Spaghetti With Three Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
1 lb. spaghetti
1/2 c. oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, chopped, oil reserved
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 to 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes
1 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:
Boil salted water in a large pot, cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 c. pasta water; return the pasta to the pot.
Meanwhile, heat 2 T. sun dried tomato oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the canned tomatoes (with juice) and sun dried tomatoes. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally and breaking up the canned tomatoes, until thick, about 15 minutes.
Add the cherry tomatoes; simmer until soft, about 10 minutes.
Add the pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Toss adding pasta water as desired. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 35 minutes.

Verdict:
Blake is always telling me that we can have spaghetti for dinner. I like spaghetti I am just not the biggest fan of jarred spaghetti sauce. So I am always looking for a good quick sauce. This one fits the bill. I really like the flavor and how light it tasted. Blake liked the flavor but picked out the sun dried tomatoes. (He says he doesn't like the texture.) The kids ate it but also weeded out the tomato chunks.

Favorite Turkey Burger

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1/2 c. Gruyere cheese, grated
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 c. dried breadcrumbs
1/4 c. Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
coarse salt and pepper
Vegetable oil for grates
4 hamburger buns

Suggested accompaniments:
cheese slices
sliced tomatoes
red or white onion
ketchup
mustard
pickles
mayonnaise
lettuce

Directions:
Heat the grill to high. In a medium bowl, use a fork to gently combine the turkey with the Gruyere, green onions, breadcrumbs, Dijon, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Dividing the mixture evenly, gently form the mixture into four 1 inch thick patties.
Lightly oil the grill. Place the patties on the hottest part of the grill; sear until browned, 1-2 minutes per side. Move the patties to the cooler part of the grill; continue grilling until cooked through, 5-10 minutes per side.
Split the hamburger buns and toast on the grill if you like; place a burger on each bun and serve with the desired accompaniments.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 35 minutes.

Verdict:
The flavor was good on these unfortunately the BBQ destroyed them. They did not come out looking like burgers, more like broken off pieces of meat. Never the less, we enjoyed them, and so did the kids. I think that these would work well if you cooked them on the stove top.

Linguine With Cauliflower and Brown Butter

Ingredients:
6 T. butter
1 head cauliflower (2 1/2 lbs.), cut into florets
1/4 c. water
1 lb. linguine
10 fresh sage leaves (or 1/2 t. dried)
1 shallot, minced
3/4 c. Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 c. plain dried bread crumbs

Directions:
Melt 2 T. butter in a large skillet. Add cauliflower and season with salt; cook until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add the water; cook until cauliflower is tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 3-4 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil; add a generous amount of salt. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 c. pasta water; drain pasta.
Melt remaining 4 T. butter in same pot. Stir in sage and shallot; cook, stirring until butter is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add pasta, cauliflower, parsley, and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Add enough reserved pasta water to create a thin sauce to coat pasta.
To serve, divide among bowls and sprinkle with bread crumbs and additional cheese.

Makes 4-6 servings. Total time 40 minutes.

Verdict:
For being a vegetable dish this tasted so good. Blake and I both loved it. The kids ate the noodles and mostly picked around the cauliflower. We really like cauliflower, and we like it even more when it is cooked in a good amount of butter. (In this recipe: instead of using a shallot I just used part of a regular onion.)

Lentil Walnut Burgers With Yogurt-Cilantro Sauce

For the burgers:
3/4 c. lentils, picked over and rinsed
3/4 c. walnuts
1/3 c. plain dried breadcrumbs
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. ground coriander
1/4 to 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
4 T. olive oil
1 large egg
4 hamburger buns

For the sauce:
3/4 c. plain yogurt
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 T. lemon juice
coarse salt and pepper

For the sauce:
Whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

For the burgers:
Preheat oven to 350.
Place the lentils in a small saucepan, and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover, and cook until the lentils are tender but still holding their shape, 15-20 minutes. Drain well and cool.
Meanwhile, spread the walnuts on a baking sheet, and toast in the oven until fragrant and darkened, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
In a food processor, combine the walnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, 1 1/2 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper; process until finely ground. Add the lentils and 1 T. of the oil; pulse until coarsely chopped. (Some lentils should remain whole.)
In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add the lentil mixture; mix well. Divide into 4 equal size parts; roll into balls, and flatten with the palm of your hand into 3/4 inch thick patties.
Heat the remaining 3 T. oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the burgers; cook over medium low heat until crisp and browned, turning gently wit a thin edged spatula, 8-10 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate to drain. Serve on buns topped with yogurt sauce.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 40 minutes.

