Cheesy Tortellini and Chicken Bake

Cheesy Tortellini and Chicken Bake
Serves 8

Ingredients

• two 9-ounce packages refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
• 1-1/2 cups sugar snap peas, halved crosswise
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 small red or green sweet pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Progresso Starters Cheese Sauce
• Laughing Cow Lite Swiss Cheese 5 Triangles
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 TBSP minced garlic (1 in the cheese sauce, one in the chicken)
• 1 TBSP McCormick Lemon Pepper seasoning

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook tortellini in boiling salted water according to package directions, adding the carrot during the last 5 minutes of cooking and the sugar snap peas during the last 1 minute of cooking; drain.
3. Meanwhile, 1 TBSP olive oil in a pan and add the diced onion, red pepper, and 1 TBSP garlic.
4. Once they are starting to soften, add chicken and mushrooms, and cook about 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from skillet.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. In a small sauce pan, add 1 TBSP minced garlic, 1 TBSP lemon juice, lemon pepper seasoning, and the Pregresso Starters Cheese Sauce. Once it has warmed through (on medium), add in the laughing cow cheese triangles and whisk together.
6. In an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking dish or shallow 3-quart casserole., add the drained pasta and carrots, the chicken and vegetable mixture, and the cheese sauce. Mix together until coated evenly.
7. Bake, covered, in a 350 degrees F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through.
8. Take out, stir mixture, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve!

Mediterranean Capellini

Mediterranean Capellini
Serves 4

Yet another quick and easy meal made by my husband. We made very few changes to the recipe he found and it was absolutely delicious.  Great for busy weeknights. It would also be a great base for a protein dish. Shrimp or Chicken might be good. It's a start.

Ingredients

• 1 (12-oz) pkg angel hair pasta
• 3 TBSP olive oil
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
• 1 14 1/2-oz can chopped tomatoes with their juice
• 1 10-oz can diced tomatoes and green chilies with juices
• 4 tsp drained capers
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• grated Parmesan cheese (garnish)

Instructions

1. Cook pasta. Add 1 TBSP olive oil and salt to the water. Drain, set aside.
2. While pasta is cooking, in large pan, heat oil and saute garlic, onion, and red pepper over medium heat until tender.
3. Add tomatoes with their juice, tomatoes and green chilies, capers, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Toss with pasta and Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Oven-Roasted Pasta Primavera with Real Beef Hot Dogs

This popped up when I was looking through my Rachael Ray Magazine and it looks so fresh and delicious, so I tried out the recipe from Johnsonville.com. Sadly, the sausage didn't make it on the grocery list (a mystery yet to be solved), so we used our beef hot dogs to fill in the gaps. It turned out AWESOME! My husband says he probably wouldn't have liked it as much if it hadn't been for the accidental slip. He didn't even know they were hot dogs! We also couldn't find zucchini. Both stores were out or had not received a shipment. Make it hard to cook healthy when stores don't provide healthy foods.


Ingredients

• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, quartered
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium orange (or red) bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1 pkg. (14 oz.) Kelement's Chicago Brand Beef Hot Dogs (cut at an angle)
• 12 oz. uncooked Cavatappi Pasta or pasta of your choice
• 1 cup grated pecorino cheese
• grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms, tomatoes, onion and bell pepper. Add the oil, salt and pepper; toss to coat.
3. Transfer to a greased shallow baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the sausage and pecorino over vegetables. Bake until sausage is heated through.
5. Meanwhile, cook linguine according to package directions; drain and place in a large bowl.
6. Add sausage mixture and toss. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Hearty Veggie, Bacon, Mac n' Cheese Bake

Hearty Veggie, Bacon, Mac n' Cheese Bake
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 lb large elbow macaroni
• 1 can Progresso Recipe Starters Cooking Sauce Creamy Three Cheese
  
• 7.5 oz Sargento 4 State Cheddar Blend
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 small orange bell pepper, diced
• 2 TBSP minced garlic
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots
• 1 lb bacon
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 cheddar mozzarella & cheddar cheese sticks
• 3 TBSP butter
• 1 cup of  Panko Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs (with 2 TBSP butter)

