Lo Mein Noodles

Pinterest comes to the rescue again!  I wanted a noodle dish to accompany my Crock Pot Cashew Chicken, and these Lo Mein Noodles hit the spot! I imagine this recipe would taste great with the addition of mushrooms, but they are not include here due to a personal allergy.

These Lo Mein Noodles turned out tasty and quick, and are even recommended by our picky 9-year-old!

Lo Mein Noodles  

Ingredients

• 1 pkg (8 oz.) Spaghetti
• 3 TBSP Soy Sauce
• 2 TBSP Teriyaki Sauce
• 2 TBSP Honey
• 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
• 2 TBSP vegetable oil
• 3 Celery stalks, sliced
• 2 Carrots, cut into large matchsticks
• 1 Red Pepper, cut into long, thin slices
• 2 Scallions, sliced

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 
2. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 10 minutes.
3. Drain and rinse spaghetti with cold water to cool.
4. Whisk soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, honey, and ground ginger together in a bowl.
5. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. 
6. Cook and stir celery, carrots, red pepper in the hot oil until slightly tender, 5 to 7 minutes
7. Add spaghetti and sauce mixture. Continue to cook, tossing to mix, until the noodles and sauce are hot, about 5 minutes more.
8. Garnish with scallions.

Image and recipe adapted from http://allrecipes.com/

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

I recently had this soup for lunch from a local co-op/natural foods store, and knew I had to try to recreate it at home.  I looked at several recipes, and did not find one that came close to the thick, creamy texture of the co-op soup, so with some improvisation...the below came out quite tasty.  Enjoy!

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Ingredients

• 2 (14 oz.) cans Diced Tomatoes w/Rosemary & Oregano 
• 2 (10 oz.) cans Tomato Bisque
• 1 (14 oz.) can Chicken or Vegetable Broth
• 1/2 pint (8 oz) Heavy Cream or Half-and-Half
• 1/2 cup Italian Pasta Sauce (used our local, Paisely Hippo's)
• 1 Garlic clove, minced
• 1 TBSP Basil (or about 10 fresh, chopped leaves)
• 1 tsp Chives, chopped  
• 1 (9 oz.) pkg. Cheese Tortellini (try Vermont Fresh)

Directions

1. Pour all ingredient except Tortellini into a soup pan.
2. Blend well, then simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Add Tortellini and cook until tender (at least 15 minutes).
4. Serve with crostini or top with Olivia's Croutons.

*If you like a "thicker" soup, try adding 2 TBSP Italian Bread Crumbs, or crushed croutons after step 3, then simmer an additional 5 minutes.

Tortellini Vegetable Saute

I LOVE pasta dishes, but there is nothing I enjoy less than a recipe that uses every pot/strainer/utensil in the kitchen.  So when looking for a simple, light, pasta recipe that wouldn't completely dirty the kitchen, I decided to create my own.  Enjoy!

Tortellini Vegetable Saute

Ingredients

• 8 oz. fresh/refrigerated Cheese Tortellini* 
• 4 TBSP Olive Oil
• 1/3 cup diced Red Onion
• 1 tsp minced Garlic
• 1 medium Zucchini, diced
• 1 cup Grape Tomatoes, halved
• Basil and Parsley, to taste*
• Freshly ground Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a deep, 12 in. skillet, boil enough water to generously cover tortellini; about 2 quarts.
2. Add tortellini to skillet, and boil according to package directions.
3. Prep vegetables while tortellini is cooking.
4. When tortellini is done, transfer to strainer to drain.  
5. Immediately return skillet to stovetop, and heat two TBSP olive oil.
6. Saute red onion and garlic until softened and translucent; about 2-3 minutes.
7. Add zucchini, basil, parsley, and then saute until zucchini slightly softened; about 4-5 minutes.
8. Add remaining 2 TBSP olive oil to veggie saute, and then tomatoes and tortellini.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste, and saute 3-4 minutes until flavors blend.
10. Serve warm, sprinkled with fresh parmesan or similar cheese.

Serves 2-3

* I recommend the following Vermont products for this recipe:
Vermont Pasta/Pastabilities Tortellini
Teeny Tiny Spice Company of Vermont's Shepherd Herb Mix

Willing to make a little more mess? Why not make your own tortellini! 

You can find a yummy recipe and tutorial here.

