Pasta E Fagioli

I adore Pasta E Fagioli soup from the Olive Garden.  Ever since discovering the all-you-can-eat soup, salad, and breadstick combo there during high school, I’ve been hooked.

Lots of recipes online claim to have the exact Olive Garden recipe, but since most call for spaghetti sauce as an ingredient, I haven’t put a lot of stock in these claims.  However, as it is possibly my favorite soup, I took a stab at making it in my trusty crock pot, but Kim style (meaning no oil and extra veggies).  Jay and I loved it, it was great the second time around, and it will definitely be a repeat in our house.

Pasta E Fagioli

• 1/2 lb lean ground beef
• 1/3 of a large red onion, chopped
• 1 c. carrots, cut very fine (the larger the chunks the longer the cook time)
• 3 small-med celery stalks, cut lengthwise then chopped
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 c. low-sodium beef broth
• 3/4 of a 16.5 oz jar red pasta sauce
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt (this was with low sodium broth and may not be necessary if using regular)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 c. dry ditalini (small tube pasta), other small pastas could be substituted if needed

Brown the meat, then drain well.  Chop veggies to desired sizes – the larger the carrots, the longer the cook time.  Add all ingredients except the pasta to your slow cooker.  Cook on low for about 6 hours, check veggies for tenderness.  If the veggies are just about ready, add the pasta and cook for one more hour.  Serve with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Cilantro Ranch Salad

Fab new salad coming at ya:

Boom Baby!  You can make this as lean or as fatty as you want (I went lean – imagine that?!), but either way it is a taste KNOCK OUT.  The first time around we went fancy with the lime chicken, but for the week after I made quick salads with lettuce, beans and corn which were also amazing.

Thanks to The Double Dipped Life who gave me the idea for this (thought I did make the occasional tweak here and there).

Cilantro Ranch Salad

Dressing

• 1 packet of Buttermilk Ranch Dressing mix
• 1 c. mayo (I used fat free)
• 1/2 c. buttermilk (to make this fat free, simply take one Tbs of lemon juice, then add enough skim milk to it to make one cup)
• juice of one lime (about 2 Tbs, add zest for extra kick if desired)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 c. rough chopped cilantro
• 1/4 c. green salsa

Toss everything in a blender and blend it until everything is pureed.  Store in the fridge until ready to use. (For best results make the dressing early in the day so that it is chilled for serving.)

Kim’s note:  This dressing is THICK and this recipe makes TONS!  Adjust accordingly for texture and amount preferences (I might try adding a bit extra milk the next time I make it).

Lime Chicken (Salad topping or for any Mexican food filling)

• Juice of one lime
• 1 Tbs sugar
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/4-1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp fresh chopped cilantro
• 3-4 chicken breasts cut to bite sized pieces
• 1 small onion, sliced

Combine all marinade ingredients and chicken in an air-tight container, let chill for at least 30 minutes (mine was in the fridge all afternoon).  Dump out chicken and sauce in a frying pan and cook with sliced onion until done.  Serve warm.

Serve the salad as you wish with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, beans, corn, cheese, chips, quesadilla wedges, whatever you like.

Picante de Pollo

Picante de Pollo is a classic Bolivian dish which I ate often while living there.  When I saw this recipe I knew I’d have to give it a try.  The name is deceiving, this IS NOT a SPICY DISH.  It’s savory with a touch of sweet underlying the salsa flavors.

It wasn’t like the Bolivian dish that I knew, but it has become a new favorite of mine.  I see HUGE potential here for making it as a taco/burrito filling, making it in the slow cooker and shredding it, or just serve it simply over rice as the recipe calls for.

Picante de Pollo (from Campbell’s Kitchen)

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 c. fresh salsa
• 3 Tbs brown sugar
• 1 Tbs honey dijon mustard

Place trimmed chicken breasts in a baking dish.  Mix remaining ingredients together until blended then pour over chicken.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until cooked through.  Serve over rice.

Happy Cooking!

Naan Revisited – “Healthy” Pizza & Cinnamon Rolls

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post for naan, Indian flat bread.  I fell in LOVE with this recipe and was inspired by a friend’s comment to try it in new ways.

#1 Pizza:

Naan pizza was fantastic and is a great way to “healthify” a favorite comfort food of mine.  Naan is oil free, I used turkey pepperoni, and went light on the cheese, giving me ALL of the glorious taste without grease puddles to mop up.  Heaven!

To try this: Make naan as directed, but break it up only into 3 sections.  Roll them out, place on a sprayed cookie sheet for the second rising.  After the second rising, top dough with your favorite pizza ingredients, and bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes (or as long as it takes to cook through and lightly brown the edges).

