Pad Thai

If you are not familiar with some of these ingredients, you can get them at a Thai grocery store. You don't use too much, and they will last long in your refrigerator. You can adjust the sugar, chili pepper, fish sauce and lime to suit your own personal tastes.

Ingredients:

1/2 Lime

1 egg

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot, minced

4 teaspoons fish sauce

3 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons tamarind liquid

1/2 teaspoon ground dried chili pepper

1/2 package Thai rice noodles

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4-1/2 lb chicken or shrimp (I do a combination)

1/2 cup tofu-firm or extra firm (I actually rarely use this, and it's still great)

1 cup chinese chives or green onion

3 Tablespoons crushed peanuts, toasted

2 tablespoons minced sweetened radish

2 cups bean sprouts

Soak the dry noodles in lukewarm water while preparing the other ingredients (10-15 minutes). Cut tofu into 1 inch long mathsticks. Cut chinese chives or green onion into 1 1/2 inch long pieces. Rinse bean sprouts. Mince shallot and garlic together.

In a wok or big pan, heat 2 Tablespoons of the vegetable oil and add chicken or shrimp. Stir fry until cooked, and remove from the pan.

Add shallot, garlic and tofu and stir-fry until they start to brown.

Drain the noodles (they should be flexible, but not expanded), and add them to the pan. You need to stir this quickly so they don't stick. Add more water if you find that they stick, but your Pad Thai should be relatively dry.

Add tamarind liquid, fish sauce, sugar, chili pepper, ground pepper and sweet radish. If your pan is not hot enough, you will see a lot of liquid in the pot. Turn up the heat if this is the case.

Make room for the egg by pushing the noodles to the side of the pan. Add the remaining vegetable oil and scramble the egg until it is almost cooked, then fold it into the noodles.

Stir in the chicken/shrimp, green onion, and bean sprouts in that order. Remove from heat. Bean sprouts should be crispy and the noodles should be soft.

When serving, pour the noodles onto your serving plate and sprinkle with the crushed peanuts. Serve the dish hot with the lime on the side and more raw bean sprouts on the side.

Tortellini A La Fini

My sister, Trisha, came up with this recipe because she loved the version that Olive Garden used to serve. It's pretty quick and easy to prepare. It's also pretty rich, so I recommend serving with a green salad.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Bags Tortellini

3/4 C Peas

1/3 pound cubed Ham

8 ounces Mushrooms

5 Tablespoons Butter, split

1 Garlic Clove, minced (I actually like to use more)

1 C Heavy Cream

1 C grated Parmesan Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Cook tortellini as directed on package. Saute mushrooms and garlic in 1 tablespoon butter. Bring Cream and 4 tablespoons butter to boil, then add cheese. Warm the ham and peas with the mushrooms, and combine the tortellini, cream and mushroom mix together.

Herbed Chicken Parmesan

I served this recipe over orzo pasta, and it was so yummy. I got this recipe from Cooking Light.

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) fresh, grated parmesan cheese, divided

1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1 pound chicken breast tenders (I just cut up chicken breasts)

1 tablespoon butter

1 1/2 cups bottled fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce (the Di Napoli Classico from Costco is a great one)

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) shredded provolone cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat broiler.

Combine 2 tablespoons of parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Place egg white mixture in a shallow dish. Dip each chicken tender in egg white; dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Set aside.

Combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, pasta sauce, vinegar, and pepper in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; vent. Microwave sauce mixture at HIGH 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Pour the sauce over chicken in pan. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining parmesan and provolone cheese. Wrap handle of pan with foil, and broil 2 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Pasta With Escarole

My goal this year is to find some tasty recipes that are on the lighter side. This is a fantastic one I made tonight. It comes from the Food Network magazine from this month. I have never used escarole, but as I'm trying to get to know my greens better, I decided to try it out. This dish turned out to be very satisfying and full of flavor.

Serves 4; Calories 568

INGREDIENTS:

Kosher salt

12 ounces gemelli, fusilli or spaghetti

1 head escarole, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon pine nuts

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 tablespoons breadcrumbs

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 pound pancetta, cut into thin strips

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 red jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced (remove seeds for less heat)

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, about 10 minutes. Add the escarole and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2 more minutes.

2. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a large skillet over medium-high heat, about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the breadcrumbs, and salt and pepper to taste; cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a plate. Wipe out the skillet, add the pancetta and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and blot dry.

3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet, then add the garlic and jalapeno and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Drain the pasta adn escarole, reserving 1 cup cooking water, and add to the skillet. Add half of the pancetta and toss, drizzling in enough pasta water to moisten. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Divide the pasta among bowls, top with the breadcrumb mixture, remaining pancetta and the parmesan. Drizzle with olive oil.

Tortellini & Spring Greens Salad

This was a concoction of mine, as I tried to come up with some kind of dinner with leftover tortellini, yet satisfy my craving for a salad and toasted pine nuts. Derrick actually requested that it be put on the blog, so he must have thought it was as tasty as I did!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 pound Tortellini, cooked as directed and cooled to room temperature

1 pkg spring greens salad mix

1 green onion, chopped

1/4 C toasted pine nuts

fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed

Mix together and top with this dressing:

DRESSING:

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 T peach preserves (or whatever flavor you may have)

2 T red wine vinegar

1 T Dijon Mustard

1 t oregano

1/3 C light olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

Chicken Noodle Soup

I had some extra chicken from some chicken tacos we made the other night, so I shredded it and made the following Chicken Noodle Soup recipe from Tyler Florence (foodnetwork.com).  It was SO good, and tasted even better the next day.   The Mexican spices from the chicken gave it a little kick.  I used my own recipe for the egg noodles (below). I served it with some savory bread from the bread store.

