Mushroom and Feta Pasta with Spinach and Artichokes

I found this recipe ripped out of a Canadian Living magazine that clearly I instinctively knew was worth saving. I had to make a few adjustments as I didn't have everything on hand but it turned out fantastic and made a lot. Serves 4.

Update: I added a can of artichokes to this and it was JUST the perfect thing that was missing. I added them about 5 minutes into the mushrooms cooking.

340 g pasta (The recipe called for fusilli which I was out of so I used gluten free fettuccini)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
450 g cremini mushrooms, sliced (always just throw more in, they will cook down)
1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp gluten free flour
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of water
1 bunch of spinach, trimmed and chopped roughly
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to instructions. If it's gluten free, give it a good rinse, otherwise just drain and set aside.

In large skillet, melt butter and oil over medium-high heat; cook garlic and thyme for about 30 seconds until its fragrant.  Add mushrooms and pepper; stir occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add sliced artichoke hearts and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Sprinkle mushroom mixture with flour; cook and stir constantly for about 1 minute. Stir in milk and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring until slightly thickened. This takes about 4 minutes.

Stir in cooked pasta, spinach, lemon juice and zest; cook, stirring until spinach wilts a bit. This takes 2 minutes. Add feta cheese, mix it in and serve!

Cheesy chicken and kale casserole

I'm attempting to find new ways to introduce vegetables in my diet because I'm told they are good for you. This was an experiment a few weeks ago and I quite enjoyed it but I'm searching for some zing to add to it when I make it again. Artichoke? I adapted it from Martha Stewart and found that halving the recipe definitely made more than enough.

Serves 4

2-3 cups of fusilli pasta (I am no good at measuring pasta, apologies)
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 large yellow onion, minced
1 bunch of kale, washed and leaves chopped off the stems
2 cups of chicken, cooked and diced
1 500 g container of ricotta
2 tablespoons of lemon zest
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated/shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to directions. Make sure to rinse if using gluten free. I've found corn pasta to be the best lately, especially for leftovers. Drain and return to pot.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion softens, about 4 minutes. Add kale and cover, cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to pot with pasta (or pasta to skillet if using gluten free).

Stir in chicken, ricotta, lemon zest and 1/4 cup of parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 9x9 baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan. Bake until the top is golden, 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Butternut squash pasta with sausage and spinach

Squash. I thought I hated you. Turns out I love you. Time to re-evaluate all my life decisions.

I think I've eaten squash every day this week which is an all time vegetable record.  The original recipe comes from Skinnytaste but the first time I made it I struggled with the measurements so this has quite a few adaptations.

Serves 4

3 links of Spolumbo's chicken apple sausage (gluten free) or alternatively spicy italian sausage
5 cups of butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp light butter
10 oz of corn pasta (I like fusilli)
1/3 cup shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced (and more if you like)
2 cups of baby spinach, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp fresh shaved parmesan cheese
4-5 sage leaves, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add butternut squash and cook until soft. Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender. Blend until smooth. At this point I found I needed to add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water to help the blending action. Set aside.

Add pasta to boiling salted water. Cook according to directions and if you are using gluten free pasta, rinse well after it is cooked.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan, saute sausage over medium heat. I find this works best if I break the sausage up rather than slice it. Cook until browned, and once cooked, set aside on a plate.

Reduce heat of the saucepan to medium low. Melt the butter and add the shallots and garlic. Cook until they are golden, about 4-5 minutes. Add pureed butternut squash, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder if you are crazy about it like me. At this point, if you feel like you want your sauce thinner, add more water. Add baby spinach, parmesan cheese, and sage.

Toss in cooked pasta and sausage. Stir until it is well coated and heated.

Enjoy!

Holy Moly, this soup is good. Apple cheddar squash soup.

It's a snowy November afternoon here and I wanted something warm to stick to my ribs. This soup definitely did the trick. I made a few substitutions as I didn't have quite everything on hand (even after 2 trips to the grocery store, I blame old age). It still turned out fantastic. I found this on the Food Network website and it made quite a lot. They said it serves 4 but I think I could squeak it to 6.

