Fusilli alla Caprese

from Giada De Laurentiis
Makes 4 - 6 servings


Ingredients:

1 pound fusilli pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered (about 1 1/2 pints)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. In a medium skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. As the tomatoes cook and soften, smash them with a fork. Continue to cook until the tomatoes make a chunky style sauce, about 4 minutes. Transfer the tomato sauce to the bowl with the pasta. Toss to combine. Add the basil leaves and mozzarella. Stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the pasta is moist. Serve.

Jamie

Kentucky

Zucchini Mozzarella Medley

From My Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
3 cups sliced zucchini or other summer squash
1 cup sliced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 t. dried basil
1/4 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tomato, cut into 12 wedges
4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
In a large skillet, saute the zucchini, onion, garlic and seasonings in olive oil until crisp-tender (about five minutes). Gently stir in the tomato; sprinkle with cheese. Remove from the heat and let stand until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Roasted Broccoli and Roasted Chicken

From RecipeStop

Roasted Broccoli

Take Broccoli and cut it in to small florets. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spread broccoli out on cookie sheet. Lightly pour or spray olive oil over the broccoli and toss to coat the pieces so they are shiny. Spread out on pan in one layer and salt and pepper to taste. Put in a 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until the ends look brown and toasty, then turn over add salt and pepper to taste, and roast for 5-10 minutes more. This has become one of our favorite vegetables and we eat it like its popcorn! You can also do the same technique with sweet potatoes, tomato slices, onions, carrots, green peppers , cauliflower, and potatoes.

Roasted Chicken

I like to make this when I am already going to be cooking something else in the oven, like roasting chicken breasts. I will just take chicken and toss in olive oil, add salt, pepper, and Mrs. Dash and roast for about 40 minutes until done. When there is about 30 minutes left, I just add the broccoli on a cookie sheet on the other shelf in the oven so that everything is done about the same time.

Jamie
Kentucky

Black Bean Couscous Salad

From Julie R.
Serves 12

Ingredients:

1 cup couscous
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lime juice (lemon if you're out)
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp cumin
4-8 green onions
1 red bell pepper
1/4 cup cilantro
1 cup thawed, frozen corn or small can corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
A handful of grape tomatoes (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Boil the chicken broth and then stir in the couscous.

Cover, remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes. (think Minute Rice)

Combine oil, juice, vinegar, cumin in a small bowl.

Chop onion, red pepper, and cilantro.

Fluff couscous with fork.

Toss all ingredients in large bowl.

Tastes good the next day!

Jamie
Kentucky

Chicken Fried Rice

From Sun Bird
Makes 5 servings, about 1 cup each

Ingredients:

1/3 cup chopped, cooked chicken (beef, pork or shrimp)
2 tbsp oil
3 cup cooked, cold rice (white, brown, or instant)
3 green onions, sliced
1 package of Sun Bird fried rice seasoning (it's the only brand I have tried, so I can't vouch for any other brand)
1 tsp soy sauce
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup frozen peas (or peas and carrots), cooked

Instructions:

Cook meat, rice and frozen peas according to package directions. In a large skillet, heat oil; stir-fry cold rice and green onions. Add seasoning and soy sauce; stir-fry 1 minute. Push rice to the side, add eggs, scramble; stir in rice. Add peas and meat, if desired.

Jamie
Kentucky

Quinoa and Zucchini Salad

From 101 Cookbooks
Makes 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 large avocado, ripe
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup lightly packed cilantro
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3 large eggs
1 large zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch thick coins
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
couple pinches of fine grain sea salt
2 cups quinoa, cooked, room temperature
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup goat cheese (or feta cheese), crumbled
a bit of chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions:

Prepare the cilantro-avocado dressing by blending the avocado, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, yogurt, water, and salt in a blender (or us a hand blender). Set aside.

Hard boil the three eggs. Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by a 1/2-inch or so. Bring to a gentle boil. Now turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for exactly seven minutes. Have a big bowl of ice water ready and when the eggs are done cooking place them in the ice bath for three minutes or so - long enough to stop the cooking. Set aside.

While the eggs are cooling start preparing the zucchini by tossing it with olive oil and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Prepare your grill (medium-high heat). If you are worried about the zucchini coins falling through the grill you can thread them onto kabob skewers (stab through the green skin). Grill until zucchini are tender and cooked through, roughly 5 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill and cut each zucchini coin into quarters. If you don't grill, you can saute the zucchini as well.

Crack and peel each egg, cut each egg into quarters lengthwise. Assemble the salad by tossing the quinoa with about 2/3 cups of the avocado vinaigrette. Top with the grilled zucchini, pine nuts, eggs, goat cheese, and a bit of chopped cilantro for garnish. I serve this family-style, but you could do individual platings.

***Benefits of quinoa: Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and followed in third place by maize. In contemporary times this crop has come to be highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete food. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten free and considered easy to digest. (source)***

Jamie
Kentucky

Sweet Potato Fries with Garlic and Herbs

From Epicurious

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-wide slices, then again into 1/2-inch-wide strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley (or dried)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 garlic clove, minced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 500°F. Spray large baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Toss sweet potatoes with oil in large bowl. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread sweet potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake until sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning occasionally, about 30 minutes. Transfer sweet potatoes to platter. Mix parsley, thyme and garlic in small bowl. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes.

Jamie
Kentucky

Balsamic and Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

From Eating Well
Makes 4 servings (about 1 cup each)
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
8 cups 1-inch-thick slices cauliflower (about 1 large head)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Toss cauliflower, oil, marjoram, salt and pepper. Roast on a large rimmed baking sheet until starting to soften and brown on the bottom, 15 to 20 minutes. Toss the cauliflower with vinegar and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven and roast until the cheese is melted and any moisture has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes more.

Jamie
Kentucky

Creamy Cauliflower Puree

From South Beach Diet
Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 cups cauliflower florets
1/2 ounce butter-flavored spray (or 1 tbsp of butter or to taste)
1/2 ounce fat-free half & half (or 1/2 ounce milk or to desired thickness)
Pinch salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Steam or microwave the cauliflower until soft. Puree in a food processor, adding the butter spray and the half-and-half to taste. Season with salt and pepper.


Nutritional Information:
81 calories
6 total fat (2 g sat)
4 mg cholesterol
5 g carbohydrate
2 g protein
3 g fiber
82 mg sodium

Jamie
Kentucky