Risotto with Chicken Sausage and Peas

There is a restaurant near our apartment which serves a variety of foods, from steak to macaroni and cheese. Everything is delicious. The last time my husband and I ate there, however, they had a sausage risotto as one of their specials. Now, the sausage was a bit greasy and there was a lot of it, so it was a bit too rich to finish. So I made a *slightly* lighter version of the dish to eat at home based on this recipe. Risotto is a bit more time-consuming than a standard pasta, but the creamy texture that results makes it so comfort-foody, you'll forget how the deliciousness even made it into your bowl.

You will need the following ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (16 ounce) package Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage
1 cup chopped sweet onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
1 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine
3 1/2 cups chicken broth, low-sodium
1 cup frozen petite sweet peas
Salt and pepper to taste

First, chop your chicken sausage into bite-sized pieces and chop your onion, garlic, and herbs. Heat your oil in a dutch oven or large skillet, then add your onions and cook until softened. Add in your garlic, herbs, and chicken sausage and heat through.

Next, add the rice and wine to the skillet. Cook until wine is absorbed by the rice, and begin adding chicken broth one cup at a time. Once the rice has absorbed a cup of the chicken broth, add another cup to the rice mixture. Repeat until all 3 1/2 cups have been absorbed. As soon as you are on your final 1/2 cup of broth, add the frozen sweet peas to the mix. 

Add salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan

• Like so many other recipes, I had chosen this one as an attempt to make something healthy. But, at the end of a long, difficult day, a recipe that was originally meant to be a baked chicken breast with some tomato sauce on top tends to morph a bit. You remember that you have breadcrumbs. Your husband has some leftover cheese from his week's lunches. You haven't been to Olive Garden in awhile. You realize that these things, in combination, sound way better than a tomato-y piece of chicken all by its lonesome. And really, doesn't your chicken deserve to have breadcrumbs and cheese?
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• Of course it does.
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• So, I give you: chicken parmesan! (And yes, there is actual chicken under that cheese...)

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• You will need the following:
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• 2 eggs, beaten + 1 tablespoon of water
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 7 ounces seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 cup of flour
• Salt and pepper
• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 12 ounces pasta sauce (or make your own--I used canned tomatoes, sauce, paste, and spices to create a more homemade taste)
• 6 slices Monterey Jack cheese
• 6 tablespoons of shredded parmesan cheese
• *Spaghetti, if serving
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• First, if you are making your own pasta sauce, prepare that an hour or more in advance. This will give the flavors time to meld before you begin your chicken. Next, mix your salt and pepper in with your flour in a shallow dish. Pour your beaten eggs with water into another shallow dish, and your breadcrumbs into yet another to create your chicken parm assembly line.
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• Then, one at a time, dip your chicken breasts into the flour, then into the egg wash, then finally, into the breadcrumbs. Your chicken is breaded and now ready for cooking!
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• *If you are serving spaghetti, this would be a good time to get your water on the stove for boiling.
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• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Warm a large skillet over medium high heat and add your oil. Once oil is warmed, add your breaded chicken breasts and cook for approximately 4 minutes per side, until each side has turned a golden brown. Finally, place your oven-safe skillet with your chicken breasts into the oven to allow them to finish cooking for another 10-15 minutes. Top with cheese when there is about five minutes left for them to cook.
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• Serve with spaghetti, sprinkle with basil, and your healthy-turned-comfort food dinner is ready to serve. Enjoy!
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• [Note: recipe is a combination of the ingredients and techniques found here and here]

Buffalo Chicken and Bleu Cheese Macaroni

For the first time ever, I tried chicken wings this year--who has never had chicken wings, right??--and they were AMAZING. In fact, for the week or so after I tried them, I was craving that yummy, spicy flavor. But, since I couldn't just drink the hot sauce out of the bottle (not that the thought didn't cross my mind), I had to come up with a recipe that had a similar flavor. I thought about a macaroni and cheese that utilized the same elements as the chicken wings (i.e. the spice, the bleu cheese dipping sauce, the...you know...chicken) and found a recipe here that was everything that I could ever dream of (though I'm sure my arteries had nightmares for days). It was cheesy and creamy and spicy, and the bleu cheese made it taste about as sophisticated as a bar-inspired take on a traditionally childhood meal can taste.