5 tablespoons unsalted butter (I cut it to 4)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 medium apples, thinly sliced
1 large white potato, diced
1 1/2 cups chopped peeled, butternut squash
Kosher salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried sage (I ran out and used savoury as a substitute)
2 tablespoons flour (gluten free)
1/3 cup apple cider (feel free to crack a can of Rock Creek and drink the remainder while cooking)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (gluten free)
1 cup of milk
2 ounces proscuitto, torn into bite size pieces (I used bacon as a substitute)
2 cups grated sharp cheddar (I used low fat) plus more for garnish
Chopped green onions/chives for garnish


Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium-low heat and add the onion, apples, potato and butternut squash. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the sage and flour. Add the cider and cook over medium-high heat, stirring until thickened. Add the broth and milk, cover and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring until the potato is soft, about 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the proscuitto and cook until crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain and pat dry on paper towel. (I cooked bacon in the microwave to save time here).

Add the cheese to the soup and stir over medium-low heat until melted. Puree in a blender in small batches until smooth. Garnish with proscuitto, cheddar and chives.

Grilled Garlic Parmesan Zucchini

Whoa. I've been eating a lot of zucchini lately. Tonight I was craving some garlic bread and this totally did the gluten-free trick. The original recipe is from Allrecipes.com but I made some adjustments by substituting olive oil for butter and leaving 1 tbsp of parsley out.

Serves 4

3 zucchini
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup parmesan (I used a Superstore blue menu light version and it was delish)
Black pepper to taste.

Preheat grill to medium heat. I used a grill pan on my stovetop as it was chilly tonight.

Cut the zucchini crosswise in the middle. Slice each half into 3 sections, making 6 slices per zucchini.

In a bowl mix the olive oil and garlic. Brush the mixture over both sides of each zucchini slice. Sprinkle each slice with Parmesan cheese, and place the slices, cheese side up, on the grill. I sprinkled a little pepper over them at this point.

Grill the zucchini until the underside has grill marks, it is cooked through and the cheese has melted. This took about 8-minutes.

Taco Zucchini Boats

A few friends have recently been busy posting recipes on Pinterest that come from the Skinnytaste blog. The recipes are healthy, low-fat, delicious and it's easy to find gluten-free ones.  I gave this recipe a try a few nights ago and really enjoyed it, though I altered the measurements a bit (I found I only filled 2 zucchinis instead of the recommended 4. Maybe my zucchinis were bigger).  I believe the author is bringing out a cookbook which I'm looking forward to.

Serves 2-3

2 medium zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup mild salsa
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp kosher salt (I usually leave out)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 small onion, minced
2 Tbsp bell pepper, minced
4 oz can tomato sauce (I used about 3/4 of a 200 ml can)
1/4 cup of water
1/2 cup reduced fat Mexican shredded cheese
1/4 cup chopped scallions or cilantro for topping (I forgot of course)

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Preheat your oven to 400 F. Place 1/4 cup of salsa in the bottom of a large casserole dish.

Using a small spoon, scoop out the inside of the zucchini halves but leave about 1/4 inch around the sides and bottom. Save about 3/4 cup of the scooped zucchini, chop it into small pieces. Squeeze out the extra water in it onto paper towel and then set it aside. Discard the rest. Drop the zucchini halves into the water and let them boil for 1 minute. Remove from water and set aside.

In a large skillet, brown the ground turkey. Break it up with a spoon while it is cooking. When it is no longer pink, add the spices and mix well. Add the onion, bell pepper, chopped zucchini, tomato sauce and water. Stir and cover, simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.

Fill the hollowed zucchini boats with the turkey mixture evenly, Top each with 1 Tbsp of shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked through. Top with scallions or cilantro and serve with remaining salsa on the side.

