pasta primavera with chicken sausage

Some of the best meals come from cleaning out my refrigerator. After a long day out on the boat with family, I wanted something quick and filling that would amp up our veggie intake. I loosley followed a recipe I found a while ago, but added a few twists to up the flavor, such as sauteing the veggies in the same pan the lean chicken sausage was cooked in. Use whatever veggies you have one hand and mix it up when you want something fresh. You won't be disappointed!

Pasta Primavera with Chicken Sausage

• 8-12 oz. corkscrew or penne pasta, whole grain if possible
• 1/2 lb. broccoli florets or snow peas (or a combination)
• 3 fresh, lean chicken or turkey sausage links (bratwurst size)
• Baby portobello mushrooms (about 10), sliced in half or thirds
• 1/2 small yellow onion, sliced
• 1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1/2 c chopped basil
• 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 oz. herby goat cheese, crumbled
• Salt and pepper

1. Bring a large pot full of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until almost soft. During the last two minutes of cooking, add the broccoli and/or snow peas. Drain and set aside, reserving 1/4 c of cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, in another large pot, grill the sausage links in a little olive oil until dark brown and cooked through. Remove from pan and cover in foil. To the pot, add the mushrooms and a little more olive oil. Saute about 4-5 minutes, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Add onions and peppers. Saute 4-5 minutes, until just soft. Add the garlic and saute another minute or two.
3. While the onions and peppers cook, slice the sausages into rounds. Add sausage rounds, tomatoes, red pepper, noodles, broccoli and reserved water to the vegetables and stir gently together. Add goat cheese and most of the Parmesan and basil. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Top with remaining basil and Parmesan and serve.

Note: This recipe is super flexible and will take nearly any type of veggie replacement. Try adding asparagus, spinach, shredded carrot, squash or whatever else you have hanging out in the fridge. Tender veggies should be added to the pot with the tomatoes; firmer, tougher ones should be added with the onions.

sunday ham & cheese pasta salad

This was so crazy good. I didn't have spinach the first time around, but it called for it and I wished I had it! Next time I make it, I will be sure I do, and I may even experiment with adding a bit of Dijon mustard to the dressing. Served with a bright, green salad (using leftover scallion vinaigrette), this made a quick and tasty meal - though, eater beware, it is high in fat due to the dressing and cheeses. I also brought it for lunch the next day, as shown in the photo below, at work served over spring mix and it was delicious. This would also be great to bring to a party or picnic. Enjoy!

Sunday Ham & Cheese Pasta Salad 
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients:

• 1 egg*
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (trust me, it's good!)
• 8 ounces corkscrew, whole-grain pasta
• 10 ounces fresh spinach, stemmed and roughly chopped
• 8 ounces cubed cheese, such as Colby-jack or mozzarella
• 8 ounces ham, chopped (from the deli is fine)
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, for garnish 
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. To make the dressing, place egg in a bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly add the oil to the egg and whisk until thickened. Add the Parmesan cheese, white wine vinegar, and ground cloves and whisk until fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Cook corkscrew pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain well. Toss the hot pasta with the dressing until the pasta is well coated. Add the mozzarella, ham, spinach and tomatoes and toss to combine the dressing. Cover and chill for 4-5 hours.
3. Garnish with more Parmesan cheese before serving.

I brought leftovers (served over greens) with me to lunch the next day, as shown below:

*Note: The dressing contains a raw egg which is incorporated into the hot pasta. 

cheesy sausage, veggie and pasta skillet

Okay, I admit it. I loooove the new Velveeta cheesy skillet commercials. They are hilarious, and I've found myself proclaiming, "Liquid gooooold!" to anyone who will tolerate me. Not a lot of people.

But while I love the commercials, I have to admit that it's been a really long time since I've had Velveeta. Let's just say that I have too much respect for good cheeses. And maybe it's also because Velveeta isn't actually cheese. Rather, it's a pasteurized process cheese spread. Hmmm.

I'm not going to lie, I did a little research about what Velveeta actually is. It's a pretty complicated product to try to understand, much less explain, so I'm not even going to try. (But if you want to check it out, this was a pretty good site.) This in and of itself makes me nervous.

My point is, I wanted to find an alternative to the easy and quick, one-pot meal. One that packed a punch of flavor with lots of veggies and whole grains. Found it! This one came together in about 30 minutes, using one pot filled with whole-grain pasta, spinach, tomatoes and more. And the sausage can be lean chicken or turkey varieties and no one would be the wiser. Now, that's my kind of cheesy skillet. Enjoy!

