Alfredo-style pasta with basil, walnuts, and shrimp

I call this "Alfredo-style" because it fairly closely mimics the taste of Alfredo sauce but without all the fat (I actually got this recipe from Cooking Light).

Ingredients:
8 oz pasta (1/2 box, I used linguini)
~20 leaves of basil
1/2 lb shrimp
1 cup milk (divided)
1/2 C shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano (I used the pre-shaved kind)
1 T flour
2-3 pinches nutmeg
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 pinches of salt & pepper each
1/4 C walnuts (the recipe called for pine nuts, but I didn't have any)

Steps
1. Boil noodles al dente
2. While noodles are boiling, chop basil and heat walnuts on skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes.

3. After that, cook shrimp in a pan for about 3-4 minutes or until done. Set aside.

4. When noodles are done, drain and set aside.

5. Mix flour and 1/2 C milk well with wisk. Heat in pan on medium, slowly adding the rest of the milk. Turn heat up and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to medium-low. Add dijon, nutmeg, salt & pepper. Whisk constantly for about 4 minutes, or until sauce thickens (enough to coat a spoon).

6. Add noodles, shrimp, nuts, basil, and parm to pan. Toss and serve.

Red pepper and cilantro hummus

This recipe is from my aunt Gail. It's really tasty, and uses no oil!

Ingredients:

-1 (15oz) can garbanzo beans (reserve the liquid)
-4 oz jarred roasted red peppers (or sweet cherry peppers if you can find them)
-1/2 C cilantro
-1 clove garlic
-3 T lemon juice
-1 tsp vinegar (I used balsamic)
-several dashes cumin, red pepper, salt
-1.5 T tahini

Steps:
Blend all of the above to desired consistency, adding 1/3-1/2 the reserved garbanzo bean liquid (more if necessary)

Serve w/ veggies, on sandwiches, or with crackers.

Chicken tamale casserole

This casserole dish mimics the taste of tamales, without all the hassle of making your own. Also, the jalapeno-cornbread combo adds a realy nice sweet & spiciness to the dish.

Ingredients:
Shredded chicken (~1 to 1.5 lbs)
1.5 cups shredded cheese
1/3 c low fat milk
1 egg
3 T diced jalapenos (add more or less depending on your preference)
1 package Jiffy cornbread mix
1 can cream corn
1 10 oz can enchilada sauce (I prefer the green kind)
3 dashes of cayenne pepper
5 dashes cumin



Steps:
1. Cook and shred chicken. If I have time, like I did yesterday, I do the chicken in a crock pot on low for about 7 hours (I just add onion, garlic, cumin, and chicken stock to pot) because once it's done the chicken literally falls apart and shreds itself. However, I've also made this several times just by grilling or baking the chicken and shredding it by pulling it apart w/ two forks.


2. Mix cornbread mix, corn, egg, milk, 1/3 cup cheese, jalapenos, cumin, cayenne pepper together until mixture is wet.

3. Pour into greased 13X9 baking dish. Cook at 400 for 15 minutes.

4. Pull dish out and poke a bunch of holes in the bread with a fork.


5. Pour enchilada sauce on top.


6. Top with shredded chicken.


7. Add remaining cheese and cook for another 15 minutes.


Serve with a dollop of sour cream. We had green onion and cilantro on hand, so I garnished with that as well.

Dinkfast

That's right, Dinkfast. You know, breakfast for dinner.
Absolutely nothing new here, except perhaps, the name. And I must credit my friend, Seth, for coming up with the oh-so-clever name.
We like making dinkfast for lots of reasons: it's easy, it's delicious, and we're very unlikely to actually make a full breakfast in the morning.

Anyhow, as you can see we:
1) Cooked hash browns


2) Fried eggs


3) Made pancakes


If we're feeling really industrious, we might even make turkey bacon too.

And here's the finished product. (Note: I did not eat all those pancakes myself.)


Note #2: a successful dinkfast is a two person job. I get the hash browns started first, and let cook for about 5 mins. Then I take over egg frying duty, while Jonathan makes the pancakes. We warm the oven and keep the cooked pancakes and eggs on a plate inside the oven so they stay hot.

Sauted veggie, mozzarella, pesto panini

Ingredients (see above)
-8 oz mozzarella
-1 zucchini
-1 or 2 yellow squash
-4 Tb pesto
-1 jar roasted red peppers
-1/2 large red onion
-good bread buns
-1 Tb EVOO
-3 Tb balsamic vinegar
-2 tsp mince garlic
-pepper

Steps:
1. Slice and dice onion, zucchini, and squash

2. Heat oil in pan and saute veggies for about 10 mins, or until still slightly crispy, adding garlic, balsamic vinegar, and pepper


3. While veggies are sauteing, slice mozzarella and cut up roasted red pepper


4. Slice buns in half and spread pesto on one side


5. Once veggies are done, remove from heat and let cool a little.

6. Tear pieces of foil large enough to wrap around panini. Then build paninis, on top of the shiny side of the foil. First put several heaping spoons of veggie mixture on, then about 3 slices mozzarella, roasted red pepper.