*When I made these I cooked 1 zucchini the first night and saved half the meat mixture in tupperware. The next day all I had to do for great leftovers was to boil another zucchini, fill with meat and bake. I also found that I ate about 1 and 1/2 zucchinis. If you served one big boat per person I'd also make a side like rice or salad.

Quinoa Salad with Dill and Feta

Well I'm trying zucchini again. I've made the other quinoa salad that posted about a dozen times this summer and needed something new. So I tried this recipe the other night. I might try less dill next time but it was a great new way to eat my new favourite weird hippy seed thing.

Serves 4-6 although Canadian Living says it serves 2 which I think is nuts. Unless it's two horses. Then that makes sense.

1 cup cooked quinoa (I recommend adding a bit of chicken stock when you cook quinoa.)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 pinch salt and pepper
1 zucchini shredded (I grated it)
1 carrot shredded (see above)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the quinoa, zucchini, carrot, dill and feta. Toss and enjoy!

Courtesy of Canadian Living

Lentil Salad

This is an oldie but a goodie! I got this recipe courtesy of my Dad. I love having it for lunch in the summer along with some leftover grilled meat.

Serves 4.

2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
1 clove garlic minced
1 can lentils, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup feta cheese
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green onion, sliced
1/4 cup chopped parsley (I often leave out as I forget to buy it almost all the time)

Whisk the lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper and garlic together. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir. Garnish with parsley.

Kale chips

I thought the hippies were lying to us or crazy. But it turns out that the deliciousness of kale chips is not a lie or a drug-induced hallucination. They are just as good as everyone says they are if not better.

Recipe is courtesy of Canadian Living.

6 cups, torn stemmed kale
2 tsp olive oil
1 pinch of salt (ok my pinch was about 5)
1 pinch of paprika

Toss together kale, olive oil, salt and paprika. Arrange in a single layer on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. I had to use two sheets to fit it all.

Bake at 350 F in oven until crisp and green. 10-15 minutes.

Asparagus Soup

Tonight I had my first accident in a while. My blender is no longer in working order. The sacrifice might have been worth it as this soup is surprisingly delicious. Asparagus is a great spring vegetable and this is a way to give it new life after you've steamed it to hell. The lemon juice gives it a really nice cut. Recipe is courtesy of my dad, Steve, from somewhere he can't remember as he approaches old age.

Serves probably 4. I lost some in the blender accident. Takes about 40 minutes to cook.

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 leek, sliced thinly
1 1/2 lb of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 4 cm pieces
1/4 tsp pepper
1 litre vegetable or chicken broth
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 Tbsp lemon juice

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook shallots and garlic until shallots are tender, about 3 minutes.  Add leek; stirring until soft, about 6 minutes.

Stir in asparagus, cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, until asparagus is tender.

Puree in blender; return to saucepan and add cream and lemon juice. Heat and serve.

Homemade mouth-watering salsa

Oh man oh man oh man. It's summer. There are lots of barbecues and social gatherings where food is key. I dug this out of the archives of my email from my good friend, Kathleen. It takes about 5 minutes to make and will impress.

4 plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup green onion, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp pickled jalapeno peppers, minced
1 lime, zested and juiced (makes about 1/4 cup of juice if you don't have a fresh one)
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp olive oil (recipe suggests 2 but the juices from the tomatoes more than make up for it)

Combine the vegetables and liquids. Stir. Serve with tostitos scoops as it is quite juicy.

Amazeballs.

Chicken and Zucchini Skewers

This recipe worked out to be quick and delicious. The perfect weeknight grill meal with vegetables!
As someone who is just trying zucchini voluntarily for the first time, I give it two thumbs up. Courtesy of Everyday Food.

Serves 4.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used 2 chicken breasts as that is what was on hand) cut into 1 inch pieces.
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1 inch sections
1/2 small red onion, quartered with layers seperated
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp oregano
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Coarse salt and pepper

In a bowl, combine chicken, zucchini, red onion, oil, oregano and vinegar. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Marinate covered and in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Heat grill to medium. On each metal skewer, thread the chicken, red onion and zucchini (3 chicken, 2 each of the vegetables). Grill skewers, turning them occasionally for about 12 minutes.

