Possibly the worst meal ever...

It sounded different and good enough to try. It came out of the cookbook I cherish and have never had a bad dish out of yet. This proves that nothing is perfect. That cookbook is not perfect and this recipe was far from perfect.

What was in it? Squash, zucchini, pasta, onion, rosemary, Dijon mustard, mozzerlla, proscuitto, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Doesn't sound too bad? Ugh! It was! I'll never make it again. On to the next recipe!

Jalapeno Pasta with Calabacitas Sauce

We bought fresh jalapeno linguine at our local farmer's market this past weekend and I searched the web for a recipe and came across this.: Pappardelle's Green Jalapeno Pasta with Calabacitas Sauce
I literally cut, pasted and then edited this recipe to exactly what I did.

Calabacitas Sauce
1 lb. Jalapeno Linguine
1 (11 oz) can of summer sweet corn, no salt added
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, sliced
3 medium zucchini, diced
3 Poblanos - roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup chicken broth
Garlic Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1. After all of your vegetables are prepped and ready to go, cook pasta in pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente (about 8-10 minutes). Drain and transfer to heated pasta bowl.

2. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add zucchini; sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add corn and chiles, sauté until corn is cooked, about 2-3 minutes. Add broth, salt and pepper. If it needs more liquid, add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water.

3. Serve sauce over pasta and top with grated cheddar cheese.
Serves 4-6

Next time I'll try it over rice!

Indian-Style Okra

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 pound sliced fresh okra
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• salt to taste
• chili powder
• diced tomato, canned
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

*I added these.

Makes 4 servings

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until tender. Stir in the okra, and season with cumin, ginger, coriander, pepper and salt. Cook and stir for a few minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover the pan. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until okra is tender.               

Nutrional Info Per Serving Calories: 126 | Total Fat: 8.9g | Cholesterol: 23mg

I served this over white rice & I found this recipe here:
AllRecipes.com Easy Indian Style Okra

Simple Salad

I don't have a picture, and this is by no means a gourmet dish, (or even a very creative one) but I've been enjoying something lately I thought I'd share with you. Just last week we had steaks and sweet potatoes. The asparagus I intended to cook had gone bad and I was in need of serving a vegetable but I didn't have much on hand to choose from. I ended up throwing all of the below in a bowl, mixing it up and it was very much enjoyed by all...especially Hana and myself!

There is no exact amount as this just happened, so use as much or as little as you like. Add some things, subtract some things, use a different dressing if you so desire.

grape tomatoes
chopped carrots
green onion
celery
Lite Ranch dressing

The second time I made this I didn't have green onion, only yellow, so that's what I used. Red would also be yummy! That time I also mixed in a little garlic powder and a pinch of shredded Colby Jack cheese because it was not served as a side but for lunch for Hana and me.

Courtney's Skillet Chilaquiles

When Joe and I vacationed in Mexico years ago, I discovered a love for chilaquiles and recently stumbled upon a great recipe that I will share at some point. Joe and I also share a love for frittatas, so this morning I decided to combine the two using random ingredients I had on hand. Here's what I used and did (The measurements are approximate):

1/4 cup diced bell pepper
1/4 cup diced onion
Four corn tortillas cut into one-inch strips
1/2 cup of pinto beans rinsed and drained
A pinch of cilantro, chopped
Garlic salt
Pepper
Two eggs
3 egg whites
1/4 cup salsa
Fresh jalapenos, diced
*1/4 cup cheddar-jack cheese
*Handful of mozzarella cheese (I ran out of cheddar-jack)

*I always use 2% milk cheese

I heated the oven to 350, sprayed a 10-inch skillet with cooking spray and sauteed the bell peppers and onion for a couple minutes. In a small bowl I beat the eggs and egg whites and then stirred in everything but the mozzarella. I poured the egg mixture over the onions and bell peppers, stirred to mix and then let it cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat until the egg was almost set. I sprinkled the mozzarella on top and put it in the oven for another 5-8 minutes until cooked through. Then I let it sit a couple minutes, slid it onto a cutting board, used a pizza cutter to slice it into four wedges...

and served it with fresh jalapenos.

