A Good Day for Vegetarian Cuisine Around Here:Fettuccine with Sweet Pepper-Cayenne Sauce

I love it when food goes so right. That is exactly what happened the other night when I was eating the amazing meal I made for my family. Yup, I'm saying it, I was pretty much the best cook ever one cold evening last week. I bet you wish you had been here for dinner, don't worry, next time you are invited!

I hate it when I can't figure out what to make for supper. A lot. It was 4:00 and I had no idea what I was going to make yet when I decided to check my email as a distraction. It turned out to have been a good idea because I had an email from Chatelaine with a bunch of different vegetarian meals. There was a good looking one with Quiona and Chickpeas but it just didn't look filling enough so I kept on hunting until I found 2 recipes that got gobbled (yup, gobbled) up by both kids, a comment from Hazel that sounded close to "This is so good it feels like I'm at a restaurant!" and Aaron eating until there were no leftovers. And there was a lot of should be leftovers.

Fettuccine with Sweet Pepper-Cayenne Sauce

1/2 a box of Fettuccine Pasta

1 TSBP of Olive Oil

2 Sweet Red Peppers, sliced into bite sized pieces

3 cloves of Garlic, minced (or 3 tsp of minced garlic)

3/4 tsp of Cayenne Pepper (I knew kids would be eating this so I only used 1/2 tsp)

1 cup of Sour Cream

3/4 cup of Vegetable Broth

3/4 cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Meanwhile, pour Olive Oil  into a large skillet and saute red bell peppers, garlic and cayenne pepper over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in sour cream and broth; simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Toss hot pasta with sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste; serve.

That is it! So fast and so delicious. 

I'm back...and I hope for good!

I'm really sorry.

I have been so bad at posting since moving this past summer that it is pathetic. To be honest, I have not only been bad at posting but I've been torrible (Hazels word for completely awful, she mixed 'horrible' and 'terrible' and I think its quite genius) and even cooking. I have plenty of excuses. I drive everyone in my family around like crazy. That is my main excuse. And the sad thing is that back in Ontario even when I had no time I still found time to cook but here I have had a really hard time trying to get into any routine at all that involves cooking.

Don't worry, I spend plenty of time in my kitchen but it feels so much less like something I love even though I'm in a way more efficient kitchen and it should be. I just need to get myself into a routine and everything else will fall into place.

And this is starting to happen which is maybe why tonight I was able to whip up a fabulous (though I used some cheating ingredient) vegetarian meal that EVERYONE loved and was perfect for a minus bazillion degree winter night.

Kaycee's Ravioli Casserole

Ok, I first have to again admit...I used cheat ingredients for me. I used a packaged sauce mix and that feels like a cheat. sorry... :(

2 packages of fresh (but frozen) vegetarian Ravioli. Ours was stuffed with spinach and cheese. YUM!

1 package of Knorr Parma-Rosa pasta sauce

Fresh Broccoli

Grated Cheddar Cheese

Bread Crumbs

So, since I only had a few minutes between getting Hazel off the bus and leaving to pick Aaron up at work I had to think about how I was going to have dinner ready when I got back. I knew I wanted to do Ravioli with Parma Rosa Pasta sauce but I also knew if I made the pasta before I left it would be dry and really not as good as if I just made it right before I put it on the table. I also knew I was already hungry and that I needed to have dinner ready when we walked in the door so I couldn't even make the sauce ahead and then do the 5 minute pasta...so, what to do.

Quite a predicament.

Ok, so this is what I did and it turned out to be delicious and such a perfect dish for a cold winter night. Comfort food.

Put the frozen pasta into a baking dish.

Cut up your raw broccoli into bite sized pieces and add it to the baking dish.

Prepare your sauce mix according to the direction on the package EXCEPT add an extra cup of milk.

Once the sauce is ready pour it over the pasta and broccoli. Cover the top with grated cheese followed by a sprinkling of bread crumbs.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour.

Serve immediately with a side of salad.

Now, as a side note. I know that this is not the cheapest meal but I lucked out at the grocery store last week. I went to get some fresh pasta and there was a whole pile on 50% off because they were at their expiry date. I bought them all and threw them into my freezer. Look for deals like this, they are most likely to be found if you can get to the store first thing in the morning. Good Luck!

And please send me your recipes so I can continue to get back to cooking good food to share with you!

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Chickpeas and Pasta with Sizzling Sage and Garlic

I just got back from a fabulous trip to the grocery store (even though my kids were crazy). I love grocery shopping. I know of only one other person (Lindsay) who shares my love and today was especially rewarding and I will tell you why.

I have made a fabulous meal plan (3 new yummy looking recipes to try this coming week) and I had written all of the things I needed to pick up and I actually found all of them, and, I bought a lot of junk.

