Creamy Risotto with Edamame

We do not have risotto often in our house, however it is often a favorite of mine at good Italian restaurants. Although risotto takes some tender, loving care to produce, that is not the reason we don't have it often. To be honest, every time I have made it at home it ends up being a bit too rich for me! And also, I often don't want to open a bottle of wine to make risotto unless I know I am able to finish drinking it. But after taking a few bites of this risotto I knew it was different and would be an instant favorite in our family.

This recipe totally breaks the standard of risotto, instead of Parmesan and wine.......laughing cow cheese wedges and beer! Now beer I can handle because it is easy enough for the hubby to finish off the can, and we always have laughing cow cheese around because it is an easy, healthy snack. This recipe got 2 big thumbs up from the hubby, and he really enjoyed the subtle flavor of the beer. I think the substitution of these two main ingredients creates a lighter tasting dish that I fear may allow it to become a staple side dish around here!

Creamy Risotto with Edamame
Source: adapted from Food & Wine

Ingredients

1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium shallots or 1/2 onion, very finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup arborio rice

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup light beer (we used Coors light)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2-3 wedges Laughing Cow cheese, garlic and herb flavor

Directions

1. Bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the edamame and cook until tender, about 5 minutes; drain. 
2. In same saucepan, combine the chicken broth and beer; season with salt and pepper. Heat through over low heat until ready to use.
3. In a large saucepan, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the shallots/onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until slightly translucent, about 2 minutes.
4. Add 1 cup of the beer broth to the rice and cook over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the broth, about 1 cup at a time, stirring until it is absorbed before adding more. The rice is done when it's al dente and suspended in a thick, creamy liquid, about 17 minutes total. Add the edamame and cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Creamy Taco Mac

Just like Hamburger Helper, but better because you know all the ingredients. This meal is comforting, easy and delicious. We went through a phase where we made it quite often because of its simplicity, and it is a great meal for Andy to tackle when I am working late.

Creamy Taco Mac
 Source: Delish

Ingredients

1.25 lbs ground turkey
8 oz dry pasta + 1 cup reserved pasta water
1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes
4 Tbsp mild taco seasoning
3 oz cream cheese*

1/2 cup sour cream *

salt & pepper
cheddar cheese (optional)

*you can successfully use low fat versions

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta per directions, reserving one cup of pasta water.
Over medium heat, brown ground turkey and drain any excess liquid. Add taco seasoning and diced tomatoes; simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Add cooked pasta, reserved water, cream cheese and sour cream. Stir until cheeses melt and all is incorporated.  Simmer over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Sprinkle with extra cheddar cheese.

Enjoy!

Toasted Orzo with Peas and Parmesan

Another win for orzo! And this orzo can double as your vegetable if you so wish, which is even better. Peas are not something I would eat plain, but when mixed in with the toasted orzo and parmesan cheese they add a sweet flavor and crunch to every bite.

We served this with Pistachio Crusted Tilapia and it was a great accompaniment. I halved this recipe, and it still made about 4 servings. I left out the nutmeg since I'm not really a fan, and I think next time I may use half an onion instead of the whole thing.

Toasted Orzo with Peas & Parmesan
Source: Joelen's Culinary Adventures, adapted from Cook's Illustrated

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 pound orzo
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
10 oz frozen peas
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
freshly ground black pepper to taste

In 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. It will start to foam around the edges and when foaming subsides, add onion and 3/4-teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until onion has softened and starts to brown. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add orzo and cook, stirring frequently until the orzo starts to toast and is lightly browned and golden, 5 to 6 minutes.

Turn off the heat and add the chicken broth. Turn on the flame to a medium-high heat and bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until all liquid has been absorbed and orzo is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

With rubber spatula, stir in peas, Parmesan, nutmeg, and pepper to taste. Let stand off heat until peas are heated through, about 2 minutes; adjust seasoning with salt and serve.

Herb-Rubbed Grilled Chicken with Creamy Orzo

I'm sorry for the lack of picture here, but it was dark by the time we ate and none of my pictures came out well enough to post, but you can check out Annie's picture to see the deliciousness.This is such an easy weeknight meal, and what makes it even better is it's delicious, and only takes two pans so clean up is easy! This meal can come together in less than 30 minutes, and it is a complete meal in one. This will become one of my go-to meals when I'm short for time or lacking dinner inspiration.

