Meatless Monday: Ricotta Pasta

Ricotta Pasta

(from Cooking Light)

And once again we find ourselves at Meatless Monday! I'm going to start my week with 100% honesty. I took one look at this recipe and thought "Really? This is what we're having? Guess it's a diet night." But this dish seriously exceeded appearances! The ricotta gave it a nice creaminess and the mint gave it a nice, simple, unmuddled flavor. (Unmuddled... is that a word? Did I make that up?)

Cooking Light gives you the steps to make your own ricotta, but we went to a local Italian grocery store and bought a nice one. But the choice is yours! Another option: roast the tomatoes in the oven until they're about to burst, then cut them in half. (Wear an apron, they might splatter) 

Ricotta Pasta

Recipe...

serves 4

• S&P
• 8 oz fettuccine (fresh is best)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium zucchini (halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise)
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 c cherry tomatoes, halved
• ricotta
• 2 Tbsp small mint leaves

1) Bring a pot of water to a boil. When it comes to a boil, salt the water, and cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and reserve. 

2) Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. Add zucchini and sauté 2 minutes. Add S&P and garlic. Sauté 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Combine with pasta and top with ricotta and mint.

Italian Cream Soda

Italian Cream Soda

Last week, Monday to be exact, I teased you with a sort-of kind-of Meatless Monday post where I told you all about my new favorite beverage. And here you have it! The daringly delicious Italian Cream Soda!!!

I found some Torani raspberry flavored syrup at the local grocery store (although my favorite is blackberry) and I am happy to report that this is just as delicious as at the restaurant! Maybe even better (free refills, hello).

Italian Cream Soda

Recipe...

serves 1

• Flavored syrup (Torani is good)
• Sparkling/Seltzer water
• Cream (or half and half or whole milk)

1) Pour about 1-2 Tbsp flavored syrup into a glass of ice. Fill with sparkling/seltzer water. Top it off with 1 Tbsp cream and give it a stir

Bsketti and Meatballs

Bsketti and Meatballs

(aka: Spaghetti and Meatballs)

If you told the 7 year old me "Hey, kid! We're having spaghetti tonight. Do you like spaghetti?" 7 year old me would yell "Bsketti!!!" And if you asked 7 year old me what my favorite foods are, 7 year old me would tell you with a twinkle in my eye "bsketti and ribbons!" Translation: 7 year old me really loves spaghetti and BBQ ribs. 23 year old me also loves spaghetti and BBQ ribs, but 23 year old me is able to properly pronounce complicated words like "spaghetti" and "ribs." Ah, it's good to be 23. 

Whole wheat pasta, while higher in fiber and other nice things for your health, is just not that good. I would forgo the health benefits of whole wheat pasta for normal white pasta any day. However, I am convinced that we really can have it all. It requires an extra pot, but hey, what's an extra pot for the perfect spaghetti?

And here it is ladies and gentlemen, the revolutionary idea...

Half white pasta, half whole wheat pasta.

Genius, right? Each forkful will be a delightful balance between al dente delicious white pasta and healthy whole wheat pasta. All you have to do is cook whole wheat pasta in one pot and white pasta in another. You could cook them together in one pot as long as you make sure the whole wheat pasta goes in first because it takes longer to cook. I'm not a pasta expert, so I would personally stick to two separate pots.

Granted, I haven't actually tried this yet, but in my head it is perfection.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Recipe...

• olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 28 oz can tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 pinch sugar (about 1/4 tsp)
• basil or dry Italian spices
• 8 oz ground turkey
• 12 oz ground sirloin
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 c parsley, chopped
• 1/4 c panko
• 1/4 c parmesan, grated
• 2 Tbsp milk
• S&P
• spaghetti

1) Make the sauce. Saute garlic and onion in olive oil until soft. Add tomatoes and tomato paste and a pinch of sugar. Let this simmer over low heat (a splatter guard will be a huge help at this point) until it start to thicken. Add some chopped basil and/or Italian spices to taste. Let simmer a bit longer. Add S&P to taste.

2) Meanwhile, prepare meatballs. Put ground turkey, ground sirloin, 1 egg, parsley, panko, parmesan, milk, 1 tsp dry Italian spices, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Use your hands to combine the ingredients being careful not to over-mix. Roll into meatballs the size of your choice.

3) Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt the water. Cook your choice of spaghetti according to package directions.

4) Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place half the meatballs in the skillet and cook until brown on one side. Turn to brown on the other sides until cooked through. Repeat process with the rest of the meatballs.

5) When the pasta is cooked, the meatballs are done, and the pasta sauce is ready, put it on your plate and twirl it around on your fork and eat it up!

Weekend Fun and the Friendly Burger

The Friendly Burger

Okay, I realize today is Monday and normally I would tell you all about the meatless meal we had. But I didn't take any pictures. I know! I didn't get home until late and was so hungry when I got in the door that I just devoured the sandwich my mom had ready for me before it even occurred to me that it was Meatless Monday! It was like "omg food now big bites napkin omg SO good my mom is the best is that goat cheese on this sandwich yes yes yum om nom camera, what?" 

So, once again, I offer a substitute. I'll clue you in on my weekend happenings. Let's start with pictures, shall we?

 Above you will find the weekend's characters. Colin, blue drink with special things (Don't worry, nothing illegal here. The special things are just sprinkles.), delicious burgers, the blanket for outdoor lounging and me, Laura, and Beth (with Luxury Cat).

By the way, when I say weekend, I mean a Thursday afternoon. We haven't been out of college long enough to think Thursday isn't part of the weekend.

Beth and Colin treated Laura and I to delicious cheese burgers with sweet potato fries and pickles, all nestled in those cute red plastic baskets lined with wax paper! Beth and Colin are truly the best hosts.