#2 Cinnamon Rolls.  Again, heaven (and easier than I thought)!

To try this: Make naan as directed, but break it only into three pieces. Roll pieces out into as even a rectangle as possible.  Cover dough with melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Roll the dough until you have formed a long ‘log’ and pinch the edges to seal it up.  It’s okay if some of the cinnamon slime squeezes out, I spooned the extra over the tops when they were all placed.

Slide a thread (or dental floss could work) just under one end of the log until you reach about an inch and a half, then cross the thread over the log and pull ends until you make a slice through the dough.  Remove the now cut roll and place cut side down in a lightly sprayed cake pan.  Repeat this for the entire log.  Allow rolls to rise the second time.  Bake rolls at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until tops are lightly browned like in the picture.  Top with a simple glaze and serve warm.

Simple glazes can be made with powdered sugar, a little melted butter, a little vanilla and a little milk. Happy Cooking!

Lemon Herb Chicken

It’s been FOREVER since I posted a recipe!  With the move things have been hectic and cooking experiments have taken a back burner (ha ha, that’s pretty punny for a recipe blog), but I still have a few recipes that I’ve been saving for just such a time as this.

One day I found myself with a bag of chicken breasts and no idea what to do, so I threw a little of anything that I had in with them to marinate and this is what I got:

Not a new fav, but not too shabby either for a last minute, throw together meal.

Lemon Herb Chicken

• ½ Tbs rosemary
• ½ tsp dill (this amount was pretty strong, can be cut back according to your tastes)
• 2 Tbs honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced fine
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1 tsp canola oil
• 2 Tbs warm water
• 4 chicken breasts (or whatever meat you are using)

Mix all marinade ingredients together until well blended.  Add chicken and seal in an air tight container.  Shake container until marinade is evenly dispersed over meat, then refrigerate until time to cook.  Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes or until cooked through (cooking time will depend on the thickness of the meat).

Happy Cooking!

Black Bean Chili

We’re moving this week, so time is very short.  I won’t give you a long into this time around, I’ll just let the pics do the talking:

Black Bean Chili – can you spot the hidden veggie?  I shredded carrots into the mix! : )  The overall flavor is a sweet tang, but if you want to bring up the heat you can add hot sauce.

Day one we had it with my naan recipe:

Day two we had it over a baked potato – this was insanely good and so filling that I couldn’t even finish my portion!

Black Bean Chili

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 Tbs chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup fresh salsa (I recommend the kinds found in the produce section)
• 1 Tbs sugar
• 1 can black beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 can corn, drained
• 10 baby carrots, shredded to tiny pieces

Cook meat with onion and carrots in a large pot, drain fat. Add all other ingredients, stirring until combined.  Bring chili to a boil, reduce heat to med-low, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.

*Add hot sauce for more kick if that’s what you go for in chili.

Happy Cooking!

Naan (and its many uses)

Jay and I love Indian food.  LOVE IT!  Naan, Indian flat bread, is one dish that we really enjoy, so when I saw what a simple recipe it is I had to give it a go. 

Even though the consistency wasn’t identical to what we’ve had in restaurants, we both loved it and are already planning to make it again (I especially loved that I could make it without oil or butter).

I made Naan to go with Black Bean Chili (that recipe to come soon):

Then for dessert we sprinkled it with cinnamon-sugar and honey, which was outstanding.

Then my friend told me that she makes naan and uses the dough to make little personal pizzas.  I’m crazy about the idea and will be trying it next week!

It would also make a killer base for navajo tacos.

Basically with this recipe I’m giving you a gift with endless possibilities.

No, no need to thank me, I do it cuz I love ya.

Naan
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

• 2 1/4 tsp. (1 package) fast acting active dry yeast (regular would be okay, just watch it while it rises)
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 TB milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cups bread flour, (plus more for kneading if needed – ha!)

Turn oven on to 200 degrees.  When it clicks, turn the oven off immediately, then proceed with the recipe.

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Meanwhile, add sugar, milk, egg, and salt, to a large mixing bowl.  Add frothy yeast-water to bowl.  Add flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring between each addition.

Knead the dough with your hands in the bowl until smooth. The dough should grip your fingers, but not stick.  Remove dough from bowl, spray bowl well with cooking spray, form dough into a soft ball, then place back in the bowl. Cover bowl with a damp cloth, and place in the warmed oven.  Let dough rise 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in volume.

Push down dough. Pinch off small handfuls of dough, roll into balls, and place on a tray (tray should be sprayed or have a non-stick surface added to it (I used wax paper, but it still stuck just a little). Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled; about 30 minutes.

After the 2nd rising, preheat pancake griddle to high heat (400+ degrees).  No griddle?  Just us a non-stick frying pan on your stove top.

