Vegetarian | I Can Cook That

Strawberry Banana Stuffed French Toast

It’s spring! And spring means (among other things) that strawberries are back in season. So what better way to use them than for a delicious weekend brunch? This Strawberry Banana Stuffed French Toast uses strawberries three ways: fresh, in a strawberry sauce, and for an extra touch of strawberry goodness, in a strawberry jam. And because I love bananas, I threw in a couple slices of that as well. I found the strawberry sauce recipe here and my French toast recipe is based off of this post.

Ingredients:

4 challah rolls

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup vanilla almond milk (unsweeted)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/4 cup sliced strawberries, divided

3 tablespoons honey

the juice and zest of one lemon

4 ounces low fat cream cheese

1 tablespoon strawberry jam

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 banana, sliced

1 tablespoon butter

Begin by slicing the challah rolls in half. In a large bowl, add the eggs, almond milk and 2 tablespoons sugar.

Add the roll halves and mix to coat.

Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

one hour later

Add 1 cup sliced strawberries, 3 tablespoons honey, and the lemon juice and zest to a bowl and mix to combine.

Allow to stand for 1 hour. (I actually ended up leaving both for over an hour. Whoops.)

one hour later

Combine the cream cheese, vanilla extract and strawberry jam.

Slice the rest of your strawberries and your banana.

Heat a saute pan over medium high heat and add 1 teaspoon butter. Add 1 set of challah rolls to the saute pan and cook for three minutes.

Flip and cook for three more minutes.

While waiting for the side to cook, add 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture to one piece of roll.

Add slices of strawberry and banana.

When the bread is done cooking, assemble the pieces of bread. Add one to two tablespoons of the strawberry sauce and a few more slices of banana.

Repeat with remaining rolls. How good does that look?

The challah rolls were crispy while the cream cheese mixture was nice and creamy.

The strawberry sauce was tangy, just enough to complement the sweetness of the rest of the French toast.

And as usual, I am a big fan of the already portioned serving. It gives me a better chance of not being a piggy. 🙂

I loved this! I wish I could eat this every spring day. Except I think people would begin to judge me…

White Bean Hummus

Have you ever had a craving for something that you just can’t shake? Even after eating? I desperately wanted hummus. And even after filling up on delicious pizza I still wanted that hummus. But I don’t have any chickpeas in my place right now. (Note to self: stock up on cans of chickpeas so that I am never in this terrible situation again) So I went in search of a recipe for hummus that I could use something, anything else I happened to have on hand. White bean hummus to the rescue! (I found this recipe in Southern Living)

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
the juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons tahini
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoonpaprika, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup olive oil

Rinse and drain your cannellini beans.

Add all the ingredients except for the olive oil to a food processor and blend. You may need to stop the food processor one or two times to scrape the sides to make sure everything is evenly blended.

While the food processor is running, add an even stream of the olive oil until well blended. Add to a bowl and sprinkle with some paprika. Serve with pita chips, cucumber, or green peppers.

Due to my craving, I had none of these on hand. Junk. But I did have some of the Kitchen Table Bakers Rosemary Parmesan Crisps that went perfectly with the hummus!

Oh so satisfying.

Cannellini beans make one fantastic hummus, who knew?

The hummus was nice and creamy. And I loved the fresh rosemary!

I’d suggest adding some extra fresh chopped rosemary on top for added flavor. You can store this overnight or for a few days beforehand. I like to bring it with me as a snack at work.

Creamy Spring Pasta

I was talking to my mom on the phone earlier this week and she mentioned she was making a creamy pasta with peas (her favorite) for dinner. Naturally, I had some taste bud jealousy and decided that I needed to have that as well this week. Cooking Light’s most recent issue had this Creamy Spring Pasta which sounded fantastic so I was able to!

