Steak 'n' Mac

Because we can't eat healthy all the time.

STEAK N MAC
- Steak
- Easy Mac




Season steak with Old Bay. Fire up the George Foreman. Microwave the easy Mac, per those directions on the side. Grill steak, top with Mac. Drizzle with ketchup, and don't pretend that it's not the best thing you've eaten all week.

Asian Peanut Noodles

There is a universal law that you won't find in your science books.
Blame the public education system.
Blame government funding.
Blame Texas.
But really, you'd have to be deaf, dumb, and blind - or at least tasteless - not to know;
Anything with Peanut Butter on it is good.
Yep, even noodles.
Even noodles with carrots, chicken, scallions, fish sauce, hot sauce, ginger and sesame seeds.
Yep.
Everything with Peanut Butter on it is good.

Asian Peanut Noodles
- 1 pack shiritake noodles
- 1 chicken breast, sliced thin
- 1/4 c peanut butter
- 1/8 c coconut milk
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 carrots, shaved
- 3 scallions, minced
- sesame seeds
- Sri Racha Hot Sauce
- pickled ginger

Boil and drain noodles. Brown chicken, then toss in the noodles. Pour in the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, and peanut butter. Stir. Add in the carrot and toss to combine well. Cook till heated through. Top with scallions and sesame seed, and serve with hot sauce and pickled ginger on the side.

Cheese "Burger" Pasta

This is an easy, cheesy, healthy vegetarian meal that you will like, no matter who you are. The flavors are all there. The cheese, the veggie sausage, the sweet peas... top it off with some ketchup and dig on in.

CHEESE 'BURGER' PASTA
- 1/2 pckg Shiritake Noodles
- 2 slices American or Cheddar Cheese
- 1/8 c milk
- 1/4 Sweet Onion, sliced thin
- 1/4 c Sweet Peas (frozen)
- 1/3 tube GimmeLean Veggie Sausage
- Smoked Paprika for garnish



Fry sliced sausage until crispy on each side. Cut into quarters and set aside. Saute onion until soft, add in noodles, then cheese, then milk, stirring constantly to combine. Stir in peas, reduce heat, and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Fold in the veggie sausage, scoop into a bowl, sprinkle with smoked paprika and drizzle with ketchup.
You won't even feel like you're eating vegetarian.

Tuna Pasta

Though not very creative, the name says it all. Tuna, pasta. Wine. Gets its own sentence.

TUNA PASTA
- rigatoni pasta

- 1/4 onion chopped

- 2 cloves galic, sliced thin

- 1 small eggplant, peeled and diced

- 1/2 can fire-roasted tomatoes

- 1/4 c white wine

- 1/8 c clam juice

- 1 tbsp capers

- oregano, basil, thyme, crushed red pepper

- 1 packet of tuna

- parmesan cheese

Boil pasta water and cook pasta. In a small saucepan, saute onions and garlic together with the eggplant. When softened, add in the wine, clam juice and spices, and when most of the liquid is absorbed, add the tomatoes. Simmer until the tomatoes are mostly broken down, then stir in the tuna and finally the capers. Serve over pasta and top with parmesan. enjoy.

Escargot Pasta

You're probably wondering What the Hell?
Yep, same.
Blame Canada. And my impulses. But mostly Canada.
I saw this in a supermarket a couple of years ago on a road trip to Canada, and had to buy it.
That was two years ago.
These aren't just snails. They're old snails. Bring it.

Nothing a little wine and herbs can't handle.

Escargot Pasta
- 1 can of snails (hahahaha)
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
- 1/4 sweet onion, sliced thin
- 1/4 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
- 1/4 c clam juice
- 1/4 c white wine
- 1 tsp each oregano, basil, onion and garlic powders
- 2 sprigs fresh tarragon, chopped
- 1 tsp fleur de sel (salt)
- 1 serving whole wheat pasta
- grated Pecorino Romano cheese for topping

Boil pasta water. Cook pasta. Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan and saute onions until just beginning to soften. Add yellow pepper and garlic, and once everything has softened and onions are translucent, pour in the clam juice and white wine and add all of your seasonings, except the fresh tarragon. Once the liquid has reduced to about half, toss in your snails and tarragon, and simmer until everything is nice and hot. Serve over the pasta, top with the grated cheese and black pepper, and shake your hand for being an adventurer.

