Shrimp Alfredo with Pasta

Look at this treat!!

I was going to make pasta with the Bolognese sauce I had in the freezer but I had a little free time after work so I went to the store for the ingredients (turns out I only needed the shrimp!).

For some reason, white creamy sauce was very appealing to me last night over tomato sauce. Maybe because it's so much more caloric?!

The recipe for this sauce came from Tasty Kitchen via The Pioneer Woman. The recipe was created by A Sweet Pea Chef. (See how a recipe can really get around quickly?!)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 lb. shrimp, deveined, peeled & tails removed

4 Tablespoons butter

3 garlic cloves, pressed

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup milk

3 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

1/2 teaspoon pepper

a pinch of salt if needed

your favorite pasta, I used bucatini

Put a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. Once a rolling boil is reached, add a few pinches of salt and the pasta. Cook according to package directions.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook about 2-3 minutes on each side or until nice and pink. It does not take long at all. Remove shrimp from the pan to a plate.

In another large non stick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the cream cheese and whisk until smooth. As you continue to whisk, slowly add the milk. Finally, whisk in the cheese and pepper. Taste to see if it needs salt.

Add the shrimp and pasta to the sauce and toss.

Stuffed Cabbage & Bolognese

Going back to the post I did a few days ago, here are the photos from Skinny Taste recipes.

This is the Stuffed Cabbage and Beef Casserole:

Ravioli with Crock Pot Bolognese:

I know I make a lot of things from Skinny Taste so I am going to try to go on a break. Yes, she has lots of great recipes but I too have tons of cookbooks that I need and want to be using. I am just usually planning our meals in front of the computer, away from my cookbooks, so it is just easier to find recipes online. I have meals planned from now until Tuesday but after that I plan on making some recipes from my favorite cookbooks. Stay tuned.

Pesto Pasta with Broccoli & Chicken Sausage

It is a technological miracle! I just had to download Google Chrome and now I'm back in business!

So for dinner last night I made a delicious pasta dish. Adam even said "it's been a long time since I've gone back for seconds". ha! That's what happens when I am experimenting with meals all the time.

This pasta dish was inspired by Gimme Some Oven's Pesto Pasta with Chicken Sausage & Roasted Brussel Sprouts. Instead of the sprouts, I used blanched broccoli. I had some Roasted Garlic and Herb Chicken Sausage from Wegmans with a very delicate casing that would not allow me to slice the sausage into coins as recommended in the original recipe. Instead, I just removed the casing which doesn't look as pretty but I'm sure tastes just the same.

1 pound of broccoli, rinsed and chopped into bite size pieces

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 lb. (16 oz.) pasta

4 links or 1 pound chicken sausage, removed from casing

4 cloves garlic, pressed

1/3 cup pesto (jarred Wegman's brand is great)

Parmesan cheese for serving

Fill a large pot with cold water, add a few pinches of salt and bring to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions.

In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add broccoli and stir. Cook for 3 minutes. Strain and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up as you stir. After 6-8 minutes, add the garlic and continue cooking until the garlic is fragrant and the sausage is browned.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain and save 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. In the large pot the pasta was cooked in, add the pasta, broccoli, sausage, pesto and pasta water. Stir until combined.

Serve with grated Parmesan.

Oh and can you tell I had a lovely day last Friday at Wegman's?! It was heaven, I tell you! I can't wait so long to go back again.

Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells

And I made Pumpkin and Ricotta Stuffed Shells!

After a little hesitation from both me and Adam, we actually enjoyed the pumpkin twist on the old classic! The flavor was much more complex than the typical ricotta and mozzarella filling. And when you think pumpkin, don't think sweet. Think dimension and savory. Although I think I would serve it as a side dish with some meat, just for texture.

And if you us low fat ricotta (of course I did not - I used whole milk ricotta. yum!), this dish has less calories (and more flavor!) than the traditional recipe!

My Aunt Donna mailed me this recipe (thank you!!). It's from October 2011 Country Living magazine.

24 jumbo pasta shells
1 tablespoon olive oil
22 ounces ricotta (2 1/2 cups)
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
2 1/2 ounces pecorino Romano, grated (3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons)
1 large egg white
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped (I omitted)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 (26 oz.) jar marinara sauce

Cook pasta shells according to package instructions; drain. Transer to a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Set aside and let cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, pumpkin, 3/4 cup pecorino Romano, and remaining ingredients, except marinara sauce.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread sauce in bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Fill each pasta shell with about 3 tablespoons ricotta-pumpkin mixture and arrange in the pan. Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle shells with remaining pecorino, and bake for 15 minutes.

