Greek Shrimp and Couscous

I cannot take credit for this dish.  I got my new issue of Food Network Magazine earlier this week, and flipped through it leisurely while sipping a glass of wine that night. 

Not really...I read it quickly while the girls were folding laundry and Theresa was napping.  Yeah...that sounds more realistic, doesn't it? ;-)

But I came across this recipe, and thought it would be perfect for Fridays during Lent.  So...all my fellow Catholic foodies...take note.  This ones's a keeper!

I only took pics of the finished dish.  I wish I had more...but I honestly just can't manage these days.  Theresa just turned 2, and the child wants to be held all the time!  I think I will just super-glue her to my hip!  

Here's the link to the recipe:  

Greek Shrimp and Couscous

And here's the finished dish.  Looks delicious, doesn't it?  

Happy Lent everyone, and God bless your table tonight!  

Chicken Noodle Soup

Around these here parts (lol), the flu is going around like crazy, and people are dropping like flies.  Literally.  My four older kiddos were all down for the count 2 weeks ago, and my sweet Gabriel only started to feel better last weekend.  Poor little guy!  After making homemade applesauce and letting the kids nosh on graham crackers and sprite for about a week, I decided to make a pot of soup.  I mean...who doesn't want chicken noodle soup when you're getting over the flu, right? 

I firmly believe good chicken soup starts with good stock, and that means cooking the chicken with the skin on and bone-in.  None of that "boneless, skinless chicken" stuff here!  You wanna make some hard core soup?  Stick with me...and we'll make a pot with a lot more flavor if you have the bones...all righty?  Trust me, there's nothing to it...just takes a wee bit more time.  

I used just chicken drumsticks (I had two big family sized packs in the freezer), but you can use a whole, cut up chicken, bone-in thighs, whatever you fancy.  Just please...for the love of heaven get you some chicken with bones in it...they sell cut up chickens right in the poultry case at the grocery store.  I promise...I saw some at my local Kroger just today.  ;-)

Chicken Noodle Soup

2 pounds meaty chicken pieces (bone-in thighs, breasts, legs, or a combination)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 stalks celery, diced

2 cups diced carrots 

2 medium onions, diced

2 teaspoons fresh sage or thyme, chopped 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can diced tomatoes (seasoned with basil, thyme, and oregano) 

12 ounces wide egg noodles +

Salt and black pepper to taste

In a large pot, place the chicken and enough water to just cover the meat.  Bring to a boil and let gently simmer for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is tender (juices should run clear if pierced with a knife). 

Remove from the pot, and let cool. 

SAVE THE BROTH!  Shred the meat from the bones, discarding the skin and bones.  Chop coarsely into bite-sized pieces.  Set aside. 

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the celery, carrots, and onions and saute until tender, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.  

Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes or until the garlic is soft and fragrant.  Remove from the heat. 

At this point, the broth will have settled a bit, and you may see some fat at the surface.  Skim it off, along with any visible bits of marrow or skin.  You can leave them in, but it makes for an unattractive broth...and if you kids are like mine, you will hear cries of, "EWW...what's THAT!" at the table.  So if you want a peaceful dinner, I would skim it out.  Just sayin'.  ;-)

 Now, add the cooked vegetables to the broth, along with the chicken and the undrained tomatoes.  Bring back up to a boil and add the egg noodles.  Cook the noodles in the soup according to the package directions (probably about 8 minutes or so).  At the last minute, stir in the fresh sage, dill, and parsley.  

Ladle into bowls and serve immediately with some crusty bread for sopping if desired.  

My kids were grateful for warm bowls of comfort to ease their achy throats and stop the fever shivers.  Even the baby (who was the only one to escape the flu bug) happily slurped down a few noodles.  Yeah! 

I pray everyone at your table is healthy and stays that way!  Enjoy, and God bless your table tonight!  

Stuffed Shells with Crab and Spinach

I wanted to get this post up last Friday, but received sad news that afternoon.  My beloved grandpa died.  He went the best way possible.  He laid down for a nap, and didn't wake up.  I am thankful he was able to meet Theresa last summer before he died.  I loved him so very much.  

