Sausage, Mozzarella and Broccoli with Shells

Ingredients:
2 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 sprigs thyme
coarse slat and ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 links spicy sausage, (3/4 lb total) casings removed
1 T. flour
1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes
8 oz medium shell pasta
1 bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed and coarsely chopped or use regular broccoli
6 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 c. Parmesan, grated

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onion and thyme; season with salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden brown, 15 minutes (reduce heat if browning too quickly).
Add garlic and sausage. Cook, breaking meat up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, breaking them up with spoon.
Cook sauce until slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard thyme.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 4 minutes less than package directions. Add broccoli rabe to pot and cook 15 seconds. (If using broccoli cook for 1 minute.)
Drain pasta and broccoli rabe and return to pot. Stir in sausage mixture. Transfer to a 3 quart baking dish.
Top with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until bubbling, about 15 minutes.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 50 minutes.

Verdict:
When I made this I used broccoli not broccoli rabe. I also used just regular sausage. I did add a little bit of pepper flakes when I was cooking just to spice it up a bit since I didn't use spicy sausage. This was a good warm meal. You got to love when a meal is all mixed together in one container. I think when I make this again I will most likely either use spicy sausage or more pepper flakes.

Chicken, Lemon and Dill With Orzo

Ingredients:
4 c. chicken broth
1 T. butter
1 1/4 t. coarse salt
1/4 t. ground pepper
1 lb. chicken breast, cut into 1 inch slices
1 lb. orzo
2 c. feta, crumbled
1/4 c. fresh dill, chopped
2 t. grated lemon zest, plus 1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 c. parmesan, grated

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. In a saucepan, bring broth, 3/4 c. water, butter, salt and pepper to a boil.
Combine chicken, orzo, feta, dill, lemon zest and juice in a 3 quart baking dish.
Pour broth mixture over orzo and stir once to incorporate. Bake until orzo is tender and cooking liquid is creamy, 40 minutes.
Sprinkle parmesan on top and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings. Total time 50 minutes.

Verdict:
Yum. They say this is Greek, I don't know, I just know it is good. I didn't use the lemon zest. Blake is not a huge fan of lemon flavor so I just used the lemon juice and added a little extra for good measure. It was tasty and fast. Even though there is a lot of feta I don't think it is too much. It makes it creamy but if you are really leery about it you could decrease it. Blake doesn't share my love of feta but he thought it was good the way it was.

Creamy Pasta With Ham and Broccoli

Ingredients:
3/4 lb. broccoli trimmed and cut into florets
1 T. olive oil
coarse salt and pepper
6 oz. wide egg noodles
5 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
6 oz. thinly sliced deli ham, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss broccoli, oil, 1/2 t. salt and 1/8 t. pepper. Roast until broccoli is tender and lightly browned, 15-20 minutes, tossing halfway through. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles according to package directions.
Reserve 2 c. pasta water; drain pasta.
Return empty pasta pot to med-low heat.
Add cream cheese and 1 c. pasta water; whisk until smooth.
Add broccoli and ham and cook until hot. Gently fold in noodles. Thin sauce to desired consistency with more pasta water and season with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 30 minutes.

Verdict:
I had low expectations for this meal. Lets just say it surpassed my expectations. It was good. Kind of like a creamy Alfredo sauce but with out the spices. Blake really liked it.

Soba Noodle Salad With Chicken

Ingredients:
3/4 lb. soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles)
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 T. rice vinegar
1 T. vegetable oil
1 t. sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 t. fresh ginger, peeled, finely grated
3/4 lb. cooked chicken, shredded
6 green onions, thinly sliced
2 1/4 c. red cabbage, thinly sliced

Directions:
In a large pot of boiling water, cook soba according to package instructions. Meanwhile in a large bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, oil, sugar, garlic, and ginger.
Drain soba, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Transfer to a bowl with soy mixture and toss.
Add chicken, scallions, and cabbage and toss to combine.

Verdict:
Even though when I was cooking this I knew it was a cold salad, when I first took a bite it still caught me off guard. When I was over the initial shock I enjoyed this quite a bit. It is super easy, and yummy.

