Crockpot sausage tortellini

Since Mother Nature is a B, and we've got a cold front on the way in, I figure its the perfect time to share a crockpot recipe with you! This was one of the easiest ones ever, but then again, I haven't met a super hard crockpot recipe very often. It's sort of the point of the crockpot, isn't it?! Anyway, I had seen this recipe on Pinterest a zillion and one times and had it in my pile to try forever, which meant I had all the elements on hand. Most of them are frozen or canned, so I always kept this on the back burner for a day when I had no dinner ideas (it happens to the best of us)...and that day finally arrived! I had also heard from a few friends who had tried it that this was worth giving a shot, so I saddled up and rode. I do not know who posted this recipe originally, so if anyone does, you can let me know so I can give them credit!

 

1 (19 oz) bag frozen cheese tortellini

1 small bag of fresh spinach

1 (14.5 oz) cans Italian style diced tomatoes, drained

1 block (8 oz) cream cheese (I always use fat free)

1 lb ground turkey or chicken sausage

4 cups chicken broth

1 can mushrooms (I added this)

 

Brown the meat and add all ingredients to the crockpot. Mix well and cook on high for 2-3 hours. I always, always, always cut the cooking time down on crockpot recipes. Seems like they always say 4-6 hours or so, and I've never had anything need 6 hours before. Besides, all the ingredients are just needing to be warmed and melded, the meat is already cooked.

 

Serve with garlic bread and you're in business! I made this on a Sunday afternoon as I ran some errands, and came home to a gloriously filling dinner that I barely worked on...can't beat that with a tortellini. Happy hump day, all!

Spaghetti squash turkey lasagna

Well, hello there! Where have I been, you ask? I've been enjoying the weather at the top of this forecast (minus the lightning bolts) for the last few days while trying to ward away the weather at the middle and bottom of this forecast. Is this real life? 81 degrees to 39 degrees and SNOW?!? In April?!? Yes, it's real life in Iowa, folks. And I'm not amused. I went on 2 runs/walks yesterday just to soak it all up. I guess, if anything, it does make you appreciate the days of good weather....

 

I copied this pic from my cousin's facebook page who was nice enough to let us all know what to expect.

It's also been Main Man's birthday weekend (shoutout to my hubs who turns 32 years old today!!) so we kept pretty busy with that while also throwing in a baby shower and wedding shower. Thus, I had no time for you...but I thought about you alot :) Pinky swear! I'll prove it to you by sharing another spaghetti squash recipe, because you know just how I feel about that! This one is a lasagna so it feels like comfort food to carry you into the next few cold days with leftovers,  but is light since it's not actually pasta so you can still enjoy it on an 80 degree day. How's that for versatility...and segues?!

 

1 large spaghetti squash

1 container low fat ricotta cheese

1 lb ground white meat turkey

3 cups fresh kale (or spinach, I just happened to have kale on hand to get rid of)

1 can mushrooms

4 cloves garlic, minced

italian seasoning to taste

2 cups 2% mozzarella cheese

1 jar your favorite marinara or spaghetti sauce

1 T olive oil

crushed red pepper to taste

 

First thing is first...you prepare your spaghetti squash by baking it the way we did for the spaghetti squash alfredo I shared last week. Mix your squash noods with your ricotta cheese and layer in the bottom of a greased baking dish evenly.

 

Warm your olive oil in a skillet and add your garlic to the mix. Stir until you can smell it and add the turkey to brown. Add the mushrooms and kale (or spinach) and stir till everyone is mixed together dancing the night away. Add your sauce to the skillet and warm, stirring everything thoroughly. Add that mixture as the next layer above the squash and ricotta mixture.

Sprinkle with mozzarella, crushed red pepper, and italian seasoning and toss this guy in the oven. I baked it a little long so my cheese got overdone, so don't do that. I  would throw it in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes with tin foil on top and check it then. If you take it from the fridge because you pre-made it, you'll need more like 40 minutes to heat. All ingredients are cooked so you just want them to warm and melt together. Serve it up!

Main Man actually told me he couldn't tell the difference between the spaghetti squash and real pasta in this one. I'm pretty sure he was telling the truth, and not just trying to get a good birthday present because I couldn't tell much of a difference either. The other spaghetti squash recipes you can tell something is different, although the different is good in my opinion. But this one tastes exactly like real lasagna...I'll take it! Now, to get out and enjoy one last afternoon of running weather before Old Man Winter and Mother Nature have another domestic dispute. Jerks.

MyFitnessPal puts this meal at 406 calories per serving, and the picture above is a serving (its on a salad plate). I was stuffed to the gills afterwards and stayed full for a long time, so you see why I'm loving this stuff lately. Volume without calories=a win in my book!

