Orecchiette alla Rustica

Recipe Ingredients

• 1 lb orecchiette (tiny disk-shape) pasta 
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, not drained
• 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half
• 1/2 cup each chopped fresh parsley and diced bottled roasted red pepper
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

Recipe Preparation

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water as package directs.

2. Meanwhile heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté just until golden. Immediately add beans with their liquid, the olives, about 1/2 the parsley and all the roasted pepper. Stir to mix, then cook until hot.

3. Transfer 1/2 cup cooking water from pot to skillet. Drain pasta; add to skillet along with remaining parsley and black pepper. Toss to mix and coat. Remove to serving bowl or plates; sprinkle with cheese.

Source: Woman's Day
http://www.womansday.com/Recipes/Orecchiette-alla-Rustica2.html

Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts

Ingredients

• 8  ounces  uncooked cavatappi pasta
• 1  pound  asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 3  tablespoons  pine nuts
• 2  ounces  diced pancetta
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 2  teaspoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) crumbled Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; add asparagus to pan during last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain. Sprinkle pasta mixture with garlic; return to pan, and toss well.
3. Arrange pine nuts in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 400° for 3 minutes or until golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Place in a small bowl.
4. Increase oven temperature to 475°.
5. Arrange pancetta on jelly-roll pan. Bake at 475° for 6 minutes or until crisp.
6. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with pine nuts, pancetta, and cheese.

Source: Cooking Light
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001963965

Fresh Tomato, Sausage, and Pecorino Pasta

Ingredients

• 8  ounces  uncooked penne
• 8  ounces  sweet Italian sausage
• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 1  cup  vertically sliced onion
• 2  teaspoons  minced garlic
• 1 1/4  pounds  tomatoes, chopped
• 6  tablespoons  grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese, divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/4  cup  torn fresh basil leaves

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add sausage and onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring to crumble sausage. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pasta, 2 tablespoons cheese, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and basil.

Source: Cooking Light
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001918479

Noodles with Roast Pork and Almond Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2  teaspoon  canola oil
• 1/2  pound  pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 8  ounces  uncooked fettuccine
• 1/4  cup  almond butter
• 2 1/2  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce
• 2  tablespoons  rice vinegar
• 1  tablespoon  minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  chili garlic sauce
• 1  cup  thinly sliced green onions
• 1/3  cup  finely chopped fresh mint

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Drizzle oil in an ovenproof skillet. Sprinkle pork with 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper; place pork in pan. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Turn pork over, and bake an additional 10 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155°. Place pork on a cutting board; let stand 10 minutes. Shred pork into small pieces.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 2 tablespoons pasta water; keep pasta warm.
4. Combine almond butter, 2 tablespoons pasta water, remaining salt, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, and chili garlic sauce. Divide pasta evenly among 4 bowls; top evenly with sauce, pork, onions, and mint.

Source: Cooking Light
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001924698

Penne with Asparagus, Spinach, and Bacon

Ingredients

• 8  ounces  uncooked penne pasta
• 2  bacon slices
• 1/2  cup  chopped sweet onion
• 2 1/2  cups  (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 1 pound)
• 1 1/2  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 4  cups  bagged baby spinach leaves
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) preshredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper

Preparation

Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; keep warm.
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add onion to drippings in pan; sauté 1 minute. Add asparagus and broth to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Add pasta, spinach, 1/4 cup cheese, and pepper to pan; toss well. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and bacon.

Add Chicken for more protein! 

Source: Cooking Light

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001622508

Grilled Chicken with Rustic Mustard Cream

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  plus 1 teaspoon whole-grain Dijon mustard, divided
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 1  teaspoon  chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 4  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• Cooking spray
• 3  tablespoons  light mayonnaise
• 1  tablespoon  water
• Rosemary sprigs (optional)

Preparation

1. Prepare grill.
2. Combine 1 teaspoon mustard, oil, and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl; brush evenly over chicken. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until done.
3. While chicken grills, combine 1 tablespoon mustard, mayonnaise, and 1 tablespoon water in a bowl. Serve mustard cream with grilled chicken. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired.

Source: Cooking light, also in the book "Fresh Food Fast"
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001896137

Strawberry and Cream Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon reduced-fat cream cheese, (Neufchâtel)
• 1/4 teaspoon honey
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
• 2 slices very thin whole-wheat sandwich bread
• 2 medium strawberries, sliced

Preparation

1. Combine cream cheese, honey and orange zest in a bowl. Spread bread with the cheese mixture. Place sliced strawberries on 1 piece of bread, top with the other.

Source: Eating Well
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/strawberry_cream_cheese_sandwich.html

Snow Pea, Orange & Jícama Salad

Ingredients

• 4 cups snow peas (about 12 ounces), trimmed
• 2 oranges
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 small jícama, peeled and cut into matchsticks (about 1 cup; see Tip)

Preparation

1. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Have a bowl of ice water by the stove. Steam snow peas until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer the peas to the ice water. Drain.
2. Cut peels and white pith from oranges. Working over a bowl, cut the segments from surrounding membranes. Squeeze the peels and membranes over the bowl to extract about 3 tablespoons juice before discarding them. Transfer the segments with a slotted spoon to a small bowl. Whisk oil, vinegar, shallot, sugar and salt into the juice. Return the segments to the bowl along with the snow peas and jícama; toss with the dressing.