Herb-Rubbed Grilled Chicken with Creamy Orzo

Source: Annie's Eats, adapted from Smells Like Home

Ingredients:
8 oz. orzo pasta, uncooked
2 chicken breasts, butterflied into halves (4 pieces total)
Salt and pepper
2 tsp. Herbes de Provence
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juices
2 cups broccoli florets
½ cup heavy cream
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Bring a saucepan of salted water to boil. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.

Season both sides of the chicken breast halves with salt and pepper. Sprinkle evenly with the Herbes de Provence. Heat the olive oil in a 12- or 14-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breast halves to the pan and cook about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallot to the pan and sauté 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté an additional minute, until fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes with juices and the broccoli florets to the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer over medium-low. Cover and let cook until the broccoli florets are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked orzo, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Mix until well blended and the cheese has melted. If necessary, add some of the reserved pasta water to smooth out the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Spaghetti Pie

Ever have one of those weeks where nothing goes right, you come home at the end of the day, and the last thing you want to do is make dinner? Well, it's been one of those weeks:/ However, this dish can easily solve that problem, as it is a cinch to whip up and it can be frozen ahead of time, all ready for you at the end of one of those long, draining days. Also, since we only ate 2 pieces, I was able to wrap up each leftover piece to freeze for future lunches and/or dinners!

Instead of baking this in a 9x13 pan, I used a 10 inch springform pan and it worked great! I used a jarred Arriabiata sauce from Trader Joe's and it added a nice kick to the dish. I also used a whole box of spaghetti because really, the box is 13oz, the recipe calls for 10oz, what do I want 3 leftover ounces for? The results were tasty, comforting and filling-all I was asking for tonight:)

The recipe below is freezer friendly, so obviously skip that step and bake it right away if that's your plan!

Spaghetti Pie
Source: Things That Make You Go Mmmmm, adapted from Freezer Friendz

1.5 lb. ground turkey (or beef)
10 oz. spaghetti (cooked al dente)
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs (well beaten)
2 c. cottage cheese (I use low-fat)
1 24-28 oz. jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
8 oz. grated mozzarella cheese (needed on serving day)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Spray a 9x13" pan with non-stick spray.

2. Cook spaghetti and drain. To the cooked spaghetti mix in the butter, Parmesan cheese, and eggs and form into a crust that covers the bottom of your 9x13 pan.

3. Spread the cottage cheese over your noodles.

4. Brown the turkey/beef and add to your favorite sauce then spread over the cottage cheese.

5. FREEZE (I covered with aluminum foil, then the pan lid.)

To SERVE:

Bake at 350 for 30 min. Add mozzarella cheese and put back in oven till it melts. Enjoy!

Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

This picture does not even begin to show how delicious these shells are. I have made stuffed shells before, but nothing that ever tasted this good. We had an italian themed dinner with some friends on New Years Eve, so I decided these shells would be nice because people could portion how many they wanted to have. I ate too many, and then more after the bar, and then some more for breakfast:/ I just could.not.resist.

I used jarred marinara sauce, but one of my next adventures is going to be making Giada's marinara sauce, so next time these will be made with her recipe, which I've heard is very good. This recipe can also be easily frozen into separate portions, as it makes a lot of food.

Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

Source: Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

12 ounces (1 box) jumbo pasta shells (approximately 36 shells)
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for greasing baking sheet
6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, diced
2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups marinara sauce
2 (15-ounce) containers whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/3 cups grated Parmesan
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Lightly oil a 12 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish and set aside. Lightly oil the baking sheet and set aside.

Partially cook the pasta shells in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly tender but still quite firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. You will continue cooking the shells in the oven after they have been stuffed. Using a slotted spoon, drain pasta shells and place on oiled baking sheet, spreading them out so that they don't stick together and allow to cool.

Heat the oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring often.

In a medium bowl, stir the ricotta, Parmesan, egg yolks, basil, parsley, mint, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spoon 1 1/4 cups of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Fill the cooked shells with the cheese mixture, about 2 tablespoons per shell. Arrange the shells in the prepared dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells, then sprinkle with the mozzarella.

**At this point you can freeze the shells; thaw in the refridgerator or increase the baking time**

Bake in the lower third of your oven until the filling is heated through and the top is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Spinach-Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

Ok, I promise I will get a better camera or make myself a lightbox so my pictures stop looking so gross:/ It is really kind of disappointing to have such a tasty meal, but then end up with a photograph like this! Maybe I'm just too critical of myself. Or maybe I can blame it on winter and it getting dark so early, making it very hard to take nice pictures.