Spaghetti squash alfredo

I suppose I had better start sharing these spaghetti squash recipes with you before you have to get like five of them in a week. This stuff is my new obsession. We have it once a week if that tells you anything. Just like quinoa, and subbing cauliflower for potatoes, I'm not sure why I waited so long to try this!! I told you about me trying Rachel's spaghetti squash, and since then I've made it 3 different ways on my own. I'm telling you...if you're a pasta lover, this is life changing. Carbless pasta. I'm here for the sole purpose of making sure you don't walk the same path of mistakes as I have....and I'm telling you, don't wait another night to try this. Grab one on the way home and get to it!

Apparently Trader Joe's does not carry spaghetti squash, but Hy-Vee and Wal-Mart both did so there are options. I just bought the biggest ones I could find the first time, I wasn't sure how much they would yield. Turns out they put out more than you would think!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Chop the squash in half lengthwise. I hate to admit that I had to have Main Man take care of this part, those suckers are tough! I didn't want to cut myself hacking away at the thing due to my sheer stubbornness, so I gave in. I hate when I have to ask him to open jars or lift things...I work out, I'm not a wuss!!

Use a spoon to get all the seeds and cruckas out of the center of the squash, and then place facedown on a cookie sheet that is sprayed with Pam. Bake for 45 minutes.

 

 

Remove from the oven and take a fork to it. I'm serious that I thought this was going to be sooooo much more complicated. Just fork that shizz outta there and it turns all noodley looking. Pretty sweet stuff. And kinda fun if I'm not lying to you. I was amazed at how easy it was.

 

I even ate some plain and was impressed. I didn't know I was a squash lover!

 

For the rest of it, I just whipped together a standard alfredo that I would normally do for pasta. You can use whatever you want to throw in. You could use asparagus, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, spinach...whatever you've got in the fridge that you need rid of. That's how I cook :)

 

2 chicken breasts, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 T olive oil

2 cups broccoli

1 cup cherry tomatoes

crushed red pepper to taste

fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 T italian seasoning

1 jar your favorite alfredo sauce (I use Classico light alfredo)

 

Warm your olive oil in your skillet and throw your minced garlic in to brown for 30 seconds, stirring continuously. Add the diced chicken in to cook. Cook till there's no pink left and then add the broccoli and tomatoes (or whatever other fun veggies you're throwing into the party). After all veggies are softened, add your jar of alfredo sauce and your seasonings. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to combine all the flavas!

 

I have been baking my spaghetti squash on the weekends and putting it in a container in the fridge so its ready to go for the weeknight dinner bell. If you do as I do, throw a helping of spaghetti squash on a plate and into the microwave to warm, before covering with this luscious sauce of skinnied up goodness. You can even throw some garlic bread in the mix, because you're being SO good on carbs skipping the pasta noods. We do what we can :) I hope you enjoy as much as I do...stay tuned for the next couple installments of "Spaghetti squash, how do we love you, let us count the ways..." where I show you how I did a lasagna (yep, I went there and it was heavenly) and a shrimp scampi pasta (with no pasta)!

 

Chicken and pesto stuffed alfredo shells

You know how I always tell you when a recipe is bad? I don't want you getting all jacked up about something, drooling over pictures, go to the store to get ingredients, spend time cooking, and then go into a deep depression because it flopped. That wouldn't be good for any of us, now would it? Well, I'm here to tell you today that this recipe does NOT suck and you should most definitely make this...soon. I feel I should be just as forceful with my "do make this" recommendations as I am with my "don't make this" advice. So here it is: make this, and make this soon. Main Man will vouch, and he'll vouch hard. He's a man of few words around good food, but what I could get from his mumbles between mouthfuls was all good. He actually asked me to make this again. That doesn't happen too often in a bloggers house...I have to keep the recipes a comin' you know. He knows a repeat dinner is a seldom occurrence, so he must really have liked this.

 

And guess what! You'll never guess. It has pesto in it...and he loved it!! My work here is done. I've finally broken him. I've continually tried to sneak it into his diet before with some of my favorites, pesto shrimp gnocchi being my most recent try. It didn't work. So you have no idea how excited I was that he loved this dish so much...especially since I just threw it together with stuff I had in the house. I think the turkey pepperoni was a big part of the success...gave it a little extra oomph in the flava flav department. This meal would be great for kids and husbands alike...give it a shot!

