Pasta with Sausage, Swiss Chard, and Tomatoes

Phew!  What a long time since I've posted anything!  As I'm sure you know, I tend to start posting again in the summer when I'm not crazy with school; this summer has been nuts though!  Matt and I went back to upstate NY to work at the music camp we always work at and a week later left for our (very delayed) honeymoon.  We spent 10 days in Dublin and London and had a wonderful time.

Since I haven't really cooked in 2 months, I wanted to get back to my roots.  Last time I was in the grocery store I noticed that they started selling Swiss chard and was so excited to grab some!  I found sausage in the freezer and this recipe came right together.  It was super easy and very tasty!

This dish can easily be made gluten free by using GF pasta!
This dish only used 2 sausage links out of my package of 4, so I used the other 2 to make a half-batch of Zucchini Glop (don't let the name throw you off, it's really good).

Pasta with Sausage, Swiss Chard, and Tomatoes

Pasta with Sausage, Swiss Chard, and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

Kosher salt

8 ounces small shape pasta, I used rotini

2 hot or sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed (I used sweet)

1 small onion, chopped

1 bunch Swiss chard, roughly chopped (stems and leaves separated) 

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the label.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. (Don't worry if it's sticking to the bottom of the pan, when you add the chard and onions, you can scrape it off.)

Add the onion, garlic, and chard stems; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. 

Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes start blistering, about 5 minutes.  

Add the chard leaves to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start wilting, about 2 minutes. Lightly mash the tomatoes with the back of your spoon to create more of a sauce.

Add the pasta and cheese; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. 

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Weeknight Sausage Pasta

It is Monday of the first full week of school.  I am exhausted.  Matt wasn't even home for dinner, so I needed an easy, weeknight meal, or else it was going to be pizza.  This fit the bill, coming together in about 30 minutes and without too much work.  As an extra plus, it was really tasty! All in all, this was a super tasty, easy dish with ingredients you probably already have in your house.  A+

Weeknight Creamy Sausage Pasta

Weeknight Sausage Pasta

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
12 ounces pasta (I used farfalle)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. bulk sweet Italian sausage (or removed from casings)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 large tomato, diced
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
½ cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
5 basil leaves, cut in ribbons

Preparation:
Heat a large pan over medium heat.
Spray with cooking spray.
Add onion, and cook a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add sausage and cook until browned, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic, cook for about 1 minute, stirring.
Add canned tomatoes, tomato, tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, and pepper.  Simmer 10 minutes, or until thickened slightly.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.
Add cream to sauce.  Simmer 3 more minutes.
Combine pasta and sauce in a large bowl, making sure to get sauce all over pasta.
Top with fresh basil.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Spicy Southern Kitchen

Chicken Piccata

Chicken piccata is a dish that I often find myself ordering at restaurants because I don't make it at home.  Why?  Who knows.  Well, now I need to find something else to order at restaurants because this turned out great and I can't wait to make it again!

Chicken Piccata 

Chicken Piccata 

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts, pounded thin, cut in half
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup all purpose flour
2 Tbsp. Butter
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 cup chicken broth
1.5 lemons
¾ Cup Heavy Cream
¼ cup capers
Chopped parsley, for garnish
1/2 pound spaghetti

Preparation:
Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Season flour with salt and pepper, to taste and dredge chicken in flour.  Place the chicken in the skillet. Cook for about 6 minutes on each side, or until it is cooked throughout and no longer pink. Remove from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
Turn the heat to medium low. Add broth, juice from lemons, heavy cream, and capers. Bring the sauce to a boil and return to medium low heat. Test the sauce and season with salt and pepper as needed, (you probably won't need much salt because the capers are so salty!). Allow the sauce to cook and bubble for about 3 minutes.
Serve the chicken over cooked pasta and spoon the sauce over both. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Recipe Critic

Creamy Sausage and Arugula Pasta

A few weeks ago Alouette cheese was on sale at the grocery store plus I had a coupon, so I bought some.  After looking at the expiration date this week, I realized that I had to use it up... but how?  I decided to make it into a sauce and put it over pasta.  I was a little nervous as my made-up recipes have about 50/50 a success rate.  However, this one turned out to be a success!  It was a little rich, though I believe that if you use chicken broth instead of milk in the sauce it would cut the richness, or you could use chicken sausage instead of pork sausage.  Yum!

