Ready for Summer

I think we are officially ready for summer - today we had a new storm door installed, hubby stained and sealed the deck, we had pasta salad for dinner and strawberry shortcake for dessert. Anyone who knows me know that I love tuna. Tuna pasta salad? Count me in! Actually, I've had this bookmarked since December! I don't know why it took me so long to make it. It will not take me so long to make it again!

The original recipe called for spinach as well, but I accidentally forgot it. I'm not even sure I would add it next time. Although spinach is delicious, this pasta dish really wasn't missing anything. I loved the crunch of the radishes, peas, and pickles. The sauce is tangy and delicious. All in all, this salad is a perfect combination of ingredients and I already can't wait to have it for lunch tomorrow!

Tuna Pasta Salad with Radishes and Snap Peas
adapted from Joy the Baker

1/3 c. mayonnaise
1 – 2 tsp. grain mustard
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ c. radishes, sliced
1 c. sugar snap peas, trimmed
1/3 c. pickles, chopped
1/3 c. green onions, sliced
1 can tuna, drained and crumbled
Parmesan, sliced or grated
Pasta

Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Immediately drain and rinse under cool water. Mix together the pasta with the radishes, peas, pickles, onions, and tuna. Add about half the mayonnaise mixture and blend well, then add the other half and mix until well combined. Sprinkle parmesan on top.

Prepare yourself for a fabulous summer!

Awesome Pasta-ome

This pasta was so good, it might be a rival for my very favorite pasta. Seriously. THAT good. Even the hubs is super excited about having the leftovers for dinner tonight. And, yes, I'm excited about it. There are so many flavors combining for a dish that seriously makes your tastebuds tingle. Is that possible? Because I didn't think so before eating this dish. Looking at the list of ingredients I knew it would be good because there wasn't anything I didn't like in it. I just had no idea it would come together quite this well.

The lemon juice is key to keeping the whole dish really bright. The tang and saltiness from the artichokes and capers is perfect. The chicken adds a nice, solid bite to the pasta, but I don't see that it's necessary. I think this could be enjoyed just as much by a vegetarian without the chicken. The original recipe called for bacon, which I eliminated in an attempt to make it healthier. I figured it would still be good, but I would be able to tell that the bacon is missing. Honestly, I don't think I would ever add it. The artichokes are salty enough without needing the bacon.

I added pine nuts and garnished with parmesan. Pine nuts because... well, if pine nuts are wrong I don't want to be right! Parmesan because... that's how we roll in this family. Unfortunately, I'm going to cut this post short because I have to go eat another two to three helpings!

Creamy Lemon, Artichoke, and Chicken Pasta
adapted from So Tasty So Yummy via Confections of a Foodie Bride

pasta (as much as you want, I hate giving a measurement)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
salt & pepper
1- 2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 - 1 c. mushrooms
1 can artichoke hearts, drained & quartered
2 tsp. capers, drained
1/2 c. white wine
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 - 3 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. butter
2 - 3 tbsp. pine nuts, lightly toasted
parsely, chopped for garnish
parmesan, for serving

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Heat the olive oil in a large, wide pan. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper together. Cut the chicken into strips and dredge in the flour mixture. Cook the chicken in the pan until browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken and place on a paper towel to drain. Add the mushrooms, artichokes, and capers into the pan. Cook until the mushrooms have released their juice and the artichokes and softened and heated through.

Without removing the veggies, add the wine to the pan and deglaze. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and chicken broth and cook for another two minutes. Add the butter and cream and stir until the butter is melted. Add the pine nuts and chicken back into the pan over low heat. Add the pasta and stir to combine. Serve with fresh chopped parsley and parmesan.

Savor every tingly bite!

Another Deee-licious Pasta

This recipe was exciting for me. Most of what I cook comes from something tried and true. Something I can read and then use to carefully measure everything that goes into the dish. For this one, it was a mere concept in my head. I knew I wanted mushrooms. I figured I'd better add some meat for the hubby. And I knew I didn't want "plain" tomato sauce.

I threw things together, actually remembering to write things down and measure for once! You know what? It came out perfect! I was sooo psyched that this pasta dish was so delicious. I have honestly been craving this ever since. The sauce was flavorful and the mushrooms and sausage were a fabulous combination. Overall, this was a huge success, and I can't wait to make it again!