 

1 container of pesto

1 container of fat free cream cheese

1/2 package turkey pepperoni, snipped into small pieces

2 large chicken breasts, baked and shredded

1 t crushed red pepper

1 t italian seasoning

16 large pasta shells, boiled, drained, and cooled

1 jar light alfredo sauce (I used Classico)

 

I like the Buitoni brand but you can buy whatever kind you like. You can also make it yourself like I do in the Summer months when I have a full basil plant giving me love on the deck. Click the link above for the gnocchi recipe to get the directions on how to make your own pesto. It's a staple in the warmer months...and so easy!

 

Turkey pepperoni is the bomb dizzy...no grease, not much fat or cals, and awesome peppy taste. Try it if you haven't yet, our household is fully converted.

Mix all your ingredients up thoroughly (besides the shells and the alfredo sauce) and stuff your shells with the mixture.

 

Lay your stuffed masterpieces in a greased baking dish and cover with alfredo sauce when all are finished. I topped with some extra hits of italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, and fresh black pepper. Cover with tin foil and throw in the oven at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until warmed through. Or put it in the fridge and throw it in for dinner for a quick weeknight pasta fix like I did.

 

 

These were sooooo rich and creamy...they just tasted decadent. There's no other way to put it. I hope you get to put some in your mouth soon so we can talk about it.

 

I'm starting the week off pretty well in my book...got all my meals made for the week yesterday all my evenings are open to hit the gym and get other household fun done while dinner cooks each night. That's the "I win" card right there. Happy Monday, all!

Spagetti squash

So, I guess it's Thursday then! I have to tell you guys...I am just now feeling like myself after that long weekend in The Big Easy. I've been just exhausted, full of chigger bites, nursing a bit of a food/travel hangover, and just plain trying to stay above water this week. It's been rough. Like, wasn't sure if I was going to make it through the week, rough. The trip was ah-mazing though! I have so much to update you on when I get some pictures uploaded...the food down there is insane. And I'm now a crawfish addict. Not a good thing to be when you live in Iowa.

I think the secret to my recovery was the hot yoga sculpt class I slugged through last night with Leslie and Rachel. It was most certainly not my best showing, I had to stop and breathe for a while a couple times, but I feel like a whole new person today. Sweating all those toxins out was exactly what my body needed, and I can now focus on life after vacation and getting back into a routine. Looking forward to some laid back family time this weekend with my fam coming to visit, as well as Easter service with the MIL, and finally the Jamison get together (another sure food hangover coming my way on Sunday). A few DIY projects around the house and some yoga to round it out and I'm pretty stoked for the coming weekend!

Main Man and I have been needing a break from heavy food after vaca, so we've been eating pretty well since we got back. You know you need it when your body is just craving veggies! Well, Rachel (soon to be Mrs. Schwery in October) shared a pic of her spagetti squash experiment on Facebook the other day and offered to bring me some to try since her future hubs didn't like it. I've been wanting to give it a shot, but have been scared to try...you don't wanna mess with a classic like spagetti, right? Wrong. I'm glad I'm not the person who turns down food, because I tried the container she gave me last night and it was unreal! I loved the slight sweetness the squash gives the dish compared to normal pasta. It's got a little crunch to it that you don't get with pasta, but it's a fresh crunch, and not too pronounced. AND you can eat a pile of it if you want..it's just veggies after all! Best part about it...Main Man loved it too, and gave me full permission to sub it for some other pastas (I've heard lasagna with squash is all the rage). Get ready for the newest substitution on the blog...move over cauliflower for potatoes! Spagetti squash pasta is going to be making the rounds soon...keep your eyes peeled.

The instructions were super simple too...can't beat that with a stick. Just grab your favorite pasta sauce and a spagetti squash and you're all set!

Cut the spagetti squash in half, then core it. Spray with Pam and lay it flat side down on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let cool and then use a fork to flake the squash out, it looks exactly like spagetti noodles!

I shall now go heat up the leftovers for lunch...thanks a ton for the new addiction, Mrs. Soon to be Schwery!

Pesto shrimp and gnocchi

I'm not sure if I'll ever give up trying to make Main Man like pesto. "Is that the plant-y stuff again?" "Oh, no it's different this time, you'll like it." Aaaaaand he eats a leftover pork chop. There's a lot of things I will gladly give up for my dude, but pesto ain't one that I'm having an easy time parting with. I guess as long as I have a back up for him, I don't even feel bad, so it's really not going to stop. Maybe someday he'll cave?? This was a throw-together meal if there ever was one...I mean I had an idea of what I wanted to do with the ingredients the night before but hadn't really planned it out yet. And it all just came together...