Verdict:
At least once a week I try to make a meatless meal. Sometimes when I am picking out recipes I think to myself "They are not going to like this." Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised and sometimes I am right, they don't like it. I knew when I was making this I was going out on a limb. Blake is not the biggest fan of "non meat" made to act like a burger, and then I was throwing the nuts into it. For him that is insult on top of insult. Both of us thought that it was alright. Not great. Not horrible. I think I overcooked the lentils and I didn't like that it has a spice "dryness" to it. Canon on the other hand loved it.

Cashew Chicken

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 T. cornstarch
salt and pepper
2 T. vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
8 green onions, white and green parts separated, each cut into 1 inch pieces
2 T. rice vinegar
3 T. hoisin sauce
3/4 c. cashews

Directions:
In a med. bowl, toss the chicken with the cornstarch until chicken is coated; season with 3/4 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper.
Heat 1 T. oil in a large nonstick skillet. Cook half the chicken, tossing often, until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Add the remaining oil and chicken to the skillet along with the garlic and the white parts of the onions. Cook tossing often, until the chicken is browned about 3 minutes. Return the first batch of chicken to the pan. Add the vinegar; cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds.
Add the hoisin sauce and 1/4 c. water; cook, tossing until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the green parts of the onions and cashews. Serve immediately over white rice.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 30 minutes.

Verdict:
My kids thought they had died and gone to heaven. Who knew that they loved cashews so much? Blake and I both really liked this too...and not just because of the cashews.

Chicken and Basil Stir Fry

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 T. cornstarch
coarse salt and pepper
6 t. vegetable oil
1 small onion, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch thick wedges
2 bell peppers, (red or green or mix) ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1/4 inch wide strips
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. water
2 T. rice wine vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
1 1/2 c. fresh basil

Directions:
Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Toss chicken with cornstarch until completely coated; season generously with salt and pepper.
In a large skillet, heat 2 t. oil over medium high heat. Cook half of the chicken, turning once, until browned on both sides but not completely cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with another 2 t. oil and remaining chicken; transfer to a plate.
Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel. Add remaining 2 t. oil, along with onion and bell peppers; cook over medium high heat, tossing often, until vegetables begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the water, vinegar, soy sauce and chicken; cook, tossing, until chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in basil leaves. Serve over rice if desired.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 30 minutes.

Verdict:
Blake has been on an Asian kick lately so I figured that I would try to find some recipes to curb his cravings. I was somewhat surprised at how flavorful this was even though it didn't have that many ingredients. I am sure that you could leave out the basil and it would taste just as good.

Asian Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
3 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) chicken broth
1 T. fresh ginger, grated and peeled
1 garlic clove, cut into slivers
1/4 to 1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
2 c. water
4 oz. soba noodles
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced crosswise
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1 inch strips
6 oz. snow peas, stem ends and strings removed, sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
1 to 2 T. lime juice
2 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced

Directions:
In a large pot, bring chicken broth, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and the water to a boil over high heat. Add noodles, and reduce heat to a simmer; cook until noodles are just tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add chicken, bell pepper, and snow peas; cook until chicken is opaque throughout, about 1 minute. Add lime juice and scallions, and season with salt.
Serve by dividing noodles among four bowls, then ladle the soup mixture over each.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 20 minutes.

Verdict:
When I got all ready to make this I was sure that I had soba noodles. Oops. I had somen noodles which cook a lot faster. So instead of using uncooked chicken I just used rotisserie chicken and added the ingredients accordingly. It worked out quite nice. I like the flavor of the soup and that it was light. I probably will try to see if I can find soba noodles and try it that way, at a later date, to see which one I like better.

Grilled Greek Chicken Kebabs With Mint Feta Sauce

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1 inch pieces
1/2 small red onion, quartered lengthwise, layers separated
2 T. olive oil
1 t. dried oregano
3 T. red-wine vinegar
1/2 c. feta, crumbled
1/4 c. plain yogurt
1 c. fresh mint leaves, packed

Directions:
In a resealable plastic bag, combine chicken, zucchini, onion, olive oil, oregano and 2 T. vinegar; season with 1/2 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper. Marinate at room temperature 30 minutes
(or refrigerate up to overnight).
Heat grill to medium; lightly oil grates. Onto each skewer, thread 3 pieces of chicken with zucchini and onion. Grill skewers, turning occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, 12-14 minutes.
For the sauce, blend feta, yogurt, mint and remaining tablespoon vinegar in a food processor until smooth. Serve kebabs with dipping sauce.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 1 hour with marinating.

