MONDAY RECIPE POST - VEGAN LEMON SPAGHETTI WITH SPINACH

My daughter-in-law sent me this recipe.  So glad she did and I want to thank her yet again.  She is wonderful in many ways, and on top of everything else is an excellent chef.   

Gregg and I gave this recipe a ten-out-of-ten.  It comes from Vegan ❤️ Vegan hosted by Sina, and can be found here.  I would also like to thank Sina for such a delicious recipe.  I can highly recommend a visit to her blog to see other equally delicious recipes.



Lemon Spaghetti with Spinach 
2 servings
497 calories per serving

Lemon spaghetti with spinach is the perfect recipe for busy weeknights.  It is a one pot meal, super delicious, comforting, and 100 % vegan!

Course: Entrée

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: lemon spaghetti

Prep Time:5 mins

Cook Time:15 mins

Total Time:20 mins

Servings:  people

Calories: 497kcal

Author: Sina

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup canned coconut milk (full fat)

9 oz spaghetti

3 cups fresh spinach

lemon juice of 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon lemon zest

salt

pepper

red pepper flakes

Instructions

In a large pot, heat some oil and sauté the onion for 3 minutes until it becomes translucent. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the uncooked spaghetti, the vegetable broth, the coconut milk, and the lemon juice. Stir a couple of times and gently push the spaghetti in the liquid when they're soft enough (this might take a couple of minutes. Try not to break them when they're still too hard). Cook for 15-18 minutes.

When the spaghetti is al dente, stir in the spinach and the lemon zest. Cook for an additional 2 minutes and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Enjoy!

Sina's Notes:

"I usually cook my one pot lemon spaghetti on medium heat. Just make sure that the spaghetti are not sticking to the bottom once in a while. If this is the case, turn down the heat a bit. 

Don't be surprised that the cooking time is a bit longer than usual (15-18 minutes). The spaghetti won't be over-cooked at all. They just need more time as they don't have as much liquid as they would when you cook them in water. However, they will have a much deeper flavor this way!

It will take some time until all of the spaghetti are covered with liquid. Don't worry that's normal! Stir a couple of times and gently push the spaghetti in the liquid when they're soft enough. This might take a couple of minutes. Try not to break them when they're still too hard. 

I usually use full-fat coconut for my lemon spaghetti to make it extra creamy. However, I had some readers try it with light coconut milk and they said it still turned out very creamy."

You can find all the nutritional values underneath Sina's recipe.

Denise's notes:

Absolutely delicious, full of flavor.  This is the first time I have not cooked spaghetti in a separate pot.  The spaghetti absorbs all the flavors and made it extra special.

A meal with two servings but we found it more than enough and have set aside leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.  Might add a salad.

This is a vegan recipe but we garnished with a sprinkle of Parmesan Cheese.  If you want it entirely vegan you will leave that off .

Gregg decided to add the whole can of coconut milk, and it worked out well, very yummy.  Of course the calories change and you'll have to factor that in if you are counting.

I added extra fresh spinach leaves on top, just because I'm always trying to pretty it up, and I like raw spinach.

Sliced green onions would have been nice also.

I would have no trouble leaving the Parmesan off next time to go totally vegan.  

This recipe is now added to our favorite recipe folder and can see making this again many times.

Thanks for looking and enjoy your week.

MONDAY RECIPE POST - HAM AND PEAS PASTA WITH GARLIC PARMESAN CREAM SAUCE

An interesting photo to start this week's food post off with, but this is what I do when the day is almost over.  Gregg is watching his sports show upstairs and before I go too - it's already after midnight as I finish this post off -  I settle down with a cup of tea and watch a Hallmark Christmas movie.  I have an old blanket which was knitted by a very dear neighbor many, many years ago.  This is Mrs. Brown's Blanket, a gift she gave us when we left the old neighborhood, at least five or six moves ago.  It is such a warm throw and has stood the test of time, been in the washer a thousand times. If an adult has a blankie, this is mine.  It is very comforting on a winter's evening and so I settle down, turn the TV on and turn to one of my favorite channels at this time of the year.  I love a good old fashioned, schmaltzy movie, what can I say?

Now to this week's food post.  We made a pasta dish and it was excellent.  I found it here at Damn Delicious.  Its host is Chungah and her blog is full of super looking recipes.  I look forward to trying them.  I hope you will take a look at her original recipe.  Her photos are excellent also.  Any lettering you find in my posts that are in red, it is usually a link relating to the post I share.

Ham and Peas with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
Serves 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

As our host says, this is a great way to use up all of the leftover ham from Thanksgiving.  "It is amazingly creamy, comforting and kid-friendly!" she says.  I agree.  

