Stephanies Kitchen

Garden Zucchini and Italian Sausage Penne

September 12, 2008 By Steph 11 Comments

If you are a frequent reader of my blog, you will notice that my weaknesses in life are; number 1- sweets of all kinds. And number two- pasta. If I’m not baking up something wickedly delicious, I am making pasta of all shapes and sizes. I should have been born and raised in Italy. I adore pasta. It doesn’t matter what you put in it, on it, and around it, I will gobble it up no questions asked. Nothing beats the real deal in the land of Italy of course, but I think I do a pretty good job. This one is no exception. I’ve never been a fan of Italian sausage, but I decided to add it to my pasta one night a couple of months ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since. This pasta dish is loaded with garden fresh zucchini and Italian sausage. For an extra special treat, pour this into a casserole dish, cover it in sliced, fresh mozzarella and put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes. Yum! That is my absolute favorite thing in the world. This recipe is so simple, it will take you no time at all. Have a great weekend friends!

Garden Zucchini and Italian Sausage Penne

1 pound pasta of your choice, cooked to al dente

1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce

1 pound Italian sausage

2 cups zucchini, chopped

Parmesan cheese

1. Brown the Italian sausage in a large skillet. Add zucchini and cook until soft. Pour pasta sauce over the sausage. Cook until sauce comes to a low boil. Add cooked pasta to the skillet and mix well. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Filed Under: pasta

Creamy Ranch Chicken

June 25, 2008 By Steph 13 Comments

Simple. Delicious. Satisfying. Need I say more? I saw this recipe in one of my food magazines and I just knew I had to try it. Crispy bacon in a creamy ranch sauce with chicken and noodles. How can you honestly go wrong? It was done in a matter 20 minutes. My husband compared it to a Carbonara, and I guess it was similar, but the ranch seasoning gave it a tangy taste that I just loved. If your family loves saucy meals, you might want to double the sauce, it really didn’t make a huge amount.

Creamy Ranch Chicken

adapted from Better Homes and Garden’s Quick and Easy Recipes

start to finish: 20 minutes

serves about 4

6 slices bacon

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons ranch dry salad dressing mix

1 1/4 cups milk

3 cups dried medium noodles(I used egg noodles)

1 tablespoon finely shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Start your water for your pasta. Cook noodles according to package directions.

2. Cut bacon into narrow strips. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels; discard all but 2 tablespoons drippings.

3. In the same skillet, cook chicken in reserved drippings until no longer pink, turning to brown evenly. Sprinkle flour and salad dressing mix over chicken; stir well to coat the chicken. Stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Stir in bacon.

4. Serve the chicken over the noodles. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Filed Under: chicken, main dishes, pasta

Chicken Noodle Casserole

May 26, 2008 By Steph 12 Comments

So last week, like so many other nights soon before the husband gets home, I’m trying to come up with dinner. Now, I do plan ahead my meals for 2 weeks. I do all the shopping. I put the menu on the calender. And then night comes, and whatever I put up on that calender of course does not sound good to me… So I look at all the other nights, hoping to swap dishes. Nothing. Anyways, I decided to use some egg noodles and come up with a mock tuna casserole. Of course, without tuna, because we are not tuna lovers in our house. So I will call it a chicken noodle casserole. I usually use canned cream of chicken soup in my casseroles, but I decided to try and make my own. It was as easy as pie. Well easier, because pie isn’t that easy for me. But it was delicious! Very tasty and I will definitely make it again. It was very light and delicious!

Chicken Noodle Casserole

12 oz. wide egg noodles, cooked according to pkg directions.
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
2 breasts of chicken, chopped and cooked (I used half of a costco rotisserie chicken)
1/2 of a small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
fresh parsley, chopped

For the topping:
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/3 cup italian seasoned breadcrumbs

Cook pasta according to package directions, set aside. In a large skillet, melt butter and add onion and garlic. Cook until onions are soft, just a few minutes. Add flour and whisk together and let it brown a bit. Slowly add the milk and chicken broth. Cook on medium low until bubbling and the mixture starts to thicken. Add salt and pepper, chicken and noodles. Combine well.

Pour into a greased casserole dish. Mix the melted butter and breadcrumbs until well combined. Sprinkle on top of the noodles. Cook in a 375 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes or until breadcrumbs are nice and toasted. Top with fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Filed Under: casserole, chicken, pasta

Linguine w/ Zucchini, Browned Butter and Garlic

May 19, 2008 By Steph 18 Comments

It is starting to get very warm here in Utah. Today hit a whopping 90 degrees. And with warm weather my menu turns simple. I just do not like standing in the hot kitchen for very long periods of time. I like to get in, get out, clean up and move on with my night. Tonight brought a simple pasta dish consisting of linguine, zucchini, browned butter with garlic, and parmesan cheese. Very simple, but very tasty. Just my kind of dish for a hot day. Try it. Love it. Enjoy!

