Penne with Artichokes

1 lb. penne rigate
1 small onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 artichoke hearts, quartered
1 1/4 cups canned diced tomatoes
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the onion and the garlic in the olive oil. Add the artichoke hearts. Cook to a pale gold color over high heat, then add the tomatoes, seasoning to taste. Simmer 15-20 minutes over medium heat.

Cook the penne rigate until al dente according to package directions in boiling, salted water. Drain and add to the artichoke sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan.

From: Chicho's Kitchen

Shrimp Scampi

1/2 lb linguine
1 T. butter
4 cloves garlic
¾ lb shrimp
1 tsp Kosher salt
A few grinds of pepper
1 T. dried parsley flakes
½ lemon, zested
¼ c. lemon juice
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
Parmesan cheese
Cook linguine, following instructions on the package.
Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet and add the garlic.  Sauté for 1 minute, being careful not to burn it.  Add shrimp, salt, and pepper and sauté until the shrimp just turns pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often.  Remove from heat, add parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice and red pepper flakes.  Toss with the linguine and serve with parmesan cheese.

From: Sisters Cafe

Dairy Free Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 16 ounces extra firm tofu
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 10 ounces frozen spinach, defrosted
• 1 box jumbo shells
• 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce

Instructions

1. Drain the tofu and pat dry with paper towels. Crumble into the bowl of a food processor or high-speed blender along with olive oil, salt, oregano, garlic and nutritional yeast. Process on high until smooth and “ricotta-like”.
2. Add the defrosted spinach to the blended tofu mixture.
3. Cook shells in boiling salted water until el dente. Drain
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour about ½ cup pasta sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan. Stuff shells with 2 T of filling and place in pan, seam side down. Repeat until all shells have been stuffed.
5. Pour remaining pasta sauce over shells, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve!

From: PBS Food

Crockpot Falafel

- 1 15oz can garbanzo beans (chick peas)
- 1/2 onion, chopped
-1 T dried parsley
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 egg
- 1 t kosher salt
- 1/4 t black pepper
- 2 t ground cumin
- 1 t ground coriander
- 1/4 t cayenne pepper
- juice from 1 lemon (that's a lemon. a weird looking lemon, but a lemon nonetheless)
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup bread crumbs (I have bread crumbs made from a loaf of Trader Joe's brown rice bread that I keep in the freezer)
- 2 T olive oil (for the bottom of your crock)

The Directions.

Take a deep breath. It looks like there are a lot of ingredients, but this comes together awfully quick. I seriously only spent 25 minutes from start to finish. The hardest part was getting all the spice bottles arranged for the photo.

Drain garbanzo beans. Dump them into a mixing bowl and smash them with a fork. Set aside.

Get out your blender or food processor (I used our vitamix. I love that thing!). Blend together all of the spices, the onion, the garlic, the egg, and the lemon juice.

Pour on top of your smashed garbanzo beans. Use your fork to mix together, and add the breadcrumbs slowly until the mixture is wet and sticky but can be formed into balls nicely. I needed 3/4 of a cup of breadcrumbs.

Pour 2 T of olive oil into the bottom of your crockpot stoneware insert.

Form squished golf-ball sized patties of falafel. Dip each side into the olive oil and then nestle into your crockpot. It's okay if they overlap or are on top of each other.

Cook on high for 2-5 hours. Ours cooked on high for 3.5 hours--you will know that the falafels are done when they turn brownish-golden. You can flip them halfway through the cooking time if you feel like it, but they will brown on top even without flipping. (I know. I don't get it either.)

Serve with yogurt sauce or mayonnaise. I made a quick yogurt sauce with Greek yogurt, celery seed, dill, salt and pepper and lemon juice.

From: A Year of Slow Cooking

Vietnamese Spring Roll Salad

Glazed Pork
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c water
2 t fish sauce
2 t soy sauce
2 T oil

Heat water and sugar over medium high heat until carmelized (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat. Slowly drizzle in 4 T or so of hot water and whisk until smooth and coats the back of spoon. Add fish sauce, soy sauce, and oil. Brush onto meat. Let sit 20 minutes and grill:

1 lb. pork loin, sliced into large 1/4 in thick pieces

Let sit for 10 minutes, then slice thinly. (Note: Don't dip the yucky raw pork brush into your glaze, just drizzle it on and then brush. Reserve left over marinade to pour over your salad because it is sooooooo good!)

Meanwhile, whisk or blend together:

Hoisin Sauce
1/4 c. hoisin sauce
1/4 c. peanut butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T rice vinegar
Water until consistency desired

And chop up:

Lettuce
Basil
Cilantro
Chives/Green Onions
Carrots (shredded)
Cucumbers (very long, thin slices)
Noodles (thin, rice, whatever)

This can be made as a salad, as lettuce wraps, or in traditional rice-paper wrappers. I love the idea of wraps, but the truth is they are so messy we always end up eating it as a jumbled up salad, anyway! This is our new family favorite, and pork is so cheap that when you add herbs from the garden it is a very inexpensive but tasty meal that satisfies the meat lovers, veggie lovers, and pasta lovers alike in our family.

From: nessaandmichael.blogspot.com

Fruit Soup

¾ c. sugar
1 c. water
1 c. peach juice (or another cup of water, which is what I always do instead)
3 Tb tapioca (be sure to use the “minute brand” quick cooking tapioca!)

6 oz orange juice concentrate
1 ½ c. water

2 cans mandarin oranges (with or without juice)
1 quart sliced peaches - (you can use 1 large can of peach slices, but I would not add the heavy syrup – I always try to use Lite peaches that have been bottled with pear juice and water, in which case I add the juice. Also, cut up the slices so they are bite-size.)
2 c. fresh strawberries, sliced, just before serving
2 bananas, just before serving
1 bag frozen raspberries, thawed but still cool and firm (or an equivalent amount of fresh) or other berry mix (raspberries give the juice a red tint, without raspberries it is an orange color. I almost always use a tri-berry mix which includes raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.)


Bring sugar, water, peach juice and tapioca to a boil. Continue boiling on medium high for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Some tapioca will be clear and other granules will have a white center. Take off heat. Let sit for 30 minutes. (This is when the tapioca will become more clear.)
Add 6 oz orange juice concentrate and 1 ½ c. water. Chill overnight.

Add mandarin oranges and peaches. Before serving add strawberries, bananas, and raspberries.

From: sisterscafe

Fiesta Chicken Pasta Salad

1 pkg Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch dip mix
½ c. oil
½ c. vinegar

1 lb cooked, shredded or cubed chicken (about 1 ½ to 2 breasts)
3/4 box garden rotini
1 can black beans
1 can black olives, halved
2 -3 tomatoes, chopped
Frozen corn

Mix dressing mix, oil, and vinegar in small bowl and set aside. Combine chicken, cooked pasta, beans, olives, and tomatoes in large bowl. Add dressing and frozen corn about 20 minutes before serving. Be sure to toss again just before serving, as the dressing will seep to the bottom.

From: sisters cafe

Chickpea Noodle Soup

serves 6 (can easily be halved)

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
8-10 cups chicken broth --can use vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb pasta (I used whole wheat angel hair, broken in half)
2 15.5-oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
black pepper, to taste
shaved Parmesan or Asiago cheese
(I think if you have fresh parsley--that would be good too)

In a large pot, heat olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Saute for a few minutes, then add broth. Bring broth/ garlic mixture to a boil, over high heat. Stir in pasta. Reduce heat to medium-high, and add chickpeas. Gently boil, 8-12 minutes (depending on what pasta you use), until pasta is cooked through. Season to taste with black pepper.

From: sisterscafe.blogspot.com

Shrimp Pasta in a Foil Package

UPDATE: Obviously I didn't use white wine. (I hope it's obvious!) I used 1/4 c water and 1/4 c apple cider vinegar. Enjoy!

Yummmmm!!!!!

Ingredients

• ½ cups Olive Oil
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 3 whole 14.5 Ounce Cans Diced (or Whole) Tomatoes
• 1/4 c water
• 1/4 c apple cider vinegar
  
• 2 pounds Jumbo Or Large Shrimp, Peeled And Deveined
• Salt And Pepper (to Taste)
• Fresh Parsley, Minced
• 1 pound Linguine, Uncooked
• Red Pepper Flakes (to Taste)

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta for 1/2 the recommended cooking time. Pasta should still be very firm.

In a large skillet or pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for a minute. Dump in the tomatoes and wine. Stir the mixture together, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cook for ten minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare a large parcel of heavy duty aluminum foil. It should be large enough to hold the entire pasta dish.

Throw the shrimp on the top of the pasta sauce. Throw the drained pasta over the top, then pour the whole dish onto the foil. Tightly wrap the foil into a parcel.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and keep warm until serving.

Open the foil parcel right before serving. Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over the top. Squeeze on lemon juice, if desired.

From: The Pioneer Woman

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

These are my current obsession. I ADORE them. I tagged the recipe as a main dish because that's how I've been eating them lately!

2 medium-sized sweet potatoes
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t coriander
1 t kosher salt
1 t parsley
fresh ground pepper (about 10 turns of a pepper mill

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet lightly with cooking spray. Don't use a silpat, or parchment, or anything like that. You want them right on the cookie sheet. Slice your sweet potatoes into french fry shape and size. I like mine to be 1/4", or maybe a tad bit bigger.

It's important that all of the pieces are evenly sized to ensure even cooking. So toss any irregular pieces aside (or eat them in another dish). When you're ready you'll have something that looks like a pile of carrots.

