Spanakopitas and Orzo

A family favorite of ours is Greek spanakopitas (spinach pies, if you prefer an easier way of pronouncing). Spanakopitas are time consuming to make but are totally worth the time because they are so gosh darn good; crispy phyllo outside, spinach, dill, onion, and melted feta in the inside. HEAVEN, I tell ya. Get the recipe here.

Orzo is such a great pasta and it's super versatile. Tonight, I prepared another family classic with it; orzo, tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese, lemon ( I use the juice of 2 lemons), and olive oil. Normally, I would put fresh basil in this salad, but the basil we bought at the store somehow was no where to be found!!! I added some fresh dill instead, worked just fine. :-)

(The mouthwatering inside of the spanakopitas)

(Fresh and flavorful orzo salad)

(The crispy outside of the spanakopitas)

(Angel food cake out of the box, so what!)

Filling (and really darn good) Pasta

A few weeks ago I whipped up a lunch with some random things I had in the refrigerator and pantry and I came up with a tasty little pasta dish that had kale, chickpeas, olive oil, and garlic in it. Tonight, I recreated the dish but added a spicy/zesty red sauce to it. One word: AWESOME!

That bowl of goodness you see above contains:

Whole Wheat Penne

Chickpeas

Kale

Crushed Red Tomatoes w/ olive oil, crushed red pepper, crushed garlic, salt and pepper

Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

- Boil penne noodles.

-Sautee kale and chickpeas in olive oil with garlic and salt.

-Combine crushed tomatoes with olive oil, red pepper, crushed garlic, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat.

-Toss everything together with the pasta and grate fresh parmesan cheese on top.

Beware: This is a very filling meal!

SUPER Bowl

I have to start this post off with a picture of my cute pregnant friend Amie. She's rockin' the 5 month belly and lookin' good.

I made some hot wings. Just frozen wings, baked at 400 degrees for 25 minutes with lots of Frank's hot sauce smothered all over them. Not good for you at all, but OH SO GOOD!

I also made some really good mac and cheese. According to Martha Stewart this was supposed to be Perfect Macaroni and Cheese. I wouldn't call it perfect but I would call it really darn good. I omitted the white bread from the below recipe.

Perfect Macaroni and Cheese (Martha Stewart, 1999)

6 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish

5 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar

2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated pecorino Romano

1 pound elbow macaroni
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

2. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup pecorino Romano. Set cheese sauce aside.

4. Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer's directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup pecorino Romano; scatter breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.

The whole crew in our 3-D glasses.

Veggie Spaghetti

After a looooonnnngggg day at work I wasn't in the mood to cook anything too complex, so I settled for spaghetti with lots of veggies and fresh shaved parmesan cheese. Thankfully I chopped veggies yesterday, so I didn't have to do any chopping tonight. YAY for easy!

I served my homemade sauce over the Barilla Plus Thin Spaghetti; the stuff is really yummy and good for you.

I love Muir Glen's Organic Crushed Tomatoes with Basil for the base of my sauce. In my opinion, Muir Glen's tomatoes have the best flavor of all canned tomatoes.


Spaghetti Sauce with Veggies
1 can crushed tomatoes
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
A few good glugs olive oil
1/4 cup chicken broth or water
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Fresh thyme
Your choice of veggies ( I used zuchini, red bell peppers, and green bell peppers)

- Saute garlic in olive oil until light browned. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, cayenne pepper, thyme, and veggies to the pot. Simmer for 20 minutes to 1 hour.



I CANNOT wait for tomorrow night's dinner!

Simple Spinach and Tomato Pasta

This pasta is packed full of good for you stuff and is really easy to make. Spinach and cherry tomatoes are the stars of this recipe and are both SUPER FOODS that pack a lot of nutritional punch.

Simple Spinach and Tomato Pasta

Half box spaghetti (preferably whole wheat)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups fresh spinach
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Bring spaghetti to boil; drain. Add tomatoes, spinach, oilve, salt and pepper, and cheese to spaghetti and mix.

