Turkey and Zucchini Bolognese

This past sunday I started Weight Watchers, the points plus program.  It's been 2 full days and I've already planned out my whole week of food.  I know that's totally insane but for me it's totally normal.  I'm kinda of crazy like that and love to plan and be organized.  I have been brainstorming some recipes that are great and low in points. Here's one to try, with or without pasta! This can also be done all in one pan or pot, less dishes to clean!  Yay!

Turkey and Zucchini Bolognese
(serves 1)
1 cup store bought Marinara Sauce ( I like Rao's, 3 points)
1/4 pound lean ground turkey (3 points)
1 zucchini, quartered and sliced thinly (0 points)
Olive Oil flavored Pam Non-Stick Spray (0 points)

NOTE: If you use one serving of pasta, which is 2 oz uncooked, add 6 points, 5 points for whole wheat. Also you can omit the pasta and replace it with 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa for 4 points.  Another idea is to omit the pasta or quinoa and use another 1/4 pound ground turkey. For this add 4 more points.  If you are forgoing the pasta or quinoa, try adding 1/2 cup canned cannelini or black beans,  add 2 points.   The more vegetables the better, mushrooms would be a good addition!

Measure out 1 cup of store bought marinara sauce and put aside.  Next spray a nonstick pan with Pam and saute the zucchini until browned and cooked through, place in the measuring cup along with the marinara.  (If you'd like to add more veggies, saute them in the pan with the zucchini.)  In the same pan place the ground turkey meat and use a wooden spoon to break it up while cooking. Cook for about 10 minutes. Pour marinara and veggies into the pan or use another pot (if adding beans, do so now), let sauce simmer for about 10 minutes to let the flavors combine.  Pour over pasta, quinoa, rice, or eat alone! ENJOY!

Farfalle with Roasted Cauliflower and Breadcrumbs

How good does this look???  

Farfalle with Roasted Cauliflower and Breadcrumbs
(serves 6)
for the roasted cauliflower
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil

Place florets in a bowl and toss with salt, pepper, and olive oil.  Roast in a 400 degree oven on a baking sheet for 20 minutes.  If your florets are bigger, cooking time may vary.  Place roasted caulflower in a large bowl and set aside.

to make the pasta
1 pound farfalle pasta (I like to use Barilla Plus)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon anchovy paste (If you are a vegan just omit this.)
3 garlic cloves, minced using a garlic press
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 cup plain panko breadcrumbs (seasoned is okay too)
1/2 a teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Boil pasta according to the directions on the box. Meanwhile, over a medium flame pour olive oil, anchovy paste, garlic, and red pepper in a large pan.  Stir and simmer until oil is fragrant but without letting the garlic burn, about 5 minutes.  Add breadcrumbs and salt to the pan and continuously mix the breadcrumbs until they become golden brown, about 7-10 minutes.  Transfer breadcrumb mixture to the bowl with the roasted cauliflower.  Add chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts to the bowl as well.  When pasta is cooked to your liking, drain and add hot pasta to the bowl.  Mix until well combined and drizzle with a dash of olive oil and serve.  Enjoy!

Homemade Pesto

Sorry this is the only photo I have of the pesto I made...I actually froze the bulk of the recipe to use at a later date.  I scooped out just enough to have for lunch the other day!  It was so delicious and easy to make.  You can use a food processor or blender, even the mini food prep works just fine!  I didn't believe that sunflower seeds could be a good substitute for pesto but I'll tell you I might even become a convert and use them all the time!  For one they are cheaper than pine nuts, and don't alter the flavor much.  Plus you can give it to kids with nut or any other type of allergies!  

Homemade Pesto Sauce

(Makes enough pesto for 1 pound of pasta)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 cup pine nuts (sunflower seeds can be used instead if you have allergies)
3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
3 handfuls fresh basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
a pinch of crushed red pepper, optional
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place garlic, pine nuts or seeds, and parmesan cheese in a food processor.  Process until ingredients form a crumbly texture.  Place cheese mixture into a small bowl.  Place basil leaves into the food processor and chop leaves finely.  Add the cheese mixture into the processor along with the basil and process while slowly adding the olive oil until a smooth paste forms. Pour over cooked pasta, eat and enjoy! Or freeze for a later time!!  

Other uses for pesto:
Spread on your favorite sandwich, drizzle on a caprese salad, use it in a cold pasta salad, brush on your corn on the cob, brush on your grilled chicken, steak, or shrimp, the ideas are endless!  Please share ways you use pesto in the comment box below!! I'd love to hear your ideas and suggestions!!

Pasta with Artichokes

This is a great pasta dish to make along side some grilled chicken or fish.  It's easy to make, not much preparation, and definitely can be done in 30 minutes or less!  I actually made it twice in one week, and everyone who ate it loved it very much!  The first time I only put artichokes in it.  The second time I added portabella mushrooms, zucchini, and grape tomatoes.  Another good addition would be toasted pine nuts.  

Pasta with Artichokes

(serves 6-8 people)

1 box pasta, any kind, cooked

1/2 cup olive oil

4 tablespoons butter

1 bag frozen artichokes (Trader Joe's has a good one!)

7-8 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

1 cup wine

juice of 2-3 lemons

zest of 1 lemon, optional

1 bunch parsley, chopped

Start by preparing the pasta and while it's cooking do the following: In a deep large pan melt the butter and the olive oil over medium heat.  Once melted add the frozen artichokes (halved tomatoes, chopped mushrooms, and zucchini too, if you are using).  Let veggies saute for a few minutes then add the minced garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper to the pan.  Saute for another 7 minutes and add white wine (whatever you have left in the fridge) and the juice of 2-3 lemons (and zest, if using).  Deglaze the pan and scrape the little bits off the bottom.  Add cooked pasta and chopped parsley, mix to combine and serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese! Enjoy!

NOTE: If you want more of a saucey sauce, add more wine, butter, and olive oil at the end.

This is the one with the extra veggies...the tomatoes end up breaking down adding to the sauce! It's really delish!

Garlic Bread

Garlic Bread

1 french baguette, or ciabatta bread, sliced lengthwise

6-7 garlic cloves

1/2 bunch parsley (about 1 cup)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Blend all ingredients, except the bread, in a mini food processor.  Blend until smooth.  Spread parsley and garlic mixture on both sides of bread.  Place closed bread in a 350 degree oven, on a baking sheet, for about 10 minutes and then open faced for another 10 minutes.  Take out cut into pieces and enjoy with your favorite meal!!

Dairy-Free Pesto

I finally ate my Simple Potato Gnocchi that I made from scratch last week!  Let me tell you they were delicious and went great with this pesto recipe, that's actually dairy-free!!  I use it to make pasta salad, on fish, chicken, and now on my gnocchi!!

Dairy-Free Pesto

(makes about 1 cup)

1 bunch basil, leaves only

4 garlic cloves

1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper (taste and add more accordingly)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 pine nuts (optional)

a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

the zest of 1 lemon(optional)

Combine all ingredients in a mini food processor or blender and pulse until smooth and well combined!  Freeze for later use in an air tight container, or pour over you favorite pasta, fish, or chicken dish!! ENJOY!

I had some ricotta cheese in the fridge and thought it could be yummy to add it to the gnocchi.  It was!!!  Obviously, this bowl isn't dairy free!!

Simple Potato Gnocchi

Well let's just say this recipe is time consuming, but the steps are pretty simple.  You do need some special tools such as a potato ricer, but otherwise if you follow the directions and take your time even the beginner cook can master gnocchi!  Even better, take advantage of yourself and double the recipe, like I did, to make tons of gnocchi to stock your freezer!  Try preparing them with various sauces, like this one!  I got this recipe from the September issue of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine. Instead of russet potatoes I used yukon gold.

Simple Potato Gnocchi

serves 8

2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (about 5 small)

2 teaspoons salt

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 large egg

In a large pot, bring potatoes to a boil in salted water; reduce to a rapid simmer and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 35 to 40 minutes. Lightly dust two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets with flour; set aside. Drain potatoes and peel while still hot with a paring knife (use a thick, dry kitchen towel or pot holder to hold them). Immediately pass potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl. Let cool completely.

Sprinkle potatoes with flour and 2 teaspoons salt, then top with egg. With your hands, work flour and egg into a dough. Knead dough until smooth but not elastic, dusting with flour if it becomes too sticky, 4 minutes. Do not overwork dough.

Divide dough into 8 portions. Roll each portion into a rope (1/2 inch thick and 24 inches long). Cut each rope into 1/2-inch pieces.  Gently roll each dough piece against the back tines of a fork to make ridges, (This step is not necessary but does make the gnocchi look more authentic although it's very time consuming.) then arrange in a single layer on prepared baking sheets.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In batches, add a few handfuls gnocchi and cook until most have floated to top, 2 minutes. With a wire-mesh spider or a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi immediately to a sauce.  

Make Ahead:  Place boiled gnocchi on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, cover, and let sit, up to 2 hours. Freeze it: Freeze raw gnocchi on baking sheets until firm; transfer to freezer bags and freeze, up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature on parchment-lined sheets, 30 minutes, before boiling.

Truffle & Herb Mac and Cheese

The last time I made macaroni and cheese was on Valentine's Day. I had tried something new. I normally always just follow Ina Garten's recipe for mac and cheese but that day I tweaked it just a bit by adding white truffle butter to the roux and to the bread crumbs that topped the mac.

It's been a few months and it's time for another dose of mac and cheese! This time I'm going to change it even further. I've been to restaurants where they prepare a herb mac and cheese and it's usually good. I'm going to kick it up another notch, sorry I had to say that, by adding in some herbs and garlic.

Remember a few days back I posted a recipe for potatoes?? Well, I am going to use the greeen garlicky herb oil with the addition of 1 tablespoon chopped basil and add it to the cheese sauce before I add the cooked macaroni. I think it's going to be super delicious!!! Just in case it's not as delicious as I think it sounds, I decided to make two separate mac and cheeses. I made one small ramekin of the herbed mac and cheese and then made a bigger one of the regular truffle mac and cheese that I always make, I know that one would be good. As for you weird people who don't like green foods, I know a couple of you folks, yes you....just omit adding the green garlicky herb oil and your mac and cheese should turn out green-free!

After eating the ramekin of the mac and cheese with the herbs it is safe to say that it's my new favorite. It's a more mature macaroni and cheese, for us adults. The mixture of truffles and garlic gives the dish a fantastic aroma and taste. Serve this meal along with an arugula and tomato salad and it is sure to be a hit!

Here's the recipe...

Truffle & Herb Mac and Cheese

(serves 8 people)

1 pound elbow macaroni

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, separated

2 tablespoons white truffle butter

½ cup flour

1 quart skim milk

Salt and pepper, to taste

8oz shredded sharp Cheddar

12oz shredded gruyere cheese

1 cup green garlicky herb oil (with basil added)

1 ½ cups bread crumbs

Cook the macaroni in boiling water for about 10 minutes until tender but still firm. Drain well and set aside.

In a deep skillet, melt 6 tablespoons butter (5 tbsp unsalted and 1 tbsp truffle butter) over medium heat. Add the flour to make a roux and cook, stirring, to remove any lumps.

Pour in the milk and cook until the mixture is thick and smooth. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Add in the green garlicky herb oil. Off the heat, stir in both cheeses and stir until melted. Add the cooked macaroni and stir until macaroni is well coated.

Melt the remaining butter (1 tbsp unsalted and 1 tbsp truffle butter) and combine with the breadcrumbs, sprinkle on top of macaroni.

Transfer the mixture to a 3-quart baking dish. Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Bake for about 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Real Easy Tomato Sauce

Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onion

I saw this recipe on a blog called Rachel Eats. It originally was adapted from Marcella Hazan’s The essentials of classic Italian cooking. I adapted it a tad further, see recipe below.

Serves 4

• 28oz tinned whole San Marzano tomatoes (used chopped tomatoes)
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium-sized yellow onion cut in quarters
• salt to taste
• crushed red pepper to taste
• 5-8 basil leaves julienned

Peel the onion and chop it in quarters.

Put the tomatoes, onion, and butter in a heavy based saucepan and put the pan on a modest flame.

Allow the sauce to reach to a gentle simmer, adjust flame if necessary so the sauce cooks at a slow but steady simmer for 45 minutes. You need to stir every now and then, gently squashing and crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon. (I didn't have to do this step because I used crushed tomatoes. The original recipe says to discard the onion after the sauce is cooked but I left it in for extra flavor!)

Add salt, crushed red pepper, and basil and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and use on your favorite pasta dish.

I imagine this would be great for a pizza sauce, an eggplant parmesan recipe, etc. The ideas are endless!