Chicken Alfredo (Whole30)

1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken
1 c. raw cashews
3 c. boiling water
2 Tblspn. nutritional yeast
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 Tblspn. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt + more to taste
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place cashews in a small bowl and cover with boiling water.  Place a plate over the bowl to cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes while you prepare the chicken.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Place chicken on baking sheet, salt & pepper.
Place chicken in preheated oven for 25-30min or until cooked thru.

Alfredo sauce:
1.  Drain cashews and place in Vitamix
2.  Add nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. salt and almond milk
3.  Blend on high for 2 minutes.  Taste and adjust salt and garlic
4.  Keep blending until sauce is warm

Serve:
Cut up chicken and toss in bowl with sauce
Serve over butternut or spaghetti squash noodles

Gnocchi

I have no idea what the name of this recipe is, or where it came from, but it was good. Quite rich, but goooooood. You only need a small serving, with a large salad to balance it out with :)

Gnocchi with Cream Sauce

(???)

SAUCE:

1/2 c. butter

2 oz. prosciutto, chopped

10 basil leaves, torn

1/4 c. pine nuts

1 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. parmesan cheese, shredded

+

1 pkg. gnocchi (or homemade, if you're really ambitious!)

Beat 1/2c. of cream until whipped and then set aside.

Melt butter in saucepan, add pine nuts and cook until the nuts brown a little.

Add 1/2 c. cream to the butter and pine nuts and bring to a light boil.

Cook for 1 minute, then turn the heat down to low.

Add basil and prosciutto.

Then fold in the whipped cream and the parmesan.

Add gnocchi to boiling water. Once they float, they are done! (happens quickly)

Remove and mix with sauce.

Serve immediately.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Yesterday was one of those days when I called Marc at work and asked what he wanted for dinner. I honestly had no ideas, didn't feel like anything specific and just needed a little inspiration. This is what he asked for and we all loved it!

Spaghetti Carbonara
(thanks to allrecipes.com: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spaghetti-Carbonara-II/Detail.aspx)

1 pound spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 slices bacon, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
4 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti pasta until al dente. Drain well. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and set aside.
Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook chopped bacon until slightly crisp; remove and drain onto paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat; add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and heat in reused large skillet. Add chopped onion, and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add wine if desired; cook one more minute.
Return cooked bacon to pan; add cooked and drained spaghetti. Toss to coat and heat through, adding more olive oil if it seems dry or is sticking together. Add beaten eggs and cook, tossing constantly with tongs or large fork until eggs are barely set. Quickly add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste (remember that bacon and Parmesan are very salty).
Serve immediately with chopped parsley sprinkled on top, and extra Parmesan cheese at table.

Penne Rustica

One of Marc's favorite dishes is Macaroni Grill's "Penne Rustica"--so when I asked him what he wanted for dinner the other night, that is what he said. Well, thanks to the internet, I found a recipe that tastes exactly like the restaurant's version. I omitted a few things simply because I didn't have them on hand, but otherwise, just followed this recipe (OH, but I only used 4 c. of cream instead of 8 and it was still PLENTY of sauce for 16oz. of pasta)

Penne Rustica

(http://www.recipezaar.com/Romanos-Macaroni-Grill-Penne-Rustica-114360)

Gratinata sauce
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 cup marsala wine
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream

For Gratinata Sauce:
Saute butter, garlic, and rosemary until garlic begins to brown. Add Marsala wine and reduce by one-third. Add remaining ingredients, reduce by half of the original volume. Set aside.

Penne Rustica
1 ounce pancetta or bacon
18 shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 ounces grilled chicken breasts, sliced
16-24 ounces penne pasta, cooked
3 teaspoons chopped pimiento
6 ounces butter
1 teaspoon chopped shallot
1 pinch salt and pepper
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
6 sprigs fresh rosemary

For Penne Rustica:

Saute pancetta until it begins to brown.
Add butter, shallots, and shrimp.
Cook until shrimp are evenly pink but still translucent.
Add chicken, salt, pepper, and mix thoroughly.
Add gratinata sauce and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
Simmer until sauce thickens.
In a large bowl, combine shrimp& chicken mixture with the cooked pasta.
Pour into a large casserole dish or roaster.
Top with remaining cheese, pimientos and sprinkle with paprika.
Bake at 475 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove and garnish with fresh rosemary sprig.

Gnocchi with Sausage & Spinach

Gnocchi with Sausage & Spinach
(Real Simple, March 2007)

Two 9 oz. packages refrigerated gnocchi, or one 17.5 oz. package shelf-stable gnocchi
1 Tblspn. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 lb. Italian ground sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
One 5-oz bag baby spinach
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¾ c. grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnishing

Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions, reserving ¼ c. of the pasta water.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet and cook onion until softened, about 5 min.
Add the sausage and cook, crumbling it with a spoon, until browned (5-7 min.)
Add the garlic, spinach, salt & pepper and cook, tossing frequently, until spinach wilts.
Add the drained gnocchi, the reserved cooking liquid, and the Parmesan, and toss.Divide among individual bowls and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.

Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese with Roasted Tomatoes

Marc's boss had us over for dinner and served this dish with "sliders"--something I hadn't heard of until we moved here to TX (they are basically just mini-hamburgers). I followed suit and served it last night with barbequed sausage. It's a great dish, makes a lot, and is less cheesy (more healthy? :) ) than other mac-n-cheese I've had. Loved it!

Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese with Roasted Tomatoes
(thanks to Raj Idnani and Cooking Light, January 2005)
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1011318

3 cups halved cherry tomatoes
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 ounces sourdough bread, torn into pieces
1 teaspoon butter, melted
12 ounces large elbow macaroni
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded extrasharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated low-fat milk

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place tomatoes in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with black pepper. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.

While tomatoes cook, place bread in a food processor; pulse 2 times or until crumbly. Toss crumbs with melted butter. Sprinkle the crumbs on a baking sheet, and bake at 375° for 12 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently.

Cook macaroni in boiling water 7 minutes; drain. Return macaroni to pan; place over medium-low heat. Add cheese and remaining ingredients; cook 4 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring constantly. Stir in tomatoes. Sprinkle each serving with about 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs.

**I put the mac & cheese back in the 9 X 13 pan I was using and then sprinkled the breadcrumbs over the whole dish

Hearty Penne Beef

The name is lame. But the only other thing I could come up with was "Homemade Hamburger Helper"--which is probably worse. But the dish itself was pretty good--Marc really liked it. It is basically a casserole, but just on the stovetop--not baked. It was the perfect entree for me to use up the rest of my spinach and mozzarella cheese, so I figured I'd try it. Marc said "it's a keeper"--so I'm posting it for my records, lame name and all.

Hearty Penne Beef
(Taste of Home's Simple & Delicious, Sept/Oct 2008)

1-3/4 cups uncooked penne pasta
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 can (15 ounces) tomato puree
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth
1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook beef and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato puree, broth, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add spinach; cook for 1-2 minutes or until spinach is wilted.
Drain pasta; stir into beef mixture. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and cook for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted.

**not sure was "tomato puree" is, so I used a 10oz. can of tomato sauce and added about 1/4 c. diced tomatoes
**OH, in the magazine, it says that this recipe freezes well--next time I'll split the recipe before serving and freeze half.

Penne with Tomatoes, Pesto & Artichokes (& Sausage)

I had quite a challenge on my hands Friday night. My kids requested "noodles" for dinner (surprise, surprise), I had sausage I wanted to try, and a bottle of pesto I felt inclined to use. The problem: I had no real recipe to cook by. I could have thrown a few things together, but thought I'd go to this trusty site: www.epicurious.com Of course, I found a recipe, and it was good--as usual.

Penne With Tomatoes, Pesto & Artichokes
(Bon Appetite, July 1998)
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/PENNE-WITH-TOMATOES-PESTO-AND-ARTICHOKES-5454

1 6- to 7-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
3 tablespoons oil reserved
1 large onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1/2 cup purchased pesto
12 ounces penne pasta, freshly cooked
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Additional grated Parmesan cheese

Heat 3 tablespoons oil reserved from artichokes in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is tender, about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices and artichokes. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 8 minutes. Add pesto; simmer 1 minute longer.
Mix in pasta and ­ cup cheese. Season pasta with salt and pepper.Transfer pasta to large bowl. Serve, passing additional Parmesan separately.

My notes on this recipe are:
I only used a 14oz. can of diced tomatoes and therefore cut the pesto down to about 1/3 c.--there was still enough sauce to coat the pasta, but not be drenched in it.
I also added sausage. I was introduced to this yummy chicken, spinach & fontina cheese sausage by my friend Tamara...it is "Han's All Natural Gourmet Sausage". You can get it at Costco. It is precooked but can be grilled, broiled, microwaved, sauteed, etc. when you are ready to eat it. I sliced mine into 1/4 inch pieces and sauteed it with the onion and garlic in this recipe. Sidenote: Marc ate the other sausage for dinner the next night on a hot dog bun with catsup and mustard and loved it that way, too. It's good stuff!

Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells

I am sure most of you already have a recipe similar to this one. It is a Mormon basic. But I make it pretty consistently and always freeze half, so I thought it would be a good post for those reasons. I got this recipe at an Enrichment night on freezer meals--and this definitely freezes well. Amounts can easily be adjusted to make more, too!

Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells
(wish I could remember names, but it was someone in our Boise, ID ward a few years back)

16 jumbo dried pasta shells
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 can refried beans
1 jar salsa
1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 c. green onion, sliced
sour cream, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook beef in large skillet until brown; drain. Add seasoning mix and follow directions on package; cook over low heat until thickened. Add beans and 1/2 c. cheese; mix well.
Spread 1/4 cup salsa over bottom of two 8-inch square baking dishes. Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Fill pasta shells with beef mixture; place half of the shells in each dish, filled side up. Spoon remaining salsa over shells in both pans.
Cover one baking dish with plastic wrap, then overwrap with foil. Label and freeze for up to 2 months.
Cover remaining dish with foil. Bake for 40 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with green onions and remaining cheese. Serve wtih sour cream.

TO BAKE FROZEN SHELLS: Store baking dish in refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove plastic wrap; recover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/4 c. green onions and 1/4 c. shredded cheese. Serve with sour cream. Makes 4 servings.

Baked Creamy Chicken Penne

This recipe came from Celia Fielding, via our ward email recipe swap. She calls it "Creamy Chicken Spaghetti," but when it came time to make it last night, I realized I was out of spaghetti, so I substituted mezze penne instead. Also, since you bake the pasta dish, I felt it needs to be included in the name since it takes on a "new idenitity" when baked. But however you make it and whatever you call it, it's good.

Baked Creamy Chicken Penne
(thanks for sharing Celia!)

8 oz mezze penne (or thin spaghetti, or any pasta, really)
Chicken broth made with water and bouillon or base (about 3 cups)
4 Tbsp butter
5 Tbsp flour
2 cups milk
1 cup chopped green bell pepper (optional)
¾ cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Worcestershirt sauce
2 Tbsp chopped pimiento
3 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey
½ to 1 cup grated parmesan cheese or shredded cheddar cheese for topping.

Put enough chicken broth in a large saucepan to cook spaghetti; bring to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling chicken broth until tender.
In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter; add flour, stirring until smooth and bubbly. Gradually add milk; cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened. Add green pepper, 3/4 cup shredded cheese, the cream of mushroom soup, garlic powder, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and pimiento. Add chicken and cooked spaghetti; transfer to a lightly greased casserole. Top with Parmesan cheese or more shredded Cheddar cheese and bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes.

Hearty Greek Pasta

My friend Veronica made this for me when I was visiting her a few years ago. So it isn't a new recipe to me, or to anyone else who has my cookbook. But it's worth sharing with those who don't. It is super easy, but tastes complicated--I love that! It is seriously "restaurant quality," as Marc would say.

Hearty Greek Pasta
(thanks to Veronica Haymore, a GREAT friend)

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, sliced diagonally
3 Tblspn. olive oil
1 8oz. jar sundried tomatoes, drained and julienned
3 cloves garlic, pressed
¼ c. fresh basil (or smaller amount of dried basil)
1 12oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
¼ c. + heavy cream (I use a pint)
1 lb. pasta (bowties or rotini)
1 tsp. Dried oregano
salt & pepper

Brown chicken in oil until cooked.
Add sundried tomatoes and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add basil and artichokes to pan and sauté for one minute.
Stir in cream; remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
Season with oregano, salt, and pepper.
Drain pasta and place in bowl.
Toss with sauce and feta cheese.

Sausage Tortellini Soup

This is one of my favorite soups! Very hearty!

Sausage Tortellini Soup
(CV II ward Relief Society Broadcast, 2004)

1 lb. mild Italian sausage
1 c. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 c. beef broth
1 c. water
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. sliced carrots
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
3 tsp. parsley
1 1/2 c. zucchini, sliced
2 c. tortellini (8 oz.), uncooked

Remove skin from sausage and cook until brown. Remove sausage from pan leaving drippings. Saute onion and garlic in drippings. Blend all ingredients, except sausage, zucchini and tortellini. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add 3 reserved ingredients and cook 30 more minutes.

Great with crusty french bread!

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff
(??i have no idea??)

1-2 lbs. cubed beef stew meat
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (I prefer to just use 1)
1/2 c. chopped onions
1/2 packet dry onion soup mix (I use the whole thing for a stronger flavor)
1 Tblspn. worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. water
salt, pepper, garlic salt
4-6 oz. fresh mushrooms (I never put in because I don't like them)
dollop of sour cream

In a crockpot, sprinkle the meat with salt, pepper, garlic salt (or fresh minced garlic). Combine the soups, onion, water and Worcestershire sauce in crockpot as well.
Cook on low setting for 8 hours or high setting for about 5 hours.
About 1/2 hour before serving, saute mushrooms in a little oil and add them, and stir in sour cream and cream cheese.
Serve over rice or noodles (I always use curly "egg noodles")