Pasta with Feta Cheese, Spinach and Sundried Tomatoes

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cups sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 bag baby spinach, about 7 oz.
1 pound pasta
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper



Directions:

In large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add chopped onions. Saute onions, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute. Add red pepper flakes and tomatoes, give a quick stir. Then add spinach, cooking until spinach is wilted. Set aside.



Cook pasta as instructed, drain and place hot pasta in large bowl. Add feta and parmesan cheeses and mix well, allowing cheeses to melt.



Fold in spinach mixture, pepper and salt, to taste. Drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with parmesan cheese.



Verdict:

Laura - Thumbs Up - This pasta was great. I love the feta and the sweet, chewy tomatoes. I will make it again.

Randy - Thumbs Down - Randy doesn't like pasta.

Nathan - Thumbs Down - Nathan wasn't interested in pasta tonight.

Leftovers: The leftovers were good. I ate it for lunch for several days. I just heated it up in the microwave.

Baked Lemon Pasta

Ingredients:
1 pound thin spaghetti
1/4 cups butter
1 ounce olive oil
1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
1 pint sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup parmesan cheese



Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente. In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over low heat. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into pan. Turn off heat. Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary.

Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.



Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then, remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don't bake too long to the pasta will dry out.)

When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

Verdict:

Laura - Thumbs Up - I love this pasta. It's very light and crisp.

Randy - Thumbs Down - Randy doesn't like pasta.

Nathan - Thumbs Up - Nathan likes this pasta. It's a bit hard for him to get the pasta noodles on his fork, but he manages. He also loves it leftover.

Leftovers: I reheat it in the microwave and it's great the second time around.

Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage

This is one of my personal recipes.



Ingredients:
1 pound penne or ziti rigate
Course salt
2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 jar pasta sauce
1 pound bulk turkey sausage



Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and salt the water. Cook the pasta al dente, with a bite to it.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the EVOO and brown the sausage.



Layer the remaining ingredients in 13 X 9-inch pan. Start with sauce in the bottom of pan. Add half of the pasta, then 1/3 of the cheeses. Repeat layers ending with cheese on top.



Heat in the oven on 350 F for 30 to 45 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and browned.



Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Verdict:

Laura - Thumbs Up - There is nothing like a big bowl of pasta.

Randy - Thumb Down - Randy doesn't like pasta.

Nathan - Thumbs Up - Nathan ate a plate of the pasta. He enjoyed the sausage.

Leftovers: Nathan and I ate the leftovers for lunch for several days. They were delicious.

Honey Chicken over Snow Pea Rice

From Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats

Make your own take out at home.



Ingredients:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 large handfuls snow peas, thinly sliced
2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 large onion, sliced (I omitted.)
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon cornstarch
5 scallions, thinly sliced (I omitted.)



Directions:

Heat a medium saucepan or pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and the butter to the pot. Once the butter melts, add the rice, season with salt and pepper, and lightly brown the rice for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine and allow it to evaporate entirely, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 3 cups of the stock and the lemon zest to the rice. Bring the liquid to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat. Cook the rice for 18 to 20 minutes, or until tender.



Once the rice only has about 3 more minutes of cook time, remove the lid and add the sliced snow peas. Don't stir the rice; just add the snow peas on top and put the lid on. Once cooked; fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the snow peas. They should still have some crunch to them.

While the rice is cooking, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and brown for about 3 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, onions, garlic ginger, and honey. Stir frequently and continue to cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onions are tender.



Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock to the pan and bring up to a simmer. Once at a simmer, combine the cornstarch with a splash of water, and mix to create a thin paste. Add the cornstarch mixture to the simmering chicken, mix throughly, and continue to cook for 2 minutes, or until the liquid is thickened. Add the sliced scallions and the lemon juice to the chicken and stir to combine.

Serve the honey chicken over the snow pea rice.

4 Servings

Verdict:

Laura - Thumbs Up - This honey chicken is delicious. The snow pea rice was also good. The chicken was a big hit with the family. I'll make it again.

Randy - Thumbs Up - Chicken is good but a bit juicy. Randy didn't eat the rice.

Nathan - Thumbs Up - Nathan ate a big plate of the chicken. He is not a fan of rice, so I made him some broccoli on the side.

Leftovers: The leftovers were great. The rice was a bit dry.

