Summer Pea, Watermelon and Farro Salad

This summer, I've had the opportunity to reconnect with a dear friend from my freshman year of college. She and her husband + 5 kids are living nearby for the summer and we have been getting our kids together weekly for swimming, sleepovers and tons of fun. Our kids have never met before this summer, but they have become fast friends. It has been an absolute blast.

Last week, we were throwing together dinner for the kids- we ended up making sprinkle pancakes, steamed broccoli, corn on the cob, turkey sausage, and watermelon- and I had torn out this recipe from the most recent issue of Cooking Light. I had all the ingredients, so I decided to make a little something special for the adults. This recipe was under the 5 ingredient section of the magazine and took about 30 minutes to throw together.

For the amount of time it took and the small number of ingredients it contains, I would have to say it is pretty good. I added some olive oil just because I felt it needed a little something and next time I will add some fresh lemon juice. It was almost too sweet for me, with the peas and the watermelon, I would have liked some feta or something to cut the sweetness. I prefer my salads to be on the savory side, but it was enjoyed by all of us and a nice change for a quick summer meal.

Here is the recipe for Summer Pea, Watermelon, and Farro Salad from
Cooking Light August 2011

* I added a little bit of olive oil to the salad and I think lemon juice would be a great addition too
*I used shaved Parmesan cheese

"Cooking School" Zucchini Oven Chips

I have made zucchini fries many, many times, but they always seem to disappear before I can take a photo of them. I don't really use an exact recipe but have used a few
different
ones for inspiration.

My daughter loves getting her hands in on the dipping when I make zucchini fries, so we decided to try the same idea in the form of a "chip" for our next cooking school experience. We have tons of zucchini to use and this was the perfect way to eat a few of them.

This recipe was a little bit different, in that it didn't use any egg to help "stick" the breadcrumbs, or in our case panko crumbs to the zucchini. The cheese that is added to the crumb mixture helps the coating stick when it bakes in the oven.

My kids absolutely loved making and eating these. I don't know any child that wouldn't love getting their hands "dirty" while dipping slices of zucchini in milk and breadcrumbs and then arranging them on a cooking sheet and waiting for them to crisp in the oven.
It was fun and yummy!

Here is the recipe for Zucchini Oven Chips from Cooking Light
* I used Italian seasoned Panko crumbs
* We used pizza sauce for dipping

Swiss Chard Ravioli

Swiss Chard is my favorite food. It's green, healthy and delicious. You can eat the whole thing- stems and all. It has great flavor and can be turned into anything, as you can see by this recipe for Swiss Chard Ravioli.

I can't remember how I found this recipe but I knew I was going to make it as soon as I saw it. I love any take on Swiss Chard and this was something that I thought looked really original and interesting.

The ravioli is made with wonton wrappers, which makes that part of the recipe much easier. I decided to use water to seal my ravioli, instead of an egg-which the recipe suggested, simply because that is what I use to seal wonton wrappers when making pot stickers. I had one ravioli that exploded and I think looking back, using an egg would have been a better idea, since boiling the ravioli really spins them around a lot.

The swiss chard is sauteed with a shallot and a little oil (the recipe used butter, but I avoid butter when I cook), and then mixed with some ricotta cheese, thyme, and fresh parmesan. That is what makes up the filling for the ravioli. Then the stems are boiled in some chicken stock, mainly to give the stock some color. The recipe said to drain the stems, but I left them in there, with a few of the leftover leaves and we ate them too.

This was a fun twist of ravioli and a great new way to use swiss chard.


Here is the Recipe for Swiss Chard Ravioli adapted from Martha Stewart
* I used a Tablespoon of canola oil instead of butter to saute the shallot and chard
* I did not discard the stems and extra leaves- I served them in the broth
* I used skim ricotta cheese
* instead of using an egg to seal the ravioli, I used water

2 Thanksgiving Salads- Pear & Arugula Salad and Priscilla's Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad

Here are 2 more recipes that would make a great addition to your Thanksgiving Day Menu. Both of these salad recipes were featured in the November issue of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

I decided to make the Pear and Arugula Salad because I love arugula and thought the flavors would be great together. Arugula has a nice peppery bite to it, which I absolutely love. The red pear, sunflower seeds, parmesan cheese and delicious, light lemon dressing really made this a refreshing salad. Sometimes the traditional Thanksgiving dishes are so heavy, that I think a nice, light salad would really brighten up the table and add some much needed green to the menu.

The Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad was just too interesting to pass up. I have noticed persimmons the past couple times I have gone to the grocery store, but until I saw this recipe, I really had no idea what to do with one. My kids love pomegranates, so we have been munching on the arils quite a bit already this fall, and the ones at the grocery store right now are beautiful-so large and bright red.
I forgot to pick up pine nuts, so I just subbed in roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds). This salad has a nice kick from the jalapeno and the lime juice really brings all the flavors together.
Persimmons are really tasty and so beautiful when you slice them. Be brave and try this salad, you might really love it!


Recipe for Pear and Arugula Salad

Recipe for Priscilla's Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad

Risotto with Swiss Chard

Risotto- I love you. I love you plain, with veggies, different grains, whatever it is, I love you.
Thanks for being you.

There are so many beautiful blogs out there. So, so many. One that always has beautiful pictures and great commentary is The Way the Cookie Crumbles. When I saw Bridget's post- Risotto with Swiss Chard, I knew I would be making it.
I decided to put it on the menu when my mom was here visiting.
The swiss chard I found was red swiss chard and since I love the stems and all, I just washed it, chopped it, and added all the parts.
Delicious. I knew it would be. I had absolutely no doubts.
The day I ended up making this was a cold, rainy day and it was the perfect dinner. Perfect.

If you have never tried making risotto at home, you really should. It is so easy and worth it. One of my favorite things to make.

The only thing I changed is using more chicken broth instead of wine and I didn't warm my broth ahead of time. I tried a recipe for risotto once that didn't have you heat the broth and it turned out just as good as those that did, so I eliminated that step.
Yum.
My hubby requested that the leftovers be packed in his lunch the next day. If you know anything about him, that is really saying something.


Recipe for Risotto with Swiss Chard

Spaghetti Squash and Chard Gratin

I found out about this recipe when Kalyn sent out a tweet about a new post on her blog. I immediately went over to her blog to check out the Spaghetti Squash and Chard Gratin.
I love spaghetti squash (although this love is fairly recent) and I also love swiss chard. I never in a million years would have thought to put the two together.

I put this down on my menu calendar and the next time I went for groceries, I found beautiful swiss chard and a nice sized spaghetti squash.

This recipe takes a little time, but it is completely worth it. Plus, you can roast your spaghetti squash during the day, when you are at home, before dinner time.

There are a few things that I did differently.

I always roast my spaghetti squash whole. I preheat the oven to 400 degrees, poke my squash all over with a fork or skewer, cover a baking sheet with foil and pop the squash in the oven. I usually let it roast for an hour, turning it once or twice. This to me, is way easier than trying to cut through it raw. Once it has roasted, you can slice the thing in half with no problem.

I also sauteed my swiss chard mixture a little too long. It wasn't completely my fault though. Some kind of emergency came up with one of my kids in the bathroom and so, you know how that goes.
I also used chard with red stems and chopped them up and saute them too.
I used greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
I topped my gratin with a combination of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese and a little bit of canola oil- to bring the topping together.
Delicious! I tasted it straight out of the pan and it was so good. My kids liked it and so did my hubby. So nutritious too.
Check out Kayln's blog for great pics of this recipe and lots of other great recipes too.


Recipe for Spaghetti Squash and Chard Gratin

One Year Ago-Bulgur and Chickpea Stuffed Squash

Giada's Mini Chicken (Turkey) Meatballs

These are the little meatballs I used to bribe my family a couple of weeks ago.

I saw them this summer in Redbook Magazine, when Giada De Laurentiis was featured and she shared some of her favorite recipes. I ripped out the page and put it in my 3-ring binder and tried to work it into our menu.

I decided to serve these alongside the Farmland Vegetable Pie, to round out the meal.
The kids used toothpicks to eat these and they were really flavorful.
I don't usually measure the ingredients that accurately when I make meatballs. I just throw all the ingredients in a big bowl and I can usually tell when the consistency is right.

