Tortellini with "Skinny Alfredo Sauce"

Tonight was a lazy night.  We were low on groceries, and needed to use the Trader Joe's three cheese tortellini before it expired.  The standard garlic tomato sauce didn't sound good, so we looked for a 'healthy' alfredo sauce.  I haven't ever made alfredo before, but the normal recipes are atrocious!  A whole stick of butter, cream cheese, heavy cream... Yikes.  This recipe uses olive oil, chicken broth, cheese and skim milk! Wooooo!  AND IT WAS DELICIOUS!  So good.  Perfect for a chilly night.  Recipe is from the "Gimme some Oven" blog (link below).  She made it with fettucine, but it was delicious with tortellini, too.  We also added chopped ham to ours.  Adding broccoli would have been great if we had some!

• olive oil (a healthier fat)
• fresh garlic (a must!!)
• flour (to thicken)
• chicken broth (my favorite — more flavorful than milk; you can also sub in veggie stock)
• low-fat milk (you can use any milk, even soy)
• Parmesan cheese (the fresher, the more flavorful)

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 ounces fettuccine (or any pasta shape)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup low-fat milk (I used 1%)
• 3/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• (optional topping: chopped fresh parsley)

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta al dente according to package directions, in generously salted water.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute one minute, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Sprinkle with flour, and stir to combine. Saute for an additional minute to cook the flour, stirring occasionally.

Slowly add chicken broth, whisking to combine until smooth. Whisk in milk, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let cook for an additional minute until thickened, then stir in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until the cheese melted. Reduce heat to medium-low until pasta reaches al dente.

Drain pasta, then immediately add pasta to the saute pan with alfredo sauce. Toss to combine. Serve topped with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

Cast Iron Deep Dish Pizza!

With so many wedding gifts, we love trying recipes to use all of our new kitchen 'stuff'!  Future posts will include my beloved Paderno spiralizer (zucchini pasta here I come!), Kitchen Aid mixer, etc.  But today I will focus on the Lodge Cast Iron pan that we received.  We love using it for eggs, hash browns, sausage, steaks, veggies, etc.   We haven't made a deep dish pizza ourselves yet, but really wanted to try it... Because... they're... delicious!

Here is the recipe- I adapted it from the 'A Beautiful Mess' blog- 
http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2013/03/deep-dish-cast-iron-pizza.html

Instead of using BBQ sauce (which I hate), we used regular pizza sauce.  I also added yummy vegetables.  I sauteed portabello mushrooms, green peppers, red onion, and garlic together in a pan... This makes the pizza SO GOOD.

Crust: I made it with my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook attachment and it was so easy!
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (one package) 
a generous pinch of sugar (I used brown sugar)
1 1/8 cups warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

In a small bowl stir together the water, sugar and yeast. Allow this to sit and foam up (aka activate) for 10 minutes. Slowly add the flour (a half cup at a time) into the mixture.  Let the mixer do all of the work, or turn out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough becomes elastic-like (5-6 minutes by hand, less if you use a mixture). Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

The recipe shows using cheese sticks in the side- this looks delish but I didn't have any. 

Add pizza sauce, and then 1/3 cup of mozza.  Then add the veggies, then the meat (I used pepperoni).  Then top with tons of cheese.  We used mozzarella and some pepperjack cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for around 25 minutes.  Then get yourself a glass of wine and set up some House of Cards on the TV (that's what we did).  

Bon appetit!

New York Breakfast Casserole!

Chris and I were in charge of breakfast when we trekked 'up north' to a cozy cabin for a weekend of fun with two other couples.  I recently saw this recipe posted on a friend's blog and wanted to try it for myself.  It was so tasty!  We ate the whole pan...

Ingredients (Serves 8-10…OR…4-5 very hungry people):

• 8 cups (or so) of Everything or Sesame bagels, chopped into bite-size chunks (you can do a bit more than 8 cups if you’re using dense bagels…you just want enough to fill a 9×13 pan)
• 8 oz. of cream cheese (you could go with a light cream cheese here if you want to make this a bit healthier)
• 1/4 medium red onion, sliced in a half-moon shape
•  1 pint of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 8 large eggs
• 2 1/3 cups of milk (healthier version) or half and half (the not so healthy but delectable version)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chopped garlic (we used a jar of pre-chopped garlic but about 2-3 cloves would work too)
• 4-6 slices of bacon, torn into bite-size chunks (we used breakfast sausage instead)
• Ground pepper to taste

How to Make:

This recipe is really very easy to make and definitely goes fast with a co-chef in the kitchen or even a little helper if you have any of those at home who’d like to help!

After cutting all of the ingredients, the next step is layering these in the casserole dish.  You’re going to be creating three layers, so will need to divide your ingredients into approximate thirds. Lay about 1/3 of your bagel chunks in a large 9×13 pan. Scatter 1/3 of the halved tomatoes and sliced red onions on top. Sprinkle about 1/3 of your chopped garlic all over. Then, tear 1/3 of the cream cheese off and break it into small dollops. Place said dollops throughout the pan, doting the bagels evenly. Finally, throw 1-2 slices of bacon (which is torn into bite size pieces) on top, scattered evenly throughout the pan. When you’ve finished this part, you’re going to start back at the beginning with the bagel pieces and complete the layering two more times. Not too tough, right?

