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Food For Parents: Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

Here's another pretty basic slowcooker recipe. It's great because you can throw it together and come back 6 hours later to a finished meal. Just remember to put it on some pasta. I recommend a big fat spinach or whole wheat fettucini noodle. Note: This recipe doesn't have mushrooms because I'm not a fan, but feel free to add your own toward the end of the cooking time if necessary.

Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 large onion, sliced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 red or green bell peppers, chopped
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt

Place all ingredients in 4-5 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours until chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender. Season to taste. Spoon meat and sauce over pasta.

Food For Parents: Chicken and Spinach Lasagna

Since grocery shopping was hard in the first couple weeks of parenthood, I made this from what we we had on hand in our kitchen. It went over so well in my house that I made it again for grandmothers and relatives that were visiting and have been asked for a recipe a couple times. It's not an exact science, just layer in ingredients to taste and when in doubt add more cheese.

Chicken Lasagna

1 large jar spaghetti sauce
1 box No Boil Lasagna noodles
4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ cup white wine (whatever’s cheap or on hand)
Medium container of ricotta
4 cups shredded Italian cheeses
grated parmesan (optional)
10 oz frozen chopped spinach
1 large onion
1 head of garlic (4-6 cloves or a jar of minced)
dried oregano (optional)
olive oil
salt and pepper

Cook spinach, onion, and chicken separately (see directions below). Spoon and spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. Lay down no boil pasta noodles. Cover with a thin layer of ricotta, a handful of shredded cheese, a sprinkle of parmesan, and 1/2 of cooked spinach. Top with layer of pasta, sauce, cheeses, chicken, and onion. Continue layers until you run out of space or ingredients. Top with sauce and cheeses. Bake at 375 for 50 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered. You may need to broil an additional 3-4 minutes to brown and crisp up top layer.

To Cook Spinach:
Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat with 2-3 cloves of minced garlic for about 1 minute. Add frozen chopped spinach salt and pepper and 1-2 tablespoons of water. Simmer until warmed though and remove from heat.

To Cook Onion:
Thinly slice onion. Put onion in small skillet with 2-3 tablespoons of butter or olive oil, salt and pepper. Saute over medium to high heat until translucent with brown edges. Remove from heat.

To Cook Chicken:
Cut chicken into small even-sized pieces. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil with 2-3 cloves of minced garlic for about 1 minute. Add chicken, a pinch or two of dried oregano, salt and pepper, and enough white wine to level with sides of cut chicken (about ½ cup).  Simmer until chicken is cooked through.

Blue Cheese & Spinach Mac & Cheese

It has been a lifetime mission of mine to find an amazing mac and cheese recipe to call my own. Mac & Cheese, while delicious, almost always has overcooked pasta and a bland, eggy, and cheese-less taste. This recipe is bold and surprising, but is only for true fans of blue cheese. It's not my favorite mac & cheese, but it's still pretty tasty.

Blue Cheese & Spinach Mac & Cheese

1 pound spiral tube-shaped pasta
2 tablespoons butter (for sauce)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
3 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
10 oz frozen chopped spinach (thawed)
1 cup breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons butter (for topping)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain. Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly (do not allow to brown).
Gradually whisk in milk and cream. Simmer until mixture thickens slightly, whisking occasionally, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add grated cheddar cheese and 1 cup crumbled blue cheese. Whisk until cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Stir in chopped spinach and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add cooked pasta to sauce; stir to coat. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake until sauce begins to bubble, about 25 minutes.

Pan Fried Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Cream Sauce

I made this pasta as part of a Halloween bad movie night last Saturday and it changed lives. I'd seen Food Network chefs make ravioli from premade won ton wrappers before, but it looked too Sandra Lee for me and the whole idea seemed a little unnatural. The truth is that the process is crazy easy and the result is way better than any stuffed pasta you might find in your grocery store. I pan fried mine, but you could boil them too if you want to go that way.

Pan Fried Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Cream Sauce

For the Filling:
15oz can 100% pumpkin (not pie filling)
2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon ground sage
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Ravioli & Sauce:
1 package wonton skins
Egg wash (1 egg, mixed with 1 teaspoon water) 
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon, ground sage
1/2 cup cream or half and half
Olive oil
Pumpkin seed kernels or pine nuts (optional)

For Ravioli: Empty pumpkin into a mixing bowl. Add egg yolk, cheese, sage, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Arrange one wanton skin on work surface. Add 1 teaspoon filling, mounding it in center of square and brush border with egg wash. Top with another wanton skin, pressing dough around filling to remove any air bubbles and transfer to a lightly floured baking sheet. Cover with dampened paper towels while preparing remaining raviolis. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place 4-5 raviolis in hot oil and cook the ravioli until they are just tender and lightly browned.

For Sauce: In a saucepan set over moderate heat melt the butter, add the sage and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the cream and simmer until lightly thickened.

Transfer pasta to a serving bowl. Add sauce and toss to combine. Garnish with pumkin seed kernels or pine nuts.

Cheesy Orzo with Green Peas

I love a cheesy rice or rice shaped pasta. This orzo recipe is a great way to make a lame baked chicken dinner more exciting. It goes well with almost anything and can be thrown together in a matter of minutes.