1/4 cup greek yogurt
1 lb shrimp, cleaned
1 cup cherry tomatoes
3 cups fresh spinach
1 jar pre-made pesto
1 package whole wheat gnocchi
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 T crushed red pepper

Add all that to a skillet and cook. Seriously. I'm not sure what happened at Kosama that night, but it was like a pop quiz...with kettlebells. I haven't been that sore since I first started going, and was juuuuuust famished when I got home! I don't think I had any oxygen getting to my brain yet so I literally just dumped everything into one skillet and stirred for 20 minutes until it was all cooked (shrimp cooked through and pink, gnocchi fork tender, spinach all wilted, and tomatoes busting open with all their lovely juices joining the party). Luckily, I had cleaned the shrimp and had everything all ready to go or I'm not sure what would've happened...scary thought.

If you want to make your own pesto (which I do in the summer when I've got an endless supply of fresh basil at my fingertips)...here is the recipe I use:


1 cup walnuts or pine nuts
Coarse salt and ground pepper                                      
8 cups (4 ounces) lightly packed fresh basil leaves

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

 

It's Martha Stewert's so it has to be a good thing, right?!

 

That's it for today, folks...

Spicy sesame noodles with chicken

My wedding was planned around little memories and sentimentalities, that most people in attendance wouldn't even have noticed. The yellow roses in my bouquet? Those were a memorial to my Grandma Kratoska, who just adored yellow roses. The handkerchief I had wrapped around my bouquet? That was given to me by Justin's Aunt Cheryl and was owned by his Grandma Jamison, who has passed. The wedding box at the alter where we locked letters to each other and a bottle of wine to share on our anniversary? My father made it for us by hand. The beginning of my wedding speech? Honored and congratulated my parents on 31 years of marriage and my Grandma and Grandpa Bingaman on 57 years of marriage. I had planned on cutting a heart out of one of my Grandpa Kratoska's blazers to sew into my wedding dress and using one of my Great Grandma Bing's broaches for my necklace, but neither of those ideas ever ended up working out.

 

Remember when I told you about my wedding shower thrown by my lovely cousin Betsy for the Kratoska side? I received so many sentimental gifts that day, I get a tear in my eye just thinking about it. Just one tear though, don't go making fun of my emotional status today! The teacup that is pictured in that post was given to me by Betsy, and was originally our Great Grandma Maude's (my Grandpa Kratoska's mother) which she received as a wedding gift. The bowl that is pictured was given to my mother in a set when her and my father were married. These pieces of china made me. My Great Grandmother sipped from that cup before my Grandfather was a twinkle in her eye. And now it's mine. I get to sit and imagine her life then and her excitement about getting married and starting a family, except I know the future that she didn't have a glimpse of yet. I know she ends up having a boy named Jim, who has twins with his wife Mary. One of those twins is my father Dan, who married Shari and had their first child, a daughter named Abby (dat's me!). He gave his daughter away to be married to her husband, Main Man, this past October. It's mind-blowing when you think about the generations behind each of us. The twists in fate that put us right where we're supposed to be in order for life to continue how it should. And I sit with the hope that someday after I'm long gone, my great grand-daughter will be sitting in awe of the china teacup that I've passed down to her from my great grandmother. Oh, how neat would it be to see that moment!?

 

The other irreplaceable gift I received at that shower was the cookbook full of Kratoska favorites, in everyone's own handwriting. To be able to open that up and get the warm fuzzy I do when I decide to make a family recipe (like the tomato basil soup from my Aunt Kris) is indescribable. It's almost as if it brings me closer to my roots just by reading the words written by my loved ones. These cookbooks will be my favorite hand-me-down to my children someday...you know, when I get good enough that I don't need recipes to cook anymore, and can just throw things together like my Grandma Theda can. Nothin' beats Grandma food, I don't care who you are. It's the ultimate comfort cooking.

 

This recipe was my cousin Emma's contribution to that book. Emma is the one that made our save the dates and our programs for the big day, and she recently got engaged herself!! Another Kratoska wedding in the works, yippeeeee!! Emma also knows her cousin very well, and included a pasta recipe with some kick in the pants for me to try after leaving the Kratoska name behind...so I did. And I loved it! Very simple, very slurpworthy, and very taste-tacular! I'm a little upset that I waited so long to make this...

 

8 oz dry wheat spaghetti

1 garlic clove (I used 4...shoot me!)

