Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

Our garden was weird this year.  I guess I shouldn't say that.  I've never gardened in Southern California (kinda) before so maybe it was normal, but I thought it was weird.  The cherry tomatoes were supposed to be the first to ripen!  It said so on the package of seeds.  For some reason, they ripened AFTER some of our other tomato varieties that were supposed to take twice as long.  While I was a little confused as to why these sleeper tomatoes did that, I wasn't upset that we actually got some produce from our plants.  

Table Talk: Pasta Salad plus Sun-Dried Tomatoes minus Arugula

 Last time I made something with Arugula in it, my family wasn't impressed.  I decided to leave it out of our pasta salad since I didn't want to watch everyone pick it out and waste it.  I'm wondering though if I should have given it a go.  I'm thinking that the vinegar in the dressing might have been enough to tame the overwhelming flavor that arugula can have.  Next time, I'll have to throw it in and see how it goes.  I threw in some olives and I had deli sliced provolone that I cut it into strips.  The recipe called for whole wheat penne but whole grain works too, right?  I didn't have parsley so I substituted basil.  Next time I would add quite a bit more than 1 T.

My husband and I liked this dish.  It was easy to make and worked perfectly for last night because I made it and then put it in the fridge for an hour while I took Hadlee to swimming and it was ready to eat when we got home, starving.  Calvin didn't love it but his palate is pretty sensitive and things with vinegar usually aren't his cup of tea.  He took a couple bites and then poured himself a bowl of Life cereal.  

I think this would also be great with some cucumbers for crunch and anything else you like with vinegar-like dressing.

If you'd like the recipe you can buy the book or get it at Jen O's blog.  She was our host for the week and chose the recipe.

Table Talk: Vegetable Lo Mein

I was so on board with this week's recipe choice!  I happen to think lo mein is one of the greatest things on earth.  I've made quite a few versions of it and most of those include me going into the kitchen and throwing a bunch of stuff together.  

We all really liked this recipe and I would make it again tomorrow.  I loved how fast it was-after everything was chopped and ready to go-and I loved that there wasn't an insane amount of dishes.

   The only thing is, I didn't realize until I was cooking that I was missing a few ingredients   I really thought I had oyster sauce, but nope.  I didn't have corn starch, which I was supposed to buy at the store and I forgot.  I used a few vegetables that weren't in the recipe-zucchini, yellow squash, and broccoli.  And I just used regular mushrooms instead of shiitake. I also used a lb of pasta instead of 12 oz so I increased the sauce amount to 1 cup chicken broth, 1/3 cup soy sauce (and I would have added 1/3 cup oyster sauce but didn't have it) so I went with 2 T brown sugar, 2 T rice vinegar and about 1 T of sweet red chili sauce and 1 T of flour to make up for my lacking corn starch.  I didn't have sriracha so I just added a few red pepper flakes.

Oh, and I also used linguine.  Have I told you guys about my weird aversion to regular spaghetti noddles?  Yeah, it's weird.  When I can, I always sub either angel hair or linguine.  Thin spaghetti is only marginally better and I'll only use that as a second to last resort.  Don't ask me to explain it either.  I'm a weirdo.  I've tried to tell you guys.

That seems like a lot of changes now that I've typed them all out......

Anyway, here's a picture of all the veggies right before I added the sauce.

 And here's a picture right before I ate it.

This was a great recipe.  Everyone should make it.  If you hate meat-less meals, a few of my cooking friends added chicken and it looks delicious.  You can buy the book, or get the recipe at Talesha's blog.

Table Talk: Creamy Chicken and Spinach Casserole

I am a messy cook.  I try not to be, but I just am.  Hopefully it's something I will be able to remedy over time, but for now, when I am done cooking, the kitchen looks like a bomb went off in there.  How hard is it to put things away while you go?!  My pea-sized brain just can't handle it.  What I like about recipes like this?   While the casserole is in the oven I have 20-30 minutes to clean up before anyone can see the evidence. :)  

The recipe starts with a creamy sauce made from parmesan, milk, onions and spices.  Add some chicken, spinach and whole wheat penne and then top it off with mozzarella cheese.  And then somehow call it healthy.  My kids loved this (they did pick out the spinach) and Tyler and I loved it too.  We divided it into 6 servings rather than 4.  The 540 calories per serving was a bit much for us; 350 was more doable.  

I also threw in some sun dried tomatoes because I had some,  and because I love them and I thought it sounded good.  I would do it again in a heartbeat.  The only other thing I changed about the recipe was that I seared my chicken and then cut it (remember my aversion to cutting raw meat).  And I would also do that again.

And you wanna know what else I'd do again?  Make this.  Our smaller servings were perfect with a salad (balsamic vinaigrette goes pretty well with this) and it was a crowd pleaser.  There wasn't so much cheese that it was unpalatable, but it was cheesy enough that it didn't feel 'healthy'.

*One side note, the sauce doesn't really specify how much salt/pepper to add, it just says 'to taste'.  I added 1/2-3/4 tsp salt and I could have even added a bit more.

If you'd like the recipe, you can get it at Jen O's blog.  She was our hostess for the week and chose this fabulous recipe.

Want to know more about Table Talk?  Click HERE.

Bowtie Pasta with Chicken, Asparagus, and Lemon

Let me start by saying that I feel much more competent when it comes to baking than cooking.  I am so glad we are doing dinners this year so I can get out of my comfort zone a little bit and cook some new things and maybe become a little bit better than before.

 This recipe actually called for penne pasta but I figured it didn't matter all the much.  Hadlee wanted bowtie, and I think when my kids have some kind of say in dinner, they are more likely to eat it.  I am not sure if it's because I let her choose the shape of the pasta or not, but my kids seemed to like this quite a bit.  I love all the components of this dish, especially the asparagus.  It's something we don't have all that often, but when we do, it makes me happy.  The fresh herbs and lemon make this really feel light, fresh, and delicious.  The best news?  According to the book a 1 2/3 cup serving is 380 calories.  I'm sure that changes slightly depending on what pasta and other ingredient you use, but still, that's pretty good for a pasta dish.

I used chicken tenderloins, cooked them whole and sliced them after the first sear the recipe calls for.  (I have a thing about cutting raw meat/chicken and try to avoid it when I can.)  I also wondered if it would have been easier to keep the asparagus whole (after trimming the ends) until after it was cooked.  It wasn't super easy to fish the 1 inch pieces out of my stock pot after boiling them.  My sauce wasn't as thick as I thought it would be after the 15 minutes of simmering so I tossed the chicken with about another T of flour before adding it back to the sauce.  It seemed to do the trick.

I have never used leeks before. (gasp)  Well, not that I can remember anyway, and I really liked them.  I am going to start using those things all over the place.  I also didn't expect myself to really like the thyme flavor but I did. (I don't think I used the whole 2 tsp though, maybe 1 or 1 1/2 because I was scared.)

I felt like it was a bit too lemony but I tend to be that way when it comes to lemon.  Hadlee added more lemon to hers, so there ya go.  Next time, I might reduce the lemon a bit (and just let Hadlee add to hers) and either reduce the amount of pasta or double the amount of chicken and asparagus.  We are trying to be a little better about what we eat lately and even though the pasta was whole grain, I felt like the ratio was a bit off; there was a lot of pasta compared to protein and veggies.  All in all, this was a win for us and something we would make again, and soon! 

If you'd like to try the recipe, you can get it at Valerie's blog (or you can buy the book).  She was our hostess for the week and picked a great recipe.

Introducing Table Talk: Chicken Parmesan

Bake 52 ended with the year 2012.  We set out to bake 52 weeks out of the year and believe it or not there were some of us left by the end!  And, even more unexpectedly, there were a few of us who wanted to keep going!   We decided to go with a little different focus and a little more lax in the rules. :)  We will be posting dinner recipes 2 times a month (on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays). This is week one, thus the 'introducing' in the title. :)  It was a great way to start, who doesn't love chicken parmesan?  Well, except Tyler, but I am starting to wonder if he's some kind of alien (and 'starting to  wonder' is the polite version).  Even though he claims not to like it, I have started to change his tune.  He has admitted to loving the version of chicken parmesan that I previously posted about.  And today, he said this was good.  As far as I am concerned, it's a winner. :)

I usually stick mainly with chicken tenderloins when I am cooking chicken, but this recipe called for breast cutlets and explained how to turn a breast into a cutlet.  You slice it in half length-wise and then pound it to 1/4 inch thick.  I used to pound each piece separately but now I just line all my chicken up on a couple layers of paper towel, cover with a layer of paper towel and pound them all at once.  

It's much quicker and you also dry your chicken at the same time.  Just a tip.  I know, could I be any more helpful?  It's like I am curing cancer here.

It works better with the tenderloins, they are just easier to flatten than breasts, but it still worked pretty well here.

I loved the tip about cooking the chicken on a rack.  I wondered if it would stick at all but it didn't.  Not one bit.  Way better than just cooking on the foil.

I also loved using the panko.  It really makes a big difference in the crunchyness of the dish, I think.

I only ended up cooking my chicken for 6 minutes and then putting it back in for the final 2 with the sauce and cheese.  Because I would rather get salmonella than eat dry chicken. :)

The book has an easy sauce recipe, but I just used our favorite marinara sauce that I love more every time I make it.

I think next time, I would take the parmesan cream sauce from the other recipe-prepare the chicken according to this recipe but with tenderloins instead of the breasts and get the best of both worlds. 

Either way, this is a great recipe.  If you need a good chicken parmesan recipe, (and who doesn't?) you can get it HERE.  Jen was our hostess for the week and chose the recipe.

Thanks for picking a great recipe Jen!