On a happier note, we had Andy's parents, his brother and our nephew over for breakfast this morning. I thought it would be nice to have breakfast before we headed out in the cold to decorate Grandma Lavon's gravesite, and I'm also really obsessed with finally finishing our 'fancy' living room and I wanted to show it off. Here's a couple pictures of it, because I really can't resist, and this room makes me happy everytime I walk through it.

But really, the point of this post is the macaroni. I actually saw the recipe on the back of the shredded cheese as I made the Eggbake for breakfast. I'm going to be gone every night this week so I thought this would be good to try so Andy would then have some leftovers. I have not had much luck with homemade macaroni in the past, but this actually turned out really well! However, I did not have spinach so I used Arugula instead and it tasted great. I also used 1 cup sharp cheddar and 1 cup mild cheddar, and grated my own parmesan cheese instead of using the stuff in the green can.

Spinach-Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

Source: Kraft Foods

Ingredients:

3 cups medium shell macaroni, uncooked

1 pkg. (6 oz. ) fresh baby spinach leaves

4 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, chopped

2 Tbsp. flour

2 cups milk

2 cups KRAFT Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided

1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees

COOK macaroni as directed on pkg., adding spinach for the last min. Cook bacon in large saucepan. Remove bacon; save drippings in pan.

ADD flour to drippings; cook and stir until bubbly. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 3 to 5 min. or until thickened.

STIR in 1 cup Cheddar and Parmesan; cook and stir until melted. Add bacon and macaroni mixture; mix well.


SPOON into 1-1/2-qt. casserole; top with remaining Cheddar. Bake 20 min.

Enjoy!

Peanutty Noodles

These noodles were a nice accompaniment to the Asian Salmon we had. I knew the noodles would be good, but I didn't want the peanut butter to overpower the taste of the fish, so I cut the amount in half and it still had enought peanut butter taste for me. I also did not have any of the fresh veggies it called for, so I just sauteed some frozen asian vegetables and it worked out fine.

Peanutty Noodles
Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients

2 carrots, peeled
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup natural-style peanut butter (such as Smucker's) (I used 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
2 cups red bell pepper strips
1 pound snow peas, trimmed
8 cups hot cooked linguine (about 1 pound uncooked pasta)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I omitted)

Preparation

Shave the carrots lengthwise into thin strips using a vegetable peeler, and set aside.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and minced garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and the next 5 ingredients (broth through salt); stir until well-blended. Reduce heat, and simmer 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and keep warm.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and snow peas; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat. Combine carrot, peanut butter mixture, bell pepper mixture, and linguine in a large bowl; toss well. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Parmesan Garlic Orzo

This may be my new favorite side dish, so hopefully the hubby doesn't get sick of it. Sometimes side dishes are so hard to come up with, so I'm quite happy I found this recipe. I thought the garlic would be too overpowering since it's raw, but can you ever have too much garlic?!

A couple notes about this recipe, it mentions butter in the directions but not in the ingredients, so I used 2 tablespoons. Also, we used up all our parmesan cheese earlier this week, so we used asiago and it still tasted great.

Parmesan Garlic Orzo
Source: Joelen's Culinary Adventures

1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Cook the orzo pasta according to package directions with water; drain.

Place the orzo in a large bowl and add the minced garlic and butter. Stir until butter is fully melted. Add the parmesan cheese, parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Weirdest dinner ever.....

but surprisingly tasty! However, it does not photograph much better than a pile of mush:(

I love to clip coupons, whether or not it saves me money, I don't really know but I do it anyway. Quite often the Sunday paper has coupons for Hillshire Farm products, and I always feel the need to stock up on smoked sausages. I don't even particularly like these sausages, but in my quest to serve less chicken for the hubby, these are a quick alternative.

I had one of these bad boys to use up, so I ventured to the Hillshire Farm website to get some inspiration. I found this recipe, and decided that it could easily be adapted with the minimal supplies I have right now. Below is my take on the original (which could possibly be just as good, I just didn't have the right ingredients).

