Baked Ravioli

I happen to LOVE Real Simple magazine, if I could only have (heaven forbid) one magazine subscription, Real Simple is the one I would have! It has fashion, organizing, life, recipes, everything I need in a magazine. This is a recipe from the Real Simple website, and it's a good one! Super easy (or should I say simple?) and tasty too. I halved it and baked it in two individual sized ramekins. The original recipe has chicken sausage in the ingredients, which I didn't have so I made my version even simpler. Three ingredients: mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce (buy a good kind, or make your own, you don't wanna go with the cheap watery kind here), and ravioli. Mix it all together, bake it for 20 minutes and there ya go. Dinner is served!

Baked Ravioli

adapted from Real Simple

Makes 4 servings

2 cups marinara sauce

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

16-18 ounces fresh or frozen ravioli

Cook ravioli according to package directions, drain and return to pot.

Toss with marinara sauce and about 1/2 - 3/4 cups of cheese. Transfer to a shallow, 2 quart baking dish, or divide among individual ramekins.

Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, until bubbling and beginning to brown.

Real. Simple.

Linking to Foodie Fridays, Friday Potluck , Paisley Passions, Friday Favorites, Tater Tots and Jello, Sunday Showcase, and Tidy Mom

Magazine/Cookbook Monday: Orzo Alfredo with Bacon and Peas

Happy Monday! This is going to be a quick post as I am writing from my hotel room and have to be up VERY soon to catch my flight. I got the basis of this alfredo recipe from an old Food & Wine magazine I found at my doctor's office (don't worry I asked before tearing it out!) I neglected, however, to write down the issue month or year. The original recipe is for Fettuccine Alfredo with Asparagus. I didn't have any fettuccine noodles or asparagus so I subbed orzo for the fettuccine and threw in some peas and bacon to transform it into a complete meal. The sauce turned out perfect; rich, creamy and cheesy. It may seem strange to combine orzo with a fettuccine sauce, but I LOVED how it turned out. Orzo is a hearty pasta and can hold its own with this sauce, which is pretty thick as far as alfredo sauces go. The peas and bacon added great texture. I will definitely be making this dish again, I bet it would be equally satisfying with chicken, or a different combination of seasonal veggies. Hope you all enjoy it and have a great week!

Orzo Alfredo with Bacon and Peas

Sauce recipe: Food & Wine Magazine

Ingredients

3 main dish servings

(Note, in the picture, I photographed nutmeg and garlic which I ended up leaving out)

1/2 pound orzo

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 1/4 cup peas

2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

5 slices of bacon (cooked and crumbled)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

Cook orzo according to directions on box.

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, mix cream, peas, butter, Parmesan, and bacon. Heat over medium low heat, whisking constantly until Parmesan and butter have melted.

Combine with orzo, season with salt and pepper and serve topped with additional Parmesan cheese.

Happy whisking,

Crockpot Salsa Chicken with Whole Wheat Penne Pasta

This week I was having a few friends over for dinner on an evening that I knew I was going to get off work late. I also realized the night before that I really hadn't planned anything for dinner and I had almost no ingredients on hand.... what's a girl to do? Turn to that fabulous invention known as the crock pot. I threw in a jar of salsa, a few chicken breasts and set it on low and slow! When I arrived home that evening, I was greeted by the glorious smell of the chicken cooking. All I had to do was boil some whole wheat penne pasta and serve it up with some Monterrey jack cheese and a green salad on the side. Such a delicious, savory meal! My friends thought I had been slaving away over a hot stove all evening.... little did they know I had spent about fifteen minutes total pulling the meal together... but that will just be our little secret ☺

Crock pot Salsa Chicken with Whole Wheat Penne Pasta

Ingredients

3 good sized chicken breasts, frozen

1 jar of your favorite low-sodium salsa, I like Green Mountain Gringo Fire Roasted Chili Salsa (try and select the lowest sodium salsa you can find or else your chicken will turn out too salty!)