All in all, my weekend was divine. Snacks and drinks outdoors, tree climbing, a big styrofoam airplane, and great friends. You just can't compete with that.

Pesto + Pasta

Mmmm, pesto. So fresh. So delicious.

This dish is simple. Pesto, pasta, grilled chicken, parmesan. It really couldn't be much simpler.


Pesto Pasta
Recipe...

• 1/8 c walnuts
• 1/8 c pine nuts
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 1/2 c basil
• 1/4 tsp salt plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 c olive oil
• 1/2 c parmesan cheese
• penne pasta
• chicken breast

1) Whir the nuts and garlic for 15 seconds in a food processor. Add basil, salt, and pepper. With processor on, stream olive oil in through the top. Add parmesan and give it a quick whirl. Use it right away or put a piece of plastic wrap over it laid directly on the pesto. 

2) Cook some pasta.

3) Grill a chicken breast that has been seasoned with S&P. Let it sit for a minute before you cut it. Cut into strips or cubes.

4) Drain pasta, add pesto and chicken. Add some pasta water if the pesto needs to be thinned out. Sprinkle some parmesan on top and eat it!

Summery Veggie Pasta

Summery Veggie Pasta

We live on a lake here at home, which means come summer time we will be out on the lake until the sun goes down. You may notice that means we're out on the lake until 9 or 10 pm. Totally fun, but drinking on an empty stomach is a bad idea! Which is why we need to have an arsenal of make-ahead, minimal maintenance meals to take on the boat.

This Summery Veggie Pasta is a great side dish or meal with the addition of grilled chicken. It's easy (cook pasta, cut veggies, make vinaigrette, combine, done), it's nutritious (hello, vegetables!), and it's delicious cold. Perfect for throwing in a small cooler with a few forks to gobble on the back of the boat.  You don't even have to pack napkins! Let's face it- if you drop some pasta on your bathing suit you can just jump in the lake.

For those of you that aren't living the aquatic life, this is for you, too! You didn't think I would leave you out, did you? You can use whatever veggies you prefer and as much or little as you want!


Summery Veggie Pasta
Recipe...
veggie to pasta to dressing ratio is completely subjective

• big bowtie pasta (or little if you prefer)
• 1 carrot, cut into bite sized bits
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into bite sized bits
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into bite sized bits
• 1/2 red onion, cute into bite sized bits
• 3 c baby spinach
• 1/4 c asiago cheese (or parmesan or another hard cheese), grated
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 c olive oil
• 2 Tbsp white wine or tarragon vinegar
• S&P

1) Cook bowtie pasta according to package directions (don't forget to salt the water!). 

2) Meanwhile, cut your veggies into bite sized bits. 

3) Prepare the dressing. Combine garlic, vinegar, and S&P in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil. Taste the dressing and adjust the proportions accordingly. 

4) When bowties are finished cooking, drain and place in a large bowl (or back in the pot). Stir in baby spinach and let it wilt. Add dressing and grated cheese while the pasta is still hot. Add veggies and serve warm or cold.

Meatless Monday: Sort-of Kind-of

We didn't do Meatless Monday last week. It just wasn't in the cards this time, so we went out. We went to Johnny Carino's because it's local and OMG did you know you can get the family sized portions for half off on Mondays?!?! It's pretty much the best deal ever.

Since Meatless Monday was sort-of kind-of cancelled last week, here's what I can offer you: a beverage and some almost meatless sushi. 

Besides the amazing deals at Carino's, my favorite thing about it is the Italian Cream Soda. I'm pretty sure they just put some of those flavored syrups in the bottom of a glass, fill it up with soda water, and top it off with cream (just like the kind you put in your coffee). I might be salivating as I type this. 

As for the sushi, that was a bit more involved than the Cream Soda.

First you have to make sushi rice and let it some to room temperature. Then you prep your sushi fillings and get rolling! I kept it simple with cucumber, avocado, and crab (in various combinations). I'm going to spell out the steps, but I really can't call it a recipe. It's more of a process description.

I'm a huge fan of this making sushi at home thing because I love sushi, but it's not cheap. If you make it at home, you can make a whole bunch for cheap and totally pig out!

Sushi Rice
Recipe...
(about 3 rolls worth)

• 1c rice (uncooked)
• water
• 1/3 c rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt

1) Rinse 1 c rice until the water runs clear. Place in a pot with about 9.2 oz water (if you can get that exact measurement, more power to you). Put over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the water comes to a boil. When it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low, cover, and let it cook about 6-8 min. 

2) While the rice cooks, heat vinegar, sugar, and salt over medium heat until the solids dissolve.

3) Check rice. If there is still water in the pot, recover and check every minute. If there's no water, it's done! Put in a bowl and pour the vinegar mixture over top and stir it in. Let this rice come to room temperature.

Sushi
Sort-of Recipe...

• nori
• sushi rice
• fillings
• avocado
• cucumber
• crab
• avocado
• carrot
• anything else you want
• rice vinegar

1) Get all of your ingredients arranged on your work surface. Cut vegetables into sticks. Prepare a bowl of 1 c water mixed with 1 Tbsp rice vinegar. Have a dry dish towel by your side.

2) Lay a sushi rolling mat (available at Japanese markets and even some run-of-the-mill supermarkets- or a magazine) on your work surface. Place a nori sheet on your rolling mat, shiny side down. 

3) Spread a thin layer of rice on top of the nori, leaving the top 2 cm edge of the nori clear. Place your sushi fillings on top of the rice, not quite in the center (closer to you). 

4) Watch this video on how to do the rolling. It's not too tricky, but learning from example can't hurt!

5) Cut your sushi roll into about 6 pieces and enjoy!

6) Watch this video to make an inside-out roll.