Cheesy Pasta Primavera

This is yet another recipe from Everyday Food magazine - can you tell where I went for my recipes this particular week!! EF volume 91, thank you!! Ha! I loved this recipe bc it was very much like comfort food, but with all the veggies it kind of felt healthy, too :) I love it, too, bc I strayed away from the original recipe and it was still so yummy. I think you could add whatever you like to suit your tastes & you'll still love it!

For this recipe, you'll need:

• coarse salt and ground pepper
• whole wheat fusili or other short twisted pasta (I really wanted to try wheat pasta, but I only had regular fusili on hand, but I will be trying the wheat at some point)
• 3 tbs butter
• 1 onion (I used sweet)
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 zucchini or yellow squash (I used yellow squash), cut into 1/4 inch half moons
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 grated parmesan, plus more for serving
• 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves (I didn't have any of these, therefore didn't use them :)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta, but reserve 1 cup pasta water for later in the recipe...

Melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions & cook until translucent. This is where I threw in some mushrooms I had to add more flavor to the sauce (And I cut them big enough for the hubby to pick out, since he doesn't like mushrooms, but is okay with using them in sauces :)

Add flour and whisk to combine

Add milk and cook, whisking frequently, until simmering and thickened, about 10 minutes - doesn't that look yummy??? Season with salt and pepper (and garlic powder if you'd like, just sayin').

Add yellow squash and cook until crisp-tender, about 6-8 minutes.

Stir in pasta, parmesan, and tomatoes (I saved the tomatoes for later bc hubby doesn't like tomatoes & I put them on the side so he wouldn't have to pick them out :). At this point, I used the remaining pasta water to make the sauce the right consistency (I didn't use the full cup bc I like sauce on the thicker side).

Here's my bowl! I added the tomatoes, mixed it up, and added the avocado on top since I had one in the fridge - isn't it pretty?? And it tasted so fresh and yummy! The avocado added a nice buttery addition to the pasta - to go with the butter & cream already in the dish :) Enjoy!

Roma Chicken

We have been enjoying this recipe since we were first married.  It's been a staple, consistently good, easy, & tasty dish.  It's evolved a little over the years and this time around may have been my favorite!

For this recipe, you'll need:

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs butter
• 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken broth
• italian seasoning grinder
• 1/2 cup sliced green olives
• Hot cooked rice

Brown chicken in pan with olive oil and butter.  Season chicken.  I seasoned mine with salt, pepper, and, of course, garlic powder!  After browning chicken, remove chicken from skillet.

Add onions and garlic and cook until softened.  Then add chicken broth and return chicken to skillet.

Add tomatoes and green olives.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.  When it's finished cooking, I cut the chicken up into smaller chunks before serving with rice.

This makes a lot, so I usually pour the leftover chicken over the rice to keep and the next day it tastes just as good with the tomato-y rice!  Yum!

We had it this night with our favorite green beans - Enjoy!

Tortellini Soup

It was accidently Soup Week at our house this week!  Oops!!  But it's all good bc the mister loves BOTH of the soups I made this week!  He's really not a huge fan of soups, and I usually don't make two soups in one week, but it just happened this week and I suppose it helped that I made the two that he really likes.  He especially likes this one - based off a super easy Pampered Chef recipe from years ago.  And the little one loves it, too!  So win-win at our house!

For this soup, you'll need:

• onion, chopped
• 1 garlic glove, smashed & chopped
• about 2 tbs olive oil
• pkg of your favorite tortellini (we used spinach cheese tortellini bc that's what the little one picked out, but I think you can use whatever you like)
• 1 - 10 oz pkg frozen spinach (cut leaf or chopped), thawed
• chicken broth (I made my own chicken broth, but if using canned, use 3-4 cans of broth)
• 1 - 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 tsp dried basil leaves

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until tender in the pan you plan to make your soup in.

Now, I made my own chicken broth (because you know I'm crazy I'm into that these days) and I have to show you the super nerdy exciting thing that I did to get my broth ready.  The black stockpot is the pot with the broth, and the stainless steel pot is the one I sauteed the onions & garlic in.  I just place my colander over the steel pot and poured my broth directly into it from the stockpot that I made my broth in.  So easy and accomplished the task of straining the broth and getting all my broth in the right place without getting something else dirty.  Sometimes it's the simple things in life that get me excited, ha.

So then I had my stock, onions, & garlic ready to go.  Brought that to a boil over medium-high heat.

Added the tortellini and cooked it to package directions.  I know it sounds silly to have to say this, but DO NOT DRAIN.  That would be counterproductive to making your soup, friends :)  After you've cooked the tortellini, add tomatoes, basil and spinach, bring to boil again, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Thought I would share this steamy picture first!  Can you smell the yummy goodness?

