Bow ties with spring veggies and bacon

Happy Spring!

Aren’t you glad it’s springtime?

Though we’ve had a mild winter…

And it’s a bit chillier here than it’s been all winter…

So I’m pretending it’s spring.

And this will make you feel like spring…

A delicious and quick pasta that the kids will adore!

Mom and Dad too!

Feel free to add grilled chicken or shrimp to make it a heartier dish.

dinner   Bow ties with spring veggies and bacon

Bow ties with spring veggies & pancetta

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 box bow tie pasta

4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped

1 1/4 pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces

1 scallions, thinly sliced

8 ounces crimini mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup heavy cream

3 T extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 T lemon zest

1/4 cup italian parsley, chopped

1/4 cup basil, torn

WHAT TO DO:

Heat a large pasta pot over high heat.  When boiling add salt and cook pasta until al dente. Drain, but reserve 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Set aside.

Pour off all but 1 teaspoon drippings from skillet. Add mushrooms to the drippings.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Add asparagus, scallions, and garlic to the mushrooms in skillet and cook for 3 more minutes minutes.  Remove from heat.

Add veggies, 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid, 1/2 cup Parmesan, cream, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, basil, and S&P to pasta.

Mix well.  Add more pasta water if necessary.  Sprinkle with bacon and more cheese if desired.

Tasty Tidbit – Kids not asparagus fans?  Try this dish with frozen peas!

Salad Week – Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad with burrata

So we’ve all had caprese salad right?

And it’s a favorite of ours.

Not only is it easy…

But it’s delicious too!

But this ain’t your average caprese…

Oh no…

featured   Salad Week   Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad with burrata

This is with some gorgeous heirloom tomatoes from our local CSA.

And some buttery divine burrata cheese.

featured   Salad Week   Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad with burrata

Burrata is fresh italian cheese made of mozzarella and cream.

It’s a hard mozzarella shell outside and soft mozzarella and cream inside.

When you serve it a room temperature it oozes out all over spreading its gooey goodness all over anything in it’s path.

featured   Salad Week   Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad with burrata

In this case, it’s the heirloom tomato and basil…

Check it out.

featured   Salad Week   Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad with burrata

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 cups mixed greens

1 -2 heirloom tomatoes, cut into large chunks

1 ball of fresh burrata, room temperature

10 large leaves basil, torn

Handful of chopped parsley

Kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

Really good extra virgin olive oil

Dash of good balsamic vinegar

Crusty bread for dipping

WHAT TO DO:

On a large serving platter, spread out your mixed greens.

Arrange tomatoes on top of greens.

Top tomato with cheese.  Cut cheese open (make sure it’s room temp) and let it melt over tomato.

Top with torn basil leaves, parsley, S&P, vinegar, and olive oil.

Use bread to scoop it up and enjoy.

Thanks to wikipedia for the use of some of these images.


 

 

Salad Week – Pesto Pasta Salad

This is one of our favorite recipes.

You can make it quickly by taking some help from the store…

In other words,

Pick up a container of pesto sauce and a rotisserie chicken.

Or make ‘em from scratch…

That’s how we roll, yo…

dinner   Salad Week   Pesto Pasta Salad

Pesto Pasta Salad

WHAT YOU NEED:

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

6 cloves of garlic, divided

4 cups fresh basil leaves

1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 T divided

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 cup parmesan cheese

S&P

1 box whole wheat rotini or ziti

1 cups cooked chicken, diced

1 large zucchini, diced

1 yellow squash, diced

1/2 cup yellow green beans

WHAT TO DO:

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Season with salt when boiling and cook pasta until al dente.

Meanwhile in the bowl of a food processor combine toasted pine nuts and garlic.  Pulse quickly, about 10-15 seconds.  Next add in basil and a pinch of S&P.

Turn the food processor on and allow basil to be chopped.  Next stream in olive oil, slowly, until well combined.  Add in lemon juice.  Pulse it again and add in parmesan cheese.  Once it is all combined set aside until your pasta is done.

2 minutes before pasta will be finished toss in your yellow green beans.  Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water (I always save a cup of water in case my sauce needs to be thinned out a bit.)