This macaroni recipe is one of those things that just makes you feel cozy and happy, so take a moment to drool over the picture, and then whip yourself up a batch!!

You will need the following ingredients:

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
• Kosher salt
• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1 pound yellow sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)
• 8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a LARGE 9 x 13 pan. I used a cake pan instead of a typical casserole dish, and I was still worried I wouldn't have enough room for all the macaroni. Or, you could also fill two smaller 8x8 pans if you prefer. Either way, you'll be eating macaroni for a week (lucky!).

Cook your pasta according to package directions (just make sure to salt the water before adding the macaroni, as this will flavor your pasta). Next, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a large skillet.  Add your onion and celery and cook for 5-8 minutes (until you notice your onion turning translucent), then add your chicken, garlic, and 1/2 cup of hot sauce. Simmer until slightly thickened.

Now for the cheese sauce! Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a separate skillet over medium heat and mix in the flour and mustard, stirring to prevent lumps. Add in your half and half (still stirring to prevent lumps), bring to a boil to help it thicken, then reduce the heat and let it simmer gently while you add in your copious amounts of delicious cheese (only the cheddar and pepper jack here--hold on to bleu for just a bit longer!). Now, if you'd like, you can add an additional 1/4 cup of hot sauce into the cheese sauce if you like things REALLY spicy. I left out the 1/4 cup, and the 1/2 cup from the chicken mixture still made things perfectly spicy for the hubby and me.

Pour the macaroni, cheese sauce, and chicken mixture into your greased pan and mix well (or layer the ingredients as the original recipe called for, if you prefer). Finally, melt the last 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave and mix in the breadcrumbs, parsley, and bleu cheese. Spread over the top of your macaroni and cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden on top and bubbly around the edges. Like so:

Allow it to rest for 10 minutes after it has come out of the oven, then dig in! If you love chicken wings and all things cheesy and spicy, you will love this. So thank you to the Food Network for inventing this god among foods, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Penne Alla Vodka

And now, for a recipe that is sure to become a staple in our house: Penne Alla Vodka. I first became aware of the magic that is a vodka cream sauce in a Smart Ones frozen meal: 

Granted, the frozen dinner was not the most amazing thing I've ever eaten, but as far as frozen dinners go, it was pretty good. Then, I found this recipe here from Divine Bite--and it was amazing. Not only did my husband clean his plate and go back for seconds (which is how I gauge how successful any recipe is), but he even finished the scraps I left behind on my own plate. I don't believe I have ever witnessed my husband have a third helping of any food, so that should give you an idea of just how tasty this recipe was!

To start, you will need the following ingredients: 

1 lb. penne pasta
¼ - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
¾ cup vodka, good quality
4 tbsp butter
½ large onion, diced
3 tbsp tomato paste
¾ cup heavy cream (I used light to make it a bit healthier)
½ cup parmesan cheese (grated)
Salt & pepper to taste

First, cook your penne in well-salted water according to package directions. When it is finished cooking, be sure to reserve a couple tablespoons of the cooking liquid in case your sauce ends up too thick. Add the crushed red pepper flakes to the vodka and allow it to steep before moving on to the next step.

Next, melt the butter in a large skillet, add your onion, and cook over medium-high heat until translucent. Add in the vodka/red pepper flakes and simmer for an additional 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and turn heat to low. (I only had leftover homemade marinara sauce, so I simply used 3 tablespoons of that).

Add the cream and parmesan cheese and stir well. Heat through, then add your penne to the skillet to coat evenly with the sauce. If at this point your sauce is too thick, add the reserved cooking liquid.

Serve with an extra sprinkling of parmesan cheese and some parsley, and enjoy!

Tomato, Lemon, and Cannellini Bean Pasta

Let's face it--trying to cook a healthy meal is expensive. It's much easier to buy a package of Ramen noodles or macaroni and cheese for a dollar than it is to find something that is affordable AND has nutritional value. So, wanting a recipe that wouldn't break the bank, I found this: Lemon, caper, and white bean pasta. The recipe is supposed to be made from foods that are generally already in your pantry (and that are fairly cheap!), so I decided to give it a try. I omitted the capers (I didn't have any, and didn't want to spend money on them just for this recipe) and instead used my friend Sarah's roasted grape tomato idea in their place.

