakes (optional)

Blend 1 1/4 cups cilantro leaves, garlic, green onions, lime juice and jalapeno chile in food processor until blended. With motor running, slowly pour in olive oil and blend. Season with salt.
(can make pesto a day ahead of time--store in fridge)
Cook pasta according to package directions.
While pasta cooks, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in saute pan over medium high heat. Add shrimp and cook until almost cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and add tequila (or chicken broth!). Return skillet to heat and stir until sauce is syrupy or about 30 seconds. Add pesto, stir to coat, and remove from heat.
Stir pasta into shrimp mixture. Divide into bowls and top with cheese, cilantro and red pepper flakes.
adapted from Tejas Texas Grill and Saloon

Garlic Shrimp Linguine

Best meal I've eaten in a while! If you're gluten free, at least try the shrimp and sauce....incredible! Of course, most things made with real butter are incredible! I used the pasta I got from the farmers' market, a basil garlic flavor that was really great with this sauce. I could have eaten the whole pound of shrimp, but fortunately for my cholesterol, I did not. I sauteed some green beans for a side and they were good mixed in, too. One more great part of this is that it took me less than an hour including peeling shrimp, cleaning and trimming green beans, measurements, eating, AND clean up!

Garlic Shrimp Linguine

~10 oz uncooked linguine
1/4 cup butter
8 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup white wine (I used tree free chardonnay, since we had some of a bottle sitting around that I needed to use up in something)
~1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (don't use the powdered stuff! add more to your own taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or about 2 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound of raw shrimp

Cook pasta according to package directions.
While pasta cooks, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, add garlic, wine, cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Simmer mixture for 7-8 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings after the sauce has reduced some.
Crank the heat to medium high and add the shrimp. Cook until shrimp is pink (~4 minutes).
Toss with pasta and serve. Top with additional parsley and Parmesan cheese if you like!

Creamy Ranch Chicken Pasta

I saw this pasta on Cooking This and That and had to try it. She has really great recipes--I remade the potato salad from last year and oooooh it was as good as I remembered! Will make it again for this weekend, I think.

The pasta was really great--I had it with a side of steamed broccoli, which I think would also be good mixed in. I think you could mix in almost any green veggie into this and have good results.

I like ranch, and I liked this stuff! If you don't like ranch, you will not like this stuff :)

Creamy Ranch Chicken Pasta

from Colleen, originally from Jo's Kitchen

Makes about 4 servings

6 slices bacon
1 - 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons dry ranch mix
1 1/4 cups milk
8 ounces egg noodles
Parmesan cheese

In a large saute pan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove from pan and save 2 tablespoons of drippings. Cook chicken in same pan with the drippings until tender and no longer pink, turning to brown.
Sprinkle flour, ranch mix, and milk over chicken. Stir to combine and continue stirring until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir one minute more. Stir in bacon.
Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and add to chicken mixture.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Penne with Shrimp and Mushrooms

While eating this, Norris declared it to be one of his favorites. I'm sorry Weight Watchers, but we had to finish the sauce with a bit more butter (about a teaspoon or so) and a little salt. There may have been a light sprinkling of mozzarella on top (but light, promise!!:). I sound like I'm actually on WW--no, I'm not. Just looked through my cookbook this weekend and decided to cook out of it for this week. A couple more recipes to come from them, but try this one! I love shrimp, Norris loves mushrooms, this was great for us.

Penne with Shrimp and Mushrooms

Makes 4 servings

1 Tbsp (plus 1 tsp, my addition) stick margarine

1 onion, chopped (obviously left this out)

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/4 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 cups sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup minced parsley

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

4 cups hot cooked penne (used whole wheat)

In a large skillet, melt the margarine, then add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is softened and garlic is fragrant. YUM!!

Add the shrimp and mushrooms (or if you're cheap like me, keep your already cooked shrimp out at this point) and cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid--around 8 minutes. Stir in the shrimp, parsley, lemon juice, and pepper. Heat through, then combine with the cooked penne (hope you remembered to cook it!!) and serve.

Per serving: 379 calories (although I put it in Spark Recipes and it said less...hmm..), 6 g fat, 48 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 32 g protein

Macaroni and Cheese...with Cauliflower!

Before you click right out of this or gag, let me tell you--this is teenager approved! We are looking for some good recipes to use for our upcoming first taping of our little show (little, as in, it will only be aired on our local cable channel!! whew!). Our theme is "Fit, Fast, on a Dime" and we are supposed to make healthy spins of recipes. The kids, even the ones who claim to not like cauliflower, really enjoyed this. I really didn't even notice or see the caulfilower because we chopped it up to be as small or smaller than the elbows.

No pictures--imagine hungry teenagers devouring. That's what it would be!