1 lb whole wheat penne pasta

Ingredients to top:

Monterrey jack cheese (shredded)

Sour cream

Coat inside of crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Place frozen chicken breasts in crock pot. Pour one jar of salsa over chicken breasts. Place lid on cooker and set on low. Cover and allow chicken to cook for 8-10 hours. I did ten and mine turned out perfect. After chicken is completely cooked, boil pasta until tender. Remove chicken from crock pot and shred with two forks. Toss pasta with chicken and left over cooking liquid from the crock pot. Sprinkle with cheese and spoon on a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Double Duty: Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Barbecue Mac and Cheese

Happy Friday! Who loves a good crock pot meal?? I do! Earlier this week, I made a super easy bbq pulled pork in the crock pot. I got the idea from Mel's Kitchen Cafe blog. It has been so hot here this week that I really haven't wanted to turn on the oven, or even the stove for that matter, so I was thrilled to find another great crock pot recipe. It was so simple and turned out delicious. I put the pork in sandwiches and enjoyed it thoroughly. Now it's Friday and my fridge is full of leftovers. Time to use some up! I threw my leftover mac and cheese (from this post) and the leftover pulled pork into a big bowl, mixed in some extra cheese and scooped it into individual casserole bowls which I then sprinkled with MORE cheese and warmed up in the oven. It was soooo good! Perfect lazy Friday meal! I think I liked the mac and cheese even better this way... Which is saying something cause that mac and cheese was some good eating! I hope you guys enjoy, and take it easy! It's Friday! The perfect day for leftovers!

Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe (love this blog!)

Ingredients:

3-4 pounds pork loin

Salt and Pepper

2 cups water

Your favorite barbecue sauce (about 2 cups)

Rinse the pork loin and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and put in slow cooker. Add water. Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours until very tender (mine was small so only took 8 hours).

Remove from slow cooker and discard remaining liquid. Using two forks, shred the meat.

Place back in cooker with barbecue sauce. Cook until heated, about 20-30 minutes. Stick it on a bun and your done! (sorry about the silly rhyme... I spend alot of time with kids ☺) Refridgerate leftovers in a tightly covered container.

Leftovers?? See below!

Ingredients:

Pulled pork (however much you have left over)

Mac and cheese (again whatever you have left over)

Barbecue sauce

Cheese

Mix leftover pulled pork and macaroni in a large bowl with 1/2 - 3/4 cup good quality cheese (I used tillamook cheddar and jack cheese) and about 1/3 cup barbecue sauce (depends on how saucy you want yours). Scoop into individual casserole cups. Top with a sprinkle of grated cheese. Heat in oven on low heat until warmed through (about 15 minutes).

Have a wonderful weekend!

Pasta Primavera

It's high time I posted a recipe that is neither baked nor sweet! And with the various array of fresh produce available right now, this seems the perfect time to do so. I originally found this recipe on Cooking Light's website. What I like about it is that you can use pretty much any fresh vegetables you happen to have on hand. I used carrots, zucchini, asparagus, and garlic spears. It would also be good with some chicken or shrimp thrown in there.

I bought these garlic spears at the farmer's market this past weekend. I had never seen them before and was intrigued. Raw, they are spicy with chive like undertones; steamed, they are similar in taste to really tender asparagus. I steamed them to add to the pasta. Next time I make this I am going to add even more vegetables and use a bit less pasta. Any good veggie suggestions?

Happy Cooking!

Pasta Primavera

Adapted from Cooking Light, April, 2002

2 large carrots (peeled and chopped into one inch spears, or use baby carrots)

1 1/2 cups asparagus chopped into one inch spears

2 cups chopped zucchini squash

7 garlic spears, cut into one inch pieces

2.5 cups whole wheat pasta (I used Penne)

1 tsp olive oil

3 coves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salt (to taste)

Chili powder (to taste)

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese (plus more for sprinkling on top)

1/4 cup fresh basil chopped into thin strips

1/4 cup chopped parsley

I started by chopping up the carrots and asparagus into one inch strips. I also chopped all the other vegetables at this time just to get it out of the way. I like to have everything ready to go once I start cooking.

Next, bring two quarts water to a boil. Cook carrots and asparagus for about three minutes or until done. While these are cooking, steam the garlic spears.

Remove carrots and asparagus from water with a slotted spoon, set aside.

Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions .

Drain.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add squash and sauté three minutes. Add in carrots, asparagus, salt, pepper, garlic and chili powder sauté for two minutes. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add chopped garlic spears. Stir in cream and juice; cook 1 minute.

Add cheese and pasta and stir well to coat. Remove from heat, stir in basil and parsley. Top with more fresh grated parmesan.

There you go, a healthy, quick, yummy dinner recipe.