Tortellini Soup

We finally got some rain around here which means it is time for soup! This recipe is super easy and super yummy too!

Tortellini Soup

2 Tb olive oil

3 cloves minced garlic

1 medium onion, chopped

9 c. chicken broth

2 tsp. Italian herb blend

9 oz. or more spinach or cheese tortellini

1 (20oz) can crushed tomatoes in puree

8 oz. fresh spinach, rinsed and chopped (or frozen)

salt and pepper

1 c. fresh grated Parmesan

Heat oil in pot. Add garlic and onion. Cook 10 minutes. Stir often. Add broth and seasonings. Boil. Add pasta and simmer 5-10 minutes. Add tomato and simmer 5 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Season to taste and top with grated cheese.

Hamburger Noodle Bake

maI'm back! New Year resolution #1... try to post a recipe once every other week. I was going to do once a week, but who am I kidding... I want to be able to stick with this! Tonight we were in the mood for a good, comfort food type of meal. So I turned to the family cookbook and decided on this one. It was yummy and even James ate a good sized portion. The only thing I would do different next time is add a little spice. Maybe some chili powder would do the trick.

Hamburger Noodle Bake

~Barbara Davis

1 1/2 - 2 lbs Hamburger Meat ( I used 1 lb of extra lean ground beef)

4 TB butter (I omitted this all together. Didn't seem like it needed it)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp sugar ( I didn't add this either)

32 oz tomato sauce

10 oz egg noodles, cooked and drained

1 small onion, chopped

8 oz cream cheese

1 1/2 c. sour cream (I used light sour cream)

1 c. shredded cheese ( I used light cheddar)

Brown hamburger, drain. Add butter (if using), sugar, garlic and tomato sauce. Simmer 15 min. Combine noodles, onion, cream cheese and sour cream. In a 9x13 pan, layer half of the noodle mixture, half of the meat sauce, repeat and then top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Tomato Pasta Sauce

Can you believe that we are finally posting something again?!? Our excuses for the lack of cooking are summer, and 3 preganacys totalling 4 babies arriving between October and March. Anyone else find it difficult to cook when you are in the worst of morning sickness?

Here is something I've wanted to post forever. It's so much better than any store bought version, and super simple. I make huge baches and freeze the extra in either glass jars or ziplock baggies for all year round. Our Tomatoes haven't been has abundant this year, so I've taken advantage of store deals as well. When you don't have tomatoes from your garden I like the sweet Campari tomatoes from Cosco. Anything sweet works best.

Tomato Pasta Sauce
2 lbs tomatoes, chopped with their juices
3-8 tbsp olive oil (I know that's a large range. I tend to go light - maybe 4, but traditionally more is used.)
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
6 tbsp water
salt, pepper, basil

1. Heat oil in sauce pan, add onion and cool until translucent 5-8 minutes

I usually add red pepper flakes with the onion and oil because we like our sauce spicy.

2. Stir in tomatoes, their juices, water, and garlic.

3. Season with salt and pepper and add basil

4. Cook 30 minutes.

5. Puree - I use a hand puree tool, which is really ideal, but you could use a food processor. I discard the skins that get stuck in the blade as I go.

Now you are ready to toss with your favorite pasta, or freeze for later use. This is my 4 year olds absolute favorite. My 6 year old doesn't love tomato's but we tell him they fight cancer and he's willing to eat.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Casserole

This meal was really easy to make and really good! It is Marsha's recipe and I followed almost the whole thing except I used Sun Dried tomato Chicken Sausage from Trader Joe's (pork free with no casings) and just cut it into slices. James loved the zucchini and Haws loved the sausage :)

6 oz. Italian Turkey Sausage, casing removed (or slice up chicken sausage. You can really use what ever meat you like!)

2 small zucchini, sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (14.5oz) can stewed tomatoes

3 oz. spaghetti, broken into 1 inch pieces

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Over medium, heat sausage, zucchini and onion, breaking up with spoon and cooking until zucchini is crisp and tender and sausage is no longer pink. About 10 minutes. Drain juices. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, spaghetti and water. Transfer to prepared casserole dish, covering spaghetti with the liquid. Cover casserole with foil and bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan and let stand for 5 minutes.

Lasagna

Lasagna
1 lg onion Chopped
2 tsp. crushed garlic
1/4 cup oil (I used about 1/2 T. olive oil)
1 1/2 lbs ground meat and/or sausage
1 T. chopped parsley
1 large can tomatoes
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 sm. can tomato paste
salt an dpepper
4 bay leaves
2 T. brown sugar

Saute the onion and garlic in oil (or olive oil). Ad the ground beef and parsley and brown. Drain off any fat. Then add the remaining ingredients and cook on low for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook your lasagna noodles according to the package directions - or get the no boil kind.

Cheese Sauce
1 sm. onion, chopped fine 3 T. flour
4 T. butter 2 c. milk
2 egg yolks 3/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Cook the onion in butter a few minutes. Then mix in the flour until smooth. Add grated Parmesan cheese and a dash of salt. Gradually stir in the milk, stirring constantly until it is a thick cream. In a seperate bowl, sightly beat the egg yolks. Then mix in a little hot cheese source before adding the eggs to the cheese sauce. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes.

To assemble the lasagna, layer the noodles in a 9x13 pan. (I put a little tomato sauce under the noodles). Then pour half of the tomato sauce over the noodles, followed by the cheese sauce over that. Repeat the noodles and tomato sauce and cover with grated mozzarella cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

We thought the lasagna was very yummy. It also wasn't as labor intensive as other lasagnas I've made before. We'll definitely make this one again.

