Goat Cheese Alfredo with Roasted Red Peppers, Artichokes and Kale

ETA on 5/21/13 - I made the basic recipe today (no artichokes or kale) and used the immersion blender to puree it.  O.M.G. sooooo good!  Blending it really brings out the sweet roasted red pepper flavor.  I will be pureeing this from now on.

Sooooooooooooooo good.

As usual, I made some changes from the original recipe:  fat free evaporated milk instead of half & half because that's what I had on hand, 12 oz. instead of 1 cup because a can of evap milk is 12 oz. and I didn't want to store leftover milk.  5 oz. goat cheese instead of 4 oz. because the log I bought was 5 oz., and again I didn't want to store a smidge of leftover cheese.  Since this increased the amount of sauce, I added an extra pepper.  14 oz. artichoke hearts because that was the size of the can.  And I added some leftover roasted kale I had in the fridge.  I didn't use the immersion blender (too lazy to find it and pull it out) so I minced the roasted red peppers on my cutting board.  Because I added so much extra, this easily serves 4.

Goat Cheese Alfredo with Roasted Red Peppers, Artichokes and Kale
Adapted from this recipe.

 Ingredients:

• 3 red bell peppers
• 1/2 lb. whole wheat fettuccine
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (12 oz.) can fat free evaporated milk
• 1 (5 oz.) log of goat cheese
• 2/3 cup grated parmesan (plus more for topping)
• 1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 2 cups roasted kale
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.  Roast the peppers for 30 minutes, turning them halfway through.  Remove from oven and cover with foil.  Let sit for 10 - 15 minutes until cool enough to handle, then peel and discard the skin and discard the core.  Mince the roasted peppers and set aside.
• Prepare pasta to al dente, per package instructions.  Drain and set aside.
• In a large skillet, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until soft.  Add the evaporated milk and goat cheese.  Stir frequently until cheese is melted.  Add parmesan and continue stirring until melted.
• Add the minced roasted peppers, chopped artichoke hearts, roasted kale and TSSS to taste.  Stir until combined and well heated.  Add the cooked pasta and toss.
• Serve topped with more parmesan.

If you want a deeper red color, add the peppers, then puree the mixture with an immersion blender before adding in the artichokes and kale.

Fettuccine with Chicken and Mushrooms

At the local Asian grocery store yesterday I found some gorgeous oyster and trumpet mushrooms.  (I was actually looking for shiitakes, but none were to be found.)  Sprouts had a sale on whole wheat Delallo pasta last week and I'd picked up a bag of fettuccine, so fettuccine with chicken and mushrooms it is.  I LOVE mushrooms, so I put a lot in.  Feel free to use less (or more!).

Fettuccine with Chicken and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound whole wheat fettuccine noodles
• 1 tablespoon Smart Balance
• 1 pound mushrooms, sliced (I used equal parts oysters and trumpets tonight)
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic
• 1 teaspoon-ish dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon-ish dried oregano
• 1/2 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
• 1/2 lemon

Directions:

• Prepare the pasta to al dente according to package instructions.  Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta liquid, and set aside.
• In a large skillet, melt the Smart Balance on medium-high heat and saute the shrooms with the spices and herbs for a few minutes until the shrooms begin to soften.  Add the chicken and continue to saute until cooked through. 
• At this point the shrooms had released about 1 cup of liquid in the skillet, which was perfect.  If your shroom/chicken mixture seems a little dry, add some of the reserved pasta water.  Sprinkle a tablespoon of whole wheat flour into the skillet and stir for a minute.
• Add in the cooked pasta and spritz with the juice of 1/2 a lemon.  Toss and serve.

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
Adapted from this recipe


Ingredients:

• 9 whole wheat lasagna noodles
• 1 (15 ounce) container of part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
• 2 eggs
• olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 pound sliced crimini mushrooms
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• 1 (1 pound) bag of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess water
• 1 jar marinara sauce
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup freshly-grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Boil noodles per package instructions.  Drain and lay flat on aluminum foil, set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta and cottage cheeses with the eggs.  Set aside.
• Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet.  Sweat the diced onion until translucent.  Add the mushrooms and season with TSSS.  Sauté for several minutes until soft.  Add the spinach and sauté a few minutes longer.  Add the marinara sauce and continue to stir until heated through.  Remove from heat and set aside.
• Spray the bottom of a lasagna pan with olive oil.  Lay 3 noodles in the pan.  Spread half of the cheese mixture over the noodles.  Then spread half of the spinach-mushroom mixture over the cheese.  
• Lay down 3 more noodles.  Spread the rest of the cheese mixture (minus 3 tablespoons, which you need to reserve), then the rest of the spinach-mushroom mixture.
• Lay down the last 3 noodles.  Top with the remaining reserved cheese mixture.
• Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Then remove the foil, top with the shredded mozzarella and parmesan, and return the lasagna to the oven for an additional 15 minutes.
• When done and bubbling, remove the lasagna from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Veggie Alfredo

I modified Ellie's recipe only because I don't like leaving half-opened cans of evaporated milk around.  Half a box of fettuccine, ok, but not half a can of milk.  Half a box (8 oz.) of fettuccine because it's easier for me to eyeball than the 12 oz. per Ellie's recipe.  That plus added veggies and beans makes plenty for our family of 2 adults and a toddler, with leftovers for lunch the next day.  I grilled the chicken because the weather was beautiful today and I wanted to play outside. I increased the amount of sauce because many reviewers recommended that about Ellie's recipe, and I doubled the veggies and added some beans.  The magical fruit, right?  ;-)  The results were scrumptious.

Chicken Veggie Alfredo
Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces (1/2 pound or 1/2 box) of whole wheat fettuccine
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced and divided
• 2 zucchini, thinly sliced into half-moons
• 2 broccoli crowns, chopped into bite-size pieces and blanched
• 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 1 cup cold fat free milk
• 1 (12 oz.) can of fat free evaporated milk
• 1 cup freshly-grated parmesan cheese
• 1 (15 oz.) can of great northern beans, drained

Directions:

• Prepare the fettuccine per instructions on the box.  Drain, reserving some of the pasta water, and set aside.
• Season both sides of chicken breasts with TSSS and grill until fully cooked.  Once cooled enough to handle, slice the cooked chicken and set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté 1 minced clove of garlic with the zucchini and blanched broccoli for a few minutes until the zukes are soft and the broccoli is slightly firm.  Transfer veggies to a plate and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, fat free milk and fat free evaporated milk.
• Return the empty skillet to medium-high heat and add in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 minced clove of garlic, stirring for 30 seconds until fragrant.
• Add the flour-milk mixture to the skillet and bring to a boil, stirring often.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for a couple of minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.  Add the cheese and TSSS to taste and stir until the cheese is melted.
• Toss in the sliced chicken, veggies, beans and cooked pasta.  Add some of the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce as necessary.
• Serve hot.

Farfalle with Wild Mushrooms

If you didn't already know, I LOVE mushrooms.  Not the white button ones.  I LOVE the "wild" ones.  Oysters, chanterelles, morels, trumpets... ahhhh, they make me happy.

You can use pretty much any kind of mushrooms you like in this recipe. Today I used oysters and king oysters.  And while many exotic mushrooms were once wild, most of them are now cultivated, so I use the term "wild" loosely.

Farfalle with Wild Mushrooms
Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound dry whole wheat farfalle
• 2 tablespoons Smart Balance
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound wild mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• water
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup non-fat milk
• few tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
• few tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• a couple teaspoons lemon zest
• a squirt of fresh lemon juice

Directions:

• Prepare farfalle to al dente, per instructions on the package.  Drain and set aside.
• In a large skillet, melt the Smart Balance with the olive oil.
• Add the mushrooms, garlic, TSSS and black pepper to taste.  Sauté until mushrooms are tender, adding water a little at a time as necessary to keep the shrooms from drying out.
• Add milk and bring to a boil.
• Add cooked pasta to the mushrooms and combine.
• Add chives, parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice and toss to coat.
• Serve immediately.

Baked Pasta

This is just a springboard idea.  There are so many different ways to make this, and so many different ingredients that can go into it.  It freezes well, too, and is great for leftovers for lunch the next day.

Baked Pasta


Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground chicken (or turkey, or sirloin)
• olive oil
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• 1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 jar no-sugar-added pasta sauce (I like Trader Joe's organic marinara)
• 1 pound whole wheat pasta, cooked to al dente per package directions
• 1 small tub (8 oz.) fat free cottage cheese
• 8 oz. part skim mozzarella, shredded

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large skillet, brown ground chicken in a tablespoon of olive oil and season to taste with TSSS.  Drain.
• Add spinach and pasta sauce.  Bring to a boil.
• Stir in the cooked pasta and remove from heat.
• Spoon half of the mixture into a large baking dish.
• Layer on the cottage cheese, then top with the rest of the pasta mixture.
• Bake for 30 minutes until bubbling.  Sprinkle shredded mozzarella on top and return to oven for 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted.
• Serve hot.

Mac and Cheese

Basic mac & cheese modified to be SBD-friendly. I just used reduced-fat cheddar today, but you can mix in any other type of cheese to your liking.  It's delicious with gruyere, but I've yet to find a reduced-fat gruyere that would keep this on the SBD straight and narrow.

Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons Smart Balance
• 4 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 2 cups skim milk
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt to taste
• 2 cups reduced-fat cheddar, shredded
• 1 cup cubed ham (tonight I used leftover Honeybaked from Thanksgiving)
• 1 pound whole wheat elbow macaroni, cooked to al dente per box instructions
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan
• 3 tablespoons whole wheat panko bread crumbs

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large skillet, melt Smart Balance over medium-high heat.  Add the flour and whisk into a paste.  Continue whisking for a couple of minutes so the flour cooks and loses its raw taste
• Add milk and seasoned salt and continue whisking until smooth.  Bring to a boil to thicken.
• Remove from heat.  Add cheese and continue whisking until the cheese is completely melted.
• Stir in ham and macaroni.  Pour into a baking dish.
• In a small bowl, mix the parmesan and bread crumbs.  Sprinkle on top of mac and cheese.
• Bake for 20 minutes.

Skillet Pasta with Chard and White Beans

Swiss chard -- I've had it in restaurants before, but I've never cooked with it and don't even know what to do with it.  But it was in the CSA sample box of goodies that my Moms Group organizer shared with me, and what a beautiful bunch with its different color stalks (yellow, orange, red and purple) against the dark leafy greens.  So I did a quick Google search for recipes and came across this.  I only modified the recipe because of what I had available in the kitchen (fusili pasta instead of gnocchi, diced onions instead of sliced, Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic instead of fresh cloves, etc.).  I also added the avocado on top b/c, well, I just love avocado.  :-)  This dish turned out pretty scrumptious.

Skillet Pasta with Chard and White Beans
Taken from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of dry whole wheat fusili (or other shaped) pasta
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 smallish-medium onion, diced
• Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 smallish-medium bunch of Swiss chard, washed and chopped
• 1 can (15 oz) Great Northern Beans, drained
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• 1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Prepare pasta to al dente according to package instructions.  Set aside.
• In a large skillet, sauté onion in olive oil for a couple of minutes.  Add TSGG and water and stir.  Cover and cook until the onion is soft and translucent.
• Add Swiss chard and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until it starts to wilt.
• Stir in beans, tomatoes and seasoned salt.  Bring to a simmer.  Cover and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.
• Stir in pasta and sprinkle with cheeses.  Cover and continue to simmer for a few minutes until cheese is melted.  
• Serve immediately.

Spinach and Artichoke Orzo

I saw this beautiful little bag of organic whole wheat orzo at the store last week and just HAD to get it.  And tonight it was the perfect accompaniment to my fresh-out-of-the-oven batch of eggplant parmesan.  I'm a happy girl.


Spinach and Artichoke Orzo
Made up recipe based on what was in my pantry/freezer

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat orzo
• 1 can (14oz.) artichoke hearts, quartered
• 1 handful frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• Tastefully Simple Roasted Garlic Infused Oil
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• juice of 1/4 lime

Directions:

• Prepare the orzo to al dente, per package instructions.  Drain.
• In a large skillet over high heat, combine the orzo with the artichokes, spinach, a couple tablespoons of oil, and seasoned salt to taste.  Toss for a few minutes until everything is piping hot.
• Remove from heat and squeeze on some fresh lime juice. Toss.
• Serve immediately.

If you don't have any Tastefully Simple Roasted Garlic Infused Oil, just sautee a clove or two of crushed garlic in some olive oil before adding in the orzo and veggies.

Pasta with Spaghetti Squash Marinara

This is a great way to add extra veggies into your diet.  I normally make this with ground turkey instead of the garbanzo beans, but today I decided to go vegetarian.  You could also add diced zucchini or frozen chopped spinach to increase the veggie intake as well as the plate color appeal.  :-)

Pasta with Spaghetti Squash Marinara
I made this one up myself based on what I had in the pantry.

Ingredients:

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• whole wheat bowtie pasta
• 1 jar no sugar added marinara sauce (I use Trader Joe's)
• 1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained
• salt & pepper (optional)
• fresh mozzarella balls, diced
• freshly grated parmesan

Directions:

• Prepare whole wheat bowtie pasta according to package instructions, to al dente.
• Using a sharp chef's knife, pierce the skin of the spaghetti squash in numerous locations.  Place in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 8 - 10 minutes, turning it over halfway through.  Let sit until cool enough to handle.  Cut in half, lengthwise, and remove seeds along with the dark fibrous strands and discard.  Using a fork, scoop out the spaghetti-like strands and put them into a large sauce pan. 
• Add marinara sauce, garbanzo beans and season with salt & pepper as needed.  Toss to mix everything together.
• Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally.
• Remove from heat and fold in the mozzarella.
• Ladle over pasta.  Top with freshly grated parmesan.