I changed a couple of things- like I only used 1 egg instead of 2, I used 93% lean ground turkey, I used skim milk instead of whole and grated Parmesan cheese in the meatballs.

These turned out really great.
They were bite-size, which made them perfect for toothpick stabbing.

My kids really liked them and so did my hubby. I liked them too.

Giada's Mini Chicken Meatballs adapted from Redbook Magazine

1/4 cup	plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup	chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 large	egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon	skim milk
1 tablespoon	ketchup
3/4 cup	freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon	salt
3/4 teaspoon	freshly ground black pepper
1 pound	ground turkey, 93% lean
2 tablespoons	olive oil
1 1/2 cup	low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup	chopped fresh basil, for garnish (I omitted this)
1/2 cup	freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish (I omitted this)

1. In a medium bowl, stir together breadcrumbs, parsley, egg, milk, ketchup, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey and combine well. Use a melon baller (or a teaspoon measure) to scoop the mixture; roll the seasoned chicken into 3/4-inch mini meatballs.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the meatballs and cook without moving until brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn the meatballs and brown the tops, about 2 minutes longer. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

One Year Ago-Roasted Red Pepper Soup and Tomato Edamame Grilled Cheese Sammies

CEiMB- Garden Risotto

I was so excited when I saw that Jessica, who blogs over at A Singleton in the Kitchen, chose Garden Risotto for this week's CEiMB recipe. I have made lots of risotto in the past couple months and was interested to see how Ellie's recipe compared to some of my favorites.
Before I had tried making risotto, I thought it must be difficult because people always talked about it in a way that made it seem impossible to make at home. So not true.
I think it is easy to make. You just have to make sure that you stir. Plus, most the risotto recipes I have tried have been ready in about 30 minutes.
I don't even bother warming the broth because one of the recipes I made said it wasn't necessary. Anything I can do to lessen the amount of dishes there are, I will do it.
This risotto was uncomplicated. I liked that it had lots of veggies. I probably added 3x as much spinach as it called for because we liked spinach and it wilts away into almost nothing anyway.
Was this my favorite risotto I have ever tried? No. I would have to say that title belongs to the Butternut one or the Beet one or the one with steel-cut oats.
Or maybe the one with quinoa . Nevermind. I don't have a favorite.
This was a good solid risotto recipe. If I make this recipe again, I will leave out the peas. They added just a little bit too much sweetness. To see what everyone else thought check out the Blogroll!

Garden Risotto 2007, Ellie Krieger
Ingredients
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 lightly packed cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 pound asparagus, steamed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over moderately low heat and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until soft, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 1 minute.

Add 3/4 cup of the hot broth, the salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper and simmer, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding hot broth, about 3/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the broth to be absorbed before adding more, until rice is almost tender and creamy-looking, about 18 minutes.
Add the spinach and peas and cook until the spinach is wilted. Add the asparagus and cook just until the vegetables are hot. Stir in the Parmesan and more broth if the risotto seems too thick. Serve in soup plates.

Up Next-Blackberry Cupcakes with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

CEiMB- Turkey Meatballs with Quick & Spicy Tomato Sauce and Whole-Wheat Spaghetti or Spaghetti Squash

This week's CEiMB recipe, Turkey Meatballs with Quick & Spicy Tomato Sauce and Whole Wheat Spaghetti, was chosen by Amanda over at Oddball Oven Mitt. I really like meatballs (is that wierd, because I don't actually like meat?) Anyway, I was excited about this meal. My 4-year old is always asking me for noodles and red sauce, so she was excited too.
I decided to give everyone a choice and serve cooked spaghetti squash too. I used whole wheat angel-hair pasta and most everyone wanted some noodles and some squash. I followed the recipe pretty closely. I used 93% lean ground turkey because I think it is better for meatballs than ground turkey breast, which is a bit leaner.
One of the things I did change was that I made the meatballs smaller than Ellie called for. My kids like meatballs and I prefer them to be smaller also, so I got about 28 meatballs and then changed the cooking time accordingly. And I didn't add the sauce and meatballs to the pasta. I just served up everyones plate separately and that left enough sauce and meatballs to be distributed to the pasta and the squash.
We really enjoyed this dinner. To see what everyone else thought, check out the Craving Ellie Blogroll!

