Cheesy Tortellini

 We had this great dinner from Giada de Laurentiis's Everyday Pasta cookbook.  This Cheesy Baked Tortellini was delicious, fast, and super easy.  The boys and Aaron gave it a 9, and I gave it an 8.  I'll have to update the calories later, I'm running behind on everything this week ;).  So to update, the calories per serving, and we made 10 servings, were 411.  Anyway, make this, you won't be sorry!

 

Cheesy Baked Tortellini

Olive Oil (I didn't use this, I just sprayed the pan)

2 c Marinara sauce

1/3 c mascarpone cheese ( I used ricotta and I used more than 1/3 c)

¼ c chopped parsley

2 t chopped thyme

1 lb cheese tortellini

2 oz thinly sliced smoked mozzarella

¼ c parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350.  Lightly oil an 8x8 baking dish.

Whisk the marinara sauce, mascarpone cheese, parsley, and thyme in a large bowl to blend.  Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes.  Drain.  Add the tortellini to the sauce and toss to coat.

Transfer the tortellini mixture to the prepared baking dish or dishes.  Top with the smoked mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan.  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melt, about 10 minutes longer.

Penne with Sausage, Peppers and Onions

We made this dish the other night, because Aaron's favorite dish at Olive Garden is Sausage and Peppers Rustica, and this is very similar to that, so I thought he would enjoy it.  And he did.  I used turkey sausage like the recipe said, so for 10 servings, each serving was only 291 calories without the Parmesan cheese on top.  This came together quickly, and we all enjoyed it, all of us gave it an 8.  I found the recipe in Giada de Laurentiis's Everyday Pasta cookbook.

 

 

 

Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

¼ c extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb sweet Italian turkey sausages

2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and sliced

2 yellow onions, sliced

1 t salt

1 t pepper

4 garlic cloves, chopped

½ t dried oregano

½ c chopped fresh basil

2 T tomato paste

1 c Marsala wine

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice

¼ t crushed red pepper flakes, optional

1 lb rigatoni pasta

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add the sausages and cook until brown on all sides, 7-10 minutes.  Remove the sausages from the pan.

Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the bell peppers, onions, salt and pepper and cook until golden, 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, oregano, and basil and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and stir until incorporated, then add the wine, tomatoes with their juice, and red pepper flakes, if using.  Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits.  Bring to a simmer.  Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each.  Return the sausages to the pan.  Simmer uncovered until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.  Drain the pasta and add to the thickened sauce; toss to combine.  Spoon into individual bowls and sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Crab and Ricotta Manicotti

We had Crab and Ricotta Manicotti the other night, and I found the recipe in Giada de Laurentiis's cookbook Everyday Pasta.  This was an easy recipe, and pretty tasty, and I like that the flavor was mild enough not to overwhelm the crab.  Aaron and Owen gave it a 7, Noah and I gave it an 8, and the calories for 1 roll were 236.  Also, béchamel sauce is just a white sauce, butter and flour to make a roux, and milk to make the sauce.  I used 4 T butter, 4 T flour, 4 c milk, and salt and pepper and I added a little onion powder.  Stir until thick, pour over rolls.
Here's the recipe:

Crab and Ricotta Manicotti

1 box manicotti pasta (about 12 shells), or an 8 oz box of cannelloni

1 c whole-milk ricotta cheese

¾ c grated Parmesan cheese, plus ¼ c for sprinkling

1 egg yolk

½ c chopped fresh basil

1 lb lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage

¼ t salt

¼ t pepper

Grease pan

Béchamel sauce

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.  Drain.

In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, ¾ c of the Parmesan, the egg yolk, basil, crab, salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350.  Butter a 9x13 inch glass baking dish.

Fill the manicotti with the crab mixture and place in the prepared baking dish.  Top the filled manicotti with the béchamel sauce and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ c of Parmesan.  Bake until bubbly and the top is golden brown, 15-20 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Italian White Bean, Pancetta, and Tortellini Soup

So we tried this soup the other night, and although I knew my kids weren't a big fan of soup, I decided to go with this anyway, because it's easy and filling.  I like that the Swiss chard added color and made it healthier, and I like that this came together so quickly.  I found this in Every Day Pasta by Giada de Laurentiis, a cookbook I checked out from the library.  I used bacon instead of pancetta, and I added double the beans and the tortellini, because I like my soups filling, not brothy.  We all gave this a 6, because it wasn't bad, it just wasn't anything special.  We had some garlic bread with it, and overall it was a good meal.