1 cup fresh snow peas (I used spinach instead, no snow peas on hand)

1 T grated fresh ginger

3 T rice wine vinegar

3 T soy sauce (I used low sodium)

1 T canola oil (I used olive oil)

1 T water

1 T sesame oil

3 t Sriracha (I used 3 times that amount, I like me some heat)

2 t honey

1 cup chopped, cooked chicken breast (I just cooked and seasoned 2 breasts and diced them up)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

 

Boil salted water in a large pot and cook the spaghetti al dente according to package directions. When the spaghetti goes in, mist a skillet with cooking spray and add the garlic and snow peas (or spinach). Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until garlic is fragrant. Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, oils, water, sriracha, and honey in a small bowl and stir to combine. When the spaghetti is cooked, transfer to a colander to drain and pour the spaghetti back into the pot. Add the chopped chicken and snow peas/garlic mixture. Pour the prepared sauce over the mixture and stir until coated. Top with cilantro. I added sesame seeds on top for good measure.

 

Yields: 6 one cup servings

 

 

Seafood risotto

You guys. I know it's only Tuesday, so it's tough to get excited. But if ever you were excited about something I've posted, it should be this. Brudder Ben and Main Man were both whining about dinner when I told them what we were having but were oooohhhhh-ing and aaaahhhhhh-ing between forkfulls when it was put it front of them. Booyah. I was born in the 80's, I can use words like booyah.

Do you watch Chopped? It's a cooking show where 4 chefs start out to compete on a 3 course meal prepared using mystery ingredients that are only provided to them seconds before they start. One chef is chopped after each course, so they are frantically trying to beat the clock, get all the mystery ingredients incorporated, and make a visually appealing, taste bud conquering dish to present the judges. They get 30  minutes for each course, and I've seen the judges get superbly nervous when someone attempts a risotto, and even watched chefs get chopped because of that choice. So I was scurred to make it at home. It's an intimidating dish, but it's not complicated, just time consuming. I'm telling you right now, buck up and do this or you will be sorry. If you can stir for 30 minutes, you can make restaurant worthy risotto. Let's throw another BOOYAH in here for emphasis!

Risotto is a class of Italian rice dishes cooked in broth to a creamy consistency, and is actually one of the most common ways to prepare rice in Italy (according to the all knowing Wikipedia, that is). You must use a high starch, short grain white rice to achieve the perfect consistency, as the rice needs to release starch and absorb liquids. Most commonly, risotto recipes call for arborio rice, and that's what I used. I get a monthly newsletter from Waterfront (our local fresh seafood market that I signed up for when getting fresh fish for sushi at home one night). I have since made a handful of the recipes that are printed in the back, and have never been disappointed in the least. I should really dig the archives out and try more of them after experiencing the euphoria I did from this dish...

Here's what you need to play the game:

1 T olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
salt
freshly ground black pepper
6 cups seafood stock (I used chicken stock because I had it on hand)
1 t minced garlic (I used more like 1T)
1 lb arborio rice
2 lbs assorted shellfish and seafood (I used 1 lb of scallops, 1 lb of shrimp)
1 T butter
1/4 cup heavy cream (I used skim milk)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
3 T chopped green onion
2 T parsley

In a large saute pan, over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onions. Season with salt and pper to taste, and cook while stirring. Saute until the onions are slightly soft, about 3 minutes. Add the stock and garlic. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for about 6 minutes. Add the rice and simmer for 12 minutes, stirring constantly.

Clean and trim the shellfish and seafood you're using. Season the seafood with salt and pepper. Add the seafood to the skillet. Stir in the butter, cream , cheese, parsley, and green onions. Continue to cook and stir for 6-10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and spoon the risotto onto your plate, and into  your mouth. I served this with our favorite veggie, the roasted brussel sprouts. Can I get another BOOYAH!?

BLT pasta

MEEEEEEEEEEP!!! MEEEEEEEEEEP!!! Blizzard warning in your county!! MEEEEEEEP!!! MEEEEEEEEEP!!!

 

That's what I woke up to at 4 am this morning blaring from my phone while it vibrated so hard it almost bounced off the nightstand. Main Man's phone didn't have sound but it was jumping around vibrating as well. Jeez Louise, Verizon...I could see if it's a tornado coming our way where we need to take action immediately, but what exactly is the advice for a blizzard? Stay inside? Got that covered at 4 am...thanks. Besides the fact that this warning was a good 12 hours before the snow was even supposed to think about starting to fall on us. Better to be safe than sorry, I suppose. I am, by nature, bad at waking up anyway. I have a very serene, gradual volume increasing, spa-like alarm for my normal wake ups, so when this thing hit, I thought the Mayans were right about the end of the world (give or take a couple days in calculations). I've never sat up so fast...

 

Now that my heart is beating at its normal pace again (it took a while to revert back to normal palpitations), I am eagerly awaiting this blizzard because it means we get a white Christmas! Yes, I'm one of those annoying people wishing for snow. Don't worry, I only wish for it the first snow of the year and then it loses it's luster when it gets all dirty and ugly and you actually have to drive in it and continue on with life. But the first snow is always magical, and it just makes it feel more Christmas-y to have a white backdrop when peering out the windows.

