Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

I adapted this from an Ina Garten recipe (Barefoot Contessa Family Style). And I will admit that I had a major cooking FAIL tonight. I made way too much pasta in one pot and I thought it was all cooked and then I mixed together the pasta, dressing, olives, and tomatoes and realized that the pasta was not just al dente, but it was chewy and nasty. So, I actually went through and picked out all the good stuff and started over! So a really quick and easy recipe became a nightmare!!!

1 pound pasta (I ended up using little shells. The rotini got tossed, sadly.)
kosher salt
olive oil
5 carrots, sliced (not in Ina's recipe)
2 red bell peppers, chopped (not in Ina's recipe)
1.5 cups kalamata olives, pitted & diced
1 container feta cheeses (Ina calls for 1 lb. fresh mozzarella but I was feeling like Feta)
12 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained & chopped

for the dressing:
10 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
12 tablespoons good olive oil
1 garlic clove, diced
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking together according to directions on box. Drain well & allow to cool. Place pasta in a bowl and add olives, veggies, tomatoes.

For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth.

Pour the dressing over the pasta. You can garnish with parmesan cheese or fresh basil if you like! She also calls for fresh tomatoes in the recipe but I left those out. Oh, and she calls for 1 teaspoon of capers in the dressing but I didn't have any on hand (and I don't really like them!) Serve cold. This is kind of a summery recipe in hopes that all this snow will soon melt.

Darlene's Gateway Cafeteria Mac 'n Cheese

This is my mom (Darlene's) recipe and I have never had a batch that didn't call for seconds...

Ingredients:
2 lbs macaroni pasta
1 T oil
1 cup flour
2 T worcestershire sauce
2 lbs cheddar cheese
1 T. salt
1.5 sticks butter
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 gallon skim milk

Topping:
8 oz. dry bread crumbs
3 oz. butter
1/4 lb shredded cheddar

To do:
1. Cook macaroni in boiling water with salt and oil according to the directions on the box. Drain and set aside.
2. In large stockpot, melt butter, stir in flour and seasonings eliminating lumps.
3. Cook 5-10 minutes stirring frequently.
4. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly and cook until thickened (about 10-15 minutes)
5. Add cheese to sauce and stir until cheese melts.
6. Put cooked macaroni in one or two large buttered casserole dishes. Pour cheese sauce over macaroni.
7.Mix breadcrumbs with melted butter Sprinkle evenly over casserole. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

Makes 12 servings

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients

6 whole wheat tortillas

1 lb chicken breast - sliced or diced

1 4-oz can green chilies

1/2 can fat-free refried beans

1 can black beans (drained & rinsed)

1 can no salt added corn (drained & rinsed)

4 cups reduced-fat mexican cheese

2 cups salsa

1 small green onion

Herbs & spices to taste: cumin, chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. In a skillet, cook the chicken with the herbs and spices. Once the juices run clean, add the green chilies. Set aside.
3. In a large glass baking dish, lay two tortillas flat to cover the bottom and spread the refried beans over them. Spread half of the chicken over the bottom and cover with one-third of the cheese. Lay down two more tortillas and cover with the black beans and corn. Add remaining chicken and another one-third of the cheese. Cover with the remaining two tortillas. Spread salsa over the tortillas and then cover with the rest of the cheese. Sprinkle green onions on top.
4. Place in oven and bake until cheese browns and it is warmed throughout (about 35 minutes).

Asian-inspired Vermicelli

I got this recipe from my Godmother, who makes this dish often for her family. I had it the first time and fell in love with it. It's a nice meal because the turkey is lean and there are so many flavors in the sauce. This is the basic recipe (with my tweakings), but I've also made it and added in vegetables which is tasty too. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, diced

1 tsp ground ginger

1 lb ground turkey

1/4 c white wine

1/3 c Hoisin sauce

1/4 c soy sauce, reduced sodium if possible

1/2 c chicken broth

3 Tbsp cornstarch

1/2 c green onions, chopped

1 lb vermicelli, cooked and drained

Process

Medium hot pan (I used a dutch oven, but you could also use a wok or a large saute pan). Add olive oil, onions, garlic and ginger. Saute until translucent. Add meat and cook thoroughly. At this point I remove the excess grease and dispose of it. In a bowl, mix all liquid ingredients (not cornstarch) and add into pan/d.oven. Cover and let cook about 20 minutes. Uncover and remove some of the sauce to a small bowl and mix it with the cornstarch. Pour back into meat mixture and stir. When sauce has thickened to your liking, it is done. Add chopped green onions and vermicelli into mixture, stir until combined and serve.

This recipe serves between 2-4, depending on how hungry you are. ;-) Generally you'll have enough for 4 servings, and maybe even leftovers!

