Peppery Monterey Jack Pasta Salad

Rating 4 out of 5

I slightly disagree with the rating, but that's what the official rater gave this dish. I enjoyed the simplicity and agree if you use salami (it is on my no-can-do list) and maybe a sharper more flavorful cheese it would be a higher rated dish.  The recipe is courtesy of the Well-Fed Newlyweds.

Ingredients

8 oz. uncooked Israeli couscous or other small pasta shape (we used quinoa)
2 1/4 cups plum tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup capers, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup sliced jarred banana peppers (I didn't care for these)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (you may want to switch with a sharper cheese)
1 oz. salami, chopped (we used canned chicken, I would recommend the salami)
15 oz. can navy beans, rinsed and drained (we used Great Northern beans)
1 clove garlic, minced (or more to taste)
2 T. cider vinegar
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. salt (use 1/4 tsp. if using kosher salt or sea salt)
 
Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. In a large bowl combine all of the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.

3. Gently stir in the pasta until well combined. (A rubber spatula works well for this.)

4. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.  

Avocado and Shrimp Salad

Rating 4.25 out of 5

Food on the Table had a very simple "salad" that I wanted to try out as a topping on crostinis and a salad topping.  This was super quick, healthy, and uses fresh veggies. Unfortunately, I gobbled it down before I could take a picture (I was STARVING), but I'm sure you can picture what it looked like.

Ingredients
 
2 avocados - peeled, pitted, and cubed
2 tomatoes, diced
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 (pound) small shrimp, peeled, deveined and halved
salt and pepper, to taste
2 (tablespoon) lime juice
1 baguette (for the crostinis) or handful of spinach (for a salad) 


Directions

1. In a medium pan, saute shrimp and onion (if you don't like raw onions) in a small amout of olive oil until opaque, about 3 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

2. Stir together avocadoes, tomatoes, onion, and shrimp in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in lime juice.

3. If serving on bread, put the sliced bread on a cookie sheet and brush with a little olive oil. Broil on low for a few minutes until toasted.

4. Serve cold on crostinis or on a bed of spinach.

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

Rating 4 out of 5

This is a cross between cinnamon rolls and sopapillas. It was time-consuming but worth the wait. It's not something we will make on a regular basis but it was a perfect compliment to our easy bacon, egg, and cheese burritos. The recipe is from Annies Eats (again).

Ingredients
For the dough:
2¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed (we used Wheat flour)
¼ cup granulated sugar
2¼ tsp. instant yeast
½ tsp. salt
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
¼ cup water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs

For the filling:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg


Directions
1. To make the dough, combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook.

2. Combine the butter and milk in a small saucepan and heat just until the butter is melted.  Set aside and let cool briefly, until the mixture registers 115-125˚ F on an instant-read thermometer.

3. Add the milk mixture, water, vanilla and eggs to the mixer bowl.  Mix on low speed until a cohesive dough forms.  Continue to knead until smooth and elastic, adding additional flour as needed 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and is tacky but not sticky. Knead about 3-5 minutes.

4. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat, and cover.  Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.  (After the dough has doubled, it can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight.  Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before proceeding.)

5. Towards the end of the dough rising, add the butter to a small saucepan and melt until browned.  Set aside.  Combine the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl and mix well.

6. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and gently deflate.

7. Roll into a ball, cover with a clean towel and let rest for 5 minutes.

8. Roll the dough out into an approximately 12 x 20-inch rectangle.

9. Brush the dough with the browned butter.  Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the dough in an even layer.  (Yes, really, use all of it.)

10. Lightly grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

11. Slice the dough vertically into 6 even strips. Stack the strips on top of each other and again cut again into 6 equal slices. (You basically want strips that are the same height and width of your pan)

12. Stack all the squares on top of each other and set into the prepared loaf pan.  Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place, 30-45 minutes.

13. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Transfer the loaf to the oven and bake 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown.  (If the top seems to be browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil at the end of baking.)

14. Remove from the oven and let rest in the pan 20-30 minutes.  Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen and carefully turn the loaf out, transferring to a serving plate.  Serve warm with breakfast burritos.

Roasted Shrimp with Parmesan Cheese

Rating 4.25 out of 5

I adapted this recipe is from Annies Eats (the photo above is also from her site). Her original recipe called for Feta cheese, but that is currently on the "can't eat because I'm preggers" list. So, a quick swap with Parmesan cheese and the addition of a little bit of rice and we have a tasty dinner. Brian did complain that next time we should get the shrimp without tails so it would be less work while eating (that's part of the reason the rating got knocked down to a 4.25). Also, next time I will serve this with a thick country-style bread instead of the rice because, I think, the bread will be better at picking up the tomatoes and shrimp mixture. The overall cooking time was around 45 minutes but a lot of that time its cooking on the stove top or in the oven. And, there wasn't much to clean, a cutting board, pot, knives, small bowl, and a few measuring cups.

