Pasta with Bacon

I found this recipe in my April issue of food network magazine.  It was originally called "Orecchiette with Spicy Sausage", but we altered it a little (a lot).  We used shell pasta and we used bacon instead of the sausage.  It was awesome!!!!  The recipe below makes 6 servings.

Image by Jason Hedlund

Ingredients:
Kosher salt
12 ounces orecchiette pasta
2 Tbsp olive oil
8 ounces fresh chorizo or other spicy sausage, casings removed (we used 12 ounces bacon)
2 spring onions (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced, plus more for toppings
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
Freshly ground pepper
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup grated pecorino or parmesan cheese, plus more for servings

Directions:
1.  Bring pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook as the label directs.  Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes.  Add the spring onions and cook until softened, about 3 more minutes.  Add the garlic, mushrooms, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper to taste; cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushroom start to brown, about 3 minutes.  Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until they soften slightly, about 3 minutes.
2.  Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooling water, then drain the pasta.  Add the broth to the skillet and cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Stir in the pasta and cheese, adding some of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if necessary.  Season with salt and pepper.  Divide among bowls, drizzle with olive oil and top with more cheese and spring onions.  Enjoy!

Jason and Beth's Rating: 9/10!!  (with bacon)

Nutrition: (with bacon instead of sausage)
430 calories
22g fat (8g saturated)
70mg cholesterol
700mg sodium
17g carbohydrates
2g fiber
2g sugar
23g protein

Chopped Salad

This was a fun looking side dish I found in the food network magazine (April 2012 issue).  The salad was really good!  The recipe below makes 5-6 servings.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup feta
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp fresh dill
1 garlic clove, grated
salt and pepper to taste
1 romaine heart, chopped
1 small cucumber, chopped
5 radishes, chopped (we used carrots, Trader Joe's didn't have radishes)
1 can chickpeas, drained (we used edamame)
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/3 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds

Directions:
1.  Add the feta, olive oil, lemon juice, water and dill with salt and pepper to food processor.  Process until smooth.
2.  Toss liquid with chopped ingredients.  Season with salt and pepper.  Enjoy!

Jason and Beth's Rating:  7.5/10

Nutrition:
110 calories
11g fat (2g saturated)
10mg cholesterol
200mg sodium
1g carbohydrates
1g fiber
0g sugar
3g protein

Farm-Stand Vegetable Skewers and Pesto Vinaigrette

This looked like an easy weeknight recipe for a side.  We love grilling and veggies are healthy!  The recipe below makes 6 servings.

Image by Jason Hedlund

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup jarred basil pesto
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 pound okra (we used sugar snap peas instead)
2 bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 2-inch wedges
1 red onion
6 small summer squash, cut into 2-inch chunks (we left this out)
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 cup fresh sage leaves (we used basil leaves instead)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:
1.  Combine olive oil, basil pesto, and lemon juice in a small bowl, whisk thoroughly, and set aside.
2.  Soak wooden skewers in water while preparing veggies.
3.  Skewer veggies and every 4th veggie add a sage leaf.
4.  Brush skewers with the pesto vinaigrette, and season with salt and pepper.
5.  Grill skewers for 3-4 minutes per side, until veggies are slightly charred but still crisp-tender.  Remove from grill and serve warm with vinaigrette.

Jason and Beth's Rating: 8/10

Nutrition (1 skewer):
250 calories
15g fat (2g saturated)
0mg cholesterol
400mg sodium
25g carbohydrates
5g fiber
3g sugar
5g protein

Watermelon with Arugula and Feta

I've been wanting to make this recipe since January when I found it on www.foodnetwork.com.  It uses watermelon so I had to wait until they were in season.  This recipe makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:
1 (2lb) piece watermelon, rind removed and flesh cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 (4oz) block feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 packed cup watercress or arugula
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
In a salad bowl, combine the watermelon, feta cheese, watercress, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Gently toss until all the ingredients are combined.  Serve immediately.

Jason and Beth's Rating: 7/10
Beth and Andy's Rating: 6/10

Nutrition:
150 calories
10g fat (3g saturated)
10mg cholesterol
600mg sodium
13g carbohydrates
1g fiber
10g sugar
5g protein

Venison Steak with Creamy Porcini Sauce

We still need to eat more venison to free up space in our chest freezer.  I found this recipe for the sauce in the book: "Weber's time to grill".  We just used venison sirloin tip pieces instead of the porterhouse steaks the recipe called for.  The sauce was good and very different tasting.

