Bow Tie Lasagna

Here's a good, easy, cheap and quick recipe for your repertoire. I always have pasta on hand and I'm always looking for new ways to use it besides boiling it and adding meat and jarred sauce. This is like lasagna, just de-constructed and you can make it all in your skillet! I also love the idea that you can use fun pasta shapes like bow ties! Use whatever you have! Sounds good, right? Add garlic bread and a salad and you've got a meal to be proud of! Just don't freeze this because it has sour cream in it!

Bowtie Lasagna (from TastyKitchen.com)

1 pound Ground Chuck

5 cups Bow Tie Noodles

3 cups Spaghetti Sauce (or Pizza Sauce, Whatever You Prefer)

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Salt

½ teaspoons Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (or More, Make It To Your Taste)

½ cups Mozzarella Cheese

½ cups Sour Cream

Fry ground chuck in small pan. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.

After noodles are cooked, drain and drizzle with olive oil. Mix in your spaghetti sauce.

Add your fried hamburger, seasonings, cheese, and sour cream. Fold together and allow it all to combine and melt together, over low heat, for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve to your family and be prepared to have it disappear before your very eyes.

Oven Ready Lasagne Noodles?!

Such a thing exists?! Actually I knew it did but had completely forgotten until I saw them at Target this week. I hate making lasagne, absolutely hate it. I hate getting out my huge pot that takes 60 years for the water to boil, then waiting for all the noodles to get soft enough to start falling into the pot and boil, then waiting for them to cool so I can touch them...the whole process is very frustrating to me. I know, I'm making it a big deal. But it's enough for me to never make it...and I don't. UNTIL TODAY!

All I had to do was brown my ground beef, add sauce, mix the ricotta cheese with eggs, mozzarella and parmesan and set up the assembly line! It was a cinch and ready in an hour. I served it with a pre-packaged Caesar salad and got out a baguette I had in the freezer, cut it up into slices, drizzled olive oil over it and stuck it in the oven on broil. When it was nice and browned, I scraped a clove of garlic over each slice. The result=delicious home made garlic bread the cheap way! Woot!

So, even though Barilla isn't paying me to say this (although I wish they were....free pasta?! AMAZING!)....go get yourself a box of Oven Ready Lasagne!!

Baby Showers & Italian Pasta Salad

It's baby shower season in my life right now! It comes in waves, I think. Today was a baby shower for my dear friend Sarah who is having a baby boy named Nathaniel in August! I am so happy for her! Wish I had taken a picture today but I was so busy I forgot to! My friend Kristin and I threw the shower at Kristin's home. It was beautiful and we had TONS of food! Here's a breakdown of what we had:

• Tuna/egg salad sandwiches
• Crackers with cheese and salmon spread
• Fruit
• Italian Pasta Salad (see recipe below!)
• Sweet & Sour Meatballs (click for recipe!)
• Veggies w/ ranch dressing
• Strawberry/Poppy Seed Salad
  
• Cake
• Brownies
• Meringues

Quite a spread, don't you think? We had a blast. Our theme was "meal time" so we pretty much had the food covered! ;) Sarah got lots of very nice gifts and ones she can use for feeding her new baby very soon. Congrats Sarah!

Here's the recipe, which is an adaptation from my friend Carla! You can make this a thousand different ways with any and all ingredients you want. Just have fun with it! This isn't even a recipe, just a method. Here's what I did today:

Italian Pasta Salad

• 2 lbs pasta (I use the bowtie pasta)
• Lots of olive oil
• 1-2 jars prepared pesto - I used two but I like a lot of flavor, just use it to taste(or make your own if you're ambitious!)
• Lots of parmesan cheese - I bought a container of shaved parmesan cheese!
• Almonds - again, to taste - but you need it for the crunchy factor
• 1/2 jar of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (I love the chewy, tangy flavor of these but if you don't, leave them out!)

Boil pasta according to the box directions, or until al dente. Drain. Pour olive oil liberally over pasta and stir to combine. Pour in the pesto and combine to your taste. Add parmesan cheese & almonds but reserve some for the top when you are finished. Add sun-dried tomatoes & combine. Before serving, drizzle some more olive oil to avoid dryness, then top with remaining parmesan & almonds. Serve warm, room temp or cold! Enjoy!