Creamy Sausage and Arugula Pasta

Creamy Sausage and Arugula Pasta

Ingredients:
1/2 pound medium shape pasta (I used veggie rotini)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 lb. ground bulk sausage
1 6 oz. bag arugula
1 6.5 oz. container roasted red pepper spreadable cheese (I used Alouette)
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup saved pasta water
Salt
Pepper

Preparation:
Cook pasta according to directions on package.
Add oil to large skillet.
Add onion.  Cook until slightly translucent, about 4 minutes.
Add sausage and cook until no longer pink, breaking it up as you go.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, add container of cheese and 1/4 cup of milk.  Whisk together until smooth.  Add the rest of the milk and the salt and pepper (to taste).  Whisk again. Add sausage to cheese sauce.
When pasta is done, add pasta water to sauce.  (If sauce is still thick, add more milk until it's the consistency you would like.)
Add arugula to pasta pot.  Add drained pasta and sausage cheese sauce.  Mix well.
Enjoy!

Black Bean Lasagna

Whilst looking for my vegetarian recipe of the week, I found this recipe and it piqued my interest.  I usually try to find variations of classic dishes, though I tout myself as a lasagna purest.  Lasagna is my favorite food, and I try not to mess with it.  This recipe seemed interesting, and anything with Mexican flavors is an automatic sure thing for me.
Shut up.  This was delicious.  I had seconds (which is rare), Matt had thirds.  I would perhaps add more peppers and some corn if you wanted to bulk up the vegetables, but it was great, as is!

Black Bean Lasagna 

Black Bean Lasagna

Ingredients:

12 no-boil lasagna noodles
1 tsp. olive oil
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (29 oz.) can tomato puree
1/2 Tbsp. cumin
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 (15 oz.) container ricotta
1 (8 oz.)packed cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
Garnish: chopped tomatoes, fresh cilantro, sour cream (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350.
Mash one can of beans; set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  When hot, add onion, pepper, and garlic.  Cook until tender, about 3 minutes.  Add mashed beans, unmashed beans, tomato sauce, cilantro, and cumin.  Heat through.
In a large bowl combine ricotta, cream cheese, and sour cream; set aside.  Spray a lasagna pan with cooking spray.  Arrange 4 noodles, slightly overlapping them, in the dish.  Top with one-third of the bean mixture, making sure to completely cover the noodles.  Spread half the cheese mixture on top of bean mixture.  Repeat layers two more times, ending with the bean mixture.
Bake, covered, for 40-45 minutes, or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes.  Garnish with tomatoes, cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Recipe.com

White Wine and Lemon Scallops

Scallops were on sale at the grocery store this week, so I picked some up (yay sales!) and decided to make them in a white wine lemon sauce.  I was going to make a specific recipe, but then decided to make up my own recipe instead... it turned out delicious!  

White Wine and Lemon Scallops

White Wine and Lemon Scallops

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. butter
1 lb. bay scallops
1 1/2 cups white wine
1 lemon, squeezed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. pasta (I used angel hair, but use what you like)

Preparation:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook pasta to package directions.  Set aside.
Add butter to pan over medium high heat.
When melted, add garlic and red pepper flakes.  Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add wine, lemon, and parsley.
Add scallops and sprinkle with salt. Cook until scallops are slightly firm to touch, but still have give.  (They will cook fast!  They're little!)
Remove scallops and add bring wine to a boil.
Cook until reduced by about a half cup.
Add scallops to warm.
Serve over pasta.
Enjoy!

Meatball Soup

Today I really wanted a comforting soup to ease the chilliness that has set upon Philly.  I found this recipe on Pinterest and found that I had most of the ingredients, except a few; with a few substitutions, I was ready to go!  I also totally cheated and used pre-made meatballs, but hey, I get home from work at 6:30 and did not feel like making meatballs.  Of course, this recipe would have been better with homemade meatballs, but the frozen ones worked just fine and the soup was done so fast!  

Meatball Soup

Yummy!

