Orzo with Artichoke Pesto and Grilled Corn

I've finally had time to try a few new recipes!  I made this last week and really liked it - though I would say that this recipe makes WAY more pasta salad than one or two people might want to eat within a few days, so definitely cut the recipe in half unless you're having lots of guests.  The artichoke pesto was wonderful and a great way to add new flavor to pasta salads.

On a side note, this is one of many of Giada's recipes I have tried.  I was telling someone the other day that one of the things that really helped me to become a better cook was following Giada's recipes in one of her Food Network cookbooks that I got while in college.  The pastas, sauces, and dishes she makes are very versatile - so if you're just getting into cooking Giada's recipes can be a great place to start!

Orzo with Artichoke Pesto and Grilled Corn
by Giada de Laurentiis
Ingredients:
Kosher salt
1 pound orzo pasta
2 ears corn, shucked and silks removed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Pesto:
12 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed (about 3 cups) (*I couldn't find frozen ones, so I just got two jars of artichokes from the Italian section of the store.)
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted (see Cook's Note)
1/2 cup fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, smashed
Zest of 1 large lemon
1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (about 28)
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper

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

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.

Brush the corn with the oil, using a pastry brush. Grill, turning frequently, until the corn is tender, about 10 minutes. Allow the corn to cool slightly. Remove the kernels with a large knife and add to the serving bowl.

For the pesto: In a food processor, combine 2 cups artichokes, oil, walnuts, oregano, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Blend, scraping down the sides of the bowl, as needed, until the mixture is thick and smooth.

Chop the remaining 1 cup artichoke hearts into 3/4-inch pieces and add to the serving bowl. Add the pesto, tomatoes and Parmesan. Toss until all the ingredients are coated. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Cook's Note: To toast the walnuts, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely before using.

Easy Lasagna - from Caroline W.

Riding a horse with Caroline at
Thanksgiving in the late '80s

My cousin, Caroline, sent me this amazing lasagna recipe last year as I was putting together our family cookbook.  Kent loves lasagna, so I'd been looking for a good homemade lasagna recipe (this one's great because you don't have to precook the noodles).  This recipe has so much flavor and makes enough to feed us for a week! 

Easy Lasagna - from Caroline
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb Italian sausage
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup water
1 lg egg
1 (12 oz) container cottage cheese
1 1/2 tsp pepper
8 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Brown beef and sausage, drain.  Stir in spaghetti sauce and water.  Combine egg, cottage cheese, and pepper. Spread 1/2 cup meat sauce in bottom of a 13x9 dish. Top with half each of uncooked noodles, cottage cheese mixture, spinach, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers.  Cook at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake uncovered for 10 minutes.

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

I got home earlier than usual from work yesterday, so I actually had time to try a new recipe during the week!  I looked around on pinterest to find something new.  It led me to this great food site - foodgawker.com.  It was so hard to narrow down the choices!  I decided on this pasta dish because of the quick cook time.  It's pretty simple since you can use frozen shrimp and dried herbs.  I'm not usually a fan of creamy pasta sauces, but this one was great because it's not too thick.  We added some Parmesan to thicken up the sauce - it had a wonderful flavor!

Picture from Chaos in the Kitchen

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

recipe from Chaos in the Kitchen
serves 4, prep 5 min, cook time 30 min
•4-8 oz fettuccine or linguine
•10 tbsp butter, divided (I used 8)
•8 oz fresh, sliced mushrooms
•2 garlic cloves, minced
•3 oz cream cheese, cut into small pieces
•2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
•1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
•2/3 cup boiling water (from your noodle pot)
•1 lb cooked shrimp (I used frozen - but only about 1/2 lb)

1.Boil and salt a large pot of water and cook your pasta. I usually only use about half of an 8 oz box, preferring fewer noodles.

2.While your pasta is cooking, cook your shrimp if necessary and reserve. If your shrimp are pre-cooked and frozen, quickly thaw them under running water.

3.In a large skillet melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat and saute mushrooms until soft and brown. Season with salt and pepper.