Italian White Bean, Pancetta, and Tortellini Soup

3 T olive oil

4 oz pancetta, chopped

3 large shallots, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 15 oz cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

4 c chopped Swiss chard

6 c chicken broth

9 oz cheese tortellini

¼ t pepper

In a large, heavy soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the pancetta, shallots, carrot and garlic and cook until the pancetta is crisp, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the beans, Swiss chard, and broth.

Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Add the tortellini and cook 5 minutes for fresh, 8 minutes for frozen, or until just tender.  Season with pepper and serve.

Greek Style Chicken and Potatoes and Salad

Tonight we had Greek Style Chicken and Potatoes from tastykitchen.com, and we all enjoyed this.  We gave it an 8, and the calories for 1/4 of it, since we only used 4 thighs, and 3 T of olive oil was 423 calories per serving.This is a great recipe, but I like to add about 4-5 cloves of garlic along with the olive oil and lemon juice, and I brine the chicken for at least 1/2 hour in salty water to add more flavor. 
For our salad, we had a recipe from Giada de Laurentiis's Everyday Pasta cookbook called Anytime Vegetable Salad.  We made 6 servings out of this, and each serving was 156 calories.

Anytime Vegetable Salad

2 c frozen edamame, shelled (I used steam in the bag, so I'm not sure how much I used)

8 oz thin green beans, trimmed

9 oz yellow wax beans, trimmed (i just used more green beans)

1/3 c red wine vinegar
1 t salt, plus more to taste
¾ t freshly ground black pepper
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ c halved cherry tomatoes
2 t chopped fresh basil or tarragon
1 t chopped fresh thyme leaves

Cook the edamame in a large pot of boiling water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.  Drain.  Rinse under cold water, then drain well and pat dry.  Repeat with the green beans and yellow beans.  Leave the green and yellow beans whole or cut them crosswise into 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces.

Whisk the vinegar, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.  Gradually whisk in the oil.  Add the beans, tomatoes, basil, and thyme, and toss to coat.  Season the salad to taste with more salt and pepper, and serve.

 

We thought this was only okay.  Aaron and I gave it a 5, and Owen and Noah gave it a 6, but neither one enjoyed it very much. 

Tomorrow we're having rouladen and rotkohl.  Yummy!!!

Cornbread Panzanella

We tried this cornbread panzanella recently, and we really enjoy bread salad.  The cornbread added a different element, and although we enjoyed this, I like traditional panzanella better.  I thought this dressing was a little lemon heavy.  This is an easy salad to make, and very summery with fresh tomatoes and basil. This comes from Giada's cookbook Everyday Pasta.

Cornbread Panzanella from Giada de Laurentiis

1 lb cornbread, cut into cubes

1 c halved cherry tomatoes

1 c cubed fontina cheese

½ hothouse cucumber, quartered and sliced

½ c chopped fresh basil

Dressing:

2/3 c extra-virgin olive oil

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 2 lemons

1 t kosher salt

1 t pepper

Combine the cornbread, tomatoes, cheese, cucumber, and basil in a large bowl. 

Ina small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon zest, and juice, salt and pepper.  Stir together and pour over the salad.  Toss very gently to combine.  Serve immediately.

 

This is 452 calories per serving when you split it into 8 servings, which is about a 1 to 1 1/2 c serving.  We all gave this an 8.

The shrimp recipe I mentioned yesterday will be up soon, but tomorrow we're trying chicken shawarma.

Shrimp Fried Rice and Fried Zucchini

First today we had shrimp fried rice, and this is a recipe we all enjoy. I put a little more rice than usual and a little less soy sauce, so Aaron said it lacked flavor (it did), so he gave it a 6, I gave it an 8, and the boys gave it a perfect 10. They love that dish. Here is the recipe from Jaden Hair, we love it.

Perfect Shrimp Fried Rice 8 servings, 287 calories/serving

 

4cups leftover, previously chilled cooked rice

1/2 lb small raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 t salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 t cornstarch

2 T high-heat cooking oil, divided

3 eggs, beaten

2 scallions, minced

1 T soy sauce or 2 t fish sauce

3/4 c frozen peas and carrots, defrosted

1 t sesame oil

 

1. Gently separate the rice grains with a fork, taking care not to smush the delicate grains.  In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the salt, pepper and cornstarch.  Let marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature.

2 Set a wok on high heat.  Add 1 T of the cooking oil and swirl to coat the wok.  Add the shrimp, quickly spreading it out around the cooking surface area so they are not overlapping.  Let fry, untouched for 30 seconds, or until almost cooked through.  Remove the shrimp from the wok to a plate, leaving as much oil in the wok as possible.

