Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash, Sage and Pine Nuts

Okay, I know this may seem more like a "fallish" type of recipe but I made this for my family just this past Sunday and it was AMAZING!!!! I was instantly taken back with the first bite. This pasta dish has so much flavor and I love how all of the ingredients balance each other out and I love how it's both sweet and savory. The original recipe calls for Parmesan cheese but since I try to eat more vegan like I left it out of the pasta and put it on the side for those who wanted it. Now on Sundays I am usually a little lax and will make my pasta dishes using just regular pasta (trying to appease the hubby who has to put up with my Sunday vegan meals) but I really wish I would have used whole wheat pasta on this one. I think it would have tasted just as good and would have been more filling. But nonetheless, this pasta will not disappoint and this is a recipe I am planning on using the next time we have company over... it's really that good! Oh, and I'm so sorry about this picture! I didn't have great lighting and this is the best that my camera could do at the time.

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks

2 onions, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks

3 cloves garlic, minced (I love garlic so I always add a bit more)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup fresh sage leaves, minced

1 lb farfalle pasta (can totally use whole wheat penne or any other pasta)

3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Before you cut the butternut squash, place it in the microwave for about 30-40 seconds in order to soften the skin. This will make the squash much easier to cut into. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and strings. Then flip each half of the squash over and peel them. Cut the squash into 1 inch cubes. Toss with the onion, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper and half of the sage leaves. Spread the squash mixture in a large baking dish and roast for about 40 minutes or until the squash is soft.

Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside. Just before the squash is finished heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan. Drop the rest of the sage leaves in the heated oil and saute for about a minute.

Add the pasta to the pan along with the roasted squash mixture. Then add salt to taste... I love salt so I am pretty liberal when it comes to salting things. Cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes or until the pasta starts getting crispy on some of the edges. Add the pine nuts and cook for another minute.

Now if you don't have a big enough pan just start with adding half of the pasta, half of the squash mixture and half of the rest of the ingredients. Then just repeat with the rest of the ingredients.

Lasagna with a Bang!

OK, so I'm the sister that annoys everyone with my vegan ways, but tonight is New Year's and I am quite due for a little cheat! My fam of five loves lasagna but tonight I decided to add a little bang in celebration of 2012 so PESTO CHANGO! And as always, made with hot mama love. OH! And a little bit of sass!

Pesto Lasagna

Trader Joe's no bake lasagna noodles
1 lb. ground hot Italian sausage or ground beef, browned and ready to go!
2 cans of tomato sauce
1 container of low fat small curd cottage cheese
chopped scallions and garlic to taste
1 tsp. or more crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tb. dried basil
1 TB. dried oregano
1 container of Trader Joe's pesto (in the refrigerator section)
Parmesan cheese
mozzarella cheese


In your most beautiful 9x13 pan, spray a little bit of canola oil. In a large bowl, place tomato sauce, cottage cheese, all spices, ground meat, scallions and garlic. Stir well. Spread a portion on bottom of the pan. Lay down three noodles. Spread another heaping portion of sauce mixture over noodles. Top with 1/3 of the cheeses and dollop pesto over. Layer another three noodles and repeat the process until sauce is gone. Top with cheese and generous spoonfuls of pesto. Bake uncovered at 375 for 45-55 minutes. Voila!

xoxoxo-Stephanie

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Last year, Sarah mailed me a cookbook and I have been having so much fun trying the recipes! This one quickly became one of my family's ABSOLUTE FAVORITES!!! Not only does it SMELL SO GOOD cooking on the stove, it is quite easy to whip up and tastes AMAZING! I made the mistake of not making enough and my husband and I jokingly fought over who would get the leftovers the next day...he won when he found the hidden tupperware in the fridge, haha! Hope you all enjoy this meal as much as we do! It is definitely a keeper! :)

Ingredients:

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed
2 tsp butter
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
4-6 large mushrooms sliced
1-2 cups heavy whipping cream (generic walmart brand is the best)
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp lemon pepper
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp basil
1/8 tsp garlic powder
4 oz linguini pasta cooked and drained
grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Mix chicken with Cajun seasoning and saute over medium heat with butter until chicken is browned and cooked through. Add peppers, onion, and mushrooms and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat. Add cream* and seasonings (add more cajun seasoning if you prefer spicier). Heat thoroughly...I crank up the heat and boil it for a bit until the sauce thickens a bit. During this time (while sauce is heating), I cook the pasta in another pan. When cooked to my liking, I add the pasta to the chicken sauce pan and mix it all together. Top with parmesan cheese!

*for a healthier option, add 1 cup of apple juice and 1 cup cream instead of the 1-2 cups cream called for in the original ingredients

The Best Alfredo Sauce

I am lucky to have a wonderful father-in-law, Garen, who has such a passion for cooking! I secretly want to submit him to compete in next seasons' Master Chef...he could definitely give Gordon Ramsey a run for his money! :)
He was gracious enough to share this recipe with me months ago and Im not going to lie, I have been scared to make it myself ever since...There is just something about Alfredo Sauce that is intimidating to me. (Maybe it has something to do from when I was in my teens and spent two hours scraping scortched butter from the bottom of my mothers cookware while trying to make my first go at alfredo...yeah, not too fun!)

So when my husband requested me to add it to this weeks menu, I remembered how EASY and DELICIOUS it really is! I quickly ran to my recipe folders, pulled it out, and saw that my father in law mentioned the SECRET to making this PERFECT Alfredo...it read, "DO NOT BOIL, OR IT WILL SCORCH"! How I wish I had that advice years ago, lol!

We ate it for our Sunday dinner (I served it chicken fettuccine alfredo style, with warm homemade french bread and a green salad). I have never heard more OOOOO's and AAAAAAHHHH's in my life! My husband said it was one of the top best meals he has ever had and my little guys had Alfredo sauce covering their mouths for days! The leftovers tasted just as great! Definitely a hit and will be made more often...now that I know the secret!
This is one of those meals that is GOOD on the lips, but not too good on the hips...don't worry, you can work it off later! It is SOOOO worth it!!!

It makes a big batch... I would definitely divide it out and freeze (or plan on eating it over the next few days).
****Makes a great sauce for a chicken alfredo pizza, and tastes amazing dipped with warm french bread! Enjoy! And thanks again Pappi Staley for letting me share your recipe on this blog! :)

INGREDIENTS:

1 quart heavy whipping cream (Wal-mart's generic brand works the best)
2 cubes real butter
4 Tbl Olive Oil
1 tsp salt
1 SMALL jar of minced garlic
3 triangle blocks of parmesan cheese (Frigo brand)-freshly grated
1/4 cup flour mixed with 2 cups of water

DIRECTIONS:

Remember EVERYTHING must be done on medium heat or it will scorch!
Melt 2 cubes butter with olive oil and salt in a large pot
Once melted dump in as much garlic as you like to taste (usually about 1/2-3/4 of the small jar)
Blanche the garlic in the melted butter mixture
Pour in the 1 quart heavy whipping cream and heat to just short of boiling
Grate the parmesan cheese (if you haven't already) and dump in the pot
Stir with a wisk until completely melted
Add the water/flour mixture and stir until it is as thick as you want
*when you take it off the heat it will set some more
**you can make it as thick or as thin as you want by how much flour/water mixture you add

The BEST and EASIEST Beef Stroganoff EVER

I recently went on a recipe search online and came across this DELICIOUS MEAL!!! Never in my mind did I think it would taste better than I could have imagined! I LOVE making Sunday meals and because we don't get home from church until after lunchtime has passed, I like to make something that will be filling enough to make up for that lost mealtime. Crockpot meals really are my favorite ones to make on days like these. Once we got home, I finished the roux in the crockpot and had garlic bread, salad, and a veggie all prepared within the time it took to cook the noodles! Plus, this beef stroganoff got INCREDIBLE reviews from my hubby, and two boys! We all ate a TON and still had plenty leftover that also freezes very well for a later date! Enjoy! This recipe will go down as one of our favorites for sure!



Original recipe found HERE


INGREDIENTS:

2-3 pounds beef stew meat (I only had one pound and it was still plenty for my family)
1 tsp salt
couple dashes of pepper
1 onion diced
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 Tbl worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups beef broth or stock
1 Tbl ketchup
5-6 Tbl apple juice
1/3 cup flour
4 oz sliced mushrooms (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream



DIRECTIONS:


Place meat in crockpot and add salt, pepper, and onion. In a bowl, mix garlic salt, worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and ketchup. Pour over the meat and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours. (I cooked mine on LOW for about 5 hours and it was done in my crockpot). Make a simple roux in a separate bowl with the flour and apple juice. Wisk the roux into the crockpot and add the mushrooms. Turn on HIGH for about 15-30 minutes and then stir in the sour cream right before serving. Serve over pasta, rice, or baked potatoes. (I had egg noodles on hand and used those!)

Chicken with a Twist

Yesterday afternoon, when trying to figure out what to make for dinner, I realized I really needed to hit up the grocery store.  Luckily we still had some basics in order for me to make this new twist on both chicken and mac n cheese.  I found the recipe on CampbellsKitchen.com and it is SUPER EASY and took me less than 20 minutes to make.  Since I am pregnant and have a harder time finding the energy to make dinner on a daily basis, I doubled the batch so we have enough leftovers for lunch and dinner for the next couple of days!

Ingredients:

1 can condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup (I only had Nacho Cheese on hand.  It made it a little more spicy but still tasted yummy!)

1 C Picante Sauce

1/4 C milk

1/2 t garlic powder

1 can corn, drained

1 1/2 C cubed cooked chicken

4 C hot cooked rotini

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a large skillet.  Heat over medium heat until warm.  

Baked Ziti

This recipe makes the BEST baked ziti.  This is yet another recipe given to me by my sister Stephanie when I first got married, and still is one of our FAVORITES.  It makes a lot so it is a great dish to make for when you have dinner guests over.  I love it because if you don't have any extra ground beef or turkey on hand, it tastes just as great without the meat.  This recipe is definitely a keeper!  (This is a picture of what the ziti looks like before it goes into the oven for baking.)

