Potato Kielbasa Skillet

Based on the Recipe from Taste of Homes.

4 servings
According to MyFitnessPal, each serving is 307 calories.

Ingredients

• 1 pound red potatoes, cubed
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 Hillshire Farms Lite Polska Kielbasa (sliced)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1.5 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach

Directions

1. Place potatoes and water in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high until tender; drain. It took my microwave somewhere between 5-8 minutes for these little guys to get tender.
2. In a large skillet, saute kielbasa, garlic, and onion in oil until onion is tender. Add potatoes; saute 3-5 minutes longer or until kielbasa and potatoes are lightly browned.
3. Combine the brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, and pepper; stir into skillet. 
4. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. 
5. Add spinach; cook and stir until spinach is wilted.

Another Beef and Broccoli

Another Beef and Broccoli

Once again, inspired by a Rachael Ray recipe, but sadly it was not orangy enough for my taste. But it was a delicious Beef and Broccoli recipe. So I've adjusted the recipe to make it a bit less misleading about the orange flavor. This also provided great leftovers for a good portioned lunch the next day. We made some homemade fried rice, but this would also go well with some plain rice, because the sauce is so flavorful. It served two of us with a third leftover comfortably.

Ingredients

• 4 cups broccoli
• 1 1/4 cups beef broth
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons plum sauce
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 1 3/4 pound flank steak sliced thin
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions

1. In a pot, bring water to a boil.
2. Cut the broccoli into 1-inch florets.
3. Boil the broccoli until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes, then drain the broccoli and rinse under cold water. Save the pot.
4. In the pot, stir together the broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, plum sauce and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Simmer on medium, whisking occasionally.
5. Slice the steak 1/4 inch thick, then cut the slices crosswise into thirds; toss with the remaining 3 tablespoons cornstarch.
6. In a pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the steak and  cook, turning, until the meat is barely pink, about 2 minutes. Transfer the meat to a paper-towel-lined plate.
7. Stir in the meat, broccoli and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Cheesy Ham and Corn Chowder

Cheesy Ham and Corn Chowder
Serves 4 (as a meal)

Once again, Ray has found a recipe that has been quite delicious. This was a recipe he had saved from a long time ago when he wanted to start cooking meals and when he looked it up again, he realized it came from Hormel! The soup, though, was definitely a treat when I arrived home after struggling through snow just to get home. It wasn't completely what I thought, but it was delicious. Chowders are a creamy broth with whole food chunks. I had thought it was going to be a creamy corn soup with ham. I was pleasantly surprised when it wasn't what I expected. A must cook again treat! Leftovers were also very delicious!

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon light olive oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups water
• 2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
• 4 yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 cups shredded Colby cheese
• 2 cups Farmland diced ham
• 1 4oz jar of Dromedary Pimentos
• Sliced green onions (garnish)
• 1 TBSP poultry seasoning (sage)

Instructions

1. In large saucepan, cook onion in oil, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes or until tender.
2. Stir in flour until smooth. Keep stirring, making sure it does not burn.
3. Stir in water, bouillon, potatoes, seasoning and pepper.
4. Cover saucepan; cook, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
5. Stir in milk, corn, cheese, ham and roasted peppers. Cook 8 to 10 minutes longer or until heated thoroughly.
6. Once broth is to a preferred consistency and potatoes are cooked, serve and garnish with sliced green onions.

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.

Lemony Asparagus Gnocchi

Lemony Asparagus Gnocchi
Serves 4

Necessity is the mother of invention. I know that I have cod. I know that I have gnocchi. What can I do with cod and gnocchi? I found a recipe on Life Takes Lemons and I was excited to try it. In all honestly, my husband was dubious at best. Fish AND gnocchi are not a winning combination for him. But I went ahead with it anyways. I have split up the two recipes into two different entries, making my own adjustments to what we cooked based on the original recipes, but they link to each other. Paired, they are Spicy Panko Cod with Lemony Asparagus Gnocchi. This meal was so delicious and filling! Even my cod and gnocchi disliking husband demanded we cook it again.

