Brussels Sprouts Salad

Cool temperatures, rainy days, this is soup weather. 

So naturally, I made salad for dinner. DUH.

As much as I love the fall for its soup weather, I am totally swooning over this fall salad!

Brussel sprouts, red pears, white wine vinegar and pancetta, OMG are you drooling yet?

This is truly one of the best salads I have ever made, everything about it is perfection. 

Served with some fresh out of the oven French bread, I am still smiling from this meal.

You guys, did I mention that it is incredibly easy?  Because it is!

This is totally one of those dishes that is super impressive to people, yet anyone could throw it together.  Bring this to your next potluck, everyone will think you are a gourmet chef. 

Doesn't that sound like fun?

Or just make it for yourself, you have to, try it, NOW!

ENJOY!

Salad with Pancetta, roasted Brussels sprouts and pear

1/2 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered lengthwise

1/4 cup olive oil

S&P

3oz thinly sliced pancetta 

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 head Boston lettuce torn into bite size pieces

1 firm ripe red Bartlett ear, halved, cored and thinly sliced

2 oz ricotta salata cheese, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425, with racks in upper and lower thirds.  On a rimmed baking sheet, toss brussels sprouts with 2 T oil; season with S&P.  

Bake on upper rack until tender, 18-20 min, tossing once. On another rimmed baking sheet, arrange pancetta in single layer.  Bake on lower rack until golden brown, 10-12 min.  Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar and remaining 2 T oil; season with S&P.  Add lettuce, pear and brussels sprouts; toss to combine. Divide among four plates and top with ricotta salata and pancetta. 

Serves 4.

Baked Potato Soup

We have been eating out A LOT...shame shame, slap my hand, I know.

After my birthday dinner on Monday, I said no more eating out, which I then said again after I ate out on Thursday night, and again after I ate out last night...WHOOOOOPS.

Anyway as I was sitting here sniffling and trying to decide what to cook I came across a potato soup recipe and decided it would be PERFECT for this cool fall evening.

It was super tasty and ridiculously easy.  I halved the recipe because I didn't have enough potatoes, it was perfect for 2 people. Try it!

ENJOY!

Recipe from the Tasty Kitchen Blog!

Baked Potato Soup

• 4 whole Extra Large Baked Potatoes Or 8 Regular Baked Potatoes                                                6 slices Bacon, Diced
• 6 Tablespoons Butter
• ½ whole Onion, Chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• ⅓ cups All-purpose Flour
• 4 cups Chicken Stock
• ½ teaspoons Sea Salt (or To Taste)
• 2 teaspoons Ground Pepper, Or To Taste
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 3 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 4 whole Scallions (Green Onions), Sliced
• 1 cup Greek Yogurt

Scoop the white insides out of the baked potato skins. Roughly chop the white insides and set them aside. Chop potato skins and set aside.

In a large stock pot brown the diced bacon over medium heat. Once it’s crispy, remove bacon from the pan and drain off the grease.

Add 4 tablespoons butter to the brown bits at the bottom of the stock pot. Add onion and continue to cook over medium heat until onion is caramelized. Add minced garlic and flour. Stir flour until absorbed by the butter and cooked, about 1-2 minutes.

While stirring, slowly add chicken stock to the flour mixture to prevent lumps. Bring to a simmer then turn heat to low. Add the insides of the diced baked potato. Add sea salt and pepper. Cover pot and continue to cook over low heat.

In a large saute pan add 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat and heat until all of the butter is melted. Add the chopped potato skins and fry them until crisp and heated through.

Add 1/2 of the crumbled bacon, 2 cups of cheddar cheese, 2/3 of the scallions and Greek yogurt into the pot of soup. Stir well and continue to cook over low heat until heated through and cheese is melted.

Serve soup topped with remaining bacon, cheedar cheese, scallions and crisp potato skins.

Another Enchilada Recipe

I know this isn't the first enchilada recipe that I have shared with ya'll.

But, seriously, this is not a joke, it is THE BEST!

In fact, so far, this is the best enchilada recipe I've ever tried.

And its "lighter", pffff who would ever believe that!?!

And check out the Logan Rating to see if he agrees...

The only other thing that is even worth taking up more of your time, with which you should be spending making these, is that I added about twice the amount of cumin and chipotle peppers than the recipe called for. NOW GO!  COOK!

ENJOY!