Photo by Taste of Home

One-pan, kid-friendly, Chicken Parmesean

I have a new-Mom friend (who adopted the most BEAUTIFUL baby girl!), who was signed-up for Meal Train. It is a great website where family and friends can sign up to bring meals to new parents, folks recovering from injuries/surgeries or enduring an extended illness, to welcome a new neighbor, assist a family around a military deployment, or those grieving a loss. Knowing that my friend liked pasta, but also often had a 7-year-old nephew around, thought I'd try to make a kid friendly recipe. So here it is...chicken parm made with chicken tenders! Thanks to Christine's Cuisine for the recipe and beautiful photo!

One-pan, kid-friendly, Chicken Parmesean

Ingredients

• 1 (28-oz.) can fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano 
• 1/8-1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups water
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 12 oz. pasta (ziti, penne, fusilli etc.)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 lb. cooked chicken tenders, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

1. Cook the oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a 12-inch oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. 
Stir in the tomatoes, water, 1 cup of the broth, and the pasta. Bring to a vigorous simmer, cover, and cook until pasta is tender, 15 to 18 minutes, stirring often.
3. 
Stir in 3/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and the chopped chicken. If the pasta seems dry, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of broth. Sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining Parmesan.
4. 
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Bake 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Orzo Salad

I was recently looking for a light and easy recipe to bring to a work pot luck. I had never made orzo, and thought this recipe by Giadia De Laurentis would be fun to try.  In the end, our neighborhood market had no orzo, fresh basil, OR mint, so I substituted small shells, and dried basil. The end product was still good, so I can't wait to try again with the correct ingredients.

Orzo Salad 

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups orzo
• 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups red and yellow teardrop tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
• 3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• About 3/4 cup Red Wine Vinaigrette (recipe below)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Pour the broth into a heavy large saucepan. 
2. Cover the pan and bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo. 
3. Cover partially and cook until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. 
4. Drain the orzo through a strainer. 
5. Transfer the orzo to a large wide bowl and toss until the orzo cools slightly. 
6. Set aside to cool completely.
7. Once cool, toss the orzo with the beans, tomatoes, onion, basil, mint, and enough vinaigrette to coat. 
8. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. 
2. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. 
3. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Yield: 1 3/4 cups

As an alternative, I might try this with the house vinaigrette my old friend, The Naughty Chef, makes at his workplace!

Tuscan Pasta

I found a version of this yummy dish in a Crock-Pot brand slow-cooker cookbook. The only changes I made was to substitute black olives for the original recipe's mushrooms (as I'm allergic) and swap a jar of Newman's Own Organic Tomato-Basil sauce for the recommended can of plain tomato sauce. I'm not sold on the celery either, so I might consider omitting it next time, but adding peas when adding the dry pasta. Lastly, don't worry that there is a lot of liquid in this recipe, as the pasta absorbs most of it in the final step.

Tuscan Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 lb. bone-/skin-less chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
• 2 cans (14 oz. ea.) Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (15 oz.) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 oz.) cannellini (white) beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz.) jar of Newman's Own Organic Tomato-Basil sauce (or similar)
• 1 cup water
• 1 jar (4.5 oz.) sliced black olives, drained
• 1 medium yellow, orange or red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery (optional)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 sm. can LeSueur Very Early Young Peas (optional)
• 6 oz. uncooked thin spaghetti, broken in half (Barilla+ recommended)

Directions

1. Place all ingredients except peas and spaghetti in Crock-Pot slow cooker.
2. Cover; cook on LOW 4 hours or until vegetables are tender.
3. Add in spaghetti and (optional) peas. Turn to HIGH, cook 10 minutes, then stir.
4. Continue cooking covered on high an additional 35 minutes or until pasta is tender.
5. Recommend serving with shredded parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 8 servings.

Fettucine Alfredo

So this is not an authentic recipe - nor is it lowfat by any means - but it is fast, easy, and should impress (most) guests. Definitely better than the hotpot alfredo I made in college!

Fettucine Alfredo


Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 TBSP. cream cheese
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1 tsp. minced garlic (or garlic powder in a pinch)
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese (preferably fresh)
• fresh parsley (to garnish)
• 1 lb. fettuccine, prepared as directed

Directions

1. Prepare fettuccine/pasta as directed.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter.
3. When butter is melted, add cream cheese.
4. When the cream cheese is softened, add heavy cream.
5. Season with garlic, salt, and pepper.
6. Simmer for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly.
7. Slowly add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and continue stirring another 5 minutes.
8. Reserve 2 TBSP. parmesan, then slowly add remaining cheese and stir another 5 minutes.
9. Remove from heat and stir in hot fettucine noodles, and coat pasta completely.
10. Serve garnished with remaining fresh parmesan and parsley.

Makes 6 servings. 25 min total.

Photo courtesy of nestle.ca