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the macaroni. Cook until al dente. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven and cook the bacon until crispy and brown. Drain, pat off, and set aside to chop up into medium chunks.
3. In a sauce pan, add the butter, onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Saute on Medium to Medium High until onions are translucent.
4. Add in the Progresso Cheese Sauce Starter, the Turmeric Powder, and the Paprika. Bring to a simmer.
5. Once it is simmering, add in the frozen vegetables, cheese blend, Parmesan cheese, and the two cheese sticks. Cook until the cheese is melted and combined. About 5 minutes.
6. While the sauce is simmering, get a 13x16 baking dish and butter bottom and sides of the dish. Sprinkle in the breadcrumbs so that they cover all sides of the pan.
7. In the pot that the pasta was cooked in, return the pasta to the pot and pour in the cheese sauce. Stir and combine.
8. Pour in 3/4s of the bacon and mix through. Then add the mixture to the baking dish. 
9. Sprinkle the remaining bacon on top.
10. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Easy Tomato, Basil, & Mozzarella Pasta

Easy Tomato, Basil, & Mozzarella Pasta
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1lb Rigatoni 
• 1 packed pearl mozzarella balls
• 2 packages cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 3/4 cup Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of water with salt to a boil. Cook the Rigatoni to preferred texture, drain, rinse, and refrigerate.
2. Halve the cherry tomatoes, chop the fresh basil and combine in a large bowl with the mozzarella.
3. In the large bowl, add the Olive Oil, salt, and pepper and stir with the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.
4. Finally, add the pasta and thoroughly mix all the ingredients. Shake if you have a top to the bowl.

Spicy Sausage, Cheese Tortellini, and Vegetable Soup

Spicy Sausage, Cheese Tortellini, and Vegetable Soup
Serving: 8-10

Ingredients

• 2 cans Del Monte Diced Tomatoes (Basil, Garlic & Oregano)
• 26 oz Swanson's Cooking Stock - Beef
• 1 lb spicy hot or medium Italian Sausage (de-case the sausages if ground is not available)
• 18 oz Progresso Recipe Starter - Fire Roasted Tomatoes
• 1 TBSP Minced Garlic
• 1 large Yellow Onion, diced
• 2 large carrots (peeled and cut 2-3mm wide)
• 2 medium zucchini (middle cut out, peeled, and cut into 2-3in fourths)
• 1 cup quartered baby button mushrooms
• 2 cups water
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 9 oz Bella Luna "fresh" cheese tortellini (for frozen, put them in with the zuchinni and reduce the water by 1/2 a cup)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Brown the sausage in a large pot. Drain off the grease and set the meat aside (on a paper towel to catch the excess grease).
2. Sweat the onions, carrots, and garlic. The onions should be slightly translucent, but still have crunch.
3. Add the sausage back into the pot. Then add in the beef stock, diced tomatoes, water, tomato sauce,  Progresso's Fire Roasted Tomatoes, bay leaf, and 1 TBSP pepper and 1 TBSP salt. 
4. Cover and turn on high to bring to a boil. Let boil for 15 minutes.
5. Turn the stove to medium or medium-low until you get a low simmer. Add in the baby button mushrooms and zucchini.
6. Let cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the zucchini is starting to become soft.
7. Add in the tortellini and continue cooking at medium of a low boil until the tortellini are cooked to your preferred level of doneness. 
8. Add in the Parmesan cheese. Let simmer for 5 more minutes.
9. Serve with garlic bread on the side. Additional Parmesan also adds a nice touch.

Lemony Orzo with Tuna and Artichoke Hearts

Lemony Orzo with Tuna and Artichoke Hearts
Serves: 4

I found this recipe on FineCooking.com and thought it sounded good. Plus I had all the ingredients on hand already.I did not have sun-dried tomatoes, so I threw in some halved cherry tomatoes when I added the tuna. I also only had light tuna and not chunk white. For the wine I used a small bottle of Barefoot Chardonnay. It turned out delicious.

Ingredients

• Kosher salt  
• 1-1/2 cups dried orzo (about 9 oz.)  
• 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil  
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped  
• Freshly ground black pepper  
• 1/3 cup dry vermouth or white wine  
• 1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered  
• 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced  
• 1 5-oz. can water-packed solid white tuna, drained  
• 3 Tbs. sour cream  
• 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice  
• 3 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh basil  

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package timing until al dente. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. 
3. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the vermouth or wine. Return the skillet to the heat and stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. 
4. Add the artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes and cook just until tender and heated through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Off the heat, gently stir in the tuna.
5. Transfer the hot orzo to a large bowl and toss with the crème fraîche and lemon juice. 
6. Add the onion-artichoke mixture, 2 Tbs. of the basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently to combine. 
7. Spoon into bowls, garnish with the remaining 1 Tbs. basil, and serve.

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 470; Fat (g): 12; Fat Calories (kcal): 110; Saturated Fat (g): 4; Protein (g): 23; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 5; Carbohydrates (g): 60; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 1.5; Sodium (mg): 710; Cholesterol (mg): 25; Fiber (g): 4

Italian Sausage Fettuccine with Mozzarella, Basil, and Sun Dried Tomato Sauce

Italian Sausage Fettuccine with Mozzarella, Basil, and Sun Dried Tomato Sauce

Servings: 4

Time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients:

4 frozen Italian sausages (preferred kind)

4 wedges laughing cow Sun-dried Tomatoes, Basil, and Mozzarella cheese

1 yellow onion, cut into small slices

1 can diced tomatoes with liquid

1 package of cooked garden fresh fettuccine

½ cup chicken broth

2 TBSP minced garlic

Instructions:

1.  Cook the fettuccine as directed and to the desired tenderness.
2.  Cut frozen sausages into angled pieces. Take the cases off after cutting if you want to.
3.  Cook the sausage pieces in a pot with the garlic.
4. While the sausage cooks, cut the onions into halved medium-thin strips. Then add to the pan with the sausage.
5. Let cook together until the unions are starting to turn translucent. Then add the can of diced tomatoes and chicken broth.
6. Make sure you drain your noodles and rinse them under cold water. Let sit while you finish what is in the pot.
7. Once the liquid in the pot is boiling, add four-5 wedges of Laughing Cow Sun-dried Tomatoes, Basil, and Mozzarella cheese. Mash and blend with a fork or spoon.
8. After you combined the cheese into a thin sauce, add the pasta to the pot and toss. Let simmer until the dish is fully combined.

Savoury Sausage Bake (Sainsbury's Experiment Night 7)

Week 2 is looking promising with some really quick and easy meals that helped to cut the corners. Our first night I am a bit nervous about, because I think I am confusing pork sausages with breakfast sausages. I'm not sure if that makes sense or not, but I'm just worried about the meat in the dish. The rest sounds delish.

Savoury Sausage Bake
Serves 4
Cook time: 15 minutes
Prep time: 30 minutes

You will need:
400g Taste the difference ultimate pork sausages (or flavored pork sausage of your choice)
300g basics broccoli (chopped up broccoli)
250g Be good to yourself mozzarella (2 fresh mozz ball)
500g penne
390g chopped tomatoes with basil & oregano
(Items from your store cupboard: cooking oil).

Method
1. Grill a pack of Taste the difference ultimate pork sausages (refer to pack for cooking instructions) and cut each one into four pieces.
2. In an ovenproof dish, mix the sausage pieces with cooked penne, a carton of chopped tomatoes and cooked broccoli.
3. Top with sliced mozzarella and bake for 20 minutes at 200c, fan 180c, gas 6, or until the cheese is melted, for an easy dinner.

What a homerun with this meal! Granted, the pasta was a bit overwhelming compared to the amount of the other ingredients, but the dish was absolutely delicious! This is definitely one we will cook again. Quick, easy, delicious AND there were leftovers, so the happiness will continue at lunch tomorrow!

Sainsbury's Experiment Night 6

Tonight is the last night of Week 1 of our Sainsbury's Experiment. Tonight is the Spinach and Ricotta Pasta Bake. The problem I am running into so far is that they don't have appropriate portion packets on the pasta, so I'm ending up with alot of leftover pasta. My biggest mistake is that I shouldn't cook the pasta, I should try to portion it out and then write on the ziplock bag how much is left, roughly. So not only do I have a cold pasta salad leftover from last night's dinner (took the leftover penne and made a salad from it), but now I have leftover fusilli that I don't know what to do with. But here's tonight's dinner:

Spinach and Ricotta Pasta Bake

Ingredients
50g Butter
A bunch of Spring onions, finely sliced
250g Frozen chopped spinach, thawed
200g Dried penne or fusilli pasta
A generous grating Nutmeg
30g Freshly grated grana padano
250g Ricotta

Method
1. Heat 40g butter in a pan, add the spring onions and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Squeeze excess water from the spinach and add to the pan. Leave over a low heat to absorb the butter.
3. Cook the pasta according to pack instructions.
4. Season the spinach and onions with salt, black pepper and nutmeg.
5. Add 20g grana padano.
6. Drain the pasta and tip into the spinach.
7. Stir in the ricotta mixture and spoon into a buttered dish.
8. Scatter with the rest of the grana padano.
9. Melt the remaining butter, trickle over, place under the grill and heat until golden.