 

Anyway, I'm being warned by Main Man that I may not be able to get out of the house tomorrow since our county road drifts so badly and the winds are expected to be very high tonight after the snow piles on us. This meal was a throw-together with ingredients I had laying around one night that I didn't feel like going to the store. Instead of heading to the store to stock up on food for the impending storm, I plan on making this pasta again with the staples I keep in the house. I always have these ingredients in my fridge, they're my favorites because you can throw them into so many different things. This time they turned into a pasta but they could've been a beefed up fresh spinach salad by subtracting the pasta, a quinoa casserole by subbing quinoa for pasta, a breakfast burrito filling or just an omelet by adding eggs, the list goes on and on...

 

Here's what you need:

 

1 box short pasta (I used these mini shells that are just adorbs, don't barf on me for saying adorbs please)

1 container cherubs or cherry tomatoes

1 bag fresh spinach

6 slices bacon, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces (you probably don't need that much but I have a bacon thief around the house so I always cook an extra slice or two to avoid being short on my recipe)

8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, grated

2 T olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced (you can do less, but I love me some garlic, I never have to worry about vamps)

cracked pepper to taste

crushed red pepper to taste (I like to taste a lot)

 

Boil the noodles as you normally would, drain and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat, and add your minced garlic to it, stirring continuously for 1-2 minutes until aromatic. Add your tomatoes or cherubs and spinach, saute until wilted. Add noodles, bacon, and pasta and stir to combine. Add the mozzarella cheese and mix while melting. Add cracked pepper and red pepper to taste, and serve that stuff up with some garlic bread to your snowed in peeps....that's it!

 

I plan to add a cup of greek yogurt mixed in with the shredded mozzarella, just to give it a little more creaminess, but other than that, this meal was a score for just being made with ingredients I have on hand at all times. Can't beat that with a stick. Or a blizzard. Happy snowstorm, Iowans!

 

Linguine in clam sauce

Here it is, folks! There's been a little controversy around the Casa Del Stensland about what is the best meal we've had lately. Main Man's vote was this Brussel sprouts and crab mac and cheese, but my vote counts more (the lady of the house's always does) and I double vote for this linguine in clam sauce from Iowa Girl Eats. We don't have to go over my obsession with her again...we all know it's a little ridonkulous...but man this girl makes my mouth water on a daily basis!  I used to think my favorite recipe from her blog was the caprese lasagna, with the skinny meatball subs coming in at a close second. But ah do ba-leev I have found zee best recipe on her blog eva!

 

I've never actually had linguine in clam sauce so I have no comparison to give you, not sure if this is a traditional recipe or a little different from the standard you would get in a restaurant...I can tell you I will be trying this sometime if I ever see it on the menu at an Italian place. I really don't quite get how you can get such flavor with so few ingredients, and I predicted it was going to be pretty dry (I'm a saucy girl) but it really wasn't at all! I devoured my whole plate...if there had been leftovers I would have had more. Probably a good thing there weren't any. I did go buy the ingredients to have on hand to make this two more times...I liked it so much I wanted to be able to make it anytime the craving hit me. The best part is, the ingredients can be kept on hand and pulled out at any time to make a phenomenal dinner at the drop of a hat. I can't wait to impress someone with this meal...."Oh yeah, I suppose I could throw something together for dinner tonight if you want to come over"...and then BOOM, you get hit in the face with this stuff! I'm super excited just thinking about it :)

 

8 oz dried linguine

1 T olive oil

1 large shallot (I subbed 3 green onions, didn't have shallots on hand)

3-6.5 ounce cans clams, drained, with 3/4 cup juice reserved

juice of 1 lemon (I used 1 T of lemon juice I had in the fridge)

1 t red pepper flakes (or to taste, you know I like my red pepper so I used more)

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced (I added this...can't have Italian without garlic)

 

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic and shallot (or green onion) and saute until very soft and tender, about 5 minutes. Add clams and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add reserved clam jice, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes.

 

Toss pasta in the skillet with the sauce. adjusting red pepper flakes to taste. The recipe says to divide among 4 plates and serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese on top. I divided it into two servings and wouldn't have wanted any less of a portion. This was the perfect amount for two people...and that's seriously hard to do, people. I'm always trying to make dinners that won't result in tons of leftovers and it rarely works out...so that was a cherry on top (except I could've nibbled on that stuff all night after dinner, it was so good).

