Tag: Garlic

Pasta Alla Norma

Created with De Cecco

Pasta night at my house is a very important night. Every Sunday, we have a pasta dish, but like to switch up what exactly the dish is. It’s always fun to experiment with new ingredients, with pasta always being the constant.

So it is pretty important for me to use premium pasta, like De Cecco Authentic Italian Dry Pasta. Since 1886, De Cecco has made its pasta in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. The 130-year-old company still uses its original family recipe and high-quality ingredients to create a variety of pasta types.

De Cecco pasta is made with only the best coarse durum semolina, whereas flour is used in most other ordinary pasta brands. This translates into De Cecco being a firmer pasta that doesn’t get mushy or fall apart, even if you overcook it by a minute or two.

This week, I had a hankering for eggplant, so I decided to make Pasta Alla Norma. Pasta Alla Norma is a pasta dish with fried eggplant slices tossed in a chunky tomato sauce. The dish is topped with grated ricotta salata and basil.

Note: Ricotta Salata in America doesn’t pack as much punch as its Italian counterpart. If you can find it, go for an Aged Ricotta Salata. If not, use a bit of grated pecorino Romano along with your Ricotta Salata.

Ingredients:

  • 4 medium sized eggplants (look for ones that feel heavy for their size)
  • ½ cup olive oil, plus more if needed
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 (28 oz) can of San Marzano whole tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
  • 1 (16 oz) box De Cecco spaghetti
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced basil
  • ¼ cup grated ricotta salata
  • ¼ cup grated pecorino Romano
  • Salt and pepper to taste

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Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu

This Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu is the ultimate comfort food and is perfect for busy fall weeknights!

It is definitely feeling like fall in Philadelphia now. The days are getting shorter, and there is a chill in the air. Which means my slow cooker is back in full force!

I absolutely love my slow cooker (paid link). It makes me so happy to come back to an awesome comfort food meal at the end of the day. This recipe for Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu is basically a really thick meat sauce, made with shredded boneless short ribs. And. It’s fantastic.

This can be served over pasta, egg noodles, polenta, or even mashed potatoes (I went with pappardelle pasta for this round). The recipe makes quite a bit, so you can stock your freezer for nights you just don’t feel like cooking.

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds boneless short ribs
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 bay leaf

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Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

I am always looking for a new and different slow cooker meal. I personally could eat a tomato-based sauce with meat over rice, pasta, polenta, you-name-it every day. My husband would prefer something new every now and then, which is fair.

So this time, I attempted to make a takeout favorite — Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken!

This recipe is really simple, but it can become a legit salt lick if you aren’t careful about your ingredients. Be sure to use lower sodium soy sauce and unsalted cashews!

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken (breasts and/or thighs)
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or canola oil)
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1 cup low sodium soy sauce (use a wheat free soy sauce to make gluten free)
  • 1/2 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sweet chili dipping sauce
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 green or red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 cups unsalted cashews

Continue reading Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

Tapenade

Last weekend, friends of mine invited us to an awesome Scotch tasting. They had recently visited Islay and brought back some for us to try as well! Each Scotch was paired with a bite of food to bring out some of the flavors, including oysters, lamb kofta, pheasant sausage and so much more.

I naturally didn’t want to come empty handed so I brought this simple olive tapenade along with me.

Tapenade is a pureed mixture of olives, anchovies, capers and olive oil. Salty foods always pair nicely with spirits, so this recipe was an easy choice to bring to the party.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (9 oz) jar pitted kalamata olives, drained
  • 1 (9 oz) jar pitted green olives, drained
  • 3 anchovy fillets, patted dry
  • 2  garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons capers
  • 3 fresh basil leaves
  • the juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • crusty bread or raw vegetables

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Slow Cooker Braciole

My mom recently put in a request for braciole. And by put in a request, I mean she went to Esposito’s in the Italian Market, purchased braciole, and told me I was going to make it. So. Slow Cooker Braciole it is!

I was excited to try; I’ve never made braciole before. Braciole is a thinly pounded meat that is topped with a filling and then rolled up and secured either with string or toothpicks. The rolled meat is browned and then added to a tomato sauce to cook.

I have to let you know. Braciole is a labor of love. There is so much prep work! The version I am sharing below is a recipe from a family friend that my parents have been using for years. I decided to make it in my slow cooker so that I could leave and run some errands while it cooked. Because of the prep work involved though, this is definitely a weekend meal.

