Tag Archives: tomatoes

Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

September 19, 2012
Shannon
2 comments
basil, food, pasta, tomatoes, vegetarian

Sometimes just a couple of little words will send my willpower into a nosedive. After yesterday’s post about how I’ve been eating a lot of chicken and veggies lately, I mentioned how I could eat a “big bowl of pasta” every day. After writing that one sentence, it suddenly became all I could think about. Pasta. Specifically stringy pasta that I could twirl around and around until the cluster of pasta looped around my fork would barely fit into my mouth. This is what I do from time to time and it’s my weakness. So I made this Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic.

Cherry tomatoes and garlic are roasted in the oven until juicy and bursting with sweetness. They are then mixed with whole-wheat spaghetti and olive oil to create a simple, filling and flavorful pasta dish. A topping of parmesan cheese adds a cheesy, salty bite and fresh basil gives that bright freshness that mixes with pasta and tomatoes so perfectly. Any kind of pasta or tomatoes will work here so use whatever your favorite kind is but watch the olive oil – I used about half of what the recipe called for because it didn’t need so much. I’m not kidding when I tell you I twirled and twirled my fork with this spaghetti. I can’t help it, I couldn’t get it in my mouth fast enough. I heart it. Sometimes a big bowl of pasta hits the spot just the way a big fat hug does.

The ingredients:

Cook pasta according to package directions or until al dente. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 6 tablespoons cooking liquid. Return pasta to pan.

While pasta cooks, combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil, tomatoes, and garlic on a jelly-roll pan, tossing to combine. Bake at 450°F for 11 minutes or until tomatoes are lightly browned and begin to burst.

Combine reserved cooking liquid and 2 tablespoons oil in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil 4 minutes or until mixture measures 1/3 cup. Add oil mixture to pan with pasta; toss to coat.

Add tomato mixture, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to pasta; toss to coat.

Top with cheese and basil.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Whole-wheat spaghetti
Shredded parmesan

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Baja Chicken Stir-Fry

I’ve been on a bit of a chicken and veggies kick. It’s what I’ve been craving so why fight it? It’s better than eating a big bowl of pasta or a buffalo chicken cheesesteak, both of which I could easily eat on a daily basis if it weren’t for my stubborn conscience. I can’t seem to get enough chicken lately and the brighter the rainbow of veggies the better. It’s not often that I go through phases like this so when they come around, I embrace them. But no matter what my body wants, chicken and veggies can get boring unless they are switched up with different flavors. I came across this Baja Chicken Stir-Fry (adapted from Baja Pork Stir-Fry) right when I wasn’t sure what to do next. One look and I instantly fell in love with the vibrant colors in this dish.

Chicken breasts are cut into bite size pieces, seasoned with nothing more than salt and pepper, and cooked until brown. Green, orange and red pepper slices are quickly stir-fried with minced jalapeño and then mixed with the cooked chicken. A simple sauce of ground cumin, broth and cornstarch is added to the whole mixture and thickens up quickly, coating each piece of the stir-fry. A final addition of cherry tomato halves and chopped cilantro rounds out this dish that comes together quickly. The peppers are perfectly crisp, the tomatoes are juicy and the whole dish gets a kick from the jalapeño and a flavorful warmth from the ground cumin. I wouldn’t normally think to add tomatoes to a stir-fry but it seems to work here.

The ingredients:

Combine broth, cornstarch, cumin and garlic. Set aside.

Season chicken with salt and black pepper. Add canola oil to a large skillet heated over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook thoroughly until brown on all sides. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil to pan and heat over high heat. Add the bell peppers and jalapeño and stir-fry for 1 minute.

Return chicken to the pan and stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in broth mixture, the remaining salt and black pepper, and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat, and stir in tomatoes.

Sprinkle with cilantro.

Additions: None

Omissions:

Red onion

Substitutions:

Chicken breasts

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Chili-Cheese Mac

I was happy to not really have any plans this past weekend and looked forward to three days of laying low, staying in and saving money. I really had to keep myself on a tight budget this week so I’ve had to curb my spending, even at the grocery store. Every ounce of restraint to spend money went out the window though on Sunday when I met some friends for lunch. Because it was dreary and rainy outside, we were restless. No one had anything to do after lunch and no one wanted to just go back home. Next thing we knew, we were on a train to Atlantic City where we played blackjack for five hours straight. For someone who was really trying not to spend any money over the weekend, the whole trip was probably a terribly bad decision so thankfully it worked out. Just one day earlier, I was at the grocery store mentally calculating the cost of my items as I went along. So many of us are on budgets so it’s always good to find recipes that are light on the wallet and can either be made with staple pantry items and/or inexpensive ingredients. This Chili-Cheese Mac is a perfect example of such a meal.

Ground meat is seasoned with spices before being simmered in broth and water with canned tomatoes and macaroni. A super simple cheese sauce made of milk, cream cheese and cheddar cheese is mixed in to create a creamy and filling meal. This dish is the closest thing I have ever made that has reminded me so much of Hamburger Helper, which I love. The spices really provide plenty of flavor and the cream cheese adds a slight tang. I used chicken broth and ground turkey instead of beef broth and beef so any variation works. An addition of peas or spinach would be great additions to make it a full meal. This makes a ton of food too so it’s great if you are feeding a big family or if you just want to have plenty of leftovers for the week.

The ingredients:

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add ground meat and the spices. Cook 3 minutes or, if using ground chicken or turkey, until meat is fully cooked.

Add broth, water, and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Stir in macaroni; cover and cook 10 minutes or until macaroni is done.

Heat milk and cream cheese in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook 4 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar.