Category: International

Tuscan Penne Skillet

Looking for the perfect light summer meal with some substance to it? Here’s your dish!
Ben said this one reminded him of the pasta bar from the Great Hall, one of the dining halls on Duke’s West Campus. Ordinarily I probably wouldn’t have taken that as the greatest compliment… but since we enjoyed so many dinner dates over humongous bowls of that pasta stir-fry when we were dating at Duke, I decided to take it as one. Besides, who can pass up a big bowl of pasta with a huge heap of fresh veggies, some smoky turkey sausage, and melted mozzarella cheese to top it all off!?

I added some of my balsamic finishing syrup on top (since I put balsamic on just about everything) and a few more red pepper flakes. This dinner definitely did the trick!

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Tuscan Penne Skillet
Recipe Type: One-dish meals; Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Claire McCormick
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 12 oz uncooked whole wheat penne pasta
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp minced garlic (or 2 garlic cloves, chopped)
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3 lower-fat turkey sausage links, fully cooked and chopped into thin (about 1/8″) slices
  • 1 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 1 head broccoli florets, chopped into large pieces
  • 1/2 can black olives, chopped roughly (I did halves and quarters)
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (I think I used closer to two, since I added so many veggies!)
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, for a bit more heat
  • salt and pepper
  • 6 oz baby spinach leaves
  • mozzarella or parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
  1. Cook penne according to package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add onions, garlic, and turkey sausage, and cook, stirring, until browned- about 4-5 minutes.
  3. Add broccoli, tomatoes, broth, red pepper flakes, dried basil, and cook on medium-low heat until broccoli and tomatoes are tender and some of the liquid has evaporated. Slightly press down on tomatoes to release their juices and crush them.
  4. Add black olives and spinach. Cook, stirring, until spinach is wilted.
  5. When pasta is done, drain and stir into the veggie and sausage skillet.
  6. Season with salt and pepper, and top with cheese and more red pepper flakes, as desired!

ClaireLeave a comment

Southwest Benedict over Greens n’ Grains

Ingredients:

Black bean and corn salsa

1 egg

2 cups fresh baby spinach

1/2 cup quinoa, toasted (see directions below)

salt and pepper

cooking spray

shredded cheese

additional cilantro, for serving

sour cream and salsa, for serving

Directions:

To a medium sized bowl, add quinoa. Cover with water and soak for a few minutes. Then stir with a whisk until the quinoa turns the water cloudy (the film from the grain is being rinsed away). Strain quinoa in a fine mesh sieve.

Heat a large skillet on medium high. Add the quinoa and stir continuously with the whisk until it turns golden-brown and smells “nutty.”

When ready to cook, add quinoa to a saucepan with 1 cup water (2:1 ratio). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the grains split.

To the previously-used skillet, crack an egg gently, making sure not to break the yolk. Sprinkle it lightly with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-low heat for about 1-2 minutes, or until bottom sets. Flip and cook the other side. Remove from heat when egg is set. The yolk should still be runny!

Layer spinach, 1/4 cup quinoa, 1/2 cup corn and bean salsa, and fried egg in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle with additional pepper, cilantro, and shredded cheese. Serve with salsa and sour cream if desired!

Black bean and corn salsa_2

 

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ClaireLeave a comment

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Ingredients:

2 cans seasoned black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans diced tomatoes, southwestern style or with green chiles, drained

2 cans whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained

1/2 red onion, minced

1 tsp garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

1/4 cup lime juice

salt and pepper, to taste

1 bunch cilantro, shredded

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl and combine well. Refrigerate until ready to serve! (I recommend making it at least a few hours in advance to allow the flavors to meld!)

Black bean and corn salsa

 

ClaireLeave a comment

Classic Gazpacho

I have been DYING to make Gazpacho ever since the weather got warmer. I absolutely LOVE soup, so why should a few degrees and a ton more humidity separate me from that love? Seriously. This calls for gazpacho. Gazpacho: the perfect choice for a light and refreshing summer meal. For those of you who are “fresh” (ha ha) to the idea of it, gazpacho is basically a cold tomato soup, originating in the southern Spanish region of Andalucia and often served as an appetizer or a light supper with some crusty bread on the side.