8 ounces of spaghetti (I use Angel Hair spaghetti, something my mother-in-law introduced us to years ago and we now prefer it to the thicker spaghetti)
1/4 cup of unsalted butter
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
1 cup of chicken broth, or more, as needed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup of half and half
1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups chopped spiral sliced honey ham
1 cup frozen sweet peas
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley leaves (for garnish)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain well.

To make the garlic Parmesan cream sauce, melt butter in the skillet over medium heat.  

Add your chopped garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant - about 2 minutes.  

Whisk in the flour until lightly browned - about 1 minute.

Gradually whisk in chicken broth, thyme and basil.  Cook, whisking constantly until incorporated - about 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in the half-and-half and Parmesan until slightly thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes.  If the mixture is too thick, add more half-and-half as needed.  

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in the spaghetti, ham and peas, and gently toss to combine.

Serve immediately, garnished with the chopped parsley if using.

Chungah's notes:

Half-and-half is equal parts of whole cream and milk.  For 1 cup of half-and-half you can substitute 3/4 cup of whole milk and 1/4 cup of heavy cream, or 2/3 cup of skim or low-fat milk, plus 1/3 cup of heavy cream.

(If you are watching calories, I wonder about using nothing but 2% milk.  Maybe it would affect the creaminess in this dish, but I am going to give it a try next time.)

My notes: when Gregg was out one day I prepared early and got all the ingredients chopped, grated and measured out, refrigerating what I needed to.  When he came home he wanted to try his hand at making a sauce from scratch, so took over the rest of the meal.  We both have fun being in the kitchen together.  I usually at this point sit down at the kitchen table and read out the directions, which makes everything move quickly.  It was a fast meal and on the table in no time at all.

I only had enough ham leftover from Thanksgiving to make 1 cup, but it didn't detract from the meal.  Next time I will stick to the correct measurement.

We have leftovers so we won't have to cook tomorrow.  That will be nice as we are going to be out for most of the day.  

Have a great week everyone, and thanks for stopping by.

MONDAY RECIPE POST - EASY BAKED ZITI CASSEROLE, WITH THREE CHEESES

We tried this for the first time yesterday - Sunday, October 29th, 2017 - and I found it at The Spruce.  I had made a tomato meat sauce for another meal and wanted to use what I had left over.  We haven't had a pasta dish in a long time, and were looking forward to this Ziti casserole.

Easy Baked Ziti Casserole with Three Cheeses

1 (16 ounce) box of Ziti (or you can use Rigatoni, Penne Pasta, or any pasta that you have in the pantry)
1 (16 ounce) container of Ricotta Cheese
2 teaspoons Seasoned Salt Blend, or to taste (or not if you are watching your salt intake)
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
2 cups of grated Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1 large Egg
3 cups of homemade Spaghetti Sauce (or you can use your favorite from the store)
1/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese

Heat the oven to 350 F. (180 C/Gas 4).  

Get all your ingredients measured out and ready to go before you start your recipe.

Coat a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan with cooking spray, or lightly grease with butter.  

Cook the Ziti or similar pasta in boiling salted water, following the package instructions.  When cooked drain well.

In a large bowl combine the Ricotta cheese, seasoned salt, garlic powder and half of the Mozzarella cheese.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.  Add the egg and blend well.

Stir the drained pasta into the cheese mixture and fold in until thoroughly combined.   Transfer to the prepared baking dish.  Pour the meat sauce over all.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.  

After the 45 minutes is up and using oven mitts, carefully take the dish out of the oven and place on a heat proof surface.  With a large spoon evenly sprinkle the remaining Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the Ziti/meat sauce mixture. Put back in the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the Mozzarella cheese has melted.  If the cheese looks a little pale, pop under the broiler for a couple of minutes to brown nicely.

Serve the Ziti Casserole with a fresh tossed salad and garlic bread.

Original note from the author.  "This is a great picnic or potluck dish.  It can be made in advance and freezes well".

Also:

"With Meat Sauce: in a skillet over medium heat, saute 1 pound of lean ground beef in a few teaspoons of olive oil, until beef is no longer pink.  Add the spaghetti sauce to the browned beef and pour over the Ziti before baking.  If desired, saute about 1/2 cup of chopped onion with the ground beef.

With onion and Peppers: in a large skillet over medium heat, saute 1 cup of chopped onion and 1/2 cup of chopped bell pepper until the onion is translucent and the bell pepper is tender.  Add the mixture to the Ziti with the cheeses."