Ingredients

3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine (we used apple cider vinegar)
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with liquid
2 tsp. tomato paste
1½ tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 cup fresh bread crumbs (we used 1/2 cup panko and 1/2 cup bread crumbs)
3 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1 tsp. lemon zest (don't skip this!)
1 lb. large shrimp (16-20 per lb.), peeled with tail segments left intact, deveined
5 oz. crumbled feta cheese (we used Parmesan cheese)
Juice of 1 lemon (use a real lemon, it really brightens the dish)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat (make sure you use a skillet that can be transferred to the oven). Add the onion and cook until slightly tender, 5-8 minutes.

2. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Continue to cook 2-3 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by half.

4. Add the tomatoes with the liquid, tomato paste, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir to combine, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10-15 minutes.

5. Combine the bread crumbs, parsley, lemon zest and the remaining tablespoon olive oil in a bowl. Toss well with a fork to blend.

6. Remove the pan from the heat. Lay the shrimp in a single layer, tails up, on top of the the tomato mixture. Scatter the feta (or Parmesan) over the top of the shrimp, followed by the bread crumb mixture.

7. Bake for 15 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through and the breadcrumbs are browned.

8. Remove from oven and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the shrimp.

Portobello, Broccoli and Red Pepper Melts

Rating 4.25 out of 5

This is a veggie dinner but you could easily add grilled chicken if you are a "must have meat" person. I loved the easy clean up and little prep work that went into this dish. We served the melts with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. The recipe and photo above are from Annies Eats.

Ingredients

1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets (we used half a bag of frozen broccoli thawed)
1 tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 portobello mushrooms (stems removed), sliced ½-inch thick (we only used 2)
2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced ½-inch thick (we only used 1)
¼ cup light mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
4 thick slices country bread
2-4 oz. provolone cheese, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Preheat a broiler with a rack placed 4 inches from the heat source.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Place the broccoli on the baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Toss to combine.  Broil until the broccoli begins to brown, tossing once or twice, about 4-6 minutes.

2. Add the sliced mushrooms and peppers to the pan with the broccoli and toss to combine.  Broil, tossing once or twice, until the vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes more.  Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise and garlic in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.  Place the slices of bread on a work surface.  Spread each slice of bread with 1 tablespoon of the garlic-mayo mixture.

4. Top with the cooked vegetables, then the cheese.  Line the baking sheet with a new piece of foil. Transfer the assembled sandwiches to the baking sheet.  Broil until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, 2-4 minutes.

Panzanella and Sausage Salad

Rating 4 out of 5 rating

This is a pretty basic dish with lots of flavor. Be sure to use a thick country or Italian loaf of bread and fresh Parmesan cheese. We cooked this indoor because of the wind advisory but it would be perfect out on the grill. Either way, it can be ready in 30 minutes. The recipe is from Rachel Ray.

Ingredients

Four 3/4-inch-thick slices Italian bread
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 plum tomatoes, finely chopped (we used one large tomato)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
5 fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons
4 Italian sausage links (about 1 pound)

Instructions

1. Preheat a grill to medium (or heat your broiler on low). Brush the bread slices with 2 tablespoons olive oil. In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes and garlic; season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Let stand for 15 minutes. Add the vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.

2. Meanwhile, arrange the bread on the grill (or place on a rack nearest to the broiler) and toast on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip and top with half of the cheese; cover and grill for 2 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut into cubes and add to the tomato mixture. Stir in the basil.

3. Pierce the sausages with a fork, arrange on the grill, cover and cook, turning once, until cooked through, about 10 minutes (or you can slice the sausages and cook in a tablespoon of olive oil on the stove top, about 10 minutes). Thickly slice the sausages and add to the bread salad. Divide among 4 plates and top with the remaining cheese.

Tortellini Soup

Rating 4.5 out of 5

A very simple "soup" with a lot of flavor! It was a great alternative to the typical heavy marinara sauce for tortellini that we use. I put this together in 30 minutes and it was filling enough we didn't need a side bread (although that wouldn't hurt). Also, we had about double the amount of tortellini (we used Italian sausage and cheese) that the recipe below calls for, but we just used what was in our package. The recipe is from Annie's Eats.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. olive oil
½ cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. dried oregano
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juices
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
9 oz. tortellini, any variety (fresh or frozen)
3 cups fresh baby spinach, loosely packed
Salt and pepper
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions

1. In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.

2. Add the onions to the pan and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.

3. Add in the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, just until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Mix in the oregano and diced tomatoes.  Add the broth to the pot.  Bring the mixture to a boil.

5. Add the tortellini to the pot and cook according to the package directions.

6. One minute before the tortellini is fully cooked, stir in the spinach.  Remove from the heat.

7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm with grated Parmesan as desired.