How to make it? It’s simple. The hardest part is chopping all the veggies beforehand. I used a Real Simple recipe and touched it up a little with my own little additions- namely, a can of cannellini beans, celery, fresh lime juice, cumin, and a few extra pepper varieties. Throw it all into the food processor, give it a whirl, and in just a few seconds you have an incredibly refreshing chilled soup!

Make it ahead of time and stick it in the fridge, too. It only gets better with time because the flavors start a little romance 😛

Ok, let’s get to it!

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Ingredients:

1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, drained

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved

1 green pepper, chopped roughly

1 yellow pepper, chopped roughly

1 red pepper, chopped roughly

1 large cucumber, chopped roughly

3-4 stalks celery, chopped

2 small sweet yellow onions, diced

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed

1/4 cup lemon juice

juice from 2 limes

1 cup low-sodium vegetable juice (V8 works fine too)

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp dried parsley

salt and fresh ground pepper

1 cup frozen corn kernels, for topping

aged balsamic vinegar, for topping

Directions:

Chop all vegetables and add to food processor, working in batches. (For me, it took about 3 batches- each one turned out a bit differently but I just mixed them all together in a big bowl in the end!). Add beans, onions, tomatoes, garlic, vegetable juice, spices, and lemon and lime juices. Pulse for a few seconds at a time until the soup has a chunky texture!

Chill until ready to serve. Serve topped with corn kernels and a dash of balsamic vinegar.

ClaireLeave a comment

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken thighs, boiled and shredded (see recipe below)

16 oz. bottle/can red enchilada sauce

8-10 whole wheat tortillas

1 jar salsa

1 can refried beans

1 cup frozen corn

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup black olives, sliced

1/2 cup low-fat sour cream

Directions for Cooking the Chicken:

Remove skin from chicken thighs and rinse thoroughly. Lay on a towel to dry. Meanwhile, fill a large stockpot with 8 cups of water. Add 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp onion powder, 4 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp dry oregano, and 1/2 tsp ground cumin. Stir to combine. Place chicken thighs in pot and turn heat to high. Boil 10 minutes, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer uncovered for about 60-80 minutes, until liquid is almost gone.

Remove chicken from stockpot and pull meat off the bones. The meat should easily come off with your fingers! (Just wait till you see what I’m talking about… this is some TENDER meat! Yum!). Shred with a fork or fingers until desired.

(Source: http://mommynovice.wordpress.com/2011/06/26/shredded-chicken-mexican-style/)

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Preparing the Enchiladas:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pour can of enchilada sauce in a large shallow bowl (I used a 9″ round cake pan). Dredge each tortilla, front and back, with sauce.

Gently spread refried beans (one large spoonful or so for each enchilada) on one side of each tortilla. Top with a spoonful of corn kernels, salsa (as desired), shredded chicken, black olives, and cheddar cheese.

Roll up tortillas and place seam-side down in a lightly oiled 9×13″ baking dish (I didn’t grease my pan and thought I’d be ok with just the enchilada sauce… but the enchiladas stuck and I had to dig them out a bit in the end!). You can also “tuck” the rounded edges in before baking them to prevent any of that yummy filling from leaking out!

Blend sour cream and remaining enchilada sauce in the bowl with the sauce. Pour over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and bake 25-30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

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ClaireLeave a comment

Chicken Taco Soup

Chicken Taco Soup

 

Chicken Taco Soup_2

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 can stewed tomatoes, drained

2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 can chicken broth

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

3/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 yellow or red pepper, diced

1 bag (10 oz) frozen corn

2 cans black beans

8 oz Cheddar cheese, grated

sour cream or greek yogurt, for garnish

fresh cilantro, for garnish

tortilla chips, for serving

Directions:

1. Combine chicken, tomatoes, broth, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, pepper, salt, cilantro, yellow or red pepper, corn, and beans in a slow cooker.

2. Cover; cook on low for 8 hours. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream/yogurt, and additional cilantro, to taste.

ClaireLeave a comment