I served with garlic bread and cleaned my plate...might've licked it clean...can't remember, don't care. That's not what's important. What's important is that you get yourself these ingredients and throw a restaurant quality dinner together for yourself lickity split (Main man even commented "It's done already" when I started plating). I'll admit that it doesn't look like much, so don't be taken aback at the flavor punch that is going to hit your tongue when you devour this...I warned you. Fair and square.

I'm glad this meal turned out so well as it was prepared in celebration of our one month anniversary of being married. Don't worry, we're not going to be one of those ridiculous couples who celebrate each and every month, but I saved the cakeballs from the top of the wedding cake and froze them for us to have a special night with each other after all the hubbub from the wedding was over. Dessert is served! Red wine for her, milk for him :) 

Have a great Friday, all! It's all downhill to the weekend...

Caesar chopped salad

We're just gonna truck right on through the Thanksgiving food, alrighty? It feels like Thanksgiving was an eternity ago, we've had so much going on and Christmas is right around the corner. 'Tis the season, ya know?! Pretty soon it's going to be January, which usually displeases me, but this year my January is rocking so I'm not even dreading it like normal. How can you dread a 7 day honeymoon cruise, along with a weekend in KC with my lady friends (with nobody pregnant for once!) and other various social events that I plan on attending in the chilly month that I usually want to pop in the face (if it had a face)...

 

Enough rambling...let's cut to the chase, and by chase, I mean salad. Caesar salad to be exact. Mi favorito (my espanol is rusty). When I first discovered salads when I was younger, Caesar was my love...my one and only, I never strayed from ordering a nice creamy Caesar dinner salad. Until someone told me about the calories in that stuff. A lot of Caesar salads are as calorie laden as a cheeseburger, so you may as well indulge in the greasy burger and fries if you're drowning in fat...nobody wants a fat kid salad, I'm telling you.

 

So I rarely get them in restaurants anymore, because I cringe when I think of the yummy dressings they use and how many calories can actually be in that stuff. Ohhhhhh, it's SO good! Alas, I have found a few skinnier versions of Caesar dressing that I actually really like and don't feel like slitting my wrists from the guilt after consuming. So I go with the reduced fat/calorie brands when I make it at home and have gotten used to them throughout the years. You can't switch back and forth though, people...trust me on this. If you want to like the light versions, you can't be having the full fat versions for treats or you'll never be ok with the light stuff. Same with sour cream, soda pop, and ranch dressing. It just doesn't work...

 

Anyway...I had a craving for some Caesar for Thanksgiving. I thought I would add some pasta to it to make it a little more hearty. Most people don't want salads for Turkey day. And this really worked as a stand alone meal too. Very filling! So here's what I did:

 

1 package organic romaine hearts

1/2 package boiled and chilled cavatappi noodles (these are my fave right now)

fresh shaved parmesan cheese

package roasted chicken breast, diced up

roma tomatoes, diced up

fresh cracked pepper

caesar dressing of your choice

croutons if desired

 

I had all ingredients except the dressing and the croutons mixed up and in the fridge the day before to prevent extra work the day of Thanksgiving.

  

When it's party time, throw in the dressing and croutons and serve! I ate these leftovers at work for lunch that following week and it was delicioso. See how I've spoken like 3 languages in this post? Multi-cultural, that's me. I know one word of a lot of languages...too bad that doesn't count for much in real life. In my imaginary world, it makes me extremely cool though :)

5 cheese brussel sprouts and crab mac and cheese

Is that not the longest name of a recipe that you've ever put your peepers on? I bet so. Anyway, happy Monday! You don't have to say the tongue twisting name out loud, just wrap your brain around the goodness of each ingredient and give an audible "mmmmmm" when you realize the flavor that is this pasta.

 

Can I ask you a question (besides the one about your peepers)? Would you eat seafood purchased out of a truck? Parked at a gas station? Be honest...

Because I did. And it was phenom. In Iowa, you don't get much fresh seafood, being all landlocked and such. We get the best beef and pork you can get your mitts on, but fresh seafood is hard to come by in these parts. So when you see a fridge truck that says it has fresh crab, shrimp, scallops, and all that jazz in it...you get all sorts of excited! So we jumped into that freezer truck and drug ourselves out some humongo shrimpies, and a couple pounds of lump meat crab, for no particular reason. I've never bought or cooked with lump meat crab, it just seemed like the thing to do. And we did it.

