Quick Chicken Divan

Photo & Recipe from Prevention Magazine

I was way too tired last night to take my own photo, but this was really yummy!

I altered the recipe a little...and it was delish!

Ingredients:

8 oz. pasta, your choice. I used a whole grain spiral.

1 lb. broccoli, cut up

1 tbsp. butter

2 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. chopped garlic

4 1/2 tsp. flour

1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

2/3 cup low fat milk

3/4 tsp. salt

1 small rotisserie chicken, meat pulled off the bone

1/2 cup grated parm/romano cheese

Directions:

1. Boil pasta. Add broccoli during last 5 minutes. Darin.

2. Melt butter with basil and garlic in pasta pot and stir in flour. When light brown, whisk in broth, milk, and salt. Bring to a boil.

3. Toss with chicken, pasta/broccoli, and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

Recipe from here & also from Brittany!

Ingredients

• 2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
• 2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix (I used McCormick Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning)
• 1 pound wheat penne pasta
• 3 cups marinara sauce (I used Muir Glen Tomato Sauce)
• 1 cup grated fontina cheese
• 1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. (I also sprinkled some panko bred crumbs on top for crunch.) Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

Classic Macaroni Salad

Photo&Recipe from here.

Yummy macaroni salad recipe....but next time I'll use less sugar and more mayo.

Yield: Serves 8-10

Ingredients

1 pound whole-wheat elbow macaroni, boiled until tender in heavily salted water, drained, rinsed in cold water, and drained again
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated carrots (about 2 large)
1 cup diced celery (about 2 stalks) (I omitted)
1 fat scallion, sliced in half lengthwise and slivered (I omitted)
1 cup Hellman's or Best Foods mayonnaise
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon hotdog relish
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
3 teaspoons kosher salt (or half as much table salt)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Directions

1. Combine the pasta and vegetables in a large bowl.
2. Whisk together the mayo, vinegar, sugar, relish, mustard, salt, and pepper, pour this over the salad, add the parsley, and stir together gently. Let sit in the fridge, covered, for an hour or two.

Eggplant Parmesan

Recipe from Cooking Light

Other Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes minutes
Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Eggplant:
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
2 cups whole-wheat panko
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 (1-pound) eggplants, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Cooking spray
Filling:
1/2 cup torn fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Remaining ingredients:
1 (24-ounce) jar premium pasta sauce (I used 1 & a 1/2 jars)
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup (3 ounces) finely grated fontina cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. To make eggplant, combine 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon water in a shallow dish. Combine panko and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a second shallow dish. Dip eggplant in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere and shaking off excess. Place eggplant 1 inch apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden, turning once and rotating baking sheets after 15 minutes.

3. To make filling, combine basil and next 6 ingredients (through egg).

4. To assemble, spoon 1/2 cup pasta sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of eggplant slices over pasta sauce. Sprinkle eggplant with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Top with about 3/4 cup pasta sauce; spread half of ricotta mixture over sauce, and top with a third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Repeat layers once, ending with about 1 cup pasta sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Remove foil; top with remaining third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese melts; cool 10 minutes.

Southwestern Ranch Pasta Salad

Recipe from Betty Crocker

Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker® Suddenly Salad® classic pasta salad mix
1 cup Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™Niblets® frozen corn
1/2 cup Hidden Valley® Spicy Ranch or The Original Ranch® dressing
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 1/2 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1. Empty Pasta mix into 3-quart saucepan 2/3 full of boiling water. Gently boil uncovered 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding corn during last 2 minutes of cooking.
2. Drain pasta and corn; rinse with cold water. Shake to drain well.
3. Im medium bowl, stir together seasoning mix, dressing and lime juice. Stir in pasta with corn and remaining ingredients. Serve immediately, or refrigerate.

Spaghetti with Spicy Turkey Meat Sauce

This was delicious!!
Recipe from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 pound ground turkey
Salt and black pepper
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions:
1.In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente; drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water.

2.Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat; add the onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Increase the heat to medium-high, crumble in the turkey, season with salt and black pepper and cook until the turkey is just no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley and cheese.

3.Toss the pasta with the sauce and 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water, adding more water to thin the consistency, if desired. Serve immediately with more cheese.

Pasta with Asparagus, Chicken, and Pine Nuts

Original recipe idea from Cooking Light, but I changed it drastically.

Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked cavatappi pasta (or any pasta you have on hand)
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1-2 cups grilled chicken, cut up into bite size pieces

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; add asparagus to pan during last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain. Sprinkle pasta mixture with garlic; return to pan, and toss well.

