Pasta With A Pinch Of Pine Nuts

Pine nuts (or pinon seeds) were once a hot trading commodity in Colorado and New Mexico. While times (and currencies) have changed, pine nuts still remain a pricey little taste of heaven. I buy mine in bulk to help curb costs and to allow me to have pine nuts to use at my disposal whenever I deem fit. When toasted, these nuts can be added to salads, pastas, or served as a snack.

Today's recipe is a summery pasta that also incorporates another bulk food fave--sun dried tomatoes--to a yogurt based cream-lite sauce. If you have a lemon handy, I also recommend adding just a little zest to each portion for a bright finish.

Chicken Spinach Pasta W/ Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Toasted Pine Nuts
--1 cup fettuccine or linguine noodles
--1/4 cup pine nuts
--cooking spray
--1 large chicken breast, sliced into strips
--salt and pepper to taste
--1 medium onion, sliced vertically into strips
--garlic, minced
--crushed red pepper
--1 cup 1/2 and 1/2
--1/4 cup plain yogurt
--1 tsp flour
--1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
--1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
--1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
--4 oz. grated parmesan cheese
--lemon zest (optional)

Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting oil and salt.

Spread the pine nuts out on a cookie sheet or metal baking pan. While the pasta cooks, roast at 250 degrees for 7 minutes before turning and continuing to toast. Do not let the pine nuts burn, you want them to be golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Season the chicken pieces with a smidge of salt and a healthy dose of black pepper. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray and cook the chicken for 4 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan when done. Re-coat the pan with cooking spray and add the onion and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes until the onion begins to get translucent. Add the red pepper flakes and stir to combine.

In a bowl, combine the 1/2 and 1/2 and yogurt. Whisk in the flour. Add the mixture to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes before adding the spinach, basil, chicken, and cooked pasta. Cook until thoroughly heated and serve, sprinkled with toasted pine nuts, parmesan, and lemon zest.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4
Calories: 442 per serving (includes 1 oz. cheese)

Quitting A Chicken Marsala Habit

First, allow me to confess that I love chicken marsala. If I see it on a menu at a restaurant I feel compelled to order it, even if there are other and seemingly better options. Worse, it often occurs in the kinds of places where one should never order chicken marsala, like that airport where the dish definitely came from a vacuum packed NASA or Army-type ration meal... Second confession, I've never attempted to make chicken marsala at home. It would be too devastating if I failed miserably as my taste buds have long ago decided exactly what a chicken marsala should taste like.

Also, chicken marsala is a heavy dish, especially restaurant style, and is laden with butter, oil, flour, wine, and probably sherry. So this dish is like chicken marsala-light. It has the essence of the dish--mushrooms, chicken, wine--but is a lighter, different dish all on its own. It doesn't quite taste exactly like a chicken marsala, but it's close enough to fool me into thinking that I've quelled that craving for the time being.

Chicken with Mushroom Pasta
--1/2 cup dry bowtie or penne pasta
--2 cloves garlic, sliced into thin intact pieces
--1 cup sliced button mushrooms
--2 TBSP butter
--4 boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders
--3 TBSP cup flour, seasoned with garlic salt & fresh black pepper
--1 egg, beaten
--cooking spray
--1 shallot, diced fine or minced
--1 cup dry white wine, divided
--2 cups chicken broth, divided
--1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Cook the pasta omitting any oil.

In a medium skillet, sauté the mushrooms and garlic slices in the butter over medium heat until soft and tender.

While the mushrooms and pasta cook, dredge the chicken alternately in the egg and flour until evenly coated. In a cooking spray-coated medium skillet on medium to medium-high heat, cook the chicken tenders for 4-5 minutes on each side. Add 1/2 cup of the wine and 1 cup of the chicken broth and allow the sauce to boil and reduce. Set the chicken aside and pour any remaining sauce over the top of the chicken.

Spray the same skillet the chicken was cooked in with a little more cooking spray. Add the shallots and sauté until browned, stirring regularly. Add the remaining wine to the skillet. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits before adding the rest of the chicken broth. Allow the sauce to reduce a little so that it is less liquid but not so much that it is too thick.

Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Pour the mushrooms into the pot and add the tomatoes. Pour the sauce into the pot and stir to combine.  Plate the pasta and then add 2 chicken tenders to each plate. Drizzle any remaining sauce onto the chicken and serve. Garnish with fresh parsley and 1 oz. of grated Parmesan, if desired.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 2
Calories: 607 per serving

Mom Always Said "Eat Your Veggies"

Cauliflower, as it turns out, is amazingly good for you. Like kale, broccoli, and other veggies known as cruciferous, cauliflower contains tons of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Pregnant? Cauliflower has 15% of recommended daily folate intake and 90% of your vitamin C. Magic! But, again, like other cruciferous veggies, cauliflower can be tricky to eat regularly. My solution? Add bacon of course!

Eating healthy does not have to mean eating boring. To dress up my cauliflower I created a pasta with bacon, curry, tomatoes, and sage for a powerful taste and maximum benefit. Hello Cleveland, we are Maximum Benefit!

Curried Cauliflower Pasta
--8 oz. spaghetti noodles (about 1/2 a box)
--3 slices bacon
--15 fresh sage leaves
--2 cloves garlic, minced
--1 small head of cauliflower, stems and leaves discarded, cut into half-dollar sized florets
--yellow curry powder
--paprika
--black pepper
--1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
--1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

While the pasta cooks, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Set aside. Add the whole sage leaves to the skillet and cook in the bacon drippings until leaves are crispy. Set aside with the bacon.

Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirringly consistently, until garlic is fragrant and begins to brown. Add the cauliflower florets and 1/4 cup of water to the skillet. Cover and let steam for 2 minutes. Uncover and add the curry powder, paprika, and black pepper, tossing to mix well.

Add the tomato halves and cover the skillet again, letting it steam another two minutes. Add the reserved pasta water and 1/4 cup (about an ounce) of shredded Parmesan. Stir so the cheese melts and the sauce begins to get creamy. Add in the pasta and toss to combine. Throw the bacon and sage on top and scoop into bowls.

Top with shredded Parmesan cheese (another 1/4 cup should take care of four bowls) and a fresh crack of black pepper. Serve!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
Calories: 403 per serving

Mac N' Cheese Minus the Macaroni

Well hello delicious, my but aren't you pretty. It's perfectly okay to talk to your food--especially if it's totally and completely something you shouldn't be eating. Case in point, my recent genius decision to make a mac n' cheese dish. What's so bad about it? Oh honey, it's soooo bad it's good. The good: (A) It is delicious, and, (B) It is made almost entirely of cheese. The bad: (A) It has a bajillion calories, and, (B) It is made almost entirely of cheese (and I think I am allergic to cheese).

When I was eating dairy regularly I was a pretty big fan of cheese and made a mean Lobster Mac N' Cheese that people would ask me to make pretty much whenever we had dinner. Sigh. The good ole days. But a treat every now and again is what makes life worth living, right? So here we are. I was craving something home-y and comforting and there aren't many other comfort foods that come close to beating macaroni and cheese. But I wanted something more pillowy than macaroni so I made my mac sans macaroni and substituted gnocchi. (Note to self: Best decision ever).

Gnocchi "Mac" N' Cheese

--15 oz. package gnocchi
--4 pieces bacon
--2 cups shredded cheese (I used a mixed bag of mild and sharp cheddar mixed with jack cheese to get all kinds of cheese flavors. I also used "2%" or the "Reduced Fat" or whatever it was to make myself feel better)
--splash of milk (half and half or cream will work too)
--black pepper

Cook the gnocchi per the package directions, omitting any salt or oil. Drain and set aside in a large mixing bowl.

While the gnocchi cooks, fry the bacon. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.

Mix in 1 3/4 cups of the cheese. The heat from the gnocchi will melt the cheese nicely. Add in a splash of milk (or cream or half and half) to help make the melted cheese into a nice non-stringy sauce.

Add lots of fresh black pepper to the mix and give a few good stirs. Take your cooked bacon and crumble it directly into the bowl. Stir again for a nice mix. You will not need to add salt--there will be plenty from the bacon! Pour the mixture into a small glass baking dish. 

Top with the remaining cheese (and if you're me, add more cracked pepper) and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes until the cheese on top is fully melted and you have to resist the urge to eat the whole pan of cheesy badness. Eat up and perhaps choke down a salad so you can pretend this isn't completely terrible for you...