Creamy Parmesan Risotto

Risotto is special. It's creamy, cheesy, tangy and oh-so-delicious. So, it should only be something you make on a special occasion, right? WRONG! I made this today...for lunch. No special reason, no big deal...just because I wanted it and we happened to have some white wine (one of the required ingredients!).

Risotto sounds hard. It sounds gourmet. It's not. It's so easy, it just takes some TLC, patience and a strong stirring arm! Please make this. Once you taste it, your stomach will love you. Promise.

My notes: There are so many variations of risotto. It's literally a blank canvas and you can do anything to it. I chose this one today. I've also made risotto with basil pesto stirred in at the end. If you google risotto recipes you will find something you like! I didn't add any meat but I've made this with shrimp & chicken before! The thing about risotto is that you have to babysit it. You've gotta stir & stir between each time you ladle in the stock. It should only take about 20-25 minutes on medium-high heat.

About the wine...it's really required. All the alcohol is cooked out. The flavor is irreplaceable. Sorry, it just is. There are so many affordable bottles of wine out there - find the cheapest bottle of white wine and use it for this!! You need a cup! Bonus tip: You can freeze wine in ice cube containers or little sandwich baggies for later if you don't drink it! The recipe says to use fresh grated cheese...I use the stuff in the green can. I mean, I already splurged on the wine! By all means use fresh or pre-grated!

Creamy Parmesan Risotto (from RealSimple.com)

Ingredients
3 to 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc (I used Riesling because it's what I had - just pick the cheapest bottle of white wine!)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving


Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer and keep warm over low heat.

2. In a separate medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the onion is transparent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until it is well coated with the butter and starts to turn translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and simmer gently until all the liquid is absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Ladle 1/2 cup of the warm broth into the rice mixture and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the broth is absorbed. Repeat, adding 1/2 cup of broth at a time, until the rice is cooked through but still firm, 20 to 25 minutes total.

4. Add the remaining butter and the salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Stir to incorporate. Adjust seasoning with more salt to taste. Serve immediately, topping with additional Parmesan.

Pesto Parmesan Quiche

This started as a concoction that I wasn't sure would work out, but it did...oh yes, it did! I've made other quiches before and they always turn out OK...but this...THIS was the creamiest, cheesiest perfect quiche. Make this as soon as culinarily possible!

Pesto Parmesan Quiche

1 9" deep dish pie crust (mine was frozen)
6 eggs, beaten (6 was almost too much...I might try 4 or 5 next time, FYI)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 T prepared basil pesto
Salt & pepper
1 T olive oil
1 small onion or 1/2 a large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced
2-3 sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
1 t italian seasoning
1/2 C mozzarella cheese
1/2 C parmesan cheese
1/2 C shredded chicken (optional, but this was our dinner so I wanted a little more substance)

1. Crack eggs into a bowl and beat slightly. Transfer to blender. Add heavy cream, pesto, salt & pepper. Blend until smooth. It should be a delicious seafoam green.

2. In a small saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil. When the oil is heated, add onions, grated garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, italian seasoning, salt & pepper. Saute until onions are translucent.

3. In a 9" pie crust (do not thaw it), add the onion mixture, chicken, and cheeses.

4. Pour the egg mixture over everything and stir around to evenly distribute the yummy contents.

5. Bake for about 30-35 minutes in a 375 degree oven until it is set and no longer jiggles like your thighs will after you eat this quiche.

6. Let sit for about 5 minutes before you cut into it's gooey goodness. Serve warm.

Appetizer Menu

Last month I had a Mary Kay & Cookie Exchange party for my dear friend Carla. It was a lot of fun to combine the two events into one. We had a small crowd, which was good for my small condo; I ran out of space to display everyone's cookies! Traditionally at a cookie exchange, you don't actually eat the cookies - you just pick them out and take them home. So, for this party I wanted to make some appetizers for us to nibble on!

I made Sweet & Sour Meatballs, Carla made a spinach & artichoke dip (I don't have her recipe but I'll see if she'll let me put it on here!), I made a tomato & feta dip (recipe below) and finally, Fruit Bruschetta (recipe below) for dessert. It was really good and just enough to fill us up.

Tomato & Feta Dip

This couldn't be easier or more flexible. My friend Natalie gave me this recipe and I love it.

Ingredients
1 loaf french bread, cut into pieces
1 jar of tomato/spaghetti sauce (make it easy on yourself and buy prepared sauce - I usually buy Hunts Spaghetti sauce for this)
1 container of feta cheese, crumbled

Combine sauce and feta in a small sauce pan and heat up over medium heat. Serve warm with bread pieces to dip!