Savory Israeli Couscous with Swiss Chard

You know those foods that are just plain good? Well this is one of them.
Savory, and packed with garlic flavor, this dish was as deeply flavored as it was light in the fluffiness of the Israeli couscous* and freshness of the Swiss Chard straight from the garden.
It's also really easy to make and is a great side dish for a sweet-flavored entree, like the Honey Mustard Baked Chicken that I enjoyed it with.

Savory Garlic Couscous with Swiss Chard
(serves 4)
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 bunch baby Swiss Chard, chopped
- 1 c Israeli Couscous
- 1 c vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp each Garlic and Onion Powder
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- salt to taste

In a saucepan, bring vegetable broth to a boil, then reduce heat to keep it warm. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet and add the garlic, cooking until beginning to soften. Meanwhile, chop the Swiss Chard, separating the lower stems from the leaves, and then add the chopped stems to the garlic and sprinkle with a dash of salt.
When stems are just beginning to get soft, stir in the couscous to brown the grains slightly, and then add half of the warmed vegetable broth, the Worcestershire sauce and the garlic and onion powders, stir to combine, and then top with chopped Swiss chard and cover. As liquid is absorbed, stir the Swiss Chard into the couscous, gradually adding the rest of the vegetable broth until the couscous is done and all the liquid is absorbed - this should take around 15 minutes. Remove from heat, then let it sit covered for 2 minutes and fluff with a fork before serving.
(you may need more or less vegetable broth - just continue to add it in increments until the couscous is done)

* Israeli Couscous is larger than it's cousin regular couscous, and though it looks like a grain, it is in fact a type of pasta made from semolina flour. You can by it in most stores in the pasta and grain section.

variations: you could make this same recipe using pasta instead of couscous, or even go wild and add some beef or sausage and Parmesan cheese to the mix for a nice, one-pot supper type deal.

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Pasta

Eggplants and tomatoes from the garden.

Roasted, sauced and sauteed.
Word up.

Roasted Garden Pasta with Garlic Sausage
- Rotini (spiral) pasta
- 4 small (1 medium) eggplant
- 3 to 4 garden tomatoes
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 2 tbsp fresh Oregano
- 6 leaves fresh basil
- 1/3 c sherry
- Onion powder, Garlic Powder, Salt
- 5 links (1 package) Trader Joe's Garlic Chicken Sausage

Preheat oven to 400. Peel and chop eggplant into cubes and transfer to a bowl with cubed tomatoes and whole, peeled garlics. Toss vegetables with olive oil, onion and garlic powders and salt, spread out on a baking sheet, and roast until eggplant is tender and tomatoes are soft - about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil water and cook pasta, then drain and set aside. Slice sausage and brown in a skillet, and then add the thin-sliced onions and stir. When onions are translucent and sausage is crispy, pour in the sherry, scraping the bottom of the pan to mix in any flavorful bits from the sausage. Next, add in your roasted vegetables and finally your fresh herbs, and cook on high, stirring vigorously as the tomatoes begin to break down and release their juice. Add in our pasta, toss to coat and serve hot in bowls, topped with Parmesan cheese.

Find this linked at Tasty Tuesdays, Tuesday at the Table, and Tasty Tuesday Party