Serves: 3
Per Serving:546 kcal, 22.7g protein, 28.2g fat, of which 16.8g saturated fat, 53.7g carbohydrate, 0g added sugars, 4.0g fibre and 1.0g salt

I don't know if I would cook this again. For one, the recipe was too heavy on the spinach and I would maybe have added another cheese, like some mozzerella. And, for whatever reason, it is incredibly heavy on the tummy. Definitely not a date-night meal. I am also shocked by how much is leftover. This is disappointing, because I didn't really enjoy the meal much to begin with. Additionally, I have the pasta issue I addressed above.

But Ray loved the meal. He said it was like a quiche, but with pasta instead of egg. He thought it was so great, he went back for seconds, whereas I could barely finish my first bowl. Ray also declared he would be finishing the rest of it tomorrow. Go figure!

So we were split on the last recipe for the day.

Sainsbury's Experiment Night 5

Apparently I had been saying I was cooking the wrong thing tonight. I thought the prawns were int he spinach pasta bake! My bad. Tonight is the Penne with Prawns and Courgettes. The current standing for the week on meals is 3/4.

Penne with Prawns and Courgettes
Serves: 4

Per Serving:440cals; 10g fat

Ingredients
350g Dried penne
3 tbsp Olive oil
2 Courgettes, trimmed and cut into batons
2 Garlic cloves fat, peeled and finely chopped
1 Red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 glass Dry white wine
1 x 220g pack Cooked large king prawns
½ Lemon zest grated
a handful of Flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Method
1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the penne according to pack instructions.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil, add the courgettes and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened and golden, stirring in the garlic and chilli for the final 2 minutes.
3. Next, add the wine and prawns, bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes.
4. Drain the pasta and toss with the prawn mixture, lemon zest and parsley.
5. Season to taste.

Tonight was another hit! Ray speculated that pork would go well, because of the citrus and that was when I told him that instead of zesting, I added lemon juice. It created an absolutely delicious sauce which went remarkeably well with the pasta and vegetables. We will definitely be making this again. That's 4/5 for the Sainsbury's experiment, with only one dish left for tomorrow night, which should also yield leftovers for a mix-n-match dinner evening Monday night.

As for it making 4 servings, I have to disagree. Maybe 4 servings for 4 children, but this hardly made a large frying pan full. I guess it depends on how much pasta you add. We didn't have a huge pan to add a ton of pasta. So if you have more people, portion your pasta accordingly. I'd just cook a whole pack and save the cooked pasta for a pasta salad lunch the next day.

Sainsbury's Experiment Night 3

Night three was a disaster. Our scheduled meal was supposed to be Jerk Chicken with coconut bean rice, but I forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer and it didn't thaw in time for dinner. So we switched things around and made the Chorizo and Pasta Hot Pot.

Chorizo and Pasta Hot Pot

Ingredients
100g pack Spanish chorizo
2 onions
390g carton chopped tomatoes (or can of chopped tomatoes)
250g pack conchigliette
400g White farmhouse loaf (or any preferred thick cut bread or rolls)

1 vegetable stock cube (or chicken) or 1 liter vegetable stock

1 small can of preferred peas

Method
1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or saucepan and add 2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped. Add 1 x 100g pack Spanish chorizo, with each slice halved, and fry until crispy.
2. Add 1 x 390g carton chopped tomatoes and stir in 250g conchigliette.
3. Add 1 litre vegetable stock, made with 1 stock cube, and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add 1 can peas and cook for another 5 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the peas are cooked.

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve in large bowls with chunks of bread on the side

Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

What a hit this was. It was even supposed to make 4 portions, but made roughly 6 portions, so now we have lunch for tomorrow! I was so thrilled with this dish. It is a perfect "winter" dish or comfort food. I love one-pot dishes and I was so nervous about this because of our last chorizo experiment with the tomato pancakes, but this was so delicious!

Sainsbury's Experiment Night 2

Tonight we made our second dinner from my Sainsbury's shopping experiment. I chose to make the Prawn, Avocado, Lime and Chilli Noodles dish. I was a little unsure about this dish, mostly for Ray, because he doesn't like avocado very much, but it had hints of oriental noodle flavors that I have played around with in the past. My only personal concern was for the rice noodles, which I struggle with cooking.