Ingredients:
1 box grape tomatoes
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil (fresh would be even better!)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 box angel hair pasta (I used whole wheat)
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon garlic pepper
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt to taste
Optional toppings: Parmesan cheese, parsley 

Put the water on to boil for your spaghetti. Salt the water to flavor your pasta.

While the water is heating up, prepare your roasted tomatoes. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix together your grape tomatoes, olive oil, basil, and minced garlic cloves until all the tomatoes are well-coated. Spread out on a baking sheet. When the oven is ready, cook at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes (7 minutes is fine if you want the tomatoes a bit firmer; they will start to break down by 10 minutes). I may come back to this recipe for a homemade pasta sauce in the future--the smell of the tomatoes when they are finished is amazing!

Next, get your sauce ready. Melt the butter in a skillet over low-medium heat. Using a handheld grater, shred the peel of the lemon (the shreds of lemon peel are the zest) into the butter. To get the most juice from your lemon, roll it on the counter applying pressure with your hands to get the juices to flow, then cut the lemon open and squeeze the juices from each half into the butter, as well. Add in your garlic pepper and salt and mix well. Finally, toss in the cannellini beans and roasted tomatoes until heated through.

Toss with the spaghetti or simply serve the tomato-bean sauce on top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley if desired. Enjoy the meal--and the extra money in your wallet! :)

**I had to include a close-up to point out the color here. The dish is still tasty without the tomatoes, but they provide both an added depth of flavor and beauty in presentation. A feast for the stomach AND eyes! (Now really...go enjoy ;)).

Swedish Meatballs and Noodles

After three weeks of placing our life in boxes, my husband and I have finally moved into a new place--with a beautiful new kitchen! So of course, I needed a homemade meal to break in the new place and settled on one of my favorites from childhood: Swedish meatballs and noodles. I'd say this recipe is most similar in taste to the Stouffer's boxed dinner...but it's also thicker, fresher, meatier, and more flavorful (and actually fairly healthy--just watch your portion size)! The recipe was inspired by a combination of a random card I found in a recipe box, some stroganoff ingredients, and my own imaginings. Here are the ingredients (note that I ended up swiping paprika for parsley at the last minute at the end of the recipe):

For the meatballs:

3/4 pd. of lean ground beef

3/4 to 1 cup of breadcrumbs

2 egg whites

1/4 chopped yellow onion

1/2 tsp allspice

1/3 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup beef broth (prepared or made from bouillon)

For sauce:

1 can cream of mushroom soup (healthy fat/sodium version)

1 packet Lipton onion soup mix

1/2 cup sour cream (I used light)

And finally, a bag of egg noodles (brand of your choice--I used whole wheat ones for the health benefits)

To begin, preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Combine all ingredients for your meatballs in a bowl except for the beef broth (i.e. ground beef, onion, egg whites, spices, breadcrumbs). When finished, form 1 inch balls of meat out of the mixture (ice cream scoopers help to keep your meatballs a uniform size for even cooking). Warm a skillet, put in a few tsp of oil to prevent sticking, and brown the meatballs over medium-high heat. When browned, transfer the meatballs to a baking dish, pour the beef broth on top, cover with aluminum foil, and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. This will help them to complete the cooking process, and they will be finished when they are no longer pink on the inside.

While the meatballs cook, prepare your sauce and noodles. To prepare the sauce, combine the mushroom soup and packet of dry onion soup mix in a large skillet on the stove (over medium heat). Depending on how thick you like your sauce, you can add a little milk to thin your sauce out, but be sure to add it a tsp at a time to keep it from getting too runny. Cook your egg noodles in a large pot according to the package's directions.

When the meatballs are close to being finished, take your sauce mixture off the stove and stir in the sour cream until thoroughly blended (you do not want to do this over the heat in case the sour cream curdles).

To serve, place a heap of egg noodles on a plate, add a few meatballs, cover with sauce, and sprinkle with parsley! And there you have it: tasty, healthy, and simple--enjoy!