Menu

Mon: Soba Noodle Salad with Chicken

Tue: Creamy Pasta with Ham and Broccoli

Wed: Chicken, Lemon and Dill with Orzo

Thur: Sausage, Mozzarella and Broccoli with Shells

Fri: Christmas

Red Beans with Andouille Sausage

Ingredients:
1 t. vegetable oil
1 lb. andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 onion, diced small
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 bag (1 lb.) dried small red beans, soaked overnight and drained
coarse salt and pepper

Directions:
In a large saucepan, heat oil.
Add andouille; cook until fat is release and sausage is slightly golden in spots, 10-12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.
Add onion and garlic to pan; cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add beans and 4 1/2 c. water; bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer, partially cover and cook until beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, adding more water if necessary. Stir in andouille and heat through; season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 1 hour 20 minutes.

Verdict:
Some preparation is needed to make this soup. You have to soak the beans overnight which requires a little planning. I couldn't find andouille sausage so I substituted a cooked chicken sausage. You could also use kielbasa or another smoked sausage. This was a hearty soup. It would be good with cornbread as it has kind of a Southern feel. I would probably add a little red pepper flakes to give it a little kick.

Spinach and Gruyere Souffle

Ingredients:
2 T. butter, at room temperature, plus more for baking dish
1/3 c. plain dried breadcrumbs
5 c. packed spinach, trimmed and washed
2 T. flour
3/4 c. plus 2 T. whole milk
1/2 c. Gruyere cheese, grated
coarse salt and pepper
2 large eggs, separated , plus 2 large egg whites

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Butter a round 1-quart tall sided baking dish and dust with breadcrumbs; set aside. In a large skillet, heat 2 T. water over med-high. Add spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 4 minutes.
Transfer to a strainer to cool; press to release liquid.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium until bubbling. Add flour and whisk until a past forms. Continue to cook until pale blond in color, 2 to 3 minutes.
Whisking, gradually add milk.
Cook, whisking, until lumps are gone and mixture is thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Stir in cheese until melted; season with salt and pepper. Transfer souffle base to a large bowl.
In a food processor, pulse spinach and egg yolks until coarsely pureed. Add 1/4 c. souffle base; pulse until blended.
Stir spinach mixture into remaining souffle base.
In a large bowl, using and electric mixer, beat 4 egg whites and pinch of salt on med-high until stiff peaks form (do not over beat), about 3 minutes. In 2 additions, gently fold egg whites into souffle base.
Pour batter into prepared dish and bake until souffle is tall, browned and firm to the touch, about 35 minutes. (Avoid opening oven during first 25 minutes of baking.) Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings. Total time 1 hour.

Verdict:
Souffle sounds so fancy, no? I was kinda excited to make this. Fancy cheese name, fancy food name, what is there not to be excited about? It came out of the oven all puffy and pretty and then it quickly deflated. Sad. The taste? It kinda reminded me of a soggy omelet. It was fancy but all together it was kinda...meh. If you can't find Gruyere cheese I would say a good substitute would be Swiss or Parmesan.

Tomato and Shrimp Pasta with Feta

Ingredients:
1/4 c. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. tomato paste
1 t. dried oregano
1 can whole peeled tomatoes (28 oz.)
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
1/3 c. kalamata olives, chopped
12 oz. penne pasta
1 1/2 lbs. large shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined
8 oz. feta

Directions:
Set a large pot of salted water to boil. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 T oil. Add onion and garlic.
Cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and oregano and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and olives. Cook, breaking up tomatoes wit a spoon, until sauce thickens, 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
Add 2 T. oil to pot and heat. Add shrimp and cook until opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes. Return pasta to pot and add tomato sauce; stir to combine. Serve pasta topped with feta.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 25 minutes.

Verdict:
Blake always asks if we can just have plain spaghetti and it always seems to tickle Gavin's fancy whenever we have noodles. I figured this would appease both with out have just plain spaghetti. The sauce was decent. You could make this with out the kalamata olives if you wanted, you would just want to add salt to substitute. Instead of frying the shrimp in a pan I placed them in a dish and covered them with feta and then broiled them until the feta was browned in spots and the shrimp were cooked through. I liked it like that.