 

I had stumbled across the idea of a brussel sprouts mac and cheese on Pinterest at Yummy Mummy a while back and the idea never really left my noggin since then. I figured sweet crab meat would go great with bitter roasted brussel sprouts, and my freaky cheese drawer was full of wonderment as I had stocked up on all my fave meltys recently, so this recipe was just sort of modified in my noodle while I drove home the day we saw the truck. It's like a life event...the day we saw the truck. It will forever be burned in our minds. I've been looking for the truck ever since and have had no luck on restocking our freezer. Sadface. I shall not give up though...

 

Anywho...let's get started. Here is your team of players.

 

1 lb lumpmeat crab

3 cups brussel sprouts, quartered

2 T olive oil

3/4 lb favorite short pasta (cavatappi is my shizz lately, I'm always on a noodle kick, and right now cavatappi is the fad)

2 T butter, divided

5 cloves garlic, minced

6 oz Greek yogurt

1 cup skim milk

8 oz fresh shredded Mozzarella

2 cups shredded Greyere

2 cups shredded Fontina

4 oz shredded goat cheese

Preaheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss brussel sprouts with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste (I think I sprinkled some Thyme in there as well, per usual when roasting my sprouts). Roast until tender, about 30-40 minutes. Remove and set aside, trying not to pop all of them in your mouth before it mixes with the heavenly mac and cheese you're about to bestow upon the world.

Meanwhile, boil your pasta until al dente and drain those noods. Use the same pot you boiled the noods in, and add 1 T of butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute one minute or until aromatic. Add the yogurt, milk, shredded cheese, cooked pasta, crabmeat, and roasted brussel sprouts. Once mixed evenly, put into a 13x9 baking dish and throw it in the oven for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

 

Pull it out of the oven and look at that...just look. This is adult mac and cheese right here. Hold you applause...I've got to explain to you how good this actually is in real life.

 

Main Man actually deemed this pasta the BEST THING I'VE EVER MADE. Do you know what kind of a feat that is? I mean, I'm not saying everything I make is worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize, but I make a lot of stuff....like we don't repeat meals except for the tried and trues around our house. This one has made hero status in our home...I'm talking saving lives type taste here. You will be a different person after one bite.

Not trying to toot my own horn here...but Main Main is laying on that horn like a beast! He wants to tape the horn down so it stays on all day. The only thing I will mention about this meal is that it's not the cheapest thing in the world to make. Although it will feed 6-8 hungry adults, the whole pan probably cost around $40 to make...freaky cheese and lumpmeat crab are not cheap. But this is a perfect meal to serve to any dinner guests you are trying to impress with your culinary prowess, and/or if you have a special occasion dinner with your significant other, like an anniversary. Cheaper than going out, restaurant quality taste, and you even get leftovers. Winner, winner, crabmeat from a freezer truck dinner!

 

Spicy avocado and shrimp pasta

Crash, bang, boom. It's Monday, people. Nothing witty or charming over herrrrr...it's been one of those days already. Wedding checklist is in full force, fingers are crossed for a little warm up around these parts (my shoulders are going to have quite the chill in my strapless wedding gown otherwise), and we are now less than two weeks away from learning how to write my new last name. Eeeeek!

Nothing cute or fancy going on with dinner anymore...we're hitting the frozen stash this week.  And this is why I'm proud to be a food hoarder :) Stressful weeks get a little bit alleviated when dinner is already figured out...

1 package spagetti/fettucine noodles
4 T olive oil
1 lb shrimp
2 ripe avocados, seed and skin removed
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 T lemon jice
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 (6 oz) containers greek yogurt
1 cup marinara sauce
1/2 package fresh spinach
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
1 can mushrooms
fresh mozzerella cheese
crushed red pepper to taste (I used a lot, which is why this is called spicy avocado and shrimp pasta)
italian seasoning

Cook pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is boiling, add 2 T olive oil , avocado, 2 cloves of garlic, lemon juice, and greek yogurt to a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are smooth and creamy.

In a large skillet, heat the other 2 T of olive oil. Add uncooked (but peeled and deveined) shrimp, 2 minced garlic cloves, mushrooms, pine nuts, spinach, sundried tomatoes, and crushed red pepper to the skillet. Stir constantly while cooking until spinach is wilted, shrimp is pink instead of grey, and garlic is aromatic. Add the marinara sauce and the avocado mixture to the skillet and mix together to make your sauce.

When noodles are done, drain and add to the sauce. Mix thoroughly and layer into a 9x13 baking dish. Add slices of fresh mozzerella to the top, and sprinkle with italian seasoning. Either place in freezer (like I did) for another time, or throw in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. If you freeze it, you can bake it at 400 degrees for an hour when you decide you have a hankering for avocado pasta sauce. I tasted this before I froze it, and I'll tell you it wasn't long before I wanted to dig it out of the freezer!