Tomato and Zucchini Frittata

{Meatless Monday}

Hello! Here's a REALLY quick recipe that was made with the leftovers from our Tomato and Zucchini Linguine.

One of my favorite things to do with leftover PLAIN pasta is to make a frittata.  So when I had leftover spaghetti noodles AND leftover from the Linguine with all the delicious veggies, I knew it would be perfect and it was.

First, I just tossed all the pasta stuff in the skillet and warmed it up.

Then, I mixed together about 6-7 eggs, and about 1 1/2 cups of milk, some grated cheddar, and salt and pepper. Simply pour that mixture over the pasta noodles.

I stir around a little bit...just to make sure the egg is evenly mixed with the noodles and that the cheese gets spread around. Then I let it cook for 8-10 minutes with the lid on.  After that, simply remove the lid and put the whole pan under the broiler for another 8-10 minutes until the whole thing looks bubbly and browned.
And then be SUPER careful when you take the very hot skillet, with a VERY hot handle, out of the oven!! ; )

I forgot to get a picture before we dug in...but it had this delicious crispy top and soft fluffy middle.

This was probably the best frittata I have ever made.  The onion, zucchini, and small little tomato chunks were divine.  We love our frittatas best smothered with our homemade canned salsa.

 If you haven't ever made a frittata...you really should try it sometime.  It is the perfect thing to do with leftover pasta and any veggies you might have that need to be used in your fridge!

And since we have chickens, we are always thinking up ways to use our eggs!

Tomato and Zucchini Linguine

{Meatless Monday}

This is another recipe from Everyday Food back in 2006.  It is a very simple dish.

Here's what you need:

course salt and pepper
3/4 pound whole wheat linguine
2 T olive oil
1 small red onion, halved and cut into 1/2" slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 zucchini, halved crosswise and cut into 1/4" sticks
2 plum tomatoes, quartered and cut into strips
3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to directions.  Meanwhile, heat 1 T oil in a pan.  Add onion and garlic; cook 5-7 minutes until softened.  Add zucchini and 1/2 cup water.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and cook until zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The original recipe had you add the tomatoes once your stirred it all in with the pasta, but I prefer my tomatoes at least a little bit cooked, so I tossed them in for a few minutes with the onion and zucchini.

Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water.  Return pasta to pot and add zucchini mixture, remaining 1 T oil, 1/2 cup parmesan and the reserved  pasta water to your desired taste.  Season with more salt and pepper and toss.

Serve immediately, topped with more Parmesan.

We liked this one alright this first night we made it.  I think if I make it again, I will add just a splash of half and half or something creamy with the veggies right before I mix them with the pasta.  In my opinion, it needed just a little more sauce...just a little more creaminess to set off the yummy sautéed vegetables.

But what we LOVED about this recipe is what I did with the leftovers on the next night!
Stay tuned...for next Meatless Monday! ; )

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

{Meatless Monday}

This is a recipe that I have had marked for a very long time.  It comes from Everyday Food back in 2006!  I can't believe it took me so long to try it.  I LOVED it.  The flavor is amazing.  

Here's what you need:

• 1 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 medium onion, cut into small wedges
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage (I left this out...I didn't have any)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 5 cloves garlic, peel on
• 1 cup half-and-half
• Pasta (such as cheese ravioli or any short pasta), for serving
• Toppings, such as grated Parmesan cheese, chopped toasted walnuts, finely chopped fresh sage

I actually added the onion to the recipe...because in my opinion, EVERYTHING is better with roasted onion in it!! ; )

This picture was taken before I decided to add the onion....

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the top and bottom off of  your squash.  Peel entire squash with vegetable peeler, then cut in half and scoop out seeds. 

Cut squash into 1-inch chunks; transfer to a cookie sheet. Toss with onion, oil, and sage; season with salt and pepper. Place garlic on cookie sheet. 