Ingredients:

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices

2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

4 fresh thyme sprigs (I used dried)

1 bay leaf

2 quarts chicken stock (I used canned broth)

8 oz egg noodles (recipe below)

1 1/2 C shredded cooked chicken

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (I didn't use this)

Directions:

Place a soup pot over medium heat and coat with the oil.  Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf.  Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned.  Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil.  Add the noodles (recipe below) and simmer for 5 minutes until tender.  Fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Egg Noodle Recipe:

1 egg

1/2 t salt

2 T milk

1 C flour

1/2 t baking powder, if desired

Mix together, roll out, cut into noodles.  Can be used right away in soup, or left to dry a bit.  

Lasagna Rolls

This is one of Giada De Laurentiis's recipes from Foodnetwork.com (obviously my favorite recipe website!).  It tastes awesome, and I like it because Cecily will eat the spinach in it.  Anything to get her to eat veggies!

Sauce: 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour 
1 1/4 cups whole milk 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 
Pinch ground nutmeg

Lasagna: 
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese 
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry 
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan 
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped 
1 large egg, beaten to blend 
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water 
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil 
12 uncooked lasagna noodles 
2 cups marinara sauce 
1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamelsauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.

Rigatoni Martino

This is my take on Carrabba's Rigatoni Martino. Derrick cooked the chicken on our barbecue after seasoning it with olive oil, oregano, basil, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.

8 oz. Rigatoni, cooked
1 1/2 C. Tomato Cream Sauce (recipe below)
1/2 C. Mushrooms, sauteed
10 sundried tomatoes, sliced
8 oz. grilled chicken breast, sliced
1/2 C. grated romano cheese
Grated Ricotta Salata (garnish)
Chopped green onions (garnish)


Heat mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and tomato cream sauce in a skillet over medium heat. Add cooked rigatoni and chicken. Sprinkle Romano cheese on pasta and toss until sauce is a creamy consistency. Serve topped with ricotta salata and green onions.



Tomato Cream Sauce:


1- 28oz jar pasta sauce
1 C half and half
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1 T. dried basil

Bring all ingredients to a simmer. This recipe only uses a portion, so you will have extra.

Spinach and Pasta Bake

Note: Be sure to make this in a bigger baking dish than shown in the picture. I actually made two smaller dishes with this recipe and froze the second. Also, the hamburger/Italian sausage is optional. You could make this dish without the meat, or even substitute with prosciutto. We just had this tonight for dinner and it was so yummy!

















Bechamel Sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg



Pasta:
16 oz pasta cooked al dente
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 lb cooked Italian sausage or hamburger
1 large egg, beaten to blend
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium sucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper and nutmeg into teh bechamel sauce.

Put bechamel sauce in bottom of a large buttered baking dish.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 C Parmesan, hamburger/sausage, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Layer noodles, ricotta mix, marinara sauce and mozzarella several times in baking dish, with top layer being the remaining parmesan cheese.

Bake covered for 25 minutes at 450, until sauce bubbles. Uncover and bake until cheese starts to brown.

Jambalaya Pasta with Penne, Chicken, Shrimp and Andouille

Recipe by Emeril Lagasse and taken from the Foodnetwork.com

















*Note: I don't use the andouille, and I like to add small scallops. I even do it without chicken sometimes. Also, instead of using the Essence, I have a creole seasoning that I have been using until it is gone. It has pretty much the same ingredients as the Essence.

1/4 cup plus 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 pound dry penne rigate
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound peeled, deveined large shrimp
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Essence, divided, recipe follows
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1-inch diced
3/4 pound andouille sausage, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup yellow onion, small diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, small diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan


Fill a large, 1-gallon stock pot with a pasta insert, 3/4 full with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and add 1/4 cup of the salt as it boils. Place the penne in the salted water and return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook the pasta until nearly al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and set aside, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

While the pasta cooks, set a 14-inch saute pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, swirl the pan to evenly coat with the oil. Season the shrimp with 2 teaspoons of the Essence and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Place the shrimp in the pan and sear for 1 minute per side. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. Add another tablespoon of the olive oil to the saute pan and season the chicken breast with 2 teaspoons of the Essence and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt. Place the chicken breast in the pan and sear for 3 minutes, turning to ensure even browning. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside with the seared shrimp.

Place the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the saute pan and add the sausage, onions and bell peppers. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is lightly caramelized and the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and saute for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock to the pan and scrape with a spoon to remove any browned bits that have formed in the bottom of the pan, about 30 seconds. Add the diced tomatoes, fresh thyme, the remaining tablespoon of Essence and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream to the pan and cook an additional 2 minutes. Return the shrimp and chicken to the pan, as well as the nearly al dente pasta and the reserved 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Continue to cook the sauce and pasta, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp and chicken are cooked through, the pasta is al dente and most of the pasta cooking water has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the basil and Parmesan. Toss to combine and serve while hot.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.