Yum!

Feta Couscous

1 box whole wheat couscous

1 can low-sodium chicken broth

handful of reduced-fat feta cheese

handful toasted pine nuts

handful chopped green onion

handful grape tomatoes, quartered

*****

Cook couscous according to package but replace water with chicken broth.

Once couscous is cooked and fluffed with a fork, stir in feta, pine nuts, green onion and tomatoes.

Easy Yet Yummy Pasta Salad

1 box Betty Crocker Suddenly Pasta Salad (original)

handful of matchstick carrots

handful of chopped broccoli

handful of diced red onion

Ranch dressing

Prepare pasta salad according to box.

Mix in carrots, broccoli, onion and as much Ranch dressing as you like.

Every time I make this for someone they think I spent all morning working on it, mixing and adding ingredients. They're always shocked when I tell them my secret. Serve some to your friends and keep the secret to yourself!

Falafel-Stuffed Pitas

Before tonight I had no idea what a falafel was. But thanks to these awesome cookbooks (this one came out of Cooking Light) JennEllen got me for my birthday, I am trying lots of new things - and they're all healthy to boot! Don't be scared by this recipe. Read the ingredients. It is oh, so yummy! The whole time I was making these I couldn't stop thinking about the episode of Friends where Christina Applegate is Rachel's sister and she keeps thinking Ross is the falafel guy. Dumb, I know, but, oh well! =)

*****

Falafel:

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 lrg egg

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

*****

1 tbsp olive oil

*****

Sauce:

1/2 cup plain, low-fat yogurt

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)

1 garlic clove, minced

*****

4 (6 inch) whole wheat pitas, halved

8 curly lettuce leaves

sliced tomato

*****

To prepare falafel:

Place first 8 ingredients in a food processor (Trust me. Use a food processor. I almost killed my blender and Magic Bullet and ended up mashing it with a potato masher instead! LOL) Process mixture until smooth. Divide into 16 equal portions and create patties (dip hands in water to avoid sticking to hands). The patties will seem small, but remember, you're putting two into each pita half. Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.

To prepare sauce:

Combine yogurt, lemon juice, tahini and one garlic clove; stir with a whisk.

To made sandwiches:

Spoon sauce into each pita half and add lettuce, tomato and two patties.

*****

Serves 4

*****

FYI: I found Tahini, sesame seed paste, for $8 a bottle. Wow. No, thanks. I read the ingredients and it literally said "Ground sesame seeds." There is a nut kiosk at our Tom Thumb, and I was able to buy 1/2 lb (way too much) of sesame seeds for a little over a dollar and I just ground them myself using my handy Magic Bullet.

Tomato Egg Cups

4 medium-size vine-ripened tomatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 large eggs brought to room temperature
4 tablespoons shredded white cheddar cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked and crispy
3 green onions, chopped
garlic powder to taste
4 slices toast, cut into strips

Preheat the oven to 425° F.
Slice off and set aside the top third of each tomato.
Scoop out seeds.
Place the tomatoes in a glass or ceramic baking dish.
Season with the garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Sprinkle a little of the onion into each tomato cup.
Break an egg into each tomato.
Bake, with the sliced tops on, for 10 minutes.
Remove the tops, add the bacon and cheese.
Bake until the cheese is bubbly, 5 to 7 minutes more.
Let them cool for 5 minutes.
Serve them with the tops, the rest of the onion and toast strips for dipping.

Tomoto Basil Flatbread

1 tube refrigerated pizza dough
1/2 cup pesto
1 (8 oz) ball of mozzarella (diced)
1 large tomato (diced)
2 tsps crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup purple onion, sliced very thin
*************************

Preheat oven to temperature recommended for pizza dough.
Spread dough onto pan to make a thin crust.
Cook dough per instructions, but take out of oven about 5 minutes before it's finished cooking.
Turn oven temp up to 450.
Spread pesto over top of dough.
Place cheese, onion and tomatoes on top and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
Cook in oven at 450 degrees for 5 minutes, until cheese it melted and crust is cooked.
Sprinkle fresh basil on top.