Cheesy Sausage, Veggie and Pasta Skillet

• 1 lb. lean Italian turkey sausage, ground
• 1 small onion (or 1/2 large), chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 large green pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained 
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 1/4 tsp fennel seeds 
• 1-1/4 cups hot water
• 8 oz dry whole-grain bowtie pasta, uncooked
• 6 oz fresh spinach leaves
• 1/3 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese 
• Handful fresh, chopped basil
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Crushed red pepper, optional

1. Brown sausage over medium heat with a little olive oil. Remove from pan and drain off any fat. Add onion, garlic and green pepper to pan with a little more olive oil until soft. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add sausage back to pan with sauteed veggies, tomatoes, sauce, fennel seeds and water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer 15 minutes. (Make a salad to go with it!)
3. Stir pasta well to make sure all the noodles are evenly cooked. Add spinach, most of the Parmesan (reserve a tablespoon or two for topping), basil and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately, topped with a little basil and cheese.

lemony penne with chickpeas, feta and tomatoes

While this dish is yummy and super flexible, the best things about it are how healthy and easy it is. I like to eat vegetarian dishes once a week or so, but I like to find meals that don't feel like they're missing something. Chickpeas and other beans usually satisfy me and provide good protein without unhealthy fats. It's a good trade off. This is a great, simple weeknight meal that squeaks in lots of good veg and whole grain. I put everything together while I waited for the pasta to boil and then stirred it together in a pretty bowl. I was in and out of the kitchen - including doing the dishes - in less than 30 minutes. Perfect.

Lemony Pasta with Chickpeas, Feta and Tomatoes

To mix it up, try adding spinach, cooked chicken, broccoli, mushrooms or other add-ins.

• 8 ounces whole-grain penne
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots or onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 chopped red bell pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 3 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 3 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese 
• 1/3 cup small fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 Greek seasoning (or dried Oregano)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 lemon rind, grated (use up to a whole lemon to taste) 

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots and garlic; sauté 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in bell pepper and chickpeas; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in pasta and reserved cooking liquid; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Add feta, Parmesan and remaining ingredients; toss to combine.

 Want other easy, healthy weeknight meal ideas? Try these:

• White bean chicken chili
• Minestrone
• Slow-cooked stuffed peppers
• Turkey burgers with avocado and manchego

feel-better chicken noodle soup

I have a cold. A sore throat, oh-so attractive cough and nasal congestion have left me craving a tried-and-true recipe, inspired by my mom: chicken noodle soup. But not just any soup, this one is made from scratch down to the broth and home-grown herbs. The only thing not homemade about it was the dainty orzo pasta, which is what my mom traditionally used in hers. To make this soup takes a bit of planning, but it's so, so worth it. It makes Campbell's canned soup taste like dog food.

It's all about the broth. I made the broth, which is my mom's recipe (and her mom's before that), weeks ago from the leftovers of a roasted chicken and stuck two-cup portions in the freezer. Homemade broth isn't like any bland, salty store-bought kind. Actually, it's so different, the first time I made it I thought I did something wrong. That's because homemade broth turns gelatanous when it's cooled - it actually jiggles, like Jell-o! But the minute it's heated up, it smooths out into a rich, flavorful and nutrition-packed powerhouse food.

Don't stop at making soup with the broth, though. Use it in recipes - everything from rice and risottos, to sauces and more - and keep your freezer stocked with it (each recipe makes nine to 10 cups). Once you build up a supply of it, it's easy to whip it out and use it as needed, just like I did today for the soup.

We roasted a whole chicken earlier this week on a bed of carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic and celery. A yummy meal on it's own account, it also provided a hefty amount of leftovers which came together nicely in this soup (and now I'll be tucking away extra soup in the freezer!). Here's how to make it, start to finish.

Feel-Better Chicken Noodle Soup
Broth
Make it in advance and tuck away in the freezer until you're ready to use it.

• Chicken bones, skin and meat - whatever you have
• 3 tbsp. white vinegar (this pulls the minerals from the bones)
• 4-5 tbsp salt
• Water
• Optional: leftover root vegetables

1. Add bones to a large pot and cover with water. Add the vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil and then simmer, continually adding water when it gets low, for at least eight hours. The longer the better. Some people do this for a full day!
2. When the broth has been made, strain it through fine mesh into another large pot to separate the bones, fat and skin from the liquid. Cover and place in the refrigerator until cool, which should take several hours. (I usually just leave it overnight and continue with the last step the next day.)
3. Once cooled, the fat will rise to the surface and the broth should become gelatanous. Skim the fat from the top and portion the broth into containers for later use. (You may need to warm it slightly to measure it out if it's very gelatanous.) Yield: 9-10 cups

Chicken Noodle Soup
This took ~15 minutes because the broth was already made. Perfect "sick food."

• 9-10 c chicken broth
• 4 c shredded, cooked chicken
• 2-4 c chopped garlic, onions, celery, carrots (add any raw or cooked veggies you like)
• 1 c uncooked orzo (or other pasta)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp each dried thyme and rosemary
• Optional: fresh, chopped parsley when served

1. If starting with raw veggies, saute them together in soup pot with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. When tender, add the broth and chicken, herbs and pasta.
2. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a very low simmer until you're ready to serve.

mama mia! homemade turkey meatballs

Best. Meatballs. Ever. Protein and flavor packed, you won't have any reason to feel guilty over these. They start with lean turkey mixed and are mixed with fresh herbs, cheese and breadcrumbs, and an egg to hold them together. Just like my imaginary Italian grandmother would have made them!

The trick to these is to make sure you have lots and lots of sauce. They simmer in the sauce just before serving time and in doing so they soak up some of it. So, make sure to make a little extra so your pasta gets its share, as well.

Also, the pasta sauce shown was a roasted-roma one that took several hours to make ... and then it wasn't that mind-blowing. I'm still experimenting with the best homemade sauce from fresh, whole tomatoes (my usual starts with a jar and is seriously doctored up). I'd love ideas if anyone has them, especially bold, not-so-sweet sauces.

Mama Mia! Homemade Turkey Meatballs
Serve this with your favorite pasta and sauce.

• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 slice fresh whole-wheat bread, crusts removed, pulsed into crumbs (or a shot glass full of bread crumbs)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 1/2 cup finely grated carrot
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the broiler. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine the turkey with all other ingredients in a large work bowl. Form into 2 1/2 -inch balls and place on a baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes, or until browned and almost entirely cooked through.
2. Add the meatballs to prepared, warmed sauce, cover, and cook additional 10 minutes, or until sauce has slightly thickened and meatballs have absorbed some of the sauce. While the meatballs are cooking, cook pasta according to package directions.
3. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the sauce and meatballs, toss and heat through over medium heat. Divide evenly among four pasta bowls and garnish with parsley and one tablespoon grated Parmesan.

Like this? Try these:

• Cowboy spaghetti with beer, cheddar and hot sauce
• Salmon with chickpea ragu
• Shrimp scampi - a buttery dream come true

cowboy spaghetti with beer, cheddar and hot sauce

So, technically this is cavatappi (corkscrew) pasta. But it doesn't matter because it's sinfully good for dinner. Or lunch.

"Cowboy" for the Worcestershire and hot sauces, beer, bacon and cheddar, garlic and onions, this pasta dish is uniquely westerny-Italian. My sister-in-law and I have loved this recipe for years, though we both didn't know quite what to think at first. If I could offer advice, it would be to try it on a night when you want something satisfying and different. And make a big fat salad to go with it so it doesn't count.

And per the name, this is a cowboy-sized portion. But, it made for a better picture.

 Cowboy Spaghetti
(Courtesy Rachel Ray)

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 3-4 slices smoky bacon, chopped
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce, eyeball it
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
• 1/2 cup beer
• 1 (14-ounce) can, chopped or crushed fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 (8-ounces) can, tomato sauce
• 8 ounces sharp Cheddar
• 4 scallions, chopped
• Salt, pepper and "spicy flakes" (the term for crushed red pepper given by the hubs)

Need other Italian-ish ideas? Try these:

• Shrimp scampi - a buttery dream come true
• Margherita pizza
• Venison-sausage stuffed shells for dinner

minestrone

After a weekend at the lake vacationing with family (and a lot of junk food), I came home craving a healthy and light dinner. With few fresh groceries on hand, but a ton of frozen veggies and pantry-stored dried pasta and canned beans at the ready, this hearty soup was quickly simmering on my stove. The best part is that though it made a lot of soup, the left-overs freeze well and will make another easy, healthy meal when I'm in a pinch later. If you're really hungry, toast up a grilled cheese and call it a night. You won't be disappointed.

Minestrone

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks celery or one bell pepper, diced 
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 1/2 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, or whatever leftover fresh or frozen veggies you have (like corn)
• 1 tbsp. oregano (or 1 tsp. dried) - home grown!
• 1 tbsp. rosemary (or 1 tsp. dried) - home grown!
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 28-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes (I only had three cans of diced tomatoes, so I pureed two of them in my food processor ... problem solved!)
• 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 5 to 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (homemade, stored in the freezer!)
• 1 15-ounce can low-sodium kidney or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup small pasta, like elbows or shells 
• 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about four minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the celery/pepper and carrot and cook until they begin to soften, about five minutes. Stir in the green beans, herbs, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook three more minutes.
2. Add the diced and crushed tomatoes and the chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in the beans and pasta and cook until the pasta and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Ladle into bowls and top with the parmesan and chopped basil.

shrimp scampi - a buttery dream come true

There's a secret side to me that maybe I haven't shared yet. Though I try to eat healthfully most of the time, lurking deep within me is a zeal for some of the most delicious and fattening things alive – in this case, butter.

For a recent birthday, I wanted something buttery. For dinner. There were only two people I knew to turn to: Paula Deen and Ina Garten. As a Savannah and South-Georgia native, Paula's over-done accent annoys me and she tends to cook with too many processed foods. She was nixed. Ina it was. Ina's shrimp scampi it was. 

As I sit in an airport typing this at 6:41 a.m., the smell of garlic sauteing in butter is still clear in my mind. (Probably because I usually opt for olive oil ... a true shame now that I think about it.) I can still taste the buttery-parmesan noodles, sharp lemon and sweet shrimp.

Ina's Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
    •    Vegetable oil
    •    1 tablespoon kosher salt plus 1 1/2 teaspoons
    •    3/4 pound linguine
    •    3 tablespoons unsalted butter
    •    2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
    •    1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
    •    1 pound large shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined
    •    1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    •    1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
    •    1/2 lemon, zest grated
    •    1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
    •    1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
    •    1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.
2. Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.
3. When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Happy birthday to me (don't worry – you didn't miss it. It was a while ago!).