This Pasta is Da Bomb

Bow Tie Pasta w/ Boursin Sauce

I found this recipe in the Bride and Groom First and Forever cookbook that was given to us as a wedding shower gift.

This pasta is super flavorful (thank to the Boursin cheese) and really easy to make. We've made it twice since finding the recipe and I've changed it up each time. Below is the original recipe and in red are the changes I've made. This is a recipe that is sure to impress. Enjoy.

8 ounces bow tie pasta
14 medium asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces any vegetable works well, we used broccoli once and asparagus the other time
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, mince
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, preferably parmigiano reggiano
2 ounces boursin cheese , garlic and fine herbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 3/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
3/4 teaspoon lemon pepper, plus more as needed
fresh flat leaf parsley, for garnishing (optional)
3/4 cup reserved pasta water I used 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/4 cup white wine for more flavor
Chicken is a great add-in to this pasta

Put the pine nuts in a dry small skillet over medium heat. Shake constantly until evenly toasted on all sides, about 4 minutes. Set aside.

Fill a large saucepan three fourths full of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and add kosher salt. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until barely tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the asparagus to the pan and cook until tender-crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the pasta and asparagus, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking water.

Set the pan over medium heat and heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Return the pasta and asparagus to the pan, then add the reserved cooking water. Add the tomatoes (if using), Parmesan cheese, Boursin, dill, and the 3/4 teaspoons lemon pepper and toss to combine. Stir in the pine nuts. Season with kosher salt to taste and more lemon pepper if necessary.

Divide the pasta between 2 bowls and garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Pasta and Pilgrim Pie

I finally made a fall themed -meal!

I found a pumpkin pasta recipe on Rachel Ray's page on foodnetwork.com. The recipe was easy to prepare and took about 15 minutes (just like the recipe stated) Super flavorful and savory. It was accompanied by a spinach salad with apples, walnuts, and my cousin's awesome salad dressing.

One of my fondest childhood memories is making pies with my grandma the night before Thanksgiving. All of the ladies and girls would gather in my grandparent's small but functional country kitchen to make at least a dozen pies for the big feast the next day. One of my favorite pies is grandma's pilgrim pie; it's a pecan pie with coconut and rolled oats--SOOOOO GOOD! When I was preparing it this evening the memories of my childhood easily resurfaced. I could smell her kitchen, I pictured the mess of baking supplies splattered on countertops, walls, and the floor, I remembered sticking my tiny fingers in the pie filliing to sneak a taste, and I could recall the laughter that filled that tiny kitchen. What a wonderful thing! I hope you enjoy making the pie as much as I do.

Pilgrim Pie:

2 eggs, beaten,

1 cup sugar

1 cup karo syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 oz. butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup coconut

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup chopped pecans

Pie shell -- I just used an already made one

Beat together eggs, sugar, syrup, vanilla, butter, and salt. Stir in coconut, rolled oats, and pecans to mixture. Put into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes and 30 minutes at 350 degrees ( I have no idea why she does the heat change, but she always has done it that way).

Grandma's words of wisdom to me at the bottom of the pilgrim pie recipe card:

"To Jenny: Spoil your husband, but don't spoil your children." Grandma raised 6 wonderful children while working full time as a teacher and farmer.

Basil Pesto

I cannot take all the credit for tonight's dinner, considering that my mom was the person who actually made the pesto sauce. She makes a rockin' pesto every year with the tons of basil she manages to produce. She freezes a majority of the pesto in ice cube trays then gives me cute little frozen pesto cubes in plastic bags--super easy and convenient for quick meals.

Jake and I boiled up some spaghetti, chopped up some tomatoes and mushrooms, and sautteed shrimp. We added the veggies and shrimp to the pasta and smothered it with declicious pesto!

Not so happy with my food pic tonight--the lighting is weird. The pic of my awesome parents is pretty great though. Can you believe my mom is nearly 50 and has gone through open heart surgery? God, she's amazing!