3. Turn the heat to medium and let the wok heat up again.  Add the eggs, stirring in a quick motion to scramble the eggs.  When the eggs are almost cooked through (they should still be slightly runny in the middle), dish out of the wok in to the same plate as the shrimp.

4. Use paper towels to wipe the same pan clean and return it to high heat.  Add the remaining 1 T cooking oil and swirl to coat.  When the oil is hot, add the green onions and cook, about 15-30 seconds.  Add the rice and stir well to mix in the green onions throughout.  Spread the rice all around the wok surface area and let the rice heat up, untouched until you hear the bottoms of the grains sizzle, about 1 minute.  Use a spatula to toss the rice, again spreading the rice out over the surface of wok and let cook for 1 minute.

5 Drizzle the fish sauce or soy sauce all around the rice and toss.  Add the peas, carrots, eggs, shrimp and sesame oil, tossing to mix the rice evenly with all the ingredients.  Repeat the tossing, spreading and 1 minute frying until each and every grain of rice is heated through.  Taste and adjust with additional soy sauce if needed.

 

For veggie we had some fried zucchini from Giada de Laurentiis's cookbook Everyday Pasta.  We gave this an 8, who doesn't like fried stuff?  Here's the recipe

 

Fried Zucchini 32 slices, 126/slice

1 ½  c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 ½ c panko

¾ t salt

2 large eggs

3 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch strips

Olive oil, for deep-frying

Stir 1 ½ c of the Parmesan cheese, the panko, and salt together in a medium bowl to blend.  Whisk the eggs in another medium bowl to break them up.  Working in batches, dip the zucchini sticks in the eggs to coat them completely, allowing the excess egg to drip back into the bowl.  Coat the zucchini in the panko mixture, patting to adhere and coat completely.  Place the coated zucchini strips on a baking sheet. 

Heat 2 inches of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350.  Working in batches, fry the zucchini sticks until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried zucchini to paper towels and drain.

Arrange the fried zucchini on a platter.  Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ c of Parmesan cheese and serve.

 

Aaron helped me out with this, thanks honey!

 

Tomorrow we're having a chicken dish and a cornbread panzanella.

Mini Shrimp Calzones

We had these Mini Shrimp Calzones tonight, and we all enjoyed them.  It's helpful that we all enjoy shrimp, and these were tasty.  I cut down on the cheese, we only used two cups rather than 3, and I used only 1 T of olive oil.  Also, I used tomato sauce rather than diced tomatoes.  I used the pizza dough Giada put with the recipe, and I didn't think it worked well.  I liked the flavor, but after 1 1/2 hours my dough still hadn't risen.  I used the yeast in another recipe, and it worked fine, so I'm not sure why the dough didnt' rise, but it didn't.  Other than that the recipe worked great, and it really had great flavor.  The calories for 1/6 of the recipe the way I prepared it are 436/serving.  I think I'll play with this and try different combinations, because I liked how simple it was and how cheesy it was :).  We love cheese around here.  As Noah says, "cheese is my favorite food, after fried shrimp."  I love that kid :).  We all gave this an 8, and it was a great dinner with some green veggies.
Tomorrow we're having some chicken and potatoes.

Roman Style Chicken and Heirloom Tomato Salad

Our dinner tonight was found at www.foodnetwork.com and it was Roman Style Chicken from Giada de Laurentis.  The boys really liked this, and I thought it had nice flavor, but it's not really my kind of chicken, nor is it Aaron's.  He gave it a 6, I gave it an 8, and Owen and Noah gave it a perfect 10, because they love eating their drumsticks.  The calories for a thigh were 297, with 1/4 of the sauce.  I cut the recipe in half, using only 2 drumsticks and 2 thighs.  This was a simple, quick dinner, and makes a great family meal.  This however, was not the highlight of the meal.
Anne Burrell's Heirloom Tomato Salad with Warm Goat Cheese was the real star.  The recipe I linked to is just a little different from the one I used in her cookbook, in the cookbook she uses basil instead of oregano, and she doesn't use the baguette, just smears the goat cheese that has been warmed in the oven for 8-10 minutes on the top of the salad, as you see in my picture.  The calories for a cut in half salad with four servings out of it were about 200/serving.  We LOVED this.  I can't tell you how much we ate of this.  Aaron said he wishes I hadn't made any chicken, and to have Aaron wish for no meat in our dinner has never happened, not once.  So yeah, make this salad.  Even the boys liked the salad, they thought the goat cheese was really good.  Aaron and I gave the salad a perfect 10, Owen gave it a 7, and Noah gave it an 8.  I didn't have any arugula, so I just used romaine, arugula would look prettier and taste great.

Tomorrow we're having a blueberry cake and some avocado enchiladas.