Garlic Basil Shrimp

This dish has two things going for it: it's delish and it's extremely quick to make. The longest part is waiting for the orzo to cook. What could be better?

Garlic Basil Shrimp

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tbsp EVOO

1.25lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 garlic gloves

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or more if you like it more spicy)

3/4 cup dry white wine

1.5 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

3 cups cooked orzo pasta

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the shrimp and cook, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the oil remaining in the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook over high high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and basil and season the sauce the salt and pepper. Return the shrimp to the pan and cook until just heated through. Serve atop orzo.

Chicken and Mushrooms in Garlic White Wine Sauce

Attention, attention! REAL NOODLES AHEAD! I must admit, it was an extra special treat to eat real, non-brown rice noodles. This is a small serving but an excellent one. Next time, I think I will add some asparagus into the mix. I also doubled the amount of mushrooms because we really enjoy them!

Side note: As much as I love wine, I don't keep it in the house because I'm the only one who drinks and I'd rather eat my calories. While not as cost effective, they do sell small bottles of wine in stores that are equal to about 2 glasses if you would like to avoid temptation!

Chicken and Mushrooms in Garlic White Wine Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 oz uncooked medium egg noodles
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp black pepper, divided
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp bottled minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
2 (8-ounce) packages presliced mushrooms
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and keep warm.

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Place chicken breast halves in a shallow dish. Combine 1 tbsp flour, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper, stirring well with a whisk. Sprinkle flour mixture over chicken; toss to coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Remove chicken from pan.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add garlic, tarragon, and mushrooms to pan; sauté for 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms darken. Add white wine to pan; cook 1 minute. Stir in remaining 1 tbsp flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, remaining 1/4 tsp salt, and remaining 1/8 tsp pepper; cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring frequently.

Return chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer 2 minutes. Uncover; cook 1 minute or until chicken is done. Stir in noodles; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Place about 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.

Crockin' Mac and Cheese

This.Is.Beyond.Good. The flavor is not a little kids mac and cheese...in fact I served it to a 10 year old who didn't care for it. But, the adults all loved this as the Parmesan cheese adds a nice flavor. I didn't take a picture of this because it's mac and cheese. Seriously, it's cheese and noodles. How good could it look? ;)

Crockin' Mac and Cheese
Serves 4, but can easily be doubled. Best in a medium crock but if you double, use a large one.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups skim or low-fat milk
12oz can evaporated skim milk
1 large egg, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded medium or sharp cheddar
8oz elbow macaroni
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Coat the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the first 5 ingredients in the cooker and whisk until smooth. Add the cheese and noodles, gently stir with a rubber spatula to coat evenly with the milk and cheese mixture. Sprinkle the Parm on top.

Cover and cook on LOW until the custard is set in the center and the pasta is tender, about 3 1/2-4 hours. Do not cook more then 4 hours, as the sides will dry out and burn.

Cold Sesame Noodles

This is sort of an odd dish to make in the middle of the chilly So Cal winter (I kid) but it looked too good to pass up. I did change the recipe a bit as I HATE buying ingredients that will sit around until I make the same dish again (read: sambal oelek or chile paste with garlic). And, as it turns out, this ended up being totally delish, even with my changes!

Cold Sesame Noodles with Chicken and Cucumbers

Serves 6

Ingredients:

8 oz uncooked dried udon noodles
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 small rotisserie chicken, with skin removed
2 medium cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced
6 tablespoons chopped green onions
3 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Directions:

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain.

Combine rice vinegar and the next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk. Add noodles, chicken, and cucumbers to a large bowl and toss gently with liquid. Top with green onions and peanuts.

Mediterranean Pasta

Yum Town! For a first time try, this turned out really well. Next time I think I am going to add in some artichoke hearts as well. This is tasty served hot or cold.

Side note: Not sure if I have mentioned this before but the brown rice pasta at Trader Joes is about 1/3 the price of the grocery stores. GO TO TJs!

Mediterranean Pasta

Serves 6

Ingredients:

3/4lb brown rice spiral noodles

1 1/4 lb chicken breasts, cubed

2 cloves garlic, minced

Greek seasoning

1 (12oz) bag frozen brocolli

1 carton grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup Kalamata olives, halved

1 cucumber, peeled and diced

1/2 containor feta cheese

olive oil

merlot/red wine vinegar

Directions:

Cook pasta. As I have mentioned before, watch brown rice pasta carefully! It goes from done to mush in minutes.

In a large saucepan, cook chicken and season with garlic and greek seasoning. When chicken is just cooked through, add in broccoli and cucumbers until warm. Toss in tomatos, olives and feta cheese and combine with pasta. Using as much olive oil and merlot/red wine vinegar as desired, toss pasta until correct level of taste is achieved.

Crock Pot Goodness: Easy Cheesy Ravioli Casserole

Because my brothers girlfriend rocks, she bought me a great slow-cooker book for Christmas. She was also nice enough to loan me her son for a day to experiment with. The day I made this recipe we also lost gas to the condo because our neighbors are crazy SO I had to play around with the original recipe a bit. I ended up cutting out the most labor intensive part of the meal since I had no functioning stove top and I am SO glad I did. This turned out really well so I'm not including those first steps as this is a much easier version. Also, the original recipe called for some red wine which I substituted with chicken broth since I figured a 10 year old wouldn't much be into that. Just in case you couldn't figure it out, this isn't healthy. But, it's warm, cozy and easy when you feel like treating yourself and was loved by kid and adults alike! (Also, I have no picture of this so get over it ;))

Side note: Try to find the frozen ravioli as they are MUCH less expensive then the refrigerated kind. If you can't find frozen, just toss the refrigerated kind in the freezer overnight.

Easy Cheesy Ravioli Casserole
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (26-28oz) tomato-based pasta sauce (I used Pomi)
3/4 chicken broth
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
2 tsp dried basil
2 (25oz) package frozen ravioli
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Combine onion, garlic, pasta sauce, chicken broth and basil in a bowl and stir together to combine.

Layer 2 cups of the tomato sauce into the cooker. Ass one package of the frozen ravioli, then sprinkle with half the mozzarella and 2 tbsp of the Parmesan. Repeat process. Cover with remaining sauce.

Cover and cook on high for 2.5-3.5 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. The casserole is done when the ravioli from the center is hot throughout. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and let cook for 10 more minutes.

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cheese

This is easy, easy, easy. I added a layer of spinach into the original recipe because, you know, veggies are good for you. It's easy to omit the spinach so don't feel like you MUST have it. Also, I use mainly brown rice pasta but again, you can use whatever you damn well please. The sister gives this 5 stars!

Side note: Squeezing the sausage out of the casing is nasty. But you'll get over it, I promise!

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cheese

Serves 8 very hearty portions

Ingredients:

1lb bag uncooked brown rice spiral noodles

1 pack lean hot turkey Italian sausage (again, the Jenni-O package has about 1.25 lbs)

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic gloves, minced

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 (14.5oz) cans petite-diced tomatoes (I use no-salt added)

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

4 oz freshly grated skim mozzarella cheese

4oz grated fresh parmesan

1 bag fresh spinach

salt

pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cook pasta, drain and set aside

Remove the casing from the sausage (can can either cut it if you have a VERY sharp knife or you can squeeze it out). Cook the sausage, onion and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper and basil and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta and sausage mixture. Coat a 9x13 glass dish with cooking spray and then lay spinach out on the bottom, Place half of the pasta mixture and top with half of the mozzarella and the parmesan. Repeat layers and bake at 350 for 25 or until bubbly.

Chicken Orzo Salad with MY FAVORITE

Little known secret outside of my family and fellow blogger...I love goat cheese more then life itself. On a cracker, on some bread, on a burger, on some chicken, thrown in a salad..doesn't matter. If I see it on a menu, I order. I saw a version of this recipe in Cooking Light and made a few tweaks because their version was BORING. I serve this on a bed of fresh spinach but you could really do it on any kind of lettuce leaf. You can serve this warm or cold. The sister gives this 4.5 stars...I'd give it 5.

Chicken Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese

Ingredients:
Serves 4-6

1.25 cups uncooked orzo
3/4lb grilled chicken, cut into bite size chunks
4-6 cups fresh spinach
1.5 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tsp oregano
Balsamic Vinegar
EVOO
salt
pepper
1.5oz goat cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta, drain well

Combine pasta, chicken, tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper and oregano in a large bowl and toss to combine

In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar and EVOO. The amount of really depends on how much "dressing" you want. Just eyeball...remember you can always add but you can never take away.

Drizzle dressing over pasta and toss well. Spoon over spinach and top with crumbled cheese.

Oriental (is that PC?) Pasta

In case you've been wondering, I like pasta. A lot. And I think pasta is the perfect lesson in moderation. Yes, you can eat pasta and have it be healthy. On average, the recipes I have on here have 2 ounces of pasta/serving. That's not a lot. But damn does it taste good. Once again we are shown that you do not have to avoid most foods when you are countin' your calories. Just don't have a box of pasta to yourself if you are concerned about watching your weight. CARBS ARE NOT THE DEVIL.

This recipe originally called for cooked turkey breast. We tried it and while it was ok, it was salty as hell. I would recommend chicken breast or even some steak...yum! Also, I like a lot of veggies. I pretty much doubled this when I made it but I realize not everyone may be as veggie crazy as me! The sister gave this 4.25 stars.

Oriental Pasta
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

Oriental Dressing (recipe to follow)
8oz cooked meat (whatever you decide here)
4 oz carrots, julienned
4 oz asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 oz fresh spinach, chopped
8oz whole wheat thin spaghetti

Directions:

Combine all veggies and meat into a saucepan over medium heat and cook until warmed up. Toss over pasta and top of with dressing. Toss gently to coat and you are done! (Hi, I'm easy. No excuses not to make this one, even on a late night)

Oriental Dressing
yields 1 cup

Ingredients:

1/4cup low salt soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

Mix all together and whisk until combined!