Ingredients:

3 quarts water
2 ounces French bread baguette, torn into pieces
1 tablespoon butter
3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 batch of asparagus, cut diagonally into two inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas and carrots mixture
6 ounces fresh spinach fettuccine
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
3 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup packed)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the torn bread to a food processor (I just used my Magic Bullet) and process until it becomes coarse crumbs.

Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add one minced garlic clove to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add the breadcrumbs and cook for 3 minutes, sitting frequently. Remove from pan and set aside. Wipe the pan down so that you can use it again.

Your pot should now be boiling. Add the asparagus and peas and carrots to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to remove from the water (you need the water to cook the pasta). Add the vegetables to a colander and rinse with cold water.

Add the olive oil to the saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic cloves and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. While the onion and garlic are cooking, add the flour to a small bowl and gradually whisk in the chicken broth. Add this to the saute pan. Also stir in the milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 1 minute.

Add the pasta to the boiling water. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain and reserve.

Remove the milk mixture from heat. Add the Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, salt and pepper, stirring until the cheeses melt.

Add the pasta and reserved vegetables and toss to coat.

Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and tarragon and serve.

Doesn’t it just look like spring?

The sauce does a really great impression of a cream sauce. I honestly don’t think I’d be able to tell the difference between this sauce and one made with heavy cream.

I wish I had added some of the tarragon to the sauce as well to get more of that flavor, but it was still nice as little bites of tarragon flavor.

Asparagus this time of year is just perfect. It was still crisp and bright so it stood out through the cream sauce.

And the toasted bread crumbs were awesome. An extra crunch to top off the dish!

Black Bean Mango Salsa on Jalapeno Parmesan Crisps

You can never have too many quick appetizers on hand. I am loving the Kitchen Table Makers Crisps. I already did one post on the Rosemary Parmesan Crisps, so it was time to get a little spicy. I used Kitchen Table Makers Jalapeno Parmesan Crisps and topped it with a yummy Black Bean Mango Salsa. The original recipe had jalapenos within the salsa, but after tasting the Crisps, I decided they had enough heat that the additional jalapeno might be too much. If you’re a huge spice fan, feel free to add a bit of chopped jalapeno to the salsa.

Ingredients:

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 firm, ripe mango, diced
1 tomato cored and chopped
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/4 of an onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
the juice of 2 limes plus zest
Salt, to taste
Jalapeno Crisps

Continue reading Black Bean Mango Salsa on Jalapeno Parmesan Crisps

Banana Berry Pecan Granola Bars

There are so many fantastic food bloggers out there. One food blog I regularly check is Cookin’ Canuck. Dara makes the most appealing looking recipes and her photos are always stunning. She has also cooked her way healthy and has a wonderful post about her journey. Dara has a great recipe for Low Fat Granola Bars with Bananas, Dried Cranberries, and Pecans that I just had to try. I switched it ever so slightly, but you can find the original recipe here.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup pecan pieces
3 ripe bananas
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons honey (to make vegan, substitute agave nectar)
3/4 cup dried berries (I used Trader Joe’s Golden Berry Blend)
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 tbsp whole flax seeds
1/2 tsp salt

Artichoke, Spinach, and Feta Stuffed Shells

I have been making a bunch of freezer-friendly meals lately. You never know when you will come home and just be too exhausted to cook, and frozen meals can really save the night. This one also happens to be vegetarian. I found this recipe in an old Cooking Light. I absolutely love artichokes and spinach so I knew I’d like this!

Ingredients:

(makes 5 servings. serving size 4 shells)

1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup chopped pepperoncini peppers (they come in a jar)
1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded provolone/mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup (4 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (9-ounce) can artichoke hearts, chopped
1/2 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
2 garlic cloves, minced
20 cooked jumbo shell pasta (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)
Cooking spray

Cook the shell pasta according to directions on the box. Drain and set aside on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil so they don’t stick together. Take a 13×9 cooking dish and spray it with cooking spray.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Add the oregano, pepperoncini peppers, crushed tomatoes, and tomato sauce to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup provolone/mozzarella (I used “pizza” cheese) and the feta, cream cheese, black pepper, artichokes, spinach, and garlic.