Image by Jason Hedlund

Ingredients:
1 package (1/2 ounce) dried porcini mushrooms (we used dried Shitake mushrooms)
1 cup boiling water
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup minced yellow onion
2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves, divided
1 cup heavy whipping cream

4 porterhouse steaks, each about 1 pound and 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat (we used venison)
olive oil
kosher salt
ground black pepper

2 Tbsp finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions:
1.  In a medium bowl soak the mushrooms in the boiling water until they are soft, about 15 minutes.  Drain, reserving the soaking liquid.  Finely chop the mushrooms.
2.  In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the onion and 2 tsp of the thyme and cook until the onion is tender and just beginning to brown, 3-5 minutes.  Add the reserved soaking liquid and cream and bring to a simmer.  Add the mushrooms.  Simmer the sauce until 1 to 1 1/2 cups remain, about 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat.
3.  Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat (450F to 550F).
4.  Lightly coat the steaks on both sides with oil and season evenly with the remaining 2 Tbsp thyme, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper.  Allow the steaks to stand at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before grilling.
5.  Brush the cooking grates clean.  Grill the steaks over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until cooked to your desired doneness, 6-8 minutes for medium rare, turning once or twice (if flare-ups occur, move the steaks temporarily over indirect heat).  Remove form the grill and let rest for 3-5 minutes.
6.  While the steaks rest, reheat the sauce over medium heat.  Add the cheese to the sauce and stir.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve the steaks warm with the sauce spooned over the top and garnished with the parsley.  Enjoy!

Jason and Beth's Rating: 7.5/10

Nutrition (original recipe):
950 calories
80g fat (35g saturated)
260mg cholesterol
210mg sodium
0g carbohydrates
0g fiber
0g sugar
54g protein

Quinoa Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce

This was another recipe I found while browsing the internet. (www.eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com)  It was another use for quinoa!  I finally finished the box of quinoa that my brother-in-law gave me.  The recipe below makes 10 patties.

Image by Jason Hedlund

To make the patties:

Ingredients:

2 rounded cups cooked quinoa

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or other variety)

1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese

1 medium carrot, finely grated (or 1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed dry)

3 eggs

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

2 green onions (we used some yellow onions)

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp ground cumin (we used cajun spice instead, since we didn't have cumin)

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp garlic powder

olive oil for frying

Directions:

1.  Cook quinoa according to package directions.  After done cooking let cool for a few minutes.

2.  In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, carrot, eggs, flour, green onions, sugar, pepper, cumin, salt and garlic powder.

3.  With a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop a mixture into a pan and lightly flatten to 1/2 inch thick.  Fry until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side.  (We found it took more like 6 minutes per side).

To make the Tzatziki sauce:

Ingredients:

1 cup Greek non-fat yogurt

1 Tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

1 tsp fresh dill, chopped

1/4 lemon, juiced

Directions:

1.  Combine all ingredients together in a food processor.

2.  Enjoy on top of Quinoa Burgers!

Jason and Beth's Rating: 8.5/10

Nutrition (1 patty with 1 Tbsp sauce):

200 calories

9g fat (3g saturated)

70mg cholesterol

170mg sodium

20g carbohydrates

5g fiber

2g sugar

10g protein

Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole

I somehow stumbled upon this blog: www.skinnytaste.com.  It had lots of yummy looking recipes.  I found this casserole recipe because I wanted to eat some carbs tonight to get ready for my race on Sunday.  The recipe below makes 6 servings.

Image by Jason Hedlund

Ingredients:
6 oz pasta (we used penne)
2 tsp grape seed oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
12oz fresh broccoli florets, chopped
1 Tbsp butter
1 medium shallot, minced
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups fat free chicken broth
1 cup 1% milk
12 oz cooked, chopped chicken breast
4 oz shredded sharp cheddar
cooking spray
3 Tbsp shredded Parmesan
2 Tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs (we used Panko breadcrumbs)

Directions:
1.  Cook noodles until al dente, or slightly under cooked by 2 minutes, set aside.
2.  Grill chicken until juicy.
3.  Heat oil in large skillet.  Add garlic and cook on medium until golden, about 1 minute.  Add the broccoli and a little salt, saute and cover the broccoli for about 3 minutes on medium heat, until the broccoli begins to soften.  Set aside.
4.  Preheat oven to 375F.  Lightly spray a 9x12 casserole dish with cooking spray.
5.  In a large pot, heat butter over medium-low heat.  When melted, add the shallot and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes.  Add the flour and a pinch of salt and stir well cooking an additional 2 minutes on medium-low heat.
6.  Slowing whisk in chicken broth until combined over medium heat; whisk well for 30 seconds then add the milk and bring to a boil.  Simmer on medium heat, mixing occasionally until it thickens, about 6-7 minutes.
7.  Remove from heat and add cheddar and 1 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese.  Mix well until cheese melts.
8.  Add chicken, broccoli, noodles to sauce.  Mix well until evenly coated.
9.  Pour into casserole dish and top with Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs.  Spray a little more cooking oil on top and bake for 20 minutes.  Enjoy!

Jason and Beth's Rating: 8/10

Nutrition:
340 calories
13g fat (6g saturated)
80mg cholesterol
500mg sodium
22g carbohydrates
5g fiber
3g sugar
33g protein