Sigh...and life goes on.  And I still have 7 people to feed, including one very hungry baby girl.  We just can't believe how much food this tiny thing can pack away.  She must have a hollow leg. ;-)

I saw this recipe in my latest issue of Everyday Food.  I liked the idea of stuffed shells, but knew I wanted to make some changes.  First, nobody here is a fan of tuna casserole, so I swapped the tuna with canned crab meat.  I left out the red pepper flakes because my kiddos have tender tongues (well...except Rebecca), and added nutmeg to the sauce.  I love the flavor of nutmeg and spinach together.  I used 1/2 skim and 1/2 whole milk to cut back on the fat and calories, and panko bread crumbs instead of blitzing up a hamburger bun for the crumbs. Lastly, I added some cheese to the pasta sauce, because everything is better with cheese, right?  

Stuffed Shells with Crab and Spinach
adapted from Everyday Food 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely diced

1/4 all purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

2 cups skim milk

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

8 ounces (about 1 cup) white American or monterey jack cheese

1/2 cup panko or other dried bread crumbs
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese. 

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 cans (6 ounces each) crab meat

Salt and pepper to taste

6 ounces (about 20 count) jumbo pasta shells

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add a couple of swirls of olive oil--this will keep them from sticking together.  When ready, drop your pasta and cook according to the package directions for al dente, but take it out one minute early.  This keeps the pasta from being mushy in the finished dish. 

Drain into a greased, 9x13 casserole dish and set aside.  Preheat your oven to 375.  

In a large pot or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Saute the onion until soft and tender, about 5-6 minutes. 

Add the flour and whisk for another minute to cook out the raw flour taste. 

Gradually add the milk, making sure to whisk constantly to avoid lumps.  Cook until slightly thickened and bubbly.  Turn the heat down very low, (or off) and whisk in the cheese; then the sauce won't curdle on you. 

I used a block of white American I had leftover from Theresa's birthday party--waste not, want not, right?  And it was really about 1 1/2 cups. ;-)  I would recommend monterey jack or a mild cheddar if you don't have American.  Anything else will be too strong in flavor and overwhelm the crab meat.  

Stir the sauce gently until all the cheese is melted,  Sprinkle in the nutmeg, season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.  

In a medium bowl, mix together the parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and Italian seasoning.  I used my favorite, Penzy's Pasta Sprinkle.  Reserve half of this mixture for the topping. 

Now, take half of the cheese sauce, and add it to the remaining breadcrumb mixture, along with the spinach and crab meat.  Mix together until well combined.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  (I know the sauce isn't pictured, sorry about that).  

Fill each pasta shell with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach and crab mixture.  

When all the shells are filled, carefully pour the remaining cheese sauce over the top.  Sprinkle with the rest of the breadcrumbs.  

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling around the edges, and the breadcrumbs are a golden brown.  I put mine under the broiler for just a couple of minutes to speed things up.  Let sit for about minutes before serving. 

Doesn't it look amazing?  :-)

I couldn't wait until dinnertime.  I tasted one right away.  Oh, it was so good.  The pasta shells hold just the right amount of creamy filling, and the crab and spinach taste incredible together.  This is way better than tuna casserole!  

I will be straight-up honest with you...Rebecca, Theresa, David, and I LOVED this casserole, the other kids, not so much.  Oh well.  More tasty leftovers for the rest of us...YUM. 

I hope you try this recipe this Friday if you're observing Lent.  God bless your table tonight! 

Crockpot Ravioli

So now that school is back in session, we're all looking for quick, easy, meals to get on the table, right?  Well, look no further.  A good friend of mine emailed this recipe to me...and I knew I had to try it.  Best of all, I could use jarred pasta sauce and frozen ravioli...yeah!  Okay, I admit, I wasn't going to take the time to make my own pasta sauce, let alone homemade ravioli anyway.  

