Category: Vegetables

Categories
Ham Italian Mushrooms Pasta Spinach

Pasta Florentine Olive Garden Recipe

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
12 oz sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 oz ham (Black Forest if possible), julienned
1/4 cup chopped parsley
8 oz pasta (your favorite shape), cooked according to package directions
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped

Heat extra virgin olive oil and garlic in a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Once garlic starts to sizzle, add mushrooms. Sauté 2-3 minutes. Add heavy cream and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Allow to slightly reduce, for about 10 minutes. Add ham, peas and parsley and cook 4 minutes.
Return cooked, drained pasta to pot and add sauce. Cook until sauce simmers and coats the pasta.
Remove pot from heat and stir in grated Parmesan. Toss gently to combine.
Transfer to large serving platter. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Chef’s Tip: Use a small amount of salt. The parmesan cheese naturally contains salt.

Categories
Bacon Cajun Scallops Seafood Spinach

Pan-Seared Cajun Scallop

Sweet scallops are given a Cajun-flavored crust, then tossed with balsamic vinegar-dressed spinach and crisp-cooked bacon. Serve with corn bread and cold beer and you have a meal that’s both homey and elegant in no time flat. This recipe is featured in the book Better Homes and Gardens Fresh & Simple 20-Minute Super Suppers.

1 pound fresh sea scallops
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 to 2 teaspoons blackened steak seasoning or Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 10-ounce package prewashed spinach
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup cooked bacon pieces

Rinse scallops; pat dry. In a plastic bag combine flour and seasoning. Add scallops; toss to coat. In a large skillet cook scallops in hot oil over medium heat about 6 minutes or until browned and opaque, turning once. Remove scallops.
Add spinach to skillet; sprinkle with water. Cook, covered, over medium-high heat 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Add vinegar; toss to coat evenly. Return scallops to skillet; heat through. Sprinkle with bacon.

Categories
Eggplant Hash Brown Potatoes Mushrooms Soups Vegetables Vegetarian White Beans

Minestrone Genovese

1oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1/4 lb. Swiss chard, stems removed
1/4 lb. spinach, stems removed
Salt
2 small zucchini, diced
2 medium white potatoes, peeled and diced
2 Japanese eggplants, peeled and diced
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups pasta
2 cups cooked white beans
2 tbsp. pesto (see recipe below) Freshly ground black pepper

Soak porcini in 2 cups warm water until soft, about 20 minutes. Remove porcini, rinse, chop and set aside. Pour porcini water through a coffee filter and reserve. Chop chard and spinach leaves.
Bring porcini water and 6 cups salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add porcini, chard, spinach, zucchini, potatoes, eggplant and oil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour.
Add pasta to soup. Cook pasta for about 10 minutes, add beans and cook 5 minutes longer. Stir in pesto and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or, in the Genovese tradition, at room temperature. Sprinkle with parmigiano-reggiano, if you like.

Pesto

2 tightly packed cups stemless fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp. pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
Coarse salt
1/2 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano

Crush basil, pine nuts, garlic and a large pinch of salt into a fine paste with mortar and pestle. Drizzle in oil, stirring constantly, then stir in parmigiano-reggiano. Put plastic wrap directly on surface of pesto, then set aside. If using a food processor, put pine nuts, garlic and salt into the bowl of the food processor fitted with a metal blade and blend to a paste. Add basil, drizzle in oil and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in parmigiano-reggiano.

Categories
Bacon Broccoli Casseroles Ham Hash Brown Potatoes

Hashbrown Strata

Nonstick cooking spray

2 cups frozen loose-pack diced hash brown potatoes with onion and peppers
1 cup cut broccoli florets
1/3 cup finely chopped turkey bacon or turkey ham (about 2 ounces)
1/3 cup evaporated fat-free milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 8-ounce cartons refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Fresh basil sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 2-quart square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange hash brown potatoes and broccoli in bottom of baking dish; top with turkey bacon or ham. Set aside.
Stir milk gradually into flour in a medium bowl. Stir in egg product, half of the cheese, the snipped or dried basil, and black pepper. Pour egg mixture over vegetables.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Let stand for 5 minutes. If desired, garnish with fresh basil sprigs. Makes 6 main-dish servings.