To make it easier to fill the shells, add the mixture to a ziplock bag. Close the bag, and snip off one of the bottom corners.

Pipe the mixture into the shells. (Note: some of the artichokes might get stuck a bit while doing this so be careful you don’t end up with more mixture than you want coming out!) Add the stuffed shells to a 13×9 baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Spoon the tomato mixture over the shells.

Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated and cheese melts.

You can freeze them after stuffing the shells, freezing the tomato mixture separately and doing the last few steps later. I personally prefer frozen meals that can just be popped into the microwave or oven and the only additional step is that I have to consume the meal.

This is really an awesome recipe. I usually only have plain stuffed shells with tomato sauce and cheese so I liked the addition of the spinach and artichokes. The peppers added a little bit of pizazz to the dish without making them really spicy. (You can leave them out if you don’t want a little heat).

I did, however, crave a little bit of extra sauce (I love love sauce), so I’d suggest adding another can of puree to the mix. Past that, a good solid recipe!

Winter Lentil Soup

Philadelphia is about to have a full week of weather in the 70s. I think there’s even an 80 degree day thrown in In March! I’m so excited, but I feel a bit stressed because I didn’t get to make all of my winter soups and stews. But who says you need to eat these in freezing weather? So I decided to make this Winter Lentil Stew for lunches in my office when they crank up the AC and I feel like it’s winter.

Ingredients:

4 leeks, white and light green parts only
1 bunch kale (mine was huge, so I ended up using half)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, undrained
6 cups water
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut
1/2 cup brown lentils
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Prepare all your ingredients. Slice each leek in half lengthwise and then slice into 1/4 inch thick half-moons. You want about 2 cups of half moons.

Add to a large bowl filled with cold water and swish to remove any grit. Drain and pay dry. Lay on a paper towel.

Remove the stems from the kale and then thinly slice the leaves. You want about 3 cups of leaves.

Peel and chop your sweet potatoes. You want them to be bite sized or smaller. Measure out the lentils, prepare your thyme leaves, and open your can of diced tomatoes.

Add a large saucepan to the stove over medium heat. Add the oil and heat. Add the leeks and cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the water and bring to a boil.

Stir in the kale, sweet potatoes, lentils, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

If freezing, you can spoon into individual containers, let cool, and freeze at this point.

If enjoying immediately, eat as is, or sprinkle with some grated Parmesan cheese.

I can’t wait to enjoy this on my “colder” days in the office!

Chunky Vegetarian Chili

I love chili, and with the warm winter we’ve been having, I didn’t have nearly enough of it. So before spring is truly here, I wanted to make another batch. This meatless chili has so many different beans and flavor, you won’t even miss the meat! I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light, using more peppers, diced tomatoes instead of stewed, and a bit of vegetable broth to thin it out a little.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 chopped yellow bell pepper
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 chopped orange bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup vegetable broth

To make, heat a large pot or a Dutch oven over medium- high heat. Add the olive oil. Add the onion, peppers and garlic.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the sugar, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Add the tomatoes, beans, and broth.

Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.

That’s it!

A delicious, hearty, meatless meal in 40 minutes.

Serve with corn bread if desired.

I love the colors in this! Look at all those different tones!

The chili looked a little too chunky without the vegetable broth, but if you like it that way, feel free to omit the broth.

Risotto Balls with Marinara Dipping Sauce

I love when you can incorporate leftovers from one meal into a new dinner the next night. I am a huge fan of risotto, but it can get a little old eating reheated risotto after a few nights. Risotto balls are the perfect way to still use those leftovers but have a completely different meal. I used my leftover Mushroom Risotto for this recipe, but feel free to use whatever you might have.