I made my spaghetti sauce by cooking a chopped onion with the beef on medium-high, until the onions were soft and the beef no longer pink.  I added two large cans of whole plum tomatoes with their juice, breaking up the tomatoes, and also added about three tablespoons of tomato paste.  Next a sprinkling of dried herbs; oregano, parsley and basil.  I also added a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar to take the acidity out of the tomatoes.

What did we think of this meal?  Very tasty!  We had leftovers, so will freeze the rest for another non-fuss-in-the-kitchen day.  

I didn't have salad greens as such, but I made a vegetable plate of crudites, slicing a yellow sweet pepper into julienne-style, cherry tomatoes halves, sliced radishes and a few  already pitted Kalamata Olives.  They complimented the meal nicely.

Gregg suggested, and I thought it was a very good idea, adding a couple of ounces of Blue Cheese to the cheese mixture.  We will try that next time as we both enjoy Blue Cheese.

"All the trees are losing their leaves, and not one of them is worried."

~Donald Miller~

On the home front it is a very damp, drizzly day.  Looking out the back window it seemed very wintry and the temperatures are dropping.  In the 40s (F) tonight (4 deg. C), and certainly a good day for comfort food.  It rained hard last night and there is a layer of leaves on our deck.

Our son is coming over tomorrow for a few hours.  That always puts a big smile on our faces.

Had a lovely chat with brother-in-law in Germany on Facetime.  I have also been texting with my niece over there, and will be on Facetime with her soon.  I miss them being so far away but am very thankful that we have this super technology.

Nothing more really.  We have been very quiet since our vacation in North Carolina.  Sniffles, cough and sore throat are over and I am no longer a contagion.  I am looking forward to getting out more these next few days.

While I was a bit housebound I watched an old British series on Acorn TV called Tommy and Tuppence.  The time frame is just after World War I.  It was made in the early 80s but is a classic and the fashions are wonderful.

That's about it.  Thank you for coming in and leaving your lovely comments, and I wish you all a very happy, healthy week.

MONDAY RECIPE POST - PALEO OVEN-BAKED RIBS WITH CREAMY BLT PASTA SALAD

Two recipes today.  I made them back on the 4th of July when a dear friend visited for the weekend. Gregg was away and she came over to keep me company.  We had a super time talking non-stop and had fun watching the 4th of July Celebration on the Capitol grounds in Washington D.C.  We were both happy for those crowds who stuck it out with the weather being so iffy, but equally happy to be watching in comfort at home. The rain finally stopped and people certainly deserved the great show they had.  Over the weekend my friend and I watched several British cops and robbers shows on Netflix.  Before we knew it the weekend was over and it was time for her to go home.

Paleo Oven Baked Ribs by Jessica DeMay.  You can see her recipe here.

1 tablespoon coconut sugar (I used 1 tablespoon of brown sugar)

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon smoked paprika (I used what I already had.  It wasn't smoked)

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1-1/2 teaspoon Real Salt (I used regular Kosha Salt, again what I had in stock)

1 rack of baby back ribs

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. and line a sheet try with parchment paper (I used a non-stick foil).

In a small bowl combine sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper and salt. Mix well.

Dry the ribs off and peel membrane off the back if necessary.  Rub down with the dry rub mixture on both sides, rubbing it in thoroughly.  In Jessica's recipe she said you could prepare it the day before but the flavor was still there even if there wasn't any marinating time.  That's true as I didn't do this and it was very flavorful.

Place in your baking pan for 3 hours.

You can grill on the barbecue to give it a charred look, but again I didn't do this and it looked fine to me.  However, if you want the charred look you can do this in the oven on broil for three minutes on each side.

Creamy BLT (Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato) Pasta Salad by Margaret Anne

You can find the original recipe here. 

1 (1 lb.) box bowtie noodles, cooked to package directions

1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half 

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 head romaine lettuce, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon spicy mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

When you have drained the cooked noodles, rinse under cool water and drain again well.

In a large bowl combine pasta, bacon, lettuce and tomatoes.  Stir.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, vinegar, mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth.

Pour dressing over salad and toss until evenly coated.  

Serve and enjoy!

Margaret suggests that if you are making this ahead of time, add the crumbled bacon just before serving so that it will stay crispy.  

Macaroni and Cheese with Sliced Hot Dogs

This should say Penne and Cheese as when I went to look for a box of elbow macaroni in the pantry, all I came out with was a 12 oz. box of gluten free Penne pasta.  The 'gluten free' was a surprise as we normally have regular.  I must have picked up the box by mistake.  

I felt like I was making this for a child again as I also added sliced hotdogs.  Well, big kids enjoy their hotdogs too.  I asked Gregg, would you like hotdogs for a change a couple of nights ago and there were a few left over, so we tossed them into the pasta.  Talk about getting back in touch with your inner child.  It was so good!