Verdict:
I thought that these were just OK. The chicken was good but nothing to write home about. I did really like the onions though. I also think that this would taste better with a tzatziki sauce.

Asparagus and Prosciutto Pasta with Ricotta Mint Pesto

For the bread crumbs:
1/2 c. fresh bread crumbs
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. lemon zest, minced

For the pesto:
1 c. fresh mint, packed
1 c. whole milk ricotta cheese
1/4 c. olive oil
3 T. lemon juice
1/3 c. Parmesan, grated
2 T. pine nuts, toasted

For the pasta:
1/2 lb. prosciutto or bacon, diced
1 T. olive oil
1 lb. fresh asparagus, stems trimmed, cut into 3 inch pieces
1/4 c. dry white wine
1 lb. campanelle pasta

Directions:
Toast crumbs in 2 t. oil in a nonstick skillet over med. heat until browned, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in zest, salt, and pepper flakes; set aside.
Process mint, ricotta, 1/4 c. oil, lemon juice, Parmesan, pine nuts, salt and black pepper for the pesto in a food processor; set aside.
Saute prosciutto in 1 T. oil in a skillet until crisp, 3-4 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate; set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and boil 2-3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer asparagus to a bowl of ice water, then drain.
Saute asparagus in same skillet used for the prosciutto, 5 minutes. Deglaze pan with wine and reduce until evaporated; set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions in same water used to boil the asparagus. Reserve 1/2 c. pasta water, then drain. Combine pasta with pesto and reserved pasta water in the pasta pot, then transfer to a serving bowl. Top pasta with asparagus, prosciutto, and bread crumb mixture.

Makes 8 cups. Total time 30 minutes.

Verdict:
I changed a couple things about this recipe. First off I used bacon instead of prosciutto. Then I also left out the pine nuts out of the pesto. Pine nuts are just so expensive I couldn't bring myself to buy them. With those changes I still think that it tasted great. I really liked that this was fresh and easy to make. Blake liked it OK. He is not the biggest fan of most herbs so take that with a grain of salt. I am also sure he would have been a bigger fan if it had chicken in it. That is just how he rolls.

Garlic Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients:
12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast
8 T. butter, divided
2 t. garlic, minced
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/3 c. Italian cheese blend, shredded
9 oz. fettuccine noodles
1/2 c. frozen peas, thawed (optional)

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook fettuccine according to package directions.
Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. Melt 1 T. butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and saute until lightly browned and almost cooked. Stir in garlic; cook 2 minutes.
Add remaining 7 T. butter and cream to chicken mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer until butter melts and mixture begins to thicken, 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Drain pasta and set aside.
Stir cheese and peas into cream mixture, cook until cheese is melted and mixture thickens, 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Combine chicken mixture and fettuccine.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 20 minutes.

Verdict:
I had trouble with this recipe but that is only because I didn't read the directions right and added the cream at the wrong time. Even with that complication this turned out really good. The flavor was great. I am going to try this again and perhaps I can get it to be the cream sauce it is suppose to be instead of the oily sauce I made it.

Hot Potato Salad

For the casserole:
2 lbs. baby red potatoes, quartered
1 1/2 pkgs. cream cheese, softened (12 oz. total)
2/3 c. buttermilk
1 c. cheddar, shredded
2 T. green onions, chopped
1 T. parsley, chopped
1 T. dill, minced
1/8 t. cayenne pepper

For the topping:
1/2 c. fresh bread crumbs
1/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated
1 T. parsley, chopped
1/4 t. paprika

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425; coat a 2 qt. casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Boil potatoes in a large pot of salted water over high heat until fork tender, 12-15 minutes; drain and set aside.
Combine cream cheese and buttermilk in a large bowl until blended. Stir in cheddar, green onions, 1 T. parley, dill and cayenne; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in hot potatoes into cream cheese mixture until coated; transfer to prepared baking dish.
Combine bread crumbs, parmesan, 1 T. parsley, and paprika in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle topping over potato salad.
Bake until potatoes are completely soft and topping is golden brown, 20-25 minutes.

Makes 6 servings. Total time 1 hour.

Verdict:
Oh, have mercy. This is rich and flavorful and oh so yummy. I loved this and so did Blake. I do have to say that it does make a lot of food. We ate ours as a side dish along with hamburger patties.