Pasta with Prosciutto and Spinach

I know, another pasta dish! I don't even mean to do it, it just happens! This was a fun find after an impulse buy of what felt like ten pounds of tortellini from Costco! This dish is pretty similar to the Gnocchi recipe that I posted not too long ago, but just different enough that it was still worth posting. I love the delicious cheesy centers of the tortellini, and it's so filling! And for the record, the tortellini from Costco is fantastic! It was also fun to use prosciutto in this dish, I don't have it often, and it has such a wonderful strong and salty taste that adds the perfect accent to the pasta and spinach. The only thing I wish I'd done differently is slice the meat a lot smaller. Prosciutto is a very rich product, and getting a big mouthful of it can be a bit overwhelming! But my whole family loved this one, and my daughter even begged me for leftovers the next day...yeah, this one's a keeper!

Pasta with Prosciutto and Spinach
Found in Cooking Light October 2008 edition

Ingredients

1 (9 oz) package fresh cheese tortellini
1 tablespoon pine nuts (we omitted these due to allergies)
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 (6 oz) package fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
2 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain. Transfer pasta to large bowl.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add nuts to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally. Add nuts to bowl.

3. Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach to pan; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly. Add spinach mixture, cheese, and remaining ingredients to bowl, toss well.

Serves 4: 1 serving is 1 cup

Per Serving: 292 cal, 9.2g fat, 14.6g prot, 38.8g carb, 3.8g fiber, 32mg chol, 1.8mg iron, 618mg sod.

Points per Serving: 6

Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Sauce

I know that the season for pumpkin has passed, but please, is there really ever a bad time for pumpkin baked goods? I didn't think so. I loved this recipe because the cake itself literally takes five minutes to throw together and have in the oven, but then you make the caramel sauce right before serving it and you feel like you are serving up a very fancy dessert. The caramel sauce is a bit thinner, and tastes more like a "brown sugar sauce," that soaks into your cake, but I liked it a lot because it gave the cake a very old fashioned taste, very moist and full of flavor. If I was more of a forward thinking person, I would have had whipped cream, or vanilla bean ice cream to serve it with, but even by itself, it was delicious!

Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Sauce

Found in Taste of Home, Baking Book

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 can (15 oz) solid pack pumpkin
1 cup vegetable oil

Caramel Sauce:
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
Dash salt
1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. In another bowl, beat the eggs, pumpkin and oil until smooth; add to the dry ingredients. Mix until well blended, about 1 minute.

2. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

3. For sauce, combine the brown sugar, flour and salt into saucepan. Stir in water and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cut cake into squares and serve with warm sauce.

Mexican Chicken Pizza with Spanish Rice

I went back and forth several times on whether or not I was going to post this. It was an invention designed after realizing that I had some thawed chicken in the fridge, no plan, and no ambition! There's really nothing new or exciting about it, but it was a definite hit and was gobbled down by every player in the family. The biggest reason I wanted to post though it because the rice, which was also a mix of ingredients that I basically closed my eyes and threw together, turned out DELICIOUS. I love it when that happens!

For the chicken pizzas, top a flour or corn tortilla with refried, or smashed black beans, chicken that has been sauteed in favorite Mexican flavors, sliced olives and mozzarella cheese. Bake at 375 until crispy and brown. Top with rice, sour cream, cilantro, tomatoes, lettuce, salsa, guacamole, or whatever your wee fancy heart desires.

Spanish Rice

Ingredients

1 cup white rice
1 1/2 cup water
1 medium sized can diced tomatoes
1 small can green chiles
1 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tablespoon chili powder

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for twenty minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is fluffy.

Chili Pasta with Beans

I'm actually already craving this dish again and it's only been a few days since I made it! This is what I like to call "real food." It's light and healthy, but doesn't have any weird substitutes, mix-ins, or fake ingredients to make you think that you're feasting on a Salisbury steak, when really it's just gelatin (not that there is anything wrong with that!). I like to think of this as a grownup version of chili-mac, and it's just about as simple to make to, calling for simple pantry ingredients. It's also the first time that I have ever cooked pasta right in with the rest of the food, so the flavor is completely absorbed in the wagon wheels. It's so warm, comforting and delicious, and takes about five minutes to throw together, you're going to love this recipe!

Chili Pasta with Beans

Found in Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2009 edition

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 pound ground sirloin
4 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 oz uncooked ruote (about 2 1/4 cups uncooked wagon wheel shaped pasta)
1 (15 oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and beef to pan; cook 4 minutes, or until onion is tender and beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and oregano; cook 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups water and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 minutes or until pasta is done.

Serves 6: one serving is 1 1/3 cups

Per Serving: 294 calories, 8g fat, 18.8g prot, 35.4g carb, 4.6g fiber, 21mg chol, 3.7mg iron, 644mg sod.

Points per serving: 6

Holy Cannoli!

I thought that this would make a pretty appropriate Valentine's post. Cannoli are so pretty and amazingly easy to make, you could get the stuff today, and have them made tonight in a snap! This recipe was provided by Paula Deen, who, as far as I'm aware, is not Italian at all! She does make a great cannoli though!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons amaretto (I could not find this anywhere, so I used almond extract and it was heaven!)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup unsalted chopped pistachios (I didn't use these)
1 cup ricotta cheese
12 prepared cannoli shells (I got mine at the bakery in Superfresh)
1/2 cup melted chocolate

Directions

In a large bowl, whip together amaretto, cinnamon, heavy cream and confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form.

In a medium bowl, combine the pistachios and ricotta and stir in half of the whipped cream. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream. Fill a pastry bag with no tip with the mixture to fill the cannoli shells.

Dip the tips of the cannoli into the melted chocolate. Place the sheet tray in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until filling and chocolate is set. I drizzled and dipped, you really can't have too much chocolate!

*I discovered disposable pastry bags last Christmas and LOVE them! You can clip the tip off to whatever size you want and then throw it away when you're done!

White Winter Vegetable Stew

This was another gem I found in Cooking Light (best cooking magazine in the WORLD). When I first saw it, I was a little hesitant and wondered if it would have much flavor or richness. I hesitate no longer! This soup was delicious and if you never told me that it was light, then I would think that I was completely indulging. It's creamy, it's hearty and packed with flavor, perfect for a bitter cold winter day. If you like potato chowder, you'll love this as a healthy substitute. As a side I toasted a baguette topped with tomato slices and mozzarella cheese. If I had fresh basil in my fridge, it would have gone on there too, but alas...

White Winter Vegetable Soup

Found in Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2009 edition

Ingredients

1 baking potato, cut into (1/2 inch) cubes
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3 cups thinly sliced leeks (about three large)
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 turnips peeled and cut into (1/2 inch) cubes
1 small celery root, peeled and cut into (1/2 inch) cubes
2 cups water
2 cups whole milk

Directions

1. Place potato in a medium bowl; cover with cold water to 1 inch above potato. Set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan, and cook 7minutes or until soft but not browned, stirring occasionally. Add leek and the next 4 ingredients (through celery root) to pan. Place a sheet of aluminum foil directly over vegetable mixture. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
3. Drain potatoes; add to pan. Stir in 2 cups water. Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Heat milk in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat to 180, or until small bubbles form around the edges (do not boil). Gradually stir hot milk into vegetable mixture, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.

Serves 8: One serving is 1 1/4 cups soup

Per Serving: 311 calories, 10.5g fat, 12g protein, 43.6g carbs, 4.9g fiber, 299mg chol, 640mg sodium

Points Per Serving: 6

Brown Butter Gnocchi with Spinach and Pine Nuts

A few weeks ago I tried a dish with gnocchi that ended up being N-A-S-T-Y! I don't necessarily think that it was the gnocchi, it was just a bad combination of food all around. However, I did have to tell myself not to blame the gnocchi and give it another chance. Gnocchi COMPLETELY redeemed itself with this dish. It was so simple (which I think it how gnocchi was intended to be prepared), light and delicious. My whole family loved it, especially my kids who snarfed down their fat pasta and green spinach (does a mommy proud!). We didn't have the pine nuts in ours due to allergy, but I have no doubt that it's a delicious addition. If you like gnocchi, you must try this dish!





Brown Butter Gnocchi with Spinach and Pine Nuts


Recipe found in Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2009 edition




Ingredients

1 (16 oz) package vacuum-packed gnocchi
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (10-oz) package spinach, torn
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Cook gnocchi according to package directions, omitting salt and fat, drain.
2. Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts to pan; cook three minutes, or until butter and nuts are lightly browned, stirring constantly. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute. Add gnocchi and spinach to pan; cook 1 minute, or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly. Stir in salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4: 1 serving is 1 cup gnocchi and 1 TB cheese

Per Serving: 289cal, 10.8g fat, 9.5g prot, 40.3g carb, 1.8g fiber, 20mg chol, 2.2mg iron

Points per Serving: 6



I was also lucky enough to receive a couple of cute awards from Melissa at Schweet N Savory, a blog that I love to visit...


I want to pass these on to Priscilla at Priscilla's Baking Adventures, Sara, at Sara's Kitchen, ad Pam at For the Love of Cooking. They are all fun and delicious looking blogs that I enjoy visiting often. Congrats, and happy cooking!

Triple Layer Bars

All I can say about these bars is WOW. They have everything you could ever want, chocolate, peanut butter, coconut...sweetened condensed milk (you know when a recipe calls for that, it's gonna be good). Anyway, you have a party, bbq, dinner plans, and don't know what to bring for dessert? Make these, they won't disappoint!

Triple-Layer Cookie Bars

From The Taste of Home Baking Book

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter
2 eggs
TOPPING:
1 pkge (7 oz) flaked coconut
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add eggs; mix well. Spread into a greased 13x9 inch pan.

2. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Sprinkle coconut over crust; drizzle with milk. Bake 20-25 minutes longer, or until lightly browned. IN a heavy saucepan or microwave, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter; stir until smooth. Spread over top. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Chicken Teriyaki noodles

I love the wide eggs noodles, they're thick, filling and hold flavor really well. I especially like the No Yolk ones, because they spare you a lot of the fat. So, while printing off a coupon for a bag of No Yolk noodles (oh yeah, I'm a coupon mom and I'm not ashamed!), I got a bonus by receiving this recipe as well! It's a great recipe, simple and very delicious. It calls for broccoli slaw, which I thought was a great way to sneak in a lot more nutrients. A WORD OF CAUTION: this recipe calls for an entire teaspoon of red pepper flakes. That is a lot and will make your dish incredibly hot. If you like your food extra spicy, proceed, however, if you have kids, or like a mild dish, I would say either start with none, or just 1/4 tsp or so, and add a tiny bit at a time until you like it. When I make this dish again, I probably won't add red pepper flakes at all, the teriyaki flavor is perfect the way it is!

Chicken Teriyaki Noodles

Ingredients

2/3 package wide egg noodles
1 bag (18 oz) broccoli slaw
1 tablespoon canola oil
8 oz lean chicken or pork cut into small pieces
2 green onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions

Cook noodles according to package directions, adding broccoli slaw at the 4 minute mark. Return to boil and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Drain and keep warm. Stir fry chicken or pork in oil in a large skillet until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Push meat to one side. Add onion and garlic, cook for 1 minute. Mix 2 tablespoons chicken broth and the cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth. Add remaining broth, teriyaki sauce and red pepper flakes to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Serve immediately over noodles broccoli mixture, serves 4.

Tuscan Chicken with Garlic-Parmesan Fettucine

I found this recipe in a Weight Watcher's magazine and it turned to be absolutely delicious. It's light, delicious and packed with so much flavor that even the smell will have your mouth watering. And my kids loved it, always a bonus! But before I give the recipe, a few grocery product shout-outs are in order...

I'm in love with the Nakano vinegars. They come in several flavors that help to dress and marinate your foods with barely any calories. The balsamic blend is my favorite. It's a little more mild than regular balsamic vinegar, but it has such a sweet and tangy flavor that pairs with so many foods, and is divine on a salad!

I also just discovered this Ronzoni Roasted Garlic Fettuccine. At first I was a bit skeptical as to how much flavor there would really be in this pasta, but I was pleasantly satisfied. The garlic comes out just perfectly and makes your job as the cook very easy. A little basil oil and Parmesan and we had some delicious pasta!

Tuscan Chicken

Ingredients

4 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pint grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. Place chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2 inch thickness using a meat mallet or small, heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken. Cook 3 minutes on each side, or until golden. Add tomatoes; cook 4 minutes or until tomato skins pop. Stir in balsamic vinegar and water. Cook 4 minutes, or until chicken is done and liquid almost evaporates.

Serves 4: One serving is 1 chicken breast half and 1/3 cup tomatoes.

Per serving: 238 cal, 5.8g fat, 40g prot, 4.4g carb, o.8g fiber, 407mg sod, 99mg chol.

5 points per serving

Garlic-Parmesan Fettuccine

Ingredients

1 9 oz package roasted garlic fettuccine (the recipe originally calls for spinach fettuccine)
1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter, oil or basil oil blend

Directions

1. Cook fettuccine according to package directions, omitting fat and salt. Drain.

2. Combine cooked pasta, cheese and butter or oil. Toss well.

Serves 7: One serving is 1/2 cup pasta.

Per Serving: 157 cal, 5.5g fat, 6.4g prot, 20.3g carb, 1.2 fiber, 39mg chol, 1.2 mg iron, 129mg sod.
3 points per serving

The BEST chocolate bundt cake

I found this recipe on The Sister's Cafe, and just the picture alone had me sold. This cake is even more delicious than it looks and is SOOO rich and chocolatey. If you even kind of like chocolate cake, you'll love this recipe. It doesn't hurt that it's incredibly simple to make too! Happy Valentine's day to you!

Ingredients

1 devils food cake mix
1 -4 serving instant chocolate pudding mix
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
½ cup warm water
½ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Place all ingredients except chocolate chips, in a large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer 1 minute.Stir down sides. Continue to mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake 45-50 minutes at 350. Cool 20 minutes. Invert onto serving platter.

Frosting:
8 Tbsp butter (not margarine)
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/3 cup evaporated milk (I used 2%-it worked great)
4 cups sifted powdered sugar

Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Whisk in cocoa and milk. Bring mixture just to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Beat in powdered sugar with electric mixer until thickened and smooth. Pour warm frosting over warm cake. This recipe makes a lot of frosting.