Ingredients

• 1 pkg gnocchi
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Bacon Bits (real bacon preferred)
• pepper to taste
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 TBSP Tarragon
• 6 TBSP butter

Instructions

1. Boil water and cook gnocchi for 2-3 minutes or as directed. 
2. Meanwhile, break off the asparagus by snapping it in the place where it gives the most. 
3. In a frying pan, add the asparagus, butter, bacon bits, garlic and tarragon. Cook asparagus to preferred doneness.  
4. In a bowl, toss lemon juice, pepper, and asparagus.
5. Add gnocchi and toss again. Serve.

Broccoli, Kale, and Potato Frittata

Broccoli, Kale, and Potato Frittata
Serves 4

Based on Rachael Ray's Broccoli Rabe Frittata and Fennel Salad, but I wanted to add Kale and use egg whites for half of the eggs in the recipe. It turned out deliciously!

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons EVOO
• Salt and pepper
• 1 bunch  broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
• 4 large leaves of kale, striped from the stalk, tore into chunks
• 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced (setting 1 on a handheld mandolin)
• 1 large yukon gold, thinly sliced (setting 1 on a handheld mandolin)
• 3 ounces pecorino-romano, grated
• 5 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup egg whites

Instructions

1. Preheat the broiler.
2. In a large, ovenproof skillet, heat 1 tbsp. EVOO over medium-high heat. Stir in the broccoli and kale with 1/2 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until crisp-tender. Drain and transfer to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 3 tbsp. EVOO to the skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and onions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until tender.
4. Add the kale and broccoli; cook for 2 minutes.
5. Stir half of the cheese into the eggs; season with salt and pepper. Pour evenly over the vegetables.
6. Cook until set around the edges of the pan but still jiggly in the center.
7. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. 
8. Transfer to the oven and broil until set and golden.

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.

Cheesy Broccoli-Potato Mash

Cheesy Broccoli-Potato Mash
Servings: 6

I wanted something healthy to go along with my mashed potatoes. I used this as a filling once for a ravioli, but I thought I'd see if I could make it healthier and use it as a side for my healthy meatloaf. A recipe showed up on EatingWell.com, so I tried it. You can get all then nutritional information on their website for the recipe. It breaks down to about 135 calories per 2/3 cup of potatoes. It was awesome, even though it was lacking a little love in the butter department. Ahem. But here it is with my changes.

Ingredients

• 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into wedges
• 4 cups broccoli crowns, chopped
• 3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk, heated
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Place potatoes and broccoli in and cook until tender.
3. Transfer the broccoli and potatoes to a large bowl and coarsely mash with a potato masher. 
4. Add the cheese, milk, salt and pepper and continue mashing to desired consistency. 
5. Serve immediately.

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.

Quick Ladybug Lunch Pizzas

Quick Ladybug Lunch Pizzas
Serves 6

These pizzas were inspired by Rachael Ray's kid-friendly ladybug pizzas, but I made them for the whole family using a whole wheat thin crust pizza. My 2-year-old daughter LOVED them! She felt like such a big girl!

Ingredients

• 1 package (3 crusts) Golden Homes Whole Grain Ultra Thin Pizza Crust
• 2 large Vine Ripe Tomatoes
• 1 package Sargento Reduced-Fat Provolone Slices
• 1 package Sargento Fat-Free Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 2 small cans chopped black olives
• 2-3 TBSP Contadina pizza squeeze sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400. 
2. On the crust, put a thin layer of sauce. 
3. Put 3 pieces of provolone on each pizza. Then sprinkle the sauced areas with the mozzarella, distributing evenly.
4. Thinly slice the tomatoes and layer them on the pizzas. Also spread out the chopped black olives across the pizzas.
5. Cook for 5-8 minutes, longer if you need the top cooked (move closer to the top of the oven). 
6. Salt and pepper to taste.

Zucchini Mini Margharita Pizzas

Zucchini Mini Margharita Pizzas
I had to use tiny zucchini based on availability at my grocery store, but it still works out just fine. You just get small pizzas.

