chicken with balsamic vinegar

this is something my roomie and i tried for the first time in college and it's stuck around all these years.  something new and different to do to chicken.

chicken breasts are so thick.  this recipe is calling for 3-4 pieces of chicken, so maybe one to two big breasts sliced in half or even thirds to make thinner.

ingredients

3-4 medium-sized boneless chicken breasts
1 T onions, chopped
4 T balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 C chicken broth
5 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 t marjoram
salt and pepper

ingredients for pasta

a little less than a 1/4 C olive oil
a little less than a 1/4 C balsamic vinegar
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T dried parsley
1 t dried basil
1-2 pinches red pepper flakes

directions

cook pasta of choice.  linguini or fettuccini work well.  meanwhile, sauté chicken in about 1 T melted butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, remove from heat and cover to keep warm.  sauté onions until clear; add vinegar and bring to a boil.  boil about 3 min or til reduced to a glaze, stirring.  add broth and boil til reduced to 1/2 C.  add sun-dried tomatoes and marjoram.  remove from heat and stir in 1 T butter and the chicken.

drain and rinse pasta.  mix pasta ingredients in a bowl and stir into the pasta.  serve chicken and pan drippings over pasta.

pesto

this is a classic recipe you can probably find anywhere.  i just want it on my site for quick reference.  fresh pesto is the best pesto!

ingredients and directions

throw the following in a blender and blend til blended :>

4 cloves garlic
1/2 C pine nuts
2 C fresh basil, tightly packed
1/2 C olive oil
1/4 C grated parmesan
3/4 t salt
1/2 t pepper
a couple shakes dried parsley and dried pepper flakes

carbonara

many of my old recipes are in a bulky recipe box so i am in the middle of reorganizing them into a more space-efficient format.  i thought that while i was at it, i may as well add some of my favorites to the site.

the recipe probably won't blow your mind, but it's a great thing to do with leftover ham or on a day when you're pressed for time--done in under 30 minutes!  someday when i'm on the ball, i'd love to make this with fresh spaghetti.

ingredients

1 T butter
3 eggs, beaten
6-7 medium mushrooms
5-7 oz cooked ham, cubed
1/2 C grated parmesan
1/2 lb spaghetti

directions

cook spaghetti.  meanwhile, sauté ham and mushrooms in butter.  drain spaghetti and return it to the hot pot.  pour ham and mushrooms over it, plus the eggs and cheese.  mix vigorously to allow the eggs to cook without letting them get too hot and scramble.

tubes 'n' stuff

my sister-in-law shared this recipe with me years ago and it's been a stand-by because it's so fast and whips up with things i usually always have on hand.  the "tubes" are rigatoni, but i've used any and all pasta and all work great.

ingredients

1/2 lb rigatoni
1/2 lb Italian sausage (chicken or turkey sausage also works great)
28oz can diced tomatoes
15oz can white beans
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
20 basil leaves, coarsely chopped


directions

boil the pasta and drain.  cook sausage about halfway, then add garlic and onion until onion is almost soft.  add tomato and beans and heat through.  take off the heat, throw on the basil and cover for 5 min.  pour over the pasta, mix and enjoy!

gemelli with cauliflower, bacon and sage

this was so delicious and so quick to make!  the sauce is quite spare and works great if you eat it piping hot.  however, if it sits a few minutes, or you want to have leftovers, i would mix about 1/2 C of some sort of dairy (just whatever you have on hand--milk, half and half, even a thin sour cream) when you add the pasta water. 

i used prosciutto instead of bacon and therefore didn't cook it over the stove, but briefly broiled it.  i also added some parmesan shavings on top.  from everyday food magazine.

ingredients:

3/4 lb gemilli or other short pasta (i used casarecce)
5 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 in pieces
3 T butter
5 green onions, sliced (white parts only)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets (our local grocer had orange cauliflower--that was a fun change)
2 T fresh sage leaves, chopped (i had some freeze dried that worked perfectly)
2 t red wine vinegar

directions:

boil and drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 C of the water.  meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, 10 minutes. with a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. add butter, onions, and garlic to skillet and cook until onions are softened, 10 minutes. add cauliflower, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender, 8 minutes. stir in bacon and sage and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. add cauliflower mixture to pot with pasta. stir in vinegar and enough pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats pasta. season with salt and pepper.