Prawn, Avocado, Lime and Chilli Noodles

Ingredients
60g (2½oz)Thai rice noodles
2 large avocado
2 large red chillies
2 limes, zest and juice
1 pinch of sugar
2 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
1 handful Frozen Soya beans, defrosted
1 x 220g pack Cooked jumbo king prawns
3 tbsp Chopped fresh coriander
2 tbsp Chopped fresh mint
2 tbsp Chopped peanuts

Method
1. Soak the rice noodles in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, drain and rinse in cold water, then leave to cool.
2. Peel and chop the avocado, and finely chop the chillies, removing the seeds. Toss the lime zest and juice in a bowl with the chillies, sugar, sesame oil, avocado, soya beans and a pinch of salt.
3. Add the prawns to the bowl with the herbs and noodles.
4. Toss together and serve in bowls, scattered with the peanuts.

Serves: 2
Per Serving:602cals, 38.8g fat, of which 7.1g saturated fat; 31.5g carbohydrate; 31g protein; 1g added sugar; 0.6g salt; 6.1g fiber

Tonight's dish was almost a miss. I originally forgot the pinch of sugar and my portion had a few too many soya beans. I ended up cooking the shrimp in some garlic and a little bit of butter before adding, which really helped enhance the dish. I have no pictures, because I thought the dish would not be a re-do, but Ray ended up enjoying and we're going to try to make it again at a later date. It was very easy to make and very filling, because of the vegetables.

My Sainsbury's Experiment

I did something crazy today, which was simply on a whim, but I was so taken by the idea, that I couldn't help myself. I was trying to purchase something on Sainsburys.com, but I didn't spend £40, so it wouldn't let me order it. So I was bouncing through recipes (those Fiver recipes that Sainsburys boasts about) and I found some great ideas. And as I looked at them, I noticed you could order the groceries online. You could hit the "order ingredients" and it would take you to a page where you could order all of the ingredients! I was blown away. I ended up picking 6 meals and ordering the ingredients. Some even shared similar ingredients, which allowed me to only purchase some items once. I did notice that sometimes some items weren't listed and I had to hunt them down and add them myself, but that's okay.

So when I did the math, minus the 4 silly cheap items I bought and the £3.50 delivery fee, £42.50 for 6 meals. That's £7 a meal, most of which will have leftovers for the following day (don't do the conversion, because its not applicable to you if you aren't paying according to the living standards of here)! I think that's absolutely brilliant! So here are the recipes from Sainsbury's that I'll be trying:

Chorizo and pasta hot pot
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
100g pack Spanish chorizo
2onions
390g carton chopped tomatoes
250g pack conchigliette
400gWhite farmhouse loaf

Method
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or saucepan and add 2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped. Add 1 x 100g pack Spanish chorizo, with each slice halved, and fry until crispy.
Add 1 x 390g carton chopped tomatoes and stir in 120g conchigliette.
Add 1 liter vegetable stock, made with 1 stock cube, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add a handful of frozen peas and cook for another 5 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the peas are cooked.
Serve in large bowls with chunks of bread on the side

Spinach and ricotta pasta bake
Serves: 3
Per Serving: 546 kcal, 22.7g protein, 28.2g fat, of which 16.8g saturated fat, 53.7g carbohydrate, 0g added sugars, 4.0g fiber and 1.0g salt

Ingredients
50g Butter
A bunch of Spring onions, finely sliced
250g Frozen chopped spinach, thawed
200g Dried penne or fusilli pasta
A generous grating Nutmeg
30g Freshly grated grana padano
250g Ricotta

Method
Heat 40g butter in a pan, add the spring onions and cook for 2 minutes.
Squeeze excess water from the spinach and add to the pan. Leave over a low heat to absorb the butter.
Cook the pasta according to pack instructions.
Season the spinach and onions with salt, black pepper and nutmeg.
Add 20g grana padano.
Drain the pasta and tip into the spinach.
Stir in the ricotta mixture and spoon into a buttered dish.
Scatter with the rest of the grana padano.
Melt the remaining butter, trickle over, place under the grill and heat until golden.

Thai burgers
Per Serving: 376kcal, 41.3g protein, 11.4g fat, of which 2.8g saturated fat, 28.9g carbohydrate, 0g added sugars, 1.6g fiber and 1.2g salt

Ingredients
500gTurkey mince
1 bunch Spring onions, finely sliced
1½ tbsp Thai green or red curry paste
½ x 25g pack Coriander, chopped
a little Sunflower oil, for frying
4Crusty white round rolls
½ Round lettuce

Method
In a bowl, mix the turkey mince, spring onions, curry paste and coriander together until well combined.
Season and shape into 4 burgers, about 2cm thick.
Heat a little oil in a large, nonstick frying pan and cook the burgers over a medium heat for about 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
Halve the rolls and fill with lettuce leaves and a burger.