Pasta with Sausage & Mushrooms in Tomato Cream Sauce

1 package mild Italian sausage

10 ounces mushrooms*

1-15 ounce can of tomato sauce/crushed tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

1 tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 package pasta of your choice

grated Parmesan cheese

Cook your desired amount of pasta according to package directions.

Heat the sausages over medium heat until cooked through. Remove from heat.

In the same pan, cook the mushrooms on low heat for approximately 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 - 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, basil, and oregano. Heat this through, for about 3 - 5 minutes. Add the sausage and continue to cook for another 10 - 15 minutes, until sausages are hot. Stir in the cream.

Serve the sausages and sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Attempt to not lick your plate clean!

*I believe I read somewhere that mushrooms should not be washed, but should be wiped off with a paper towel instead. I've been doing this, and it seems to be working!

A Perfect Summer Evening

I can't think of a better way to spend a weekend evening than sitting on the deck eating delicious food and drinking some delicious wine. Add in some of my favorite people and you'll have a hard time getting me to end the evening. This is exactly how I spent my last Saturday evening. Mom came to visit and along with the hubby we sat outside for a few hours while we enjoyed a wonderful grilled dinner and some delicious wine.

For those in the area I have to put in a plug for the Chapel Hill Wine Company. This is the only thing I hate about living on the east side of Raleigh, I am about an hour's drive away from my favorite wine store. The prices and selection are amazing. Their knowledge is great but they never make me feel badly for asking stupid questions. We bought a bottle of red wine called Calma (a Spanish Rioja?) and it was stellar. I picked up a couple bottles of other wine, so I'll make a note of those when we have those as well.

I'm not going to type out a drawn out post about grilling burgers. I assume everyone can handle that! I'm just going to tell you about the "accessories" to dinner. We topped our burgers with guacamole (and also ate a ton of guacamole with chips). We also made a pasta salad for the side. It was a perfectly delicious dinner, and the hubs is a stellar grill man. His burgers were fabulous, but our guacamole definitely took it to a new level.

Guacamole

2 avocados (ripe, but not too squishy)
1/2 small, yellow onion, finely chopped
1 - 2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 lemon
salt & pepper

Scoop out the avocados into a small bowl. Add the onion and garlic and mash the avocado. I prefer to do this by hand with a masher because I like chunks of avocado in my guacamole. Add the juice of one lemon, tasting to make sure you don't go overboard! Add salt and pepper to taste. Make sure you continue to taste the guacamole throughout to make sure the flavor is balanced. Just try to leave some for whatever it's planned purpose is!

Make It Up As You Go Along Pasta Salad

The best thing about this pasta salad is that you can turn it into whatever you want. Add or remove veggies, change the dressing, anything you like!

1 orange (or your other favorite color) Bell pepper

1 green Bell pepper

1/2 red onion

2 - 3 tbsp. chopped, fresh parsley

1 - 2 tbsp. chopped, fresh basil

1 container/package good mozzarella

salt & pepper

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 package pasta of your choice

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.

Chop the peppers and onions (and any other vegetables you choose to add). When the pasta is slightly cooled, add the vegetables and herbs to it and mix in a large bowl. Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil and vinegar. Add some salt and cracked black pepper to taste. Make sure to taste the dressing to make sure it is to your liking before you add it to the pasta. Once you are satisfied, add the dressing to the pasta mixture and chill it in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Before serving add the mozzarella and mix in.

Note: For added crunch I would try some toasted pine nuts or even some drained black eyed peas. Go wild!

I heart Italian food

I have ALWAYS loved Italian food. I am notorious for being the slowest eater in my family. I would finish dinner way after the rest of the family had left the table. As a matter of fact, I still finish dinner later than everyone else, but most of the time they're nice enough to wait for me to finish before they get up now. It also helps that I eat only what I cook (for the most part) and I get to make only things I really, really like. The only exceptions to me being the last person at the table occured on the nights when we had my favorite dishes.