Linguine with Zucchini, Browned Butter and Garlic

1/2 pound Linguine

1/2 cup reserved water from cooked pasta

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 tablespoon chopped garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 small zucchini, chopped to your liking

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Cook linguine in salted boiling water until al dente, reserving 1/2 cup of the water. In a small saucepan melt butter and garlic together on medium low heat until bubbly and slightly browned. Set aside. In a large skillet on medium heat, add olive oil and zucchini and cook slightly, about 3-4 minutes. Add cooked pasta, butter, reserved pasta water and parmesan cheese. Stir together until well combined. Salt and pepper to taste.

Filed Under: pasta

Classic Italian Lasagna and Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie

May 12, 2008 By Steph 17 Comments

My husband offered to make me dinner for Mother’s Day. I told him that it was so sweet to offer, but I had already planned my favorite meal out. I know, I’m crazy. A man offers to cook and you should always accept, but I had my heart set on Lasagna. I love Lasagna! I’ve never enjoyed making it much, so complex, so many different components to make. But because I love it so very much and I haven’t had it in a while, I decided to try Giada’s recipe, because the rest of her recipes have been so excellent. This was the BEST lasagna I have ever had. My favorite part is that she uses a marinara and bechemel sauce combined, instead of just a marinara sauce. It gives it such a creamy texture and it has the perfect flavor! The spinach adds a nice touch and of course the best part is the bubbling cheese on top! Yum! It tastes even better the second day because all of the flavors combine and it is just perfect! Give it a try, it is to die for!

Classic Italian Lasagna
adapted from Giada’s Everyday Italian

salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
15 dry lasagna noodles (about 12 ounces)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef chuck
1 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 cups Bechamel Sauce (recipe to follow)
1 1/2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce
1 1/2 pounds whole milk ricotta cheese (I used part skim)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons butter
2 (10 ounce) pkgs frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the vegetable oil (prevents sticking). Cook the lasagna until almost al dente, about 6 minutes (the center of the pasta should remain somewhat hard so that it won’t overcook and become soggy when baked.) Drain, then rinse the noodles under cold water to stop the cooking and help remove any excess starch. Cover lightly with a damp towel to prevent the pasta from drying out. Set aside.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over a medium-high flame. Add the ground beef and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and saute until the beef is brown, breaking up any large clumps, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain any excess fat. Let cool completely.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
4. In a medium bowl, mix the bechamel and marinara sauces to blend. Season the sauce with more salt an pepper to taste.
5. In another medium bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to blend. Set aside. Spread the butter over a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Spoon 1/3 of the bechamel-marinara sauce over the bottom of the dish. Arrange 5 lasagna noodles atop the sauce, overlapping slightly and covering the bottom of the dish completely. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with the spinach. Arrange 5 more lasagna noodles atop the spinach, then top with the ground beef. Spoon one third of the remaining bechamel-marinara sauce over, then sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Top with the remaining 5 sheets of lasagna noodles. Spoon the remaining bechamel-marinara sauce over the lasagna noodles, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese. (The lasagna can be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Uncover before baking).
6. Line a large, heavy baking sheet with foil. Place the baking dish on the baking sheet. Bake until the lasagna is heated through and the top is bubbling, about 45 minutes.

Bechamel Sauce
makes 4 cups

5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups warm whole milk (I use 2 percent)
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
pinch of white pepper (I use black pepper)
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (I use dried)

In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick, smooth, and ream, about 10 minutes. Do not allow bechamel sauce to boil. Remove from the heat and stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste. (The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate.)

Now onto Dessert!!!!

A friend of mine brought this over to me after I had my last baby. I fell in love with it, it’s simplicity and wonderful flavor combinations! I make it all the time now and it is so good, it doesn’t take long to finish the whole pie! Trust me, it is worth EVERY last calorie!!!

Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie

1 store bought oreo pie shell (or make one at home)
1/2 gallon mint chocolate chip ice cream
cool whip
caramel
hot fudge sauce
coursely crushed oreo cookies

There are no measurements, because you can put as much of everything as you desire. Make it your own!

On the bottom of the pie shell, drizzle carmel and hot fudge sauce. Soften ice cream, and scoop into the pie shell until 3/4 of the way full. Top with cool whip and top that with the oreo cookies. Drizzle more caramel and hot fudge sauce and put back in the freezer to firm up. Yum!!!!!

Filed Under: desserts, main dishes, pasta