Top Ten Food Shots and a Quickie Recipe--Zucchini Faux Pasta with Italian Sausage

This tag is from Pixie at You Say Tomahto, I Say Tomayto. Actually not really a tag, more like she left it open to anyone that wanted to do it, in turn. I really like this idea! That way, there's no pressure on anyone to do it. But it's a fun tag! The idea is to post your ten favorite food photos.

1) Fresh Summer Salad


2) Date Bars



3) Garlic Shrimp


4) Guacamole



5) Whole Wheat Brownies



6) Chili and Cornbread



7) Lime Bars



8) Parm Crusted Chicken with Lemon Vinaigrette over Mixed Greens



9) Jams and Citrus Curd



10) American Chop Suey

So there are my ten faves, so far. Whoever wants to go ahead and do this tag, go for it! It's fun and easy, and not too much thinking, which can sometimes cause my ears to let off smoke. ;) And if you want to tag five people, feel free!




Quickie Recipe! Zucchini Faux Pasta with Italian Sausage



This is one of our favorite recipes. Not only is it quick and easy, but it's good for you, low in carbs, and a great way to use up zucchini, which will be invading everyone's kitchens very soon! You know it will. You'll come home to find your sweet neighbors have gifted you with mutant zucchinis the size of a small car. You can only eat so much zucchini bread! (Though I have a *killer* recipe for that, too!)

The faux pasta is ribbons of zucchini that you make simply with a vegetable peeler. Just start peeling strips and keep turning the zucchini until you get down to the center. Also, there's no boiling pasta here that'll heat up your kitchen on hot days!

The sauce is a snap to make, and it's delicious! It would be great to whip it up and use it on any of your favorite pastas, or over chicken for chicken parm. The fresh basil that's added at the end gives it a very fresh flavor.

You can use your favorite Italian sausage here--this particular time I used a chicken Italian sausage, flavored with asiago and basil, I believe. (I actually made this weeks ago, and am just getting around to posting it now, hehe) So use whatever looks good! The ones I used were precooked, so I just sliced and added them in. Looking back at the photos, I think I'd brown them up anyway, to give them a little more color--but they were still delicious, even as is. And you could leave out the sausage if you want to make it meat-free.

Zucchini Faux Pasta with Italian Sausage


4 small zucchini
2 Tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 (14.5 ounces) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1/2 lb Italian turkey sausage, cooked and sliced
salt and pepper
1 bunch fresh basil, torn
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese


Directions

1. Slice clean, unpeeled zucchini into ribbons, using a vegetable peeler, and turning the zucchini as you go.
2. Warm 1 TBSP olive oil in a saucepan, on medium heat.
3. Saute the garlic for a few seconds, don't burn it--then add tomatoes and oregano.
4. Simmer uncovered for a few minutes.
5. Heat the remaining oil in a separate, large skillet.
6. Add the zucchini to the skillet.
7. Stir for a few minutes, until zucchini is soft.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste, then add the tomato sauce to the zucchini in the skillet.
9. Add the sausage, stir well.
10. Stir in basil, and transfer to a serving dish.
11. Top with parmesan cheese.

pretty, aromatic basil

zucchini ribbons, your "pasta"

Going Old School for the "Tastes To Remember" Blogging Event

What flavors or dishes bring you back to your childhood kitchen? Is it a certain aroma that takes you back there, watching mom or dad, maybe even grandma or grandpa make you that special dish of theirs that you absolutely loved?

Sarah at Homemade is having a blog event called Tastes To Remember. Sarah has a fantastic blog, and I hope you'll all check it out. And bring your favorite childhood dish when you do, so you can submit it to this great event! Here's what she says about Tastes To Remember:



"Think about the foods that remind you of your childhood. Perhaps it is your mother's homemade spaghetti, or your grandmother's freshly baked apple pie. Or maybe it's a sauce or a simple snack you used to have after school. Whatever it is, this event is all about those tastes and smells that immediately bring you back to your childhood. This is an opportunity for all you food bloggers out there to share what recipe is really important to you (that is, if you're willing to give up the recipe!)."

I wasn't sure what to make for this. I have it marked on my calendar, and it had been staring at me every day. "You'd better get your !@%&* moving and choose something for this event!" (it seemed to say...) hehe. There were lots of things to choose from--my mom and my grandmother always cooked for me, but I couldn't narrow it down. Until yesterday, at the grocery store. My sons and I were looking at the different pasta shapes--they love to try new ones! We looked at Cellentani from Barilla. Those are fun--they're little tubes shaped like corkscrews. My sons, 8 and 5, like their pasta with only butter and parm, or "stinky cheese," as my husband started calling it for their benefit. Which is perfectly fine, until you're in a restaurant and one of them yells to the waiter (who has started to walk away, and is halfway across the dining room) "Wait! You forgot my stinky cheese!!!!!" Luckily, the place erupted in laughter, instead of looks of scorn and disdain.