Or you can do what I did and stuff the shells the night before and refrigerate overnight in an airtight container, in between layers of plastic wrap; arrange shells on sauce right before baking.

Bucatini

Last night for dinner I was planning to make plain, ole spaghetti. Nothing special. Then I remembered that I bought a package of bucatini at a DiBruno Brothers in Philadelphia (gourmet food shops sprinkled through the city) when we were visiting my sister for the PSU v. Temple game.

I have come across a few bucatini recipes and read about the unique long, hollow noodle. I was very intrigued. But I could not find it in any grocery stores around me (the story of my life). I was so excited when I found it in the amazing DiBruno Bros. store. See, we originally went into the store because my husband told me to get him something while we were shopping and he was at the Phillies game. I knew he was teasing but when we walked by DiBruno, I knew I had to get him what he REALLY wanted.

Not a shirt.

Not undies.

But some meat and cheese!

So my mom, sister and I browsed the delicacies and found him the perfect treat while I got myself some sea salt chocolate and bucatini.

And you know this bucatini is authentically Italian because there were was no English on the packaging. Love that!

Here you can see the pasta before it's cooked:

And here is the bucatini with some delicious Prego Three Cheese and ground beef. Yum! (I forgot to do the fancy Instagram finish on this pic. Darn!):

Garden Tomato Sauce with Pasta

One of my new favorite recipe blogs is called Gina's Skinny Recipes. My friend Rebecca introduced me to the site. Gina features a lot of low fat recipes that happen to be Weight Watchers-friendly. Even though Adam and I aren't technically counting points, her recipes help us make flavorful foods without all the calories.

This year our garden wasn't as fruitful as we had wanted. Because of the wedding and honeymoon, I expected some of the plants wouldn't get as much attention as they needed. However, our green beans, basil, sunflowers and yellow pear tomatoes were the stars of the garden! I used some of the yellow tomatoes for one Gina's recipes.

Easy Garden Tomato Sauce

1 Tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 pounds grape tomatoes, halved (we used mini yellow pear tomatoes)
salt and black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
a handful of fresh basil or oregano, chopped (we used basil)


In a large pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until golden, making sure not to burn the garlic.

Add tomatoes, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir well and reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Add basil or oregano and cook for another 15 minutes.

Serve over your favorite pasta.

Giada's Meatballs

For Adam's mom's Mother's Day lunch, Adam and I made these meatballs to eat with spaghetti. So delicious and the best meatball recipe I've ever made! Thanks Giada!

1 small onion, grated
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
1 large egg
2 tablespoons ketchup
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground veal
2 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the onion, parsley, Parmesan, bread crumbs, egg, ketchup, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Add the beef and veal. Using your hands, combine all ingredients gently but thoroughly. Shape the meat mixture into 16 (1 1/2-inch) meatballs and place on prepared baking sheet. Make a hole in the center of each meatball and place a cube of the mozzarella inside. Reform the meatball so that the mozzarella is completely covered with the meat mixture. Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes until cooked through.



Go here for a recipe for spaghetti sauce to go with these.

The Pioneer Woman's Penne a la Betsy

Bec gave me the Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook a few years ago for my birthday and it has been used very frequently. It is actually my goal to make everything in the book. So far I haven't made anything that I don't like!
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I have been wanting to make Penne a la Betsy for so long now and last night I finally made it happen. Adam isn't a huge pasta guy but if you add cream and shrimp, he's on board!
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This recipe is incredibly easy and incredibly delicious! What more could you ask for!?? I highly recommend giving this a try!

Thank you, Pioneer Woman!
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3/4 pound penne pasta (or any other pasta - I used rigatoni)
1 pound shrimp
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
Fresh parsley
Fresh basil
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste
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Cook the pasta until al dente.
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Peel, devein and rinse (under cold water) the shrimp. Heat about 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a large fry pan over medium high heat. Add shrimp and cook until just opaque. Do not overcook. Remove from pan onto cutting board and let cool a few minutes. Pull off tails and chop into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
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Finely dice onion; mince garlic. Heat 2 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic. Saute and stir occasionally for a few minutes. Then add wine. Stir occasionally while wine evaporates for 5 minutes.

Add tomato sauce and stir to combine. While stirring, add cream. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 8 minutes.
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Now chop some basil and parsley. (I used about 6 large basil leave and omitted the parsley).

Add shrimp to the cream sauce and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the herbs and finally stir in pasta. Mix until combined and serve immediately.

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Eggplant Parmesan

I bought a very nice, medium sized Italian eggplant at the Farmers Market at the PA Farm Show Complex last week. I bought it specifically for making eggplant parmesan.

