Here Comes the Sun

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Summer Time Pasta Salad

with homemade dressing

  

Hey hey! We are quickly creeping up on summer and that brings on more bbq's and other outdoor gatherings which usually involve quite a bit of great summer time grub. It's the time of year for burgers and dogs, bbq chicken, and anything else you can throw on the grill.

Well, to go along with all the delicious bbq food I have an equally delicious pasta salad that is full of fresh veggies and a simple light dressing. I also used whole pasta to make it even healthier, but feel free to use whichever pasta you like best.

The recipe for this dressing is simply delicious and great for a garden salad as well. It's also great to make your own dressing at home because you control the ingredients and avoid added sugars, salts, and preservatives. This will last you up to 90 days in the refrigerator so make a big batch and enjoy! (This recipe is more than enough for one batch of pasta salad)

Happy Almost Summer!!

Summer Time Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1 box of whole wheat penne
• 2 bell peppers, which ever colors you prefer
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 cucumber
• 4-5 oz extra sharp white cheddar,
• 1 batch of homemade Italian dressing, recipe follows

Italian Dressing

• 1 cup red wine vinegar (or whichever you prefer)
• 1 1/3 cup olive or canola oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• Pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)

To make the dressing

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and which until fully combined.
OR
Pour ingredients into large bottle and shake until combined.

Directions

1. Prepare penne as box instructs.
2. While pasta is cooking, chop the vegetables and cheese into small like size pieces.
3. Once pasta is cooked, drain and toss with vegetables and cheese, in a large bowl.
4. Pour about 1/2 of the dressing and stir.
5. Taste and add enough to your liking.
6. Enjoy!

Movin on up...to the east side

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Baked Tortellini

with veggie loaded marinara sauce

Hello hello! Long time no blog. Well I was too busy moving and then stranded and disconnected from the world with out cable and Internet. THE HORROR!

 The cable company just decided it wasn't important to show up and get us connected. Anyway, we are all connected now and I am able to be back to blogging.

Since we had to entertain ourselves with out tv and internet, I took the liberty of making my roommate my apprentice in the cupcake world. I figured I'd be doing a lot of baking here and could use the help. She was actually very excited and a great student! We made chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and she picked up the pipping really fast so they also looked great. We have lots left over so I am going to teach her how to make cake pops. Maybe I'll be neighborly and bring them to the family next store, with my business card of course ;).

Being in disconnect gave me lots of time to get out and enjoy my new location. I am only a few blocks from the beach and that is heaven! I have been walking up and down the beach everyday and totally enjoying the wonderful scenery and being active outside in this GLORIOUS weather we've been so lucky with this winter.



<3


I also had some close friends over for dinner last week once everything was settled in. Even though we had to use stools, fold-able chairs, and tray tables because of  our tiny tiny kitchen table, it was such a fun night and I am so thankful for such wonderful friends. On the menu was peppercorn roasted pork loin, balsamic asparagus, and salad (and quite a bit of wine) MMM!

Speaking of MMMM, this recipe is great. You can never go wrong with pasta, especially cheesy baked pasta. This is quick and easy, unless you want to be crazy and make your own sauce like I did (worth it!), and has added healthy bonuses by using  extra veggies in the sauce.

I hope you enjoyed hearing about the move and I hope you make and enjoy this recipe as well.

Check back for some Valentines day treats<3!

Baked Tortellini

w/veggie loaded marinara sauce

• 1 9oz package frozen cheese tortellini
• 1 recipe for homemade vegetable marinara (recipe follows)
• -OR-
• 1 jar of vegetable pasta/marinara sauce (reccommend Giada De Larentis; available at Target)
• 1 box frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/2 cup part skim shredded mozeralla (you can add more)
• 1/4 tbs orgeano
• 1/4 tbs garlic powder

Directions

1. Pre-boil the tortellini as directed on package.
2. Drain and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350.
4. In a large bowl stir together tortellini, sauce, and defrosted spinach and pour into baking dish.
5. Cover the top with shredded mozerella and sprinkle with oregano and garlic.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.  

Veggie Loaded Marinara Sauce   

• I made the recipe from this blog, it was AMAZING! The wine enhances the flavor and the dash of sugar actually does balance out the sauce

Rainy Day Grub

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Spicy Tomato Soup w/ Cheesy Pesto Flat bread

Hey hey! So, all my 609 friends, who is ready for some nicer weather?! My umbrella and I have gotten much too close lately. If its not raining or drizzling it seems like its just about to at any moment. The humidity is doing wonders on my ever so frizzy hair but other I can't complain about getting to wear boots again! Not that you all care about my hair and wardrobe so I won't bore you with anymore of that.

Instead I'll entice you with some recipes to make for these rainy days that make you just crave good old comfort food.

This soup is a perfect way to lift your spirits and warm your soul! Ok, ok maybe I'm being extreme but it will hit that comfort food craving and heat ya up because it has a great spicy kick to it. I based this recipe off of one from Giada De Larentis.