Ingredients

•     2 small zucchini
•     1 medium tomato diced tiny
•     1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
•     1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
•     1 1/2 TBSP minced garlic
•     Tomato pizza sauce

Instructions

1.     Slice the zucchini into 1/4 in pieces.
2.     Grill or broil the zucchini on a rack for 15 minutes on Hi (if broiling).
3.     Preheat oven to 400F.
4.     Dice the tomato.
5.     When the zucchini is finished cooking, transfer to a cookie sheet or baking tray.Make sure there is space between the zucchini slices.
6.     I recommend using a tomato sauce in a squirt bottle and put one drop on each zucchini.
7.     Follow up with a little bit of garlic on each.
8.     Then take the mozzarella and sprinkle a bit on each, pushing down to spread the garlic and sauce.
9.     Now put a pinch of grated Parmesan on each.
10.     Top off each of the zucchini pieces with a tiny piece of tomato.
11.     Put in the oven until the cheese is melted. About 10-15 minutes.
12.     Season with salt and pepper as desired and serve.

Cucumber, Onion, and Tomato Salad

Cucumber, Onion, and Tomato Salad
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3 Vine Ripe Tomatoes
• 1 large Cucumber
• 1 large Red or Vidalia onion
• 1.5 cups Zesty Italian Dressing
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1. Wash your tomatoes and cucumber. Then skin the cucumber and cut into chunky slices. Then quarter the slices and put into a larger seal-able bowl. 
2. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and remove the seeds. Then cut each quarter in half and cut each section into three pieces. Put into bowl with cucumber.
3. Cut and peel onion and cut each half into quarter inch slices, then halve the slices (so you have a quartered onion with each section cut into quarter inch slices). Add to bowl with cucumber and tomatoes.
4. Add 1.5 cups Zesty Italian Dressing to the bowl. Add a little sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cover and shake the container to mix. Taste and adjust seasoning.
5. Put into refrigerator to chill. Best served the same day. Not as good after 2 days.

Baby Twice-Baked Potatoes

I was inspired by a recipe I saw through the Baby Bullet Facebook page and I could not wait to make them for my daughter. Then I realized they would make great little dinner party appetizers or little sporting event snacks, etc.

What I also thought was that if I made these for adults, I would not blend the mixture as much and make it more chunky, use different cheese and be more adult-taste-bud-friendly. You know your audience and can adjust as you see fit.

Baby Twice-Baked Potatoes
Serving: 1 (12m old baby)

Ingredients

• 4 baby red potatoes
• 3 small stocks of already cooked broccoli
• 2 baby carrots
• 2 TBSP freshly shredded Asiago cheese (half for sprinkling before baking)
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Wash your potatoes, poke them, and put them on a baking sheet in the oven. Cook until tender.
2. Carefully cut in half and scoop out the middle. I stress carefully, because the skin might peel off. Don't panic, just keep going.
3. Put the scooped out middles, broccoli, baby carrots, vegetable broth, and 1/2 the cheese into a food processor (or bullet blender) and mix to a smooth consistency (for baby).
4. Refill the skins with the mixture and sprinkle the leftover cheese on top. Put back into over and bake until cooked through.
5. Let cool and serve.

Tomato, Basil, and Orzo Soup

Tomato, Basil, and Orzo Soup
Serves: About 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 can Hunt's Diced Tomatoes - Basil, Garlic & Oregano
• 1 can Roundy's Diced Tomatoes - With Onion, Celery and Green Peppers
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 2 cups Vegetable Stock
• 3 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 5-6 fresh basil leaves chopped
• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 2 TBSP Montreal Steak Seasoning
• 4 TBSP Tomato Paste
• 4 TBSP Light Daisy Sour Cream
• shredded Parmesan cheese (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Follow the directions on the box and cook the Orzo to your desired tenderness. Put aside to mix it at the end.
2. Sweat down the onions and garlic with the olive oil until translucent.
3. Add in the 2 cans of diced tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable stock and seasoning.
4. Cook at medium until heated through and taste to make sure its seasoned well.
5. Then add in your chopped basil. Cook for 5 more minutes on medium so that the basil flavors combine.
6. Get out your hand blender (or use a blend or food processor) and blend the soup until smooth.
7. Add in the sour cream and blend a little more until combined.
8. Combine the Orzo with the soup on the stove top and heat through at low-medium heat until completely warm.
9. Serve with a little sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Note: Great with a Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil grilled cheese/panini!!