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
Calories: 513 per serving

I Confess, I'm A Sweet Potato Stalker

Sometimes I get crushes on restaurants and like any good school girl, I stalk their menus. The problem with having crushes on restaurants is that menus can change, leaving the menu-lover sitting in the rain á la every John Cusack movie made from 1985-2000. My newest crush is on a restaurant around the corner from my new residence, Fuel Cafe, who changes their menu every MONTH! On the one hand this is made of awesome because there is always something new and delightful to try. On the other hand, it makes me one sad monkey because I have a short window to get hooked on a dish, obsess over, eat it as often as possible, and then say goodbye to it.

The October menu featured a delightful gnocchi with sweet potatoes (not to be confused with gnocchi made from sweet potatoes which also sounds pretty delightful). As any stalker is bound to do, I made my own version of this dish at home so I could re-live all the blissful memories. Sigh...

Fuel Cafe Inspired Gnocchi With Sweet Potatoes
--2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
--3 TBSP butter
--1 12oz. package of gnocchi
--10 pieces of fresh sage
--1 cup fresh spinach, thoroughly washed and hand-ripped into palm sized pieces

Place the sweet potatoes in an oven-safe baking dish. Chop 2 TBSP of butter into chunks and spread chunks over the top of the sweet potato pieces. Bake in the oven at 300 degrees until potatoes are softened but not browned (20 minutes max).

While the potatoes cook, boil the water for the gnocchi. Cook the gnocchi per package instructions, omitting any oil. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the remaining 1 TBSP butter over medium heat. Fry the sage in the butter until it is evenly brown and wonderfully crisp! Add the spinach, using tongs or a spatula to turn the spinach frequently so that it wilts but doesn't get soggy.

Add the cooked sweet potatoes and sauté until the potatoes are fully integrated with the spinach and sage and begin to crisp. Remove the mixture to a bowl.

In the same skillet, add the cooked gnocchi. Sauté for a few minutes, allowing the gnocchi to get brown, crisped spots on the outside. Add the sweet potato mixture back to the skillet and stir it all together. Serve!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2
Calories: 510

Poached Pasta Perfection

This recipe is one of my favorites for go-to grub! It's quick and easy and contains many ingredients that almost always live in my pantry. I like that I can make it for one or two (or seven if need be) and can easily add meat or other fresh veggies depending upon what I have on hand.

Poaching traditionally involves placing an egg into steadily simmering water (sometimes with a little vinegar to help the egg keep its shape). In today's recipe we will instead poach the eggs in the simmering tomato sauce. Mmmmmmm....

Poached Eggs Pasta with Tomato Tarragon Sauce
--4 oz. dry spaghetti
--TBSP olive oil
--small yellow or white onion, diced
--garlic, minced
--crushed red pepper
--small zucchini, either quartered or thinly sliced
--black pepper
--14.5 oz. can of crushed or diced tomatoes
--tarragon
--1/4 tsp sugar
--2 eggs

Cook pasta (I don't use salt or oil in mine so the calorie counts below will reflect this).

While pasta cooks, heat oil in a large deep-sided skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper and cook 2-ish minutes before adding the zucchini and black pepper (to taste). Cook until vegetables are tender.

Add the tomatoes and sugar and tarragon and stir well to combine. Continue to heat over medium heat, allowing tomato sauce to warm. Eggs are best poached at about 160 degrees--you can measure with a thermometer if you like, but bringing the sauce to a nice medium simmer should suffice.

Once the sauce is heated to a constant temperature, scoot the veggies around to make little spaces for the egg. Make sure to keep some sauce on the bottom of the pan so the egg doesn't stick to it.  Crack the egg into a cup (to ensure it isn't bad) and then pour the egg into the pan. After 3 minutes the bottom of the egg white should be cooked. You can flip the egg if you need to and cook another 2 minutes, or cover the pan for 1 minute to let the heat encapsulate the egg. Serve immediately!

Perfectly poached eggs should be runny in the middle but with warm yolks and encased in a fully cooked fluffy egg white cave.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2
Calories: 308 per serving

Not Your Nonna's Primavera

Summer is threatening to come (though it did snow earlier this week so I kind of wish it would threaten a little harder) and with it a bevy of fresh vegetables. This simple pasta dish combines a delightful mix of veggies with two different cultural flavors--the Italian-American dish of pasta primavera and the flavors of Morocco.