Roll balls out into a thin circle – the thinner the better. Place dough on grill and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until puffy and light brown, then flip the naan and cook until the opposite side is browned, another 2-4 minutes.

Finish these steps for all of the dough.  Serve the naan warm and plain, with butter, with garlic sauce, with curry, with cinnamon sugar and honey, with marinara dipping sauce, whatever you love. : )

Happy Cooking!

Stuffing Casserole

We had a box of stuffing.  Stuffing that didn’t get used at Thanksgiving and that I didn’t know what to do with now.

I’m not roasting another turkey just to make dollar stuffing, I thought.

But Jay told me that men need stuffing sometimes and that he knew I’d come up with something.

I usually don’t even like stuffing, but I do like experimenting, so I took him up on the challenge.  I looked over all of the recipes on the box, threw together the parts from all of them that I liked, added what I had in my average pantry and ended up with, Stuffing Casserole:

Easy, tasty, flavorful.  Not a bad use of lost, abandoned, forgotten, stuffing mix.

Stuffing Casserole

• 4 Chicken Breasts, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 medium onion, sliced or chopped depending on your preferences
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 can reduced fat cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 c. skim milk
• 1 c. frozen peas and carrots
• 2 celery stalks sliced lengthwise then chopped medium-thin
• 1 package turkey stuffing (I used Stove Top)
• 1 2/3 c. hot water

Saute chicken with onions until mostly cooked, then add celery slices for the last few minutes.  Mix stuffing with hot water and let stand, covered for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile drain excess moisture from the chicken and veggies, then mix them with remaining ingredients.  Prepare a 2 quart baking dish with a little cooking spray, put down a thin later of stuffing, top with chicken mixture, then top chicken with remaining stuffing.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Happy Cooking!

Pudding in a Cloud

Here’s an EASY dessert idea straight from my childhood that pleases both young and old.

Pudding in a cloud.

So simple, yet so stinkin’ good!  The idea is that you can’t see the pudding from the outside because it’s too well blocked by a layer of COOL WHIP!

Yum! (Or nummy nummy num, as Cee would say.)

My mom would make these on special family nights and line them out on the counter for all 5 of us.  My brothers and I would argue and shove until we were sure that we had the biggest or best serving.

It works with any pudding, any whipped topping, can be served up with a plethora of other goodies, or can be scaled back with low-cal Cool Whip, sugar free pudding, skim milk and you’ve got yourself a great low-cal alternative to ice cream!

Pudding in a Cloud

• 1 tub whipped topping
• Pudding – any flavor, I’ve only ever used instant which makes for a quicker dessert, but cooked pudding would be fine if you have the patience.
• Individual glass dishes (or at least a see through container if you don’t trust your kiddos with glass yet)

Mix up pudding according to package or recipe.  Allow to cool in fridge until set.  Using a spoon, heap and glob of whipped topping into a glass container, smearing it around until the glass is completely covered and you can’t see through (that would be the “cloud”).  Line all of the containers that you’ll use in this manner, then scooped the set/chilled pudding into the cloud.  Put a small final drop of whipped topping on the top.  Eat it alone, stash it in the fridge for a few hours, or serve it up with other goodies – goes great with graham crackers, nilla wafers, or anything else you want!

Happy Cooking!

Yogurt Berry Muffins

These muffins are intended to be a healthier muffin.  If you’re looking for the super sweet, leaves-grease-on-your-fingers type muffins then you shouldn’t read on.  However if you want a muffin that’s warm, not too sweet, and not going to kill you on calories, then this is a great option.

I did want a little more sweet, so I tore mine open and drizzled honey on it.

Then I died because it was so good.

Try the honey, I’m telling ya.

Yogurt Muffins

• 2 c. flour
• 3 Tbs. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 6 oz light lemon yogurt*
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1 Tbs canola oil
• 1 Tbs natural applesauce
• 1 cup frozen blueberries and dried cranberries (I used about 2/3 blueberries then topped off the measuring cup with cranberries)

Spray your muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.  Mix together all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, making a well at the center.  In a smaller mixing bowl combine all wet ingredients (save berries for later) and mix until well blended.  Add wet ingredients to dry, mixing until everything is moistened – this batter is VERY thick; it’s okay if it’s a little lumpy.  Next fold in the berries, until just dispersed, don’t over mix.  Drop batter into the greased muffin tin dispersing the batter evenly between all 12 cups (each cup should be about 2/3 full).  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

*Kim’s note:  the lemon yogurt doesn’t add a strong lemon taste.  If you want even more lemon in your batter, add about a tsp. of fresh lemon zest.  Is amazing with honey!

Happy Cooking!