Zesty Artichoke Basil Sauce

I received this recipe from a friend and she told me I would love it. Boy was she right! It was even a hit with my 3 and 1 year old. This is a great meal for those busy days when you don't have much time to cook. It took less than 30 minutes to cook. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
16 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained with marinade reserved
1 cup silvered onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
14.5 oz. diced tomatoes, undrained
6 oz  tomato paste
1 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. In 2.5 qt. saucepan, heat reserved artichoke marinade. Cook and stir onion and garlic in marinade for 2-3 minutes until tender. Chop artichoke hearts, add to onion mixture with tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, water, basil and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 15-20 minutes.

2. While sauce simmers, cook pasta according to package directions.

3. Serve sauce over pasta and Enjoy!

Weekly Menu

Everything but Saturday's meal (Crock Pot Meatloaf) was delicious from last week's menu.  It was not very tasty. I am making a roasted chicken this week and I have made it before. It is DELICIOUS! My favorite thing about it is I use the leftover chicken to make two other meals for the week. Love when that happens! 

Sunday: Crock Pot Sloppy Joes

Monday: Celebrating my nephews birthday

Tuesday: Spaghetti in Zesty Artichoke Sauce

Wednesday: Roasted Chicken, Multi-Grain Bread, and Asparagus

Thursday: BLT Chicken Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Friday: Chicken Pot Pie

Saturday: Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Sandwiches 

Pasta With Mascarpone, Chicken, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Spinach

I came across this recipe at Italian Food Forever. I was very excited to make it. It was my first time cooking with Mascarpone cheese. I was excited to try it and so glad I did. This was easy and fast to make.  My kind of meal! Will post pic later!

Ingredients:

1 Cup Mascarpone Cheese At Room Temperature

Zest & Juice of 1 Lemon

1 Teaspoon Black Pepper

3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Cut into 1 inch dice

1 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Cloves Garlic, Peeled & Minced

Salt & Pepper

1/3 Cup Chopped Sun-Dried Tomatoes

1 (9 Ounce) Bag Baby Spinach 

1 Package Pasta 

Grated Parmigiano Reggiano/ Pecorino Cheese

Directions:

1. Combine the zest, lemon juice, mascarpone, and pepper in a bowl, and whisk to combine. Bring a pasta pot of salted water to boil. While waiting on the water, heat the oil in a skillet, and cook the chicken until it is cooked through and just beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two. Season with salt and pepper. 

2. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot, and set over medium heat. Stir in the mascarpone and lemon mixture, the chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach. Loosen the sauce with about 1/4 cup of the water and toss all over the ingredients together until the spinach has wilted and everything is piping hot, adding a little additional pasta water if needed. Serve immediately, topped with grated cheese.

Adapted from Italian Food Forever

Taco Pizza

Super Easy and Super Yummy!

Made this for dinner tonight and I loved it. I like that is a cheap dinner to make and meatless. I try to incorporate 2 meatless meals a week for dinner. Sometimes I am able to do it and sometimes not so much. I made the pizza dough from scratch but you can easily make this with store bought dough. Sometimes Publix has them on sale for $1.99. 

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast

1-½ cup Warm Water

4 cups All-purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

⅓ cups Olive Oil

15 oz can Black Beans

1 teaspoon Taco Seasoning

1 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar

1 cup Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

1 head Green Leaf Lettuce, Sliced/shredded Thin

1 whole Tomatoes, Diced

½ cups Cilantro Leaves

¼ cups Sour Cream

Directions:

1. Make the pizza dough: Mix yeast with warm water and set aside for 8 to 10 minutes. Mix flour, salt, and olive oil in a mixing bowl. With speed on low, drizzle in yeast/water mixture. Allow to mix until totally combined. Cover bowl with a towel and set bowl in a warm, draft-free place. Allow to rise for 1 to 2 hours.

2. Pour black beans into a saucepan. Add taco seasoning to taste and heat up beans over medium-low heat. Use a potato masher to mash the beans to desired texture. Continue cooking/heating beans over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until no longer runny. Should be the texture of refried beans. Set aside.

3. Place oven rack in the bottom position in the oven. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

4. Remove half the pizza dough from the bowl. Place remaining half in a large plastic bag and refrigerate, saving for another use. With hands, spread pizza dough on an oiled baking sheet, making sure it’s relatively thin. Spread layer of refried beans all over pizza crust. Sprinkle mixed shredded cheeses over the top. Place pan in the oven (in the bottom half of the oven) and bake for 9 to 12 minutes. Watch it to make sure crust doesn’t burn.

5. Remove pizza from oven. Sprinkle on shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and cilantro leaves.

With a spoon or you can put it in a pastry bag (or make your own out of a sandwich bag), drizzle the sour cream over finished pizza. 

Adapted from the Pioneer Woman.

Weekly Menu

Sorry I have been MIA for a while. Having two young kids will do that to ya! I am happy to start blogging again!

I am super excited about bringing you great recipes again. I am making something new everyday this week and can't wait to try them. I will also be making crock pot meals every weekend since we are always out and about on the weekends. If the food is yummy, I will be posting the recipes this week. 

Sunday: Taco Pizza 

Monday: Balsamic Chicken Pasta

Tuesday: Crispy Shredded Chicken Tacos

Wednesday: Pasta With Mascarpone, Chicken, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Spinach

Thursday: Black Bean Taco with Feta Cheese

Friday: Restaurant Style Salsa and Meatball Subs

Saturday: Crock Pot Meatloaf

P.S. I am making homemade tortillas this week. Wish me luck!!!

Linguine with Eggplant

Ingredients:
2 eggplants (about 2 pounds)
1 pound linguine pasta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
One 14.5 oz can chopped tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pierce the eggplants all over, place on a baking sheet and cook until very soft about 1 hour. Let cool slightly, then cut each eggplant in half and scoop the flesh into a bowl; discard the skin.

2 Meanwhile, in a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the linguine until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice and cook until the liquid has reduced, about 10 minutes. Stir in the eggplant; heat through. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Add the pasta and basil; toss to coat. Add the reserved pasta cooking water as needed.


Adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray

Kale-Walnut Pesto Pasta

Ingredients:
1/2 bunch kale, stems discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
1 pound gemelli pasta
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
1. In a large pot of salted water, cook the kale until tender, 4 o 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the kale to a colander and rinse with cold water. Add the pasta to the pot and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup the pasta cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, squeeze the kale to remove the excess water. Ina food processor, combine the kale, walnuts, garlic, and parmesan until almost smooth; season with salt and peeper. With the machine running, add the olive oil.

3. Add the pesto to the pasta, along with enough pasta cooking water to loosen the pesto as necessary. Serve sprinkled with more parmesan.