Everyday Meals

Dinner, June 3, 2018

Beef with Bow-Tie Pasta

It was a long day out in the sun (despite the 100% rain forecast that didn’t happen), so we wanted a relatively easy dinner. We had thought about grilling, but we decided on this pasta instead. Since it was my original dinner plan, that was fine with me.

The recipe is from an old Betty Crocker supermarket check-out cookbook, which still manages to contain tasty things after all these years (seriously, it’s from the 90s). I pretty much made the recipe as written, except I don’t think I cut the sirloin thin enough (I was really, really tired). I used 1 bunch of asparagus, because that seemed like plenty, and 1 onion, because onions used to be quite a bit smaller so I was guessing that was equivalent. I cooked the veggies in reduced-sodium beef broth, which works fantastic and is amazing. If you use a nonstick pan, skip the spray step. You can make easy tomato puree by dropping a can of diced tomatoes (with juice) in the blender if you don’t have any puree on hand (and who does, really?). I also omitted the last 1/2 cup beef broth, because the skillet with the steak had a ton of liquid in it already and I thought that would be too much.

I thought the sirloin was a bit chewy. Whether that was because it was sirloin or due to my complete inability to cut it thin enough I have no idea. The pasta was really tasty, though, so I think next time I’ll make it with 1/2 lb of sliced mushrooms instead (probably cooked in the other 1/2 cup of beef broth). I think that would be amazing, actually. That being said, the sirloin tasted good, so don’t let my preferences deter you.

Beef with Bow-Tie Pasta

Source: Betty Crocker Easy One Dish Recipes

Ingredients: 1-1/2 lbs beef boneless sirloin steak 3 cups 2-inch pieces asparagus (1 lb) 2 medium onions, sliced 1-1/2 cups beef broth 4 cups cooked farfalle (bow-tie) pasta 1 cup tomato puree 3 Tbs chopped fresh basil or 1 Tbs dried basil leaves 3 Tbs chopped sun-dried tomatoes 1/4 tsp pepper 2 Tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Trim fat from beef. Cut beef into 2-inch strips; cut strips crosswise into 1/8-inch slices.

Spray 12-inch skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium heat until hot. Cook asparagus, onion, and 1 cup broth in skillet 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated; remove from skillet.

Add beef to skillet. Cook ~2 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is no longer pink. Return asparagus mixture to skillet. Stir in remaining broth and remaining ingredients except cheese. Cook ~2 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is hot. Sprinkle with cheese.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Dinner, May 31, 2018

15-Minute Garlic Butter Chicken with Parmesan Cauliflower Rice and Sauteed Zucchini

This recipe for 15-minute garlic butter chicken with Parmesan cauliflower rice from eatwell 101 has been all over my Pinterest feed, and it has a ton of comments/pictures from people who loved it. Therefore, I had to try it, because the pics look amazing (unlike mine, because I made a half of the cauliflower rice, but c’est la vie). My husband was a bit leery of the cauliflower rice because he hates cauliflower, but he's leery every time I make it and he eats it all anyway, so I wasn’t that concerned.

And everyone on Pinterest was absolutely right. The chicken is seasoned with Parmesan cheese, garlic, herbs, and paprika, and the cauliflower rice is cooked in the butter from the chicken with lemon zest/juice and is amazing. I was worried that it would cook as fast as indicated in the recipe, but that wasn’t an issue. We could have eaten double the rice, easily. I used 2 decent sized chicken breast cutlets, which was perfect for 2 people. I served it with zucchini sautéed in a bit of olive oil with lemon pepper and garlic.

Dinner,  May 30, 2018

Bunless Blue Cheese Portobello Burgers with Crispy Shallots and Salad

I pinned this recipe for Blue Cheese Portobello Burgers from How Sweet Eats a couple of weeks ago from a post with a bunch of vegetarian burger options because a- it was different and b- we love mushrooms and blue cheese. I had leftover Gorgonzola cheese in the fridge, so I decided to try it this week.

I’m so glad we did. I have no words for good this was. We ate the mushrooms and could have immediately eaten a second mushroom.

I followed the recipe pretty much exactly as written, except that I omitted the English muffin half and served a salad on the side instead of the “burger” on lettuce. The Gorgonzola and mushroom went perfectly together. Perfectly. They were kind of everything. And I feel like every meal from now on should involve the crispy shallots, because holy smokes! And that’s coming from a girl who can count on one hand the number of times she’s tried to fry anything in her life.

Meal Prep Lunch, May 30, 2018

Chicken Fried Rice with Peanut Sauce and Roasted Broccoli

Since none of our dinners this week were going to involved leftovers, I wanted to make a second set of lunches.  Moreover, none of our dinners were really going to involve carbs, which meant I could make a second set of carb-heavy lunches and not feel guilty. And since I knew it was going to be a long week, I decided on fried rice because a- it’s fast and easy, b- it always heats up well, and c- it’s a comfort food that we both love.

The basic recipe (including the peanut sauce) is based on Easy Vegan Fried Rice from Minimalist Baker. However, while I’m usually down with vegan fried rice, I’d already made vegetarian pasta this week and I wanted eggs, darn it! Also, my husband is on a no brown rice kick, so that was also a problem.

Keeping that in mind, here are the adjustments I made to the recipe:

I cooked 1 and 1/2 cups of jasmine rice earlier in the day and put it in the fridge to cool.

I started with 4 eggs (scrambled) and set them aside when done. Then, I sautéed 1/2 lb of chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces in a bit of olive oil with garlic, then drained the chicken.

I used frozen peas and pre-steamed them in the microwave.

I started following the recipe at the veggie step (shredded carrots, green onion, and garlic) and added the eggs, chicken, and peas with the rice and sauce.

To increase the veggies, I roasted broccoli florets tossed with a bit of olive oil and pepper at 400F for 20 minutes, stirring once.

Meal Prepping Lunch, May 29, 2018

Orzo with Roasted Veggies and Pesto

I looked through my fridge last night after a weekend away and come up with this idea for lunch. As usual with lunch meal prepping for me, I made 4 containers (2 for me and 2 for my husband). These were easy, took less than 30 minutes to make (and part of that was water coming to a boil and oven preheating), and heated up great for lunch. And as a bonus, they used up the leftover pesto in my fridge.

I make my own pesto in the summer when I have an abundance of basil, but the rest of the year I purchase premade pesto, because it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than buying the ingredients and making it myself. My favorite is Rana’s Basil Pesto Sauce, which I think has the most authentic flavor. Not too much basil or salt, and just a nice blend. Any pesto will work, though, so let you imagination run wild.

Any veggie combination will probably be great, so use your favorites or whatever you have left in the fridge. I used zucchini and asparagus because they looked great at the store, and I always have shredded carrots, which made a nice addition and provided a bit of color. I roasted the asparagus because I like the flavor roasting brings out, but the veggies can be cooked any way you like. Just make sure that any excess water or oil is drained away, and don’t season so much that the pesto flavor is overwhelmed.

These lunches heated up really well and made a nice lunch with fresh cherries as a side.

Orzo with Roasted Veggies and Pesto

Source: Me :)

Ingredients: 8 oz orzo 1-½ zucchini, sliced lengthwise and chopped ¾ of a bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces ~½ cup of shredded carrots Pesto to taste (I used ~½ cup)

Cook orzo according to package directions; drain.

Preheat oven to 400. Toss asparagus with a drizzle of olive oil and a bit of pepper (and salt, if you are a salt person). Roast for 10-15 minutes (depending on the thickness of the asparagus). Add to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, saute zucchini and carrots in a bit of olive oil in a skillet until crisp-tender (or to your desired level of doneness). Season the veggies as you like (I used a bit of garlic powder and lemon pepper seasong).

Add the sauteed veggies and orzo to the bowl; mix gently. Add in pesto and mix gently until you reach the pesto/pasta/veggie combination that tastes best to you. Divide into 4 bowls and store in the fridge.

Yield: 4 servings

Dinner, May 24, 2018

Sausage and Chicken Kebobs and Spinach Salad

Apparently there are many ways to spell “kebob”. I knew this, but when I couldn’t find the recipe it made my life a bit difficult on Taste of Home’s website, because apparently they use “kabob” and have a very straightforward algorithm. So use whatever spelling you like, just make these kebobs. Because yum.

I love these kebobs. They are seriously the best. I’ve made them multiple times for different groups of people, and they’ve always been a big hit. They’re especially perfect for the summer, because the potatoes are pre-cooked in the microwave to allow the kebobs to cook evenly, and just a simple salad with whatever is in the fridge is enough to round them off. Any leftover kebobs also heat up well and make a very nice lunch.

The original recipe called for ranch dressing as a dip, but we’ve always preferred barbecue sauce. Either way, it’s a tasty, quick, and easy dinner!

Sausage and Chicken Kebobs

Source: Taste of Home

Ingredients: 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes 1 pound Johnsonville® Fully Cooked Polish Kielbasa Sausage Rope, cut into 3/4-inch slices 4 medium red potatoes, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes 2 cups cubed fresh pineapple Ranch salad dressing or barbecue sauce

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine first five ingredients; add chicken and sausage. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate 1 hour.

Meanwhile, place potatoes in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high 6-8 minutes or until almost tender, stirring twice.

Drain and discard marinade. On metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternately thread chicken, potatoes, sausage and pineapple. Grill, covered, over medium heat 10-15 minutes or until chicken juices run clear, turning frequently. Serve with ranch dressing or barbecue sauce.

Lunch, May 22, 2018

Meal-Prep Teriyaki Chicken and Broccoli Bowls

I’ve gotten into the meal prepping idea recently, mostly because I’m on a healthy eating kick that I intend to last and quick, ready-made lunches are the best thing ever. I try to make sure we have lunch ideas all week. Because my husband comes home to eat most days and I work at home and thus prefer short lunch breaks, I really do appreciate having lunches- be they salads, wraps, leftovers, or meal preps- ready to go. I tend to make 4 at a shot (2 for both of us) on either Sunday or Monday night, so they’re good to go whenever we want to grab them throughout the week. Because I make them at night, I don’t want to spend more than half an hour, so I tend to watch the possible cooking times.

This week’s lunch meal prep was Teriyaki Chicken and Broccoli from Gimme Delicious. The sauce was fantastic- definitely add the sesame oil and ginger if that’s your thing. Because my husband likes his broccoli and peppers cooked a tad beyond crisp-tender- though not mushy- I roasted the veggies instead of stir-frying to cut down on oil, then added the veggies back to the pan with the garlic and proceeded from that step. I used instant brown rice to cut down on the time (and because I actually like instant brown rice!). The lunches were good and very filling with a bit of fruit on the side. More importantly, I ate 3 of the 4 meals I prepped and never got tired of them. I was actually looking forward to lunch on day 3!

Dinner, May 11, 2018

Beef and Broccoli Ramen

We go wine tasting at our local grocery on Friday nights sometimes when we don’t have other plans, particularly if we need to pick up groceries. If you need groceries anyway, why not blend that trip with wine? And since our grocery doesn’t skimp on their wine tasting, I need an easy dinner to make when I get home.

Enter ramen. Who doesn’t love ramen? And who isn’t horrified by the amount of salt in ramen seasoning packets? But that’s okay, because making your own versions (sans seasoning packet) is amazingly easy. Tonight I modified the Beef and Broccoli Ramen recipe from Chef Savvy. I marinated the flank steak for ~2 hours and made the sauce as described. However, because roasted broccoli is one of my husband’s favorite things, I threw the broccoli florets (drizzled with a touch of olive oil) and the marinaded flank steak slices on a sheet pan and roasted them in the oven at 400F for 10 minutes. Then I put the steak in the skillet with the garlic and proceeded from there. 

Dinner, April 19, 2018

Makeover Macaroni and Cheese and Steamed Broccoli

Sometimes I just want macaroni and cheese. I mean, really, who doesn't? And yes, real macaroni and cheese with it’s luscious cheesy goodness is amazing. But I grew up on Kraft and Velveeta boxed mac and cheese, and sometimes that type of creaminess is what I’m craving. I know I can accomplish that with cream and other things, but I was born lactose intolerant and I don’t always want to risk ODing on Lactaid for the sake of mac and cheese.

So this. Yes, it has Velveeta, which I realize barely qualities as “cheese”. What is Velveeta, actually? Does anyone know?

Don’t answer that. I’m probably better off not knowing.

This mac and cheese recipe, which was a makeover recipe from Healthy Cooking, is only ~400 calories per cup and yet is creamy amazing goodness. It’s everything I wanted and then some. And the leftovers are amazing. So bring on the Velveeta. It’s been that kind of week.