Put the sweet potatoes in a bowl and drizzle the olive oil over them. Use your hands to make sure each one is coated. If you've got more than a pound of sweet potatoes, add a little extra olive oil. They should all be glistening, just eyeball it. Then sprinkle on all of the herbs and spices and continue to toss until well coated. Place the fries on the baking sheet. It's very important that they are not touching, but can place them pretty close together.

Place cookie sheet in pre-heated oven and set the timer for 15 minutes. Don't open the oven door, not even for a peak! Let them do their thing. After 15 minutes take pan of oven and flip the fries. If you try to do it one at a time it will take forever, I take a long spatula and get a bunch at at time. It's super quick. Just flip, and then make sure they're spaced out again. Be careful because at this point they're quite soft.

Put the pan in the oven and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Just keep an eye on them. They should be nice and golden brown.

From: ourbestbites.com

Gluten Free 10 Minute Flat Bread

1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup water
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp oil

Combine all ingredients except oil. Heat a 6" NONSTICK skillet (must be nonstick) fairly hot. Spread 1 tsp oil into skillet, then add the thin batter. Cover and cook 2 minutes. Uncover, spread with 1 tsp oil and cook uncovered 5 minutes. Flip the bread and cook another 5 minutes uncovered and serve. You can keep cooking/flipping to get it as crispy as you want. Any flour will work, but some may need more water to get a thin batter. Can be used as a tortilla, sandwich 'bread', crispy bread, pizza crust, etc.

Note: I don't use as much oil. I add just enough to the pan so that the bread doesn't stick and then I skip the step of adding more oil before flipping. I then use the bread as a tortilla for open faced tacos.

Extra-Crusty Baked Rigatoni with Beef Ragu

1 lb rigatoni
2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1.5 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 large can (28 oz) peeled and chopped tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz mozarella, shredded
1 cup grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 350. Cook rigatoni to al dente, drain, and toss in a large bowl with a little olive oil. In same large pot you cooked the noodles in, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add beef, and cook, stirring, until no pink remains, about 10 minutes. drain off any fat. Add the parsley, oregano, and tomatoes and stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes. Stir in cream, raise the heat, and return to a boil. remove the pan from the heat, and season with salt and pepper. Add rigatoni and toss to coat. Oil a 3 qt baking dish. Spread half the pasta mixture in the bottom. Top with half the mozarella. Top with remaining pasta mixture. Top with remaining mozarella. Top with the grated parmesan. Bake until sauce is bubbly and top is crusty and golden, about 35 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. :)

From: Amanda Wilkinson

Funky Spaghetti

Ingredients:Serves 3–4


1 pound spaghetti or linguine
11 to 14 ounces cherry tomatoes , red and yellow
2 handfuls of fresh marjoram and basil , leaves picked
6 to 8 glugs extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic (peeled and finely chopped)
Splash of red wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put pasta in large pot of boiling water and cook until al dente. Halve tomatoes, put in bowl and add herbs, olive oil, garlic and vinegar.

Season to taste, then scrunch tomatoes until slightly mushed. Drain pasta, and while still steaming, mix with tomatoes.

Separate onto plates and serve.

From: oprah.com

Charred Spanish Ham Cheese Melts and Hot Olives with Herbs and Spices

Ingredients:Serves 4


8 slices crusty bread from a good-size loaf, 1/2 inch thick, at least 5 inches across and 3 inches wide
1/3 pound thinly sliced Serrano ham
1/3 to 1/2 pound manchego , thinly sliced with sharp knife or cheese plane
1 cup hot pickled vegetable salad of cauliflower, carrots, celery and hot peppers (giardiniera) drained
1/2 cup sweet pickled red pepper relish or sweet pickle relish
2 cups mixed good quality olives
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves , finely chopped
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
Extra-virgin olive oil , EVOO, for drizzling
Form sandwiches of Serrano and cheese in equal amounts. Grind the hot pickled vegetables and the sweet pickle relish in food processor and pulse chop to make a relish. Spread the relish evenly on sandwich tops and set into place.

Place olives in a foil pouch and season with thyme, lemon zest, cumin seeds and red pepper flakes. Drizzle with EVOO and seal the pouch. Place pouch on grill and cook a few minutes on each side to heat the olives, herbs and spices.

Place sandwiches on grill and weigh down with heavy skillet or a brick covered in foil. Char and heat the sandwiches through—2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Cut sammies in half and serve with hot olives on the side.

From: oprah.com

Tim McGraw's Chicken and Dumplings

Tim McGraw made his grandmother's chicken and dumplings for Faith Hill when they were dating! They go perfectly with Faith's cornbread.

Ingredients:

1 small chicken
Water
Pinch of salt
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter shortening
1/2 cup buttermilk
Boil chicken in a pot, adding salt to taste. When tender, pull chicken from the bone and return to the pot, adding broth.

