Cheesy Pasta Bake

Hands-on time: 39 minutes

Total time: 59 minutes

Ingredients:

• 14 ounces uncooked ziti or mostaccioli
• 12 ounces ground turkey breast
• 8 ounces sweet turkey Italian sausage, casings removed
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 5 cups marinara sauce (I used Prego)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (I used 1/4 cup dried basil)
• 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (I used shredded)
• 2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 2 tbsp small basil leaves or torn basil

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat, drain, and set aside.
3. Place turkey and sausage in a medium bowl, and mix well with hands to combine. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add turkey mixture to pan; cook 8 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from pan.
4. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and pepper, saute 4 minutes. Add garlic; saute for 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add wine, scraping the pan to loosen browned bits, and cook for 4 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in pasta, turkey mixture, marinara sauce, and 1/2 cup basil. Spoon mixture into a 13x9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until bubbly and cheese melts and begins to brown. Remove from oven; spring with basil leaves and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Serves: 8 (1 1/2 cup per serving)

Courtesy Cooking Light, March 2012

Fettuccine with Spinach, Butter, and Cream

The combination of spinach and cream is old-fashioned but great. This sauce is also good with a grating of nutmeg added to it.

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces fresh spinach, trimmed, washed. and dried
• 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, light cream, or half-and-half
• 1 pound spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Chop the spinach coarsely. Over medium heat melt 2 tbsp of the butter in a large skillet that can later be covered. Add the spinach, along with some salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is very tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover, add the cream, and cook gently for about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, salt the boiling water and cook the pasta until it is tender but firm. When it is just about done, put the remaining butter in a large, warm bowl and add a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and toss it with the butter and half the Parmesan. Add the spinach sauce and serve, passing the remaining Parmesan at the table.

Side Notes:

• Cooked chicken or shrimp is a great addition to the sauce. I usually add it after the spinach is done cooking and before I add the cream.
• Makes about 4 servings. Reheats really well for leftovers.

Courtesy of How to Cook Everything

Cream of Chile-Chicken Soup

This recipe is a staple in my house during the winter. I always double it because the leftovers are great! Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream for a great soup to warm a cold night.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. ground chicken or turkey
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups milk
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can corn with sweet peppers
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 can diced green chile peppers
• 2 tbsp parsley
• 1/2 tsp red pepper
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation:

1. Cook chicken/turkey, onion, and garlic.
2. Stir in milk, soup, corn, tomato, chile peppers, parsley, red pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
3. Add cheese. Cook and stir until cheese is melted.

Serves: 4

Apricot-Glazed Beef Tenderloin

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp butter
• 4 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed (about one inch thick)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 2 tbsp water

Preparation:

1. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
2. While butter melts, sprinkle steaks evenly with cumin, pepper, and salt. Cook steaks in melted butter 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Transfer steaks to a serving platter; keep warm. Reduce heat to medium.
3. Stir preserves and 2 tbsp water into drippings, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat 1 minute or until bubbly.
4. Place 1 steak on each of 4 plates. Spoon sauce evenly over steaks. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 steak and 2 tbsp sauce).

Courtesy Cooking Light: Fresh Food Superfast

Chicken Shawarma

Ingredients:

CHICKEN

1 lb. chicken, cut into strips

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. curry powder

2 tsp. olive oil

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

3 garlic cloves, minced

SAUCE

1/2 cup reduced fat Greek yogurt

2 tbsp. tahini

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp. salt

1 garlic clove, minced

REMAINING INGREDIENTS

4 6-inch pitas

1 cup chopped Romaine lettuce

8 1/4 inch tomato slices

Preparation:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat

2. To prepare chicken, combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

3. To prepare sauce, combine yogurt and next 4 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.

4. Thread 2 chicken strips onto each of 8 12-inch skewers. Place kebabs on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side until done.

5. Place pitas on grill rack. Grill on each side until lightly toasted. Place 1 pita on each of 4 plates, top with lettuce and tomato slices. Top each with chicken and drizzle 2 tbsp sauce on each.

Sweet and Spicy Chili Pork Chops

Chili paste is a fiery sauce made of dried crushed red pepper seasoned with garlic. Use a light hand when adding this ingredient. This sauce thickens almost immediately when added to the hot skillet; turn the chops over in it until they are nicely glazed.

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp lower-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp chile paste with garlic
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup diagonally sliced green onions

Preparation:

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork; cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove pan from heat; let pork stand 30 seconds.
2. While pork cooks, combine brown sugar and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Add sauce to pork, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Turn pork over in sauce to coat. Sprinkle with green onions. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop, about 2 1/2 tbsp sauce, and 1 tbsp green onions).

Courtesy Cooking Light: Fresh Food Superfast

Three Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1/2 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced, oil reserved
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved

Preparation:

1. Cook spaghetti until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water (or do what I do and use heavy whipping cream instead of the pasta water). Return to pot.
2. Heat 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add canned tomatoes, with juice, and sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer gently, breaking up canned tomatoes, about 15 min.
3. Add cherry tomatoes; simmer about 10 minutes.
4. Add to pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Toss, adding pasta water (or whipping cream) as necessary.

Makes a lot of pasta and the leftovers are great, too.