Penne with prawns and courgettes
Serves: 4
Per Serving:440cals; 10g fat

Ingredients
350g Dried penne
3 tbsp Olive oil
2 Courgettes, trimmed and cut into batons
2 Garlic cloves fat, peeled and finely chopped
1 Red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 glass Dry white wine
1 x 220g pack Cooked large king prawns
½ Lemon zest grated
a handful of Flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Method
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the penne according to pack instructions.
Meanwhile, heat the oil, add the courgettes and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened and golden, stirring in the garlic and chilli for the final 2 minutes.
Next, add the wine and prawns, bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes.
Drain the pasta and toss with the prawn mixture, lemon zest and parsley.
Season to taste.

Prawn, Avocado, Lime and Chilli Noodles
Serves: 2
Per Serving: 602cals, 38.8g fat, of which 7.1g saturated fat; 31.5g carbohydrate; 31g protein; 1g added sugar; 0.6g salt; 6.1g fiber

Ingredients
60g (2½oz) Thai rice noodles
1 large avocado
1 large avocado
2 large red chillies
2 limes, zest and juice
1 pinch of sugar
2 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
1 handful Frozen Soya beans, defrosted
1 x 220g pack Cooked jumbo king prawns
3 tbsp Chopped fresh coriander
2 tbsp Chopped fresh mint
2 tbsp Chopped peanuts

Method
Soak the rice noodles in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, drain and rinse in cold water, then leave to cool.
Peel and chop the avocado, and finely chop the chilies, removing the seeds. Toss the lime zest and juice in a bowl with the chilies, sugar, sesame oil, avocado, soya beans and a pinch of salt.
Add the prawns to the bowl with the herbs and noodles.
Toss together and serve in bowls, scattered with the peanuts.

Jerk chicken with coconut bean rice
Serves: 4

Ingredients
200g Long grain rice
1 x 410g tin Black-eye beans
1 x 400ml tin Coconut milk
8 Chicken thighs
1½ tbsp Jerk seasoning mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tbsp Vegetable oil
2 Medium onions, peeled and sliced
1 Zest and juice of lime

Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7.
Bring a pan of water to the boil, and simmer the rice for 10 minutes.
Drain, return to the pan with the black-eye beans and their juice and the coconut milk.
Simmer for 5-7 minutes until cooked through.
Toss the chicken thighs with the jerk seasoning mix and the oil.
Fry over a high heat for 3 minutes in a large ovenproof frying pan.
Add the sliced onions to the pan, lift the chicken on top, fry for 2 minutes, place in the oven and roast for 15 minutes until cooked through
Serve on the coconut bean rice sprinkled with lime zest and juice

My delivery is on Tuesday, the same day as my fruit and veg delivery from Damhead, so I hope to incorporate the two. EXCITEMENT!!!!

Fusilli with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This recipe is from foodnetwork.com and was done by Giada De Laurentiis on her show Everyday Italian in the episode Stress-Free Italian. So you know its an easy recipe. If you had Christmas lunch with us in 2006, this is the pasta dish we cooked. I've tweaked it over the years as I've cooked it more and more often, so don't be scared to make the recipe your own.

Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients
3/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, 2 tablespoons of oil reserved
1 pound Italian hot sausages, casings removed
2 (8-ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts (I use canned, quartered artichokes, drained)
2 large cloves garlic, chopped (2 teaspoons minced garlic)
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
16 ounces fusilli pasta
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, plus additional for garnish
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
8 ounces water-packed fresh mozzarella, drained and cubed, optional (do not use shredded mozz)


Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions
Heat the oil reserved from the tomatoes in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown, breaking up the meat into bite-size pieces with a fork, about 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl. Add the artichokes and garlic to the same skillet, and saute over medium heat until the garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, wine, and sun-dried tomatoes. Boil over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fusilli in boiling water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta (do not rinse). Add the pasta, sausage, 1/2 cup Parmesan, basil, and parsley to the artichoke mixture. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta. Stir in the mozzarella. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve, passing the additional Parmesan cheese alongside.

Note: We took out the parmesan cheese and it tasted quite good.