Lighter Chicken Enchiladas

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6-8oz each)

S&P

2 T vegetable oil, such as safflower

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp ground cumin

1-2 T minced canned chipotles in adobo

1 can (14.5) low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup water

8 corn tortillas (6 in), warmed

1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (2 oz)

In a large skillet, bring 1 inch water to a boil.  Add chicken, and season with salt; cover, and reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer 5 minutes; remove skillet from heat.  Let chicken steam, covered, until cooked through, 12-14 min.  Transfer chicken to a medium bowl; when cool enough to handle, shred with two forks.

While chicken is cooking, in a medium sauce-pan, heat oil over medium.  Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 min.  Add flour, cumin, and chipotles to taste; cook, whisking, 1 min.  Whisk in broth and the water; bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, and cook, whisking occasionally 5-8 min; season with S&P. 

Transfer 1 cup sauce to bowl with chicken, toss to combine.

Preheat oven to 400.  Spread 1/4 cup of remaining sauce evenly in a 8inch square baking dish (or whatever you have).  Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture, dividing evenly; roll up tightly, and arrange, seam side down, in baking dish.

Cover with remaining sauce, and top with cheese.  Bake until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, 15-20 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 4.

Logan Rating: *****

Pesto Pasta

There is just something about a simple pesto pasta.  

Flavorful, yet light, easy to make, yet complex flavor.

LOVE LOVE LOVE Pesto!

This is mostly the same as any pesto recipe, except it uses walnuts instead of pine nuts.

I couldn't really tell much of a difference, but it was good all the same. 

The nice addition of lemon juice added a bright taste also.

Whole wheat pasta made for a healthier version of this classic, of course you could always just use while pasta if you are feeling indulgent. 

ENJOY!

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Lighter Pesto

S&P

8oz whole wheat spaghetti

Lighter pesto (recipe below)

fresh basil leaves, torn for garnish (optional)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti until al dente.  Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, drain pasta and return to pot.

Toss pasta with pesto, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time to create a thin sauce that coats spaghetti (you may not need all the water). Season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately, garnished with basil if desired.

Lighter Pesto

3 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves (2oz)

3 T walnut pieces

3 T grated parmesan cheese

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 T fresh lemon juice

3 T water

S&P

3 T olive oil

In a food processor, combine basil, walnuts, parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, and the water; season with S&P.  Puree until a paste forms.

  

With motor running, add oil in a thin stream.  Process until very smooth, about 1 minute.  

Pesto can be refrigerated in an airtight container, with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface to prevent discoloration, up to 3 days.  Or freeze in an airtight container up to 6 months.

Logan Rating: ****

Chicken Pasta Salad

Somehow, all the 'in progress' photos from this meal were deleted.  Don't ask me how, but they are gone.  So this is what you get, just finished product photos. Luckily this is an easy recipe, so the photos of the process are really quite unnecessary anyway. 

This is a cold chicken pasta salad, which is actually quite good warmed as well...so you can eat it either way, whichever your taste buds prefer more.

I liked it cold, Logan liked it hot...you choose.

This recipe calls for greek yogurt (which is what makes it lighter than your average pasta salad), and as I went to grab the Greek yogurt from the fridge I realized I made an epic mistake while grocery shopping.  Aren't those the worst kinds of mistakes, really?

Instead of plain yogurt I bought vanilla!!!!!!!! EPIC FAIL!

You can't put vanilla yogurt in a pasta salad!

So after grieving for a minute and attempting to ask a neighbor to save me, I put on my big girl pants, sucked it up and began to think of a solution.

It was about 6pm and this meal had to be finished before Logan left for work at 6:45pm (he works nights).  So a trip to the store was out of the question.

After almost settling with mayonnaise, because I just couldn't think of anything else I saw the ricotta cheese.  I mixed some ricotta with a little bit of 2% milk and it had a very similar texture and consistency as yogurt. SUCCESS! 

And to my surprise it actually tasted really good too!

I plan to someday make this recipe as it was intended to be made, but for now I will just bask in the glory of my success. 

Try it with yogurt!  Don't buy vanilla!  And let me know!

ENJOY!

Pasta Salad with Chicken, Raisins, and almonds

2 T unblanched almonds

1 lb boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves

S&P

8oz whole wheat penne or other short pasta

1 cup plain low fat yogurt

1/2 cup golden raisins (optional, but highly recommended)

1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley (I can't believe I actually used parsley)

1 T finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 T fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350.  Spread almonds on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until darkened, tossing once or twice, 10-12 min.  Let cool, then coarsely chop.