Macaroni and Cheese With Cauliflower

Serves 10 generous side dishes
Hands-on Time: 15m
Total Time: 45m
Ingredients
· 12 ounces multigrain elbow macaroni
· 1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
· 4 slices multigrain bread, torn
· 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
· 3 tablespoons olive oil
· kosher salt and black pepper
· 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
· 2 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar (6 ounces)
· 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat sour cream
· 1/2 cup 1 percent milk
· 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Directions
1. Heat oven to 400° F. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, adding the cauliflower during the last 3 minutes of cooking time; drain.
2. Meanwhile, pulse the bread in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Add the parsley, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and pulse to combine; set aside.
3. Return the pasta pot to medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the onion, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, just until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Mix in the pasta, cauliflower, cheese, sour cream, milk, and mustard.
4. Transfer to a shallow 3-quart baking dish, sprinkle with the bread crumbs, and bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
Tip
Using extra-sharp Cheddar lets you use less cheese without giving up flavor. Tender cauliflower adds fiber and vitamin C.

I am not sure where this recipe came from, except a random piece of paper in my recipe files.

Israeli Couscous with lemon oregano oil

This is what I served under the salmon and chicken. This is a recipe from Epicurious. The lemon oregano oil smells fantastic. I kept stirring it and breathing in the aroma because it smelled so great. I haven't yet decided what I'm going to do with the rest of it, but I'll find something. Definitely worth it and worth hunting down fresh basil--definitely go for the fresh rather than dried for this one. I did used a sprinkle of dried oregano though. (same picture as before)

Israeli couscous with lemon oregano oil
Serves 6


1 ¼ t sugar
¾ t salt
½ t black pepper
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
10 fresh basil leaves
12 whole fresh oregano leaves plus 3 T finely chopped
2 t fresh lemon zest
2 T fresh lemon juice
1. Combine sugar, ½ t salt, and ¼ t pepper in small bowl and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a small heavy skillet over medium heat and add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and whole oregano leaves.
3. Combine with sugar mixture from before and set aside.


1 T olive oil
2 1/3 cups pearl (Israeli) couscous (12 oz)
2 ¾ c reduced sodium chicken broth
¼ t salt
1/8 t Cayenne pepper
2 ½ T lemon-oregano oil (from earlier recipe)
¼ cup chopped fresh chives
1. Heat olive oil in a 3-qt heavy saucepan over medium heat and add couscous. Cook until toasted, fragrant, and pale golden, about 3 minutes.
2. Add broth, salt, and cayenne pepper; bring back to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed and couscous is al dente—about 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Before serving, stir in 2 ½ tablespoons lemon-oregano oil and fresh chives. Season to taste with more salt if desired.

Serve beneath a salmon filet.

Moosewood's Mac and Cheese

I should stop prefacing things with "this is healthy" but it is, compared to the regular version of mac and cheese. I certainly don't say that right before I serve something, but for some reason feel compelled to type that..hmm...maybe that will just turn you on or off to this recipe immediately, when I should just let you find out for yourself!

This recipe is from Moosewood's Lowfat cooking, and I got it from Ashlee, who just published a cookbook. How cool is that?!?

Norris loves buffalo chicken stuff AND mac and cheese, so I aimed for a healthier version of both of them--inspired by Ashlee's exact same meal she made for her husband. We both enjoyed this, and it made plenty of leftovers for the lunchbox this week!

Moosewood Low Fat Mac and Cheese

1 1/2 c. 1% cottage cheese

1 1/2 c. nonfat buttermilk
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. cayenne

1/4 tsp. nutmeg (left this out)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 onion. minced

1 c. extra-sharp cheddar

1/2 lb. uncooked elbow macaroni (farfalle)

2 tbsp. grated Pecorino or Parmesan Cheeses

1/4 c. bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Prepare a 9 or 10 inch square baking pan with a light coating of cooking spray.In a blender, combine the cottage cheese, buttermilk, mustard, cayenne, salt and pepper and puree until smooth.In a large bowl, combine the puree, the onion, macaroni and cheddar cheese and stir thoroughly.Pour the mixture into your pan.Combine the Pecorino/Parmesan and the bread crumbs and sprinkle on top of the mixture.Bake about 45 minutes, until the top is browned and the center firm.

Lunchbox Edition I

With the start of school, I found myself forgetting to bring my lunch since I had been out of the habit all summer!! I don't want to rely on frozen dinners or granola bars, so I've been making larger batches of things to portion out throughout the week. Last week, I made Sweet and Sour Chicken stir fry (will post soon...really healthy stuff!) and a pasta salad, and I thought I'd try another pasta salad this week. It's about the easiest thing ever, since it uses tortellini which cooks in three minutes. I got it from Carrie, and it's from Taste of Home. Great lunch idea with grilled chicken, cucumbers, and tomatoes thrown in. This less than inspiring photo has none of those things since my husband wouldn't go for the veggies in it! (so maybe I should make it with veggies next time to guarantee it's around for a while....:)

Tortellini Salad

2 packages (9 ounces each) refrigerated tricolor cheese tortellini
4 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1 can (6 ounces) pitted ripe olives, drained and halved
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup cubed part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large bowl, combine the tortellini, chicken, olives, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to coat.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Just before serving, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and toss.



Hey! Look at our fence that's almost finished!!