Creamy Tuna and Pasta

Creamy Tuna and Pasta

Ray and I made this a month or two ago and I found it when going through my recipes that I hadn't posted. I got it off of the Sainsbury's website and it turned out really delicious.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Nutrition per serving: 452 calories, 25g fat (of which saturated fat 9g), 0.69g salt, 3g sugar

INGREDIENTS:
200g pasta (we used penne)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, chopped (or an onion if you can't find shallots)
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
100g mushrooms, chopped (didn't add because I am allergic)
185g can tuna, drained
3 tablespoons double cream
freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water, according to the pack instructions.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small frying pan and cook the shallots and green pepper until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes more.

3. Stir in the tuna and cream and heat through. Season to taste.

4. Drain the pasta and toss with the tuna sauce.

Cheese Sauce with Vegetables, Meatballs, and Tagliatelle

Cheese Sauce with Vegetables, Meatballs, and Tagliatelle


Veggie Medley
2 courgette (zucchini) - cut into chunks
1 Ramiro Peppers (long red pepper, usually has a sweet taste) - cut into chunks
1 large onion - cut into chunks
15 cherry tomatoes (or however many you want) - halved
1 head of broccoli - cut as close to the top in small pieces

On a tray lay down the courgettes and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and salt and paper on them, cover them with foil and put in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes. Then move to the broiler, uncover. Drain off any water before broiling. Broil until slightly browned.

In a frying pan, on medium-low cook the chunked onions and chunk peppers until tender or preferred crispiness.

Cook the broccoli in water in a pot until at desired tenderness.

When everything is almost done, put the tomatoes under the broiler until slightly tender, but still whole.

Combine in a bowl together.

Meatballs
500g ground beef (a little over 1lb beef)
1 egg
1 TBSP Worchester Sauce
2 TBSP whole grain mustard
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp red peppers
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Make the meatballs as small as possible, or to whatever size you would prefer. Just make sure they are not too small, or they may get too dry. Cover with foil and cook for about 15 minutes at 350. If you make them very small, it will take less time. Just check on them often.

When done, put into large mixing bowl with vegetables, unless you have large meatballs and want to designate a certain number per serving.


Jarlsburg Cheese Sauce
2 TBSP water
1 Knorr chicken bullion cube
286g jarlsburg cheese (shredded)
1/3 cup double cream (heavy cream)
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1 small (very small) onion or half a normal sized onion
2 TBSP butter

Sautee onions, bullion, and garlic on a low heat with butter until lightly colored. Then, still on a low heat, add the shredded cheese, butter, pepper and cream. After a bit creamy, add water to thin it out.

Make sure not to curdle the sauce, so keep it on very very low.


How to serve:
In a bowl, place the noodles. On top of that place your vegetable and meatball mixture. Then top with 2-3 spoonfuls of cheese sauce, depending on how much you want.

Cheese Sauce over Tagliatelle Pasta with Broccoli

Cheese Sauce over Tagliatelle Pasta with Broccoli

Cut off the tops of the broccoli so you have a lot of small florets. Steam them until they are tender.

Cook your pasta.

Jarlsburg Cheese Sauce
2 TBSP water
1 Knorr chicken bullion cube
286g jarlsburg cheese (shredded)
1/3 cup double cream (heavy cream)
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1 small (very small) onion or half a normal sized onion
2 TBSP butter

Sautee onions and garlic on a low heat with a little extra virgin olive oil until lightly colored. Then, still on a low heat, added the shredded cheese, butter, bullion cube, pepper and cream. Save the water for last in case you mixture is too thick. Use it as a thinning agent.

Put pasta in serving bowl. Add broccoli. Pour cheese sauce over. Do this individually or in a large bowl. It is up to you.

You can serve this with a breaded white fish on top or maybe some chicken. We intend to experiment to find the best meat. And tomorrow we're going to make this again, no meat, but with lots of veggies like zucchini, vine ripe cherry tomatoes, broccoli and onions. Will post.

Gnocchi with Tomato Vodka Cream Sauce

Gnocchi with Tomato Vodka Cream Sauce
(Serves 2-3)

I just buy the gnocchi pre-made, which is the easiest. I have yet to really experiment with making it myself, but this entire meal takes like 10 minutes. So follow the directions on your gnocchi package (probably boiling them) and once they’re done and drained, mix with the sauce and serve.

Vodka Cream Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium chopped onion
2 tablespoon vodka
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 cup preferred Tomato Sauce

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften. Add the vodka, cream, and tomato sauce, and simmer until the flavors blend, 2 to 3 minutes.

