Later last week I wrote a post about food trends and healthy eating. I believe everything in moderation. I can't speak for everyone, but I know when I deny myself of certain foods I tend to want them even more! An occasional potato chip, french fry, brownie, or pasta dish is okay in my mind to have once in awhile. Some people call it "cheat days", I call it "living".
It's one of my son's birthday this week and he has requested Spaghetti Carbonara. I found a recipe years ago in the Family Circle March 2013 issue for a lighter version of the restaurant classic with half the fat and calories. You can make it even healthier by using whole wheat or brown rice spaghetti, but if you do not eat pasta often and are not sensitive to gluten, go for the real thing! I also look for bacon that is nitrate free and use Applegate Farms brand.
This recipe makes 6 servings. It takes about 15 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to cook. It is one of my family's go to meals because it is so easy and delicious.
Ingredients:
1 lb spaghetti
6 slices bacon, diced
1 cup milk
2 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
Meanwhile, add bacon to a large saute pan. Cook over medium heat 6 minutes or until slightly crispy. Drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tbsp of the drippings.
Blend milk, eggs, egg yolks and salt.
Heat bacon drippings over medium heat. Whisk in flour: cook 1 minute. Quickly pour in milk mixture, whisking constantly to keep eggs from scrambling. Cook 2-3 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in 1/2 cup of the cheese.
Toss drained pasta with sauce, bacon, remaining 1/4 cup cheese and some of the reserved pasta water. Sprinkle with black pepper just before serving.
Enjoy!
Life is short. Take care of your bodies and enjoy simple things.
Best,
Donna
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Pick of the week....
Favorites lately in my house have been soups. We spend so much time during the week going to practices for sports and collecting kids on various fields, that soup for dinner is comforting and hits the spot with a nice chunk of bread and a salad on the side.
One of my son's pick's this week was Fresh Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese & Pesto Sandwiches.
Dipping the sandwiches in the soup made the meal and brought me back to my childhood. I loved tomato soup and grilled cheeses when I was growing up.
I found the recipe for the soup in my old trusty Betty Homes & Gardens Cookbook. It's my go to cookbook for the basics. I had some very ripe tomatoes that needed to be used so I threw them in the pot along with the following list of ingredients:
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and quartered, or one 14 1/2 oz. can tomatoes, cut up
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup celery (I left this out)
1/2 of a 6 oz. can tomato paste
2 T snipped fresh cilantro or parsley
2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon granules ( I uses a cup of Pacific brand chicken broth)
2 teaspoons lime or lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
Few dashes bottled hot pepper sauce
In a large saucepan combine fresh tomatoes or undrained canned ones, water, onion, celery, tomato paste, cilantro, bouillon, lime or lemon juice, sugar, and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes. Cool slightly. Place half of mixture into a blender and mix. Cover and blend til smooth. Repeat with remaining mixture. I prefer using my immersion blender, but do what you prefer. Keep warm on stove as you make your grilled cheeses. Serve with a side salad and enjoy!
Enjoy this beautiful fall weather.
Best,
Donna
One of my son's pick's this week was Fresh Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese & Pesto Sandwiches.
Dipping the sandwiches in the soup made the meal and brought me back to my childhood. I loved tomato soup and grilled cheeses when I was growing up.
I found the recipe for the soup in my old trusty Betty Homes & Gardens Cookbook. It's my go to cookbook for the basics. I had some very ripe tomatoes that needed to be used so I threw them in the pot along with the following list of ingredients:
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and quartered, or one 14 1/2 oz. can tomatoes, cut up
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup celery (I left this out)
1/2 of a 6 oz. can tomato paste
2 T snipped fresh cilantro or parsley
2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon granules ( I uses a cup of Pacific brand chicken broth)
2 teaspoons lime or lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
Few dashes bottled hot pepper sauce
In a large saucepan combine fresh tomatoes or undrained canned ones, water, onion, celery, tomato paste, cilantro, bouillon, lime or lemon juice, sugar, and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes. Cool slightly. Place half of mixture into a blender and mix. Cover and blend til smooth. Repeat with remaining mixture. I prefer using my immersion blender, but do what you prefer. Keep warm on stove as you make your grilled cheeses. Serve with a side salad and enjoy!
Enjoy this beautiful fall weather.
Best,
Donna
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Pick of the week....
Last weekend we went apple picking and are still enjoying the apples. The kids are coming up with many different recipes. The usual apple pie and apple crisp have been made. We tried something new as well, Apple Chips. They are very easy to make and are perfect for a school snack or when you want something crispy. All you need are apples, parchment paper, and a cookie sheet. Set your oven to 225 degrees. Line your sheet with parchment paper. Cut the apples into thin slices and remove the seeds. The center of the slice should have a star inside from the seeds. Arrange the slices on the sheet and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove from oven and flip apples over and bake for another 30-45 minutes until they are crisp. Enjoy! (Recipe from cookbook , Clean Slate)
This week's pick is a hearty meal that is perfect for cool days. It is Italian Sausage and White Bean Soup. My mom found this recipe in The New York Times years ago and has shared it with my sisters and me. It is definitely a favorite!
Makes 4 quarts
ingredients:
1 pound ground sweet Italian sausage
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 cup celery diced
1 medium white onion diced
6 whole garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/4 cups red wine
2 quarts chicken broth, warmed
1 quart whole peeled plum tomatoes in juice
1 (16 ounce) canned great northern beans
1 T fresh chopped parsley
1 T fresh basil, finely sliced
Kosher salt and coarse ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
In a medium saucepan over medium to high heat, brown sausage in oil sirring constantly. After meat browns, lower heat to medium and add celery and onion. Stir occasionally until they are translucent. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. As garlic begins to turn light brown, add wine and reduce by half. Slowly pour in warm broth while stirring, and then the plum tomatoes. Let simmer on low to medium heat 30 minutes. Stir with a wire whisk to break apart the tomatoes just enough to make them bite-size yet hearty. Add the beans and their juice. After beans are incorporated finish with the basil, parsley and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Garnish with freshly grated cheese. Recipe by Carl Anderson.
Embrace the cooler weather and try this hearty meal! Enjoy.
I'd love to hear if anyone has tried any of the recipes. Comments? Questions? Always appreciated.
Thanks.
Donna
This week's pick is a hearty meal that is perfect for cool days. It is Italian Sausage and White Bean Soup. My mom found this recipe in The New York Times years ago and has shared it with my sisters and me. It is definitely a favorite!
Makes 4 quarts
ingredients:
1 pound ground sweet Italian sausage
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 cup celery diced
1 medium white onion diced
6 whole garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/4 cups red wine
2 quarts chicken broth, warmed
1 quart whole peeled plum tomatoes in juice
1 (16 ounce) canned great northern beans
1 T fresh chopped parsley
1 T fresh basil, finely sliced
Kosher salt and coarse ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
In a medium saucepan over medium to high heat, brown sausage in oil sirring constantly. After meat browns, lower heat to medium and add celery and onion. Stir occasionally until they are translucent. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. As garlic begins to turn light brown, add wine and reduce by half. Slowly pour in warm broth while stirring, and then the plum tomatoes. Let simmer on low to medium heat 30 minutes. Stir with a wire whisk to break apart the tomatoes just enough to make them bite-size yet hearty. Add the beans and their juice. After beans are incorporated finish with the basil, parsley and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Garnish with freshly grated cheese. Recipe by Carl Anderson.
Embrace the cooler weather and try this hearty meal! Enjoy.
I'd love to hear if anyone has tried any of the recipes. Comments? Questions? Always appreciated.
Thanks.
Donna
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