On a side note, I love to see that my photos are getting a little better, when I posted the last chicken parmesan recipe, I was pretty happy with those photos but now I cringe looking at them!  Don't let the photos deter you. :)

Tortellini, Artichoke and Sun Dried Tomato Salad

Summer is here!  I can't decide if I am super excited about it or dreading it.  I prefer temperatures in the 80s.  Around here, is isn't unusual to see temps in the 100s and I don't look forward to those days.  But the pool is warmer and we hang out there a lot.  I just like the idea of summer, you know?  Barbecues, lemonade, lazy pool days.   This is perfect for a summer barbecue and one of my favorite summer salads.  It's delicious and a little different than what everyone is used to.

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

If it wasn't completely obvious before this, we are a family of pasta lovers.  This is our favorite Alfredo sauce.  It's delicious, easy and I usually have all the ingredients on hand.  I don't normally keep heavy cream on hand and this recipe doesn't require it.

Mexican Lasagna

If you haven't noticed, I will eat just about anything with black beans and corn.  And most of the time, I end up loving it.  Funny for a girl who doesn't think she likes Mexican food, huh?  So when I saw this on Annie's blog last week, I knew I wanted to try it and I almost had everything to make it.  This was delicious and fairly healthy.  

Lasagna

Tyler has a list of recipes he keeps requesting I write down.  In case I die.  Romantic, right?  I think he is only half joking when he says it, but he says it a lot.  

Chicken Parmesan (a twist)

This really should be called something else.  It is a version of Chicken Parmesan, but not the regular version you would usually see.  How about Chicken with Marinara and Parmesan Cream Sauce?  Yeah, I thought it was a bit much too.

Marinara Sauce

We are a spaghetti-loving family, I feel like you should know that about us.

Calvin had a treatment on Tuesday so yesterday we (well just he had to but we all did) had to avoid meat.  He loves pasta and I knew he wouldn't miss the meat so I decided to make marinara sauce.  I usually make  meat sauce and in the past when I have made marinara, I have just thrown a few things together.  I remembered seeing Giada make her sauce a while back and have wanted to try it.  Yesterday was the day.  

Udon Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms in Ginger Broth

 I have been trying to keep up with my goal of 2 vegetarian meals a week.  I just haven't posted them either because they haven't fit into my blogging schedule or because we haven't liked them enough to share.  If you remember, a couple weeks ago, I was cooking out of a Martha Stewart (Martha Stewart Living Annual Recipes 2004) cookbook.  Of the recipes I tried, there was only one that I was 100 percent sure it belonged on the blog.  This dish was one of the others we tried and after dinner that night, my family wasn't all that impressed.  I thought they would love it.  I really liked it though and the more I have thought about it, the more I think it deserves a post.  I want to eat it again.  I wonder if I scaled back the ginger a bit next time if they would all be happier with the dish.  Either way, I am making it again and they are going to eat it.  Right?  Right!

Shrimp Scampi

 My relationship with Martha is a little love and a little hate.  I want to love everything about her, I really do.  I just get the feeling she doesn't think I am good enough for her.  I just get the feeling that if she were to have a conversation with me, she would just look at me like I was a speck of dirt on her couch or something.  I can't figure out how someone who has been to prison can make me feel like that.  She has bounced right back though, don't you think?

4 Cheese and Spinach Ravioli

This is my second vegetarian meal for the week (unless you count the second night of pizza then it was 3 vegetarian meals for the me).  I am not surprised that I fell back on Italian food to help me in my time of need.  When I was trying to think of another vegetarian dish, of course, I came up with some kind of pasta.  I have mentioned previously that I have been seperated from a lot of my kitchen tools and recently reunited with them.  Since being reunited, I have been planning to use my ravioli maker.  Once I started thinking about pasta tonight, it didn't take long for my mind to wander right on over to ravioli.  My grandfather was Italian and when I was young we used to have homemade ravioli every Thanksgiving.  This is my take on what homemade ravioli should be (if we are talking about meatless, anyway).

Chicken Noodle Soup

{photos updated 6/4/2013}

I think I heard once that chicken noodle soup has actual healing powers.  Or maybe I just made that up, I'm really not sure.  But sometimes I just get this idea in my head that I need some.

Like on days when I don't feel great...

Or when the weather is getting cold...

Or if I realize I have all the ingredients for it.

Homemade Pasta

There are certain times when making homemade pasta is completely worth it.  One of those times, for me, is for Chicken Noodle Soup.  (Gee, I wonder what tomorrows post will be...)

The process can be time consuming, but I also feel like it can be therapeutic.

The first couple times I made pasta, I didn't get it exactly how I would like it.  But with trial and error, and practice, I have learned a few things that help me get it more how I like it every time.  The recipe I use is for the food processor and I love it because makes it so much easier than making it by hand.

Spaghetti

Spaghetti is always a big hit at our house.  It's one of my comfort foods and I think I have forced everyone else to love it, like it or not.  I used to buy 3 different kinds of tomatoes and would make sure I simmered the sauce for at least an hour.  While it was good, I realized I didn't have to spend all that extra time or money.