2. Arrange pine nuts in a single layer on a pan. Bake at 400° for 3 minutes or until golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Place in a small bowl. (I didn't bake mine/you don't have to)

3. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with pine nuts, chicken, and cheese.

Eggplant Parmesan

I had an eggplant leftover from my lasagna last week, so I attempted good ole' eggplant parmesan. Shockingly, I have never made it before. I got a few tips from my friend Julie, and just made it without any recipe, almost as if I was making chicken parmesan. I'll glady take any more tips to improve this delicious meal!

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
bread crumbs
egg
olive oil
garlic
salt & pepper
mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Peel eggplant (I hate the skin, but you can leave it on), and slice long ways into thin cutlets.
Lay slices on paper towels to get moisture out (5 min on each side worked for me).
Heat olive oil and garlic in frying pan.
Season slices with salt & pepper. Dredge thru egg and breadcrumbs, just like you would do chicken parmesan. Fry slices in pan for 5 minutes on each side. Lay on paper towels to get moisture out again.
Put some sauce on bottom of baking pan. Lay eggplant individually in pan. Add more sauce on top. Bake for 15 minutes. Slice cheese and lay on top and bake for another 15 minutes.
Serve over pasta or however you wish!

Easy Pasta Creation

Just something I threw together.

Ingredients:
1 Box of Fettuccine
1 Package of Baby Spinach
1 or 2 Red Peppers, sliced
4 thick chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
Olive Oil
Lots of Garlic, chopped
Salt & Pepper


Directions:
Boil Water for fettuccine. Cook according to package. Drain and put back in pot.
While pasta is cooking, Saute LOTS of garlic in olive oil in a large frying pan.
Add chicken pieces. Cook until no longer pink.
Add salt & pepper (extra pepper for me).
Add sliced up peppers.
Mix chicken/oil mixture with fettuccine and baby spinach.
Top with Parmesan Cheese.

Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna

Recipe from Rachael Ray, My Version

Ingredients:
2-1/2 tablespoons EVOO
3-4 small eggplants, cut lengthwise
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
Two 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
Salt and pepper
9 lasagna noodles
16 ounce ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
8 ounces shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and drizzle 1/2tablespoon olive oil on each. Place half of the eggplant slices on each pan, turn to coat with the oil, then arrange in a single layer. Bake until tender and lightly browned, about 40 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat; add the garlic and cook, stirring, until just golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes; bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the noodles, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water.
4. Combine ricotta cheese, with the egg, and 1/4 cup parmesan, season with salt and pepper.
5. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay 3 noodles side by side over the sauce. Layer half of the cheese mixture, half of the eggplant slices and one-third of the mozzarella on top. Spoon 1 1/4 cups tomato sauce over the mozzarella and top with 3 more noodles. Layer with the remaining cheese mixture and eggplant, another third of the mozzarella, 1 1/4 cups tomato sauce and the remaining 3 noodles. Spread the remaining tomato sauce on top.
6. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and 2 tablespoons parmesan on top and bake until bubbly, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Update: The leftovers are delicious!!!

Lemon and Herb Pasta Salad

Source: Rachael Ray Magazine

Ingredients:
1 pound bowtie pasta
Grated peel and juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cups torn arugula (I also added some baby spinach)
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill (I omitted)

Directions:
1) In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2) Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the lemon peel, lemon juice and olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
3) In a large bowl, mix together the pasta, bell pepper, arugula, eggs, parmesan, pine nuts and dill. Add the lemon dressing and toss.

Mac & Cheese with Bacon

My husband LOVES bacon, so this was a winner!

Source: Amber of http://amberskitchen.blogspot.com/

Ingredients
8 ounces Cavatappi pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
2 cups milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup swiss cheese, divided
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
6 slices bacon, cooked and diced

Directions
1. Cook macaroni using package directions.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and salt and stir until mixture is smooth. Stir in dry mustard. Add milk gradually, stirring continually.
4. Cook over low heat, stirring continually, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in 1/4 cup each cheddar, mozzarella and swiss. Mix cheese sauce, macaroni, and bacon in a large bowl. Spoon into a 9x7 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar, mozzarella and swiss.
6. Melt remaining butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Combine breadcrumbs and melted butter; mix well. Sprinkle on top of cheese.
7. Bake until hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Baked Pasta with Turkey Sausage

Source: http://cookingthisandthat.blogspot.com + Cooking Light

Ingredients
1 (1-pound) package wheat penne pasta
1 pound hot Turkey sausage links
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain the pasta, and set aside.