Once your 3 layers are complete, whisk together in a medium-sized bowl the 8 eggs.  Pour in the rest of the liquids, and pop in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour to hour and 15 minutes. Ours was always done at the hour mark but your oven may take a bit longer. No need to cover this while baking.

Yum!

Delish Sweet Potato/veggie burritos! YUMMMMMMMMM

During a road trip to Illinois for double bridal showers for Corynn and Jessi (my future sister-in-law),  Jessi was talking about her passion for cooking healthy, interesting food.  She definitely inspired me when she mentioned a sweet potato burrito recipe she had posted on pinterest.  That very night, I tried it.  YUM!  I used fresh cilantro from my garden, too... The lime/cilantro/avacado/salsa verde sauce was creamy and sooooo delicious!

Recipe Description

A healthy and flavorful “Mexican” treat… Smoky and sweet roasted vegetables tucked into a whole wheat tortilla along with black beans and cilantro
.

Preparation Instructions

In a bowl, toss your raw veggies in olive oil and season with spices. Place in a large baking dish and roast in 425 degree oven for 20 minutes, tossing around halfway through.

Let cool. Add your roasted veggies to a can of rinsed black beans. Add cilantro and squirt of lime juice. Combine gently. At this point, mixture can be stored for later use.

Warm your wheat tortillas or wraps in microwave according to directions on package. Spray a casserole dish with nonstick spray or olive oil spray.

Add two heaping tablespoons of vegetable and bean mixture to center of wrap. Top with shredded cheese. Fold over, fold in sides, place in pan and continue to roll the others. Place into your baking dish, seam side down so that they stay together.

Bake in 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Baking this way will make the tortilla wrap crisp. For a softer burrito, spray burrito with nonstick spray, then wrap in aluminum foil and bake for same amount of time.

Sauce: combine avacado, fresh cilantro, fresh lime juice, and one cup (ish) of salsa verde. Blend with immersion blender and top burritos with this mixture.

Makes about 6 burritos.

Tip: Premake your burritos and wrap them in aluminum foil. Keep in refrigerator for 3-4 days for a quick lunch or dinner!

Taken from Tasty Kitchen: http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/special-dietary-needs/vegetarian/roasted-veggie-and-black-bean-burritos/

Ingredients

• 2 whole Sweet Potatoes, Peeled And Cubed Small
• 2 whole Jalapenos Diced
• 1 whole Red Pepper, Diced Small
• 1 whole Red Onion, Diced Small
• 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1 pinch Salt And Pepper
• 1 can Black Beans, Rinsed And Drained (15 Ounce Can)
• ½ cups Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
• 2 teaspoons Fresh Lime Juice
• 2 cups Shredded Cheddar
• 1 package Burrito-Sized Wheat Tortillas Or Wraps (6-10 Count)
• 1 cup of salsa verde (homemade or not)

DELI

Caprese bites - an old classic

Pastry dough

Pesto

Grape Tomatoes

Parmesan Cheese

Cut pastry dough into little squares and push into a mini cupcake pan.  Rub pesto in the pastry, add a grape tomato in each, (poke a hole in the tomatoes so that juice doesn't squirt out while you're biting it), and sprinkle cheese on top.  Put in the oven at 375 until pastry is golden.  Perfect party app!  This is another one I served at Corynn's bridal shower.

Caprese Pizza Dip

Caprese Pizza Dip with Cream Cheese, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Tomatoes, and Garlic..

serves about 6-8

1 pint grape tomatoes, tomatoes cut in half

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 (12 ounces) blocks cream cheese, softened

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, freshly grated

8 ounces provolone cheese, freshly grated

1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese + more for garnish

4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves

2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves

1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano leaves

crackers, bread or chips for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil then place tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt, then roast for 20-25 minutes, until bursting. Set aside.

While tomatoes are roasting, mix softened cream cheese with about 7 ounces each of provolone and mozzarella, then and parmesan. Stir in fresh herbs, garlic and roasted tomatoes, mixing well to combine. Transfer mixture to an oven-safe baking dish (mine was 6 x 4 round). Sprinkle with remaining provolone and mozzarella. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until top is golden and bubbly. Serve immediately with crackers, chip or toasted bread.

Read more http://www.pincookie.com/caprese-pizza-dip-with-cream-cheese-mozzarella-parmesan-tomatoes-and-garlic/

Baked Brie Bites

Pinterest Recipe: AWESOME

This is an app I made for Corynn's shower on May 18th.  These were so delicious.  I substituted pastry dough for phyllo dough since I had phyllo dough on hand.  I will definitely make these again!

Baked Brie Bites

mini phyllo tarts

Ile de France brie, cubed

brown sugar

chopped pecans

honey

Preheat oven to 350.

Place a cube of brie in each phyllo tart.  Sprinkle each tart with approximately 1/2 tsp brown sugar.  Top with approximately 1/2 tsp chopped pecans and a dollop of honey.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until brie is melted. (use more or less of each ingredient according to your preference)