Meatball Soup

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

11 cups chicken broth

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

1 cup carrots, peeled and diced

1 cup corn

1 cup small pasta

1/2 Tbsp. red pepper flakes

1 lb. Italian-Style frozen meatballs

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large stockpot.  Saute the onion and garlic until translucent.  

Add broth, tomatoes, carrots, and seasonings.  Heat to boiling.  Add meatballs, corn, and pasta.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.  

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Becoming Betty

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

I wanted to use up my leftover chicken this week (you might have leftovers too if you made Roast Chicken and Vegetables) and found this recipe for buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese!  I was very excited because usually for macaroni and cheese you have to make a rue and there are so many dishes! (Actually, that part matters more for Matt, as he is Mr. Dishwasher.)  This recipe is wonderful because everything, even the dry noodles, go in the Crockpot, and it's done in two hours!

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 cup milk
1/2 cup hot sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup diced carrots and celery (either one, or combination)
2 cups pre-cooked chicken, diced
1/2 pound small uncooked pasta
Toppings: Bleu cheese crumbles, chopped carrots, celery, or onion

Preparation: 
Mix together evaporated milk, milk, hot sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in Crockpot until combined.  Stir in all other ingredients until combined.
Cook on low for about 1 hour.  Stir and cook another 30-60 minutes (depending on how small the pasta you used is).
Garnish as desired.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Snappy Gourmet

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Squash was on sale this week at the grocery store, which is perfect because with fall finally in the air, I wanted to make this fall lasagna!  Though the recipe called for more fresh herbs than I had, I still think it turned out great!

Butternut Squash Lasagna 

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Ingredients:
One 3-4 pound butternut squash
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1/2 pound no boil lasagna noodles
1/2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. sage
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ricotta cheese, drained of excess liquid
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream, divided
1 cup low sodium chicken broth (to make this vegetarian, use vegetable broth)
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (I used a 4 cheese blend)
Ground nutmeg
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400.  Spray the casserole dish with cooking spray.
Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.  Lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place the squash halves, cut side up, on a large baking sheet and roast in the oven for 45 minutes, or until tender.  Remove from oven and let cool.
Reduce oven temperature to 375.
Melt the butter in a small frying pan over low heat.  Add the garlic and saute to golden.
Stir together ricotta, eggs, and 1/4 cup of the heavy cream.  Add the sage and garlic and mix well.  Season with 1 tsp. of salt and pepper.
Scoop the cooled squash out of the skin and place it in a bowl.  Mash it with a fork and stir in the remaining cream, chicken broth, and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.  Season with 1/2 tsp. of nutmeg, 1 tsp. of salt, and pepper to taste.
Spread a few spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.  Layer with lasagna noodles, (it's okay if they overlap a little).
Spread half the remaining ricotta mixture, noodles, half the squash, and sprinkle mozzarella.
Repeat layers.
Sprinkle remaining parmesan and mozzarella. Sprinkle with nutmeg.  (Careful, it can overwhelm!)
Cover loosely with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Take off foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
Let stand for 15 minutes before eating.

Recipe Adapted from Not Your Mother's Casseroles by Faith Durand

Italian One Pot Dinner

This dinner is great.  It took me about 20 minutes from start to finish, which is great after working all day!  I'm sure Matt's favorite part about this dinner was that he only had to clean one pot!  Literally everything in this dish is thrown into a pot and cooks for about 10 minutes.  Excellent!

Italian One Pot Dinner

Italian One Pot Dinner

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable to make it vegetarian)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
10 oz. fettuccine (I used spinach fettuccine, but you can use regular or whole wheat)
1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained!
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp. dried basil
1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 oz. asiago cheese, optional

Preparation: 
Over high heat, add all ingredients to pot, making sure to break fettuccine up, so it can be easily submerged.
Make sure all ingredients are submerged, place a lid on top of pot.  Allow liquid to come to a rolling boil, then remove lid and turn the heat to medium.
Allow for boiling to continue, without lid, for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
After 10 minutes, remove from heat and sprinkle each portion with fresh asiago cheese.
Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from Budget Bytes

Enchilada Noodle Casserole

If you have ever visited my blog before, I'm sure you realize by now that Mexican food is my favorite food.  So, now that the cool fall weather is here, I can finalize make casseroles!  Hooray!
Of course, it wouldn't be my blog without me missing some ingredient, so right before I started cooking, I realized I didn't have any cheese!  What is a casserole without cheese!?  Oh well, I can attest that this is still quite delicious, despite the lack of cheese.  Plus, now that I have scheduled two wedding dress appointments, it's probably a good thing we didn't have any cheese.

Enchilada Casserole

Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
5 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 (14.5 oz.) can corn, drained
6 oz. egg noodles
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350.
Cook egg noodles according to package directions.  Drain.  Set aside.
In a large skillet, brown ground beef and drain fat.  Add chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
Add cream cheese until melted and combined.
Put noodles back into large pot you cooked them in.  Add sour cream, enchilada sauce, corn, and tomatoes.  Add meat mixture.  Stir to combine.
Pour mixture into a casserole dish.
Bake 15 minutes.
Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from Table for Two

Ham and Pepper Casserole

Tonight's dinner was supposed to be a Denver omelette.  However, when I opened up the egg carton, there were only three eggs!  The ham was already out of the freezer, and I had already bought a green pepper for the omelette.  Hence, this casserole was born!

Ham and Pepper Casserole

Look at that ooze!

Update: Matt ate half the pan!

Ham and Pepper Casserole

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked ham, cubed (I used ham steaks, but feel free to use leftovers!)
1 green pepper, cubed
1 8 ounce package cream cheese
1 cup milk
6 ounces egg noodles
1 Tbsp. chopped onion
1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp. parsley
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup french fried onions

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350.
Prepare egg noodles according to package directions.  Drain.
Melt down cream cheese and milk in a saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk until smooth.
Combine all ingredients  except for cheddar cheese and french fried onions in a greased casserole dish.
Mix well.
Top with cheddar cheese and french fried onions.
Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until top is bubbling.
Let set for 5 minutes.
Enjoy!

Summertime Macaroni and Cheese

What says summer more than hotdogs?  I really was in the mood the some hotdogs today, but macaroni and cheese was already on the menu.  So, why not both?  I didn't see a reason why not!
Also, it's been really hot here in Philly, so this is for stovetop, but if it's cooler where you are, feel free to throw it in the oven!

Summertime Macaroni and Cheese

Summertime Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients
1 pound hotdogs, sliced
1 onion, diced
2 Tbsp. butter
8 ounces shell macaroni
2 cups milk (I used skim)
3 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. ground mustard
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup canned french fried onions, optional
1/2 cup fresh tomatoes, diced, optional

Preparation
If you plan to use the french fried onions, preheat broiler, if it's too hot, that's fine too.
In a large pot, cook pasta according to directions.  Drain.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute butter and onions over medium heat.  After about one minute, add in hotdogs. Cook until onions are translucent.  Set aside.
Using the same skillet, combine milk, flour, pepper, and mustard, whisking constantly.  Cook for about four minutes, or until thick.  Remove from heat and whisk in cheese.
Combine cheese mixture, pasta, and hotdog mixture in large pot.  Mix well.
*If putting macaroni and cheese in the oven, transfer to casserole dish and top with french fried onions. Broil 3-4 minutes.
Top with fresh tomatoes if using.
Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from Cooking Light

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Tonight I thought I would get extra fancy and make one of my dad's favorite dishes, shrimp fra diavolo.  I know my dad wasn't here to enjoy it, but that's okay, Matt and I sure did!  I found this recipe on Pinterest, and for the recipe, I actually only changed the 1/2 tsp. oregano and basil to 1 tsp. of Italian seasoning.  It tasted great!
Also, because shrimp cooks really fast, the longest part of this conversation was waiting for the water to boil for the pasta.  A super fast weeknight dinner!