Pumpkin Polenta with Sausage and Black Beans

From Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound chorizo, casing removed, chopped (I used turkey sausage.)
1 medium onion, chopped (I omitted the onions.)
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 pimiento peppers or roasted red peppers, chopped (I omitted the peppers.)
3 cups chicken stock or broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 14-ounce can pumpkin puree
1 cup quick-cooking or instant polenta
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Salt and Pepper
1 cup shredded Manchego or sharp or smoked Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped



Directions:

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO and chorizo. Cook for a minute or two, then add the onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add the black beans and pimientos and heat through for another minute to two.



In a large saucepan, bring the chicken stock and butter to a boil and stir in pumpkin. Add the polenta and stir until it masses, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the thyme, salt, pepper and cheese. Adjust the seasonings.



Pour or spoon the polenta onto the plates. Top with chorizo and beans and garnish with parsley, then serve.

Makes 4 or 6 servings.

Verdict:

Laura - Thumbs Up - This meal was fast and simple. It also tasted delicious. The polenta was very filling. This recipe would be 6 servings for my family.

Randy - Thumbs Down - Randy only ate the sausage. He doesn't like black beans and didn't want to try the polenta.

Nathan - Thumbs Up - Nathan loved the turkey sausage and beans. He had about three bites of the polenta. I call that a success.

Leftovers: The leftovers heated up well. I seem to have lots of polenta leftover. Next time I make it, I'll half the recipe.

Stove Top Easy Chicken Bake

Prep: 10 minutes Total: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pkg Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup sour cream
1 bag (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed, drained



Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Boil 1 1/2 cups of water and 1/4 cup butter in medium saucepan.



Stir in stuffing mix.



Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.



In a 13 x 9-inch baking dish; add soup.



Add the sour cream.



Add the chicken chunks.



Add the vegetables.



Mix it all together.



Top with the stuffing.



Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. (I baked mine for a total of 45 minutes.)



Makes 6 servings.

Verdict:

Laura - Thumbs Up - This was like chicken pot pie but with stuffing instead of a crust. I liked the creaminess of the vegetables.

Randy - Thumbs Down - Randy didn't taste this; here's why: He hates stuffing and doesn't eat green beans, peas, corn that is not on the cob or cooked carrots. If there were no veggies or stuffing, he would have tasted it and probably liked it.

Nathan - Thumbs Up - Nathan ate the chicken and stuffing. He wasn't interested in the green beans, but he has eaten them before.

Leftovers: The leftovers were great. I'm so glad that I get to eat them all!

Spicy Chicken Mac Skillet

Prep: 10 minutes Total: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pkg Kraft macaroni & Cheese Dinner
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained (I didn't have this so I used chunky salsa.)
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup Mexican style shredded cheese



Directions;

Prepare mac & cheese as directed on package.



Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat.



Add chicken; cook until lightly browned and cooked through.



Reduce heat to medium; stir in tomatoes.



Stir in salsa.



Stir in soup. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.



Add mac & cheese; stir until well blended.



Sprinkle with cheese; cover.



Cook 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.



Makes 6 servings, 1 1/3 cups each.

Verdict:

Laura - Thumbs Up - This was yummy! I will make this again.

Randy - Thumbs Down - I don't like cooked tomatoes. It looked great just as the cooked chicken and the mac & cheese, but not with all the stuff mixed together.

Nathan - Thumbs Up - Nathan loved this. He ate a whole serving.

Leftovers: The leftovers were super cheesy. I ate some for breakfast the next day.

Pronto Saucy Pasta Skillet

This recipe is quick and simple.



Prep:5 minutes Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 lb (8 oz) your favorite uncooked bite-sized pasta
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 jar (4 1/2 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained (I used fresh mushrooms.)
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese



Directions:

Cook pasta as directed on package.

Add tomatoes to skillet.



Add mushrooms.



Add broccoli florets.



Add beans.



Stir in the ranch dressing. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.



Top with cheese; cover.



Let stand 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Stir in pasta.



Makes 4 servings.

Verdict:

Laura - Thumbs Up - I like this pasta dish. It's fast and simple. The next time I make it, I'll add more veggies and use less pasta.

Randy - Thumbs Down - I don't like pasta or the tomatoes.

Nathan - Thumbs Down - Nathan is not a big pasta fan. He ate all the beans and broccoli off his plate.

Leftovers: This reheated greatly. I had some leftovers for breakfast one morning. It was great!