 Aaron is away for the weekend and for some reason I would catch myself thinking how I needed to buy the McCain Cake (that was only $1.99) because Aaron was gone. I know, there is no logic there but I came home with lots of forbidden (sort of) food. Salt and Vinegar Chips, McCain Cake, and the one I'm most excited about:

Presidents Choice Mini Peanut Butter Melts

I know that you have all had ice cream with mini peanut butter cups in it but these are tinier.

They were with the chocolate chips and although I know how great they would be in a cookie I'm planning on enjoying these tonight while in my comfiest sweatpants watching a chick flick (Leslie, where are you??)

Now, onto other things. Last week was a gong show for meals around here. I dropped the ball completely but am now feeling back on track. I have been saving posting this recipe because I forgot to take photos but it was really yummy easy and, well, sizzling.

We love Chickpeas. Hazel actually asks to take them in her lunch for a snack. What a mean mom I am, teaching my kid to whine about when she gets to eat chickpeas. She should be asking about cookies or cup cakes. Oh well. But this always works in my favor because if I make a recipe with chickpeas I am usually confident that it will be well received.


Chickpeas and Pasta with Sizzling Sage and Garlic

1 large diced Onion

4 tbsp of Olive Oil

1 tsp of freshly ground pepper (I used regular pepper, nothing fancy)

1 tsp of Red Pepper Flakes

1 can of Chickpeas, rinsed

8 oz of large pasta (farfalle anyone?)

2 large cloves of Garlic

3 tbsp of chopped, fresh Sage

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Fry the onions in 2 tbsp of olive oil stirring frequently, especially towards to end. Season with salt, pepper and the pepper flakes. Add the chickpeas and turn the heat to low.

Meanwhile,  boil the pasta in salted water until al dente then add it to the chickpeas. 

Heat the remaining oil in a small skillet over high heat. Add the garlic and sage and fry for 20 seconds. Pour over pasta and chickpeas. Serve.

This was really good. Impressive even. Feel free to serve as a side dish or even as your main event! It looks pretty and smells heavenly. 

Nigel checking out the dinosaurs as a treat for you!

Saffron Noodle Cake...which wasn't saffron at all.

Kingston makes me crazy. I'm sorry but it does. For those of you who live here have you ever tried to shop here? GRRR! Shopping in Kingston makes me crazy. It is so incredibly hard to find anything here. I'm not trying to knock Kingston really, but the small size of Kingston. I need to have better shopping choices, and not just for a perfect pair of jeans but also for spices. 

Right now I'm dreaming about 34 Avenue in Edmonton. I'm even dreaming about it despite the 4 feet of snow they still have there. Looking for cheap fabric? Head to 34 Avenue. Looking for fun, great, sparkly accessories (and I don't mean rhinestone encrusted)? Head to 34 Avenue. Looking for fresh spices? Head to 34 Avenue. Although, I'm pretty sure that Saffron Threads would have been more readily available anywhere in 'The Capital' (where by the way it is snowing right now).

Now, don't get me wrong; there are lots of fabulous things that I love about Kingston. The weather, the water and great friends to name a few, but trying to buy anything here makes me want to pull out my hair. 

So, the noodle cakes are missing the saffron. 

But actually that is okay because I don't think you need them!

This meal was fun. Nigel had two helpings and simply because it was called 'cake'. He wanted to add sprinkles.
I should have let him. 

I am going to post the original recipe but I want you all to know that you can have so much fun with this meal. I followed the recipe (sort of) and it was good but as we were eating it I kept thinking of all the things I could have done to make it even better. 

I think you should try this one. Add things that your family loves and get back to me on the reaction. Let's get creative.

I know what you are thinking..."What is this???""

Saffron Noodle Cake

(I've discovered a problem with trying new recipes. You find the ones you love and then you no longer need to get new recipes. And though I've been making new things like this Noodle Cake I want you all to know that we have been eating some of our *favorites*. I mean, how can I ignore the Teeney Weeney Beany Burritos  and the Sweet Potato Fries?)

This recipe came from the book "Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone" by Deborah Madison. This book is a monster. It has won a couple of Julia Child cookbook awards and while it is seriously lacking in the pictures section (yes I read kids books all day) I have been loving everything about it.

 Onto the recipe now...promise.

2 TBSP of Olive Oil

2 pinches of Saffron Threads (I just found out you can find these at Loblaws, but I found out too late)

Warm the oil in a small metal (really? they come in metal?) measuring cup, add the saffron and set aside. (I didn't do this because of course there was no saffron at my house)

8 oz of Saffron Pasta, Linguine, or Spaghettini (I used Spaghettini)

Cook until al dente.