Warm Green Bean and Potato Salad

Ingredients:
1 lb. red new potatoes
coarse salt and pepper
1 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths
1-2 T. lemon juice

Directions:
Boil potatoes in salted water until they are tender when pierced with a fork, 15-20 minutes.
Drain thoroughly. In a large skillet, heat oil.
Add potatoes and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, mashing potatoes slightly, until golden brown in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a dish.
Add bacon to skillet and cook until bacon is crisp. Add green beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright green and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
Add potatoes along with lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently to combine.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 30 min.

Verdict:
We were originally going to eat this for dinner by it self and then I decided at the last minute to make some chicken to go with it. It was good, but it was better as a side. The beans in it were really good. I think it has something to do with cooking them in bacon grease.

Sausage, Lentil and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

2 t. olive oil

8 oz. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1 onion, diced

1/2 c. dried lentils

6 c. chicken broth

1 bunch kale, torn into bite size pieces

2 t. red wine vinegar

Directions:
In a large heavy pot or dutch oven, heat oil over med-high. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Add celery and onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add lentils, broth, and 1/2 c. water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a rapid simmer, partially cover, and cook until lentil and vegetables are tender, 25 minutes.
Add kale and season with salt. Return soup to a rapid simmer, cover, and cook until kale wilts, about 5 minutes.
Remove soup from heat, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

Makes 6 servings. Total time 50 minutes.

Verdict:
Nothing tastes so good on a cold day as something warm and hearty. This soup had good flavor and filled us up with out seeming heavy. I liked this quite a bit, kale and all. Blake liked it but said he felt like a cow eating the kale. This kind of reminded me of zuppa toscana from Olive Garden, same theory anyways.

Menu

Mon: Sausage, Lentil and Kale Soup

Tue: Spinach and Gruyere Souffle

Wed: Warm Green Bean and Potato Salad

Thur: Tomato and Shrimp Pasta with Feta

Fri: Red Beans with Andouille Sausage

Chicken With Cauliflower and Parsley

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts, cut in half to make them thinner
1 head cauliflower, cut into large florets
1/4 c. fresh parsley leaves, chopped
2 T. sherry vinegar
1 T. capers, rinsed
2 T. olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450. Heat oil in a large oven proof skillet over high heat.
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken until browned on both sides.
Place cauliflower around chicken, turning to coat in pan juices; season with salt and pepper. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until chicken is cooked though and cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and stir in parsley, vinegar, and capers.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 35 minutes.

Verdict:
This was alright. I didn't have any sherry vinegar so I looked up online to see what I could substitute. It said to use cooking wine, so I did. It had a winey flavor that I wasn't super keen on. I think a mixture of the cooking wine and capers is what did this in for me. Blake liked this and took it to work with him the next day. I just liked the brussles sprouts that I made to go with it. I will have to post that recipe because I thought I wouldn't like brussles sprouts...they kinda have a bad rap....but I do like them. I have made them twice this week already.

Roasted Shrimp With Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:
1 med. spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise,
coarse salt and pepper
1 lb. uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 T. plus 1 t. olive oil
1 T. lemon juice
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Season squash with salt and pepper. (Leave seeds in squash when cooking.) Place cut side down in a 9x13 baking dish.
Add 3/4 c. water and roast until tender when pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss shrimp with 1 t. oil and season with salt and pepper.
Roast until cooked though, 8-10 minutes.
Scoop out seeds from squash and discard. With a fork, scrape flesh into a large bowl.
Add shrimp and any cooking juices, lemon juice, and 1 T. oil; toss to combine.
Season with salt and pepper, top with parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 55 min.

Verdict:
I think I would have really liked this if the spaghetti squash was cooked more. I think I took it out prematurely and so it was a little crunchy. I have never eaten spaghetti squash before but it was cool. I will most likely try this again to see if I have better results.

Pappardelle With Carmalized Onions

For the onions:
3 T. butter
7 medium yellow onions, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 t. coarse salt
1 T. sugar

For the pasta:
9 oz pappardelle or wide egg noodles
2 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. parsley, chopped

For the onions:
In a large heavy pot, melt butter. Add onions and salt.
Cook, stirring often, until softened and just beginning to brown, 35 minutes.
Reduce heat to med.
Add sugar and cook, stirring often to scrape up any browned bits stuck to bottom of pot, 35 to 40 minutes. (Lower the heat if bottom of pot begins to burn.)
When done the onions should be a deep golden brown and have the consistency of jam.