Which include almost all things Italian. But particularly lasagna and stuffed shells. My two favorites from my mom's list of Italian cooking. This doesn't mean I can't put away a mean plate of pasta in all of its versions, but we've got to narrow it down, at least for now. Today we'll focus on the stuffed shells. I'm sure there are many variations of stuffed shells that are delicious. I'm going to be stubborn and say these stuffed shells are the BEST and I could never get tired of them. I don't even know where this recipe comes from originally, but it's a keeper!

Stuffed Shells

1 package frozen, chopped spinach (although an equivalent of fresh works as well)

3 tbsp. butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic

2 eggs

1 15 ounce container of Ricotta

1/4 c. grated Parmesan

1 tbsp. parsley

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

pepper, to taste

24 giant shells

1 jar Prego or your favorite pasta sauce or make your own!

Cook the shells according to the package while you prepare the stuffing mixture.

If you're using frozen spinach, cook it according to the instructions on the package, although you can stop it a minute or two before it is completely cooked. Melt the butter in a saucepan and cook the onions and garlic until softened. Add the spinach and cook for about three minutes. Instructions say to cool the spinach/onion mixture, but I always get impatient and move on.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir the two eggs into the ricotta until well mixed. Add the spinach and onions. Then add everything else. Stuff each shell with a large spoonful of the stuffing mixture. Pour a layer of sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Place the shells on top of the sauce and then cover with another layer of sauce. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the shells are hot and bubbly.

Note: the recipe calls for baking the shells covered, but I think we have always baked them uncovered.

My Favorite Pasta

Our family has a few staples that always make an appearance at get-togethers. All holidays or extended periods of time together must incorporate homemade pizza, some form of Mexican food, and Jamie Oliver Pasta. The pasta is amazing. To be honest, I'm not even really sure what caused us to make it the first time. I mean, it sounds ok -- cabbage, mozzarella, and pine nuts -- but certainly not something you would drool over. Until you've tried it. It's totally drool-worthy. The flavors come together amazingly. You can taste everything individually, but they play off each other perfectly. Trust me, it's fabulous.

Having always made this with my mom and sister of the vegetarian persuasion, we left out the pancetta. And it was always fantastic, so no big deal. However, for the first time I tried this with the pancetta when I made it for me and the hubs. It was still really good. Different, though. The pancetta was a much stronger flavor than the others. I felt that it just slightly overwhelmed the other flavors I love so much. Not that the pancetta flavor wasn't delicious, but I think next time I would use a lot less so it was tasted in a few bites here and there instead of as the main thing in every bite.

Oh, and don't let the super creative, official name of this recipe throw you off. It will always be referred to as "Jamie Oliver Pasta."

Farfalle with Savoy Cabbage, Pancetta, Thyme, and Mozzarella
adapted slightly from Jamie Oliver's "The Naked Chef"

10 strips pancetta or lean bacon, thinly sliced
olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 good handful of thyme, leaves picked from stems
1 large savoy cabbage (quartered, cored, and thinly sliced)
1 handful grated parmesan cheese
1 lb. dried farfalle
salt & pepper
7 oz. buffalo mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch dice (high quality mozzarella is really worth it in this one)
2 handfuls pine nuts, lightly toasted

Boil water for the farfalle and cook according to directions on the package. Meanwhile, in a pan, fry the pancetta (if you're using it) with olive oil until lightly golden. Add the garlic and thyme and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and the parmesan, stirring to keep the parmesan from sticking to the pan too much. Put a lid on the pan and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, making sure to continue stirring or shaking the cabbage so it doesn't clump too much.

Once the cabbage is tender you are finished cooking with it. He recommends loosening it with some olive oil. I don't usually do this step, as I find it easy enough to work with, and I like mine somewhat clumpy. Toss the al dente farfalle with the cabbage mixture and add the mozzarella and pine nuts at the last minute. I usually let it sit so the mozzarella can just begin to melt before I serve it. Enjoy -- I know you will!

Home-cooked Classic

My mom is a fabulous cook. This is something I don't think I realized until adulthood. Sometimes I wish I had better appreciated her cooking as a child, but do kids ever truly appreciate their parents cooking? One of the fun things about Mom's (and Emily's) conversion to vegetarianism is that I have become sole proprietor of all the meat recipes! Thus, I am now the only one in the family making meatballs, lasagna, and sausage soup. Well, the only one making them in their original form, anyway! First up, spaghetti and meatballs, courtesy o' Mom's recipe for turkey meatballs.