(So you might notice that my pieces are NOT 1" chunks.  I had the hubby cut mine and forgot to give those directions...but the good thing was, I think they cooked a little faster because they were so small. ; )

   

  I recommend you put all the cloves in one place.  I had a heck of a time getting all the little cloves out from among my veggies.  And you HAVE to find them to remove the skins.  

Roast until squash is very tender, about 30-35 minutes, tossing once halfway through. 

Remove and discard skin from garlic.

Blend squash, onion, and garlic into a puree, using blender or food processor. With motor running, add half-and-half; process until smooth. Add 1 to 2 cups  water; continue to process until smooth, adding water to thin if necessary. (I was using my blender and HAD to add the water at the beginning to even get the thing to blend at all.)  Season again with salt.  I ended up adding quite a bit of water.  For sure the full 2 cups and maybe more.  I transferred it all to a pot and heated it back up.  

At this point, I started tasting it...and I couldn't stop!!  Yum...it is so creamy and so flavorful.  I think I just want to live on a diet of roasted vegetables and dark chocolate!  ; )

Cook pasta according to package instructions.  Drain pasta and return to pot.  Now, at this point you have two choices of how to serve it.  The recipe says that you can reserve a little pasta water and then stir all the sauce together with the pasta, using the pasta water, if necessary to thin. I chose to serve mine individually, so that they would look prettier.  

I topped ours with chopped walnuts and grated parmesan cheese.

I finished my serving and then just helped myself to another scoop of the sauce.  Who needs pasta when the sauce is this amazing??  

Easy Vegetarian Lasagna

{Meatless Monday}..... on Tuesday  ; )  oops....

I call this lasagna "easy" because you can simply throw in whatever vegetables you want or whatever you happen to have in your fridge.

Today I used:

zucchini squash
summer squash
mushrooms
red pepper
red onion
carrots
spinach

I have a complete and utter LOVE of roasted red onion.  I don't know why...but I seriously can't stop eating it.  I bought the HUGEST red onion I have ever seen...and ended up wishing I had bought two.
YUM!

I started by slicing the ginormous onion, drizzled olive oil over it and lightly salt and peppered. I put it under the broiler in the oven--probably for about 10 minutes, stirring half way.  I like to broil them until some of them are blackened on the edges and they taste caramelized.

Then I sautéed the red pepper in a good amount of olive oil for a bit while I let the carrots boil in their own little pot.  I knew they would need so much more cooking than my other veggies to be soft, so I cooked them alone until they were tender.

Then I added the mushrooms and squashes to the red pepper with a little water and a good amount of salt and pepper.  Then when they were all tender and the onion was done roasting, I mixed them all together (including the drained carrots) and stirred in a couple handfuls of roughly chopped spinach.

This picture was actually taken before the spinach was added...so just don't look too closely! ; )

 I had a hard time not just eating this whole pan.  And it was a big pan...enough for two lasagnas!  ; )
In fact, this is pretty much what I ate for lunch since I was cooking them all up just before noon.

Then I simply had my cooked lasagna noodles and layered them with store-bought Ragu spaghetti sauce, and cheddar and mozzarella.

If you want a creamier lasagna, you can also stir one egg into 1-2 cups of cottage cheese and spread that evenly throughout the layers.  I completely meant to do that...but I was too busy tasting and nibbling and I lost my focus! : )

I never got a picture of it cooked...because dinner time gets so crazy.  But this would be a wonderful and easy thing to make a day ahead, or make multiples and pop one in the freezer!

Sweet Potato Ravioli

{Meatless Monday}


This is another recipe from my new vegetarian cookbook.  I have never made my own ravioli before...so it was quite an adventure...to say the least.  The photos don't really show it, but things got REALLY messy when some of the ravioli decided to burst during their few minutes in the boiling water.  It was all kinds of fun...let me tell you.

But my girls really enjoyed making them with me and they really did have a yummy flavor.  But I would prefer them along with something else...because I think I would enjoy them in a smaller portion.