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Ingredients:
8 ounces (half a box) uncooked linguine
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. Italian spices
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 3/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp. salt
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

Preparation:
Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain; keep warm.
White pasta cooks, heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, add half the garlic and shrimp.  Saute about three minutes, or until done.  Remove from pan, keep warm.
Add remaining oil and onion to pan, saute 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent.  Stir in remaining
garlic pepper, Italian spices; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in tomato paste and lemon juice.  Cook one minute.
Stir in crushed tomatoes, salt, and diced tomatoes.  Cook 5 minutes or until thickened.  Return shrimp to pan to reheat.  Serve over pasta.
Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from My Recipes

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Since I have been trying to cook one seafood dish a week, I decided to try my hand at tuna noodle casserole.  Though I have no recollections of my mom making this, I feel as though this is an iconic American dinner.  I found a recipe in a cookbook my Aunt bought me for Christmas which sounded delicious!  My first predicament came when I realized the cookbook was printed in England, which meant  things like ounces instead of tablespoons.  After I figured out all of the measurements, I followed the recipe except I switched cream of mushroom soup for cream of celery because mushrooms are gross!
Edit: Though I like mushrooms now, I still always use cream of celery in this casserole.  This is my go-to when company comes over.  After you taste it, you will know why!

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:
7 ounces wide egg noodles
1/4 Italian bread crumbs
1 10.5 ounce can cream of celery soup
1/2 cup milk
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
5 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
1 5 ounce can tuna fish, drained and flaked

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
Add the pasta and cook for 2 minutes less than specified on the package directions.
Drain the pasta well and set aside.
Pour the soup into the pasta pot over medium heat.  Stir in milk, celery, bell peppers, 3 ounces of cheese, and parsley.
Add the tuna and stir in so that everything is incorporated.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Heat just until bubbles form on the edge of the mixture, do not bring to a boil.
Stir the pasta into the tuna mixture.
Pour mixture into a greased casserole dish.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top in an even layer.  Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the cheese evenly.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!

Source: Comfort Foods

Kitchen Sink Spaghetti

Today Matt and I decided we wanted spaghetti, but I also needed to use up a bunch of vegetables that were about to spoil, so I did both.  I did cheat a little bit and use frozen meatballs (which I hate doing because they don't taste anything like homemade meatballs), but I had to work today, so give me a break!
First, I sauteed eggplant in a pan with a little olive oil.  Matt hates undercooked eggplant, so I made sure to do that one first.  That eggplant was actually frozen from before Christmas, so I actually had to squish the water it had retained out of it before going in the pan.  Once that was cooked enough, I added it to my sauce.  Then I sauteed garlic, onion, zucchini, and carrots until they were done and in the pan they went.
My sauce was comprised of sauce leftover from my chicken, sausage, and white bean casserole along with two half jars of different pre-made sauce, and a lot of extra garlic powder from me.  After I added all of the vegetables, I cooked the sauce long enough for the meatballs to unfreeze, and it was ready to eat!
It turned out delicious!  The only thing I would have changed was to cook the carrots longer.  Also, it would have been even more delicious with homemade meatballs, but what can you do?  I really liked all of the vegetables in it!

Kitchen Sink Spaghetti 

Kitchen Sink Spaghetti

Ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti
1 box frozen meatballs (if you have time, make your own!)
1 zucchini, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces*
1 onion, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium eggplant, chopped into 1/2 ince pieces*
1/2 cup chopped carrots *
1 jar pasta sauce
Garlic powder
Italian Seasoning
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
Saute all vegetables in olive oil over medium heat.  Sprinkle with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.  Add to sauce.  Add meatballs to sauce.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions on the package.
Once the pasta is done and meatballs are cooked through, combine and enjoy!
*All vegetables are just suggestions, feel free to use whatever you have on hand and tell me what you used!

Mediterranean Pasta

Today I basically Re-created the Mediterranean pasta I made last week, except I added roasted red peppers and chicken to make it a non-vegetarian meal.  I also used spiral pasta instead of linguini.
So, first I cooked the chicken with salt and pepper.  Then I added garlic and a bag of spinach.  I added feta and roasted red peppers to the bowl, then the chicken and spinach.  Finally I added the pasta and some olive oil.

Mediterranean Pasta 

Mediterranean Pasta:

Ingredients:
1 large bag spinach
Half jar of roasted red peppers, cut into bite sized pieces
1 lb. pasta (whatever shape you would like)
1 container feta
2 chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
2 cloves garlic
Olive oil, to taste

Directions:
Cut raw chicken into bite-sized cubes.
Cook chicken and season with salt and pepper.
When done, remove and put in large bowl.
Add garlic to pan as well as bag of spinach. When spinach is cooked down, add garlic and spinach to bowl.
Meanwhile, boil pasta.  When that's done, also add pasta to bowl.
Next, add the feta and peppers.
Finally add enough olive oil to coat the pasta, and toss.
Enjoy!

