Pasta Primavera

I've actually made this twice now, it's light, healthy and so tasty I wanted more! The second time I made it I added a couple pieces of shrimp.

12 oz pasta, cooked according to package directions
1/2  head of broccoli
10-12 sugar snap peas
1 yellow summer squash, diced small
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 bell pepper (I used green, but red or yellow would add more color.)
8-10 button mushrooms
1 clove of garlic finely minced
1/2 cup pine nuts
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan grated as a garnish
more olive oil to garnish

Place all cut vegetables on a large sheet pan, excluding the sugar snap peas. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables start to brown. About 4 minutes before pasta is finished add the sugar snap peas to the boiling water. Drain pasta and peas and place them in a large serving bowl. When vegetables are finished, add them to the pasta and mix well. Garnish with toasted pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and extra olive oil if desired. Serve hot.

Garlic Chicken and Pesto

The other day I was at the pazar and smelled the basil wafted around as Iwas walking past the green grocers.    I immediately knew we were destined to have pesto for dinner that night, which was a nice change.  I am getting married this summer so between doing wedding planning and working, “cooking” dinner has consisted of asking my honey which kind of takeout he would like that night.  I do usually do make fresh salad, though.  The pesto had to be altered as pine nuts are VERY expensive here and  I am allergic to walnuts—the normal substitute.  Parmesan cheese is also VERY expensive.  It is about $30 a pound so I used a hard aged cheddar which is parmesan-esque.

-Jules

Garlic Chicken and Pesto

Pesto

3 cups of fresh basil leaves,
1/2 cup grated aged cheddar cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or almonds
3 medium sized garlic cloves,
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Thrown the basil and the garlic in the food processor and pulse until everything has been ground up.  Add the nuts and pulse a few times, then the cheese, then finally the olive oil.  I usually add less oil and have more of a pasty pesto to save on calories.  Mix in with hot pasta---serve with garlic chicken.

Garlic Chicken

4 cloves of garlic
4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup of yogurt or Kefir
Water

Press the garlic cloves in a garlic press or mince finely.  Mix the kefir or yogurt with the garlic and enough water to make the consistently soupy but still thick enough to coat the chicken.  Marinate the  chicken for at least an hour this way ( I like to do it overnight.) I find marinating chicken in yogurt or kefir makes the chicken really juicy and tender.

In a non stick pan heat up a little olive oil and sauté the chicken until it is done.  I like to cut the chicken breasts in half so they are not so thick and cook more quickly--serve with pesto pasta!

 

 

 

Sauteed Mushroom and Zucchini

I'm getting quite a backlog of recipes lately! This spring weather and now summer has kept me busy. Here's a tasty quick side dish.
-Amanda

Sauteed Mushroom and Zucchini

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried italian spice blend
salt and pepper
drizzle of honey
8 large chopped mushrooms
1 chopped zucchini

Mix the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, spices and honey in a bowl. Add vegetables and coat really well. Let marinade for up to an hour. Drain off marinade from vegetables and add them to a very hot skillet. Saute on high heat until edges start to crisp and brown.

Carrot & Zucchini Coleslaw

Here is a very simple side dish to take to your next picnic. I made a small amount for dinner, but you can easily make more. I didn't measure, so use your best judgment, depends on how big your vegetables are to how much yogurt you use.
-Amanda

Carrot & Zucchini Coleslaw
1 carrot
1 zucchini
1 tbsp plain yogurt
1 tbsp honey
2-3 tbsp raisins
salt

Grate carrot and zucchini in a small bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.

Sticky Lemon Rolls

A couple of weeks ago I was just browsing the internet and I came across a blog called The Kitchn and specifically on this recipe of Sticky Lemon Rolls. When I was asked to bring a dessert to a meeting I have tonight, I was excited to have an excuse to make these. I made them a teeny bit healthier using white wheat flour. I also doubled the recipe so that I'd have an excuse to taste test before going tonight. Here is the recipe as found on The Kitchn.
-Amanda

Sticky Lemon Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
Makes 12 large breakfast rolls

Lemon Roll Dough
1 envelope (0.25 ounces, or 2 1/2 teaspoons) yeast

3/4 cup milk, warmed to about 100°F or warm but not hot on your wrist
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 lemons, zested
2 eggs

Sticky Lemon Filling
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
2 lemons, zested and juiced *
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft

Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup powdered sugar
1 lemon, zested

In the bowl of a stand mixer sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk and let it sit for a couple minutes. With the mixer paddle, stir in the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and one cup of the flour. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Stir in the eggs and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft yet sticky dough.

Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and pliable.

(If you do not have a stand mixer, stir together the ingredients by hand, then turn the soft dough out onto a lightly floured countertop. Knead the dough by hand (see this video for explicit instructions) for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, pliable, and stretchy.)

Spray the top of the dough with vegetable oil, and turn the dough over so it is coated in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and let the dough rise until nearly doubled - about an hour.

In a small bowl, mix the sugar with the nutmeg and ginger, then work in the lemon zest with the tips of your fingers until the sugar resembles wet, soft sand. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon. (Reserve the juice of the second lemon for the glaze.)

Lightly grease a 13x9 inch baking dish with baking spray or butter. On a floured surface pat the dough out into a large yet still thick rectangle — about 10x15 inches. Spread evenly with the softened butter, then pour and spread the lemon-sugar mixture over top. Roll the dough up tightly, starting from the top long end. Cut the long dough roll into 12 even rolls, and place them, cut side up, in the prepared baking dish.

Cover the rolls with a towel and let them rise for an hour or until puffy and nearly doubled. (You can also refrigerate the rolls at this point. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to bake the rolls, remove the pan from the fridge, and let them rise for an hour.)

Heat the oven to 350°F. Place the risen rolls in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into a center roll reads 190°F.

While the rolls are baking, prepare the glaze. In a small food processor (or with a mixer, or a sturdy whisk), whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the lemon juice and blend until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and blend until smooth and creamy.

When the rolls are done, smear them with the cream cheese glaze, and sprinkle the zest of 1 additional lemon over top to garnish. Serve while warm.

Zeytinyağlı Taze Fasülye

This dish has become one of my favorites. It is an “olive oil” dish, typically means it is served cold. It makes a great light meal, with fresh bread to dip in the juices. The technical name is Zeytinyağli Taze Fasülye  which translates into Fresh Beans with Olive Oil.

-Jules

Zeytinyağli Taze Fasülye

1 pound of fresh green beans
2 onions onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 big fresh tomatoes, finely chopped,
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp of salt
Clean and cut the green beans into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces.
In a deep pan, heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the onions and garlic until translucent.
Add the beans, stir, and cook them until they are brighter green
Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes and then add sugar, water, and salt.

Cover the pan and cook on low until the beans are soft (about 45 minutes.)

Serve cold with fresh bread on the side.

From Scratch Chicken Nuggets

Instead of relying on high priced, processed chicken tenders, I've been making my own for my kids. I make them in bulk and then freeze them in my deep freeze still on the cookie sheets. After they are frozen I move them to a ziptop freezer storage bag and pull out a few to cook for lunch occasionally. I tend to reheat them in my toaster oven, but however you reheat prepared chicken tenders will work too. The entire batch (family size package of chicken) took me about 45 minutes of prep time (although I was cooking mashed potatoes in that time too.) They take about 25 minutes to make in addition to the prep time.
-Amanda

From Scratch Chicken Nuggets

1 large package of chicken thighs
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2-3 inches of the end of a loaf of homemade loaf of bread (or about 2.5-3 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper

Chicken Thighs. I trimmed the fat from each thigh. I've done this with chicken breasts too, which I prefer (I don't like dark meat!) But the chicken thighs are a bit cheaper, the higher fat is good for the kids and they don't dry out as easily as breast meat.

I cut them into lengths and then into 1" cubes.

1 bowl of chicken thighs. I bowl of 2 eggs and milk whisked. In the last bowl I pulsed my homemade bread in my magic bullet. Then I pulsed the coconut flakes and added them to the bread crumbs. Stir in the seasonings and you are set.

Dip the chicken pieces into the egg wash and then the bread crumbs and lay out on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with oil. I put a handful of chicken in the eggs, then scooped them out, letting the egg drain away between my fingers. Then I tossed them in the bread crumbs to make it go faster. You want to dust off as much as the excess breadcrumb as you can. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.