Moroccan Pasta Primavera
--1 lb. uncooked pasta
--5 whole fresh garlic cloves
--6 whole tomatoes, stems and core removed
--1 bell pepper, cut in 1/2 and de-seeded
--1 TBSP olive oil--salt & pepper
--ginger powder
--cumin
--paprika
--tumeric
--1 small onion, chopped
--1 small shallot, minced--1 bell pepper, de-seeded and cut into strips
--1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
--fresh basil
Cook pasta according to package directions.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place tomatoes, garlic cloves, and pepper halves inside a baking dish. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

While pasta cooks and veggies roast, heat olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 teaspoon of each of the spices and stir, cooking about a minute. Add the onion and shallot, stir together and cook 2-ish minutes. Add the pepper slices, stir together and cook another 2-ish minutes before adding the chicken strips. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Feel free to add a little more spice (to yer taste) as the chicken is cooking.

Remove the veggies from the oven and allow to cool a few minutes.  Remove the skins from the tomatoes and roughly chop or smash them. Roughly chop the garlic and slice the pepper.

Drain the pasta and return it to the pot it was cooked in.  Place the pot on an un-used eye on the stove so as not to overcook the mix. Add the smashed tomatoes and chopped garlic and pepper. Add in the chicken/pepper mixture and stir all of it together.  Take the fresh basil and tear pieces into the pasta mixture. Serve!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 6
Calories: 416

Get Baked on a Friday Night

It's Friday. No one wants to cook on Friday. The work week is over and you just want to hang out, or maybe go out. Here's a really easy (but still healthy) dish that's kid-friendly and time-sensitive. Sensitive to your valuable time, that is...

Friday Night Pasta Bake
--2 cups uncooked penne
--2 links of pre-cooked sausage (I used this one)
--1 28oz can of whole, peeled tomatoes (still in the juice)
--2 oz. grated asiago cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, sear sausages (they are pre-cooked but you'll want to give 'em a good searing and warm up).  Remove them to a cutting board and slice into 1/4" thick rounds.  (You'll notice four sausages above in the picture because I kept the other two for other dishes).

Pour the can of whole peeled tomatoes and sauce into the same skillet used for the sausages.  Add the sausage slices and the cooked pasta. Mix together until all the pasta and sausage is coated with the tomato liquid.

Pour into an oven-safe dish.  Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top and cook for 10 minutes until dish is warmed through and the cheese is melted.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor:

Friday Night Pasta Bake
Total time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
Calories: 365 per serving

Pantry Pasta

Every now and again I go on grocery strike. It usually happens after I open the cupboards and several somethings fall out onto my head. After a flurry of Turret's, I vow to do some cooking with the items in my pantry and not add anything new until I've depleted some of the old stashes.

This recipe is one such recipe--created after almonds binged me on the top of my pretty little head.  All the items used were ones I had on hand in the pantry (or the freezer in the case of the sausage).

Chickpeas Pasta
--4 servings dried pasta--1/4 cup of chicken broth
--1/4 cup of raw almonds
--2 links of pre-cooked sausage (I used this one)
--1 can (15 oz) of chickpeas, rinsed & drained--1/4 cup of white wine
--salt & pepper
--crushed red pepper flakes
--1 can (14.5 oz) of diced tomatoes

Cook the pasta according to package directions. (Note: the servings will vary from brand to brand and type to type, so be sure to read the nutritional facts to determine how much dried pasta you need to cook).  When the pasta is al dente, strain and return to the pan.  Add 1/4 cup chicken broth and allow the noodles to finish cooking, soaking up the chicken broth.

While the pasta cooks, heat a medium-sized skillet with deep sides over medium-high heat. Roast the almonds, stirring or flipping the pan constantly so that they brown but do not burn.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In the same pan, sear the sausages on each side. The sausages are pre-cooked so they just need to be heated and have a little brown added to each side. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Turn the heat down to medium and add the canned chickpeas. You won't need to add any liquid or oil as the chickpeas will still have moisture on them from being rinsed.  Add salt & pepper to taste and a healthy shake of red pepper flakes.

Slice the sausage and add it to the mix. Stir to combine. Pour in 1/4 cup of wine and combine s'more.

Add in the pasta (including any remaining chicken broth that hasn't yet been soaked up. Mix up the pasta and cover with a lid for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve!

*New*
We'll be adding some nutritional info to our recipes. But please remember, we're cooks, not nutritionists!

Chickpeas Pasta
Total time: 25 minutes
Serves : 4
Calories/Serving : 260