Turkey Meatballs with Quick And Spicy Tomato Sauce and Whole-Wheat Spaghetti 2006, Ellie Krieger
The spicy kick and multiple herbs in this sauce lend layers of flavor without fat. The carrot, onion and Parmesan add volume and moisture.
Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 30 min
Ingredients
Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, liquid included
1 teaspoon finely minced canned chipotle en adobo and sauce, or more to taste
2 teaspoons chopped oregano leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Salt
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
Meatballs:
Cooking spray
1 pound ground turkey meat ( I used 93% lean)
1 slice fresh whole-wheat bread, crusts removed, pulsed into crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1/2 cup finely grated carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 box (16 ounces) whole-wheat spaghetti
Directions
Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil for pasta.
Make Sauce:
In a 4-quart saucepan heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, chipotles, oregano, rosemary, and salt. Bring all the ingredients to a low boil, reduce heat and cook for approximately 15 minutes, until liquid has evaporated slightly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. While sauce is cooking, make meatballs.
Meatballs:
Preheat the broiler. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine the turkey with all other ingredients in a large work bowl. Form into 2 1/2 -inch balls and place on a baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes, or until browned and almost entirely cooked through.
Meanwhile, remove rosemary sprig from sauce and add fresh basil. Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and cook additional 10 minutes, or until sauce has slightly thickened and meatballs have absorbed some of the sauce. While the meatballs are cooking, cook the whole-wheat spaghetti according to package directions.
Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the sauce and meatballs, toss and heat through over medium heat. Divide evenly among 4 pasta bowls and garnish with parsley and 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan.
Yield: 6 servings

Coming Tomorrow- Persian Pomegranate-Walnut Chicken

Pumpkin-Parmesan Scones

I really like pumpkin and since it is easy to use and find (thanks to canned goods), I have decided that I am going to try and use it more frequently, year-round. I saw this recipe in Cooking Light Magazine a couple of months ago and I have made it quite a few times in the past few weeks. Mine don't really look like scones- it came out looking like more of a round pumpkin loaf, which was fine because it tasted good and everyone liked it.
This is a really quick recipe to throw together and I don't think that you can mess it up. We really, really like it.
I have served it with soup, salad, and as a side with just about everything. Yummy!

Pumpkin-Parmesan Scones from Cooking Light

6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)

2.375 ounces whole wheat flour (about 1/2 cup)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup fat-free plain yogurt

2 large egg whites, divided

2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon pumpkinseed kernels

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine pumpkin, yogurt, and 1 egg white, stirring with a whisk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moist.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 4 times with floured hands. Pat dough into an 8-inch circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut dough into 12 wedges, cutting into but not through dough. Brush remaining 1 egg white over top of dough. Sprinkle dough with cheese and pumpkinseeds, pressing lightly to adhere.

Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until golden. Slice scones along score lines with a serrated knife. Serve warm.

Coming Tomorrow- Coconut Curried Chicken

Fun for Kids- Turkey Burger on a Stick, Parmesan Popcorn and Peanut Butter-Oat Bars

Here are a couple of fun recipes for kids. I saw these Turkey Burgers on a Stick in the most recent issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray and thought that they looked like a really fun lunch. I used smoked gouda as the medium-hard cheese inside and cooked them in my electric skillet. My kids really enjoyed them, dipped in ketchup. I tried one too and they were okay. The flavor of the evaporated milk, cornflakes and cheese was a little strange for me. Cute idea anyway. If I made them again, I would definitely play around with the ingredients.
My kids love popcorn. They want me to pop it constantly. I do it the old-fashioned way. I heat 3 Tbls of oil in a heavy-bottom pot and add 1/2 cup popcorn kernels. Then I put the lid on, but leave a tiny crack so some of the air can escape. My 2 year old loves watching it pop. I remember a neighbor growing up that used to make us popcorn smothered in butter and then she would sprinkle Parmesan on top. I reduced the amount of butter a little bit and this popcorn reminded me of being a kid.
The Peanut Butter Bars came about on a whim. We wanted a quick treat, preferrably a bar cookie. I just threw in whatever nuts I had, I think walnuts and put the mini chocolate chips on top. They were good. We got alot more than 20 bars though. I guess we cut them into smaller pieces.