So! My girls, 13 and 11, have graduated from topping their noodles with butter and stinky cheese, and now wouldn't have noodles without sauce. They don't care if it's homemade or from a jar, they love spaghetti sauce. So looking at the pasta, it hit me...American Chop Suey! My mom used to make it for us about once a week, and we happily gobbled it up. She made it for my kids, too, when they were younger, and it quickly became one of their favorites. Well, the girls, anyway--not the still picky boys.

Maybe some of you are wondering, WTF is American Chop Suey?

American Chop Suey
From Wikipedia

American Chop Suey (also American Goulash, Chili-Macaroni, Chili-Mac, Mac 'n Beef, Macaroni and Beef, or simply Macaroni) is an American pasta dish. The preferred name and recipe varies by region, for example, the name American chop suey is most prevalent in New England. Commercial preparations of this dish are commonly marketed as Macaroni and Beef.



Classic American chop suey consists of elbow macaroni and bits of cooked ground beef with sautéed onions and green peppers in a thick tomato-based sauce. Though this decidedly American comfort food is clearly influenced by Italian-American cuisine, it draws comparisons to chop suey or goulash because it is a thickened hodgepodge of meat and vegetables.



The recipe is quite adaptable to taste and available ingredients. Elbow macaroni can be substituted with any pasta of similar size, such as ziti, shells, or wagon wheels. The onions or green peppers may be omitted. While some recipes call for a smooth prepared tomato sauce, some cooks prefer to add crushed or diced tomatoes along with tomato paste for a tastier, chunkier dish. Black pepper, Italian herbs and Worcestershire sauce are commonly used in preparation.



American chop suey is served on a plate or in a bowl, with grated Parmesan cheese and/or Worcestershire sauce as condiments, often accompanied by bread.



Incidentally, chop suey itself is an American invented dish that is not usually served in mainland China.
________________________________________________________________________

It's a great comfort food, that's for sure. It's quick, easy, and (most...see above) kids love it! It shows up on school lunch menus around here to this day. I don't make it often, but my girls are so happy when I do. My 13 year old actually clapped and said yay! when I told her we were having it. It's not easy to get happy reactions out of a 13 year old girl, by the way. I made extra noodles for the boys to have the way they like it.

This couldn't be any easier, and you can make a lot to feed a crowd. It's great for potlucks, too. Oh! I try to use homemade sauce when possible, but since I didn't have any made, and was short on time, I used...shhhhh...sauce in a jar. But it was organic and HFCS free!!! I'm sure you'll let it slide, because the girls loved it, just the same, and that's what counts, right?

There's really no set recipe for this, as you can see from the Wikipedia entry above. Use what you've got. I don't usually use green pepper, but my mom always did. She also used beef, I use ground turkey. Here are the amounts I used, and we have lots of delicious leftovers.

American Chop Suey

1-1 1/2 boxes of your favorite small type of pasta (cellentani, elbows, whatever)
1-1 1/2 pounds ground turkey or beef
about 1/2 an onion, chopped finely
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
oregano and basil to taste, or you could use an Italian blend
a bit of salt and pepper
your favorite sauce (I used about a box and a half of pasta, and almost 2 (26 oz) jars of sauce)


Cook the pasta according to package directions.
While that's cooking, heat a large skillet.
When the skillet's hot, add a bit of oil to heat. Add the meat, onion and garlic, spices of your choice, and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is browned and no longer pink.
Drain meat, if necessary, and return to pan. Add sauce to meat mixture and lower heat, just to heat the sauce through.
Drain noodles, and either add them back to the pan the pasta pot, or to a large bowl.
Pour meat and sauce mixture over, stir to combine.
Serve with grated parm and crusty bread.



And there you have it. Easy, and a real kid-pleaser. I know, because I used to be a kid. :)

So get on on over to Sarah's place and bring your favorite childhood dish! You've got until midnight, May 23rd. Thinking about what to make for this event brought back SO many memories. Thank you, Sarah!

Raspberry Lime Yogurt Pound Cake, or The Pound Cake That Loves You Back

I've been completely stuck on raspberries and limes lately--they seem to be my favorite flavor combination at the moment. They just seem like they were meant to be together, and they never let me down.

This Yogurt Pound Cake is also one of my all time favorite things to make. And to eat, of course! Traditionally, Pound Cake is made with one pound of butter and one pound of sugar! Can you imagine? I mean, I've seen others, of course, that aren't so high on the "foods that'll seriously hurt you" list, but can you even imagine? I don't think I've ever used a pound of sugar in one recipe. Butter, yes, for shortbread, and a lot of it...but for one little loaf sized cake? No.

So that's why I love this one so much. I found the recipe a few years ago on the back of a yogurt container, and it quickly became a favorite. (The original recipe is for a strawberry cake, using strawberry yogurt, and no additional fruit--it's also great this way, so don't worry if you don't want to put the extra fruit in!) Why does it love you back, you ask? Because with the crafty use of a 6oz container of yogurt and 1/2 cup of butter (yes, only 1/2 cup!), it makes a moist, delicious and still buttery tasting Pound Cake. And like any Pound Cake, it gets better every day. Since I put raspberries in this one, I refrigerated it after a few days, just to be safe, and if summer was in full swing, I think I'd do that immediately.