For the pasta:
Cook pasta in boiling salt water according to package directions.
While pasta is cooking, heat oil in large skillet. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently until garlic is fragrant, 1 minute.
Remove 1 1/2 c. pasta water from pot and add to skillet. Drain pasta and add to skillet.
Cook, tossing, until liquid reduces to create a sauce that coats pasta, about 3 minutes.
Add lemon juice and toss. Serve pasta topped with parsley.

Makes 4 servings. Total time for onions 1 1/4 hr. Total time for pasta 20 minutes.

Verdict:
This was not bad. I don't think that it would fall under my favorite but it was still good for being so simple. I made some stuffed mushrooms to go with it. They were so good. So good.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:
14 plum tomatoes (about 3 lbs. total), halved lengthwise
1/4 c. olive oil, plus more for baking dish
1 t. dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
coarse salt and pepper
1 med. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 bunches (about 2 1/2 lbs. total) spinach, trimmed and washed
1 container whole milk ricotta (15 oz.)
1/2 c. parmesan, grated
1 egg
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
9 to 12 no boil lasagna noodles
1 lb. fresh mozzarella, cut into pieces

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400, with racks in upper and lower thirds. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss tomatoes with 2 T. oil, oregano and two-thirds the garlic; season with salt and pepper. Brush another rimmed baking sheet with 1 T. oil.
Arrange squash in one layer; season with salt and pepper.
Roast squash until tender, about 20 min. Cook tomatoes until slightly shriveled, about 40 min., rotating sheets halfway through.
Puree tomatoes, in a blender; set aside.
Heat 1 T. in a large skillet. Add remaining garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.
Gradually add 2 lbs. spinach and toss until wilted, about 4 minutes.
Transfer spinach to a strainer and press to release liquid. When cool, chop and season spinach with salt and pepper.
Mix ricotta, 1/4 c. parmesan, egg and nutmeg in a large bowl until smooth.
Lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking dish with oil.
Spread one quarter the tomato sauce in dish, top with 3 to 4 noodles, breaking to fit as needed. Top with half the ricotta mixture, half the squash, one quarter the tomato sauce, and 3 to 4 noodles. Top with remaining ricotta mixture, cooked spinach, one quarter the sauce, and 3-4 noodles. Top with remaining sauce, 1/2 lb. mozzarella and 1/4 c. parmesan.
Set rack in middle of oven and bake lasagna on a rimmed baking sheet until golden brown, 30-35 min. Let lasagna cool 15 min. before serving.

Makes 6 servings. Total time 1 hr. 40 min.

Verdict:
When I told Blake that we were having a vegetable lasagna he asked if we could add meat. Silly boy. This was not bad. I liked it. I am not sure I liked it enough to make it a lot because it does take time but I am glad that I tried it.

Salmon With Pesto Butter

Ingredients:
1 fillet of salmon
1/4 c. pesto
6 T. butter, cut into slices
2 t. dried or fresh dill
2 t. dried parsley flakes
squirt of lemon juice
salt and pepper
optional ingredients:
fresh sliced lemons, onion cut in to wedges

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.
Season salmon with salt and pepper.
Spread pesto over salmon and place butter evenly on top.
Sprinkle dill and basil and squirt with lemon juice. If using lemon slices or onion place those on top too.
Make a foil packet and place fish in. Seal foil packet and place on cookie sheet.
Cook until fish flakes easily with fork.

Total time 45 min.

Verdict:
When I was working in the Costco deli we used to make this. This is really the only way that we eat salmon at our house. We love it.

I'm Back

Boy that was longer than expected. We unpacked. I got strep, again. But I am ready to cook and stretch my recipe fingers again. So with out further hold ups, on to the menu.

Mon: Salmon with Dill and Pesto Butter

Tue: Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Wed: Pappardelle With Caramelized Onions

Thur: Roasted Shrimp With Spaghetti Squash

Fri: Chicken With Cauliflower and Parsley