7. Cover with foil and give the foil packet a press to flatten a bit.


8. Cook on baking sheet for about 6 minutes at 350.

9. Unwrap foil packets and enjoy!

(admittedly, not the best pic of finished product)

Chicken parm and garlic mashed potatoes (lightened up)

I got this recipe from Cooking Light, and it was easy enough to make that we were able to do make it after a soccer game that left me totally wiped out.

Ingredients:
3 egg whites
1/3 c flour
pinch oregano
1 cup panko crumbs
4 chicken breast halves
1 cup marinara
1/2 c shredded Parmesan
1/3 c shredded mozzarella

Steps.
1. Put flour, oregano, and salt in one shallow bowl.
2. Mix egg white in another
3. Put panko crumbs in another
4. Put a Tb of oil in a large skillet, and heat over medium
5. Dredge chicken in flour, then egg, then panko
6. Fry chicken for 2 minutes on each side.
7. Transfer to Pam coated baking dish (or you can cook in the pan if your pan is oven safe)
8. After 5 mins, flip chicken and top with marinara and cheeses
9. Cook another 6 mins

As a side dish I also made garlic mashed potatoes. For those I just boiled about 10 small, red creamer potatoes. Once they were soft I mashed them with a pour of milk, 4 Tb butter, 2 tsp minced garlic, and salt&pepper.

Mexi-Salad

This is pretty much a weekly staple for us during the summer because 1) it's super tasty 2) it's light and crisp, and 3) it comes together in about 10 minutes.

Tear or chop romaine lettuce into a large bowl, filling about 2/3 of the way (~5 or 6 cups lettuce)



Add diced green and red bell pepper



Add one can of black beans and corn


Mix 4 oz light sour cream and 1/2 packet taco seasoning and spread on top


Cover with shredded cheese and diced green onion


Serve in bowl and top with crushed corn tortilla chips.

Pad Thai

So easy, but so amazingly delicious.

First, I have to thank my good friend, Kelly, for this awesome recipe. We make it close to every week, and no longer feel the need to go out for Thai food (it is that good).

Main Ingredients:
-7 oz rice noodles
-package firm tofu (chopped into bite size pieces)

Garishes
-crushed peanuts (handful or so)
-green onion
-bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, lime wedges (all optional...I usually add one or two of these, depending on what I have on hand)
-egg omelet (made from 3 eggs)

Sauce:
-1/4 cup soy sauce
-3  TBSP lime juice
-3 TBSP ketchup (yup, ketchup)
-1 TBSP brown sugar (white would be fine too)
-1 TBSP peanut butter

Steps:
1. Cook noodles as directed (usually means bring water to a boil, add noodles and remove from heat, let sit for ~8 mins)
2. Chop garnishes
3. Whisk 3 eggs and make thin omelet, flipping once. Slice into pieces once cooked.
4. Add Pam to large wok, saute tofu until warm, adding some sauce. Add noodles and rest of sauce, tossing to coat.
5. Garnish and enjoy!


Egg omelet

Sauteing tofu in a little sauce


Some garnishes (green onion, peanuts, cilantro)


Finished product!

Panzanella

Quick, fresh, and zingy.

I bought a loaf of Cuban bread (French or something similar would work fine), and let it sit for two days. When it came time to make the panzanella tonight, I cut the bread into one inch cubes with a serrated knife. Meanwhile, my sous chef and boyfriend, Jonathan, chopped the following veggies into bite size pieces: red pepper, yellow pepper, 2 small cucumbers, 2 large tomatoes (de-seeded). We threw all the veggies into a large bowl and added 1/3 of a red onion very thinly sliced, 20 leaves of basil roughly chopped, and 3 Tbs capers.

Next I tossed the bread chunks in 3 Tbs EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) in a large frying pan over medium heat until they were crunchy (~7 mins). Then I dumped the bread chunks in the bowl with the veggies.

After that I whisked 1/3 cup EVOO, 3 Tbs balsamic vinaigrette, 1 squeeze Dijon mustard, 1 tsp minced garlic, S & P (salt & pepper).

Finally, I poured the vinaigrette over the bread and veggie mix, tossed it well, and let it sit for ~20 minutes.

(Note: I think fresh mozzarella chunks would be awesome in this, but even without, it was delicious. I hope the left overs hold up for lunch tomorrow.)