Macaroni and Cheese - 4 to 6 servings

12 oz. box of Penne pasta, or you can use elbow macaroni
2 cups grated Cheddar Cheese
4 hotdogs, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup buttered fresh breadcrumbs


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Boil the Penne in salted water according to package directions.

In the meantime grease a medium sized casserole dish with cooking spray or a little butter.

Saute the sliced hotdogs until they are nice and brown. 

When the pasta is ready, drain thoroughly and then put the drained pasta back into the pan you used to cook pasta.  It is usually advised to pour cold water over the top of the drained pasta and then drain again, but I am never patient enough to do this step.  

So, now that you have it all back in the pan, mix in the seasoned salt, cayenne pepper and then the grated cheese.  When it is nice and gooey, fold in the sliced hotdogs.  

Now you can put the pasta in your casserole dish.  

Mix the half cup of milk with the egg and pour that over the top of the pasta.

By this time I have already taken any day old bread, how many slices depends on how big the loaf is (I used three small slices of sourdough this time).  Toss the slices in the blender and press the pulse button until you have relatively fine breadcrumbs.  They don't have to be too fine.  Mix in the melted butter.  Spread the breadcrumbs evenly over the pasta.

Pop in the 350 degree oven and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until nicely browned on the top.

~~~~~~

What did we think of our meal?  Comfort food at its best.  

We had been out for several hours and wanted something fast to put on the table.  Gregg likes to get in the kitchen, which makes it a lot of fun to put a meal together when there is two of us cutting the work in half.  He cooked the hotdogs while I was putting the casserole ingredients together, and he also made the salad.

Salad was whatever we had on hand: lettuce, leftover peas from yesterday's dinner, diced tomatoes and diced sweet red pepper.  He also grilled some onions in a little olive oil, mixes in the veggies and puts this mixture on top of the lettuce.  It is nice and warm and wilts the lettuce a little.  Very tasty and you don't need to add any extra dressing.

I wouldn't alter anything about this meal because it is yummy.  

You can alter the veggies for the salad to whatever your favorites may be.  

You can leave the hotdogs out or add another preferred meat.  

The possibilities are endless.  

I didn't use a recipe as this is something I have been putting together for many years, whenever we have wanted some good old fashioned comfort food.  We never seem to cook it the same way twice.

Monday Recipe - Sesame Noodles

Today's recipe was found here at Budget Savvy Diva.

Sesame Noodles

2 carrots, julienned (matchstick style)
1/2 cup of frozen sweet peas
1/2 cup of leeks, thinly sliced
2 tablespoon of sesame seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced
12 ozs. noodles, cooked to package directions
 (if I can't get to our local Asian supermarket I will use Angel Hair Pasta, which I normally have in  my pantry)
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup of sweet chili sauce, or if you like it really hot use a 1/2 cup
1 tablespoon of chili paste
1 Lime
Salt to taste

Toast the sesame seeds by heating them in a small fry pan until they just start to brown.  Watch carefully to prevent burning.  Take off heat and set aside.  

In a small bowl, or in a 4 cup measuring jug, mix the sesame oil, chili sauce, chili garlic paste and soy sauce together.  Put to the side.  


On medium, heat the vegetable oil in a wok or frying pan.  When hot enough add the minced garlic.  Cook until garlic becomes fragrant, but watch carefully as the garlic easily burns.  

Add the veggies.  Stir fry until crisp-tender.  

Add the cooked noodles and mix well.  
Add the sesame seeds (but keep a tablespoon for 
sprinkling on noodles before serving).  

Pour sesame oil/soy sauce/chili mixture over the noodles and fold in.  

Put a portion on each serving plate.  Add lime wedges for squeezing juice over the noodles.    
Add the leftover tablespoon of sesame seeds over the noodles on each plate, as well as the sliced green onions.

 What did we think of this recipe?  It was excellent, totally suiting our tastes.  Gregg told me I could serve this up any time I wanted to as he loved it, and it is a fast meal to put together and to cook.  A good recipe for using up any leftover veggies you might have in the fridge.

The original recipe called for snap peas but I didn't have any so I used 1/2 cup of frozen sweet peas. It was one of those days when I had not gone shopping and was using what I had in stock. I also didn't have the full 1/2 cup of chili sauce as I didn't have a lot left in the jar, but there was a 1/4 cup.  We both found it hot enough and will stick to that amount from now on.

There were leftovers for another two meals, which we had the next day.  It tasted even better as happens after the flavors have had a chance to blend.