Chicken Penne al Limone

with Zucchini, Toasted Garlic & Fresh Parsley

Ingredients (2 servings)

•  1 clove garlic
•  1 zucchini
•  1 lemon
•  ¼ ounce parsley
•  6 ounces penne pasta
•  10 ounces chopped chicken breast
•  4 ounces cream sauce base
•  3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
•  2 tablespoons butter
•  Olive oil
•  Cooking oil
•  Salt
•  Black pepper

Instructions

1.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Mince the garlic, slice the zucchini, zest and quarter the lemon, and chop the parsley.
2.  Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the garlic until lightly golden,  about 1 minute. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3.  Cook the penne until al dente (9–11 minutes). Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain.
4.  In the same pan, cook the zucchini until tender and lightly browned. Remove from the pan.
5.  Add a drizzle of cooking oil and cook the chicken until browned and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
6.  Stir in the cream sauce base, ¼ cup reserved pasta water, and a generous squeeze of lemon juice.   Simmer until slightly thickened.
7.  Add the cooked pasta, toasted garlic, zucchini, half the Parmesan, half the parsley, half the lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons butter. Toss until coated, adding more pasta water if needed.
8.  Divide between bowls. Top with the remaining Parmesan and parsley. Serve with the remaining lemon wedges.

Cheesy Stuffed Shells

This recipe was actually shared with me by Aubrey Horner, and our family loved it. Liked it so much that it has since entered our rotation of meals, and better yet, I make a large batch of it, then package the supplies together and freeze for a fast meal during the week.

Ingredients:

1 16oz container of low fat cottage cheese
1 10oz pkg. frozen chopped spinach (for our family we omit the spinach)
1 c. mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
20 jumbo pasta shells, cooked, drained
1 26oz jar of spaghetti sauce
1 large tomato chopped

Directions:

Heat oven to 400. Mix cottage cheese, spinach, 1/2 c. mozzarella, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning, spoon into shells. Mix sauce and tomatoes spoon 1/2 into 9x13 dish. Add filled shells, top with remaining sauce. Cover and bake 25 min. Top with remaining cheese and bake uncovered for 2 min.

Santa Fe Chicken Tortellini Casserole

Ingredients:

1 pkg (9 oz) refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
3 Tbs. olive or vegetable oil
2 cups broccoli flowerets
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. ground cumin
4 cups cut-up cooked chicken
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (3 oz)
1/2 cup shredded Colby cheese (2 oz)
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips, if desired

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. Cook and drain tortellini as directed on package.
3. Meanwhile, in 10" skillet, heat 1 Tbs. of the oil over medium-high heat. Cook broccoli, onion and red bell pepper in oil about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender. Remove broccoli mixture from skillet.
4. In same skillet, cook flour and remaining 2 Tbs. oil over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Stir in milk, broth and cumin. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in chicken, Monterey Jack cheese, tortellini and broccoli mixture. Spoon into casserole.
5. Bake uncovered 30 minutes. Sprinkle with Colby cheese and tortilla chips. Bake 5 minutes longer or until casserole is hot in center and cheese is melted.

Skillet Ziti with Chicken and Broccoli

Serves: 4-6
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

•1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced into 1-inch pieces
•Salt and pepper
•3 tablespoons unsalted butter
•1 onion, minced
•1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
•1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
•3 garlic cloves, minced
•8 ounces ziti (2 1/2 cups) -Or whatever pasta you have or like
•2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
•1/2 cup heavy cream
•1 bunch broccoli (1 1/2 pounds), stems discarded and florets cut into 1-inch pieces
•1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, rinsed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
•1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
•2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (optional)

Directions

1.Pat the chicken dry, then season with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until it is lightly browned but not fully cooked, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl.

2.Add 1 more tablespoon of the butter, onion, red pepper flakes, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.

3.Sprinkle the UNCOOKED ziti evenly into the skillet. Pour the broth and cream over the ziti. Cover and bring to a boil, about 5 minutes.

4.Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the broccoli and roasted peppers. Cover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta begins to soften and the broccoli turns bright green, about 8 minutes.

5.Stir in the chicken and any accumulated juice. Cover and continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.

6.Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, the Parmesan, and lemon juice (if using). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Beef Stroganoff

1 lb. stew meat
1/4 c. water
1 pkg. onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom
1 pt. sour cream

Cook the first 3 items for 3-5 hours in the crock pot. Add the cream of mushroom soup and sour cream. Serve over noodles or rice.

4 Cheese Bake

1 lb. box penne or ziti
1 tsp. olive oil
4 green onions, chopped
3 cups fresh baby spinach (I used grilled chicken instead)
3 large eggs, beaten (I decreased the amount of egg to make it cheesier)
1 lb. low-fat ricotta (I used Cottage cheese)
1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella
1 cup shredded low-fat cheddar
1 cup grated parmesan, divided in half
2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper, to taste
Nonstick cooking spray
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/8 cup chopped parsley


1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, warm olive oil in heated pan. Add green onions and saute. Add spinach and wilt down. Set aside.
2. Combine eggs, first three cheeses, 1/2 cup parmesan, and dill. Mix thoroughly. Add spinach mixture. Fold in cooked pasta. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Coat 9" x 13" pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread pasta mixture in pan. Stir remaining 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and parsley together and sprinkle over pasta-cheese mixture. Bake for 30 minutes.none

Tortellini Spinach Salad with Balsamic Tomato Vinaigrette

When I brought this to lunch the other day I didn't have any artichokes or feta cheese and it still turned out okay. So, leave out or add in whatever you think will go well. I love the dressing!

Salad:
20 oz package refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 (14.5 oz) can quartered artichokes
1 (9 oz) bag fresh baby spinach
1 (3 oz) bag sun dried tomatoes
1/2C crumbled feta cheese
1/4C diced red onion

Dressing:
9 Tbl balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 Tbl tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
3/4C olive oil

Cook tortellini in boiling water until al dente. Drain and toss with a teaspoon of olive oil to prevent sticking. Let cool in colander. In a large bowl, toss all the salad ingredients together after the pasta has cooled.

In a blender add all of the dressing ingredients except for the olive oil. Blend until smooth. While blender is running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until combined. Pour dressing over salad and toss (I never use all of the dressing.)

Ranch Salad

Lettuce

Carrots

Small Shell Pasta Noodles

Red Bell Peppers

Frozen Sweet Peas (thawed)

Red Onions

Tomatoes

Homemade Dressing

Layer ingredients in decorative glass bowl in your favorite order. Add or delete later items according to your tastes, or seasonal favorites! (I like to top with a little extra bacon!)

Creamy Tomato Tortellini

I found this recipe online somewhere, and my family loves it! Quick and easy.

1 pkg (13 oz-ish) fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
2 cups frozen broccoli florets
1 can (14-1/2 oz) Italian-style diced tomatoes
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3-4 min of the pasta cooking time.
Meanwhile, cook tomatoes in large skillet on medium heat 5 min. Add cream cheese and seasoning; cook 4-5 min. or until cream cheese is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently.
Drain past mixture. Add to tomato mixture in skillet; mix lightly. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
*Substitute your favorite frozen vegetable blend for the broccoli.