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) pkg uncooked ziti

1 lb ground beef (I use ground turkey)

1 onion, chopped

2 (26 oz) jars spaghetti sauce (I like using homemade)

12 oz sliced provolone cheese

12 oz sliced mozzarella cheese (I use shredded)

1 1/2 C sour cream

1/2 C Parmesan cheese

1/4 C chopped fresh basil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease (cooking spray) a 9x13 baking dish.

Cook pasta for 8-10 minutes, drain.

While pasta is cooking, brown meat and onion.

When brown, drain fat and add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.

Spread a little of the sauce on the bottom of the dish.

Layer 1/2 of the pasta, 1/2 of the provolone and mozzarella cheeses, 1/2 of the sauce and ALL of the sour cream.

Repeat with the rest of the pasta, provolone and mozzarella cheeses, sauce and top with all of the Parmesan cheese.

Sprinkle fresh basil on top.

Bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes.

Chicken Pasta Parmesan

This recipe was given to me by a Relief Society sister in our first married ward! This woman is an amazing cook and I soon became a fan of all her recipes in the ward's cookbook! This meal in particular, is one that we make very often...especially when I am clueless about what to make for dinner and need something FAST, HEALTHY, AND EASY!

Ingredients:

2 Tbls vegetable oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 can cream of broccoli OR cream of chicken soup

3 Tbls milk

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into cubes)

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (optional)

1 cup cooked broccoli flowerets

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Hot cooked spaghetti

Directions:

In skillet over medium heat, add the oil and heat. Cook the chicken and onion until chicken is browned and the onion is tender (I like to add garlic salt and pepper to the chicken while it cooks). Stir in the soup and milk. Add mushrooms, cooked broccoli, and 1/2 cup of cheese. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir occasionally. Serve over hot spaghetti and (if desired), sprinkle more cheese on top.

*You can also add 1/2 cup thinly sliced peppers (green/red) instead of the broccoli.

Pasta e Fagioli

I can honestly say that this SOUP is WAY better than Olive Garden's verison! You have got to try this one if you frequently find yourself craving soup, salad, and breadsticks! It makes for a GREAT dinner meal, as well as a hearty lunch! Believe me, once you see how easy it is to make this yourself, you will discover that it tastes EXACTLY like the cravable version....the only difference...you will be craving THIS ONE from now on!

*recipe found on TopSecretRecipes

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey

1 small onion, diced (1 cup)

1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup)

3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)

2 cloves of minced garlic

2 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes

1 15-ounce can red kidney beans WITH LIQUID

1 15-ounce can great northern beans WITH LIQUID

1 15-ounce can tomato sauce

1 12-ounce can of V-8 juice

1 Tablespoon white vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 cup COOKED ditalini pasta (the original recipe calls for 1/2 pound uncooked, but I have found that it is too much and the soup gets all soaked up into the pasta...so start with one cup cooked, and add more to your liking)

Directions:

Brown the beef in large pan over medium heat. Drain off most the fat.

Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute for 10 minutes till veggies settle down and get tender.

Add remaining ingredients, EXCEPT PASTA, and simmer for 1 hour.

About 50 minutes into the simmering, cook the pasta in another pan of boiling water according to package directions (about 9-11 min). Drain and add the pasta to the large pot of soup and simmer for 5 minutes longer. Serve!

Creamy Italian Chicken

I ABSOLUTELY love my crock pot recipes and this has been a favorite since my husband and I have been married.  It is SUPER easy which is why I typically make it for Sunday dinner at least once a month.  Just add a nice side salad and some homemade rolls with honey butter and your meal is complete.  YUMMY!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I usually use 2)

1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing mix

1/4 C water

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup

sliced fresh mushrooms 

or 4 oz can mushroom stems and pieces, drained (which ever one you have on hand) 

Directions:

Place chicken in slow cooker.

Combine salad dressing mix and water.  Pour over chicken and cover.

Cook on low 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

Combine cream cheese and soup until well blended.  Stir in mushrooms.

Pour over chicken and cover.

Cook on low 1 hour, or until chicken is tender.

Serve over noodles or rice.

Pepperoni Rigatoni

This is a GREAT LOW BUDGET MEAL and it tastes AMAZING!!! At my wedding shower, Jennifer gave me this recipe and I seriously make it at least once a month because it is THAT GOOD! My 2 year old and 9 month old gobble up seconds or even thirds, so you know it could be a crowd pleasing dish! When it bakes in the oven, my hubby and kids can't help but crowd around the kitchen table waiting for the timer to go off! You've got to try it out! Happy Meal Making! :)





Pepperoni Rigatoni


8 oz. cooked Rigatoni noodles
Pepperoni links (cut up) or pepperoni/turkey pepperoni slices
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced green pepper
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 jar of Prego Sauce (Traditional Style)
2 cups shredded mozarella cheese



Heat oven to 375
Lightly grease a 9 by 13 inch baking dish
Layer HALF of each ingredient in the order given above.
REPEAT the same layer process with the remaining half
Bake UNCOVERED for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is nice and bubbly

*Serve with freshly baked rolls, and a crisp green salad