Enjoy!

Random Risotto

*1 box Mushroom risotto

*1 bundle asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces and sprinkled with lemon juice

*1 squash, diced

*1/2 can chick peas (garbanzo beans), warmed

*1 tbsp Gorgonzola cheese

*1 small can mushroom pieces and stems, drained

*Shredded Parmesan

***************

*Cook risotto according to instructions on box.

*Boil squash until tender

*Add asparagus to boiling water and cook for 2 minutes

*Saute mushrooms in butter

*Once risotto is cooked, add asparagus, squash, chick peas, mushrooms and Gorgonzola.

Serve with Parmesan sprinkled on top.

Potato, Corn & Leek Chowder with Tossed Green Salad and Turkey Melts

I received a belated birthday gift from Jennifer this past weekend and it was two very awesome cookbooks. So you'll be seeing a lot of new yummy recipes! This one here came from a Cooking Light cookbook, except for the turkey melts, I just came up with that on my own.

Potato, Corn & Leek Chowder

2 tbsps butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped leek (about 1 large)
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 cups whole milk (I used 2%)
3 tbsps all-purpose flour
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups fresh kernels (I used canned)
2 lbs cubed, peeled Yukon gold or red potatoes
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsps chopped fresh chives
*I forgot to add the parsley and the chives even though they were both sitting on the counter, but it was still delicious!

Heat butter and oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leek, celery and bell pepper; cook until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently. Whisk together milk and flour in small bowl and slowly add to pan, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and next 4 ingredients, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Stir in parsley and chives. Makes 6, 1 1/3 cup servings.


Tossed Green Salad

Place 1 bag of (rinsed) baby mixed greens in a bowl. Add 2 large tomatoes cut into wedges, 1 cup julienne-cut yellow bell pepper and 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber. In another small bowl combine 1 1/2 tbsps lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper; stir well with a whisk. Drizzle over salad, toss well.

Turkey Melts

Make a sandwich of turkey and mozzarella and cook on a sandwich press.

Asian Pasta

This is my husband's new favorite dish. He ate all of his and went looking for more. I got this recipe from Cookie Magazine, but put a Courtney twist on it.

1 13.5-ounce box of multi-grain spaghetti
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium shallot, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more or less depending on how much heat you like)
4 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain the noodles and return them to the pot.

Heat the sesame oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, shallot, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic and shallot are just golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the soy sauce. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss until the noodles are evenly coated.

Set the same sauté pan back on the stove and increase the heat to medium high. Crack the eggs into the pan, making sure not to break the yolks. Season them with salt and pepper, if desired. Fry the eggs until the whites are completely cooked but the yolks are still a little runny.

Serve the noodles with an egg on top—the yolk will coat the noodles and add extra richness to the sauce. Add any veggies you have on hand. I added shredded carrots and we had edamame on the side. We also topped it off with Joe's yummy jalapeno! I think raw broccoli would taste awesome in it and even some shredded beef! This is definitely a dish I could get creative with.

Fettuccine with Walnut Sauce

This is a yummy Weight Watchers recipe I just served for dinner tonight and boy was it a success!

makes 4 one cup servings

1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp lemon zest
6 oz fettuccine
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
2 tbsps finely chopped fresh parsley

1. In a bowl, combine ricotta, broth and lemon zest; mix until smooth.

2. Cook the fettuccine according to package directions; drain and place in a serving bowl. Top with ricotta mixture, then sprinkle with walnuts, Gorgonzola and parsley; toss to coat.

***FYI: 6 points per one-cup serving, 271 cal, 10 g fat, 3 g sat fat

I served it with homemade garlic toast. I used Nature's Own Whitewheat bread which is 0 points per slice! (of course the toppings add points)