Finish the dish with a small handful of shredded mozzarella cheese. It'll melt in and tie it all together.

Jim’s Magnificent Ravioli of Power

As part of a new project I am working on, I decided to use our friend Jim as my first participant. He filled out a questionnaire about his tastes in food and from it, I tried to come up with a recipe that he might like. It doesn’t have to be his favorite, but it will hopefully be something that he could potentially enjoy cooking and could claim as a special dish to cook when company comes over. I don’t know. So here is the dish I created for our friend Jim.

Jim’s Magnificent Ravioli of Power
(AKA Jim’s Meat and Potatoes Ravioli with Gruyere Cheese Sauce)
(6-7 Servings/ 4-5 ravioli each)

The Filling
2/3 package skirt steak
McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
4 peeled, cubed potatoes
1 head of broccoli
1/2 diced yellow/white onion
1 TBSP butter or margarine
150g cubed Camembert
1/2 TBSP dried chilies
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 TBSP butter or margarine

First bring a pot of water to boil and put the potatoes in. Cook them until they are ready to be mashed. Once drained, place potatoes in a large mixing bowl and mash them with 3 TBSP margarine or butter.

While the potatoes are cooking, start boiling your broccoli. Should only take 8-10 minutes, or until tender. When the potatoes are mashed, drain the broccoli and add it to the mixture, mashing the broccoli into the potatoes.

If you have a third burner and can multi-task, cook the onion with the 1 TBSP butter or margarine. Sautee until somewhat translucent. Add to the mixing bowl.

Add the salt, pepper, and dried chili.

Rinse and prepare your steak. Season each side of the steak lightly with the Steak Seasoning. Either grill until medium or use a frying pan. Once ready, cut as thin as possible at an angle. Then dice the meat and add it to the mixture. Use your masher to integrate everything. Then remove the masher.

Take your camembert and cut off the white outer layer. Then cut into small pieces to add to the mixture. Mix them into the bowl using a spoon. Put this mixture aside while you make the pasta.

Vegetarians: Simply take out the steak. Everything else should be fine.
Non-Beef Eaters: Do not substitute another meat, just take out the steak and eat it as is.


The Pasta (makes about 28-30 ravioli)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

By Hand: On a clean surface make a well with the flour. This well should go all the way to the bottom of your flour mound so that the mixture doesn’t spill out everywhere. In a measuring cup mix the eggs, water and oil and salt. Pour the wet mixture slowly into the flour and mix until all of the wet is incorporated. Do not force the dough to take all of the flour. If you are going to use a pasta machine to roll out the dough you may at this point form the dough into a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to rest. If you going to roll this by hand you should knead the dough on a floured work surface for 8 to 10 minutes.

By Food Processor: In the bowl of your food processor combine the flour and salt and pulse 2 to 3 times. In a liquid measuring cup whisk the eggs, water and oil. While pulsing the machine pour this mixture in a continuous stream and continue running the machine until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Follow directions above for hand rolling or machine.

Make sure the dough is incorporated well and roll it out as thin as you can make it. Then cut 3-4in x 3-4in circles (a coffee mug is a good mould if you don’t have one). After you cut out each, roll it out a little more with your pin or use your hand so that you are sure it’s a good, thin circle.

Then place 1 TBSP of the mixture into the ring and fold over. Seal the pasta edges. You can either use an egg wash or make little pie crust folds along the edges to ensure it staying together. Put these aside until the water is ready to boil.


To Cook Pasta: boil a pot of water with 1 TBSP of vegetable oil and 1 TBSP salt. Once the water is rapidly boiling, drop in your pastas. Depending on thickness you will probably want to cook your pasta 10-20 minutes.

NOTE: If you really don’t want to make fresh pasta, you can buy wonton wrappers at the grocery store and follow the directions listed on the package.

The White Cheese Sauce
1 chopped onion
2 oz butter
2 oz flour
2 cup milk
2 handful of grated gruyere cheese

Sautee butter and onion on medium heat in saucepan for 2 minutes, add flour and milk and bring to a bubble on high. Add cheese, stir and cook until liquid consistency.

1 large ladle of cheese sauce should cover 4 pastas.


Storage: store your uncooked pastas in a Tupperware container, separating levels with foil if necessary. Store the sauce in normal Tupperware. Reheat carefully in microwave (cheese does burn easily).

Please check back later to find out what to do with leftover mixture, if you have any.