Here's what you need:

For the mixture:
1 lb. orange sweet potato, cut into large pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
5 oz. ricotta cheese
1 T chopped fresh basil
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 T grated Parmesan
2- 8 oz. package won ton wrappers

For the sauce:
2 T butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup cream (I used fat-free half and half)

Roast your sweet potato drizzled with olive oil for 30 minutes in a 375*-400* oven.  ( I pretty much burned mine...which is why there are little black specks in my mashed picture below! ; )

Transfer to a bowl and mash with the ricotta, garlic, basil, and Parmesan until smooth.

Place 2 teaspoons of the mixture in the center of the wonton and brush edges with water.  Top with another wrapper.  

So this is how the book said to do it:

But this is how we ended up doing them and I preferred them this way.  Less wrapper to the mixture.

Just keep on repeating until you run out of wrappers or mixture! ; )

To make the sauce:  Melt the butter in a frying pan.  Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium one minute.  Add the cream and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 4-5 minutes until thickened.  Since I used Fat Free Half and Half...it didn't really thicken, so I sprinkled on a little flour and called it good.  I had a horrible time getting a picture...but the onion/garlic sauce was a nice balance to the sweeter potato/cheese mixture inside.

Tortellini with Nutty Cream Sauce

{Meatless Monday}

This was the very first recipe I tried out of my new cookbook and it was a keeper!  It was very simple (with frozen Tortellini) and pretty quick to put together.  The thing that took the longest was to shell the walnuts! ; )  We were given a box of walnuts about a year ago and every time I need some, we hurry and shell just enough...but we really should just have a shelling party and get them all done! ; )

I couldn't find a small package of pine nuts at my grocery store, so I just used almonds and walnuts since that is what I had.  It would be even more delicious with the pine nuts, I am sure!  Just more expensive.
 ; )  We really love nuts in our family and we loved it with walnuts and almonds.


 Here's what you'll need for this super simple meal...

1 lb. cheese tortellini or ravioli (I used frozen)
3 T butter
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 T chopped fresh parsley
2 T chopped fresh thyme
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
3 T cream

Cook the tortellini according to directions. I always love the colored tortellini.

 Heat the butter in a large pan until foaming.  Add all nuts and stir for 5 minutes, until golden brown.  Add the parsley, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste.

Beat the ricotta with the cream.  Toss the sauce and pasta together and top with ricotta cream.

I actually just mixed it all in and we really liked it that way.  Serve immediately.  I topped ours with a little more thyme and some shaved Parmesan cheese...because Parmesan cheese makes everything yummier!

Spaghetti with Savoy Cabbage

{Meatless Monday}

Better late than never??  ; )

This recipe was quite a surprise!  I saw it and thought it looked interesting...so I tore it out of my Martha Stewart Living magazine.  It was on the side of my fridge for many months, when I finally had half a head of cabbage that needed to be used and I remembered this recipe.

I did not use Savoy cabbage...I just used the plain cabbage from the grocery store.

I really liked the cabbage once it was sautéed.  And the breadcrumbs really added to the flavor.  I took their suggestion and topped the whole bowl with some fried eggs.  And we ended up really liking it.  In fact.... (drum roll, please....)  ALL of my kids ate their plate full without a word of complaint and my youngest asked for seconds and thirds!  That sealed the deal...it's a KEEPER!

Here's what you need!

• 8 ounces spaghetti or angel hair pasta
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 garlic clove, very thinly sliced or minced
• 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (I just used our own whole wheat bread)
• 9 cups thinly sliced savoy cabbage (from 1 medium head)
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce), plus more for garnish
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 
  
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to directions.  Drain, but 
• reserve 1/2 cup liquid.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet. Cook garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in breadcrumbs. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring, until breadcrumbs are golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.  Set aside.  
• Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add cabbage, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss to coat. Cook, stirring, until slightly wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water. Cook, covered, until tender, about 4 minutes. Uncover, and let any water in the skillet evaporate. Stir in cream. Cook until sauce is reduced and thick enough to coat cabbage, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
• 
  

• Add pasta and reserved 1/2 cup cooking liquid to cabbage. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in cheese. Transfer to a platter. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over top, and garnish with more cheese.  Top with fried eggs, if desired.