Salt and Pepper

2 Eggs, beaten

1/2 cup of Parmesan (oops, I ran out so I just skipped this)

1 bunch of Scallions, including and inch of the greens finely sliced

1/2 cup of chopped Parsley (I know, this seems like a lot. I couldn't get myself to add this much because I had dried but I'm sure they are talking about fresh which then probably wouldn't seem like so much)

1/3 cup of Basil or Marjoram

Combine the above ingredients. 

(Now this is where I want you to get creative! After cooking this I realized that I should have treated this more like an omelet and we would have enjoyed the end result much more. I would have added mushrooms, spinach, lots of grated cheese, maybe some red peppers or really whatever I had in my fridge. So that is what I want you to do when you make this. Add whatever your family likes in their omelets and this should be a HUGE success) 

Once your pasta is cooked; drain, rinse in cold water and shake dry (huh?) Combine the cooked pasta with your eggs and whatever else you have chosen to add. The best way to do this is with your hands. You heard me - love up that pasta (thanks Christina). Now we get to turn this into cake. 

Heat 1 TBSP of butter in an 8-10 inch nonstick skillet. Add the pasta, pat it down and even the edges. Cover with a lid and let it cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the bottom is brown. Turn the cake out onto a plate, add another TBSP of butter to the pan and slide the cake back in and cook the other side ofr the same amount of time. 

Cut into wedges and Serve. 

This meal would be great to do with leftover pasta. I often have too much and so instead of adding the tomato sauce to the whole whack of it, just spoon the sauce onto each plate so that if there are leftovers you can give this a try. 

The kids loved it and it was really fun to eat.

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Stuffed Pasta Shells: Next time switch the cheese

I am a lucky woman. I have fabulous friends, family and most everything else in between. (Don't worry, some stuff is the pits, but mostly I am happy). Part of the reason I am so happy is the guy I am married to is pretty much fabulous. And being married to him has some lovely perks.

 Perk #1: Grandpa. 

If you are hungry and at the grandparents house all you have to do is look hungry and there is Grandpa with a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie he baked especially for you. (OK, it might be true that having a pie baked just because it is my favorite is a perk that I share with no one).  But really, if you are needing something to eat you will find it in that little kitchen. And it ALWAYS tastes amazing. Soups, Desserts, Veggies, Breakfast. All yummy. And as much and I try to copy and learn his tricks I think that it will just come with practice; so I am practicing.

 Lucky for all of you.

One thing that I have learned in practicing is that maybe I don't really love Ricotta Cheese as much as I thought I did. I always thought it was so yummy but now Im just not sure. And that is my only complaint about this next recipe. I think that the Ricotta needs to be substituted for a different cheese. maybe Feta? I'm making a note of this so that next time I prepare it I will remember to switch the cheese to find out if it has improved or not. Because really, Practice makes Perfect. I'm on my way. 

Stuffed Pasta Shells

12 cups of Water

1 1/2 tsp of Salt

16 Jumbo Pasta Shells

2 Tbsp of Hard Margarine or Butter

1/2 cup of Chopped Onion

1 Garlic Clove, minced

1 Tbsp of Water

1 large Egg Fork Beaten

1 10oz box of Chopped Frozen Spinach thawed and squeezed dry

1 cup of Ricotta Cheese (or Feta perhaps?)

1/3 cup of Parmesan Cheese

1/4 tsp of Salt

1/8 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 cup of Mozzarella Cheese

Boil your Water and Salt. Add Pasta Shells. Boil uncovered 12-15 minutes. When cooked, drain and return to same pot.

Heat Margarine in a small frying pan on medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion soft and fragrant. approx 10 minutes.

Pour second amount of water into an ungreased casserole dish (I used a cake pan). Combine next 6 ingredients i a medium bowl. Add onion mixture. Stir. Spoon about 2 Tbsp into each pasta shell. Arrange in a single layer in prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top. Cover with Foil. bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes until heated through and the cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minuted before serving. Eat and enjoy!

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Vegetarian Lasagna Gone Wrong. But Just Slightly.

First of all, what does everyone think of President Choice cheese. I learned this past week that it is AWFUL. Maybe I've just been spoiling myself with good cheese but I don't think that is it. You will see from my fabulous photography that the mozzarella on this lasagna that the cheese looks almost plasticy . As a house of cheese-lovers we were very unimpressed with the cheese in this dish. So, in other words; don't buy Presidents Choice cheese. Please.

Anyway, besides the look of the cheese on top, the lasagna was actually pretty good. Not my favorite though. This recipe was sent to me by my sister (who hadn't tried it yet at the time). The ingredients were calling my name for months and so last week when I was making my Weekly Meal Plan I thought I'd give it a try. 