Ingredients:

1 cup risotto

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 large egg

6 fresh mozzarella balls

1 tablespoon fresh basil, roughly chopped

1 shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup marinara sauce (I used Pomi Tomato Basil sauce)

Oil, for frying

Add the risotto, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, basil, and the egg to a small bowl. Mix to combine.

Form the risotto into palm sized balls, adding a mozzarella ball in the center and forming the risotto around the mozzarella ball. (It should make 6 risotto balls)

Add the remaining bread crumbs to a plate. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. (This will help the risotto balls keep their shape when you fry them.)

While waiting for the 30 minutes to pass, chop the shallot and garlic. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the shallot and garlic.

Cook for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup marinara sauce and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes. Keep warm.

Heat the oil to 350 to 375 degrees. (I was a bit low on canola oil so I actually only ended up putting about an inch depth of oil in the pot. It still turned out fine, but having enough to cover the risotto balls would make this easier/quicker to make.) Add the risotto balls two at a time.

Cook until cooked, turning to cook evenly (about 3-5 minutes). Transfer to a paper towel. Serve while still hot with the marinara sauce.

These are crunchy little balls of deliciousness. I didn’t know risotto could taste better than it already did until now!

The risotto was so yummy I completely forgot about the mozzarella ball in the center, but was more than happy to come upon it!

It didn’t melt all the way, which I would have preferred, but it was still delicious. The marinara sauce was the perfect dipping accompaniment. I love the Pomi Tomato Basil sauce because it really doesn’t need anything to make it taste awesome. (I’ve written two posts in the past about all the positives of Pomi. Check them out here and here)

Is it bad that I might put some risotto to the side from now on just so I can have these the next day?

Creamy Lemon Pasta with Vegetables

Pasta is definitely one of my weaknesses. I would eat it every day if it was socially acceptable to do so. But alas, all those carbs probably wouldn’t be best. Adding vegetables to a pasta dish always makes me feel a little bit better about my choice though. MyRecipes.com had an awesome sounding recipe for Creamy Lemon Pasta with Vegetables.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup 1% milk

1 cup whole cream
Zest and juice from 3 lemons
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
16 ounces spinach fusilli pasta
2 pounds trimmed asparagus
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Season with salt. Cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces.

Add the asparagus to a steamer and add it to the pot. Cover and steam for 3 minutes. Set aside. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.

Add the olive oil to a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute.

Slowly whisk in the milk, cream, zest, and juice from 3 lemons. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Cook the pasta according to package label directions while the cream mixture is simmering. Drain pasta and return to the pot. Add the cream mixture to the pasta and stir to coat.

Add the Parmesan cheese, asparagus and tomatoes and mix to combine.

Serve with more cheese and lemon zest, if desired.

This dish includes some of my favorite flavors! You can use normal pasta but I thought that the spinach pasta would add nice flavor and color.

The asparagus stays crispy which is nice with the creamy pasta.

The tomatoes add a burst of bright flavor which makes it feel really fresh.

The lemon flavor is throughout the whole dish but isn’t overwhelming at all.

Plus, look how pretty it is!

Guest Post – Falafel

Today, I have a guest post from Trudy Abhood of GourmetGiftBaskets.com. Not only does she deliver a delicious (and super simple) falafel recipe, but she even helps take the guesswork out of dessert. Falafel, if you haven’t had it before, is a fried patty made from chickpeas or fava beans. They are delicious with some tahini, hot sauce, hummus, and cucumber on a pita, or as part of a mezze platter. The best part? This recipe only takes 15 minutes! Enjoy!

There comes a time when food and boredom go hand in hand and when finding something to eat is harder than going on a diet. I have found that Falafel can heroically fill both these problems. This Middle Eastern food has become more and more popular over the years, but my friends remain hesitant; most are even unsure of what food group it belongs to. Falafel is made of mainly mashed up chickpeas, so it is the protein food group, for all those now wondering. I have found a super delicious and easy recipe that has said it fifteen minutes, including prep time! I tried it out and yes, it takes fifteen minutes, but a food processor is in dire need to make this time!

Ingredients:

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon coriander
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
oil for frying (canola or vegetable)

Preparation:

Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper (to taste) in medium bowl. I have found that you may want to mash the chickpeas before combining everything. Also, having a food processor would be very handy for mashing them. Without a food processor, this may take longer than fifteen minutes! You want everything to be a nice thick paste that can be made into chick pea balls. Make them about the size of a ping pong ball.Now just use a frying pan with about 2 inches of oil at 350 degrees.

The balls should take about 2-5 minutes to be nice and golden. And that’s it!
Now serve falafel by itself, or with hummus and pita bread. Yum!

Everyone knows what comes after the meal…dessert! Since it was just Valentine’s Day, I have been searching for scrumptious sweets and came across a loaded gift basket with red velvet cake. They also have gift baskets with wine! Who doesn’t want to curl up with a bottle of wine and cake? I had never even though of gift basketsas an idea for myself, but why not? Some are only $24.99. This is less than a pair of jeans nowadays. Time for some falafel, wine, and cake!

My advice: Don’t be afraid of deliciousness.

About the author; Trudy Abood is the VP of GourmetGiftBaskets.com, one of the top suppliers of quality gift baskets. She is a mom of 2 boys, one of which founded GGB and the other is also VP at the company. She formally owned Chalifour’s Flowers in Manchester, NH; the largest flower shop in the state.

Thanks so much Trudy! The falafel sounds absolutely delicious! If you’ve never checked out GourmetGiftBaskets.com, I suggest popping over there soon. It’s a really great site, with inventive baskets as well as traditional treats. They have such a wonderful selection that I can’t choose my favorite! (The cocktail, breakfast, and the coffee & chocolate baskets are definitely at the top of my list but I also love the organic baskets and the unique gift baskets are really great. They even have a Phillies themed basket! See? Told you I couldn’t decide).

Tomato Basil Soup

Grilled Cheese and tomato soup is the perfect combination of comfort foods. Rainy, snowy, or just plain crummy days are instantly better after a warm bowl with cheesy bread for dipping. Cooking Light had a quick recipe for Tomato Basil soup in their March issue that sounded so easy I had to try it. (It helped that I had most of the ingredients on hand as well!) The soup is served with toasted bread topped with melted Asiago cheese.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I just used the whole bag shown in the photo)
2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (half a container)
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices French bread
Cooking spray
1 garlic clove, halved
1 ounce shredded Asiago cheese

Preheat your broiler to high. In a large pot, add the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Add the cans of tomatoes and chopped basil.

Stir and bring to a boil.

Add the cream cheese.

Stir until melted.

If you do not have an immersion blender, pour the mixture into a normal blender and remove the plastic center from the top. Place a paper towel over the opening and blend until smooth. Be very careful not to burn yourself, the liquid is really hot! Pour back into pot over medium high heat.

I received an immersion blender for Christmas so I was so excited to use it for this recipe. This is my first try with it and it was awesome! So much simpler than pouring into a blender and pouring back into the pot. If using an immersion blender, blend until desired consistency (I wanted a few chunky pieces left in mine).

Stir in milk and season with salt and pepper.

Cook for 2 minutes over medium high heat.

To make the bread, arrange bread on a cookie sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Broil for 1 minute.

Remove from the oven and rub garlic over the bread pieces. Turn bread over, top with cheese and broil for an additional minute.

Serve with the soup.

The soup managed to taste light and creamy at the same time, very impressive!

The basil flavor shown through which was a really nice enhancement to a normal tomato soup.

I loved the crispy bread topped with cheese. This would be a great appetizer at a party (using the tomato soup as a warm “dip” for the toast).

The entire meal ended up taking about 30-40 minutes so it is definitely an option for a weeknight.