Ingredients:

For Braciole:

  • 3 eggs, hardboiled, diced
  • 2 russet potatoes, boiled and diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1 lb mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup chopped parsley
  • 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
  • 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • 8 pieces of braiole, or 2 lbs top round, cut into half inch thick slices
  • 8 slices prosciutto
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

For Sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup dry red wine
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 (26 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (26 oz) can strained tomatoes

Continue reading Slow Cooker Braciole

Jambalaya

This weekend, I cooked my little heart out. I realized Labor Day is only a couple of weeks away, so it’s time to stock my freezer with ready-made meals for busy nights in the fall, like this freezable Jambalaya!

I made tomato sauce, slow cooker chicken cacciatore, bacon-topped meatloaf, and this recipe for Jambalaya. (It was a busy weekend!)

This recipe was simple to make, although I did take some shortcuts from the original recipe. It freezes really well too!

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 cups diced sweet onion
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 (10-oz.) cans diced tomatoes and green chiles
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups uncooked rice
  • 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
  • 1 pound frozen peeled, medium-size raw shrimp, deveined
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

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Grilled Chicken Cacciatore

One of my favorite things to throw on the grill are vegetables, something magical and delicious happens when vegetables are grilled. One night, we were doing a bit of a fridge cleaning meal and ended up with ingredients for chicken cacciatore — mushrooms, peppers, chicken, etc. But, we wanted to use my Coyote Outdoor Grill, so Grilled Chicken Cacciatore was born.  I didn’t have 2 big enough grill-safe pots, so this entire recipe isn’t made on the grill, but it can be if you’d like!

(To see some of my other recipes I’ve made using my beloved grill, check them out here.)

I threw in some summer squash and zucchini too, because it’s summer and we had some in the fridge. Feel free to omit.

Ingredients:

For the grill:

  • 2 bell peppers, any colors, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 (8 oz) container sliced baby bella mushrooms
  • 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
  • 1 summer squash, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 4 chicken breasts (or chicken tenders like I used)
  • 4 chicken drumsticks
  • olive oil, to taste
  • salt and pepper, to taste

For the stovetop (unless you have oven-safe pots):

  • 1 cup rice
  • 1 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 (28 oz) can tomato puree
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • fresh parsley, for garnish

Continue reading Grilled Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Sausage and Peppers

Note: I was sent a variety of First Fresh Foods Chicken Sausages. Opinions are my own.

It may be relatively apparent on my blog that I really don’t eat much pork; I tend to gravitate towards other proteins. So, I also rarely eat sausage, and if I’m being perfectly honest, I’m not the biggest fan of them anyways.

So when First Fresh Foods contacted me about trying their chicken sausages, I figured why not! I decided to keep it pretty traditional and try their mild Italian sausages in Sausage and Peppers to make this recipe for Chicken Sausage and Peppers.

The Italian sausages resemble traditional sausages but are made from ground white breast meat, which delivers similar taste with 78% less fat. They are gluten-free, with no MSG and no hormones.

 

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 package First Fresh Foods mild Italian chicken sausage
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 (15-ounce) can tomato puree
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 5 hot dog rolls (omit to make gluten free, or use gluten free rolls)
  • fresh basil, for garnish

Continue reading Chicken Sausage and Peppers

Grilled Caesar Salad

Note: I was sent a Coyote Outdoor Grill to participate in the #CoyoteChallenge. All opinions are mine alone.

If you’ve never had Grilled Caesar Salad before, you’re in for a treat! This variation on the classic adds a bit of smokiness from the grill. I added in some grilled tomatoes as well, because who doesn’t love tomatoes?

The dressing for this recipe is Greek-yogurt based, so its slightly tangy and perfect with the charred bits of romaine lettuce. I found the dressing recipe on myrecipes.com.

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 anchovy fillet, finely chopped (can omit to make vegetarian)
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

For the salad:

  • 2 romaine hearts, halved lengthwise
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • the juice of 1/2 lemon
  • cooking spray
  • ~20 cherry tomatoes
  • 4 slices of a French baguette
  • shaved Parmesan cheese, if desired

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Spring Vegetable Penne with Lemon Cream Sauce

This time of year delivers some pret-ty great produce. All of the green veggies are in season! This recipe from Cooking Light for Spring Vegetable Penne with Lemon Cream Sauce makes the most of some spring vegetables, asparagus and peas.

The pasta recipe is a “two pot meal” so it comes together pretty quickly without giving you too make dishes afterwards!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Vidalia or other sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 (10-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese, divided
  • the zest of 1 lemon
  • the juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 12 ounces uncooked penne
  • 1 pound (1-inch) diagonally cut asparagus

Continue reading Spring Vegetable Penne with Lemon Cream Sauce

Lamb Burgers with Feta Mint Spread and Sweet Potato Fries

I’ve been in a bit of a cooking rut recently; I’ve had a difficult time figuring out what new recipes I want to try. Luckily, Cooking Light always has some inspiration for me. This time, it came in the form of a lamb burger, or more specifically, Lamb Burgers with Feta Mint Spread.