I was quick to slice it up to let it sweat because I had a hungry boy to feed so I didn't get a photo of it before it was sliced.



There are so many recipes out there for eggplant parm. I just wanted it to be extra crispy and not soggy. And, well, I succeeded! This was a great dinner - Adam loved it even after being skeptical that there was no meat involved!


Mary found me this recipe that was adapted from Cooks Illustrated.


Serves 2 or 3 but can be easily doubled.


For eggplant:

1 globe or Italian eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil


For assembling the dish:

1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce
1 cup whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
5 fresh basil leaves, chopped, for garnish


Place a baking sheet on center rack in the oven and preheat to 425 degrees

Toss eggplant slices with kosher salt in a large bowl until combined; transfer salted eggplant to a large colander set over a bowl - make sure the slices are in flat layers. Let stand until eggplant releases about 1 tablespoon of liquid, about 30 minutes. Arrange eggplant slices on triple layer paper towels; cover with another triple layer paper towels. Firmly press each slice to remove as much liquid as possible, then wipe off excess salt.

In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 1/8 salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; set aside.

In another shallow bowl, combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Beat eggs in a third shallow bowl.

Remove baking sheet from oven and coat with 3 tablespoons oil.

With each eggplant slice, dredge in flour, dip in eggs and then coat with bread crumbs. Continue with all eggplant slices and arrange on the oil-coated baking sheet.

Bake until eggplant is well browned and crisp, about 25-30 minutes, flipping slices half way through baking.

Do not turn off oven.

Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking dish. Place a layer of the eggplant slices in the baking dish; distribute 1 cup sauce over eggplant; sprinkle with half the mozzarella. Layer in the remaining eggplant and dot with some sauce, leaving majority of eggplant exposed so it will remain crisp; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and remaining mozarella. Bake until bubbling and cheese is browned, 13-15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; scatter basil over top and serve with remaining tomato sauce, on the side if needed.

I received a bottle of La Familia Del Grosso's Uncle Fred's Fireworks Sauce at the Taste of the Nation event in Philadelphia. We used it with the eggplant and it was soo good! I was pleasantly surprised! It has a lot of spice to it but in a very tasty, refined way. I am definitely going to look for this sauce in the grocery store!


And Del Grosso is a Pennsylvania company!

We ate our eggplant with spaghetti.

Rotini Bake that tastes exactly like pizza!!!

I made this recipe 2 Fridays ago and it was very delicious! It tasted exactly like a slice of pepperoni pizza! The Italian seasoning is key here. I used the McCormack blend.

From Paula Deen's July/August magazine - Rock'n'Rotini (yes, it was from the kids' section of the magazine!)



1 (14.5 oz.) package rotini pasta
3/4 cup diced yellow onion
3/4 cup diced green bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (4.5 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Italian cheese blend, divided
1 (5 ounce) package miniature pepperoni (Hormel makes these)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly spray 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat until hot. Lightly spray with cooking spray; add onion, pepper and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes, sauce, mushrooms and Italian seasoning; cook for 1 minute.

Reserve 3/4 cup cheese. Combine remaining cheese, pasta, tomato mixture and pepperoni; toss well. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish. Cover casserole with foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and top with remaining cheese. Replace in oven and bake until cheese is lightly brown, 5 minutes.
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Buffalo-Chicken Macaroni and Cheese & Baxter's new hair cut

On Friday I was looking for something good to make for Adam and I for dinner. I wanted it to be a special weekend splurge and to make sure Adam would like it. When I asked him about buffalo chicken mac 'n cheese, he lit up. I found this recipe on the Food Network and it had lots of positive reviews. Mine turned out yummy but I put too much hot sauce in it which kind of took away from the taste of the cheese, so I would just pay attention to how much hot sauce you use because you can always add more later once it's plated.

Buffalo-Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

This makes a ton! I halved the recipe (halved what is printed below) and it still made a lot.

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
Kosher salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup hot sauce

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 pound yellow sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (didn't use)

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9x13 baking dish (you may need to use a second dish as well because this makes a lot). Bring a large pot of salted water to boil; add pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain. Place in a bowl and toss with olive oil to keep from sticking together while you make the chicken and sauce.

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Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 more minutes, then add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

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Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the half-n-half, then add the remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

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Spread half of the macaroni on the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni. Pour the cheese sauce evenly on top.

