Vegetable ravioli in lemon grass broth recipe

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Summer is almost here and for those of us who enjoy gardening, the time to enjoy our bounty of fresh herbs and vegetables is almost upon us. This amazing recipe is the perfect way to kick of the summer season!

VEGETABLE RAVIOLI IN LEMON GRASS BROTH 

• 1 lb Chinese cabbage 
• 6 scallions 
• 6 oz snow peas 
• 4 oz carrots 
• 4 oz mushrooms, trimmed 
• 2 oz vegetable oil 
• 1 oz soy sauce 
• 1 t sesame oil 
• 1 T cilantro, chopped 
• Salt to taste 
• 1 ½ lb fresh stained glass pasta dough 
• Water or egg wash as needed 
• 4 stalks lemon grass 
• 1 oz ginger root, sliced 
• 4 scallions, sliced 
• 1 qt water 
• Salt to taste 
• Cilantro leaves for garnish 

Directions
Cut cabbage into fine shreds. Trim and slice scallions, trim snow peas and cut diagonally into a thin julienne, trim, peel and grate carrots, chop mushrooms coarsely. Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Add vegetables and sauté until wilted. Add soy sauce and lower heat to medium and continue to cook until vegetables are tender and there is no remaining liquid in the pan. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add sesame oil and cilantro. Season with salt as desired. Roll pasta dough into thin sheets. Lay half the sheets on your work space. Place ½ ounce mounds of the vegetable mixture on the pasta sheets about 3-4 inches apart. Brush exposed pasta with water or egg wash and top with remaining sheets. Press together to seal, making sure to press out any air bubbles around the vegetable mixture. Cut into round or square raviolis. Trim off and discard the tops of the lemon grass stalks. Crush the bases then chop coarsely. Combine lemon grass, ginger, scallions and water in a sauce pan. Simmer 10-15 minutes until water is lightly flavored. Strain and season with salt to taste. Drop ravioli into boiling salted water. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes, until pasta is cooked. Remove pasta with a skimmer and drain well. Arrange 5 ravioli in a broad soup plate and pour lemon grass broth over top. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Stained glass pasta recipe

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This recipe is easy to make, but it can be quite time consuming until you are comfortable with the process. The end result, however, is totally worth it if you enjoy crafting truly unique food for your friends and family.

STAINED GLASS PASTA
Basic Pasta Ingredients

• 4 large eggs 
• 5 to 7 T water 
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
• Fresh herbs or edible flours, as desired

Directions
In a large bowl, create a mound of flour and create a well in the center of it. Add the eggs to the well, beating gently with a fork while you add the water a tablespoon at a time. Slowly bring the flour from the sides into the well, adding more water as needed until all of the flour is moistened. Once a stiff dough is formed, create a ball and knead the mixture for 3-4 minutes, until the dough is elastic. Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 20 minutes. When ready to make pasta, lightly dust your work surface with additional flour and divide the dough into fourths. Roll out two portions as thin as possible, keeping unused dough covered until you are ready to use it. Lightly dampen fresh herbs or edible flowers with water and press into one of the dough sheets. Top with the second piece of dough and press and flatten the dough sheets with a rolling pin. Cut into desired shapes and use in your favorite pasta recipes.

For some beautiful examples of stained glass pasta, please visit The Novice Gardner on WordPress.

Creamy tomato slow cooker chicken from Betty Crocker

Betty Crocker is known for sharing some of the best recipes that can be found on the internet. When the following recipe was shared with me via their newsletter, I knew it was one I was going to have to share with you all, and try myself.

CREAMY SLOW COOKER CHICKEN
Ingredients 

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb) 
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper 
• 1 jar (15 oz) Alfredo sauce 
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained 
• 1 pouch (8 oz) Old El Paso™ roasted tomato Mexican cooking sauce 
• 8 oz uncooked pasta (such as penne or mostaccioli) 
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
• 2 tablespoons water 
• 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (2 oz), if desired 

Directions
1 Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Arrange chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Top with garlic, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
2 In separate bowl, stir together Alfredo sauce, tomatoes and cooking sauce until well combined. Pour mixture over chicken.
3 Cover; cook on Low heat setting 5 to 6 hours.
4 Ten to 15 minutes before serving time, cook pasta as directed on package. In small bowl, stir together cornstarch and water; stir into mixture in slow cooker. Increase heat setting to High; cook uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer.
5 Serve chicken with pasta; top with cheese.

Expert Tips 

• Combine this creamy tomato chicken with a beautiful garden salad for a perfect, well-rounded meal. 
• If you happen to have any leftovers, pack it up right away for an easy lunch to take to work the next day! 
• Don't have pasta on hand? This chicken dish also tastes great served over rice or quinoa.