Guest Post from Christina of Spaghetti & Meatballs

I am so excited to announce my first guest post on I Can Cook That! I couldn’t ask for a better first guest poster. This delicious risotto recipe comes from Christina of Spaghetti & Meatballs. I’ve mentioned on here quite a few times my affinity for risotto. It was actually the first dish I made that helped me realize cooking isn’t nearly as difficult as I imagined. This particular risotto is a must try: the creaminess you expect from a risotto without the 30 minutes of constant stirring!

But first, a little bit about Christina and her blog. Christina invites us to explore Italian through her blog. She is a truly wonderful writer (she works as a freelance writer in the Philadelphia area) with posts that contain not only recipes that make your mouth water, but information about Italian food products (tomatoes, pasta, etc.), commentary on interesting articles from magazines, and a look into some of her family’s Italian food traditions. Definitely take the time to check out her blog, it is a great source of information, recipes, and just an overall great read!

So before I ramble on, let me pass it on to Christina:

Risotto is so deliciously decadent that it can turn any dinner into a special occasion. But despite my soft spot for the dish, risotto was relegated to the once-in-awhile section of my recipe book. Every risotto I’d made required significant prep time – including at least 30 minutes of nonstop stirring as the rice cooked.

Then I found a Real Simple risotto recipe that sounded too good to be true. Instead of constantly stirring, waiting for the rice to thicken, you just pop the entire pot into a preheated oven. I’d never heard of making risotto this way, but since Real Simple is one of my favorite recipe sources, I decided to take the leap.

Ingredients:

(this makes 4 servings)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 shallot, chopped

kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 cups low-sodium vegetable stock

1 cup Arborio rice

1 cup frozen peas

4 ounces flat-leaf spinach, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce), plus more for serving

Heat the oven to 425° F. Melt the butter in an ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the shallot is soft.

Pour in the wine and stir until it has almost evaporated. Then stir in the broth and rice. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Cover the pot and put it in the preheated oven. Cook until the rice is tender and creamy, about 20 minutes. (While the risotto cooked, I had plenty of time to chop spinach and grate Parmesan for the next step.)

Stir in peas, spinach, Parmesan, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Sprinkle with additional Parmesan and serve.

The risotto turned out just as creamy and rich as others I’ve made the traditional way. I’m thrilled I found a time-saving technique for one of my favorite dishes that doesn’t sacrifice taste for convenience.

I can’t believe I’ve made it 26 years of my life without knowing this technique. It’s brilliant! And the colors are just beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing this with us Christina! To check out additional recipes and posts from Spaghetti & Meatballs, pop on over to her blog!

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

So I realized today that this post for Homemade Macaroni and Cheese is my 200th! How crazy is that? Okay, back to your regular programing… time for an awesome recipe for Homemade Macaroni and Cheese!

Winter weather really makes me crave comfort food. When it snows (like it did this weekend) my need for comfort food escalates.

I’ve been looking for any excuse to make another mac and cheese recipe, so I jumped at the chance to make it during the snow.

I originally printed out this recipe from Cooking Light, but I changed it so much to fit what I could find it’s barely recognizable. The overall method is basically the same though.

Ingredients:

1/2 an onion, diced
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 1/4 cups 1% low fat milk
1 box uncooked elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
4 ounces cubed sharp cheddar cheese
4ounces cubed gouda cheese
Panko breadcrumbs
Grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Fresh parsley, chopped

Continue reading Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Caprese Tomato Bites

I know, I know. It’s January. What the heck am I doing posting a Caprese recipe? I had a craving for a Caprese salad and I can’t bring myself to buy large tomatoes so out of season. Cherry tomatoes always seem to be around the same level of taste all year long, so I thought this might hold me over until the spring. The recipe incorporates all ingredients found in a traditional Caprese salad, while making it into a cute appetizer bite. I found this recipe on Taste of Home and mainly stuck to the recipe, with a few changes based on what I could find.

Ingredients:

1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into smaller pieces
6 fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Continue reading Caprese Tomato Bites