Makeover Macaroni and Cheese

Source: Healthy Cooking, August/September 2010

Ingredients: 1 pkg (16 oz) elbow macaroni 2 Tbs all-purpose flour 2 cups fat-free milk 1 pkg (16 oz) reduced fat process cheese (Velveeta), cubed 1 cup (4 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine flour and milk until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in process cheese and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese until smooth. Drain macaroni; stir into cheese sauce.

Remove from the heat; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and let stand 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Dinner, April 17, 2018

Hearty Bean Soup with Maple Syrup Cornbread

Sill getting caught up!

We were voted to host Easter dinner at our house this year by virtue of being in the Caribbean when everyone else voted, which I guess is fair. We didn’t have to drive all day to visit multiple families, so that was a win. 

Because we hosted, I got to keep the ham bone, which means bean soup! I have a lot of bean soup recipes, but this one is outstanding. The parsnips are fantastic, but if you don’t like or don’t have parsnips you can substitute potatoes. You can quick soak the beans or soak them overnight- I tend to soak them overnight because I think it’s easier and works just fine. I realize that 1-1/2 cups of beans doesn’t seem like enough- it’s roughly half of a bag of dry beans (~8 oz), but it really does come out fine. If you like really thick bean soup you can blend half and stir it back in, but we like it as is over cornbread. I also left out most of the salt, because ham is salty enough, so be sure to salt to your taste.

Any cornbread will work. I like the recipe below because it’s fast and lighter than most cornbread recipes. It needs real maple syrup, because the sugar water stuff that’s marketed as syrup kind of defeats the “better for you” purpose.

Hearty Bean Soup

Source: Taste of Home, December/January 1997

Ingredients: 3 cups chopped parsnips 2 cups chopped carrots 1 cup chopped onion 1-1/2 cups dried great northern beans 5 cups water Ham bone with ham (or ~1 lb smoked ham, diced) 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tsps salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce

Soak beans overnight.

In a 5-qt slow cooker, place parsnips, carrots, and onions. Top with beans. Add water, ham, garlic, salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Cover and cook on high for 6-7 hours or until beans are tender. Remove meat and bones if needed (when cool enough to handle); cut meat into bite-sized pieces and return to slow cooker; heat through.

Yield: 6 servings

Maple Syrup Corn Bread

Source: Light & Tasty, December/January 2007

Ingredients: 1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup cornmeal 2 tsps baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 egg 3/4 cup fat-free milk 1/2 cup maple syrup 3 Tbs butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, milk, syrup, and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Pour into 9 inch square baking pan coated with nonstick spray. Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Dinner, April 14, 2018

Coconut Curried Vegetables with Rice and an Eggroll

It occurred to me this morning that I had several posts sitting unfinished in my drafts and that I’ve been a slacker recently. This is what exam season does, for professors as well as for students. So just in case anyone curses your professors at final exam time and thinks we have it so easy, no. We have to grade them. Fairly and equally. And then work out grades. And then argue the grades with everyone. Which is crazy time consuming.

So anyway, dinners were crazy easy during that period, because they needed to be. And I’m playing catch up.

This Coconut Curried Vegetable recipe was originally from a Pillsbury checkout cookbook and was one of my favorites when I was a student. It’s good, quick, cheap, healthy, and the leftovers make a fantastic lunch. It’s also a quick  although not high-protein vegan meal, although you could easily add in edamame to increase the protein content. Even with the light coconut milk it comes out creamy and filling. Total quick comfort food.

I don’t add the ½ tsp of salt (I just add a quick turn of the grinder). I served the veggies with jasmine rice and a frozen veggie egg roll. Use good quality curry powder if you can, because the flavor will be much nicer.

Coconut Curried Vegetables with Rice

Source: Easy Vegetarian Meals (Pillsbury), April 1999

Ingredients: 3 cups hot cooked rice 2 Tbs all-purpose flour 1-½ tsps curry powder ½ tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper 1 14-oz can light coconut milk 1 tsp lime juice 1 1-lb package frozen mixed veggies of choice (I used broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots) 1 cup frozen sweet peas

In a small bowl, combine the flour, curry powder, salt, pepper, and ¼ cup of the coconut milk; beat with wire whisk until smooth. Stir in remaining coconut milk and lime juice. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, combine the frozen vegetables and peas with ½ cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 6-8 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Drain and set aside.