Make-ahead Tip: Assemble as above, but do not bake. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours. Before serving, remove cover and bake as directed above.

Serves 8

Categories
Ham Main Dish Pasta Peas

Ham Linguine

2 cups ham , shredded into medium-sized pieces
1 pound linguine
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen, thawed
lemon zest, and juice of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
1/4 cup mint, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Cook pasta according to pkg. directions.
While pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. When pan begins to smoke, saute garlic for one minute. Add the ham and continue to saute until ham begins to brown. Finally, add the peas; saute for one more minute.
While skillet is still hot, drain the pasta and add to the ham mixture. Add the lemon zest, juice, salt, pepper and 2 more tablespoons of olive oil. Saute for 1-2 minutes to let the flavors combine. Remove from heat and toss with herbs. Serve immediately.

6 Servings

Categories
Cheese Pizza Vegetables

Grilled Veggie Pizza

1 pizza crust, Boboli or other pre baked pizza crust
2 cups mixed grilled veggies
2 cups mozzarella cheese, cheddar and Parmesan
1/2 cup pizza sauce
dash oregano

Assemble pizza:

Place crust on pizza pan. Top crust with the pizza sauce, grilled vegetables, grated cheeses and oregano. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.

4 Servings

Categories
Black Beans Chicken Breasts Mexican

Fajita-Style Chicken Tenders with Corn & Black Bean Salsa

2 tsp olive oil
1 lb chicken tenders
1 pkt (1.12 oz) fajita seasoning mix
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed
1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn
1 cup salsa
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Note: Serve with lime wedges and tortilla chips or warm flour tortillas.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add tenders and cook over medium-high heat, turning once, 3 minutes or until lightly colored. Sprinkle with fajita seasoning and 2 Tbsp water; toss over medium heat 1 minute until coated and chicken is cooked through.

While tenders cook, combine beans, corn and salsa in a medium saucepan or microwave dish. Heat until hot. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Serve along with the tenders.

Categories
Asian Bell Pepper Shrimp

Emperor’s Shrimp

1/4 cup Spicy Sesame Sauce (see below)
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pound medium raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon loose green tea, preferably gunpowder
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 2-inch-long matchstick-size strips
2 medium red bell peppers, cut into 2-inch-long matchstick-size strips
1 medium white onion, cut into 2-inch-long matchstick-size strips
6 tablespoons cashew nuts, toasted

Combine sauce and cornstarch in a bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a nonstick wok or cooking pan over medium-high heat and swirl to coat pan. Add the tea and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until pink, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and place in a bowl.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the wok. Add the bell peppers and onion and stir-fry until peppers soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Return the shrimp to the wok and stir-fry until heated through. Stir in cashew nuts. Serve hot

Categories
Casseroles Eggplant Italian Vegetables Vegetarian

Eggplant Parmesean

4 eggplants, sliced 1/2″ thick
dash salt
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups spaghetti sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Sprinkle salt on slices of eggplant. Let sit for 30 minutes, blot moisture from eggplant slices.

Dip each slice of eggplant in egg then in bread crumbs. Fry in a small amount of oil until browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Put one cup of sauce on bottom of 13×9″ baking dish. Layer eggplant slices, top with sauce then cheeses.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 or until cheese is bubbly.

8 Servings

Categories
Cheese Pasta Vegetables

Creamy Veggies with Spaghetti

1/2 lb broccoli florets
1 cup sliced zucchini
1 cup sliced fresh mushroom
1 cup thinly sliced carrot
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces spaghetti
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon thyme
2 cups milk
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

In lg skillet, saute broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, and carrots in oil until crisp-tender.
Set aside. Cook spaghetti according to pkg directions.
In another saucepan, saute onion and garlic in butter for 30 seconds.
Stir in flour, bouillon and thyme.
Slowly add milk, bring to a boil.
Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
Reduce heat to low; stir in cheeses.
Add vegetables; heat through.
Drain spaghetti; toss with vegetable mixture.