I love her. I wish she was my neighbor. I'd always be out of sugar  so I could walk on over and be like "Oh hey neighbor, I'm out of sugar can I borrow some?" And she would say "Of course come in Ashley. I've actually been making this glorious dinner and have no one to share it with."

AHHHH I can dream right?

Annnnyyywwaaayyys. This soup tastes great, can be adjusted to your liking and is super simple. To make this she actually mixes chicken broth with a jar of really good marinara sauce. Who would have thought?!

The flat bread is basically pizza dough which I rolled out super thin and baked in the oven on a pizza stone. You can use premade pizza dough, make your own, or even just use some good Italian bread sliced into thin pieces.

Hope you try this one!

I will leave you with some California Sun, I bet it's not raining there!

if you look close enough, you can see me in the spoon!

Spicy Tomato Soup

Serves 4-6

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 carrots peeled and chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (26-ounce) jar favorite marinara sauce

2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth 

1/2- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 cup any small pasta

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper.
4. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve.
5. In separate pot bring pasta to a boil for time indicated on box.
6. Keep separate from pasta and add to each bowl rather than the pot of soup. This helps keep the soup at a great consistency with out the pasta soaking up most of the liquid, especially if letting the soup sit or not eating it right away.

Cheesy Pesto Flat bread

Prepared pizza dough

Garlic powder

Salt

1/2 cup Premade or homemade Pesto

1 cup shredded cheese, preferably provolone, mozzarella, or gruyere.

1. Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
2. If you have a pizza stone keep this in the oven while it preheats.
3. Check out how I make homemade Pizza dough  <OR> use premade dough at room temp, and rolled as thin as you can get.
4. Sprinkle dough with garlic powder and Salt.
5. Place on preheated pizza stone, or cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 5-7 minutes and remove from oven.
7. Spread pesto across dough and top with grated cheese.
8. Bake for another 6-7 minutes.
9. Remove and let cool slightly before slicing into pieces.
10. Best when dunked into soup!

MMMM! Stay dry!

Mambo Italiano

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Chicken & Pasta

w/garlic white wine sauce 

Hey hey! It's been a few days since I have posted anything. I had a lot going on. Nothing of too much importance just some work, work, and work. YAY!

But this past Saturday I spent with some close friends and Incubus! It was a great show and perfect weather for lawn seats! I had such a wonderful time, I even went ahead and got one of those WAY overpriced frozen drinks int he big plastic cups I said I'd never buy. Well now I can just check that off the list because it was a 16 dollar completely flavorless drink. But hey we had fun racing our way through it, bracing the brain freeze the whole way :)

we were too far for a pic of the band so we took one of ourselves

 Anyways....I have been on an Italian kick ever since I got bac

k from that glorious and delicious country. Who doesn't love Italian food right? But I have always just preferred other cuisines a little more and ate Italian much less than other foods. But lately I have just been loving pasta and cant eat enough pizza, or drink enough Italian red wine....mmmmm! So while I was driving around for work today I was contemplating what to eat for dinner and REALLY wanted pasta.  

I have some left over white wine, which I don't drink often so I thought what better way to use up than to cook with it. This calls for just a few things.  Just some chicken breast, garlic, chicken, broth, wine, olive oil, broccoli, and some parmesan. Make yourself a nice side salad and pour a glass of wine from the wine you cooked with and you're all set for quite a lovely date. No date?! No Problem?! Just add more wine to glass and I'm sure your lonely dinner date wont seem so lonely :).

 All kidding aside, it really is a delicious dish and great if you are just cooking for yourself or a large crowd. You just adjust the recipe easily depending on how much you need. I really wanted to make some cannoli cupcake poppers to go with these for desert but didn't get around to it. But I am making them asap and recipe will follow, mmm can't wait! :)

 

Chicken and Pasta



mmmmm cheese!



w/garlic white wine sauce

Serves 4, or 1 or 2 REALLY hungry people :)

 

4oz pasta (whichever you prefer, I used organic whole wheat spagetti)   

4 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)

2 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

2-3 heads of broccoli

1 teaspoon dried parsley, prefer fresh if you have it (if using fresh, wait to add until the end)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

     *or whichever herbs you prefer*

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

• Cut chicken into even cubes, toss with flour, salt, and pepper.
• Coat large skillet with olive oil and heat over medium heat.
• Add the garlic and let cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Place cubed chicken in skillet and saute for about 3-4 minutes, until browned.
• Add the chicken broth, wine, and herbs.
•  When adding the herbs, pour into palms and rub hands together when pouring it. It will help realize the flavor/
• Cover and let simmer, for about 10-15 minutes.
• While waiting prepare pasta and broccoli.
•  I usually just cut the broccoli crowns off and place in microwaveable bowl. Add a few splashes of water and cover with paper towel, or microwaveable plate. Microwave for about 2-3minutes depending on how much broccoli you used. Used dish towel or oven mitts to remove from microwave, its HOT,  but broccoli comes out perfect every time, and super simple!
• Once sauce has reduced and chicken has cooked through (about 10-15minutes) Toss with pasta, broccoli, and cheese.
• Pour left over wine into glasses, and enjoy!

 Bon Apetito!