In a bowl, combine shortening and flour, mix together with a pastry cutter, then add buttermilk to form a doughy consistency (similar to how you would make biscuits). Sprinkle flour on cutting board. Pinch off part of the dough and roll into a thin sheet and cut into squares. Drop one square at a time into broth. Continue this until all of the dough is used. Add salt and pepper to taste and simmer until tender.

Allow the dumplings to thicken the broth for 2 hours until it is a creamy consistency.

From: oprah.com

Tom Cruise's Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients:Makes 4 servings


1/2 inch olive oil (for frying pan)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 chopped onion
8 to 12 thick slices Italian bacon
4 eggs
2 packages spaghetti
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
In a frying pan, combine 1/2 inch of olive oil, 2 cloves of minced garlic, one chopped onion and the Italian bacon cut into small squares. Let simmer for about a half-hour, being careful not to let the oil get to a boiling point.

In a bowl, beat 4 eggs with lots of salt and fresh ground pepper.

Bring a pan of salted water to a boil. Cook both packages of spaghetti until al dente, drain and immediately add egg mixture to pasta. The eggs are actually cooked by the pasta. (Make sure the eggs are thoroughly cooked before proceeding.) Stir the egg mixture until it is well mixed. Pour in the mixture from the frying pan and stir. Finish with the Parmesan cheese and serve!

From: oprah.com

Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burger

Oprah found a new favorite food when she tried this turkey burger at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump's private club in Palm Beach. "I believe [it] may be the best turkey burger in the entire world," she says. The Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burger will be permanently available at the Trump Bar and Grille in Trump Tower in New York City, open to the public for lunch and dinner. It will also be served during lunch in Chicago at Sixteen, the Trump International Hotel restaurant.


Ingredients:Serves 6


1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
3 Granny Smith apples , peeled and diced
1/8 cup canola oil
4 pounds ground turkey breast
2 Tbsp. salt
2 Tbsp. black pepper
2 tsp. Tabasco® chipotle pepper sauce
1 lemon , juiced and grated zest
1/2 bunch parsley , finely chopped
1/4 cup Major Grey's Chutney , pureed
Sauté the scallions, celery and apples in the canola oil until tender. Let cool.

Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sautéed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into eight 8-ounce burgers. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Season the turkey burgers with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes.

From: oprah.com

Ridiculously Delicious Pasta Salad

1 12 oz. pkg. bowtie pasta
1 can olives, sliced
¼ to ½ red onion, sliced
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
½ to 1 bag baby spinach
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 bunch broccoli florets
8 oz. swiss cheese, shredded
½ to 2/3 cup craisins
1 ½ cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
1 bottle poppy seed dressing or 1 recipe of poppy seed dressing

Cook pasta and drain. Run under cold water; drain again. Add remaining ingredients and toss with dressing. Chill. Makes about 15 to 20 servings.

Poppy Seed Dressing:
1 ½ tablespoons poppy seed
¾ cup red wine vinegar
1 ½ cups oil
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ tablespoons grated onion
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoons dry mustard

From: Amanda Wilkinson

BBQ Meatballs

I doubled the sauce and put them on hoagies. YUM!

Meatballs:
1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
3/4 c oats
1 c milk
3 T very minced onion
1 1/2 t salt
plenty of ground black pepper
flour

Sauce:
1 c ketchup
2 T sugar
3 T vinegar
2 T Worcestershire
4-6 T onion
Dash of Tabasco

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all meatball ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Roll into medium-small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place sheet in freezer for 5 minutes.

Remove from freezer and immediately dredge in flour.

In a skillet over medium heat brown the meatballs in canola oil until just brown. Place in baking dish. Combine all sauce ingredients and then pour evenly over the top of the meatballs. Now just pop 'em in the oven for about 45 minutes.

From: pioneerwoman.com

Thai Curry Soup

2 ounces rice noodles (pad thai noodles)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced lemon grass
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons red curry paste
1 (32 ounce) carton chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 (13.5 ounce) can reduced-fat coconut milk
1/2 cup peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 (10 ounce) bag baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rice noodles and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse well with cold water to stop the cooking; set aside.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, lemon grass, and ginger; cook and stir until aromatic, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the curry paste, and cook 30 seconds more. Pour in about 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, and stir until the curry paste has dissolved, then pour in the remaining chicken stock along with the soy sauce and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer 20 minutes.

Stir in coconut milk, shrimp, mushrooms, spinach, lime juice, and cilantro. Increase heat to medium-high, and simmer until the shrimp turn pink and are no longer translucent, about 5 minutes.

To serve, place some rice noodles into each serving bowl and ladle soup on top of them. Garnish each bowl with a sprinkle of sliced green onion.

From: allrecipes.com