Fruit Bruschetta (from BlogChef.net -- check out the recipe page for pictures)

This was a huge hit. Everyone loved it and it was so easy and fun to make and it looks beautiful when it's all plated. Use any combination of fruit that you love. I don't care for bananas and didn't have kiwi, so I used strawberries and they were good all by themselves. It might be cool to use different flavors of yogurt, too. Vanilla was tasty though! **Watch the bread when you put the oven on broil - I definitely burned some of these and had to throw them out because I got preoccupied!

Ingredients
1 loaf of French bread (sliced into 16, ½ inch thick slices)
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon
4 kiwi fruit (peeled and chopped)
2 bananas (diced into small cubes)
10 large strawberries (diced)
2 tablespoons orange juice
3-4 tablespoons vanilla yogurt
Honey (for drizzling)

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Arrange the bread slices on a large baking sheet. Place into the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Brush toast slices with butter on one side.
Step 2: Combine 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of sugar and sprinkle with mixture evenly over the buttered side of the toast. Broil in a preheated broiler for 30 seconds or until tops are bubbling. Remove and allow them to cool.
Step 3: In a bowl toss fruit with orange juice and remaining cinnamon and sugar. Spread yogurt on the top of each piece of top, top with fruit and drizzle with honey.(Makes 16 Bruschetta)

Creamy Tomato Soup

The weather where I live is pretty hot all year-round so when we get even a touch of cool, dry air, we pull out the "winter" clothes, open all the windows and break out our favorite soup recipes. I mean, soup just doesn't taste the same when it's 90 degrees out. I made this soup on one of those rare cool days and we practically licked our bowls clean. In fact, I wish I had made more to freeze because we've had about 5 cool days in a row and it's been marvelous! Next time. This soup is just the right amount of tangy and creamy and not too acidic. You'll love it!

My notes: As I said before, I wish I had made more if this, so I would double the recipe and freeze the left-overs. The recipe will feed a family of 4, though. I had to puree the soup in a few batches because it was so hot, so I equally added the cream cheese with each batch, a little at a time, and it worked out well. I didn't have fresh basil, so I used a few teaspoons of dried basil and it was great. I would definitely serve this with a fancy grilled cheese panini! Or, use it as an appetizer to your meal! Either way, this is a winner.

Creamy Tomato Soup (from OurBestBites.com)

1 T real butter
1 C chopped onion
¾ C shredded carrot
1 T minced garlic
1 tea sugar
¼ tea pepper
¼ tea salt
4 Fresh Basil leaves plus some for garnish (or substitute 1-2 t dried basil, see note below)
1/2 C sliced sun-dried tomatos, packed in oil with herbs
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14oz) can chicken broth
3 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion, shredded carrot, and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently.
2. Add sugar, pepper, and salt and cook 2 more minutes. Then add sun-dried tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and 4 basil leaves.If you're substituting dried basil, the rule of thumb is 1/3 part dried herb = 1 part fresh so for this recipe you can eyeball it, but I'm guessing you'd want to add about 1-2 t dried basil
3. Stir to combine and finally add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat, and simmer 30-40 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Place soup in blender (do this in 2 batches if necessary). Add cream cheese. Remove center piece of blender lid to allow steam to escape, but place a paper towel over opening in blender lid to avoid splatters. Process for a couple of minutes until very smooth.
5. Divide soup among bowls and garnish each serving with a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan cheese and a basil leaf.

Chicken Parmigiana Quesadillas with Cheesy Marinara Rice

My friend Carla and I found this recipe about 2 years ago. It comes from Publix Apron's Meals and it couldn't be easier. Plus it's delicious and if you're in a hurry, it takes probably 15-20 minutes to make! This is a great meal to make if you have kids because the chicken is actually breaded chicken nuggets and what kid doesn't like chicken nuggets?! You could puree or shred some zucchini and hide it in there for added nutrition or add some chopped peppers! These are a hit as a week night dinner or as hors d'oeurves. The cheesy rice is a great addition. I use it all the time to complement other dishes too. Tip: Heat up the extra marinara sauce to dip your quesadillas in! Enjoy!

My notes: I use my favorite jarred marinara sauce (I like Bertolli or Prego, personally). I have a small George Foreman grill that I use to make these but if you don't have one, just use a wide skillet and flip once after the first side is browned & the cheese is melted. For the rice, I use Uncle Ben's 90 second microwaveable rice - it's called Cheesy Rice, I think. That is what you want for this! Again, I just use the same jarred sauce for this that I used for the quesadillas. I've used fresh & pre-minced garlic - it doesn't matter. I don't have a garlic press so I grate it into the rice or just use the pre-minced - it isn't as strong as raw garlic anyway.




Chicken Parmigiana Quesadillas (rice recipe below)

10 ounces frozen breaded chicken tenders or strips
8 medium-size flour tortillas
cooking spray
1 cup shredded Italian-blend cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups tomato pasta sauce with olives, divided (I just used my favorite jarred sauce - I hate olives)

Preheat two-sided tabletop grill. Place chicken tenders on plate (may be paper). Microwave on HIGH 3-5 minutes or until heated. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Lightly coat one side of the tortillas with cooking spray. Arrange 4 of the tortillas on clean work surface (sprayed side down). Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cheese over each tortilla, then one-fourth of the chicken. Spoon one-fourth of the marinara sauce over the chicken; then sprinkle with 2 more tablespoons of the cheese. Cover each with remaining tortillas (sprayed side out).

Place one or two quesadillas on grill (depending on size of grill). Cook 4-5 minutes or until golden. Let stand 2-3 minutes before cutting. Cook remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve.Note: Quesadillas may be cooked in large sauté pan preheated on medium. Double cooking time, turning once.

Cheesy Marinara Rice

1 (8.5-ounce) pouch pre-cooked rice with cheese
1 cup tomato pasta sauce with olives
3 fresh garlic cloves
4-5 sprigs fresh Italian parsley (rinsed)

Combine rice and pasta sauce in small saucepan on medium. Crush garlic, using garlic press, into rice. Use knife to remove garlic from bottom of press. Chop parsley finely (1 tablespoon); stir into rice. Cook 2-4 more minutes, stirring occasionally, or until thoroughly heated. Reduce heat to warm; cover until ready to serve.

Tortellini Sausage Soup

I just made this tonight for dinner and my hubby and I both loved it! It was easy to make, healthy and delicious! I just found this recipe from Our Best Bites and I'm so glad I did. I've included a picture so you can see what the end result looks like.

My notes: I just made a couple changes to the original recipe. I don't have a garlic press so instead of mincing the garlic myself, I grated it into the pot using my box grater. Also, I used 1 medium zucchini instead of two. I shredded both up and thought it looked like a ton of zucchini so I used about half and I think it was perfect. Other than that, I followed it exactly. Enjoy!

Tortellini Sausage Soup (from OurBestBites.com)

3 links Italian sausage

4 cloves pressed garlic

1 onion, diced

½ c. water

2 cans chicken broth

½ c. apple cider (don't leave this out! I did once and it wasn't the same...)

1 16-oz. can diced tomatoes

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 c. sliced carrots

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried oregano

2 medium zucchini, grated (great way to use your food processor if you have one)

8-10 oz. package cheese tortellini (check the freezer section of your grocery store; if you can find it there, it will almost always be way cheaper than fresh tortellini. Also, Barilla makes a great dry cheese tortellini)

2 Tbsp. dried parsley (yes, that's two tablespoons)

If you're using link sausage, remove the casings and crumble into a large soup pot. To remove the casings, you can use a sharp knife to cut a slit down one side of the sausage and then peel back the casing. Begin cooking sausage over medium heat, stirring frequently. If your sausage is pretty fatty, you'll want to drain it when it's about halfway cooked.

Meanwhile, chop onions and garlic and add to the sausage. Continue cooking until onions are translucent and your sausage is cooked. Your house will smell heavenly.Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, juice, water, chicken broth, carrots, oregano, and basil. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. Add parsley and zucchini and simmer for another 15 minutes or so.Add the tortellini and cook until tender, and then serve with bread and freshly-grated Parmesan.

Chicken Marsala

If you want to impress your in-laws or your husband's boss (or your boss!), this is the meal for you. I made this for my in-laws when I first got married and my father-in-law probably would've eaten the entire dish! I also make this for my Grandpa a lot, it's one of his favorites. This is so delicious - it will definitely become one of your favorite meals.

