20 Dinners, 1 Day: Rigatoni with Apple and Squash

I had been looking forward to doing this one.  I love pasta, even though I don't make it nearly as much as I should.  Plus, add butternut squash to the mix and I'm there.

The bacon was tricky for this vegetarian.  I was originally going to make the recipe and add bacon just to Abe's portion.  But a recent cholesterol check made adding it maybe not such a good idea (he's had high cholesterol since his 20s, even though he's pretty fit).  So I improvise with using a bit of liquid smoke in olive oil to add some smoky flavor.

If you're not dealing with high cholesterol, I'd recommend using the bacon, though.  :)

The dish was very yummy and it was extra good the next morning for breakfast.  Hey, it was Adam's idea.  He did balance things out by having waffles and syrup for lunch that day.

The butternut adds a bit of sweetness and the apples and onions add the savory.  But I think the cheese makes the dish delicious, so don't skip it.  Not that I thought you would.

I didn't do the sage leaves this time because I didn't have them.  So, I sprinkled about 1/2 teaspoon of dried sage into the butter.  The idea of fried herbs intrigues me, so I will try it next time.

Rigatoni with Apple and Squash
  
1 lb. rigatoni pasta 
8 oz. bacon, thinly sliced 
10 sage leaves 
2 shallots, minced 
1 tart apple, sliced 
3 cups Roasted Squash, chopped 
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
Salt and pepper 
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water. In same pot, cook bacon until just crisp; transfer to paper towels. Add sage to hot bacon fat and cook until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to plate. Add shallots and apple and cook, 5 minutes. Add pasta, squash, cooking water, bacon and parmesan; season with salt and pepper and toss. Top with crumbled sage and parsley.

20 Dinners, 1 Day: Pasta with Chicken and Tomato Sauce

Onto dinner #3 with my 20-Dinner plan.  This time around, I wasn't nervous about Abe liking it..... I was nervous about Jimi eating it.  He, as many kids can be, tends to be a bit fussy.  He's not into "fancy eating" and doesn't like a list of things.  So, a lot of time, I save my food experiments for the days he's not with us.  Pasta would seem like a sure-fire winner, but it was the chicken that worried me.  I don't make pasta with meat, especially shredded chicken, so I wondered how he'd like it.

Both he and Abe loved it and ate 2 servings each.  I had managed to scoop out a bit before adding the chicken, so I can attest that it was tasty.  The sauce was delicious and the cheese added a nice yumminess to an already yummy dish.

I was supposed to use fusilli, but couldn't find it at the store, so I substituted rotini.  I accidentally used the monterey jack from another pending recipe in the dish... I threw in some of the mozzarella when I realized my mistake.  It still was tasty and we couldn't tell a difference at all.

Oh and excuse the horrible picture.  It was 9:30 at night and I was trying to get a pic quickly before the boys came up to devour their dinner.  I'll have to try to get a better picture the next time I make it.

Pasta with Chicken and Tomato Sauce

1 box (16 oz) pasta, like fusilli or rotini
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups Pulled Chicken
2 cups Tomato Sauce
6 oz. mozzarella
salt and pepper
1/3 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta until al dente.  Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.  Return pasta to pot, add butter and place over medium heat.  Add chicken and tomato sauce and toss well.  Add reserved pasta water and mozzarella; season with salt and pepper.  Top with parmesan and parsley.

Carrot, Broccoli and Cheese Orzo

Adam is usually my big eater.  He will eat anything.  I would brag to family how he'd eat things like brussel sprouts and spinach.  He's a terrible sleeper, so I figured he made up for it in eating.

But when he's sick, he suddenly becomes a fussy eater and will pick at his meals, hardly eating a bite.  And it tends to linger, so weeks will go by with him living off of yogurt, suddenly acting like a college girl trying to fit into a dress.   And, to get him to eat, I find myself offering things like cheddar bunnies and olives, things I know he will eat, just to get something in his belly.  But that's not healthy for every dinner and I don't want him to get too used to that kind of eating habits.

So, I decided to check out my favorite kid-friendly food blog and see what she had for healthy suggestions.  And the latest one looked like a hit.  Healthy and yet something I can see Adam digging into.  And when I tasted it.... SURPRISE! It tasted pretty good.  So, it's going to be my dinner tonight too!  I wouldn't suggest it as a main course, but give it a taste when you cook it up for your little one and see if maybe it wouldn't make a quick and healthy lunch for you.

I love how easy it is.  I literally whipped it up in 15 minutes.

This recipe is from weelicious.com.

Carrot, Broccoli & Cheese Orzo 
Serves 4

1 Small Garlic Clove
1 Small Shallot
1 Cup Baby Carrots
1 Cup Broccoli Florets
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter or Olive Oil
1 Cup White or Whole Wheat Orzo
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Water
1 1/2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

1. Place shallot and garlic in food processor and pulse to chop.

2. Add baby carrots and broccoli florets to the food processor and pulse, scraping down the sides half way until finely chopped.

3. In a large stock pot, heat 2 tbsp of butter or olive oil and sauté the chopped vegetables, raw orzo and salt for 4 minutes stirring continuously.