Pour coconut milk mixture into the same saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Stir in vegetables. Cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Serve over rice.

Yield: 4 servings

Dinner, April 11, 2018

Sheetpan Barbecue Meatloaf Dinner with Roasted Sweet Potato and Broccoli

I’m not going to wax poetic about sheetpan dinners again, even if they are the best. This Sheetpan Barbecue Meatloaf Dinner was from Budget Bytes, which is an awesome site. You enter how many servings you want to make, and the recipe amounts are adjusted for you. How amazing is that?

I pretty much made the recipe as is. The only exceptions were that I didn’t mix the sweet potato with seasoning but instead added a dash of maple syrup for the last 10 minutes, and I used fresh broccoli instead of frozen. So the timing was sweet potatoes- 10 minutes. Add meatloaf and broccoli- 10 minutes. Add syrup to sweet potatoes and mix- 10 minutes. 

The meatloaf was fantastic. It was moist and had great flavor. It also made the perfect amount for two people (it doesn’t look like a huge amount, but that’s because my plates are big). The veggies were also really good, but that wasn’t a surprise given that I roast veggies a couple of nights a week, because yum. 

Breakfast, April 11, 2018

Spaghetti Squash with Spinach, Parmesan, and a Fried Egg

Or what to do with leftover spaghetti squash

This may seem like a strange breakfast, but I had ~1/4 of a leftover spaghetti squash in the fridge and spinach, and this recipe popped into my head. The recipe is from Buzzfeed’s Clean Eating Challenge from 2015. I really like it- the combination of spaghetti squash, parmesan, spinach, and garlic works for me- but it’s not my husband’s favorite thing. Which is fine, because he left for work before I made breakfast anyway. I cut the recipe way down, with about half of the ingredients and 1 egg, so the calories were reduced, mostly because I don’t need that much food for breakfast. I topped it with a sprinkle of fresh thyme, because I had it and I love thyme.

Dinner, April 9, 2018

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry with Spaghetti Squash

Tonight’s dinner needed to be really fast, because we were driving an hour away to have birthday cake for my mother-in-law at 7:00 (and only then because my husband managed to argue successfully that 6:30 was too early). I already had this stir-fry on the menu board for this week, so it was perfect. I followed the recipe pretty much exactly except that I used extra-virgin olive oil and cooked over medium-high heat (6.5 out of 10 on my stove top) so that I didn’t push the temp too high for the oil. 

Also, the recipe called for farro to serve the stir-fry, but I used spaghetti squash, mostly because I thought we were having enough rice and pasta this week and stir-fry dishes are really good over spaghetti squash. I don’t care for the squash as a pasta substitute- I prefer zoodles if I'm going that route- but I love it with stir-fry or any Asian-type dish/bowl/meal. it just soaks up the sauce so well! It’s also fast- I cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, put face down on a microwave-safe plate, and cook for 9-10 minutes or until the squash is tender when pricked with a fork or carefully poked with a finger. Then just scoop the strands into a bowl (I stir in ~1/2 a Tbs of butter to keep it from drying out, but that’s optional). I also think it cooks better in a microwave than in an oven.

I’ve provided the nutrition info from Cooking Light below the recipe, but note that the info is for farro and not spaghetti squash.

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry

Source: Cooking Light, December 2016

Ingredients: 3 Tbs lower-sodium soy sauce 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper 1 Tbs cornstarch 3 Tbs canola oil, divided 1 Tbs minced fresh peeled ginger 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined 6 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup vertically sliced onion 1 cup thinly sliced bell pepper 1 cup asparagus, diagonally cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock 1/2 cup water 8 basil leaves cooked rice, farro, or spaghetti squash to serve

Combine soy sauce and crushed red pepper in a bowl. Stir in cornstarch with a whisk until smooth.

Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add 1.5 Tbs oil and swirl to coat pan. Add ginger, shrimp, and garlic; stir-fry 3 minutes. Remove shrimp mixture from pan. Return pan to high heat. Add remaining 1.5 Tbs oil. Add onion, bell pepper, and asparagus; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add soy sauce mixture, stock, and 1/2 cup water to pan; bring to a boil. Stir in shrimp mixture and basil; cook 1 minute more. Serve with rice, farro, or spaghetti squash.

