Broccoli Pasta Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

I was surprised at this one. I love love love food, but I am not a big one on fruit with vegetables at the same time. Fruit with meat: okay. Fruit with veggies: eh... whatever. I'll try any food once. This time I'm glad I did.

My grandma was telling me all about a salad she had at a bbq thag had grapes and broccoli in it.

I was like "Whaaaat?!"

Then I thought about it. If some random person at a potluck bbq at the senior center can make grapes taste good with broccoli, I can too. So I did, and this is how...

What you'll need:

1 box pasta (I used the rainbow bow tie)
1 head fresh broccoli, cut into small peices (florets and some stems)
4 green onions
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds (I think pecans wojld be delicious too!)
1 cup red grapes, halved or quartered depending on the size
Optional: 3 slices of cooked, chopped bacon

Cook pasta according to package directions. Chill in a bowl and toss with all ingredients except grapes and almonds. Add the dressing (recipe below). Mix in the grapes and nuts just before serving.

Champagne Vinaigrette:

1shallot, minced
1 tbs hot Chinese mustard
1 tsp honey
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 cup champagne vinegar (could also use a mix of champagne vinegar and apple cider vinegar)
1/4 cup salad oil
Salt and red or white pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except oil in food processor and blend until smooth. While on high,  slowly add in oil. Keep in a covered container in the fridge for one week.

Baked Spaghetti

One of my friends brought this to me and my family after I had Dexter. Everyone loved it and I have made it a few times since then. The one that was brought to me was more basic, but I had to add more ingredients... because you know me: I'm a glamour recipe girl;-)

It is so easy and the recipe can be teased without screwing it up. Good luck!

Boil 16oz of spaghetti noodles according to the directions on the packet. I used whole wheat linguine but you can use whatever kind you would like and it wohld still work.

Prep:
1 white onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch spinach cut into chiffonaude ribbons
3 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
3 tbs fresh Sweet Basil, chopped
3-4 whole eggs
4 tbs butter
2 cups cheese total, grated (I used feta, mozzarella, and parmesan)
Salt and pepper

Toss all of the ingredients with the pasta in a large bowl. Press into a 9×13 baking dish and top with 2-3 cups marinara sauce (I can homemade tomato sauce every year so that is what I used. Store bought or fresh homemade work too). Top with a little cheese.

Bake at 365 for about 45 minutes.

It can be prepared and frozen ahead of time. Thaw before baking.

Perfect Fall Pasta with Wine Pairing

Yum!  I might make this for dinner.

What you need:

One zucchini
One large tomato
Fennel Bulb (you won't use the whole thing)
Feta Cheese
Box of pasta
Olive Oil 
Salt, Pepper, Thyme, and Oregano if you want

Julienne the whole zucchini into long strips (use either a mandolin or a peeler). Seed and dice the tomato. Sliver about 1/4 a cup of Fennel Bulb (save the rest for a different dish).  Saute the vegetables in about 2 tablespoons of oil for about five minutes, or until they are starting to brown and they are tender.  You can add a couple cloves of crushed garlic if you want.  

Toss in salt, pepper, and other spices (you can use whatever you would like.  I am in a Thyme mood, but Basil sounds good, too).

Serve tossed with pasta (I prefer spaghetti or angel hair) and top with feta cheese (or parmesan).  

Yum! 

Pairs well with Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or a Chardonnay.

The photo below is the pasta I made tonight (in progress).  It's the same recipe except I added asparagus instead of tomato, and I ended up using mozzarella cheese instead of feta because it's what I had one hand.  I also added carrots since my grandpa's garden is full of them.  My motto: Eat seasonally! It's cheaper and healthier.

BTW, ignore the cut quality on the veggies.  My seven year old step son cut them up for me.  Cute<3

ADDITION:  We served this with Stuffed Chicken (click for recipe).  They paired very well together, and it was a lot of fun to make! 

Shrimp and Bacon Florentine

Sorry I haven't been on here in forever... I know, how naughty of me:/  Oh well.  This will make up for it! Ha.

This is a recipe for some yummy shrimp I made a couple weeks ago.  I served it with a pasta primavera type dish and broccoli.

You'll need:

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced OR 3 green onions, finely chopped
4  strips bacon
1/2 cup heavy cream
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup Spinach cut into ribbons (or substitute basil leaves... but, then you can't call it "florentine" anymore)

Chop bacon and saute until it reaches your desired crunchy-ness.  Remove the bacon from grease to drain, but reserve the grease.

In the same pan, in 2 tbs of the bacon grease, saute the shrimp, shallots (if subbing green onions, don't add yet).

When the shrimp is done, add the cream.  Turn to medium low heat and stir often so it doesn't burn.  Add the remaining ingredients, including the bacon.  Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parmesan cheese.

For a Latin twist, you could sub lime for lemon, and add cilantro instead of basil or spinach.  Garnish with cotija cheese and serve with rice.

Tomato Basil Pasta- Salad or Main Course

Stewie loves to help me cook.  I love when he helps me cook<3 He loves noodles and tomatoes, so this recipe is perfect.  Simple, healthy, easy, fast, and cheap, + it will go with anything depending on which type of dressing you use.  We had it last night with grilled salmon.

This dish can be served hot or cold, left over or fresh.  It can be the main course (We like it with tuna or warmed up chicken) or a side dish.

Ingredients:
1 pkg whole wheat pasta (We use spaghetti because Stewart thinks it's fun to twirl the noodles)
Red, yellow, and orange cherry tomatoes
Fresh basil
Fresh marjoram
EVOO
Balsamic vinegar (You could also use lemon juice or any other vinegar, balsamic is our favorite though)
Salt and pepper
Parmesan, feta, or blue cheese crumbles

In a large bowl, have your child squish, with his hands, all of the tomatoes so the juice comes out.  Don't smash completely, just "pop" them.  Then, he can tear apart the basil and marjoram leaves.

Boil the noodles al dente.  Drain and add to the bowl.  Drizzle olive oil and vinegar, add salt and pepper and toss.  Serve with cheese crumbled on top.

To make this dish more "grown up", half the cherry tomatoes instead of squishing.  Instead of tearing the herbs, do chiffonade ribbons. Add sliced scallions or shallots, and drizzle with a garlic-y vinaigrette.