Turkey Burger "Drumsticks"Jean Grub adapted From Every Day with Rachael Ray

February 2009
1 pound ground turkey breast
one 5-ounce can evaporated milk
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cups crushed cornflakes
2 ounces medium-hard cheese (I used smoked gouda)

In a bowl, mix the turkey, 1/4 cup evaporated milk, the onion and 2/3 cup cornflakes; season with salt and pepper. Divide into 12 portions.

Cut the cheese into 12 small sticks and thread onto each of 12 skewers.

Wet your hands with evaporated milk, then mold some meat around each cheese piece, shaping into 3-inch ovals.

Pour the remaining milk into a bowl. Add the remaining cornflakes to a plate. Dip each "drumstick" into the milk, then coat with the cornflakes. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and fry each drumstick until browned, about 12 minutes.

Parmesan Popcorn by Mary Ann

10 cups popcorn

1/2 stick butter, melted

grated parmesan cheese

Pour melted butter over freshly popped popcorn. Sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese and toss to coat well.

Peanut Butter-Oat Bars from myrecipes.com

Prep and Cook Time: about 1 hour.

1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter, melted

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups regular rolled oats

2/3 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

2/3 cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut

1 1/3 cups peanut butter

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I just sprinkled these on top instead of melting them)

1. In a bowl, mix butter and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in flour, oats, peanuts, and coconut until well blended.

2. Press dough evenly into a buttered and floured 10- by 15-inch baking pan. For chewy bars, bake in a 350° oven until edges are lightly browned, about 20 minutes; for crisp bars, bake until slightly darker brown, about 5 minutes longer. Spread with peanut butter. Let cool about 15 minutes.

3. Seal chocolate chips in a heavy 1-quart zip-lock plastic bag. Heat in a microwave oven at 30% power until chips are soft, about 2 minutes. Squeeze chocolate to one corner of bag, then use scissors to snip a very small hole in the corner. Squeeze chocolate in thin lines over peanut butter. Chill until the chocolate is firm, about 20 minutes. Cut into 20 bars

Up Next- Tuesdays with Dorie

Steel-Cut Oat Risotto with Chicken

I don't know why I used to think that risotto was difficult. I guess because it sounds complicated or sophisticated? Well, I know the truth and I am in love with it. I really like the creaminess that this technique produces. I really love how you can use almost any grain in risotto and it turns out great.
Steel-cut oats are the the best kind of oats out there, health-wise. They do take longer to prepare, but they are really good for you. Oats in any form are good for you, but steel-cut oats have the best nutritional value.
I didn't tell anyone that we were eating oats for dinner because I didn't know if it would be wierd since they are usually a breakfast food that you eat with fruit and cinnamon. Once we were eating, someone asked and they seemed surprised that this savory dish was oats. I didn't use Manchego cheese since it is very expensive (I have used it before) and I couldn't find it anywhere. I just substituted Parmesan.
Look for steel-cut oats. They are worth the time and are a very versatile grain (as you will see tomorrow). This was a delicious dinner!
Steel-Cut Oat Risotto with Chicken, Red Peppers, and Manchego from Cooking Light
Steel-cut oats are whole-oat groats that have been cut into pieces to cook quickly. Find them on the cereal aisle in the supermarket labeled "steel-cut Irish oatmeal."
Do not substitute quick-cooking Irish oatmeal or American-style rolled oats.
2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/4 cups steel-cut oats
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used more chicken broth instead)
1 cup chopped cooked dark meat chicken (I used cooked, chopped chicken breast)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Manchego cheese (I used grated parmesan)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt

Bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm.
Heat oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and pepper; sauté 5 minutes.
Add oats; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in wine; cook 2 minutes or until nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes). Stir in chicken, cheese, rosemary, and salt.