'Fra Diavolo" Style Shrimp Scampi

Have you ever noticed in restaurants how they leave the tail on the shrimp? I have always hated this, having burned or stunk up my fingers many times, going through the annoying process of peeling hot shrimp that i just want to be eating. If you ask the staff about this, as I have, they justify the unshelled shrimp as adding flavor to the dish, which I understand... Now ask me if I care?...wait for it... no!
I haven't noticed any significant difference in flavor between dishes with peeled or unpeeled shrimp, whether eating out or at home, and so, accordingly, I would never plague anyone with having to plunge their fingers into a meal that they just want to eat. However, that doesn't mean there's no pain involved! After all, 'Fra Diavolo' means "brother of the devil"...
This dish came to me out of a craving for shrimp scampi and a passion for spicy food. It combines the freshness of garden produce with the kick of crushed red pepper and chillies, and delivered in a light, but satisfying package of shrimp and pasta, is perhaps the PERFECT summer dish.
But don't take my word for it...give it a go! Pour yourself some wine, gather your ingredients, and prepare to enjoy your dinner. Your taste buds might be singing, but they're happy, trust me...Fra Diavolo Shrimp Scampi
(serves 3)
- 3/4 lb small shrimp, peeled
- 1/2 c clam juice, divided
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 3 dried chillies
- 2 tbsp lemon pepper, divided
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 medium vidalia onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, slice thin
- 1/2 c white wine
- 1 tsp each tarragon, onion powder, fresh oregano
- 1 c garden tomatoes, finely chopped
- fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 fresh lemon
- angel hair or linguine pasta, for 3
Peel shrimp and combine with 1/4 c clam juice, 1 tbsp lemon pepper, and the 2 tbsp of minced garlic. Let sit in fridge to marinate for at least an hour.
Fill a large pot with water, add dried chillies, and bring to a boil, then add pasta and cook until al dente.
In a large cast iron skillet, caramelize onions in olive oil, then add thin-sliced garlic, and when garlic is softened pour in the wine, clam juice and add the tarragon, oregano, onion powder, salt and remaining lemon pepper. When most of the liquid is evaporated, add chopped tomatoes, and cook until softened, then add the shrimp and a squeeze of lemon juice. Simmer until shrimp is pink and cooked through, then spoon over pasta and top with a healthy pinch of chopped basil. Serve with grated romano or parmesan and a glass of white wine.

This awesomeness was shared on Real Food Wednesday

Veggie Stoganoff

While I'm on the topic of pasta, it's a good time to post another favorite creation of mine, something I like to call Veggie Stroganoff. Unlike Beef Stroganoff, this recipe uses vegetarian sausage and doesn't contain sour cream, but it is rich, winy, and plain delicious.

Veggie Stroganoff
- Whole Wheat Spaghetti
- GimmeLean Veggie Sausage, sliced in rounds
- Vidalia Onion, sliced thin
- Garlic, sliced thin
- Baby Portobella Mushrooms, sliced
- Cooking Sherry
- Vegetable Broth
- Packet of Onion or Brown Gravy Mix (optional)
- Baby Spinach
- Spices (onion powder, garlic powder)
- Pecorino Romano, grated

Boil pasta water and add the spaghetti. Heat olive oil in a skillet and saute onions until transparent, then add the garlic. Season with salt and onion and garlic powders and add the mushrooms. Add the sherry, and let simmer. When this has cooked down a bit, add some vegetable broth and a couple spoonfulls of gravy mix.
In a separate pan, brown the veggie sausage, then remove from pan and chop into bite-size chunks. Add sausage and spinach to sauce and simmer briefly just until the spinach is wilted. Serve over pasta, top with romano cheese, and dig in!


variations: substitute veggie ground beef or a veggie burger for the sausage, swap out the spinach for peas

Clam Sauce

All families have their standard meals, and one of the favorites in mine is my father's Linguine with Clam Sauce; a delicious, garlicky white-sauce served over pasta. However, while I do love eating this dish every time Dad makes it, I must say that my heart belongs to another... RED clam sauce! It all started one night when I found myself alone in the house with a bag of fresh basil, some tomatoes, and a few too many cans of clams in the cupboard...A half hour of pondering and a few glasses of wine later, a star was born.

CLAM SAUCE

(1 serving)
- Whole Wheat Spaghetti
- 2 fresh vine tomatoes
- roasted red peppers, diced

- 1 sweet onion , sliced thin

- 4 garlic cloves, minced (love the garlic)

- 1/4 cup white wine

- 1 can baby clams (save the juice)

- 1 can baby shrimp

- capers

- fresh basil leaves, chopped

- spices (onion powder, garlic powder, salt, oregano, tarragon, crushed red pepper)

- Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated

Pour a glass of wine. Drink half of it while reading this recipe... Finish it. Refill. Start cooking!

Boil some pasta water and add spaghetti. Slice onions and garlic, and heat a skillet with olive oil. Saute onions till transparent, then season with onion and garlic powders and salt. Throw in your red peppers, then add the wine, tarragon, oregano and crushed red pepper. Add clams, clam juice, shrimp and capers and let simmer until most of the liquid has cooked down. When pasta is done, drain it and return to pot and stir in your minced garlic and chopped basil. Put pasta on a plate, spoon clam sauce on top, pour yourself some more wine, and enjoy with copious amounts of romano cheese!

variations: swap shrimp for another can of clams or crab meat. or live dangerously and do all three!