Mom's Basil Pasta:

2 cups fresh basil

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup olive oil (this is an estimate, you may need more)

1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts (I love these, I would add more)

Salt and Pepper

Place all ingredients except olive oil in food processor. Gradually add the olive oil while processing the ingredients. Blend until smooth. Serve with pasta or freeze to use later. You can always add more to the pesto (arugula is the bomb in pesto!) This is just a basic recipe--get creative, all!

Puttanesca

Before making this I had only had puttanesca from a jar. I always loved it out of a jar but figured making my own would taste even better--which is true! And, OH MY GOD, it makes your house smell amazing.

I used a puttanesca recipe from Rachel Ray. You can find the recipe here. For some reason I was thinking puttanesca would be really hard to make. Boy, I was wrong. SUPER EASY AND SUPER QUICK! That's just the way I like it.

2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tin flat anchovy fillets, drained
1 /2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
20 oil-cured black olives, cracked away from pit and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons capers
1 (32-ounce) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
A few grinds black pepper
1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 pound spaghetti, cooked to al dente

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add oil, garlic, anchovies, and crushed pepper. Saute mixture until anchovies melt into oil and completely dissolve and garlic is tender, about 3 minutes: your kitchen never smelled so good! Add olives, capers, tomatoes, black pepper, and parsley. Bring sauce to a bubble, reduce heat, and simmer 8 to 10 minutes.

Spinach Stuffed Shells

On Sunday my mom's family held a belated wedding shower for Jake and I. Each guest was asked to write down their favorite recipe on a recipe card and provide a gift that could be used in or with the recipe. We received some really great recipes (lots of classics) and some really great gifts. I finally got the microplane zester/grater I've wanted!

I will post pics of the gathering as soon as my mom send them.

Our goal is to prepare all of the recipes that were given to us within the next month. We started last night with My Aunt Connie and Uncle Mike's recipe for Spinach Stuffed Shells. The preparation time on these suckers is pretty much nothing. And, the nutmeg (yay for my new microplane zester/grater) adds the perfect amount of kick and surprise to them

Spinach Stuffed Shells:

1 box shells

2 cups spinach

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 jar spaghetti sauce

Cook shells according to package. Combine spinach, mozarella, cottage cheese, eggs, and nutmeg. Stuff shells with the above mixture. Place in 9 x 13 pan; pour spaghetti sauce over shells. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Remove foil, sprinklw with freshly grated parmesan cheese, bake for a few minutes more. Remove from oven, let stand for 5-10 minutes. Serve.

Creamy Parmesan Orzo with Cremini Mushrooms

More carbs for my man! Tonight I tried a recipe I got from fellow June 08 Knottie, Cnstarz. She got the recipe from Cooking Light.

Not only was the recipe easy, it tasted really damn good. Jake sauteed up some asparagus (I'm so proud of the cooking skills he's developing!) and added some olive oil and basalmic vinegar to them.

The recipe called for pine nuts. I didn't have any, so I omitted them and put in some cremini mushrooms to add an earthy flavor.

This is a recipe I will use a lot more. It made a great main dish but would be good as a side dish as well.

Creamy Parmesan Orzo:

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup orzo

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

1 1/4 cups water

1/4 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese (I used more than a 1/4 cup--I love cheese)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (also added more)

salt and pepper to taste

toasted pine nuts

Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add orzo, and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stire in broth and water;bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and orzo is done, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat;stir in cheese, basil, salt and pepper (and any other add-ins). Sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve immediately.

My Favorite Quick and Yummy Meal: Lemon Spaghetti

I have a busy life. My husband has a busy life. We both love to eat. Unfortunately, we don't always have time to cook a big gourment meal. Luckily, I have a recipe that taste gourment but doesn't require gourment preparation or cooking skills.

I got the recipe from Giada's cookbook, Everyday Italian. I like to add shrimp to mine. Yummy!

Lemon Spaghetti:

1 pound spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.