Sandra's Barbecue Brisket & Hashbrown Casserole

This is another recipe from my family's yearly beach vacation. My aunt Sandra makes this and I look forward to it every year! It's great for a crowd and it's not too expensive. She usually serves it with cooked broccoli and/or a salad.

Oven Barbecued Brisket

5-6 lb brisket (first cut - has the fat cut off but you may need to trim it some more)

3 oz. liquid smoke

Celery salt

Onion salt

Garlic salt

Salt and pepper

Worchestershire sauce

6 oz. barbeque sauce

2 T. flour

1/2 c. water

1. Remove fat before cooking. (Bettie's brisket comes in 2 lb. and 4 lb. packages. The 4 pounder was really lean. I had to trim the 2 pounder for what seemed like forever and still couldn't get it all!)
2. Pour liquid smoke over brisket placed in baking dish. Sprinkle meat on both sides with celery salt, onion salt, and garlic salt to tenderize. Salt generously, but not too generously! Place in fridge overnight.
3. Next morning allow 5 hrs. for cooking, 1 hr. to bake with barbeque sauce, and a final cooling period of 1 hr. When ready to bake in a 275 degree oven, sprinkle both sides of meat with salt and pepper and a little Worchestershire. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil.
4. After 5 hrs. uncover the meat and pour on barbeque sauce. Continue baking 1 more hour.
5. Remove meat to a platter and let sauce cool. Remove fat. (Since I remove fat before cooking, I don't worry about fat in sauce.) Pour sauce into small pot, add the flour and water and cook til thickens a little. Add more barbeque sauce to taste. Serve sauce hot. Serves 10.

Hash Brown Potato Casserole

2 lb. bag frozen has brown potatoes

Melt 1 stick butter or margarine in 9 X 13 dish and place potatoes over the butter. Mix and spread on top of potatoes:

2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

8 oz. carton sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/4 c. chopped onions

1 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

Melt 1/2 stick butter and mix with 2 c. crushed corn flakes. Spread over top and bake at 325 to 350 for 45 min. Remove from oven 15 min. before serving.

"Funeral Casserole"

Growing up we regularly attended church and anytime someone in the congregation or a friend/family member died we would gather for a potluck meal. Inevitably someone (or multiple people) would bring this dish, which is why it is now known in our family as the "Funeral Casserole".

1 casserole serves 4-6 (I made two)!

2 whole chicken breasts (or 4 boneless breasts) Cooked and cubed

2 cans chicken noodle soup

1 can cream mushroom soup

2 beaten eggs

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup grated cheese (mild cheddar)

6 slices bread - cubed

1/2 cup margarine

Arrange cubed chicken on bottom of 9 x 13 dish. In saucepan, melt margarine. Turn down/off heat and stir in bread cubes, add soup (undiluted), celery, cheese, 2 eggs. Stir and pour on top of chicken.

Melt 1/2 stick margarine in the microwave. Mix in 2 cup of crushed corn flakes. Add to top of chicken mix. Bake 40 - 50 minutes @ 350 degrees.

Pierogi

I love starch, especially potatoes and pasta. Pierogi combine both of these things, which makes them one of my favorite foods on the planet. I used a recipe from Gourmet this time, and they turned out pretty tasty (well...the butter and onions didn't hurt the flavor either...) Here is the recipe. I used a pasta maker to roll out the dough uniformly (as opposed to rolling out the dough, which always seems to be too elastic and doesn't hold its shape). To make for ten people, double the following portions.

For dough

• 3 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for kneading
• 1 cup water
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

For potato filling

• 1 1/2 pound russet (baking) potatoes
• 2 c. grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/2 c. milk

For onion topping

• 1 1/2 medium onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 stick butter

• Special equipment: a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter
• Accompaniment: sour cream

preparation

Make dough:
Put flour into Kitchenaid mixer bowl. Add water, egg, oil, and salt to well and carefully combine with a fork without incorporating flour. Turn on mixer, using the dough hook, and let knead for about five minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Invert a bowl over dough and let stand at room temperature 1 hour.

Make filling while dough stands:
Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Cook potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain potatoes, then transfer to a bowl along with cheese, salt, pepper, butter and milk and mash with a potato masher.

When mashed potatoes are cool enough to handle, spoon out a rounded teaspoon and lightly roll into a ball between palms of your hands. Transfer ball to a plate and keep covered with plastic wrap while making 47 more balls in same manner (there will be a little filling left over).