Tips & Notes

• Tip: Jícama is a round root vegetable with brown skin, white flesh and a slightly sweet, nutty flavor. Look for it with other produce. 

Source: Eating Well
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/snow_pea_orange_jicama_salad.html

Blue Apple Chicken Bacon Salad

This salad tastes so much better than this picture can give credit to. It's a salad that is sold at my local Cracker Barrel that looked good on the menu and I just had to try at home.

It's compiled of romaine heart, apples, red onion, bacon pieces, blue cheese and chicken (seasoned with garlic salt and pepper) and drizzled with Brianna's real french vinaigrette which has a cider vinegar base.

http://www.briannassaladdressing.com/flavors/french-vinaigrette.html Sold at your local grocery store. I have found it on both coasts easily.

Chef's Note: This is a must try recipe! My son says its the best salad he has ever had and I would put it in my top 3. The flavors, although seemingly odd, work so well with each other. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Jicama and Watermelon Salad

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice, plus 1 teaspoon zest
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, plus 1 teaspoon zest
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Kosher salt
• 1 jicama, cut into matchstick pieces
• 4 cups watermelon in 2-inch chunks
• 1/3 cup roughly torn fresh mint leaves

Directions

Whisk together juices, honey, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Add the jicama, watermelon and mint and toss to coat.

Buffalo Style Grilled French Cut Chicken Breasts with Blue Cheese Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 8 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
• 1/2 cup hot sauce (recommended: Frank's)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 French-cut chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons ground cumin (8 teaspoons)
• Canola oil
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus some whole leaves for garnish
• 1 cup crumbled blue cheese (recommended: Cabrales

Directions

Preheat the grill to medium; make sure the grill is ready for cooking over indirect heat. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the 2 tablespoons ancho powder and heat for 10 seconds. Stir in hot sauce and honey and season with salt and pepper. Remove about 1/4 cup for garnish, and keep both portions warm.
Season each side of the chicken breasts with 1 teaspoon each ancho powder, and cumin, and the salt and pepper. Drizzle canola oil over the both sides. Grill skin side down over medium heat, uncovered, until the skin is nicely charred.
Flip the chicken, moving it to indirect heat, and brush with a good amount of the hot sauce glaze. Cover and cook, brushing occasionally with sauce, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Whisk together the heavy cream and creme fraiche in a medium bowl. Stir in the parsley and blue cheese and season with salt and pepper. When chicken is done, remove from the grill and spoon blue cheese sauce over each piece. Drizzle the 1/4 cup reserved glaze over and garnish with whole parsley leaves.

Source: Bobby Flay
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/buffalo-style-grilled-french-cut-chicken-breasts-with-blue-cheese-sauce-and-jicama-and-watermelon-salad-recipe/index.html 

Chicken Tandori

Ingredients

• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 small red onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 3/4 teaspoons hot paprika
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

Directions

Preheat the broiler. Make shallow cuts in the chicken thighs with a sharp knife. Toss the chicken with the lemon juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl.

Pulse 2 tablespoons yogurt, the vegetable oil, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, coriander, cumin, 11/2 teaspoons paprika and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor to make a paste. Toss the chicken in the mixture and let marinate 15 minutes.

Place the chicken on a foil-lined broiler pan. Broil, turning once, until slightly charred and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 165 degrees F, 5 to 6 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/4 teaspoon paprika, the cilantro and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Top the chicken with the yogurt sauce and serve with rice, if desired.

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chicken-tandoori-recipe/index.html 

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

Ingredients

• 24    asparagus spears (1 to 1-1/4 pounds), trimmed to 6-inch lengths
• 24    thin slices provolone cheese (12 to 14 ounces)
• 12  very thin slices  prosciutto (8 to 10 ounces), halved lengthwise
•     Cracked black pepper
• 1  to 2 tablespoons  olive oil
• 1  to 2 tablespoons  balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Place a steamer basket in a large skillet. Add enough water to come just below bottom of basket. Bring to boiling. Place asparagus in basket. Reduce heat to medium-low. Steam, covered, for 4 minutes. Remove asparagus from basket; immerse in ice water to cool quickly. Drain asparagus; pat dry with paper towels.
2. Wrap a slice of cheese and a half-slice of prosciutto around each asparagus spear. Arrange wrapped asparagus on a serving plate. If desired, cover and chill for up to 24 hours.
3. Before serving, sprinkle with cracked pepper. Drizzle with oil and balsamic vinegar.

Makes 8 servings.
Source: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/vegetables/prosciutto-wrapped-asparagus/

Chef's Note: I thought these tasted great. BUT... personally I could only eat one because I have a hard time getting past the texture of prosciutto. It just feels to "raw" for me.