One-pot parmesan chicken ziti with artichokes and spinach recipe from Betty Crocker

When you hear the name Betty Crocker, you most likely think of baked goods-cakes, cupcakes, cookies and the like. I know that's what I think of. However, they also offer a ton of delicious recipes for dinner, as well on their website. Here is one of my favorites:

One-Pot Parmesan Chicken Ziti with Artichokes and Spinach 
Ingredients 

• 4 cups water 
• 2 cans (12 oz each) evaporated milk 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
• 1 lb uncooked ziti pasta 
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch 
• 2 cups shredded deli rotisserie chicken 
• 1 can (14 oz) Progresso™ artichoke hearts, drained, coarsely chopped 
• 10 oz shredded Parmesan cheese (about 2 1/2 cups) 
• Juice of 2 medium lemons (about 2/3 cup) 
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 4 cups baby spinach (5-oz package) 
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, if desired 

Directions 

1. In Dutch oven, heat water, 1 can of the evaporated milk, the salt, garlic and pasta to simmering over medium heat. Simmer 12 to 14 minutes, stirring frequently, until pasta is tender. 
2. In medium bowl, beat remaining can of evaporated milk and the cornstarch; stir in chicken and artichoke hearts. Add to mixture in Dutch oven; return to simmering, and continue to simmer 1 to 3 minutes or until thickened and mixture coats back of spoon. 
3. Remove from heat; stir in half of the cheese and the lemon juice. Stir until cheese melts, then add remaining cheese (reserving 1/4 cup for serving, if desired) and butter; stir again. 
4. Add spinach, and stir until wilted. Serve with reserved cheese and pepper.

Expert Tips

• Stir, stir, stir! The only way to mess up this easy dinner is to neglect the spoon. 
• Baby kale or chard make great stand-ins for spinach in this recipe.

Chef Boyardee Pepperoni Spaghetti Bake recipe

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here is another recipe from Chef Boyardee using their canned goods to make a new entree.

PEPPERONI SPAGHETTI BAKE
Ingredients

• Pam non stick cooking spray
• 1 1/4 cups baking mix
• 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 2 cans (15 ounce each) Chef Boyardee Spaghetti & Meatballs
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/3 cup sliced turkey pepperoni

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 13X9 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Combine baking mix and milk in a medium bowl-stir until a soft dough forms. Drop dough by spoonfuls on the bottom of baking dish (it will not completely cover the bottom). Spoon 1 can spaghetti and meatballs over dough and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheese. Top with remaining can of spaghetti and meatballs,remaining 1/4 cup cheese and pepperoni. Bake 20-25 minutes or until dough is done in center and browned.

NUTRITION INFORMATION
Makes 6-1 cup servings

• Total fat 13 g             20% DV
• Saturated fat 5 g        26% DV
• Cholesterol 25 mg      8% DV
• Sodium 907 mg         38% DV
• Carbohydrates 33 g   11% DV
• Dietary fiber 3 g        10% DV
• Sugars 5 g                 1% DV
• Protein 13 g              25% DV
• Vitamin A                 5% DV
• Vitamin C                 0% DV
• Calcium                   18% DV
• Iron                         11% DV

Pepperoni pizza pasta bake recipe

English: Stuffed pasta shells with spinach and ricotta cheese. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pizza is always a popular dinner in my home, but there are times when the kids and I are simply sick of eating it. If you're looking to break out of the pizza rut, this pasta based recipe should do the trick. Plus the addition of zucchini is a sneaky way to add some extra veggies to your childrens' diets.

PEPPERONI PIZZA PASTA BAKE

• 2 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 1/4 cups grated zucchini
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
• 1 egg, beaten
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cups of your favorite red sauce
• 30 jumbo pasta shells, cooked following the directions
• 1 small package sliced pepperoni
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine ricotta, zucchini, basil, egg salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir to combine well. Spread 1 cup of the red sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Fill each shell with the cheese mixture then arrange on top of the sauce. Top with remaining sauce then add pepperoni. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and return to oven until cheese is golden

Cook's Notes

• If your children like helping you in the kitchen, allow them to add the pepperoni and mozzarella as you layer each in the baking dish.
• For a meatless meal, simply omit the pepperoni.You may wish to add additional veggies, such as peppers or mushrooms, for a more substantial meal.

Meatless Monday White macaroni and cheese recipe

Macaroni and cheese is a classic American recipe that has proven to be quite versatile. It can stand alone as an entree, work well as a side dish or provide a hearty base for a casserole. Most macaroni and cheese recipes call for some form of cheddar cheese and yields a delicious pan of orange colored comfort. I recently found out that white macaroni and cheese can be every bit as comforting as its orange counterpart and even more delicious. This recipe makes a full 13X9 pan which is perfect for holiday tables, potlucks or entertaining. If you are making this for your family-or serving as a side dish-you may want to consider cutting the recipe in half unless you wish to eat leftovers for a week.

WHITE MACARONI AND CHEESE
Ingredients

• 1 (1 pound) box of your favorite pasta
• 2 (12 ounce) cans of evaporated milk
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2-3 dashes of Tabasco sauce
• 2 (8 ounce) packages shredded Italian blend cheese (or pizza blend)
• 1 (5 ounce) package shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 (5 ounce) package shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13X9 pan with non-stick spray and set aside. Cook pasta according to the directions on the box and drain well. In a large saucepan, combine evaporated milk, 2 teaspoons salt and pepper and Tabasco and heat until warm. Add all of the Italian blend and 1 package of Parmesan cheese and cook until the cheese melts, stirring often to prevent burning. Add the cooked pasta, stirring well to coat. Add to prepared pan. In a small bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and stir until well mixed. Spread topping evenly over the pasta and bake 20-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown.