Mushroom and Spinach Gnocchi

Potato gnocchi
Assorted fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup pouring cream
baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook gnocchi according to packet instructions. Set aside.

Cook mushrooms and garlic in pan until softened; add cream and spinach. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered until spinach wilts. Stir in half the cheese. Add gnocchi to pan and stir gently, top with remaining cheese.

Chicken Rigatoni

1 chicken breast, cut into strips
Olive oil
Salt, pepper, garlic, oregano to suit taste
Rigatoni noodles
1/2 cup marinated red peppers, sliced
1/2 cup pepperoncini, sliced
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1 cup spaghetti sauce
1 cup grated Parm cheese
1 cup thickened cream

Place chicken strips in boiling water and cook for approximately 10 minutes.

Cook rigatoni as per packet instructions.

In olive oil, sauté garlic with salt, pepper and oregano. Add chicken and cook for 10 minutes, careful not to brown the chicken.

Add peppers, pepperoncini and olives, simmer 5 minutes.

Add thickened cream, spaghetti sauce and parm cheese to skillet. Simmer until cheese is melted. Pour over noodles, stir well and serve.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

1 box large shells (if I can ever find them in Australia)
1/4 teaspoon Mexican chili powder
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups Mexican cheese blend
1 1/2 cups Marinara sauce   1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine ricotta, Parmesan, 3/4 cup Mexican cheese, egg, and chili powder. Set aside.

3. Cook noodles until just pliable.

4. Pour about 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of 9" x 13" baking dish; spread evenly.

5. Fill each shell with Ricotta mixture.

6. Top evenly with remaining sauce,

7. Sprinkle 3/4 cup Mexican cheese on top of sauce.


Original recipe from here

Chef John's Macaroni and Cheese

1 (12 ounce) package elbow macaroni
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
3 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter, melted

 
Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.


Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the macaroni, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked through but still slightly firm, about 8 minutes. Drain well.

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the butter starts to foam and bubble, stir in the flour; cook on medium heat until flour just begins to turn pale yellow, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes and white pepper; cook and stir another minute, then whisk in 1 cup of milk until smooth. Pour in remaining milk and whisk again. Bring the sauce just to a simmer.

Stir in Worcestershire sauce and salt; simmer on medium-low heat until thickened, about 8 minutes, whisking often. Turn heat off, then add 2 1/4 cups of Cheddar cheese; stir until melted and combined. Add Dijon mustard.

Transfer the macaroni into a casserole dish, then pour in the cheese sauce; stir to thoroughly combine sauce with pasta. Mix panko bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon melted butter in a small bowl, and sprinkle crumbs on top of macaroni and cheese. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup of Cheddar cheese on top.

Bake in the preheated oven until bread crumbs and Cheddar cheese topping are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
 
**Optional - you could add some beer or alternative cheeses as long as it's still 3 cups.
 
Recipe adapted from here.

Lasagna Soup

This recipe and photo is from Paula Dean on the food network. Sounds delicious!

1 pound ground chuck
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
1 (32-ounce) box chicken broth
2 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups broken lasagna noodles
1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
red chili flakes
dollop of ricotta, add directly before serving

Garlic Crostini:
1 thin French baguette
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves smashed garlic

Directions
In a large Dutch oven, combine ground chuck, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is browned and crumbles. Drain well.

Stir in thyme, brown sugar, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into 8 to 10 ovenproof bowls. Evenly sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Broil soups, 6-inches from heat, 3 to 4 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbly. Add a garlic crostini slice on top. Serve immediately. Top with dollop of ricotta.


For the garlic crostini:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut bread into 1/4-inch round slices. Place on baking sheet and brush each slice with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; place in oven and bake until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Rub each side with smashed garlic cloves.

Ravioli with Sautéed Asparagus & Pinenuts Recipe

1 14- to 16-oz pkg cheese ravioli (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pinenuts, roughly chopped
8 oz asparagus, trimmed and thinly sliced on a diagonal
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 oz)
Recipe Preparation

1. Cook the ravioli according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and pinenuts and cook, stirring often, until the nuts are lightly toasted and fragrant and the garlic is golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Add the asparagus and cook, tossing occasionally, until just tender, about 2 minutes. Serve over the ravioli and sprinkle with the cheese.

Photo and recipe (slightly altered) from Women's Day from here

Soba Noodles with Edamame

Sauce:


Low sodium soy sauce
Water
Rice wine vinegar
Honey
Garlic Chile Paste

Soba noodles
1 T Sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 zucchini, chopped
1 sm package baby corn
3 green onions, chopped
Black pepper, to taste
Sesame seeds
Extra green onions for garnish

1. First, make the sauce. In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients. I guessed on the measurments, so just make sure you taste as you go. Sorry we forget to measure sometimes. *Make more than you think you need, the noodles will absorb some of the sauce.

2. Cook the soba noodles according to the package instructions. Drain, rinse and set aside.

3. In a large skillet heat the sesame oil. Add in garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Add in zucchini, corn, and green onions. Cook until the zucchini is just tender. Do not overcook.
4. Pour in the sacue. Stir well. Add black pepper, to taste.

5. Stir in the soba noodles. Let everytihng cook together for a couple of minutes.

6. Serve in a bowl. Add sesame seeds and green onions on top, if you wish.

Recipe and photo from here Altered by me as I didn't like the spinach.

Macaroni & Cheese

3/4 bag of pasta shells
2 Tbp butter
2 Tbp flour
2 cups milk
3/4 bag of sharp cheddar cheese
Parmesean cheese for topping
1 can diced and seasoned tomotaoes, drained
6 Tbp Nandos extra hot peri peri sauce
3 Tbp Tabasco sauce
Doritos Mexican flavoured tortilla chips for topping

1.) Cook the pasta shells in slightly salted water for 13 minutes, drain, rise and empty in greased baking dish (appx 13" x 9")

2.) In the pasta pot, melt butter and stir in the flour. Cook until mixture is slightly brown. Slowly add milk 1/4 cup at a time, stirring continuously. Once all the milk is added, mix in the hot sauce, Tabasco sauce and all the cheese. Stir well and add the tomatoes. The sauce may go a little lumpy with the tomatoes but it will still taste good.

3.) Pour mixture over the shells and stir through well. Top with Parmesean cheese and tortilla chips. Bake @ 180 C for 35 minutes and serve.

* The spices completely make this recipe. If left out, you will need to substitute with something else or this will be a very bland dish. You could use onions, bacon, various cheeses, ham or veggies.

Spinach Manicotti

8 dried manicotti shells
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 1/3 cup milk
3 oz. Swiss cheese
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 beaten egg
1 x 10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed
3/4 cup ricotta
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 Tsp lemon peel

Cook manicotti according to directions on box. Cool in a single layer on a piece of greased foil.

Meanwhile for sauce, cook green onions and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in flour. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add Swiss cheese and broth, stirring until cheese melts.

For filling, in a medium bowl stir together egg, spinach, ricotta and Parmesan cheese and lemon peel. Use a small spoon to fill shells. Arrange in a baking dish. Pour sauce over. Bake, covered, in a 350F oven 30-35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Baked Gnocchi

2 (1-pound) packages gnocchi
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
1 cup white wine, or vegetable broth, or mixture of the two
1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the gnocchi according to the package directions, drain and set aside. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. While waiting for the water to boil, in the bottom of a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, broth, and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cooked gnocchi to the prepared baking dish. Cover gnocchi with tomato sauce and stir to coat the gnocchi with the sauce. Sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese, cover dish with foil, and bake for about 20 minutes.

Recipe and photo from Keri on LJ.

Asparagus Angel Hair Pasta

angel hair pasta

minced garlic
fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and chopped
1 punnet grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine or champagne
dill
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 avocado, mashed
jalapeno juice
shredded cheese

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add angel hair pasta, cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until al dente; drain and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil to prevent stickiness.

2. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the asparagus and tomatoes, stirring to coat.

3. Pour in the broth and champagne mixture, and continue cooking uncovered 10 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender, but still bright green.

4. Place the pasta in a large bowl, and toss with the asparagus and tomato mixture. Season with dill and pepper.

5. In a separate bowl, mix the avocados, and jalapeno juice together until blended. Serve pasta with a dollop of the avocado mixture, and top with shredded cheese.

***Optional, you can add chicken, bacon or prawns.

Recipe and photo from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Asparagus-Angel-Hair-Pasta/Detail.aspx?src=etaf

Chicken, Zucchini and Mushroom Risotto

Serves: 4


6 cups (1.5 litres) chicken stock
1 cup (250ml) white wine
20g butter
1 large leek, trimmed and sliced (white part only)
2 cups (400g) arborio rice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 small chicken breasts, trimmed
3 zucchini, halved lengthways, sliced diagonally
200g button mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
salt and pepper


Heat the stock and wine in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and keep warm.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the leek and cook for 3-4 minutes or until leek is just tender.

Add the rice and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until rice is well coated. Using a ladle, pour in 1 cup of the warm stock mixture, stirring constantly to avoid the rice sticking to the base of the pan. Once most of the liquid has evaporated, add another cup of stock, stirring again until most of the liquid has evaporated. Repeat the process until there is about 1 cup of stock remaining.

While the risotto is cooking, spray a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4 minutes each side. Remove from the pan and slice.

Add the zucchini, mushroom and remaining stock to the rice mixture and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are softened and the rice is tender. Add the chicken, oregano, and salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for a further 3-4 minutes.

Serve risotto with shaved parmesan and a simple salad, if desired.

Photo and recipe from http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/18794/grilled+chicken+zucchini+and+mushroom+risotto

Macaroni & Cheese

Serves: 2

Melted margarine, to grease
145g (1 cup) dried macaroni pasta
40g (1/2 cup) grated cheddar

White sauce
375ml (1 1/2 cups) milk
20g (1 tbs) margarine
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs cornflour
125ml (1/2 cup) water


Preheat oven to 250°C. Brush a 1-litre (4-cup) ovenproof dish with the melted margarine to lightly grease.

Cook the macaroni in a medium saucepan of salted boiling water following packet directions or until al dente.

Meanwhile, to make sauce, heat milk and margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Combine cornflour and water and stir in gradually. Bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring, for 5-7 minutes or until thick.
Drain the macaroni. Add to the white sauce and stir to combine. Transfer to greased dish and sprinkle with cheddar. Cook in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately.

Recipe from http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/11952/macaroni+cheese

Pasta Salad

Serves: 4


250g spiral pasta
3 cobs corn, kernels removed (see note)
250g green beans, trimmed, cut into 3cm pieces
250g lean leg ham, cut into short strips
1 red capsicum, cut into thin strips
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 small avocado, peeled, stone removed, chopped
1/4 cup 99% fat-free salad dressing


Cook pasta in a large saucepan, following packet directions, until just tender. Drain. Transfer to a large bowl.

Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Add corn and beans. Cook for 1 minute or until beans are bright green. Drain. Rinse under cold running water to refresh. Drain. Pat dry with paper towel.

Add corn, beans, ham, capsicum, tomato and parsley to warm pasta. Toss until well combined. Add avocado, dressing and salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine. Serve.

Photo and recipe from http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/371/pasta+salad

Broccolini, pancetta and pecorino pasta

150g casarecci or any other short pasta

1 bunch broccolini, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

20g pancetta or bacon, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons finely grated pecorino (or parmesan) cheese, and extra to serve

salt and freshly ground black pepper

extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Cook pasta according to packet directions in saucepan filled with boiling salted water. During the last 2 minutes of cooking add broccolini. Drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid for later.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add pancetta and garlic, cook 4-5 minutes or until pancetta is crisp and garlic is fragrant but not coloured.

Toss pasta and blanched broccolini into a pan and mix well. Add a little of the cooking liquid if the pasta is too dry. Remove from heat, stir in pecorino and season with salt and pepper.Sprinkle with extra pecorino and a drizzle of oil. Serve immediately.

Photo & recipe from here

Butterfly Pasta

1 box or packet of Farfella or any other pasta of you choice
5-6 tablespoon of Butter
1 whole Onion (chopped)
2 Bell Pepper or Capsicum
1/2 of the Pasta Sauce from the Jar
6-7 tablespoons of Parmesan Cheese
3-4 tablespoons of Heavy Cream
Salt to taste
** You can add in other vegetables aswell since this is a basic recipe.**

Put the Pasta to boil. In a pan melt the butter and put in chopped Onions. Cook until they start to get brown. Now put in the Pasta sauce in the pan. Cook a bit. After 3 minutes put in the Heavy cream, with Parmesan Cheese, and Salt to taste. Few minutes later place in the chopped Capsicum or Bell Pepper. Now drain out the water from the pasta, and add to the cooked sauce. Remeber the pan should be big enough to hold all the pasta. The Pasta will be ready in 5 minutes.

recipe from kaurageous on Flickr.com

Spicy Baked Macaroni

Serves: 8-10

Salt
1 pound elbow macaroni pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound assorted mushrooms, quartered
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained of excess liquid
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cups bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup
1/4 cup Romano, plus 1/3 cup
2 tablespoons butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons
12 ounces mozzarella cubed (about 2 cups)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and the onion is golden, about 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, spinach, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 1/4 cup Romano. Spread the softened butter in a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish and sprinkle half of the bread crumb mixture inside the dish to coat.

In a large bowl combine the vegetable mixture with the cooked macaroni, cubed mozzarella, the remaining Parmesan and Romano cheeses. Spoon into the prepared baking dish, top with the remaining bread crumb mixture, and dot the top with the remaining butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes.

recipe from http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_33144,00.html

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken

Serves:2


3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon flour
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 mushrooms, sliced
broccoli florets
pasta
Parmesan cheese


In a baking dish, mix together all ingredients from salt thru to lime juice. Cut chicken into bite size pieces and marinate in mixture for at least an hour in the refrigerator. Heat olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add chicken,marinade, and mushrooms and cook about 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Cook the pasta, adding broccoli just long enough to cook. If using frozen broccoli, add 2 minutes before pasta is ready. If using fresh broccoli, add about 8 minutes before pasta is ready. Drain pasta and broccoli, top with chicken, marinade, and Parmesan cheese.

***This was good. D loved it and I liked it. Personally, I thought it could have used even more spices. Not hot spicy, but actual spices. We made it very hot by adding LOTS of cayenne pepper. I added mushrooms which really absorbed all the flavors.

Chicken Carbonara

Serves: 2


3 slices bacon
1 chicken breast, diced
thin spaghetti
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup onions, diced
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
black pepper
sm jar thickened cream
1/4 cup white wine


In a large skillet cook bacon, mushrooms, chicken, onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Add white wine and simmer for 2 minutes. Add cooked spaghetti and stir through the jar of cream. Continue cooking a further 3-5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Top with Parm cheese and black pepper and serve in bowls.

Smoked Salmon Fettucine

Serves: 2


2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 red onion
1 bunch of asparagus, chopped
6 mushrooms, chopped
250 g smoked salmon, cut into small pieces
1 sm jar thickened cream (and a little ricotta if you have it)
salt & pepper
bow tie pasta


Cook your pasta according to the packet instructions. Rinse, drain and set aside.

In oil, saute onion, garlic, mushrooms and asparagus. Add the cooked pasta and then stir through the cream and season to taste. Keep on the heat until the cream thickens. If you need help thickening it, add a few spoonfuls of ricotta.

Dish up the pasta mixture into bowls. Top with smoked salmon.