4.Reserve cooked mushrooms and melt remaining butter in the skillet. Add minced garlic, cream cheese, and herbs. At this point, I generally feel like something has gone terribly wrong. The cream cheese doesn’t really melt and starts to look almost curdled, don’t worry about it! It will all smooth out and be wonderful when we add the water. I promise.

5.Simmer cream cheese mixture until well blended. Get a scoop of boiling pasta water from your noodle pot and mix it in, stirring quickly to smooth out the sauce.

6.Keep sauce hot and add shrimp and mushrooms, mix well and simmer (stirring often) until everything is hot and thickened, about 10 minutes-you wont ruin this sauce by accidentally boiling it so don’t worry.

7.Toss sauce with cooked noodles and serve.

Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage and Fennel

As I've mentioned several times this year, we have had a freezer full of venison that we've been trying to make our way through.  While I spent some time grading papers last weekend, Kent made this wonderful dish using venison sausage (found on allrecipes.com).  It made such a large meal that we were able to have it for dinner several nights.  This is a hearty meal and perfect for cool weather.  The fennel gives the dish a different taste than many other pasta dishes - it's sure to please!

Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage and Fennel
Ingredients:
1 pound hot Italian sausage links
1 (16 ounce) package rigatoni pasta
1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese

Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes.
2.Fry the sausages in a large skillet over medium heat, turning frequently until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from the skillet, cool slightly and slice into rounds. Add the garlic, fennel and onion to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, then add the roasted red peppers, basil, sliced sausage and pasta sauce. Heat through over low heat until warmed.
3.Combine the pasta with the sauce and vegetables in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread the mozzarella, Parmesan and Asiago cheeses over the top. Garnish with a few fennel leaves left from the bulb. Cover with aluminum foil.
4.Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, then remove the aluminum foil. Set the oven to broil, and cook for another 5 minutes or until cheese is browned.

Turkey Meatballs with Quick And Spicy Tomato Sauce and Whole-Wheat Spaghetti

When I went grocery shopping last week, I saw that the ground turkey was on sale.  I've only cooked with ground turkey once or twice before, but I was sure that I'd be able to find a great recipe on Food Network since Rachael Ray and some of the others use ground turkey pretty frequently.  I picked a few recipes and sent them to Kent.  He thought this one might be the winner, so we gave it a try!  It was really filling, and we both really enjoyed it!

Turkey Meatballs with Quick And Spicy Tomato Sauce and Whole-Wheat Spaghetti   

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, liquid included
• 1 teaspoon finely minced canned chipotle en adobo and sauce, or more to taste
• 2 teaspoons chopped oregano leaves
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• Salt
• 1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves 

Meatballs:

• Cooking spray
• 1 pound ground turkey meat
• 1 slice fresh whole-wheat bread, crusts removed, pulsed into crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 1/2 cup finely grated carrot
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 box (16 ounces) whole-wheat spaghetti

Directions

Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil for pasta.

Make Sauce:

In a 4-quart saucepan heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, chipotles, oregano, rosemary, and salt. Bring all the ingredients to a low boil, reduce heat and cook for approximately 15 minutes, until liquid has evaporated slightly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. While sauce is cooking, make meatballs.

Meatballs:

Preheat the broiler. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine the turkey with all other ingredients in a large work bowl. Form into 2 1/2 -inch balls and place on a baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes, or until browned and almost entirely cooked through.

Meanwhile, remove rosemary sprig from sauce and add fresh basil. Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and cook additional 10 minutes, or until sauce has slightly thickened and meatballs have absorbed some of the sauce. While the meatballs are cooking, cook the whole-wheat spaghetti according to package directions.

Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the sauce and meatballs, toss and heat through over medium heat. Divide evenly among 4 pasta bowls and garnish with parsley and 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan.

Yield: 6 servings (1 serving equals about 1 1/3 cups pasta and sauce, plus 2 meatballs
(Please excuse the weird formatting issues.  I'm not sure what happened and can't seem to fix it!) 

Turkey Meatloaf

I have never actually had a turkey meatloaf. But two of my friends have mentioned cooking one in the last week. So, I thought I would look at a few recipes for ideas. I plan on making it soon! Garland recommended this recipe from Giade de Laurentiis:

Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sundried Tomatoes
Ingredients:
Vegetable cooking spray
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped garlic and herb-marinated sun-dried tomatoes (usually in the produce department near the fresh tomatoes)
2 cloves garlic, minced, optional
2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat

Directions:
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, if using, eggs, milk, feta, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey and gently stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat.

Carefully pack the meat mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice. Put on a serving platter and serve.

*For a more traditional turkey meatloaf, Sally recommends this recipe from Ina Garten:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/turkey-meatloaf-recipe/index.html

Pork Chops with Fennel and Caper Sauce

This recipe may seem a little complicated, but it actually did not take very long to prepare. Kent and I love Mediterranean food but usually end up sticking to the same flavors. We had not cooked with fennel much before and really loved the way this dish turned out! The leftovers were great! We used 6 smaller pork chops instead of 4 large ones and cooked them for less time.

Pork Chops with Fennel and Caper Sauce

(From Giada de Laurentiis)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
4 boneless (2-inch-thick) pork chops (about 2 pounds total)
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning meat
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning meat
2 fennel bulbs with fronds, thinly sliced (about 8 ounces or 2 cups)
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus 1/3 cup
1/2 cup white wine
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their juices
1/2 lemon, zested
2 tablespoons capers

Directions:

In a large, heavy skillet heat the olive oil over high heat. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Add the pork to the pan and brown on both sides, about 4 minutes each side. Remove the pork from the pan, cover loosely with foil, and set aside.
Add the fennel, shallots, and 1/3 cup parsley to the pan and cook over medium heat until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes and stir. Add the pork back into the pan, nestling the chops between the fennel and tomatoes so they are mostly submerged in the pan juices. Cook until the fennel is tender and the pork is done, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Place the pork on a serving dish. To finish the sauce, add the lemon zest, remaining 1/3 cup parsley, capers, and 3/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Spoon over the pork chops and serve immediately.

Gnocchi with Pesto

Though I've always loved Italian food, I didn't discover gnocchi until I went to Italy with Campus Crusade for Christ during college. Gnocchi is a pasta made from potatoes and can be served with a variety of sauces. To make gnocchi from scratch can be very time-consuming. So, I've always bought it from the store (it can usually be found in the Italian food section). If you're not someone who likes to cook, this can be a very easy meal any night of the week. This pesto sauce would be great on gnocchi, but you could always use a bottled sauce if you don't want to make it yourself.

Basil Pesto (from Giada de Laurentiis)
Ingredients:
2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
About 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
In a blender, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped. With the blender still running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in the cheese. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper to taste. (The pesto can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Giada says, "The secret to making pesto into a great pasta dressing is to get the sauce to the right consistency. Fresh from the food processor, pestos are usually too thick to coat pastas; you'll just end up with mounds of the sauce amid a lot of undressed noodles. You need to mix in just enough of the pasta cooking liquid to get the pesto to coat the pasta, but not so much that you've created pesto soup."

To cook the gnocchi, just boil water like you normally would in order to cook regular pasta. When the gnocchi starts to float to the top, you'll know it's ready! Just drain and serve with sauce.

Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp - from Sally

Sally sent me this recipe by Ina Garten a few weeks ago. Ina Garten is one of my favorite Food Network chefs - her recipes always use understated and simple flavors. This is a great recipe that can be made any night of the week in just a few minutes.

Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp
Ingredients:
2 pounds (17 to 21 count*) shrimp, peeled and deveined
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound angel hair pasta
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 lemons, zested and juiced

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the shrimp on a sheet pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss well, spread them in 1 layer, and roast for 6 to 8 minutes, just until they're pink and cooked through.
Meanwhile, drizzle some olive oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add the angel hair, and cook al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Quickly toss the angel hair with the melted butter, 1/4 cup olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and about 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Add the shrimp and serve hot.

*Note: Count refers to the number of shrimp in one pound. So the lower the number, the bigger the individual shrimp.

After reading some of the reviews, I saw that some people thought the sauce was a little tart from the lemons. You can definitely cut down on those. Also, some people suggested using garlic, parsley, and/or parmesan cheese to give it a little more flavor. Overall, the reviews said that it was wonderful and a new favorite. Everyone seemed to love the idea of roasting the shrimp and said they turned out perfectly.

Tiramisu - from Caroline

Our friends, Caroline and Franklin, had us over for dessert after supper club this week. We went to an Italian restaurant - so she made Tiramisu! Everyone loved it!! It is made in a triffle dish or large glass bowl so you won't have to make individual servings. It makes a great presentation and is best if made the day before serving.

Tiramisu
Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) container mascarpone cheese
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp. plus 1/2 cup confections sugar
3 tbsp. plus 1/3 cup coffee-flavor liqueur
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 (1 oz) squares semi-sweet chocolate, grated
1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Instant espresso-coffee powder (or regular instant coffee if necessary)
2 to 3 (4 1/2 oz) packages ladyfingers

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, with a wire whisk or fork, beat mascarpone, salt, 1/2 confectioners sugar, 3 tbsp. coffee flavored liqueur, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 2/3 of the grated chocolate. Set aside the remaining chocolate for the top of the dessert.
2. In a small bowl, with the mixer at medium speed, beat 1 cup whipping cream until stiff peaks form. With rubber spatula or wire whisk, fold whipped cream into cheese mixture.
3. In another small bowl, stir instant espresso-powder, remaining 1/3 cup coffee-flavor liqueur, remaining 1/2 tsp. vanilla, and 2 tbsp. water.
4. Separate lady fingers into halves. Line 2 1/2 quart glass or crystal bowl with one-fourth of the ladyfingers; brush with 2 tbsp. of espresso mixture. Spoon a third of the cheese mixture over ladyfingers. Repeat with ladyfingers, espresso mixture, and cheese mixture over ladyfingers to make two more layers. Top with remaining ladyfingers, gently pressing ladyfingers into cheese mixture. Brush ladyfingers with remaining espresso mixture. Sprinkle remaining grated chocolate over top of dessert, reserving 1 tbsp. for garnish.
5. In small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat the remaining 1/2 cup cream and remaining 2 tbsp. confectioners sugar until stiff peaks form.
6. Spoon the whipped cream onto the top of the dessert.
7. Sprinkle the reserved grated chocolate on top of the whipped cream. Refrigerate until chilled (at least two hours) - this allows the flavors to blend.

(Serves 16)

Chicken-Eggplant Parmigiana

This recipe comes from The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook and is so good! Kent really likes it, but it's so rich that I feel like I can't eat it very often. This is an easy recipe to double or half. It is definitely enough to be a meal on its own, but you can add a side of pasta or bread.

Chicken-Eggplant Parmigiana
Ingredients:
4 skinned, boned chicken breast halves
3/4 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 small eggplant
1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
1 (14 oz) jar meatless spaghetti sauce
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup (4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Method:
Place chicken between two sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4 inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Combine breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Dip chicken in egg, and coat with breadcrumbs. Place chicken on an ungreased baking sheet; cover and chill about 10 minutes. Peel eggplant, if desired; cut lengthwise into 4 slices. Brown chicken in 1/4 cup hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat, turning once. Remove chicken from skillet, and place in a 13x9 inch baking dish. Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet, and cook eggplant over medium heat until browned on both sides; drain on paper towels. Place 1 slice eggplant on each chicken breast half. Spoon spaghetti sauce over eggplant; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 365 degrees for 15 minutes. Top each eggplant slice with mozzarella cheese, and bake 5 more minutes or until cheese melts and sauce is bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley. (Yield 4 servings - 565 calories per serving)

Spicy Tomato Sauce

I love eating pasta! I usually use a jar sauce because there are some really good ones. But occasionally I like to try something different! This recipe comes from Giada De Laurentiis' Everyday Italian cookbook. It makes enough sauce for four people with dinner sized portions.

Spicy Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup pitted black olives, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons drained capers, rinsed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

Generous pinch of dried crushed red pepper flakes

1 (28 ounce) can crushed Italian tomatoes

Method:

In a large skillet, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. When almost smoking, add the onion and garlic, and saute for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the olives, capers, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and red pepper flakes; saute for one minute. Add the tomatoes and simmer until reduced slightly - about 20 minutes. Season the sauce with more salt to taste. (The sauce can be made one day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.) Serve over pastas like penne or rigatoni.