This lamb burger recipe is actually half lamb/half beef and is really simple to make. I also made sweet potato fries as a side, super delicious!

Ingredients:

Burgers:
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
8 ounces lean ground lamb
8 ounces 90% lean ground sirloin
Cooking spray
4 hamburger buns
1/4 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup baby arugula

Fries:
1 large sweet potato, peeled
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Continue reading Lamb Burgers with Feta Mint Spread and Sweet Potato Fries

Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DareToPair #CollectiveBias

Hooray for spring! The weather may be warming up, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to give up my beloved pasta! However, I can at least lighten up my weekly pasta a bit. My favorite way to add a little spring to my pasta? Pesto, like in this recipe for Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta!

Pairing fresh ingredients with pasta can really lighten up a comfort food favorite like pasta. I added in some slow roasted cherry tomatoes to add a bit of tomatoey goodness to the dish.

Barilla has a few Better for You Pasta’s to make lightening up you pasta dish even easier. I picked up a box of Barilla ProteinPLUS Rotini Pasta from Walmart; other options available at Walmart include Whole Grain Pasta, Veggie Pasta and Gluten Free Pasta.

Note: there is a great Ibotta offer right now for Buy any 3 select varieties of Barilla Products and earn $1.00 at Walmart! Details can be found at the link above.

Barilla ProteinPLUS has 17g of protein from all-natural vegetarian ingredients, so it’s a great way to add more protein to your pasta meals without adding meat or seafood.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • ground pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese
  • 1 box of Barilla ProteinPLUS Rotini (or Spaghetti)
  • shaved Parmesan, for garnish

Continue reading Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta

Orzo Pasta with Peas Lemon and Feta

I am SO ready for spring! Around this time every year, I tend to start making more “springy” recipes in the hopes that the weather picks up on my strong hints for warmer weather. And what are more spring than peas especially in this recipe for Orzo Pasta with Peas Lemon and Feta?

This recipe for Kritharoto (Orzo Pasta with Peas Lemon and Feta) is from the most recent Cooking Light magazine.

In this recipe, Kirtharoto (or orzo pasta) is cooked in a chicken stock, tossed with fresh herbs and citrus, and topped with feta cheese. This simple recipe is on the table in under 30 minutes too!

 

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups unsalted chicken stock or vegetable stock to make vegetarian
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 8 ounces orzo
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 (16 oz) bag frozen green peas, thawed
  • 7 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
  • the juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

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Pineapple Fried Rice with Chicken #ChineseNYeats

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ChineseNYeats #CollectiveBias

Next Monday begins the Year of the Monkey, according to the Chinese Lunar New Year calendar. Celebrations are held around the world, particularly in places with large Chinese populations, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Locally, Philadelphia’s Chinatown holds a bunch of different events to celebrate, including a parade and a midnight dance performance on the 8th.

My favorite place in the city, Reading Terminal Market, along with the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, is featuring demonstrations of the cuisine and cultures of Asia next weekend. To get in the spirit, I decided to make one of my favorite Thai dishes: Pineapple Fried Rice with Chicken.

 

This recipe comes together really quickly with the help of Minute Rice, Dole and Kikkoman.

For this recipe, I used White Minute Rice, Dole Pineapple Chunks, and Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce and Sriracha Sauce, which I picked up at my local Wegmans, which were found in the rice aisle, canned fruit aisle, and Asian foods aisle, respectively.

Continue reading Pineapple Fried Rice with Chicken #ChineseNYeats

Chicken Agrodolce with Creamy Polenta

Happy New Year! Our unseasonably warm weather seems to have left with 2015, and colder temperatures are here to stay for a while. This recipe for Chicken Agrodolce with Creamy Polenta from Cooking Light’s December 2015 issue is great for cold nights — it’s comforting without being too heavy.

Agrodolce means “sweet and sour” in Italian. In this recipe, the golden raisins provide the sweetness while the red wine vinegar adds a touch of sour flavor to the sauce. The chicken thighs are simmered in the sauce and served with a creamy polenta to soak up the flavors.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups 1% low-fat milk
  • 2 1/3 cups unsalted chicken stock, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 2/3 cup cornmeal
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 4 (6-ounce) bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 ounce pitted green olives, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Continue reading Chicken Agrodolce with Creamy Polenta

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