manicotti

this is one of my very favorite things to eat. but it has to be my way or it doesn't quite cut it. i realize that sounds snooty, but it's taken me a few long years to tweak it and now it's just the way i like it. here's the way i do it:

ingredients and instructions

14 manicotti shells, cooked per package instructions, drained and rinsed

sauce

2 full bulbs roasted garlic--instructions for roasting here.
1 1/2 T olive oil
2 1/2 lbs canned whole tomatoes, chunked (i like mine bigger than diced)
1 T oregano
1 T basil
1 t thyme
pinch rosemary
2 heaping tablespoons sugar

bring first three ingredients to a boil. lower to a simmer, add remaining ingredients and let simmer 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

filling

2 lbs ricotta
3 eggs
1/2 C (or more) fresh parsley or spinach
salt and pepper to taste
1 C grated romano or parmesan
1 - 1 1/2 C shredded mozzarella

whip together the ricotta and eggs until well blended. stir in remaining ingredients

assembly

fill a large baking dish with 1/2 C sauce; fill manicotti shells with cheese filling (i use a cake decorating tool and it works great); place shells into the baking dish, drizzle with desired amount of sauce (leave some to add after it has baked), sprinkle with 1/4 C each of romano/parmesan and mozzarella and bake @ 425 for 20 min or until the cheese starts to brown.

butternut squash lasagna

i found two recipes that each had different interesting elements, so i sort of fused the two to come up with a rather tasty combination. i used a good housekeeping recipe and a michael chiarello recipe from the food network. p.s. it's not low fat.

ingredients:

you'll need to prepare this roasted butternut squash recipe, but adjust it using a squash that's on the smaller side of medium-sized.
12 lasagna noodles, prepared according to package directions
2 T olive oil
1 jumbo onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 large bunch swiss chard, coarsely chopped, tough stems removed
shredded parmesan and mozzarella for lasagna top

for the squash mixture:

1/2 t salt
pepper
1/4 t nutmeg
3/4 C ricotta cheese
1/2 C shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg

for the sauce:

• 2 tablespoon(s) margarine or butter
• 1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) dried thyme
• one small clove garlic, minced
  
• 4 cup(s) low-fat milk
  

directions:

heat olive oil over medium heat. add the onion and cook about 25 minutes or until golden/caramelized, stirring often.

in the meanwhile, mash the squash with a potato masher, leaving a few chunks. add all ingredients under "for the squash mixture." refrigerate until you're ready to assemble the lasagna.

add the swiss chard to the onion and cook until wilted, about 7 minutes. pull off the heat early and let it finish cooking in the hot pan. cover to keep warm.

heat oven to 375. start preparing the sauce. microwave the milk until nearly hot to save time (in my archaic microwave it took 4 min). melt margarine or butter over medium heat. with wire whisk, stir in flour, pepper, salt, nutmeg, thyme, and garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. gradually whisk in milk and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until sauce boils and thickens slightly. boil 1 minute, stirring.

in a greased 9 x 13, evenly spoon about 1/2 cup white sauce to cover bottom of dish. arrange 4 lasagna noodles over sauce, overlapping to fit. evenly spread all swiss chard mixture over noodles and top with about 1 cup white sauce. arrange 4 lasagna noodles on top, then about 1 cup white sauce and all butternut squash. top with remaining lasagna noodles and remaining white sauce. sprinkle with parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

cover lasagna with foil and bake 30 minutes; remove foil and bake 10 minutes longer or until hot and bubbly and cheese is browned.

roasted eggplant and zucchini lasagna rolls

i found the recipe here. the recipe calls for serving them with a pumpkin bechamel, but i tried it and didn't get it--the flavors didn't go well at all in my mind. so we just used traditional marinara. thumbs up all around. plus it was a sneaky way to use eggplant which i love, but no one else in the family really cares for. they didn't even notice.

ingredients

• 6-8 whole wheat lasagna noodles
• 2 cups eggplant, peeled and cubed
• 2 cups zucchini, cubed
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated and divided
• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 3/4 cup lowfat cottage cheese
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon milk

directions

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions, drain and transfer to a damp dish towel.

Spread the cubed eggplant and zucchini on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Use your fingers to quickly mix the ingredients on the pan to evenly coat with the oil. Roast in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes, turning once.

Meanwhile, prepare two shallow dishes with the ingredients for breading the lasagna rolls. In the first dish, whisk the eggs with 1 tablespoon of milk. In the second dish, combine 1/4 cup of the parmigiano reggiano cheese and the panko bread crumbs.

Prepare another baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Reduce the oven temperature to 425°F.

In a mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup of parmigiano reggiano cheese, mozzarella cheese, and cottage cheese. Once the eggplant and zucchini mixture has cooled, add to the cheese mixture, stirring to combine. Cut the lasagna noodles in half. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture onto the end of each noodle half. Roll the noodle around the mixture and place seam down.

Dip each lasagna roll first in the egg mixture and then in the panko breadcrumbs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until the rolls are golden and crispy.

veggie experiment: days 19 and 20

LASAGNA

lasagna around here has always been vegetarian...and my kids love it. here's what i do:

1 lb lasagna noodles

traditional flavor prego--i just eyeball the amount...maybe 3-4 cups?

1 zucchini, sliced

equal amount mushrooms, sliced

1/2 bunch spinach, chopped

2ish cups part-skim ricotta cheese

one generous fistful of mozzarella (plus more for the very top layer)

1 egg

a couple generous shakes of oregano

salt and pepper

cook noodles per directions, drain and let cool. steam the spinach and press as much water out as you can. saute, steam or boil zucchini and mushrooms together (separate from the spinach). in a bowl, combine cheeses, spinach, egg, oregano and salt and pepper.

in a 9 x 13, start with about a half cup of sauce. sprinkle some of the zucchini and mushrooms over that. then layer noodles, then half the cheese mixture, then the sauce, then more veggies and repeat. finish with a layer of noodles and top with some mozzarella. bake 15 - 20 @ 400 or until bubbly and top is brown.

veggie experiment: days 15 and 16

CHE BELLA NOTTE PASTA (that's the link)
a family favorite. got it from a woman in california who is a caterer. today i put all called-for vegetarian ingredients in it plus some asparagus, zucchini, mushrooms and pine nuts. served it with salad and rosemary and garlic bread.

veggie experiment: days 12 and 13

NOODLES WITH RED SAUCE

feeling lazy

whatever kind of pasta (sometimes i do all whole wheat, or a mixture of whole and regular). favorite pasta sauce (sometimes i just throw together some canned tomatoes, garlic and herbs and sugar to make my own sauce...or i use prego from costco). then i usually steam zucchini and mushrooms to serve over the top.

veggie experiment: days 7 and 8

RAVIOLI WITH CARAMELIZED FENNEL

from real simple magazine--i've been wanting to try fennel for quite some time. it added a light, subtle flavor. we concluded we'd definitely make this again. plus, the kiddos liked it (can't go wrong with cheese-filled noodles!)

in a large skillet, cook 1 thinly sliced fennel bulb and 1 sliced onion in butter over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until golden, 25 to 30 minutes. season with salt and pepper. mix in the ravioli, 1/4 C reserved pasta water and 1 tablespoon butter. sprinkle with chopped fennel fronds.

i served this with salad and whole wheat bread.

che bella notte pasta--only takes 30 minutes!

this is my favorite dinner. it can seem gourmet, there are myriad variations...and i timed myself the last time i made it and it literally took me 33 min, start to finish.

10 oz pasta (i’ve used farfalle, rotini, ziti, penne, capenelli)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp (or more) capers
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into medallions
1 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1 C chicken broth
½ C sun-dried tomatoes, julienne
½ C heavy cream
¼ C grated parmesan cheese

cook pasta as directed on package. in the meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. add garlic, capers and chicken. add basil and red pepper. cook for about 4 minutes to brown (don’t overcook—it will continue cooking in the sauce!) add broth and tomatoes. simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. take off heat and stir in cream and cheese. pour over pasta and enjoy.

*i rarely actually make this with chicken—it’s great without it. super yummy to add any combination of the following: roasted pine nuts; diced fresh tomato; steamed zucchini, mushrooms asparagus, yellow squash, spinach, eggplant; and i always sprinkle fresh shredded parmesan over the top.

*i’ve also tried it with just milk and/or half and half and non-fat half and half to be easy on the arteries. nothing is as good as the real thing, but if you’re gonna skimp, skimp using the non-fat half and half (and you’ll need to add some salt). i hope you love it and eat it as much as we do!