Healthier Fabulous Lasagna! (Gluten Free Option)

This is my version of "The Best Lasagna. Ever"! I wanted to make it healthier and make a few changes to make it simple, yet healthy. This time when I made it, I was making it for a friend who is off gluten at the moment. So I made it with rice lasagna noodles instead of the regular noodles. You can make it either way. If you want it gluten free, you can use De Boles noodles that you don't even have to boil making this recipe even easier! I don't want to boast... but this lasagna is delicious!!! Even your little ones will like it. James doesn't have teeth yet and even he enjoyed it!

Ingredients

• 1-½ pound 4% fat Ground Beef
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 cans (14.5 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes
• 2 cans (6 Ounce) Tomato Paste
• 4 Tablespoons Dried Italian Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 3 cups fat free Cottage Cheese
• 2 whole Beaten Eggs
• ½ cups Grated (not Shredded) Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Shredded Light Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 package (10 Ounce) Lasagna Noodles
• (add 1/2 Teaspoon Salt And 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil To Pasta Water)

Preparation Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan, combine ground beef and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until browned. Drain any fat, if desired. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning and salt. After adding the tomatoes, the sauce mixture should simmer for 45 minutes while you are working on the other steps.

In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, beaten eggs, grated Parmesan, 2 more tablespoons Italian seasoning, and 1 more teaspoon salt. Stir together well. Set aside. Cook lasagna until “al dente” (not overly cooked). Or if using non-boil noodles, you get to skip this step J

To assemble:

Arrange 4 lasagna noodles in the bottom of a baking pan, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Spread evenly. Cover cottage cheese with half of the mozzarella. Spoon a little less than half the meat/sauce mixture over the top.

Repeat, ending with meat/sauce mixture. Sprinkle top generously with extra Parmesan and mozzarella.

Either freeze, refrigerate for up to two days, or bake immediately: 350-degree oven for 30 minutes, or until top is hot and bubbly.

Meat Sauce

This pasta sauce is delicious, Johns absolute favorite, but definitely labor intensive!

Here's what you'll need:

2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 tbs pancetta (unsmoked bacon), finely chopped
2-3 carrots, finely sliced
2-3 stalks of celery, finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
12 oz 8% fat ground beef
12 oz reduced fat ground pork sausage
salt and pepper
1 1/3 cup red wine
1 cup milk
280z canned plum tomatoes, chopped (or squished with your fingers - that's what I do), with their juice
2 bay leafs
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

And here's your 11 step plan

1. with a bit of oil, brown meat (season with salt and pepper) in big pot and then take out and set aside.

2. In the same pot, heat oil and butter. Add onion and cook over medium heat 3-4 minutes.

3. Add pancetta and cook until onion is translucent.

4. Stir in the carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook another 3-4 minutes.

5. While that is cooking finely finely chop up your ground meat until it's super tincy.

6. Add meat back to pot.
7. Pour in the wine, raise heat, and cook until liquid evaporates. 3-4 minutes.
8. Add milk and cook until liquid evaporates.
9. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and the herbs. Bring sauce to boil

10. Reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 1 1/2-2 hours.
11. Check seasoning before serving.

Now for the pasta. I'm sure you all know how to boil pasta, but here are our suggestions. After you put the pasta in the boiling water, add a big handful of salt. Here's my picture to show you I mean a BIG HANDFUL!

And...The most important thing to super yummy pasta is shorten the cooking time on your noodles. I mean if the box says 12 minutes, it's done in no longer than 6 minutes. For spaghetti, when it's still raw just barely in the middle drain and toss with sauce and by the time it hits your mouth it's perfect.

Chicken Pasta Salad

This has become a staple for all of us at showers, birthdays, or just about any party that you've got a big group coming to.  It's delicious and you can't mess it up. 

12 oz bow tie pasta    
12 oz tri-colored pasta
20 oz can of pineapple tidbits
2 c. chopped celery
4 green onions, sliced
8 oz craisins
1 c. cashews
1 c grapes, sliced in half
4 c cooked chicken breast, cubed or shredded
1 c. mayonnaise
16 oz bottled coleslaw dressing (Marie's brand is yummy)

 Just cook the noodles, and rinse them in cold water.  Mix the mayonnaise and coleslaw dressing.  Then toss all the ingredients together in a LARGE bowl.  Keep it in the refrigerator until serving time.  

I sometimes make it the night before then toss in the dressing before serving.  This time around I knew I wouldn't even have that much time, so I tossed it with the dressing the night before, but didn't add the craisins until serving. (The craisins will stain some of the pasta purple if dressed and added the day before)

This is always a crowd pleasing recipe!  And a great way to get your kids to eat a little veggies and protein with their pasta!  So next time you're entertaining, make this chicken pasta salad and it won't disappoint.

Crockpot Swiss Steak

I LOVE cooking with the crockpot!!! I made this dish on a busy day when Haws had the day off and I had a list of things I wanted us to do! We worked around the house, went to the Railroad Park in Irvine (that place is amazing!) for a picnic with some friends, headed out to the Nixon Library (free on Presidents Day) and then came home to dinner being practically ready! All I had to do was cook up the noodles and make a salad and wa-lah! This was really yummy and the meat was very tender. I would definitely make it again.

Crockpot Swiss Steak with Noodles

1 med onion, separated into rings

1 (4oz) can mushrooms, drained

1 can cream of mushroom soup (I always use the 98% fat free kind)

1 (8oz) can stewed tomatoes

1-2 lbs round steak, cut into pieces

1/2 c. Swiss cheese

Cooked noodles

Combine first 4 ingredients in crockpot.

Place meat on top and bury in mixture. Cover and heat on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Just before serving, remove meat and mix in cheese.

Add meat back in and stir. Serve over cooked noodles.