 If I were serving this for someone other than my family, I would have fried the eggs in a prettier fashion.  But I just threw four eggs in the breadcrumb skillet (so they'd have all that yummy flavoring), then basically cut them apart to flip and then top off the bowl.  Here's what it looked like before I served it.

I loved that most of the liquid was water and pasta water with just a few tablespoons of the cream.  I really can't wait to make this again.  Try it...it is really quite easy and I loved the different textures.  And best of all...there was no mutiny at the dinner table!

Noodle Stir-Fry

{Meatless Monday}

I saw this one on Our Best Bites and I knew I had to try it!  I guess we don't eat very much chinese food at our table because my three youngest tried to say they weren't hungry and not eat a single bite.  My eleven year old would take a bite, gag, chew some more, and then make herself swallow.  (She REALLY wanted the orange cream bar that was for dessert!)

But my husband and I and our two teenagers LOVED it!  ; )  So I guess the little ones will have more chances to get used to it!

Here's what you'll need:

1 12-oz. package linguine
1/4 cup soy sauce (I mixed regular soy sauce with Soy Vay's Teriyaki Sauce---YUM!!)
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Asian sweet red chili sauce
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1-2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
1 small red onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced or pressed
1 large red or yellow pepper, sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen green sugar snap peas, snow peas, edamame, or green beans
1 medium zucchini, julienned

This was the first time I have used fresh ginger and we LOVED it!  I was most excited about this recipe because it is such a change from what we are normally eating.  Hooray for variety!  ;)

Instructions:

Cook linguine according to directions.  Drain and then toss with 1 T. olive oil.

Whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, sweet chili sauce, and dark sesame oil. 

Set aside.  (I actually didn't use dark sesame oil...just regular oil...and the only sweet chili sauce I could find was PRICEY, so I bought a cheaper garlic chili sauce that is listed as one of the ingredients in the pricey one and just used a little bit to give it some of the asian heat.)

While the noodles are cooking, heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the sliced onions, garlic, and ginger with the canola/peanut oil. Stir fry 1-2 minutes or until fragrant, but the garlic isn’t burning. Add the peas/beans and stir fry for about 30 seconds.   (I meant to get pics of the steps...but then the evening turned to chaos, and I forgot! ; )

 (cut up your zucchini into small spears)

Add the zucchini and peppers and stir fry for another minute or two until the veggies are crisp-tender. Add the noodles and stir fry until the noodles are well-combined with the vegetables. Drizzle the sauce evenly over the noodles and stir fry the entire mixture for a minute or until everything is well-coated in the sauce. Serve immediately–garnish with chopped cilantro or lime wedges.

Fettuccine Alfredo with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Veggies

{Meatless Monday}

This is another great one from Better Homes and Gardens!  This was actually the winner for the Weeknight Vegetarian category in their January 2011 issue.  I have just recently learned how to buy good asparagus and how to cook it correctly, so I am loving this recipe!  I hated asparagus as a child...but I think my mother boiled it.  I love it now....sauteed with a little olive oil and garlic!  Mmmm. 

Here's what you need for this one:
I doubled this recipe and used 8 oz of regular linguine and 8 oz. of whole wheat.

8 oz. dried fettuccine or linguine (I totally prefer the linguine)
1/2 c. dried tomatoes, not oil packed, chopped
4 T butter
1 T olive oil
4 oz. fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
4 oz. fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets
8 fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 T flour
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
2 tsp shredded lemon peel

Cook pasta according to package directions, adding dried tomatoes the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and return to saucepan; keep warm.  I used half regular and half whole wheat and really liked it!

 Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and mushrooms. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  I chose to roast my Brussels sprouts with a little olive oil and salt and pepper before tossing them in the skillet.  I just put them under the broiler in my oven for about 15-20 min.

Mmm...see those little browned edges on the sprouts...those are my favorite parts!

Remove vegetables from skillet; set aside.

In the same skillet melt remaining butter over medium heat. Stir in flour. Cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Gently stir in pasta and vegetables. Stir in additional milk to reach desired consistency. Sprinkle with lemon peel and additional shredded Parmesan cheese.

 This was so yummy with all the different vegetables.  I am starting to be obsessed with asparagus....  It is so yummy when cooked well!

Spinach and Feta Pasta

Wow...this summer has thrown me for a loop!  I just cannot get anything accomplished and have 5 kids at home!!  We are having a good time and the kids have been enjoying art/dance classes and some swimming lessons.  But I am having the hardest time getting the things done that I need to get done!

Here's a recipe I made quite a while ago from Our Best Bites.

Here's what you need:
8 oz. Penne Pasta
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes (with your favorite seasonings)
3 c. fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
4-6 oz. fresh mushrooms, chopped
4 oz. feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste



Boil pasta according to directions.  Meanwile, heat a little oil in a skillet over medium and add onions, garlic, and mushrooms.  Cook until tender. 

Add spinach and cook until just wilted.

 

Add tomatoes, and heat through. 

Mix with drained pasta and feta cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Heat and serve warm with some fresh bread!

This is a really easy, healthy meal.  Plus, I think everything (well, almost everything!) tastes better with some feta!
Hope you are having a great summer!  And if you aren't accomplishing much (like me!), well...
hopefully you are at least enjoying some time with your kids!  I am!

Greek Spinach-Pasta Salad

{Meatless Monday}

I got this one from my Better Homes and Gardens magazine...love that magazine!  I have been subscribing for well over a decade and I just don't think I'll ever stop!  ; )

Here's what you need for this salad:

6-oz. pkg. fresh baby spinach
1 can (15 oz.) Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), snipped
2 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. olive oil
1 T. fresh oregano
1 T fresh lemon thyme or thyme
1/2 tsp. kosher salt or sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
12 oz. dried cavatappi (twist) or farfalle (bowtie) pasta
 Shaved or shredded parmesan


In a large serving bowl combine spinach, beans, cheese, tomatoes, green onions, garlic, lemon peel and juice, oil, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cover; let stand at room temperature while preparing pasta or up to 2 hours; stirring occasionally. 


Shortly before serving, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Toss cooked pasta and pasta water with spinach salad mixture. Serve warm or at room temperature. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese.

I only had elbow macaroni the first time I made it, but have since made it with the twist pasta and I liked it better.  This is a light and fresh salad that is perfect for summer. 

Spaghetti with Artichokes

{Meatless Monday}

I promised to post this about a month ago....   This has become an absolute favorite!  It is so simple and easy and is such a great spin on traditional spaghetti with red sauce.  It probably ends up on my menu about every other week.  I just love it because it is simple and cheap and really good!

This is another recipe from The Pioneer Woman...if you have never been to her blog, click on over!  She is amazingly talented and her pictures are gorgeous.  But make sure you have some free time, because you can get lost in all the splendor! ; )

Here's what you need for this super easy meal...

]2 Tablespoons olive oil 
2 Tablespoons butter 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
½ whole medium onion, diced
1 can Artichoke Hearts (14.5 Oz.) drained 
1 can diced tomatoes with juice (14.5 Oz.) 
1 cup heavy cream 
½ cups chicken broth (more as needed) 
½ teaspoons nutmeg 
Salt and Pepper, to taste 
1 pound Thin Spaghetti 
1 cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated 
2 Tablespoons fresh chives, chopped


Cook spaghetti as desired.  Drain and set aside.
Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 8-10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.

Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan. Pour sauce over the top. Add chives. Toss lightly to combine.  Enjoy!