Monday, June 29, 2009

Fettuccine with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

{Meatless Monday}

I just got this recipe and it is quickly becoming a favorite! It is very easy and quick to make and has a wonderful flavor. Just a little different from the Fettuccine Alfredo that has been Lon's favorite since age 5. The sun-dried tomatoes and the nutmeg give it such a yummy tangy-ness. This time I just used white mushrooms, but we LOVE crimini mushrooms and they are normally about the same per pound.

Here are the ingredients you will need:




16 oz. regular or spinach fettuccine
2 T. olive oil
1 8 oz. package sliced mushrooms
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 10 oz package frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Cook and drain the noodles. While noodles are cooking, saute the mushrooms in olive oil for 10 minutes. Add peas for 2-3 minutes. Stir all ingredients into pot with drained noodles. Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Add more milk if necessary as the sauce thickens. Garnish with fresh grated parmesan, if desired.


Yum!! We really enjoyed this tonight...as did our dinner guests.
We served it with one of my favorite breads...Italian Bread with Herbs. I thought I would throw this recipe in here for fun, too. (Those of you with the Ward Cookbook, both of these recipes are in there!)

Italian Bread with Herbs

1 T. yeast
1 T. sugar
1 cup very warm water
2 T. oil
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups flour (I always use half white/half wheat)

Mix yeast and sugar into water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. Mix in oil, salt, and flour (one cup at a time) until soft dough forms. Knead lightly until smooth. Cover in bowl and let rise 20 minutes. Shape dough into round loaves (each batch makes 2 loaves...I always double or triple the recipe) and cut three small lines in the top of each loaf.




Cover with towel and let rise 20-25 minutes. Bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes.





Cut into thick slices and serve with this:





Here's how you make it!

Italian Herb Mix
2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 T. dried oregano
1 T. dried rosemary
1 T. dried basil
1 T. dried parsley
1 T. garlic powder
1 T. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients together with the back of a spoon. The minced garlic helps it clump together a little. Put 1-2 tsp. of mix on small plate and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with warm bread....it is heavenly! My kids eat so much of this stuff...they all love it.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Here We Go!

OK...I have never really had any interest in having a blog...but after about a dozen people asked me for some meatless recipe ideas, I thought this would be the perfect venue to share some!

So this is how I came to be here: 2 1/2 years ago as a New Year's Resolution, my husband decided to eat vegetarian for one month and see if he could do it. He found that it wasn't that hard...especially if he had a time when he knew he could enjoy a favorite meat dish once in a while. So he started eating meat only one weekend a month. At the beginning, I didn't change my cooking at all. He would just pick out the meat, or I would leave it separate. But as the months and years passed, our family's diet slowly changed to mirror his. And it has been wonderful! We eat so many more veggies now and my cooking has become very simplified! When people ask my hubby if he is a vegetarian, his reply is always: "Well, I'm more of a Sparitarian". ; )

Many friends have asked me, "So, what exactly do you eat?" and so here it is..."The Sparitarian". I will post one meatless recipe a week on "Meatless Monday" (hopefully with pictures). If you have any great simple vegetarian recipes that you want me to feature...please email me...I'm always looking for new ones!