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Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir in the breadcrumbs, blue cheese and parsley, if using. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until bubbly, 30-40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

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Then the next day I took Baxter to get a hair cut. Because his fur was a knotty mess from getting wet and from us neglecting to brush him 4 times a day, the groomer gave him a short cut. Despite him looking like a leggy lamb with a fox-like tail, he'll have a comfortable and cool summer.

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

Here is a delicious and easy pasta dish from my friend Mary. The balsamic vinegar and touch of brown sugar gives it a subtle sweetness that is quite different. Chicken and other veggies (like peas) can also be added to the dish.

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1 pound asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 pound penne
1/4 pound butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss w/ the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 mins.

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Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 tablespoons remain. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.

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Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just done. Drain the pasta and toss with the butter, vinegar, asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt. Serve with additional Parmesan

Sausage and Tomato Rigatoni

Last Thursday Bec and I decided to get together after work and cook dinner together. Wednesday we had planned to make chicken chasseur, with Bec picking up the ingredients after work and me bringing dessert. We would cook at her house. But as you all know, a day can change things and it turned out our mommas made most of the dinner for us! Bec's mom started a delicious Sausage and Tomato Rigatoni (and Bec finished it) and she baked wonderful wheat and white rolls. Bec made a salad with nuts, feta and apples, which was delightful. And my mom made us three different desserts - banana cake, carrot cake and a crescent roll cream cheese squares.

Thank you to our mommas!

Here is a Sior Family Favorite -

Sausage and Tomato Rigatoni

4 cups (8 oz pkg) rigatoni, cooked according to package instructions
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 medium red onion, sliced
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup Kraft Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing
Fresh parsley, chopped
Parmesan cheese, grated

Brown sausage in a large skillet. Drain and return meat to skillet. Add onion and tomato paste. Cook on medium-high heat for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions.

Add dressing to meat mixture then toss with pasta. Top with parsley and cheese.

Bec putting the final touch on the pasta.

Pasta, salad and bread. Carbs are the best!

My mom's dessert tray. Recipes to follow!

Pasta Salad with Goat Cheese & Arugula

Another super tasty dish from Everyday Foods to brighten our cookout! I'm telling you all, if you don't subscribe to this magazine, you are missing out! It's our family's little monthly food bible! We can always find something in here for parties, dinners, snacks, etc.

From June 2009

course salt and ground pepper

3/4 pound gemelli pasta

1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed & drained

3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (3 oz)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 bunch (8 ounces) arugula

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water. In a large bowl, toss pasta with beans and goat cheese.

Make dressing: In a bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper. (To store, refrigerate pasta mixture and dressing seperately, up to one day.) To serve, toss pasta mix with dressing, arugula and onion.

The dressing was kind of off, so at Bec's we added some herbed olive oil which did the trick! You can play around with the dressing. We found we liked more olive oil than called for. Balsamic vinegar may have been nice too. I also added more cheese and beans. I think I really like beans in my pasta salad!

A Campfire Story Thru Photos

On Monday night Rebecca had a campfire picnic in honor of her guest Jamie. Jamie and Bec were good friends in college and studied together in Sevilla and student taught together in Pittsburgh. Jamie now lives in Virginia and it's been awhile since I've seen her so I was super excited to spend some time with her! When us girls get together, we can't help but to take photos. Here is a cute photo of Jamie (left) and Rebecca:

Feeling a little silly, I suggested we do some jumping photos:

While the girls were busy taking photos, the men started grilling. On the menu: sliders with a plethora of toppings. We wanted to try different combos of toppings but didn't want to be stuck with a full-sized burger. Mini burgers were a perfect solution! Here, is the full grill over the campfire.

Here are just some of our toppings - bacon, sauteed mushrooms, sauteed onions, tomatoes, lettuce, guacamole, mango & avocado salsa. Not pictured is 4 different kinds of cheese including bleu, sliced avocado, grilled pineapple, pickles, ranch dressing, pizza sauce, bbq sauce, ketchup, mustard and mayo.

I made this pasta salad which contains arugula, goat cheese, cannellini beans, red onions and a homemade vinegarette (recipe to follow):

Here is my plate with the pasta and two burgers. Burger on the left contains American cheese, grilled pineapple and mango & avocado salsa. Burger on the right includes Swiss cheese, bacon, mushrooms, onion, tomato and avocado:

You can tell I thought the burgers were super delicious:

And finally, to round out our night, we tried to use the popcorn popper I bought at the Amish Auction. To begin, I butter and oil up the toaster, throw in some kernels and sit it in the fire. In no time, the kernels were burnt. So we tried again and this time put a lot more olive oil in the toaster and Bec took charge. By keeping the contraption at a safe distant above the flames and by shaking constantly, we had some delightful popcorn in about 10 minutes! It was so successful Bec made us another batch! This toaster was the best $2 purchase I've made in quite awhile!