Coming Tomorrow- Oats and Buttermilk Snack Cake

Parmesan-Carrot Risotto

I love risotto. It sounds so fancy. But, it really isn't hard to make. I make it all the time, because it is so delicious and simple, really.
I saw this risotto recipe and thought it would make a great lunch, accompanied with a light salad. I used mostly arborio rice because I had it in the pantry, but it calls for plain, old, normal white rice.
The thing I love about risotto is how smooth and creamy it is. It is warm and inviting. Yummy!

Parmesan-Carrot Risotto adapted from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food
Prep: 40 minutes Total: 40 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 4.
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
6 medium carrots, grated
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/4 cups long-grain white rice (I used 1 cup of arborio and 1/4 cup long grain)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Directions
In a saucepan, bring broth and 2 cups water to a bare simmer over medium.
In a large saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium. Add onion and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in rice. Add 1/2 cup broth; cook, stirring, until absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add 2 cups hot broth; simmer over medium-low, stirring frequently, until mostly absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Continue to add broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring occasionally, until absorbed before adding more. Cook until rice is creamy and just tender, about 20 minutes (you may not need all the broth).
Remove risotto from heat. Stir in Parmesan and 1 tablespoon butter, and season with salt and pepper.

Coming Tomorrow- Tuesday's with Dorie

Cooking Light Night-Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta

CB came up with the beautiful logo at the beginning of this post. She started a Cooking Light Night, and I thought it was a great idea. Since I use Cooking Light all the time, I decided I would start calling some of these posts, Cooking Light Night. This is a wonderful dish that I showed my sister a couple of years ago. I wasn't sure of my love of winter squash at that point, but now that I know, watch out! I have been buying squash of all kinds and this was a very delicious dish. The only thing I changed was that I used turkey bacon, because I always do. I usually use whole wheat pasta in all my pasta dishes, but I used mini penne in this one because that is what it called for and I figured there was enough good stuff in this dish for it to be okay. This was the first time I have made a roux with absolutely no fat at all and I was a little skeptical about how it would turn out, but it was delicious with the cheese melted in.

This dish also used cooking spray to roast the squash and it turned out beautifully. I love the color of it. The provolone, bacon, squash, and rosemary, all really played off each other in this dish. It was a definite favorite for me. (Could I use the phrase "this dish" a few more times?)

Try this one- it is GOOD!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta from Cooking Light March 2004

Mini penne pasta works well in this dish since it's about the same size as the squash. You can also use elbow macaroni, shell pasta, or orecchiette.

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash

Cooking spray

6 slices turkey bacon, raw

1 cup thinly sliced shallots

8 ounces uncooked mini penne (tube-shaped pasta)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese

1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425°.
Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, rosemary, and pepper. Place squash on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt mixture. Bake at 425° for 45 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Increase oven temperature to 450°.
Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 1/2 teaspoons drippings in pan; crumble bacon. Increase heat to medium-high. Add shallots to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Combine squash mixture, bacon, and shallots; set aside.
Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.
Combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add provolone, stirring until cheese melts. Add pasta to cheese mixture, tossing well to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; top with squash mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Up Next- Tuesday's with Dorie- Rugelach!

Disappearing Zucchini Orzo

I finished a great book last weekend- Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, check out the website HERE I had been wanting to read it for awhile, but somehow forgot about it until recently. The book is basically a journal of how the author and her family lived for one entire year on food that they either produced themselves or were able to get locally (within a 70 mile radius). They only ate foods that were ripe and in season and also provided great recipes. It is very inspiring to see how a family was able to do this by working hard and really being educated about where there food was produced and what went into it. I highly recommend this book and any of the recipes. This was one they came up with to use all the zucchini they had in the summer. It is light and filling at the same time, and so tasty. Thanks to Sarah, she posted about this book a few weeks ago and reminded me how much I wanted to read it.
Disappearing Zucchini Orzo
3/4 pd orzo pasta
Bring 6 cups chicken stock to a boil and add pasta. Cook 8 to 12 minutes.
1 chopped onion, garlic to taste
3 large zucchini
olive oil for saute
Use a cheese grater to shred zucchini, saute briefly with onion and garlic, until lightly golden.
thyme
oregano
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or any hard yellow cheese
Add spices to zucchini mixture, stir thoroughly, and then remove mixture from heat.
Combine with cheese and cooked orzo, salt to taste, serve cool or at room temperature.