Place chicken in a large saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, season with salt and reduce to a bare simmer.  Cover and cook 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let chicken stand, covered, until cooked through, 12-14 min more.  Remove chicken from liquid.  When cool enough to handle, shred into bite size pieces.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente according to package directions.  Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water.  Drain pasta then rinse under cold water to stop the cooking, drain well.

In a large bowl, stir together pasta, chicken, yogurt, raisins (if using), parsley, almonds, and lemon zest and juice.  Thin sauce with reserved pasta water if necessary.  Season with S&P.  

Serve chilled or at room temp.

Serves 4.

It is all I can do most days to keep my cat (Olive) from jumping into my photo shoots and eating all the food on the plate. -pictured above

Logan Rating: ***

Broccoli Chowder

It makes me so happy to say...IT IS SOUP SEASON!

Tomorrow is the very first day of fall, and despite the fact that the temperature will most likely not reflect that, I will no longer feel bad about making soup.

I love soup.  

Maybe that's why I choose to live in a place where there are WAY more months of cold weather than there are warm.  There has to be some sort of explanation.

So, on day early, I celebrated the coming of fall by making soup.

In specific, Broccoli Chowder from the "light" version of Everyday Food.

I served this tasty, yet light soup with some dinner rolls (more to come on these in a different post).

I also added about 1/2 cup of light sour cream to this recipe, I should thought it needed a little extra creaminess, and it really did the trick.  I also served it with a little grated cheddar, everything is better with CHEESE.

This was the perfect meal to celebrate the end of summer and welcome the beginning of fall.

You must try this soup!

ENJOY!

Broccoli Chowder with Corn and Bacon

4 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium onion, finely chopped 

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 cans (14.5oz each) low sodium chicken broth

1 large russet potato, peeled and diced 

1 head broccoli (about 1 lb), cut into bite-size florets, stalks peeled and thinly sliced

2 cups fresh (from about 3 ears) or frozen corn kernals (do not thaw)

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 cup milk

S&P

In a 5 quart Dutch oven or other heavy pot, cook bacon over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8-10 min.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. 

Increase heat to medium.  Add onion and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, 6-8 minutes.

Add flour; cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds (do not let brown).

Add broth and potato; bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer; cook until potato is tender, about 10 min.

Add broccoli, corn, thyme, and milk; cook until broccoli is crisp-tender, 8-10 minutes. 

Season with S&P.  Serve immediately, topped with bacon.

Serves 4. 

Logan Rating: ***

Eggplant Rollatini

Are you looking for low carb ideas? 

If so this is a great recipe for you.

If not, well just add homemade garlic bread like I did, DUH.

This eggplant dish is a totally perfect fall meal.  Gotta love warm, cheesy comfort food!

This is pretty much lasagna with eggplant instead of noodles and it is pretty good.

I won't lie, if you don't like eggplant (probably because of the texture) you won't miraculously like this recipe, because while there is a lot of cheesy goodness, it is also mostly eggplant.

Logan has been gone all week and this is one recipe I knew he would not go for, therefore this was a really good time to make it.

This is really quick and easy to put together, but it does take about an hour to cook in the oven. 

Also be careful not to cut the eggplant too thin, it softens really well in the first cooking process and many of my pieces were difficult to roll because they were too thin.  Other than that, this was a pretty easy meal that I'm sure all of you will try and report back, right?!?

ENJOY!

Eggplant Rollatini 

1 or 2 large Italian eggplants, cut lengthwise into eight total 1/2 in thick slices

S&P

1 cup homemade or store bought marinara sauce

1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

1 large egg

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella (4 oz)

Crusty bread, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.  Season eggplant with S&P; arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Cover baking sheet securely with parchment, then foil (I just used foil and it worked perfectly) and bake until eggplant is tender and pliable but NOT fully cooked, 10-12 min. 

Spread 1/4 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of a 2 quart baking dish.  

In a small bowl, mix together ricotta, Parm, egg, garlic, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.

Pat eggplant dry with paper towels.  Dividing evenly, spoon ricotta mixture onto short end of eggplant slices, leaving a 1 in border on the end and a 1/4 in border on either side.  Starting at the short end, roll up slices; arrange in prepared dish, seam side down.  Top with remaining 3/4 cup marinara sauce. 

Cover dish with foil; and bake until eggplant is very tender, 50-60 minutes.  Uncover and sprinkle with mozzarella, bake until cheese is melted, 3-5 min.  Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving with bread, if desired, and topped with additional Parm. 

Serves 4.