I served this with tzatziki and quinoa salad.

Quinoa Salad

I was introduced to quinoa last year because I was desperately seeking a substitute to couscous (which is a pasta, go figure). I found this today and it is delicious! Courtesy of the Skinny Taste blog.

Serves a whole bunch. Probably 6.

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 cube of chicken broth
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/2 lemon, squeezed
1/4 cup of olives, pitted and sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups cucumber, peeled and diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup crumbled feta
salt and pepper, to taste

Rinse the quinoa in a strainer for about 2 minutes. Fill a medium pot with the water and add the chicken broth/stock. Add the quinoa. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes with lid on. Remove from heat and keep covered for an additional 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool.

While the quinoa is cooking/cooling, dice the vegetables. Add the red onion, cucumber, tomato and olives to the cooled quinoa. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over it.

Add the olive oil to the salad and mix. Add the feta, as well as the salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Chicken breasts with wild mushroom sauce

This recipe comes from my dear dad, Steve. I believe he found it somewhere on the interweb, maybe Canadian Living. It was quite delicious but not a fast meal so save it for a Sunday dinner. I served it with rice and kale salad.

Serves 4

4 boneless breasts, with skin on (I used skinless)
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 1/2 lb mixed mushrooms, eg. cremini, oyster, shitake, roughly chopped or whole
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
3/4 cup chicken stock (gluten free)
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce (gluten free, sodium reduced)
2 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces
2 Tbsp chives, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Season the chicken with salt, pepper and 1 tsp of the tarragon.  Heat the oil and butter in a large, ovenproof skillet (I used my iron Kitchen Aid one). Sear the chicken over medium-high heat for 3 minutes on each side or until golden.  Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.

Add shallots to skillet and return to heat. Saute for 1 minute, then add mushrooms, garlic and remaining tarragon.  Saute for an additional 5 minutes or until mushrooms "exude" their juices and the juice begins to evaporate. This really does happen! Who knew mushrooms were this juicy? Immediately add stock, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce.  Boil for 1 minute to combine flavours.

Return the chicken to the skillet and place the whole thing in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes (depending on the thickness of the breasts) or until the juices are clear. Remove chicken and keep warm.

Stir in butter, piece by piece, until absorbed and melted, with the pan off the heat. Place the mushrooms and sauce on a serving plate and top with chicken. Garnish with chives (optional).

Green Pepper Soup

There's a great song from the Mighty Boosh that goes "soup, soup a tasty soup soup..." which always makes me think of this concoction. This recipe come from my Irish relatives through my uncle, Dara and his mother. She made it for me when I visited her ten years ago in Galway. It's easy, sweet and delicious.

Serves 4

3-4 green peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp of olive oil or butter
1 Tbsp of flour (I used rice to make it gluten free)
4 cups of chicken stock (gluten free optional)
1/2 cup of cream or blend

Sautee green peppers and onion in the olive oil/butter for about 10 minutes until they are soft. Sprinkle with flour and stir for a minute.

Add 4 cups of chicken stock and stir to blend the flour into the stock. Cook on medium to medium low for about 45 minutes.  I used an immersion blender and then I ran everything through a regular blender to get it extra smooth. Return the soup to a pot and blend the cream in and reheat.

Enjoy!

Kale Salad with Soy and Sesame

So it turns out that I don't hate vegetables. 2013 is definitely the year of growing up. This recipe comes from my friend, Sarah, and is quite delish as well as being a quick and easy veggie side to any meal.

1 bunch kale, washed and cut into big bite sized pieces
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce (gluten free)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted.

Steam the kale for about 6-8 minutes. It's important to not undercook or overcook it. Undercooked kale can be quite bitter. Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the sesame oil, soy sauce and garlic.