My notes: When I make this for my husband, I don't use mushrooms because neither one of us care for them...it's a texture thing. I love the taste they bring to dishes but I can't eat them. However, when I make this for other people I add them and they're a hit. You should be able to find marsala cooking wine in any grocery store. I don't use real marsala wine, even though all the Food Network chefs say you should use real wine instead of cooking wine, but sorry, no one in my house is going to drink marsala wine. Go cheap and buy the cooking wine, it's delicious. I use dried parsley instead of fresh.

Chicken Marsala (from MarthaStewart.com)

Serves 4
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 5 ounces each), butterflied
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
2 cups sweet Marsala wine
1 clove garlic, finely minced
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (of 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley


Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a large shallow dish; set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Dredge chicken in seasoned flour, tapping off excess; set aside. Add oil to skillet. When oil is shimmering, add chicken, and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Turn over, and cook 3 minutes more. Remove chicken to a plate; set aside and keep warm.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in same skillet. Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden brown and all the released liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes.
Remove skillet from heat, and add wine. Return skillet to heat, scraping up any brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add garlic, lemon juice, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and parsley. Cook for 2 minutes until reduced and slightly thickened. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Pour sauce over chicken and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

Pasta e Fagioli

I love this soup for so many reasons. I feel like I sound like a broken record, but it's cheap to make and so easy it's stupid. My favorite thing about this soup is that it tastes JUST like the Pasta e Fagioli from the Olive Garden, which I love way too much. It's savory, a little spicy and so comforting. This recipe makes 4 quarts of soup so you can easily freeze this for another day! I think it tastes even better when all the flavors have time to get acquainted. I got the recipe from a message board a few years ago when I was on this diet called First Place. So, it's healthy too!

My notes: This calls for ground beef but you could certainly use ground turkey...sometimes I prefer the turkey against the beef. Please, oh please, drain the beans. After making this so many times I'm not sure I can ever use the gunk (what is that liquid anyway?) that the beans are packed in. It grosses me out. Drain and rinse please-and-thank-you. For the spaghetti sauce, I usually use Hunts Traditional sauce. It doesn't come in 32oz cans, so I use one whole one plus about half of another. I usually use ditalini pasta, like the Olive Garden does, instead of shell pasta. I also use dried parsley. You must serve this with crusty bread...there will be so much goodness at the bottom of your bowl that you'll want to sop up. TRUST ME! :)

Pasta e Fagioli

Serves: 12

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water, divided
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, slivered
1 cup celery, diced
2 14.4 ounce diced canned tomatoes
1 cup canned red kidney beans, drained
1 cup canned white kidney beans, drained
5 1/2 cups beef stock
2 teaspoons leaf oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
32 ounces spaghetti sauce, no sugar added
4 ounces dry shell pasta

Preparation: Saute beef in 1/4 cup water in a large 8-quart pot until beef starts to brown. Drain. Add 1/4 cup water onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse beans and add to pot. Also add beef stock, oregano, pepper, Tabasco, spaghetti sauce, and noodles. Add chopped parsley. Simmer until celery and carrots are tender, about 45 minutes. Makes about 5 quarts of soup! Make at least one day before serving for best flavor. Freezes wonderfully. Serving size 1 1/2 cups.

HoBo Special

This is an old family recipe that I love to make when I a) have no money or b) have no time. You could make this meal for less than $5 and in about 10-15 minutes! It's not gourmet by any means but it's not supposed to be. I mean, it's called "HoBo Special" for a reason! It's one of those feel-good, comforting meals. My Great-Grandma made this during the Great Depression, so it's time-tested and approved!

My notes: I almost always make this meal a little differently than the time before but I will give you the classic recipe. You can swap out ground beef for ground turkey if you'd like. It would save some calories and some $$. You can also substitute whole wheat pasta for regular pasta, but that will up the price. I don't measure the garlic powder...put in a good amount and then keep tasting. You don't want it too garlicky but you want flavor. I usually put in a few shakes of Tabasco or even some red pepper flakes for a little heat. The hubby likes it hot! You can serve this with a small salad and garlic bread.

HoBo Special

1 lb ground beef
3/4 lb elbow macaroni
2 14oz cans of Campbell's Tomato Soup
Lots of garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste

Start by boiling some water in a small pot. Pour in the elbow macaroni until it's al dente. Meanwhile, brown the ground beef/turkey and drain out any excess fat. While still on the heat, pour in the 2 cans of tomato soup and stir to combine. Add in the garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Add the macaroni and stir to combine. Top with parmesan cheese if desired.