Chicketti

When Eliza was born my friend brought dinner to us one night. We loved what she brought and asked her for the recipe. Unfortunately it has cream of mushroom soup in it. I hesitate in posting this recipe after Steph and I talked about possibly banning cream of anything soups from this blog! Too bad those not so healthy soups make everything taste good and are so darn convenient!! But this chicketti really is so good and easy to make and it's a good way to use up some red/green pepper that’s about to go bad. We like this so much we have it every month or two.  

CHICKETTI

 

Ingredients:

½ pkg. cooked spaghetti

1 ½ c. chicken, cooked

¼ c. red and green peppers

½ c. onion

1 can cream of mushroom soup

½ c. chicken broth

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1 ¾ c. grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

While spaghetti is cooking, chop chicken, onion, and peppers. Combine in bowl. Add cream of mushroom, broth, salt and pepper. Add drained spaghetti. Stir and pour into casserole dish. Top with cheese. Bake at 350F for 30 min.

I buy noodles in large quantities so I just guess on how many to cook. Enough to fill a 9x13 pan but not too many to where the final product is dry. I don’t follow all the measurements above; I go pretty light on the chicken and cheese and heavy on the peppers and sometimes add sautéed mushrooms. I made it once without chicken and it was good but I prefer it with chicken even if it’s only a little bit. I like the chicken, peppers, and onions diced up pretty small.

As a side note, this is what I use to make broth. My mother-in-law gave it to me. It works just like bouillon cubes but it's better for you (no MSG, etc.) and it has to be refrigerated after opening. I'm all for healthier alternatives that taste the same! 

Also I bet you could use left over turkey from thanksgiving, switch it out for the chicken, and make a delicious "turketti."

Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake

People joke about having a sweet tooth- I joke about having a mouth full of sweet teeth. I've decided recently that at least one of my teeth must have a hankering for garlic though, because I just can't get enough of it! I have always loved garlic bread and garlic-y pasta, and this recipe did not disappoint.

I suppose it's never a good thing to start off a recipe with 1 cup of butter. Unless it's a cookie, of course, but this is obviously not a cookie! You should definitely try it anyway.

Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

Ingredients:
16 oz. uncooked pasta (rotini, farfalle, penne, whatever you have)
1 cup butter
1 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 cups freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (I used a garlic pepper blend and it was awesome)
2 cups cooked and diced chicken
1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained well
5-6 green onions, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

-Cook the pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is boiling, melt butter and whipping cream together over medium heat, stirring constantly.

-Once the butter has completely melted, turn the heat to low and add the parmesan cheese, salt, and garlic powder/garlic pepper. Stir until the cheese has melted also.

-Drain the pasta once it has finished and return it to the pot. Add the alfredo sauce, as well as the chicken, tomatoes, and green onions.

-Pour everything in a 9x13 baking dish and cover with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until cheese has melted and is awesome-looking! Serve with garlic bread, if you're crazy about garlic like I am.

Rotini and Sweet Pepper Primavera

All through college I had one main cookbook that I referred to for any recipe that wasn't from my mom. It is my oldest and dearest cookbook. Enter, Better Homes and Gardens.

In the book it says, "Primavera means 'springtime' in Italian. This creamy pasta, brimming with tender asparagus, crisp sweet pepper, and tiny baby squash, is the essence of that welcome season."

How can you not make this meal with an intro like that? I'm here to vouch for it--our family loves this meal! I never really stick to the measurements suggested here, just throw in however much you want of everything. It seems to always work out in the end.

14 ounces asparagus spears
8 ounces dried rotini (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 large red or yellow sweet pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup halved baby pattypan squash or sliced yellow summer squash
1 10-oz. container refrigerated light Alfredo sauce
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh tarragon or thyme (I usually put in 1 tsp. dried tarragon)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I leave that out because it's WAY too hot for us)

Chop up your veggies into 1-inch bias-sliced pieces. Cook pasta according to directions, adding the asparagus, squash, and sweet pepper to pasta for the last 3 minutes of cooking. (Isn't that such a cool trick? I love how it saves dirtying another pan!) Drain. Return pasta and vegetables to pot.