Yield: 4 servings (it was closer to 3 servings with us, because we didn’t serve it with a side)

Note: The nutrition info below was from the magazine and is for 1/4 the recipe served over farro (the recipe called for 1.5 cups of uncooked pearled farro cooked according to the package directions without fat or salt and drained)

Dinner, April 8, 2018

Oven Chicken Cordon Bleu, Corn on the Cob, and Sautéed Zucchini

Chicken cordon bleu was one of my absolute favorite things when I was a kid. This wasn’t difficult, really, since I was a picky eater and had like 3 favorite things. I’m so glad I grew out of that phase.

My husband also loves it. So when we had leftover ham from Easter, the “hey, we should make chicken cordon bleu!“ idea wasn’t exactly a hard sell. The original recipe- which came from a little grocery store checkout cookbook of chicken recipes from the 90s- called for the chicken to be hammered to ~1/4-inch thick, topped with the mustard, ham, and cheese, and then rolled up with the ends tucked in and secured with toothpicks. That works fine, but since we were using leftover ham instead of deli ham, we just thought the pockets word work better. And that’s how chicken cordon bleu is supposed to be to us. So pockets it was.

We served it with steamed sweet corn, which was actually pretty good for corn in April, and zucchini sautéed with a bit of olive oil and lemon pepper.

Dinner, April 5, 2018

Spring Carbonara and Steamed Broccoli

Carbonara is so good, and yet so bad for you, so I rarely make it. It helps that the leftovers never heat up well so I make very small batches, but still. Not healthy.

This version was the Spring Carbonara Pasta from Cooking Light. The recipe managed to successfully lighten up carbonara without losing the creaminess of the sauce. I cut the recipe in half (yes, I even scooped out half an egg yolk to give me one and a half- it was easier than I thought it was going to be). It was pretty fast to make (under 30 minutes), and the resulting 2 servings were perfect for my husband and me with a side of steamed broccoli.

The only changes I made were to cook the bacon over medium heat instead of low, because I want my bacon crispy and I can’t imagine how long that would take over low, and I didn’t measure the salt and pepper (I didn’t use nearly as much salt as the recipe called for, but I never do). Overall, this was a very pleasing carbonara and I will definitely make it again.

Spring Carbonara

Source: Cooking Light, April 2018

Ingredients: 8 oz uncooked whole-wheat linguine 4 center-cut bacon slices, chopped 1-½ cups chopped asparagus 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced 3 large egg yolks ¾ tsp kosher salt ¾ tsp black pepper 1 oz Parmesan cheese, finely grated (~2/3 cup, divided) 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil 1-½ cups frozen green peas, thawed

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander, reserving ¾ cup pasta cooking liquid.

While pasta cooks, add bacon to a large skillet over medium (low in recipe); cook until crisp, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Add asparagus and garlic to drippings in skillet; cook, stirring often, until beginning to brow (~3 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, transfer asparagus and garlic to plate with bacon. Remove skillet from heat.

Whisk together egg yolks, salt, pepper, and 2 Tbs Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl.

Add oil, drained pasta, ¼ cup reserved cooking liquid, and egg mixture to skillet and toss to coat. Heat skillet over medium and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened slight (~1 minute). Add reserved bacon, asparagus, garlic, and peas and another ¼ cup cooking liquid to skillet and toss gently to combine. Cook until heated through, about 1 more minute. If necessary, stir in ¼ cup more reserved cooking liquid to reach desired consistency. Serve topped with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 4 servings

Lunch, April 5, 2018

Ultimate 4-Layer Vegan Sandwich and Strawberries

This is my absolute favorite sandwich. And that’s saying something, because I like sandwiches. I make this literally every time I have the ingredients on hand. The combination may sound strange, but it works and it’s just so good.

The sandwich is the Ultimate 4-Layer Vegan Sandwich from Oh She Glows. The sandwich is layered with hummus, pesto, avocado, tomato, and spinach. The recipe details how to make your own sun-dried tomato basil hemp pesto, which is a vegan pesto and very nice. However, I’m horribly lazy, so I used purchased prepared pesto (which isn’t vegan, because Parmesan cheese, but I’m okay with that). I used homemade hummus given to me by/stolen after much begging from my husband’s cousin’s wife, because her hummus is to die for and mine never tastes like that. The sandwich is best on good quality whole grain bread (I used Pepperidge Farm’s Ancient Grain, because I love that bread).