Pasta

All posts in the Pasta category

Who ever heard of arrowroot? Pork Lo Mein

Published April 15, 2013 by jenmatteson

I swear…this will be the last Asian recipe for a while.  Even Nate and I are getting Asian’d-out.  But, I still had those rice stick noodles that I didn’t use up from the Pad Thai and Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad.  I honestly wasn’t even planning to post this meal, but it came together so quickly, and it was something new and different, I just couldn’t not share it with you.  I literally threw this entire recipe together on a whim, using only whatever I had in my kitchen.  It came together so nicely, I wish throwing dinner together when you have absolutely no idea what you are going to make was always this easy.

DSC02271DSC02272

It’s still not spring outside, so pasta and red wine was the perfect fit for sweatpants and wine night in the Pigzilla home (that’s always Thursday nights).  Another bonus was that I got to try out a new “spice” of mine.  I have tons of dried herbs and spices; several that have not even been opened.  This was courtesy of my awesome dad and is connections!  Arrowroot is one of those “spices”.  I use quotations as I didn’t really know what it was, so I assumed.  Turns out, it’s actually a clear thickener that is used in gravies, sauces and pie fillings that is more easily digested than other thickeners.  Who’da thunk?  Not me, but I definitely planned to try it out with my lo mein sauce!  I love learning new things about food!

2009 St. Francis Ole Vine Zinfandel

We don’t eat a lot of pork, but I got some chops on sale and stocked  our new chest freezer!  I used only one pork chop because I like a high veggie to meat ratio, but two would be good for those meat eaters!  This came together really quickly, which always rocks when making weeknight dinners.  The flavor was perfect, and I added just the right amount of Sriracha for our preferences, probably about 2 tbsp.  The sesame oil was the star of the show, which isn’t surprising as it packs a lot of flavor with just a teeny tiny bit.

Pork Lo Mein

Pork Lo Mein

Source: Pigzilla original
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup water (or chicken broth – I didn’t have any open, so I went with water)
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp sesame oil, divided
1 pork chop, cut in 1 inch pieces
salt and pepper
2 carrots, julienne
1/2 red bell pepper, julienne
1/2 green bell pepper, julienne
1/2 yellow bell pepper, julienne
1 medium onion, halved and sliced thin
1/4 cup sake
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp arrowroot (or cornstarch)
Sriracha sauce
4 oz rice stick noodles, cooked

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, water, sugar, vinegar and 1 tbsp sesame oil.  Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat remaining 1 tbsp of sesame oil over medium heat.  Season pork with salt and pepper.  Add to heated skillet and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.  Remove from pan.

3. Increasing heat to medium-high, add peppers and onions to pan.  Saute until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes.  Add sake to pan and cook for 1 minute longer.  Remove vegetables, reserving remaining sake in pan.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Pour in sauce mixture and bring to a boil.  Slowly whisk in arrowroot or cornstarch.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce reaches desired consistency.  Add Sriracha to desired taste.

4.  Once sauce has reached desired consistency and taste, add in noodles, pork and vegetables.  Toss to incorporate ingredients and distribute sauce evenly.

Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad

Published April 14, 2013 by jenmatteson

I mentioned a few posts ago that I was really on an Asian kick, and I wasn’t kidding. I’ve got another one. Only because I had 8 oz of fresh rice stick noodles leftover, and I wanted to use them up. I have no idea how long they would be good for, and the packaging was absolutely no help.

Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad

It’s “spring” here in Minnesota, so we must start thinking about our summer figures. Oh, and I have a small event coming up at the end of August that I’d like to look my best for ;) I love eating salads; they are so versatile, and definitely a meal for spring and summer. While the technical start of spring was March 20th, we’ve had nothing close to what we would call “spring weather”. In fact, we just had a snow storm this week, dumping up to 9″ of snow in some areas. More snow is in the forecast for this weekend. I’m really glad I put all my patio furniture together and out on my deck when it was nice two weeks ago.

Two weeks agoThis week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But let’s talk about the salad. I really loved this salad, and the noodles bring a lot of sustenance to it. As a carb lover, adding the carbs right into my salad is brilliant! The original recipe was for  a noodle salad, but I just added more lettuce and took out some noodles to make a more salad-salad :p  This still made a huge salad, enough for Nate and I to have dinner, and each take it for lunch for two days. We ran a little short on the dressing, but that’s no biggie, though in my opinion, it was the best part! I loved all the veggies in this salad, and I added in bean sprouts (as they were also leftover from the Pad Thai I made earlier in the week).  This was a great way to use up leftover veggies, noodles, and bean sprouts to create a new exciting entrée salad.  It came together super fast, too, which is always a huge plus!

Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad

Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad

Source: Adapted from Branny Boils Over
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

For the dressing:
5 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp water
3 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp sugar
1 Serrano chile, seeded
1/3 cup peanuts

For the salad:
1/2 red bell pepper, julienne
1/2 yellow bell pepper, julienne
2 carrots, shredded
1 head romaine lettuce, sliced into ribbons
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
4 oz rice stick noodles, cooked and cooled
1 1/2 cup bean sprouts, thoroughly rinsed (I quickly sautéed mine)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Combine all dressing ingredients in a food process, except for the peanuts.  Puree until smooth.  Add peanuts and pulse until coarsely chopped.

2. In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients.  Pour dressing over the top and toss to combine.  Garnish with cilantro and red pepper flakes before serving.

Shrimp Pad Thai

Published April 8, 2013 by jenmatteson

I’ve had quite the Asian theme going in the last few posts, and we couldn’t be happier campers.  Well, maybe Nate would be if he didn’t have to split the leftovers with me!

Shrimp Pad Thai

Pad Thai was on my 30 Before 30 list, and as the months are quickly dwindling away, I am finally getting to it.  I really should have tried it much sooner because it was amazballs.  Part of the reason it has taken me so long to try this recipe is because one of the star ingredients, tamarind, isn’t available at my local grocery store.  I actually had to step outside my comfort zone and stop into my local Asian market.  Not sure why I was hesitant or what I was really expecting, but the gentleman who was working was quite friendly and more than helpful.  This market carried paste, powder, and the solid block.  Some upscale grocery stores may carry tamarind, usually in paste form and in the Asian isle.  But, the recipe I followed strongly suggests using the solid form that comes in a block.

TamarindDSC02251

Clearly, I’ve never worked with tamarind before, but I’m sure I’ve had it in a handful of Asian dishes I’ve ordered, not even knowing what the flavor really was.  Tamarind is a pod-like fruit that tastes quite sweet and slightly tart.  In my opinion, the sweetness and consistency is similar to figs.  Seeing as though I only needed 3 tbsp for the Pad Thai, I had most of the block left.  After some research, it appears the tamarind block can be stored in airtight container on the shelf.  No refrigeration necessary.  Most people says it lasts “forever”, though I’m guessing you’ll use it all before forever comes after you’ve tried this Pad Thai.

Shrimp Pad Thai

This recipe comes from Nicole over at Prevention RD.  It was another home run!  I can always count on her food to be yummy.  There are a lot of components, and it’s slightly cumbersome to prepare, but as Nicole suggests, if you have everything measured out and ready to go, it comes together really quickly.  This dish really hit the spot!  After a long night with friends (and a few drinks), we were really ready for some flavorful comfort food.  It’s amazing how much flavor the peanuts add, so do NOT forget them!  For you vegetarians, the shrimp can easily be omitted or substituted with tofu, and omit the fish sauce or use this recipe for a substitute.  I only made a few adaptations to Nicole’s recipe, which was using 1 tsp cayenne rather than 3/4 tsp (of course we like it spicy), and using fresh rice noodles rather than the dried variety.  Whether you think you like Thai food or not, I highly suggest trying this out.  Nate and I really enjoyed it; he even had two hearty helpings!

Shrimp Pad Thai

Shrimp Pad Thai

Source: Adapted from Prevention RD
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

3 tbsp tamarind solid
3/4 cup water, boiling
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cayenne pepper
4 tbsp peanut oil
8 oz rice stick noodles (my grocery store had fresh, but dried will work just fine)
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium shallot, minced
6 tbsp unsalted peanuts
3 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup scallions, sliced thin
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions:

1. Soak tamarind in 3/4 cup boiling water for 10 minutes.  Push tamarind through mesh strainer, reserving water in medium bowl.  To the bowl, add fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, cayenne and 2 tbsp peanut oil.  Stir and set aside.

2. If using dried rice stick noodles, cover with hot tap water in large bowl; soak until softened, pliable, and limp but not fully tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain noodles and set aside.  If using fresh rice stick noodles, in a medium sauce pan, fill with water and bring to a boil.

3. In a small bowl, beat eggs and 1/8 tsp salt.  Set aside.

4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in large skillet or wok over high heat until just beginning to smoke.  Add shrimp and sprinkle with remaining salt.  Cook and flip occasionally, until shrimp are opaque and beginning to brown around edges, about 3 minutes (don’t worry, they don’t have to be cooked completely through at this point).  Transfer to plate and set aside.

5. Discard any excess liquid in pan.  Add remaining tbsp oil to skillet and swirl to coat; heat to medium.  Add garlic and shallot and cook until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes.  Add eggs to skillet and stir with wooden spoon until lightly scrambled, less than 1 minute.  Meanwhile, drop rice stick noodles into boiling water, immediately remove and transfer to skillet.  Pour fish sauce mixture over noodles, increase heat to high, and toss constantly to coat noodles evenly.  Scatter 1/4 cup peanuts, bean sprouts, scallions (reserving some for garnish) and cooked shrimp over noodles.  Continue to cook on high, tossing until noodles are tender, about 3 minutes.

6. Transfer noodles to serving platter, sprinkle with remaining peanuts, scallions and cilantro.  Serve immediately with lime wedge.

Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta

Published October 2, 2012 by jenmatteson

I had an open can of pumpkin that I wanted to use up, but since my house was filled with desserts from the weekend, I didn’t want to make anything else sweet.  I decided to go with Nicole’s sausage and pumpkin pasta.  I know it sounds a little out there, and I thought so too, but I loved every other ingredient in this recipe, and I’m adventurous, so why not try it?

I wasn’t so confident about Nate though, so I didn’t disclose what we were having for dinner until he was actually eating it.  He saw the turkey sausages in the fridge thawing out, and asked if we were having brats for dinner.  I said, “no”.  Later, he again asked about the “brats” in the fridge.  I told him it was none of his business, though I could sense he was really getting excited for “brats”.  Finally, I had to break his little heart and tell him that the “brats” in the fridge were turkey sausages and were for dinner.  To his credit, turkey sausages do look a lot like brats.

The pasta was really great!  I was surprised, and actually expected it to be a little more pumpkiny, but the sausage really was the star of the show.  Perhaps this was because I like to buy the hot turkey sausages, but still, I thought the pumpkin would have been more prominent.  Nate and I both had a second small serving it was so tasty.  I think next time I would use just a little more sage, but beyond that, it was curiously delicious.

Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta

Source: Adapted from Prevention RD
Servings: 4

12 oz whole wheat pasta
1/2 lb italian turkey sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
4-6 cloves garlic
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp rubbed sage
salt and pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

2. Spray a deep skillet with olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Add sausage and onion and cook until sausage is almost cooked through.  Add mushrooms and garlic.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Drain juices if necessary.

3. Add chicken broth, wine, pumpkin, sage, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes.

4. Spoon mixture over pasta, garnish with parmesan cheese and serve.

Recipe Swap: Penne Rosa with Shrimp

Published September 21, 2012 by jenmatteson

It’s time for another recipe swap, and this month, I was assigned Carrie’s Sweet Life.  Carrie is a fellow Minnesotan, and though we’ve never met in person, I feel we at least have some sort of  a local connection.  I was excited to see that I was assigned her blog, but definitely faced with a tough decision.

So many of her recipes looked wonderful, but in an attempt to add more seafood, and not as much chicken, I settled on Penne Rosa with Shrimp.  **Now that I’m looking back to link her blog, I’m seeing a new recipe for Honey Banana Peanut Butter Muffins.  I will be back!

In Carrie’s evaluation of her penne rosa, she said it was good, but she didn’t love it.  There wasn’t an indication as to why she didn’t love it, but I of course interpreted this as needing more flavor.  I made a few minor additions in an attempt to really bring out some deeper flavors.  One thing that stuck out to me is that there was a minimal amount of seasoning, so I added some fresh basil and red pepper flakes.  Additionally, I added a little white wine to amp up the flavor of the shrimp.  Instead of mincing the garlic, I sliced it so there were a little larger pieces throughout the pasta.  I love that.  If you don’t, mince your garlic.

The result was fabulous.  Nate and I really enjoyed this pasta, and the leftovers were almost as good (leftover shrimp just never seems the same, but the pasta was excellent!).  The red pepper flakes and basil was a nice combination of heat and flavor, and who doesn’t love a little wine in their shrimp pasta??  The picture doesn’t do it justice – in my opinion, penne is not photogenic.  Also, it’s starting to get dark earlier :(

Penne Rosa with Shrimp

Source: Adapted from Carrie’s Sweet Life
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

12 oz whole wheat penne pasta
olive oil
8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes
2 large or 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup dry white wine
9 oz fresh spinach, rinsed and dried
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/3 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook penne according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

2. In a large deep skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat.  Add mushrooms and cook until they begin to soften stirring frequently, about 5-8 minutes.  Add garlic, red pepper flakes and tomatoes and cook until garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute.  Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Increase heat to medium and add shrimp.  Add white wine and cook until shrimp become bright pink and are almost cooked through (don’t worry, they’ll continue to cook), about 4 minutes.  Turn off heat.  Stir in spinach and cover.

4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together marinara sauce and Greek yogurt.  Once spinach has wilted, add sauce to pan and turn heat back on low.  Add in pasta and stir until well combined.  Stir in basil.  Serve and garnish with parmesan cheese.


Simple Tomato Sauce

Published September 10, 2012 by jenmatteson

I love tomatoes.  I remember as a child, my mother introduced me to eating whole tomatoes with a little bit of sugar sprinkled on.  What an awesome treat, and not too unhealthy, depending on how much sugar I actually used.  I haven’t had a tomato that way in years, but recently it’s been on my mind with the bushels of tomatoes I’ve been receiving from my dad; he has two different kinds in his garden.  However, my dad doesn’t eat tomatoes, and my mom has been out-of-town for the last month.  So, in turn, Nate and I get deliveries of tomatoes every week.  More tomatoes than we could possibly eat casually.  Seriously, this is one week’s worth:

I had to take action before these beauties went to waste, so I decided to make enchiladas.  How, you may ask, will this help me use up all of my tomatoes?  Well, I needed a tomato sauce to make a homemade enchilada sauce, and I’ve never made a tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes, only canned.  I figured there’s no time like the present to give it a whirl.  I didn’t follow any particular recipe, but based it off of my marinara sauce, without the canned tomatoes and wine.

It turned out great and was a perfect base for my enchilada sauce.  The tomato sauce was very simple and relatively quick.  Adjust seasonings as desired.  I’d love to try this on some pasta or spaghetti squash this fall!  It’s easily adaptable to add veggies and proteins.

Simple Tomato Sauce

Source: Pigzilla Original
Servings: Yields 2 cups

Ingredients:

6 large tomatoes
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tbsp dried rosemary
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Roughly chop tomatoes and puree in food processor.

2. In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add tomato puree, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, rosemary, sugar, and water.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat.  Simmer for 35-34 minutes, until sauce thickens.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Use immediately, store in airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 6 months.

Homemade Marinara Sauce

Published May 12, 2012 by jenmatteson

I made this sauce for my grilled pizzas, but I have a pretty good feeling that I’ll be making it a lot more in days to come.  It was so super simple and it tasted so delicious, I don’t know if I’ll be buying store-bought marinara anymore.  Not only did I find my recipe for grilled pizzas from Prevention RD, but I also found this mariana sauce recipe as well.  If you’ve never made your own, I urge you to try this one.  It doesn’t have to sit on your stove simmering all day long but it sure tastes like it did!  I didn’t have any fresh herbs on hand, so I used dried and altered a bit from Nicole’s recipe.  Use fresh if you have it, it’ll taste even better!  I also added a bit more wine, because really, how could that hurt?

Marinara Sauce

Source: Prevention RD

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes (reduce if you are opposed to heat)
28 oz crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 tsp sugar

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan and add garlic.  Cook for 30 seconds and add herbs.  Cook for another 30 seconds until herbs become aromatic.

2. Add salt, black and red pepper, tomatoes, wine, and sugar.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

Quite sure this is the best pasta I’ve ever made…or eaten for that matter

Published May 5, 2012 by jenmatteson

I can’t remember a time when I saw a recipe and decided that I needed to try that for dinner TONIGHT.  Well, yesterday was a first.  Another great recipe posted by Jessy at Gourmet: Day to Day.  I follow her blog, but I’m quite sure she must think I’m stalking her as I’ve made several of her creations!  We must just have similar tastes in food.  Very nice!

So back to the food.  This pasta is incredibly delicious, I want to make it again for dinner tonight, and the next night, and the next night.  Nate and I loved it so much, we each had a second helping!  It probably didn’t help that I had a horrible day at work, so this was super comforting as well.  But, the good news is that it’s not all that bad for you.  Jessy’s recipe has 400 calories per serving, but I altered mine just a bit, so we didn’t have a ton of extras.  I more or less cut it in half, with a little less shrimp and pasta.  Not only is this pasta way super good, but it’s really quick and easy to make.  You need to have this for dinner tonight.  Do not delay.  If you don’t have shrimp in your fridge, use chicken, or don’t use any protein at all, or get to the store.  Seriously, make it right now!

Shrimp Fajita Pasta

Source: Gourmet: Day to Day
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

6 oz. whole wheat linguine
olive oil
2 bell peppers, thinly sliced (I used a green and a red)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 1/2 tbsp fajita seasoning (see Jessy’s recipe below)
1/2 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
5 oz. enchilada sauce (I used a 10 oz can of hot enchilada sauce, and froze 1/2 for future use)
2 oz. reduced fat cream cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet.  Add peppers, onions, and fajita seasoning, and cook until they become soft, about 8-10 minutes.  Add shrimp and cook for an additional 2-4 minutes, until shrimp is no longer opaque.  Note: Carefull not to over cook your shrimp – it can happen really fast.   I actually started step 3 just before the shrimp were cooked through so they didn’t over cook while the cream cheese melted.

3. Add enchilada sauce and cream cheese to pan.  Stir until cream cheese is melted and incorporated.  Add drained pasta to skillet and toss to coat.  ENJOY!

Fajita Sesoning Mix

2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cumin

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 273 other followers