Meanwhile, heat up your sauce with tarragon. If you are a vegan or just an over-achiever, you could always make Steph's vegan alfredo sauce instead of the bottled stuff. Pour it over your pasta and vegetables, stirring gently to coat.

Picture to come...

Fried Tofu with Udon Noodles and Broth

Okay, peeps. Here's the deal. I know tofu is like a weird, freaky food. I haven't posted it yet (even though we love it and have it at least once a week for dinner) because I didn't want to weird anyone out and have it be a waste of a post.

But this recipe changed my mind. I really, truly think anyone - meat lovers included - will love this. I couldn't believe how delicious it was. I kept saying it tasted like something from a restaurant. If you've never had tofu before, this is a perfect jumping in point. It's cheap too, so if you totally abhor it (which you won't), you can throw out the tofu, just eat the veggies and noodles, and not be out more than $2. Okay? So please try this! It's easy, incredibly healthy, and great for a light dinner or even lunch, it's that easy. Mostly chopping veggies, which is stress-therapy. So MAKE THIS MEAL. Don't be scared by the abnormal ingredients, just embrace them. And tell me what you think!

Fried Tofu with Udon Noodles and Broth

Adapted slightly from a recipe in Christina Cooks

Serves 4

1 leek#, split lengthwise, rinsed well, thinly sliced into half-moons (white and light-green parts only)
1 carrot, cut into fine matchstick pieces
1/2 c. fine matchstick pieces fresh daikon*
4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked until tender and thinly sliced
4 c. water
3-4 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. brown rice syrup+
1/2 c. chopped bok choy
Olive oil, for frying
1 block extra-firm tofu, cut into 1" cubes
4 oz. udon noodles (you could also use fettucine in a pinch!)
2-3 scallions

Chop veggies - tedious, but fun. Layer leeks, carrot, daikon, and mushrooms, in order, in a soup pot. Add water, cover and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Add soy sauce, brown rice syrup, and bok choy, and simmer 5-7 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook your noodles al dente.

Meanwhile (everything's happening at once!), fry the tofu. Heat about 1" oil in a deep skillet over med. heat. When the oil is hot, increase the heat to high and fry a few cubes of tofu at a time until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Drain on parchment or paper towels. Repeat with remaining cubes until it's all nice and fried and deliciously crispy.

To serve, place some noodles in individual bowls. Spoon veggies and broth over noodles and top with fried tofu and scallions. Serve immediately.

Notes:

# Cut the leek in half lengthwise, rinse it, then cut off the dark green parts. Slice the rest into thin little half-moons, then dump them in a bowl of water. Swish them around with your hand to release the grit from inside - these are dirty little buggers. Remove the leeks to a towel and pat them dry. Dump out the water and sand.

*Daikon is a long white radish root with a clean, peppery taste.

+Brown rice syrup is a liquid sugar substitute similar to honey but with a different flavor. If you don't have it or don't want to buy a jar just for this, than you can probably sub with agave or honey. I haven't tried it, so I can't guarantee!

Baked Spaghetti

Make spaghetti as you normally do then combine noodles and sauce, put in a 9X13 pan or whatever size you have, sprinkle with grated cheese (we like cheddar), and bake uncovered for 30 min. at 350F.
We either use a seasoning packet to make our sauce (you know the tomato paste, water, packet combo) or we use a can of ready made sauce (the can of Zesty and Spicy sauce is one of our new found favorites!). Instead of meat we usually just add some mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms separately first in a little olive oil.
For some reason we like baked spaghetti so much better than regular spaghetti! We eat spaghetti at least twice a month so I welcomed this easy way to switch things up. It's not quite as quick as just throwing noodles and sauce on a plate but it's just as easy and even more delicious. And for some reason the worst part of doing dishes for me is putting the left over food in containers. Well with this you can just cover the pan and put it in the fridge! Sorry for the lame post but hopefully this at least gives you an idea for dinner some night when you're out of them. :) Enjoy!

Vegan Alfredo Sauce

Historically, I've always been pretty much a rule-follower when it comes to the kitchen. When I got married almost 6 years ago, I knew almost nothing about food. After a year of frozen pizza and chicken cordon-bleu, along with 60+ lbs. of pregnancy weight-gain, I started to gradually learn to cook.

I learned that I LOVED to read cookbooks. We would go to Barnes and Noble for date-night and I would sit there reading recipes. Before the birth of my second child, I bought a cookbook called "The Domestic Goddess" by Nigella Lawson. I can say that is probably my official turning point. (Although my neighbors Amanda and Chrissy in FL were huge influences in the right direction too.)
I started cooking like crazy. I followed cooking blogs. I tried new recipes pretty much every night, carefully studying the pictures and ingredients. We had our health food kicks and our not-so-health-food-kicks (McDonald's, anyone?), but I was in love with cooking.

I still am. After going vegan last September (more on that later) and committing permanently to a more difficult, healthy, and rewarding food lifestyle, I am in the kitchen more than ever. With that has come lots of experience and lots more confidence.

So I am proud to introduce my first ever recipe that I came up with on my own. I took inspiration from Chloe's Kitchen's alfredo sauce and Cupcakes and Kale's high-protein alfredo sauce, but I can truly say this is MY recipe. It's my first food-child, and I am oh so proud. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Steph's Vegan Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:
2/3 c. raw cashews
1/2 head cauliflower
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced, or 2 tsp. jarred minced garlic
1 tsp. white miso paste
1 tsp. nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (juice from 1/2 lemon)
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. almond milk
dash pepper
1 tsp. sea salt, or to taste
1 lb. fettucine or other pasta

First, put RAW cashews into a small bowl. Do NOT use roasted or salted cashews. Raw cashews are the absolute best vegan substitute for heavy cream, and you won't be able to tell the difference at ALL. Roasted cashews will not work. You can find raw ones most decent grocery stores - I get them in my bulk bin section at Smith's or at Whole Foods. (If you have a super high-power blender, like a Vitamix, this step isn't totally necessary, but still recommended.) Cover them completely with water and let soak at least one hour or up to overnight. It will soften them up and make them blend into a smooth, creamy consistency with no little nut chunks in your sauce!

Bring large pot of heavily salted (I put in a good Tbsp or more) water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.

Chop cauliflower into large florets and bring a small-ish pot of water to a boil.

Add cauliflower florets and cook 15-20 minutes, until soft. Drain. Meanwhile, heat skillet over med-high heat. Add chopped onion and let cook until soft. Add garlic and let cook a few more minutes, until onions are transluscent. Remove from heat.

A word about white miso paste: this sounds like a strange ingredient but is widely available - I find mine in the refrigerated produce section at Smith's near the tofu and mushrooms. It's kind of like chicken base of the Japanese world, I think, and adds a bit of a salty/cheesy flavor when combined with the nutritional yeast. It's high in protein and has lots of vitamins and minerals.

A word about nutritional yeast: this is NOT normal baking/leavening yeast. It comes in flake form, usually, and is a yellowish-brown color. It smells a little bad and I don't like it in large quantities (vegan mac'n'cheese is usually full of it and I don't love it) but when combined with miso it's JUST right. (I also use that same combo to make tofu ricotta chese for my lasagna, which will be coming soon on this blog.) Again, it's not too hard to find - it's just not a common ingredient. Don't let it put you off though - it's fun to experiment with new, strange ingredients! I promise, it will be worth it.

Okay, so in your blender dump everything but the pasta. Soaked and soft raw cashews, cooked cauliflower, sauteed onion and garlic, white miso paste, nutritional yeast, juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 Tbsp, give or take), sea salt, pepper, water, and almond milk. (If you are not vegan - like all the other sisters here but me - you could use regular cow's milk. I haven't tried it so I can't vouch for any difference it might make in the flavor, but please don't forgo this recipe just because you don't have almond milk!) Blend on high about 2 minutes until silky smooth. Taste for salt - you might want to add more.

Toss hot pasta with sauce until every noodle is coated with deliciousness. (Add sauce to your liking - it made more than enough for about a pound cooked pasta, so you may have some leftover sauce.) Serve immediately.

We had this with garlic bread and roasted broccoli. Delicious, and just as good the next day as leftovers!