Olive, Thyme and Lemon Pasta

I almost considered re-making this recipe before posting, but I think I'll do a follow-up and edit after making it again later. For now, I'd still like to share it with you. The recipe is crazy (yep- cRaZy!) easy, and very tasty. Wonderful weeknight meal.

The only reason I considered waiting, was to make sure I could recommend the right measurements, but I'm pretty confident in my adjustments. The original recipe calls for waaayyyyyy too much parsley. It's like you're eating parsley, with a bit of olive and noodles. So the below measurements are adjusted according to my preferences.

I was especially excited to make this pasta because I was told by my Doctor that squeezing a slice of fresh lemon food will allow my body to ingest more iron naturally from the food. I hadn't known that, thanks Doc! Making sure you get enough Iron is something very important for veggies, especially the vegetarian ladies out there. So, if you're not making this pasta tonight, and have a salad, chili, or whatever planned, be sure to give it just a little kick with a squeeze of lemon wedge. I love lemons, so this was an easy 'prescription' for me to follow.

(Sorry about the dark photo!)


Olive, Thyme and Lemon Pasta
adapted from Martha Stewart

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for water
8 ounces dried pappardelle (I used linguine and loved it)
16 Kalamata olives, pitted (I used 8 Kalamata olives + 8-10 green olives, pitted)
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (I didn't have fresh, and used dried - 1 teaspoon)
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon juice from the lemon
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes (more, to taste, if you prefer a spicy bite!)


Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and pappardelle, and cook until pasta is al dente, following label directions. Drain in a colander, reserving 1 cup cooking water.

While pasta is cooking, combine olives, parsley, olive oil, thyme, lemon zest, orange zest, and red-pepper flakes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until a chunky puree forms. Transfer to a warm serving bowl large enough to accommodate cooked pasta.

Add pasta, and toss to combine. Add 1/4 cup cooking water, and toss to combine. Add more water if necessary; pappardelle has a tendency to absorb liquid quickly, so more water may be needed. The sauce should cling to ribbons of pasta but should not be dry. Serve immediately.

Serves 2, or 4 to 6 as an appetizer

Guten appetit!

Split Pea Soup with Rosemary, a veggie twist for an old favorite

Not usually a fan of split pea soups? This recipe will give you the chance to experiment beyond your typical boundaries (yes, it's that good). Or maybe you love split pea, and you're looking for a new variation to try. For a twist on ol' split pea, definitely give this a shot!

Surprisingly, it didn't even turn out green in color. It's more reddish/brown. And the flavor is not a typical split pea (sweet, maybe some savory due to salty meat added, etc). This one has the most delicious flavors blended - rosemary, carrot, onion, garlic, and oh yeah, peas. Filled the house with a delicious smell, I love that.


For a twist on old split pea, definitely try this recipe. Was easy enough for a weeknight meal, but if the 1 hour simmer-time puts you off, make it for a cold weekend lunch and enjoy the leftovers the next day. Makes enough for 4 people, when paired with bread (go for whole wheat, crusty bread).

Split Pea Soup with Rosemary
adapted from CookingLight

1 1/2 cups green split peas
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 bay leaf
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
4 cups water
2 cups vegetable stock, or 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt (see note below)
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream


Sort and wash peas; cover with water to 2 inches above peas, and set aside.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and bay leaf; saute 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, rosemary, paprika, and pepper; cook 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and soy sauce; cook until liquid evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.

Drain peas. Add peas, 4 cups water, vegetable stock, and salt to onion mixture; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 1 hour, stirring often.

Discard bay leaf. Place half of soup in blender or food processor; process until smooth. Pour pureed soup into a bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining soup. (I have a hand mixer and blended the soup directly in my pot)

Spoon soup into bowls; top each with sour cream.

Note: If you use canned broth instead of Vegetable Stock, omit the added salt.

Other split pea soup recipes:
- Kicked Up Coconut Split Pea Soup, from Karina's Kitchen
- Southwestern Yellow Split-Pea Soup, from FatFree Vegan Kitchen
- Yellow Split Pea Soup, from 101 Cookbooks
- Traditional Organic Split Pea Soup, from Organic To Be

Guten appetit!