Balsamic Tomato and Mozzarella Bruschetta

Balsamic Tomato and Mozzarella Bruschetta

Ingredients

• 1 Baguette sliced into 1/4-1/3 in pieces at an angle
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
• Tiny Mozzarella Balls (Mozzarella Pearls)
• Cherry Tomatoes

Instructions

1. Slice your cherry tomatoes in half. You should have 3-4 per slice of baguette, depending on how long each slice is.  Put them in a bowl with enough Balsamic Vinaigrette to cover them. Mix them, then cover the bowl and put them in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
2. After the tomatoes have marinated, Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
3. Slice your baguette into 1/4-1/3 inch pieces at an angle.
4. Brush the slices with olive oil on both sides. Put onto a baking sheet and put into the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Watch them so that they don't burn. These shouldn't be too crunchy. You want a little bit of softness still in the middle. When done, let cool.
5. Get your bowl of cherry tomatoes and the mozzarella balls. Make sure you put the mozzarella balls on a paper towel before adding to the bruschetta if they were immersed in liquid. You should have a 1-to-1 ratio of tomato halves and mozzarella balls. Line them up in alternating order on the bread. Then drizzle with leftover Balsamic Vinaigrette.

If you want to add fresh Basil, that would be brilliant. Just make sure to layer or chop the fresh basil and make it a garnish on the bruschetta. These were absolutely delicious and were a great appetizer with our Sausage-and-Rice Timbale.

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 1

Night one of the experiment will be the Thai burgers and since it was just the burgers, we decided to add a soup. Our Damhead order came this afternoon, so we decided to make a parsnip and leek soup. I'm not really sure how the two will go together, but I'm thinking the playful flavors of the two will pair well.

Thai burgers (would cook again)
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
500g Turkey mince
1 bunch Spring onions, finely sliced
1½ tbsp Thai green or red curry paste (we used green)
½ x 25g pack Coriander, chopped
a little Sunflower oil, for frying
4 Crusty 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.

Note: We used an ale whole grain mustard, as well as ketchup and fresh tomatoes, which worked wonderfully with the burger.



Recipe for Parsnip and leek soup
3 parsnips
2 large leeks
Knob of butter
Olive oil
500ml vegetable stock
Bay leaf
2 cloves of garlic
250ml milk
4 tbsps crème fraiche

Heat a dash of olive oil and the knob of butter in a large, lidded, heavy-bottomed pan. Wash the leeks and slice thinly then add to the pan when the fat starts to bubble. Stir thoroughly until the leeks are covered and then cook on a medium heat until the leeks are soft and translucent, then crush and add the garlic and cook for five more minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and slice the parsnips, then add to the leeks and garlic, stir to combine well, then cover and sweat for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan.

After 10 minutes the parsnips should be soft. Turn the heat up a little and add the stock and bay leaf, plus salt and pepper, then cover and leave to simmer for 30-40 minutes, until it has a soft and mushy consistency. Remove the bay leaf, then add the milk, stir to combine then remove from the heat. Then blend the soup with a hand blender until smooth, return to the heat, and finally, add the creme fraiche for a special creamy finish.

Serve immediately with crusty bread and a bit of grated cheddar. The soup can also be frozen in separate portions. It can be reheated in the microwave, but it’s best heated up in a pan with a little milk.


Note: Next time I would rather cook the parsnips, garlic, bay leaf and leeks in the vegetable stock until tender. Then strain the stock and put the vegetables (minus bay leaf) into a food processor and slowly add back in the stock, which would mean adding a bit more stock than this recipe calls for, since some will boil off when cooking. Then after getting a good texture, but not too thin, add back to the pot and add the milk or double cream. We did not use creme fraische.


Overall, Sainsbury's Experiment Night 1 was a great experience and everything is off to a great start. That is not to say that there won't be some not-super recipes, but at least tonight makes me hopeful.

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!!!!