Make onion topping:
Cook onion in butter in a 4- to 5-quart heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally (stir more frequently toward end of cooking), until slightly brown around the edges, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Form and cook pierogi:
Halve dough and roll out 1 half (keep remaining half under inverted bowl) on lightly floured surface (do not overflour surface or dough will slide instead of stretching) with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 15-inch round (1/8 inch thick), then cut out 24 rounds with lightly floured cutter (this is where I used the pasta maker, rolling out the dough with the #2 setting). Holding 1 round in palm of your hand, put 1 potato ball in center of round and close your hand to fold round in half, enclosing filling. Pinch edges together to seal completely. (Brush half of the edge with water, then seal; do not leave any gaps or pierogi may open during cooking.) Transfer pierogi to a lightly floured kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and cover with another towel. Form more pierogi in same manner.

Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot of salted water to a boil. Add half of pierogies, stirring once or twice to keep them from sticking together, and cook 5 minutes from time pierogies float to surface. Transfer as cooked with a slotted spoon to onion topping and toss gently to coat. Cook remaining pierogies in same manner, transferring to onions. Reheat pierogies in onion topping over medium-low heat, gently tossing to coat.

Serve with sour cream, onions and maybe a little bit of cheese on top! Mmm!

Pad Thai

For our weekly dinner exchange I wanted to try to make something less time consuming than previous dinners as I am also making a King Cake for a Super Bowl party we are attending this evening and the more time this pregnant lady stands in the kitchen, the more my body aches later in the day. Sigh. This delicious pad thai ended up taking the same amount of time as any other recipe but once I sampled, I decided it was definitely worth the time!

Sidenote--this recipe only called for tofu but since some of the men would prefer chicken, I added sliced chicken and cut the tofu into tiny slices so it would go unnoticed. If you like your tofu extra firm as we do--put it in the freezer overnight, let it defrost and squeeze the liquid out. You will end up with super firm tofu.


Vegetarian Pad Thai (doubled to serve our group of ten)

Ingredients
12 ounces dried flat rice noodles (1/4 inch wide; sometimes called pad Thai or banh pho)
3 tablespoons tamarind (from a pliable block) or substitute 3 T Worcestshire sauce and 1 T line juice)
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons Sriracha (Southeast Asian chile sauce)
1 bunch scallions
4 large shallots or 1/2 large yellow onion
1 (14- to 16-ounce) package firm tofu
6 T peanut or vegetable oil
6 large eggs
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups bean sprouts (1/4 pound)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Preparation

Cook noodles according to the instructions on the package.

Meanwhile, make sauce by soaking tamarind pulp in boiling-hot water in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Force mixture through a sieve into a bowl, discarding seeds and fibers OR mix the worcestshire and lime juice. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, and Sriracha, stirring until sugar has dissolved.

Cut scallions into 2-inch pieces. Halve pale green and white parts lengthwise.

Cut shallots crosswise into very thin slices with slicer.

Rinse tofu, then cut into 1-inch cubes and pat very dry.

Heat 1 T oil in wok over medium heat until hot, then fry half of shallots or onion over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden-brown, 8 to 12 minutes. Carefully strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl. Reserve shallot oil and spread fried shallots on paper towels. (Shallots will crisp as they cool.) Wipe wok clean.

Add 1-2 T oil to wok over high heat until hot. Fry tofu in 1 layer, gently turning occasionally, until golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer tofu to paper towels using a slotted spoon.

Lightly beat eggs with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in wok over high heat until it shimmers. Add eggs and swirl to coat side of wok, then cook, stirring gently with a spatula, until cooked through. Break into chunks with spatula and transfer to a plate.

Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates instantly. Pour in 2 tablespoons oil, then swirl to coat side of wok. Stir-fry scallions, garlic, and remaining uncooked shallots until softened, about 1 minute.

Add noodles and stir-fry over medium heat (use 2 spatulas if necessary) 3 minutes. Add tofu, chicken bean sprouts, and 1 1/2 cups sauce and simmer, turning noodles over to absorb sauce evenly, until noodles are tender, about 2 minutes.

Stir in additional sauce if desired, then stir in eggs and transfer to a large shallow serving dish.

Sprinkle pad Thai with peanuts and fried shallots and serve with lime wedges, cilantro sprigs, and Sriracha.

www.epicurious.com
Altered by Molly

White Chicken Chili

This is a recipe from my tried and true favorite, Betty Crocker's Cookbook! It's low fat w/ 320 calories & 6g fat per serving. I've included tortilla chips & mozzarella cheese as toppers, but it's also good with sour cream, salsa, green onions, cilantro, diced tomatoes, or whatever you have lying around. Enjoy!

White Chicken Chili
Prep: 30 min. Cook: 25 min Serves: 6

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. red pepper sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1 can (11 oz.) white shoepeg or whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (15 to 16 oz) great northern beans, drained
1 can (15 to 16 oz) butter beans, drained (I substituted another can of great northern beans)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast

1. Heat oil in 4-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic in oil, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients except chicken. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes. Stir in chicken; simmer until hot.