Mushroom Lasagna

When I saw this recipe I thought to myself "no meat, no go". I likes my meat. But then I saw the amount of cheese and thought I would give it a shot. You don't miss the meat. At all. This is cheesy and yummy and tastes really naughty for you. And yet, its not! This also freezes very well. The sister gave this 4.5 stars. I'd probably give it a 5.


Mushroom Lasagna
10-12 Servings

Ingredients:

¾ lb uncooked lasagna noodles (I used whole wheat)
1 bag fresh spinach

For the Mushroom Tomato Sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
¾ lb mushrooms
½ tsp salt
Cracked pepper
2 cups tomato sauce (any kind would work here)
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ to ½ cup roughly chopped basil leaves

For the Herbed Ricotta Cheese:
1lb ricotta (I used the low fat/skim one)
Mixed herbs (you can use whatever, I did parsley and oregano)
Salt and pepper to taste

½ lb part-skim fresh mozzarella, grated

Directions:

Preheat over to 350

Cook noodles until al dente and then drain well

Meanwhile prepare mushroom tomato sauce: place olive oil and mushrooms in large pan over high heat. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often for 5-7 minutes. Add tomato sauce and red pepper and simmer for 10 minutes; add basil and simmer 5 minutes more.

Prepare herbed ricotta cheese:

Place cheese in small mixing bowl and add herbs, salt and pepper to taste.

In a 9x13 baking dish, pour just enough sauce to cover bottom. Add uncooked spinach. Begin layering noodles, then herbed ricotta, then mozzarella and finally, sauce. I did about two layers and that came out really well! Bake for an hour or until lasagna is brown and bubbly.

Spaghetti Bolognese, YUM!

Because my brother is obsessed with Spaghetti Bolognese and the fully loaded version is well...loaded with fat and calories, I kept my eye out for a healthier version. I was delighted by this Sandra Lee version and with a few modifications (frozen chopped onions Sandra? Seriously? How lazy can you be?) made it this past Sunday. Haven't heard back from the brother yet but the sister described it as "tasting not like diet food" (a huge compliment from her) and gave it 4.25(out of 5) stars.

Spaghetti Bolognese
Makes 8 large servings

Ingredients:

1 box spaghetti (I used organic whole wheat)
1 carton mushrooms
1.25 lbs ground turkey breast (I used lean, not extra lean)
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 jar (25.5 ounce) pasta sauce
1 cup Merlot
1 cup chicken broth (I use the low sodium version)
1/4 cup low-fat evaporated milk
Parmesan cheese(for topping)

Directions:

Cook pasta, drain return to pot and toss with a bit of olive oil to keep it from sticking

In a large skillet sprayed with olive oil, add the ground turkey, onions and garlic and cook until meat is no longer pink. Add the pasta sauce, wine and chicken broth to skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes until sauce thickens. Stir in evaporated milk.

Toss with pasta, top with Parmesan cheese if desired and serve!

Spaghetti Pie

I should preface this very first recipe with a bit on how I cook. Most everything I create are good, hardy meals that are not going to kill your waistline. However, I don't use a lot of fat free products mainly because they are usually full of sugar or salt and lack flavor. I should also forewarn our audience out there that I use A LOT of onions in most everything I cook. Onions are awesome, pack lots of flavor and compliment a variety of dishes. However, if you are an onion hater, of course feel free to omit or use something else.

I also cook a lot by sight and taste as opposed to formally measuring everything out so don't be surprised if I don't give specific measurements. All these recipes are SO easy that it is not difficult to figure out how much to use of what. Hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Spaghetti Pie
Makes 10 large servings or 12-14 smaller servings

Ingredients:

2 packs 4% fat ground turkey
1 red onion
minced garlic
1 pack of mushrooms
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I usually try to find one that is organic and lower in sugar)
pack of brown rice spaghetti
1 large carton baby spinach
2 cartons low fat ricotta*
1 cup low fat shredded mozzarella
1/2-3/4 cup of egg substitute
1/2 cup REAL Parmesan (that stuff in the shaker is gross)
*if you don't care for ricotta, you can also use low fat cottage cheese

Directions:
Cook pasta. But be careful! Brown rice pasta goes from not cooked to al dente VERY quickly so keep a close eye on it. Drain pasta and rinse with cold water so it is easier to handle. Flip spaghetti in colander several times to get rid of as much excess water as possible. Once the noodles are dry, line them along the bottom of a large casserole dish which has been sprayed with Pam.

Meanwhile, saute chopped onion (I use a mini-food processor here as it makes life about 1.000 times EASIER. Plus they are only about $35!) and garlic in large pan. Add in turkey meat and brown...but just until it isn't pink. Dried out turkey is gross. Add in sauce and mushrooms and heat through.

In a small bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella and egg substitute.

Spread all baby spinach on top of the spaghetti "crust". On top of the spinach, spread the cheese combination. Top with meat and sauce combination and finally, top with a light dusting of Parmesan. Cover with tin foil and bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes. Once it is warm and bubbly, you are ready to chow down!