Spaghetti con Pomedoro e Tonno

I know it's been a long time since I posted anything, but it's because it's been a long time since I've cooked anything!  I was home for the whole week of Thanksgiving and I also took all of the leftovers so I didn't cook for the week after either!  I'm glad to be back in the kitchen this week though and will be trying out a bunch of new recipes!
Obviously I love my fancy-sounding recipes on here, but mostly I'm all about cheap and easy.  This recipe may sound pretentious, but it's really just some spaghetti with tuna fish in it.  I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out, but I figured I may as well try it, especially when it cost about four dollars to make four meals!
First I cooked down some onions and garlic in a big sauce pan.  I accidently burned some of the garlic because I had the oil too hot, but the final product didn't taste burnt, thank goodness!

Onions, Garlic, and Oil.  (You can see the little burnt garlics!)

After that, I added a can of stewed tomatoes.  That was supposed to be enough sauce, but it wasn't, so I also added some jarred tomato sauce. I also seasoned it with some added garlic (one can never have too much garlic).

The sauce!

After that, I flaked in a can of tuna fish and let that cook while I waited for the water to boil for the pasta.

It took forever for the water to boil because I didn't have
another medium saucepan!

Then I added the pasta and sauce together and it turned out great!  I also was supposed to use linguini, but I had two half used open boxes of pasta, so I used those.

Spaghetti con Pomdedoro e Tonno

Spaghetti con Pomedoro e Tonno

Ingredients:
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup of your favorite marinara sauce
Salt and Pepper
1 tsp. basil
1 (6 oz.) can tuna, drained
1 lb. spaghetti

Preparation:
Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce.  Season with salt and pepper and stir in the basil.
Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.  Flake the tuna into the tomato sauce.  Cover and simmer until heated through, 8-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large salted pot of water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook al dente, according to the package directions.  Drain, then toss pasta with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil.  Add about 3 ladlesful of sauce and continue to toss.  Distribute evenly, then ladle remaining sauce on top.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Chicken Fettuccine with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Feta

Okay, so the title makes this meal sound much fancier than it actually is!  Tonight I had to work until 5:30, so I needed a very quick weeknight meal, and this was the quickest one I could think of!  (It actually would have been quicker, but I cooked the chicken breasts whole instead of cubing them first.)

Chicken Fettuccine with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Feta!

Chicken Fettuccine with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Feta:

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 box frozen spinach
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
4 oz. feta cheese
1 Chicken flavored Pasta Side
1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper

Preparation:
Cook the chicken and flavor with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  (I actually used Paula Deen's house seasoning because I already had it made up, but obviously you can just use the ingredients separately.)
Cook the pasta according to the directions.
Once chicken is cooked, add tomatoes and spinach to the chicken pan to heat them up.
Add chicken mixture and feta to a bowl and stir.
Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Hot Dogs, and Parsley

Today I decided to use hot dogs as my protein in dinner because they are super fast, mostly because they're already cooked.  I had success with the last time I used hot dogs with my pasta dish and this one turned out relatively successful.
I didn't have some of the ingredients because the tomatoes I bought last week had gone bad so I used canned tomatoes and I also used dried parsley instead of fresh.  It turned out okay, however I didn't feel like there was enough sauce to cover the amount of pasta used.  Next time I would add a can of sauce as well.

Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Hot Dogs, and Parsley

We had a candlelit dinner!

Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Hot Dogs, and Parsley

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
4 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup water
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 pound hot dogs, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
1 pound dried spaghetti
1 tsp. parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan

Preparation:
Set a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add olive oil and, when hot, add the onions, cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic, parsley, crushed red pepper, and tomatoes (not the juice) and cook 2 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and stir to coat evenly.  Add 1 cup water and tomato juice and stir well.  Add the hot dogs and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the hotdogs are heated through.
Meanwhile, add the pasta to a pot of boiling, salted water and cook for about 8 minutes. (The pasta should be very al dente.)  Remove the pasta from the cooking water and add to the pan with the hot dog sauce.  Stir well to coat.  Season the pasta with salt and garnish with cheese.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food Network