4. Add the water and broth to the pot and cook over medium heat for 10
minutes uncovered, or until the liquid starts to evaporate and the mixture thickens.

5. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.

6. Serve.

Pasta with Squash, Brown Butter and Rosemary

We don't eat a lot of pasta in this house.  Not sure why because I do love a good plate of noodles.  I think in the past I've gotten the impression that if it doesn't have a good amount of red sauce on it, Abe's not that into it.  He does love my spinach lasagna, though, so that's my old standby.

When I saw this recipe, something about it just appealed to me.  It looked simple, but tasty.  Plus, I had most of the ingredients, which helps when you're 40 weeks pregnant (today is my due date!).  I just needed a butternut squash, which I figured would hold if I happened to go into labor before getting a chance to cook dinner (which didn't happen).

At first, Abe was a bit hesitant to call this dish a winner... I think his need-for-sauce bias got in the way.  But but the end of the dinner, he exclaimed that it was really tasty.  Phew.  I, myself, loved it.  It has a delicate, yet hardy flavor.  It makes for a great break from the red.  Adam gobbled his up, too, so this might be a nice dish for our little ones.

An easy way to peel the butternut squash is to cut a little off of each end, so there's a flat spot to stand it up on.  Then using a very sharp knife, just run it down the length to remove the skin.

The recipe calls for broken lasagna noodles, which gives the dish a homemade noodle feeling (people will think you're a fabulous cook!).  It's also a great way to use up those broken noodles that are almost always in the box.  Collect them as you use the whole noodles for other things and you will have enough in no time.  Of course, you can use a new box, like I did, and just break them up.

I got this recipe from my Rachael Ray magazine.  Photo is mine, for once (loving my new camera!).

Enjoy!

Pasta with Squash, Brown Butter and Rosemary
Serves 4

One 3-pound butternut squash- peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 onion,   chopped to similar size as squash cubes
2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 1/2 teaspoon of dried)
Salt and pepper
2/3 pound lasagna noodles,  broken into pieces
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, toss the squash, onion, olive oil and rosemary; season with salt and pepper.  Place on a baking sheet and roast until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain and transfer to a large bowl.

3.  In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5-7 minutes.  Stir in the lemon juice.

4.  Add the roasted squash, brown butter and 1/3 cup parmesan to the pasta and toss; season with salt and pepper.  Top with pine nuts and remaining parmesan.

Marinara Sauce

I wanted to use up what we have in the freezer and needed a way to serve up frozen ravioli.  This recipe was basic, but very yummy (and easy!).

I got the base from Allrecipes.com, but tweaked it a bit.

If you like a chunky sauce, use chopped tomatoes and don't over use the processor.  If you like it smoother, I'd use crushed tomatoes and run the whole thing through the processor at the end after you cook the onions into it.

If you don't like a slight kick, omit the red pepper flakes.

Don't have a bottle of white wine around?  We aren't wine drinkers, so I keep cooking wine in the pantry.  Keeps forever and works perfectly.  

Enjoy!

Basic Marinara Sauce
Serves 8

2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 1 Tablespoon dried parsley)
3 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Large pinch of sugar

Pinch of red pepper flakes
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup white wine


1. In a food processor place Italian tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped parsley, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, sugar, oregano, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
 
2. In a large skillet over medium heat saute the finely chopped onion in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the blended tomato sauce and white wine.
 
3. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mac and Cheese

Hmmmm.......  What else can you say about homemade mac and cheese?  It's comfort food x a million.

I made this for Adam's 1st birthday party and it was a hit.  So simple to make, creamy and tasty.  It's done in under 30 minutes.  If you want, throw the completed mac and cheese in a casserole dish, cover with breadcrumbs and shredded cheddar and bake on 375 until melted and golden brown.

I got this recipe from Food Network.com.

Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 6


1/2 pound elbow macaron
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
6 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Return to the pot and melt in the butter. Toss to coat. 

2. Whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir into the pasta and add the cheese. Over low heat continue to stir for 3 minutes or until creamy.

Spinach Lasagna

A simple, yet satisfying meal that can be made ahead of time and frozen. This is my go-to recipe when I'm making a meal for one of the ladies in my playgroup that just had a baby.

Even though he swore he wouldn't like it because of the spinach, Jimi actually likes it and has requested it. It's a tasty way to sneak in some veggies into your kid.

Spinach Lasagna
Serves 12

20 lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups fresh spinach
3 cups ricotta cheese
2/3 cup grated Romano cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg
3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 cups tomato pasta sauce, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

3. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook mushrooms, onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are tender. Drain excess liquid and cool.

4. Combine ricotta, Romano, spinach, salt, oregano, basil, pepper and egg in a bowl. Add cooled mushroom mixture. Beat with a fork until well blended. Spread a bit of pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish and then lay 5 noodles in the bottom. Spread 2 cups of cheese mixture over noodles. Layer some of spinach, along with 1 cup of mozzarella and 1/3 cup parmesan on top. Spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce over the cheese. Repeat layering 2 times.

5. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour. Cool 15 minutes before serving.