Mom's Turkey Meatballs

1 lb. ground turkey

1 small onion, diced

1 - 2 handfuls bread crumbs

1 egg

1 small handful parmesan (optional)

Mix ingredients in a large bowl. I know it's gross, but this is best done by hand! Form into meatballs about an inch to an inch a half in diameter. Brown the meatballs. Once meantballs are just browned on all sides, continue to cook the meatballs in the pasta sauce on low to medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes, or until cooked through. I would suggest keeping the heat conservative the first time you do this, as it is easy to burn the meatballs and have them stick to the bottom of the pot, ruining the whole dinner!

Allie's Easy Tomato Sauce

1 can crushed tomatoes (use a large 28 oz. can for 1 lb. meatballs)

1 - 2 tbsp. butter or olive oil

1 small onion, diced

handful fresh oregano and basil, or other assortment of herbs

salt & pepper, to taste

garlic powder, to taste

Saute the onion in the butter or olive oil. When the onions are soft but not browned, add the crushed tomatoes. Add in the herbs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat through. Taste to ensure you have added the right proportions. Then you're ready to eat it or add your meatballs!

New York: Take 2

The other half of my weekend in New York City consisted of spending much time in the kitchen. The thing about my family, is that we're often content to do not much of anything. Well, by most people's standards anyway. Really what I mean is that, to us, hanging out in the kitchen, eating whatever we happen to cook up, and chatting all the while (usually with a glass of good wine) can fill up an entire evening!

My sister and I decided to sample some fare from the wonderful Smitten Kitchen. We opted for the mushroom marsala pasta with artichokes. Umm, there is nothing about that I wouldn't like. Mushrooms? Check. Cooking with wine? Check. Pasta? Check. Anyway, you get the idea... It was INDESCRIBABLE. In a really amazing way. The Marsala and the mushrooms combined to create a whole new flavor that I could have licked out of the pan would I not have burnt my tongue. In fact, I think I will be making another variation of this in the coming days, it was THAT good.

Mushroom Marsala Pasta with Artichokes

(barely adapted from Smitten Kitchen & Giada DeLaurentis)

3 tbsp. olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of your pan)

1 small onion (finely chopped)

10 oz. mushrooms (we just bought one package, rather than the pound it called for)

1 c. dry Marsala wine

1 lb. pasta

12 oz. frozen - thawed (we overdid the artichokes to make up for the mushrooms)

3/4 c. Parmesan cheese

1/2 c. cream

1/2 c. flat leaf parsley

salt & pepper, to taste

splash of balsamic vinegar

Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for one minute. Add the mushrooms. Saute, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the mushrooms have cooked down, about 10 minutes. Add the Marsala and continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes (this took us much longer).

Meanwhile bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to directions on the package, or to taste (al dente for us!). Drain the pasta and add it to the mushrooms, marsala, and onions. Add the artichoke hearts, parmesan, and cream. Cook until the artichokes are heated through. Stir in parsley, salt, and pepper to taste. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar, again to taste. EAT.

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The next day the sister and I decided to try our hand at baking. After scouring several recipes we decided to try our hand at muffins with red onions and dill. We used a vegan herb bread recipe but subbed in the red onion and dill for all the herbs the recipe called for. Again -- DELICIOUS. Sister shared with friends and got rave reviews all around. I had to go back to NC, but I made more the next day.

Muffins with Red Onion and Dill

(Adapted from How It All Vegan by Tanya Barnard and Sara Kramer)

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

egg substitue (to equal one egg)

2 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. oil

1 tsp. vinegar

3/4 c. soy milk

1 small to medium red onion

3 tbsp. dill, chopped

kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Yes - the sifting is important. Add the dill, red onion, egg replacer, sugar, oil, vinegar, and milk. Mix together until just mixed. Do not overmix, especially in the vegan version! Spoon into muffin cups. Sprinkle kosher salt on the top. Bake for about 25 minutes. Check with a knife or toothpick to see if they are done.

Non-vegan version

I made these with one egg and 3/4 c. of milk. Beat the egg prior to adding it. It made the muffins slightly more wet so I added about 2 - 3 tbsp. of flour. It still made approximately the same number of muffins as the vegan version.