Guests in Town, Menu Planned

We have guests in town for 10 days, although they may skip over to Prague for a couple days. I love it and am soooo excited!! Naturally they're here for Oktoberfest, but there's many other things to do and see and we'll be busy!

I plan to be out sightseeing and visiting with my friends, and not in the kitchen the whole time. 10 days makes for a lot of breakfasts, lunches and dinners. I expect we'll be out for many of the meals (especially lunch), but other times relaxing at home after touring all day and wanting a yummy dinner. So, in lieu of a recipe today, I'm giving you my guest menu with lots of yummy recipes previously posted.

I did as much prep work as I could and froze some foods to make life a bit easier. Do you have any great make-ahead guest recipes, or easy go-to recipes when entertaining house guests? Do share!

Here's what I pre-made/froze:
- Morning Glory Muffins
- Pasta Casserole
- Enchiladas
- Four Cheese Stuffed Shells

And here are some of the foods I'm making fresh:
- Pumpkin Muffins (recipe coming at the end of the month)
- Chickpeas with Spinach and Rice
- Garlicky Peppers with Shrimp

I also keep a handy supply of snacks around:
- Hummus
- Yogurt
- Fruit
- Bread and cheeses

Guten appetit!

Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells

This is perfect rainy day supper food. Fall is here and we want carbs. We want warm dishes. The cheese will give you lots of good protein, and fills you up.

I made this for a 'girls lunch' at my friend Emma's house. I thought about doubling the recipe, and freezing the extra... I'm soooo glad I didn't. The original recipe makes a TON. The recipe made enough for 5 people to stuff themselves silly at lunch, plus 2 extra 2-person pans of shells to freeze for later. I brought one of the extra's to Emma as well, since she's due with a baby anytime and it will be perfect for those hectic days, learning to deal with a toddler AND infant. Good golly, let the rein of terror begin!

Overall, the recipe was very easy. Other than making the smokey marinara sauce (which really is easy), and cooking the pasta shells, the rest is just assembly. You can use jarred marinara (try to find a smokey flavor, it was tasty!), to make this even easier. I really liked the smokey marinara though, and have since made it twice - for the shells, and on a lasagne. Wunderbar (wonderful)!

Definitely a worthy fall dinner. I hope you have the chance to make this one.



Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells
from CookingLight

1 pound jumbo shell pasta (40 shells)
Cooking spray
1 (12-ounce) carton 1% low-fat cottage cheese
1 (15-ounce) carton ricotta cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Asiago cheese (I used Romano)
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
6 cups Smokey Marinara Sauce
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375. Coat 2 (13 x 9-inch) baking dishes with cooking spray; set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside. (toss with 1-2 teaspoons olive oil to keep from sticking)

Place cottage cheese and ricotta cheese in a food processor; process until smooth. Combine cottage cheese mixture, Asiago, and next 6 ingredients (Asiago through spinach).


Spoon or pipe 1 tablespoon cheese mixture into each shell. Arrange half of stuffed shells, seam sides up, in one prepared dish. Pour 3 cups Smoky Marinara over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat procedure with remaining stuffed shells, Smoky Marinara, and mozzarella in remaining prepared dish.

Cover with foil. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve warm with crusty bread and a salad.


TIP:
To freeze unbaked casserole: Prepare through Step 5 (Since I couldn't figure out what 'step 5' was, I prepared the entire dish, through sprinkling the cheese on top - which I do think is correct). Cover with plastic wrap, pressing to remove as much air as possible. Wrap with heavy-duty foil. Store in freezer for up to 2 months.

To prepare frozen unbaked casserole: Preheat oven to 375. Remove foil; reserve foil. Remove plastic wrap; discard wrap. Cover frozen casserole with reserved foil; bake at 375º for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the shells are thoroughly heated.

Additional stuffed pasta recipes:
- Kale and Ricotta Stuffed Shells, from Gluten-Free Bay
- Enchilada Stuffed Shells, from Allrecipes
- Broccoli and Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells, from Sugar Rush
- Crab Stuffed Baked Shells, from Gortons. (YUM, these are on my to-make list!)

Guten appetit!

Smokey Marinara Sauce

This is a short and sweet post. Doesn't it feel like one of those 'bleh' Tuesdays? Hopefully the week perks up.

