Spinach Torellini Bake

So I read about this yummy Tortellini Bake on Our Best Bites.  I do enjoy their blogs.  I'm not sure if its because the food is normal, its simple, or because its Kate and Sara blogging.  Either way, cheese, pasta, bacon, spinach:  sold.  I had been planning to make this since reading the recipe.  My original intent was to veggie it up with some asparagus I had in the fridge, but it was used in another manner.  I wound up pretty much following the recipe as it published, although i didn't really measure much - just the roux ingredients.  I still like the idea of throwing more veggies in there.  Serious win.  Definitely a re-do.  I could see prepping this the night before and just popping it in the oven when getting home from work for a quick and easy weeknight meal.  Looking forward to leftovers for lunch.

Ingredients
4-6 pieces of bacon,
1 bag spinach and cheese tortellini (12 oz)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbl flour
1 tbl olive oil
2 cups fat free milk
roughly chopped spinach -- about two handfuls
about 1.5 cups cheese -- mozzarella and parmesan mixed.
1 lemon
basil, pepper, salt to taste

Methods
1. I started off frying the bacon at a nice heat to make some tasty crumblies.  Meanwhile the pasta was cooking and the oven preheating.

 

2. After removing the bacon from the pan i wiped up most of the bacon grease and cooked the garlic for a minute or two in the leftover drippings in the bacon pan.  I used the leftover bacon grease and flour to make a roux.  (I actually took out too much grease, hence the added olive oil).  After adding milk, lemon juice, basil, salt, and pepper the sauce simmered until thickened slightly.

3. Meanwhile, with the oven preheating to 350F, I mixed the cooked pasta, chopped spinach, crumbly bacon, and cheese up in my pasta stockpot.  Finish by tossing and coating with the sauce and transferring to a baking dish.  I reserved a little cheese and bacon and threw them on the top before baking for about 25 minutes.  it was awesome, as shown below.

 T

Creamy Potato-Cauliflower Salad

It's memorial day!  -Which means cookouts and all the yummy food that comes with summer.  Naturally, David had people over for a little cookout and we burned things in the fire pit.  I took the opportunity to bring out a new potato salad recipe.  I guess this puts me at four different ones that I consider successful!  Each one is unique and I like them all.  Although, i notice most of them do have bacon as a featured taste :)

I saw a pretty interesting spin on potato salad while reading the June issue of Better Homes and Gardens.  This is my interpretation of that recipe.  I would say this one was pretty yummy -- and pretty healthy too! :) I liked the cauliflower in this, it was a different spin.  I also learned that my pupsters like cauliflower!  They were all about the pieces I gave them. 

Creamy Potato-Cauliflower Salad
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, June 2011

Materials
6 red potatoes, coarsely chopped
1/3-1/2 head of cauliflower, coarsely chopped
3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
approx 1-1.5 cups plain yogurt
dill, lots of it. 
approx 1-2 tbl lemon juice
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
a handful (approx 1/3 cup?) Gorgonzola blue cheese
pepper to taste

Methods
I started with the potatoes -- cooking them until they were just fork tender and still fairly firm.  Once they were cooked I drained them and rinsed them with cold water. I did the same with the cauliflower -- steaming for a few minutes until fork tender but still firm. 

I mixed the yogurt, dill, and lemon juice together with some pepper.  I didn't add salt since I was adding the Gorgonzola and bacon to the salad later.  I tossed the yogurt mix with the potatoes and cauliflower and folded in the cheese and bacon and left it in the fridge too cool off. 

Asparagus with Balsamic Tomatoes

I saw this recipe in this months cooking light, and knew it was a go. It was in their quick and easy category, i love asparagus, and I love tomatoes, what wasn't to like.  It really was a quick cook, and quite easy.  The original recipe has actual measurements associated with it, however, you know I don't believe in measuring unless absolutely necessary (how very un-engineer of me).  it was quite yummy, although sauteing the asparagus would possibly have been a little more yummy (and less healthy).  I really loved the balsamic tomatoes with goat cheese.  I could see just doing the tomatoes and goat cheese with some pasta sometime.  that would be fantabulous. 