The flavor turned out really good, not great but still yummy. The problem that I had with it was in the texture. I think it needed less Tofu and more Veggies. Next time I will double the veggie and perhaps cut the tofu in half and I think that should solve it. Everyone here ate it without complaint or much persuasion, well mostly everybody. We did have one small 5 year old who made some very lippy and bad choices last night which landed her to bed sans supper. But until the attitude came in she was happily chowing down. 

So here it is:

MEGA-VEGGIE LASAGNA

1 9oz package of oven-ready lasagna noodles

3 TBSP of Olive Oil

1 Onion, diced

12 Oz of Unflavored soy ground "meat" I think now is a good time to let you all know my opinion on "meat" products like these. I don't like them. I feel that if you are choosing a vegetation option for your meal, choose vegetarian all the way, even in appearance. And if you are a non-meat eater why are you eating meat flavored products. I know this one is unflavored but in general. I don't get it. If a recipe I am using calls for a "meat alternative" I use tofu. In this case I used frozen tofu and crumbled it.

sorry for going on and on.

1 Green Bell Pepper, Diced

1 Eggplant, skin on and cubed

1 large Tomato, Chopped (I just realized I missed the tomato...oops)

1 cup of diced Mushrooms

1 TBSP of Garlic Powder

4 cups of Marinara Sauce or Spaghetti Sauce will work (I made my own marinara sauce you can get the recipe here)

1 TBSP Dried Oregano

Salt and Pepper to taste

4 cups of Ricotta Cheese

Shredded Mozzarella (not PC brand please)

Directions:

1: Preheat Over to 400*F. Spray a nonstick 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray (I like PAM)

2: Smooth 1 cup Marinara Sauce over bottom of the pan. Lay down enough lasagna noodles to cover the bottom of the pan. (If precooking your noodles, make sure you do that first.)

3: Heat 2 TBSP of Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium heat and brown your onions for about 1 minute. Add the soy ground "meat" (or crumbled tofu) and saute for 3 minutes. Add the Bell Pepper, Eggplant, Tomato, Mushrooms and 2 cups of Marinara Sauce, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in your spices.

4: Spoon half of the soy "meat" (yes, the recipe actually puts meat into quotations) and vegetables over the lasagna sheets and top with ricotta cheese. Cover with more noodles and spoon and smooth on the remaining Marinara Sauce. Spoon on smooth out the remaining "meat" and veggies; sprinkle with Mozzarella. Cover with foil (I sprayed mine with PAM on the inside so the cheese wouldn't all get stuck on the foil instead of staying on the lasagna).

5: Bake for about 45 Minutes (If you precook your noodles the cook can be cut in half) or until the top layer of cheese melts and bubbles. Remove from the oven. Serve.

So, though this recipe was good its wasn't AMAZING. I would love it if you would send me your best vegetarian lasagna recipe so I can try it out. Thanks!

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Garlic Tomato Pasta: A lesson learned

This summer my Mother-in-Law sent us a nice little package. In it were some clothes for the kids and also a little Vegetarian cookbook for me. This was right after we had started our new eating foray and so thoughtfully she picked it up and sent it to me. 

 In it was a Pasta recipe that looked AMAZING in the photo and I finally, yesterday prepared it for our family. 

I learned a lesson; 

Don't this that old herbs and spices (and when I say old, I mean years old) will provide any flavor to a dish that needs those spices to make it taste fabulous. 

So, Our meal again turned out pretty bland. BUT, I'm positive that this would have been really good if I had of used fresh garlic (Which I usually always do because it is so tasty but of course I didn't have any last night). The Moral is this: If you decide to try this one out, make sure you have fresh ingredients. Lets hope I have learned that lesson now for good. 

Garlic Tomato Pasta

8 cups of Water  

2 cups of Whole-Wheat Penne Pasta  

(I used regular pasta because I cant stand the texture of Whole Wheat Pasta) 

2 tsp of Olive Oil 

1 whole sliced Red Onion

3 minced garlic cloves (or 3/4tsp of powder)

24 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup of Chopped fresh Parsley (or 2 TBSP of dried parsley flakes)

1 TBSP of Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp of Chili Paste (I couldn't find this at the grocery store I was in and so I used 1 tsp of hot sauce)

1/4 cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese

Measure your water into a large pot. Bring to boil on the stove. When the water reaches a rolling boil add pasta. Boil uncovered for about 15 minutes until pasta is tender but firm. drain and return to the same pot. 

Heat Olive Oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook for 5-10 minutes stirring often until onion softened. 

Add next 4 ingredients. Heat and stir about 5 minutes until tomato is starting to soften. Add to pasta. Stir.

Sprinkle with cheese. Makes about 4 cups. (And should be so good that you can't stop eating)

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