Remove casings from turkey sausage. Cook sausage and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble.

Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, and basil. Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layers.

Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.

Asparagus-Pesto Lasagna

Source: Vegetarian Times

Ingredients
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups low-fat milk, divided
6 Tbs. pesto, or more to taste
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for garnish, optional
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/4 lb. asparagus spears, tips cut off and reserved, spears trimmed and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)
16 no-cook whole wheat lasagna noodles (9 oz.)
2 cups shredded Fontina or part-skim mozzarella cheese (8 oz.), divided (i used mozzarella)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk flour and 1/2 cup milk in saucepan until smooth. Gradually whisk in remaining milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, and boil 1 minute, or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in pesto, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Reserve 1 cup white sauce.
2. Warm oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped asparagus (not tips) and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes, or until tender. Add garlic; cook, stirring, 1 minute, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
3. Coat 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place layer of noodles in dish, overlapping slightly. Layer with half of cooked asparagus, 3/4 cup Mozzarella and half of sauce. Add another layer of pasta, remaining sauce, remaining cooked asparagus and 3/4 cup Mozzarella. Top with layer of noodles, then with reserved 1 cup white sauce. Arrange reserved asparagus tips over top and sprinkle with remaining Fontina.
4. Bake, uncovered, 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden. Let stand 10 minutes; serve with additional grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

End-of-Summer Pasta

Wow. Yum! The flavor of this marinade on the chicken is amazing! Make sure you take the time to marinade the chicken and leave it in the fridge 45 min before you begin cooking. It's worth it!

Source: MyRecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 cup olive oil
1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 pounds boned, thin sliced chicken breast, rinsed
1 pound zucchini
2 red bell peppers (12 oz. total) (I used yellow)
2 portabella mushroom caps (I omitted this)
1 red onion (12 oz.) (I omitted this)
1 package (1 lb.) dried penne pasta (I used wheat)
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and fresh-ground pepper
1/2 cup slivered fresh basil leaves

Directions:
1. In a bowl, whisk together 2/3 cup olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, mustard, and garlic. Reserve 1/2 cup marinade for basting vegetables; pour remaining into a 1-gallon zip-lock plastic bag. Cut chicken lengthwise into 1-inch-wide strips and add to bag. Seal bag and turn to coat. Chill about 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, rinse zucchini, bell peppers, and mushroom caps. Slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Stem and seed bell peppers; quarter lengthwise. Peel onion and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Brush vegetables with reserved marinade.
3. Cooking in batches if necessary, lay vegetables and chicken (discard marinade) on a barbecue grill over a solid bed of hot coals or high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning once, until vegetables are slightly charred and chicken is no longer pink in center of thickest part (cut to test), 6 to 10 minutes total. Let cool a few minutes. Chop vegetables and chicken into 1-inch pieces.
4. Meanwhile, in a 6- to 8-quart pan over high heat, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Add pasta, stir, and cook, uncovered, until barely tender to bite, 9 to 13 minutes. Drain.
5. In a large bowl, mix pasta with remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, parmesan cheese, half the chopped vegetables and chicken, and salt and pepper to taste. Top with remaining vegetables and chicken. Garnish with sliced basil.

Penne with Pumpkin Cream Sauce

This was a pleasant surprise! I was dying to try this recipe, but was also unsure how it would turn out. I paired it with asparagus, which I put on a cookie sheet, drizzled with evoo, salt & pepper, and chopped garlic. Into the oven for about 15 minutes. We had BlueMoon HarvestMoon Beer with it, and it was perfecto! I definitely recommend making this!

Recipe from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
1 pound wheat penne pasta
2 tablespoons butter
salt & pepper
15 ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus more for topping
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Directions:
1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water. 2. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Season with salt and pepper; stir until melted. Stir in the pumpkin and heavy cream and bring to a boil. Return the pasta to the pot along with the reserved pasta cooking water and toss. Stir in the parmesan; season with salt and pepper. 3. Top the pasta with the parsley and more parmesan.

Penne alla Norma

Got this recipe from Martha Stewart's website!

Ingredients
1 pound penne rigate
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 large eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup torn fresh basil, plus more for garnish
3/4 cup ricotta cheese

Directions
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain pasta; return to pot.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add eggplant to skillet; season generously with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook until eggplant begins to release juices, about 5 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes (if bottom of pan browns too much, add a few tablespoons water, and scrape with spoon).
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and 1/4 cup water to skillet; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Toss sauce and basil with pasta; gently reheat if necessary. Top each serving with a spoonful of ricotta, and garnish with more basil.
Serves 4 to 6.