I know some folks prefer jarred sauces. Me too, sometimes. It cuts corners, when you have no time for the real deal.

But when you have time, I encourage you to make this sauce. It was VERY easy, and worth it.


This marinara was made to go with Stuffed Shells (which you see above, but the recipe is coming on Friday). I was able to make this sauce, while cooking the pasta, and also assemble the ricotta stuffing, all at the same time. The timing worked out perfect.

I also think you could make the sauce ahead of time, and freeze it for later use. Or, double the recipe to use immediately and freeze the other half. Would make a great english-muffin pizza sauce (yes, I love these), or for use in a lasagne.

Delicioso!

Smokey Marinara Sauce
from CookingLight

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add garlic, basil, parsley, and oregano; saute 1 minute, stirring frequently.


Stir in vinegar and remaining ingredients. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.


Makes 6 cups.

Guten appetit!

Garlicky Peppers and Shrimp

Remember vegetarians, I'm a pescetarian (technically). This recipe is all about shrimp!

We hadn't made shrimp for a long time, as I'm almost as picky with seafood as I used to be with meat. However, I was in the mood for seafood. Shrimp were the perfect answer and I was really excited when I found this recipe - it's so easy. One of those recipes you almost doubt being any good because it's too easy. But, it was good. Oh yes, quite good!

While the recipe called for spinach linguini noodles, I made it with whole wheat spaghetti. Would be great with any pasta, and also corn tortillas.


I would say... This is definitely a solid recipe, and worth putting into regular rotation. Great weeknight meal. I'd also make it for informal family gatherings or guests that come visit us. Tim liked it so much, he ate all the leftovers in a second helping and asked that it be made again. Always a good sign. The recipe was also very easy to half for a 2 person dinner.

Was easy, light, flavorful, protein rich and delicious!

Garlicky Peppers and Shrimp
from Better Homes & Gardens

1 9-oz. pkg. refrigerated spinach fettuccine
4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 small red, green, yellow, or orange sweet peppers, seeded and cut in strips
2 medium onions, cut in thin wedges
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 lb. peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper


Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return to pan. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, in skillet heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in peppers, onions, and garlic; stir-fry 4 to 6 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Add shrimp and cayenne pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes more or until shrimp are opaque, stirring occasionally. Serve over pasta. Serves 4.

Additional shrimp and pasta/rice recipes:
- Shrimp and Okra Gumbo, from Allrecipes
- Penne a la Betsy, from The Pioneer Woman
- Arugula-Almond Pesto with Pasta and Grilled Shrimp, from Just a Bite

Guten appetit!

Chocolate Cupcakes - A disaster!

Let's just say, this was not one of my finer cooking moments.

I didn't drop dinner on the kitchen floor, or make the kitchen smell of burnt rubber (I may tell that story in the future). This was a full fledged, I messed up the recipe SO badly, cooking disaster.

Ay, yay, yay.

Getting right to the point, here is what I'm moaning about...


Where did I go wrong?? Did I whip the batter too much? Did I miss a critical ingredient? Did I not whisper enough sweet nothings to the chocolate gods? What?

As you can see, the cupcakes did not rise properly, and most caved into themselves in the middle. I salvaged 2 of them and gave them to the neighbors kids. They tasted OK, not the best chocolate 'cake' I've ever had, but obviously looked terrible. Not bake sale worthy.

If you have suggestions on what may have gone wrong, please share. Since the strawberry cupcakes turned out great, I can't be a total baking dummy.

Here is the recipe I used, but, I can not recommend it...

Chocolate Cupcakes
recipe from Kitchen Link

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted*
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* To melt the chocolate, place in a double boiler over simmering water on low heat for approximately 5–10 minutes. Stir occasionally until completely smooth and no pieces of chocolate remain. Remove from the heat and let cool to lukewarm 5–10 minutes.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers. Set aside.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the chocolate, mixing until well incorporated.

Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat. (hmmm... my error?)

Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full.

Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.


Since these did not turn out well for me, I can't recommend them. There must be easier, fool-proof chocolate cake recipes better than this. Someday, I'll retry chocolate cupcakes and let you know which recipe is a winner!

Guten appetit!