Cheesy Orzo with Green Peas

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
3/4 cup frozen green peas or frozen peas and carrots
2 cloves garlic, chopped
28 ounces chicken or vegetable broth or stock
2 cups orzo pasta
1 1/2 cup grated cheese (I like Parmesan or a good sharp cheddar)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat a 8 inch pot with a tight fitting cover over moderate heat. Add oil, onion and garlic and saute for 2 or 3 minutes. Add broth and peas to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in orzo and return broth to a boil. Cover pot and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until liquid is absorbed and pasta tender. Remove lid and stir in cheese. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Free Celebrity Pasta Recipes

Recently, Barilla teamed up with 10 Hollywood celebrities to create a free downloadable cookbook, which features recipes inspired by their favorite pasta dishes. The truth of the matter is that Pierce Brosnan's Vegetable Orzo Primavera wasn't good enough for free cookbook so they asked Giada De Laurentis and Mario Batali to rework it. However insulting this may be to celebrity recipe boxes everywhere, the book looks amazing and Barilla is donating $1.00 for every download to America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network.

Veggie Lasagna

This recipe for veggie lasagna is surprisingly easy and adaptable to your vegetable preferences. It's very light and fresh tasting and could be the easiest homemade lasagna ever. Just layer no boil lasagna noodles, a simple sauce, cheese, and some precooked vegetables and bake. I've made three different versions of this already and they were all well received.

Vegetable Lasagna

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves (minced or pressed)
1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and black pepper
15 (7 by 3 1/2 inch) no boil lasagna noodles
3 cups cooked vegetables (see below)
16oz grated mozzarella, Gruyere, or Fontana cheese
2/3 cup grated Parmesan

Suggested Vegetables:
(Mix and match 3 cups total)
box or bag of frozen chopped spinach
box or bag of frozen chopped cauliflower/broccoli
bag baby carrots chopped
Fresh chopped Eggplant, Zucchini, Asparagus, Onions, or Fennel

Blanch, saute, or roast chosen vegetables and set aside. For sauce: heat oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant but not browned (about 2 minutes). Stir in the tomatoes; simmer until thickened slightly  (about 5 minutes). Stir in the parsley, salt and pepper to taste.  Spread 1/2 cup sauce over the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch lasagna pan. Lay 3 noodles crosswise over the sauce making sure they do not touch the sides of the pan. spread 3/4 cup prepared vegetables over the noodles, 1/2 cup sauce over the vegetables, and 3/4 cup mozzarella with 2 Tbsp Parmesan over the sauce. Repeat the layers of noodles, vegetables, sauce, and cheeses three more times. For the fifth and final layer, layer noodles with remaining 1 cup of sauce, one cup of mozzarella, and 2 Tbsp of Parmesan.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake on middle rack of the oven at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin and Sausage Ziti

 
Last weekend I celebrated Halloween by watching a marathon of Halloweentown movies and eating some tasty and seasonal dinner eats. The movies were Disney's ill-conceived answer to Harry Potter movies (think Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers). The recipe is Rachael Ray's and was well received by all.

Pumpkin and Sausage Ziti

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Romano or Parmigiano, for grating
Pumpernickel or whole grain bread, as an accompaniment

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

Spaghetti alla Ceci

Oh my god I'm back again. Brothers, sisters, everybody sing.. I've been taking a break from Bloghungry, but I haven't stopped eating. In my time away I came across an episode of 30 Minute Meals on my Tivo and was roped in by by this recipe. It looks like ordinary spaghetti, but the thyme, chick peas, and  parsley give it a nice kick. This has become one of my top 10 favorite homemade pasta dishes. Also, I have to say that I don't hate Rachael Ray's new show. It's over the top and a little annoying (much like Rachael herself), but at least it's bad daytime television with a purpose.

Spaghetti alla Ceci

1 pound spaghetti
Salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 (14-ounce) can, chick peas, drained
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme, eyeball it
Pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1 (14-ounce) can, crushed tomatoes
Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Grated Parmiginao-Reggiano, to pass at table

Boil water for pasta, salt it, and cook spaghetti to al dente.

While spaghetti cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, crushed red pepper flakes and garlic. Place chick peas in food processor and pulse grind them to a fine chop. Add chick peas to garlic and season them with thyme, salt and pepper then saute them for 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine or broth and cook down 30 seconds or so then stir in tomatoes and adjust seasoning. Drain pasta and toss with sauce. Top with parsley and grated cheese.

Rainbow Peanut Noodles

My name is Bloghungry and I am an Asian noodle addict. My insatiable hunger for udon and chow mein has spread to Thai noodles with peanut sauce and I'm inches away from quitting my job and devoting my life entirely to pasta. This recipe by Sara Moulton offers up a tasty mix of noodles, chicken, and veggies with the best peanut sauce I've ever had.

Rainbow Peanut Noodles

1/2 pound thin noodles, such as linguine, cooked until just tender, rinsed under cold water, drained, and tossed with 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
5 carrots, peeled and grated
2 English (seedless) cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, shredded, and squeezed dry
2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into thin strings (about 1 cup)
2 cups sliced cooked chicken (cut into thin strips)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced scallion greens
Chinese Peanut Dressing

Arrange the noodles in a large serving bowl. Arrange the vegetables in concentric circles over the noodles and then pile the chicken in the center. Sprinkle the scallions on top. Serve at room temperature or chilled, with the Chinese Peanut Dressing.

Chinese Peanut Dressing:

One 1/2-inch-thick slice fresh ginger, peeled and sliced in half
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon hot chile paste, or more to taste
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, or more if necessary
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
5 tablespoons Chinese Chicken Broth or water, or more if necessary

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender, finely chop the ginger and garlic. Add the remaining ingredients in the order listed and process until smooth. The dressing should be the consistency of heavy cream. If it is too thick, add more water or chicken broth; if too thin, add more peanut butter. Refrigerated, in a covered container, the dressing will keep for 2 to 3 weeks. Yield: 1 3/4 cups