In a sauce pan over low heat, toast the sesame seeds. These can burn easily so keep an eye on the pan, stirring frequently.

Toss the kale with mixed dressing and sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Soy Butter

Surprise! I found another vegetable that I like. I made this when I was home for the holidays, and it's Dad approved.

1 bunch, freshly trimmed asparagus
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp soy sauce (gluten free please!)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange asparagus on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake asparagus in oven for 12 minutes, or until tender.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. (It says medium high but I get distracted easily so I try to decrease my chances of burning). Remove from heat and add the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Pour over the baked asparagus and serve.

Sidebar: I heard asparagus makes your pee smell funny but I have yet to notice anything. Apparently you need both the gene to smell it and to make the difference...

Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com with some adjustments

Artichoke linguini with prosciutto and spinach

All I can say for this is yum! It's a family favourite and I've made several different variations over the years. Onions, no onions. Sometimes I'll substitute the prosciutto with chicken. Recipe comes from my dad and serves 4. Definitely an easy "trick your friends into thinking this is much harder than it really is" meal!

2 jars (170 ml each) artichokes, or equivalent canned.
1-2 cups of baby spinach
1/2 cup oil-packed sundried tomatoes, drained,
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Prosciutto, about 4-5 slices
linguini (gluten-free)
Romano or parmesan cheese, grated

Drain artichokes and slice. Cut sun-dried tomatoes into thin strips. Heat oil in skillet and saute artichokes, tomatoes, garlic and onion for 3-4 minutes. Add baby spinach and cook until it shrinks. This happens quickly.

Cut prosciutto into strips and quickly saute in a pan.

Cook linguini. Drain and toss into the vegetable mixture. Add prosciutto, mix well and serve with parmesan.

Make Ahead Potatoes!

This recipe is a Heard/Mayo family favourite and comes through my mother via her friend, Helen. It's got a variation in the Canadian Living Christmas cookbook but I like my mom's version with double the breadcrumbs. The great thing is you can make this recipe the day before a big feast, refrigerate it and then cook it when the bird comes out of the oven.

10 potatoes
1/2 lb cream cheese cubed (that's a cup or one block of Philly)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup minced parsley
Pinch each of dried majoram, salt and pepper
1 cup breadcrumbs (gluten free for me)

Peel the potatoes, wash and quarter them. In a large pot of boiling water, cook potatoes until tender but not mushy. This takes about 20 minuts but check with fork. Drain and let cool a bit.

With potato masher, mash until smooth. Make sure there are no big chunks. Blend in cream cheese, and 1/4 cup butter until everything is melted. Mix in onions, sour cream, parsley, majoram, salt and pepper to taste.

The recipe says to transfer to an 8-inch pan but we usually make the same amount in a 9x11-inch pan. Smooth top.

Meanwhile melt the remaining butter and add the breadcrumbs. Stir with fork. Sprinkle over potato mixture. (At this point you can refrigerate the casserole for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 week. Add 10 minutes to baking time if previously frozen but thaw for 24 hours prior).

Bake in 375F for about 40 minutes or until it is heated through and golden on top.

Makes about 10 servings.

The "I hate vegetables but I like this soup" soup aka Butternut Squash Ginger

I inherited my distrust of anything legume from my mother. It's taken 30 years but I now recognize when she "runs out of beans" and has to skimp on her plate. This soup is so tasty anyone who hates veggies as much as me will love it.

4 cups of butternut squash, peeled and chopped (about 1 small squash)
4 cups chicken, veggie or beef stock (gluten free)
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 onions chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 potato, peeled and cubed
1 tsp ginger (I honestly can't remember if I used the jar minced stuff or the dried. Gonna go with jar)


In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, potato and ginger. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until onions are softened.

Add the squash and stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

With immersion blender, puree until smooth. I actually used an immersion blender and then I put it in a regular one to make sure it was not chunky. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I recommend serving it with croutons and a few pieces of plain goat cheese.