In a separate skillet heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil over high heat.  Chop remaining garlic clove and add it to the oil.  Just before the garlic begins to brown add in your zucchini and squash.  Cook for about 5 minutes, until it begins to soften up.

dinner   Salad Week   Pesto Pasta Salad

In a large bowl, pour half of your pesto sauce.  Pour pasta and veggies on top of the sauce.  Top with chicken.  Pour remaining sauce on top and mix well.  Season with S&P if necessary.

Quick and Easy Pasta Week – Spicy Chicken Sausage and Veggies

It’s quick pasta week…

Part Deux!

How about an organic chicken sausage and whole wheat deal for ya?

It’s delicious…

Good for you…

And quick!

How’s that for a slam dunk?

dinner   Quick and Easy Pasta Week   Spicy Chicken Sausage and Veggies

Spicy Chicken Sausage and Veggies with Whole Wheat Pasta

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 package Organic Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage, sliced (I used Bilinsky’s)

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1 large zucchini, sliced

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

S&P

1 jar Francesco Rinaldi ToBe Healthy Spicy Marinara Sauce

1 box whole wheat pasta

Chopped basil and oregano for garnish

Grated parmesan cheese for garnish

WHAT TO DO:

Set a large pot of water to boil over high heat.  Cook pasta to package directions.  Be sure to salt your water before you put your pasta in!  Cook to al dente, then drain water and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Toss in your sausage and cook until nicely browned.  About 7 minutes or so.

 

Once your sausage is nice and browned, add in your zucchini, onions, and garlic.  Season with S&P.  Allow to cook for about 5 minutes or so, until your veggies start to soften up.

After your veggies are soft add in your pasta sauce and bring mixture up to a boil.  Once it boil, knock it back to a simmer and wait until your pasta is ready.

Combine your whole wheat pasta with the sauce and serve.

Top with chopped herbs and cheese.

 

 

Doesn’t get more local!

You hear me say it ALL. THE. TIME.

Buy Local!

Eat Local!

Well it doesn’t get any more local than this!

cooking tips   Doesnt get more local!

We’ve taken to our back deck to make our own herb garden!

Now if you’ve been following along for a while now…

You know that I have green thumb issues.

But since the nice folks at my CSA keep giving me herbs I decided to get on it.

With my special helpers of course!

cooking tips   Doesnt get more local!

So we are on our way to super local grown herbs.

5 steps away local.

We’ve got

Basil…

Dill…

Oregano…

Thyme…

Chives…

and Sage.

cooking tips   Doesnt get more local!

Here’s to hoping I don’t kill ‘em too fast.

 

Get Healthy Week – Chicken with whole wheat penne and veggies

It’s spring time!

That means summer is coming.

You know what that gets me thinking of?

Bathing suits.

I’m so not ready to start slipping into a bikini!

So we’re getting healthy this week.

And eating delicious at the same time.

Check out this quick and healthy meal….

CHICKEN WITH WHOLE WHEAT PENNE AND VEGGIES

dinner   Get Healthy Week   Chicken with whole wheat penne and veggies

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 box whole wheat penne

2 T olive oil

2 zucchini, halved and sliced thin

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

1 clove garlic

4 scallions, diced

2 chicken breasts, pounded thin and sliced into bite sized pieces

1/2 t red pepper flakes

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts

1/2 cup chicken stock

10 basil leaves, torn

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

S&P

WHAT TO DO:

Bring a large pasta pot of water to boil.  Add the penne and cook to al dente.

While the pasta cooks heat a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Add 1 T of your olive oil.

Toss in your zucchini, mushrooms, garlic, scallions, lemon zest and red pepper flakes.  Season with a bit of S&P and let your veggies soften up.

After about 5 minutes, remove veggies to a plate and set aside.

Add remaining oil to the pot.

Season your chicken with S&P and add it to the hot pan.  Cook chicken on both sides until brown and cooked through, about 8 minutes or so.  Squeeze lemon juice over the chicken and add the veggies back in.  Add in your artichoke hearts and chicken stock scraping up any brown bits left on the bottom of the pan.

Drain your pasta (reserve a cup of the pasta liquid in case you’d like to add more to your sauce) and toss pasta with the chicken/veggie sauce.  Sprinkle on your parmesan cheese, basil, and pine nuts.

Viola!  Quick easy healthy meal!

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