I think this soup is so pretty & festive for the holidays!  I promise, you'll love it!  Enjoy!

Taco Soup

I made this on Halloween, the perfect fall soup!  This soup is even acceptable to the mister bc it's definitely hearty!  It's a Paula Deen recipe so you know it's that good!  And easy?  Yes!

For this soup, you'll need:

• 2 lbs ground beef (I used about a pound and a half)
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 - 15 1/2 oz cans pink kidney beans
• 2 - 15 1/2 oz cans pinto beans
• 1 - 15 1/2 oz can of niblet corn, drained
• 1 - 14 1/2 oz can Del Monte mexican tomatoes*
• 1 - 14 1/2 oz can Del Monte tomatoes with chilies*
• 1 - 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 - 4 1/2 oz cans diced green chilies*
• 1/2 cup green olives, sliced - optional
• 1 - 1 1/4 oz pkg taco seasoning mix
• 1 - 1 oz pkg Hidden Valley Original Ranch salad dressing mix
• Corn chips
• Sour cream
• grated cheese
• chopped onions

**I used 2 cans of Rotel instead of the Del Monte tomatoes, I couldn't find them

**I used one - 7 oz can of diced green chilies

Brown meat with onion, drain fat.

Pour in beans, corn, tomatoes, chilies, olives, and seasonings.  If using crockpot, cook on low for 6-8 hours or simmer on low heat for an hour in stockpot for an hour.  I simmered mine on the stove for a little more than an hour.

To serve, we tested fritos on the bottom, before ladling the soup, or topping soup with fritos.  Both me & the hubby agree, topping with fritos is better than putting fritos first - the crunch was much better to us than soggy chips!

After the chips, I also topped it with sour cream, shredded cheddar & green olives.  I guess black olives would work, too, but this mama gets grossed out by black olives so they don't make it to anything cooked in this kitchen :)

Doesn't it look yummy?!?  Totally Yummy!!

My Favorite Tortilla Soup

I started making this tortilla soup when we first got married.  It started from some recipe I found in a magazine and evolved over the years.  All members of the family will eat it so that's always good around here.  My husband is not super enthused about soups, but this is one that he eats without complaining.  In fact, he was just warning our son this morning that the arrival of fall would be Mommy putting more soups on the menu - then he asked me what was for dinner - haha!!  It's the first day of fall so Tortilla Soup, of course!  Viva la fall and viva la soup!!

For this soup, you'll need:

• 2 cups cooked chicken (chopped - you could use rotisserie chicken for this - I baked several chicken breasts in the oven with olive oil, season salt, pepper, and garlic powder)
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 can MILD chopped green chiles, drained
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes (usually I use 14.5 oz can, but only had the 28 oz can today, so I halved it bc the Mister isn't crazy about so many tomatoes :)
• 2 cans Mexicorn, drained
• 1 can black beans (drained, but not rinsed - but if you'd rather rinse, then rinse away)
• 1 can tomato paste
• 4 cans chicken broth
• 1 green pepper, seeded, diced
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbs chili pepper (use less if you like, we like chili pepper around here)
• pepper, to taste

Saute green pepper, onion, and garlic in olive oil

Add chicken and one can of chicken broth.  I like to add the chicken at the beginning because I feel like the chicken gets some of the extra flavor from the onions and pepper.  Heat through.

The rest of it is just easy!  Welcome to my nerdy cooking self who thinks pictures like this are fun.  Add black beans, corn, tomatoes.

Add chiles and the other can of corn - isn't it pretty?

Then get out this.  This makes the soup a much prettier color to balance the grayish look that the black beans bring to the soup.   Add to tomato paste and remainder of chicken broth.

Mix together.  Here's what it looked like before I brought it to a boil.  Bring it to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until ready to serve.  I think the longer the better on simmering, but it tastes good whether you have 20 minutes or 45...

I didn't get a pic of what it looked like after simmering in the pan, bc I was busy with the last step...

Grating the cheese to top the soup - we had colby jack and pepper jack this time around

Ladle your soup -

Top with cheese and tortilla chips, if desired.  Usually, I also add a little dollop of sour cream and sliced green olives (that may sound weird, but I love green olives on this soup) - we didn't have either of those tonight, but the soup was still fabulous!  Can't wait to eat some tomorrow bc it's even better on day two.  Viva la soup!!

Baked Penne with Italian Sausage Tomato Sauce

I was really happy with how this recipe turned out.  I can't believe I have never cooked with Italian Sausage before!  The Mister loves Italian Sausage on pizza, but it's never been high on my list of favorite foods.  However, I was interested in seeing what it could do with the tomato sauce and I was not disappointed!  This recipe was easy and yummy - perfect combo for this week of getting back into the swing of things.

**Please note that this picture shows tomato paste, but you don't need the paste, only the tomato sauce (I figured this out later on and didn't want to reshoot :)

For this recipe, you'll need:

• 1/2 lb Italian Sausage
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion (ended up being about half of the onion)
• 2 tsp minced garlic (I used two cloves of fresh garlic)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp Italian Seasoning Mix (original recipe called for this, I used Italian Seasoning Grinder, see below)
• 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (8 oz) can Spanish style tomato sauce (I used tomato sauce with basil, oregano, and onion)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 (16 oz.) package ziti pasta (I couldn't find ziti, so used penne instead ;)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella

This recipe came from this magazine - SOOOOO many awesome recipes I can't wait to try!!  Perfect for the fall!!  Back to the recipe...

Cook sausage over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, breaking sausage into pieces (not pretty in the picture, my apologies :)  I added a little oil here so as not to completely burn my sausage. Drain; return sausage to the pan.

Saute onion and garlic in hot oil in saucepan over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until tender.  This part smelled divine!!

Now, you could add 1 1/2 tbsp Italian Season Mix here (1/2 cup dried basil, 2 tbsp plus 2 tsp dried oregano, 4 tsp dried crushed red pepper, 2 tsp whole black peppercorns.  Process in food processor 1 minute or until mixture is fine powder.  Store in airtight container up to 4 months)  OR you can do what I did...

Use this!!  Super easy and on sale at Alberston's this week for $1!!  All the same ingredients, already in a grinder - Score!  (Sorry, sometimes the silliest things get me super excited)  I just used this and seasoned my sauce to taste.  Mix and cook 1 minute.

Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 1 cup water bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to low; simmer 40-45 minutes or until slightly thickened.

It was at this point during the process, I realized I should've used a different pan.  Learn from my mistakes, friends, use a bigger pan.  (Becky, this is for you!! :)

After simmering, stir in salt and honey.  Yes, honey!  It sounds weird, but works well.  Then, mix in 1/2 cup mozzarella with drained noodles and sauce.

Put in lightly greased pan, top with remaining mozzarella (original recipe called for 1/2 cup, but we like cheese around here so remaining 1 and 1/2 cups of cheese was used :)

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!  This was enjoyed by all members of the family - easy and yummy!

Game Day Steak Fajitas

I don't know why I never tried fajitas before - they were SO easy!!  I started from a recipe off the back of the Mission tortilla bag and went from there.  I didn't get a "before" ingredient picture because I prepared everything in stages.  Again, I did a quick freeze on the meat so that I could cut it into strips - this makes it SO much easier!  I even had some that defrosted a little too much so I just stuck it back in the freezer a little longer and once it firmed up, easy once again.  Start to finish, cooking time for this meal took less than 30 minutes.  It took about 15 minutes to prep the meat and slice the veggies, prior to that, but all in all, an easy meal!  You'll need:

• about 1 pound of sirloin steak
• Italian dressing
• chili pepper
• 1 green pepper, cut into strips
• 1 sweet onion, sliced
• 2 tbs olive oil
• tortillas
• tomatoes (optional, garnish)
• avocado (optional, garnish)
• sour cream (optional, garnish)
• shredded cheese (optional, garnish)

The original recipe said to marinate steak strips in Italian dressing for 6-24 hours beforehand.  This would be great if I had made time to do this that far in advance.  However, reality strikes and I marinated my steak for about 2 hours prior to cooking.  It turned out fine, but I'm sure the longer time in the marinade, the better.  Use enough Italian dressing to thoroughly coat all meat.

Before you get started cooking, wrap tortillas in foil and put in oven to warm.  I put mine in at 350 and then lowered it to 'warm' after about 15 minutes until we were ready to eat.

Cook marinated meat in 2 tbs olive oil, over medium heat until browned

Add onions and green peppers, cook to desired tenderness.  I covered the pan here and it worked well.  In the last few minutes of cooking, I added about 1 tbs chili pepper.  You can easily adjust any of these measurements to suit your own taste.  We like chili pepper at our house, so the more, the better!

This next step is only for mushroom-loving crazies like me.  I've decided that I have a love of mushrooms that parallels my love of garlic powder.  You get the idea.  Anyway, so I removed the meat/onion mixture and left the juices in the pan...and you know what comes next - I added the mushrooms right to that!  Oh, yummmmmy!  (I know for you fajita enthusiasts, this is blasphemy, but I'm telling you, I just wanted mushrooms on this night.  And let me tell you, it worked!)

Last step - load up your fajitas!!  We will be having these again!  I was initially skeptical about the Italian dressing marinade for the fajitas, but it totally works.  Everyone in the family made their fajitas differently and the way they wanted so it was fabulous!

What's your favorite fajita?