It was completely dark outside so we had to run inside to get good pix!

We had a great time eating our sliders and visiting with friends. Rebecca - let's make this a more regular event! Thanks for the hospitality, Siors!

Photos by Bec.

Healthier Beef Stroganoff

Sadly, here is another post without a picture. I didn't have my camera, but I really enjoyed this simple meal, so I thought I'd add it any way. The multigrain noodles reduce carbs and give the dish a richer taste.

This recipe is from the Real Simple February 2009 magazine. My changes, are in parenthesis or italics.

12 ounces multigrain noodles (Greg's mom suggests serving over rice, which I will try the next time - less struggling to keep on the fork than these noodles)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sirloin steak, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and pepper
1 pound button mushrooms, sliced
4 shallots, sliced (used a white onion)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (used plain sour cream)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (didn't use)

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the steak with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. In 2 batches, cook the steak until browned, about 1 minute per side (I cooked it a lot longer than this - it could have been because my slices were rather large. I cooked it to a medium doneness); transfer to a plate.

Return the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the mushrooms and shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes.

Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the skillet and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. At this point, I stirred in the sour cream and let it simmer for 30 minutes. I think it helped let the flavors mix and made the beef more tender.

As the meat simmers, cook noodles according to package directions. If you're not letting the meat simmer, start boiling the water before you brown the meat.

Serve over the noodles and top with the yogurt (or sour cream if you didn't mix it in) and dill.

If I would make it again, I would use the Greek yogurt (it has less fat). The only reason I didn't this time, is because I had sour cream already in the frige.

This is the photo from the website. If you can picture sour cream mixed in with the beef, that's what mine looked like.

RR's Southwestern Pasta Bake

I have the Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats (Clarkson Potter/Publishers; New York; 2005) cookbook and I've made a handfull of recipes from it; most of them have been very tasty. I'm a big fan of RR and I'm rarely disappointed with her creations so I'm anxious to try lots of things in this book.

I was in search of something simple last night and as I was flipping through the book (with hardly any pictures = bad), I came across the Southwestern Pasta Bake. Because there are only 2 of us, I halved the recipe below, which is for four (but I've found when RR says for four, it could usually serve more than that). So below is the recipe from the cookbook. In parenthesis next the ingredients are my notes.




Southwestern Pasta Bake

Course salt
1 lb penne rigate or cavatappi (I used whole wheat penne)
2 T vegetable oil
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
1 T ground cumin
1 T ground corriander
2 T chile powder
Course black pepper
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 T unsalted butter
2 T all-purpose flour
2 c Milk (I used skim because it's what I had; would have been better with whole!)
3/4 lb [or 2 1/2 cups] sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded (even by halfing the recipe, I used 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 c fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (I omitted because I didn't have any)
1/2 c fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped (by halfing the recipe, I used 1 T dried parsley)

Preheat the broiler to high and position rack 8 inches from the heat.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salk the boiling water and cook pasta until slightly undercooked - a little chewy in the center.


While the water is coming to a boil, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the vegetable oil. Season the chicken with cumin, corriander, chili powder, salt and pepper. Add the seasoned chicken to the hot skillet and cook until slightly brown, about 4 or 5 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, and jalapenos and continue to cook for 5 minutes. While the chicken is cooking with the onions, make the Cheddar sauce.

In a medium sauce pot, melt the butter and add the flour to it. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes over moderate heat, then whisk in milk. When milk comes to a bubble, stir in cheese, cilantro, and parsley with a wooden spoon (I continued with the whisk). Season with a little salt and pepper and remove the cheese sauce from the heat.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it back into the large pot, add the contents of the chicken skillet and all the Cheddar sauce, and stir to combine. Transfer to baking dish and place under the broiler to lightly brown.


My thoughts:

• It was difficult to tell when the chicken was browning because there was so much seasoning! Below is raw chicken with seasoning.

• I believe I used too much seasoning on the chicken because as I was biting into the pieces, it was kind of gritty. My fault though because I added more seasoning than called for but I was nervous of it being too bland (and I used only .83 lbs chicken).
• The little extra cheese I added was delicious!I left if it under the broiler for too long so the top got hard. I think you could almost not do the broiling part and just serve it from the pot after being mixed together.
• The dish was very flavorful and I very much enjoyed it (except for the grittiness).
• When Greg walked in the house, he said it smelled like tacos, so I guess it was pretty southwestern!
• Thank you Rachel... I loved it!