Ingredients
Asparagus, trimmed

Extra-virgin olive oil
Halved grape tomatoes
Minced fresh garlic
Balsamic vinegar
Crumbled goat cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Methods
First, steam the asparagus for about 2-3 minutes until just barely tender and still firm.

Next, heat a little oil in a pan and saute the tomatoes and garlic for about 5 minutes.  Add a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste and cook for 2-3 minutes longer. 

Serve the tomatoes over the asparagus and top with a little goat cheese.

Garlic Roasted Cauliflower

I needed a semi healthy yummy veggie....  here it is.

Materials
1 head cauliflower, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
coarse ground sea salt and pepper to taste

Methods
I tossed it all together and roasted for until i was happy with the crisp :) 

Verdict
I enjoyed it... and so did David's dad.  i think we're good :)  Its sort of like Kate's DC broccoli, but cauliflower.  oddly enough, I had never eaten cauliflower before last year, and now its a standard for me. 

Green Beans and Tomatoes

David volunteered me for Green Bean Casserole for Christmas Dinner at his Aunts.  I had slight issue with this since I don't really do Green Bean Casserole.  Turns out he just said that I made Green Bean Casserole at Thanksgiving.  I had seen this other recipe in Ambrosia, the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary cookbook I received as a going away present so I decided to give it a try instead.  It was a success.  Big win, I enjoyed it!! The vegetable eaters all seemed to really like it... and David's father's comment was "This isn't your mother's green be casserole". :)

Green Beans and Tomatoes
adapted from Ambrosia, by the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary

Ingredients
2 lbs fresh green beans
1/4 cup butter (I would look at oil for next time I make this)
2 tbl sugar
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
several fresh basil leaves torn and chopped
1-1.5 pints grape tomatoes chopped

Methods
Trim the ends of the green beans and remove strings.  Boil in a large saucepan for about 20 minutes and drain.

melt the butter (or oil) in a skillet.  Add the minced garlic and begin to saute to infuse the garlic taste.  Stir in the sugar, salt, pepper, and basil.  Add tomatoes and cook until slightly softened.  Toss the green beans and tomato sauce.

Recipe 7: Vegetable Tian

Last night Sandy put on the 4th annual Turducken. It was great, as expected! She was able to sucker some folks into helping her since she lost her Turducken co-pilot when Jeff and Erin moved. For those who haven't heard of this phenomena -- Turducken is what happens when you stuff a turkey with a duck which is stuffed with a chicken. I decided to use my pretty new winter serving dish that Katie Grace gave me -- which meant using a 9x13 casserole. I decided to try a recipe I had always wanted to make from Barefoot Contessa's Barefoot in Paris -- Vegetable Tian. It just looks so pretty, I had to make it.

Materials
~ olive oil
~ 2 large yellow onions
~ 4-5 garlic cloves
~ 1 lb medium round potatoes (unpeeled)
~ 3/4 lb zucchini
~ 1 1/2 lb tomatoes
~ 1 tsp kosher salt
~ 1/2 tsp ground pepper
~ 1 tbl fresh thyme leaves plus extra springs
~ 2 oz grated gruyere cheese


Methods
1/ Preheat oven to 375F. Meanwhile, chop onions in half and slice. In medium pan, heat 2 tbl oil and cook onions over medium low until translucent ... about 12 minutes for me. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Spread onion mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 dish. It looks like too much at first, but as the onions loses their moisture the full two onions are definitely required.

2/ Slice the potatoes, tomatoes, and zucchinis to about 1/4 in. The closer in size they are in terms of thickness and diameter, the better the tian will look. Layer the veggies in the pan, alternating to make a pretty design - but only make one layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Lay a few extra thyme springs on top. Drizzle with about 1 tbl of olive oil and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

3/ Uncover and remove the thyme springs. sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for another 30 minutes, until everything is browned and serve.

Verdict
Amazing. It may not have looked quite as pretty as Ina Garden's Tian, but it still looked pretty darn fancy! I enjoyed the food, and got lots of compliments from fellow Turduckeners. The ultimate compliment was not bringing home any leftovers, although that my have been due to the size of the party more than anything else. I will definitely make this again so I can have a larger potion!! From the little bit that I ate, I highly recommend -- which I recommend everything we ate last night -- all my friends can cook!!