It's also very versatile! On the same day that I made this one--actually, I made it twice in the past two weeks--I accidentally deleted the shots of the first one and had to make it again. D'oh! On the same day, I made a Date Nut Yogurt Pound Cake, by using plain Greek Yogurt, chopped dates and toasted walnuts, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Also delicious! I think I'd like to get a lime yogurt and try that with raspberries, but I am also imagining a lemon-lime one with lemon yogurt and lime zest. The possibilities are almost endless when you have a look at the yogurt flavors that are available. This is also a no-fail recipe in my book. I've made it many times, and it's consistently good.

Raspberry Lime Yogurt Pound Cake


2 cups    all-purpose flour
2 tsp    baking powder
1/2 tsp    salt
1/2 cup    butter, softened
1 cup    sugar
4    eggs
1    (6 ounces) carton raspberry (feel free to use non fat!) yogurt
1/4 tsp    almond extract
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1 1/2-2 tsp lime zest



Heat oven to 325°.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, the baking powder and salt, set
aside.
In a large mixing bowl at medium speed, beat together the butter and the sugar
until it's light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs,the yogurt and extract until well blended.
Reduce mixer speed to low.
Add the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, beating just until blended.
Fold in the raspberries and zest.
Spread evenly in a greased and floured 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.
Bake for about 70 minutes,until cake tester inserted near center comes out clean.
Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.
Remove from pan and cool completely.


Servings: 8
Preparation time: 10 minutes

And even though it's delicious as-is, I couldn't help myself. Every single piece of this that I had, I had to top with Three Citrus Curd. It's like a piece of raspberry citrus heaven on a plate. I highly recommend the curd, as well. It's good on anything. Everything! I'm almost out of the first jar, and planning on making some more this weekend. A double batch, I think, so I can freeze some for curd emergencies.





I almost forgot! Jessy at Baking Blondie has awarded me the Arte y Pico Award! If you haven't seen her blog yet, you're missing out. You won't believe the things this 15 year old bakes! She's amazing. Check out her blog!



I have five to pass along.
You select five blogs that you think excel in creativity, design, interesting material, and also contribute to the blogging community, no matter what language.

1) canarygirl.com
2) My plate, my world
3) What's Cooking?
4) My Life is Yummy
5) Mochachocolata-Rita


Thank you, Jessy!

Oven Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Bonus recipe!!!

This couldn't be simpler. Get these in the oven, after less than 5 minutes of prep, then get to work on your chicken and it should all be done at about the same time.

Oven Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

1 lb fingerling potatoes
olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
herbes de provence (optional, and you could also use your favorite herb blend instead)

Heat oven to 425°.
Wash potatoes. Dry on paper towels and put them on a baking sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Add garlic to the potatoes, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and herbs if you're using them. Toss to coat, really getting the garlic mixed in well.
Cook for 30 minutes.
Enjoy!

Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Easy Pan Sauce

I'm always on the lookout for quick, easy ways to prepare chicken for dinner. We have boneless chicken breasts a lot, because they're just so versatile--there are so many different things you can do with them. And they cook up quickly, which always makes them more appealing.

This is a recipe that you can get on the table in about twenty minutes. If you've been paying attention, you know that I always fillet chicken breasts because they cook faster and don't have time to dry out. Unless you overcook them, and in that case, you've given them time to dry out. So resist the urge to overcook. Your family will thank you. ;) The chicken will thank you.

The pan sauce here is quick and easy, too! And versatile--you could add herbs to it if you wish. I would actually increase the amounts next time, because we like more sauce. it's up to you. I'll give you the measurements I used, but next time, I think I'd up the amounts by half.

Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Easy Pan Sauce

Serves 2

2 boneless chicken breasts, filleted
salt & pepper
flour to dredge the chicken in
1 TB butter
1 TB oil

Sauce:

1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 tsp dijon mustard

Season each side of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Don't be sparse, season them well.
Dredge each piece in the flour, shaking the excess off.
Gather the ingredients for the sauce and have them ready to go.
Heat the pan over medium high heat, then add the butter and oil.
Add the chicken to the pan, and cook for about 4 minutes on one side, then 3-4 minutes on the second side, depending on thickness. (Obviously if they're thicker, they'll need a couple more minutes.) When nicely golden brown and no longer pink inside, remove to a plate to keep warm.

While the pan is still hot, add the sauce ingredients, scraping up the good bits of flavor on the bottom of the pan.
Reduce the liquid by about half, which should happen pretty quickly--about 2 minutes or so. Add 1 TB butter to finish the sauce.
Spoon over chicken and serve.


I'm going to read up on pan sauces and learn to make more. They can make an everyday meal into something special.

Oh, the salad is just mixed greens with baby spinach, broccoli slaw for crunch, tiny heirloom tomatoes, and english cucumber with kosher salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Do you guys have favorite recipes for quick pan sauces? If you do, what are they?