Baked Pasta and Smoked Sausage

Source: Adapted from Hillshire Farm

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz.) package Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage

1 can Campbells Fiesta Nacho Cheese soup

2 1/2 cups milk

2 1/2 cups dried pasta of your choice (I used elbow macaroni)

1 cup cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut sausage into 1/4" slices and brown in a skillet; drain.

Combine milk, soup, pasta, and 1/2 cup cheese in a 2 1/2-3 qt casserole dish. Add cooked sausage.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake for 3-5 more minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Homemade Noodles

This is my mom's recipe for the noodles she makes for Chicken Noodle Soup. The recipe is really simple, but don't let the dough fool you. It will seem too crumbly, and you may have to add a drop of water, but when rolled out it will turn into great noodles. Next time I will make a double batch though.

Homemade Noodles
Source: my mom

Ingredients:
1 cup flour (I used half regular and half whole-wheat)
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp butter
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 Tbls milk

Measure flour into a bowl and make a well in the center. Add all remaining ingredients, mix with a fork until stiff. (This is where it stayed crumbly for me, so I used my hands and added a couple drops of water just before rolling it out.)

Roll dough into a very thin rectangle, let dry for 20 minutes. Roll up dough and cut into strips (next time I will dust some flour on before rolling up in order to make the un-rolling a bit easier.) Unroll or shake out noodles, lay flat and let dry for 2 hours.

Boil for 10 minutes.

Enjoy.

Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto

I love risotto. I have recently mastered the art of making it and this is my second successful attempt (it's really not that hard, I just had to acquire the patience). I had an entree very similar to this at an italian restaurant a few months ago so I decided to create my own version. When I asked the hubby what he thought his response was "It's a lot better than your plain risotto." I interpreted that as "I love your plain risotto but this one makes me happy because I actually got to eat mushrooms."

I read through this recipe as a guideline, but this is my adaptation of it. Also, I don't really pay attention to the time when I make risotto, I just nibble every now and then until the rice is the right consistency. When it has a tiny crunch left I add one more ladle of broth and call it a day.

Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients

2 14 oz cans low sodium chicken broth

2 cups water

1 bunch asparagus

1 package shitake mushrooms(mine was 3.5 oz)

2 tbls. butter

1 tbls. olive oil

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup white wine

1.5 cups arborio rice

1/2-3/4 cup parmesan cheese (good kind, not green tube kind)

salt and pepper to taste

Bring chicken broth and water to a boil. Cut ends off asparagus and discard (or save for soup or something), cut tips to 1 1/4 inches, and the rest of the stem into 1/4 inch pieces. Add to boiling broth and boil for 3-4 minutes. Transfer asparagus to bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, drain. Lower broth to simmer.

Melt one tbls. butter over medium heat in saucepan, add mushrooms. Saute for 4 minutes, remove. Let cool and chop into smaller pieces.

Heat one tbls. butter and one tbls. oil over medium heat, add shallot and garlic and saute until softened, about 4 minutes. Add rice, stir 1-2 minutes until toasted. Add wine and stir until completely absorbed. Add one lable of broth, simmer and stir continuously until absorbed. Continue to add broth a ladle or two at a time, stirring constantly, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender and creamy, about 20 minutes.

Remove from heat, add cheese and gently stir in mushrooms and asparagus. Let sit for 2 minutes to allow mushrooms and asparagus to heat up. Season as desired with salt and pepper.

Serve.

Tomato Cream Sauce

Tonight for dinner I wanted something quick, easy and comforting. After a recent trip to Costco we now have a massive bag of frozen cheese ravioli, so I decided to whip up a nice sauce to compliment the pasta. When I come up with things on my own I don't measure anything out, so most of these are approximations, and you can really use more or less of everything depending on how much sauce you want. This made enough to serve with 15 jumbo ravioli with about 1.5 cups saved for use later.

All I had was half and half, and it seemed to curdle a tiny bit right after being put in the sauce. No biggy, it still worked out. This was also pretty spicy for me, but that's how the hubster likes it so I deal.

Tomato Cream Sauce
Ingredients
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 14 oz can stewed tomatoes
1-2 tbls tomato paste
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4-1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream
2 tbls olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil and saute shallot and garlic until softened. Add all tomato ingredients and spices. Simmer for about 20 minutes until thickened slightly. Slowly add half and half and simmer for 5 more minutes. (you might not necessarily need to do all the simmering, I just like to because I think it makes the flavors come together better.)

Serve.