Here's the link to the original recipe, feel free to tweak it the way your family likes it.  As you'll see, I didn't have any red peppers, so I used a few, chopped sun-dried tomatoes.  I doubled the recipe, and had only one and a half jars of pasta sauce...it worked just fine.  I have an Italian seasoning spice blend, but I decided to use Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle, because I just love it.  I didn't' add the one cup of water...I find most crock-pot meals don't need a lot of added liquid.  And I sprinkled some freshly grated Pecorio-Romano cheese over the top of the finished dish...because you can never have enough cheese if you're serving kids. :-)

Crockpot Ravioli

adapted from Food.com

One bag (25 ounces) frozen beef or cheese ravioli

1 jar (24 ounces) prepared pasta sauce

1 (8 ounces) can tomato sauce

2-3 tablespoons chopped red pepper

Italian seasoning blend

1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 

Pour half of the pasta sauce in the bottom of your crockpot.  (If you're doubling the recipe, you will definitely need a large, 5 quart slow-cooker). I used a tomato-basil marinara sauce.  

Arrange the ravioli over the sauce.  

Pour the rest of the pasta sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the spice blend...about 2 teaspoons. 

Add the tomato sauce, and sprinkle on a bit more spice blend ( wanted some herbal flavor in between the layers).  Top with the chopped peppers (I used sun-dried tomatoes).  

Sprinkle the cheese over everything and cover.  Cook on low for 4-5 hours, or until the ravioli is heated through. 

Here's what my pot looked like after 4.5 hours.  

Voila!  And I didn't have to do any cooking at all!  :-)

Garnish with a little freshly chopped basil and some grated parmesan cheese if desired.  

The pickiest eater in our house (Christina) LOVED this, and get this...she asked for seconds.  I'm telling you, that never, ever, happens, so I was thrilled!  

Enjoy, and God bless your table tonight!

Linguini with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil

Since our tomatoes are still going strong, I wanted to post another one of my favorite tomato recipes. If you want some more easy tomato dishes, try this one, or this one. 

All my kids eat this...2 of 'em pick out the tomatoes, but they usually don't bother taking out every single bit.  This is a divine pasta recipe...so simple, and ridiculously easy.  The sauce is just a few ingredients, and it's ready in the time it takes to boil the pasta.  I used regular tomatoes straight from our garden, but I see no reason why cherry tomatoes cut in half, wouldn't work either.  If you must use store-bought tomatoes, you may like an extra pinch of sugar to make up for some of the natural sweetness.

You'll find yourself making this all summer long, promise! :-)

Linguini with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil

6 medium ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped (or 2 cups cherry tomatoes cut in half)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 pound linguini pasta

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Pictured above:  One of the beautiful tomatos from our garden. We're getting some amazing specimens this year!

We'll prep everything first...cut your tomatoes in half, take out the core, and squeeze gently to get all the seeds out.  I scoop 'em out with my fingers first, and then a little squeeze persuades the rest.  This keeps the finished sauce from becoming too watery.  Chop 'em up, and set aside. 

Mince the garlic, or use a microplane grater.  I like using mine because none of the kids bite down on a piece of garlic.  They're not my kids if they don't like garlic...so I'll make it as easy as possible for them. 

 I have plenty of Italian parsley and basil from my garden...isn't it purty? 

Chop up the parsley and set aside.  Stack the basil leaves, roll up tightly, and slice thinly to make basil chiffonade...tiny little green ribbons. 

Cut the lemon in half and have it ready to go...it didn't get a picture because it was camera shy. ;-) 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.  Drop your pasta and cook one minute less than the package recommends.

 Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat.  Add the garlic and let it gently sizzle for about a minute, until golden, but not dark. 

Mix in the tomatoes, parsley, basil, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper.  You are really just warming up the sauce for the pasta.  Don't stir too much...we're not making tomato paste here! 

 When the pasta is done, drain it, and add it right to the skillet of tomatoes.  Give everything a good toss for a couple of minutes.  The pasta will finish cooking in the pan, and absorb all the lovely juices from the tomatoes.  

Serve immediately garnished with more basil and some parmesan cheese if you'd like.  My kids like a little extra cheese in their bowls...I'm sure yours will too. ;-)

When you take a bite of this...it tastes like summer!  The lemon juice gives the tomatoes just the right amount of acid, and the pasta is coated with sweet, tomatoey juices.  ("Tomatoey" may not be an actual work, but according to me, it is now!)

I hope you get to make this soon, and watch your family slurp it all up. I say "slurp" because some of my kids haven't mastered the art of twirling their pasta on a fork yet.  So it's fun to watch 'em eat pasta. ;-)

Enjoy, and God bless your table tonight!