Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Inspired Taste.

Ingredients:
Tomato Basil Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 large basil sprig plus 2 tablespoons torn basil leaves

Turkey Meatballs
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground turkey (93% lean)

Directions:
In a large skillet with sides, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes then cook 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes and tomato paste then bring to a simmer. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and add basil spring. Allow sauce to simmer gently while preparing meatballs.

To make meatballs, combine panko breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl, and then let sit 5 minutes.

Add egg, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, parsley, oregano and salt to bowl. Stir until combined.
Next, add turkey then use a fork or fingers to mix everything together until barely combined. For tender meatballs, try not to over mix.

Wet your hands and form mixture into 1-inch meatballs. This should make about 24 meatballs.Gently drop meatballs into tomato sauce. (It’s okay if some are not completely covered by the sauce). Cover skillet with a lid and cook 20 minutes then gently shimmy or shake the skillet to move the meatballs around a little. Cook another 5 to 10 minutes or until turkey is cooked through. Before serving, scatter about 2 tablespoons of torn basil leaves over meatballs and sauce.

Neely's Lemon Pasta Salad

 Flavorful pasta salad, courtesy of the Food Network.

Ingredients:
Salt
1 pound corkscrew pasta
1 pound asparagus
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly chopped dill leaves
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
7 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse. Set aside.

In another large pot of boiling salted water, add the asparagus and blanch until bright green and slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon or a spider and shock in icy cold water. Remove from the water and dry well.

Trim the ends of the asparagus and cut into bite-size pieces on the bias.

Whisk together the mustard, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Combine the reserved asparagus and pasta in a large serving bowl. Add the tomatoes, dill, peas, feta, and the mustard dressing. Toss with tongs to coat the salad well. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Macaroni and Cheese

Most amazing Mac & Cheese recipe ever, from the DuMont Restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, as featured in The New Brooklyn Cookbook.

Ingredients:
1 pound radiatore, elbow macaroni, or fusilli
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups whole milk
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 pound Gruyère, grated, divided
1/2 pound sharp white cheddar, grated, divided
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup unseasoned bread crumbs

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente, according to the package directions. Drain, toss with the olive oil in a large bowl, and set aside to cool.

3. Meanwhile, combine the milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat; bring to a gentle simmer.

4. Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until the flour is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Continue mixing with a wooden spoon until the mixture is a pale golden color, about 4 minutes. Slowly add the hot milk and cream mixture to the flour mixture, whisking constantly to incorporate. Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally to keep the mixture from burning. Add half the Gruyère and half the cheddar and whisk until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Add the cooked pasta and toss well to combine. Pour the pasta into a buttered 9 x 13-inch baking dish or a 3-quart gratin dish. Top with the remaining Gruyère and cheddar and sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Allow the mac and cheese to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Tomato Sauce

Simple and amazingly delicious tomato sauce courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.

Ingredients:
28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes from a can (San Marzano, if you can find them)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved
Salt to taste

Directions:
Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan (it fit just right in a 3-quart) over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste (you might find, as I did, that your tomatoes came salted and that you didn’t need to add more) and keep warm while you prepare your pasta.

Pasta with Veggies in Peanut Sauce

A really easy weeknight dinner. Originally I was going to use Shirataki Noodles, but the section of my grocery store that has them was under construction tonight, so I went with whole wheat spaghetti. I also used frozen veggies to save some time.

Ingredients: 
Whole wheat spaghetti
Frozen veggie mix (I used a peppers blend that also included onions)
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1 1/2 tsp. dark sesame oil

Directions:
Cook spaghetti according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a wok, heat a teaspoon of oil (I used sesame oil) til hot. Add frozen vegetables and garlic and heat through, about 5 minutes. Once the bottom of the pan got watery, I drained the veggies and returned them to the wok.

While pasta and veggies are cooking, put peanut butter in glass measuring cup and heat in microwave about 2 minutes, or until very soft. Add soy sauce and sesame oil, and whisk together until well combined.

Add drained pasta and sauce to the wok and mix together til combined. Serve!

Penne ala Norma

Recipe from my Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast cookbook.



Ingredients:
1 lb penne rigate
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 large eggplant, cut into 1/4 in chunks
Tomato sauce
1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup ricotta cheese

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add a generous amount of salt. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain pasta, return to pot.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

Add eggplant; season generously with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until eggplant begins to release juices, about 5 minutes. Uncover, cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3-4 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce.

Add tomato sauce mixture and basil to pasta and toss. To serve, divide among bowls and top with a dollop of ricotta.

Vegetable Lasagna

It's been awhile since I made lasagna, so I decided to make one last night - based somewhat off this recipe from Cooking Light.





Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1 medium)
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper (about 1 medium)
1 cup chopped onion
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 small broccoli and cauliflower, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1 cup reduced fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1 large egg
5 cups tomato sauce, divided
12 precooked lasagna noodles

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add bell peppers, onion, zucchini, and broccoli/cauliflower; sauté 10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds.

Combine 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, ricotta, cottage cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and egg, stirring well.

Spread 1 cup tomato sauce over bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with 3 noodles. Spoon 1 cup tomato sauce evenly over noodles. Top evenly with one-third of ricotta mixture and one-third of vegetable mixture. Repeat layers twice, ending with noodles. Top with remaining 1 cup tomato sauce. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 10 minutes.

Creamy Mac n Cheese

I was looking for a healthier version of Mac n Cheese and found this one from Cooking Light. I couldn't find all the required cheeses, so I sort of made it up from what I found/had on hand.



Ingredients:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 2/3 cups 1% low-fat milk
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 cup (2 ounces) light shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese or mexican cheese mix
6 cups cooked shell macaroni (about 3 cups uncooked)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°.

Place flour in a large saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add cheeses; cook 3 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in macaroni and salt.

Spoon mixture into a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over pasta mixture. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Pumpkin Baked Ziti

Adapted from this Paula Deen recipe.


Ingredients:
Pam Cooking Spray
3 chicken sausages (I used these since I had them leftover)
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons oil
1 (15-ounces) can pumpkin puree
1 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon ground sage
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound ziti pasta, cooked
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 pan with the Pam.

Cook sausage in a large, deep skillet over medium heat until fat is rendered about 8 minutes. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels and set aside. Discard any fat from the skillet in excess of 2 tablespoons.

Add onion, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and oil to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until soft; about 3 minutes. Stir in pumpkin puree, chicken stock and sage. Mix together and add salt. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in sausage. Simmer until the sauce comes together and is thickened slightly.

Add cooked pasta and parsley to the skillet and gently toss all the ingredients together to coat. Pour rigatoni mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese and bake for 35 minutes until the topping is golden brown.

Penne with Veggies in Ricotta Sauce

I needed to use up the rest of my Ricotta Cheese, after using 2 tablespoons for my Egg Salad Sandwiches earlier in the week so I put together this recipe based on what I had in the apartment and this NYTimes recipe.

Ingredients:

1/2 box penne

1/2 bag frozen veggies (the ones I had on hand had broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots)

15 ounces whole-milk ricotta
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Italian seasonings and Basil, to taste

Directions:

Cook penne per package instructions. In last 3 minutes of cooking, add frozen veggies to pot.

Meanwhile, add the ricotta, olive oil and 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water; blend. Add herbs and garlic and mix well. When the pasta/veggies are done, drain them (reserving some water) and add to the ricotta mixture. Top with the Parmesan cheese, then fold everything together. Season to taste, adding some reserved pasta water if needed. Divide in bowls and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

French Onion Orzo

Based off this recipe from Serious Eats.
I totally forgot to take a picture! Bad food blogger, bad! So here's a pic from the original recipe/site. They used a different kind of pasta and added a Parmesan Crisp at top, that I couldn't make cause I didnt have shredded parm - oops!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound onions (about 2 large), very finely sliced
1 tsp flour
4 cups beef stock
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
12 oz box of orzo
1/4 cup Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Cook onions in oil in a large, deep saucepan, stirring occasionally, until onions are very soft and a deep brown color, 25-30 minutes. As the onions cook down, they may start to stick to the bottom of the pan; whenever this happens, deglaze with a small quantity of cold water, scraping with wooden spoon to dissolve brown bits.

2. Remove about 1/4 of onions from pan, reserving for garnish. Season with salt and pepper and cover to keep warm.

3. Sprinkle flour over the onions in the pot, stirring to incorporate. Add beef stock and dried thyme and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, adjust seasoning, and add pasta. Cover pan and simmer, depending on type of pasta, for 6-9 minutes, or until pasta is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir once or twice during cooking to prevent sticking.

4. Remove pasta from heat and stir in Parmesan. Adjust seasoning if necessary. To serve, top with reserved onions.

Baked Shells with Winter Squash

Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe.




Ingredients:
Butter, for baking dish
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 pound small pasta shells
1 (12 ounce) package frozen winter squash puree, thawed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 slices crusty baguette, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions; season with salt and pepper. Cover; cook until onions are soft and release liquid, 15 minutes. Uncover; raise heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until onions are browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon rosemary.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water 2 minutes less than package instructions suggest. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups cooking water. Return pasta to pot.

Stir squash and reserved pasta water into onions; simmer 2 minutes. Toss squash mixture and 1/2 cup Parmesan with pasta. Transfer to prepared dish.

Combine bread cubes with remaining Parmesan, rosemary, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Top pasta with bread cubes; bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings