One Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living and Apron Strings Blog. This is the one pot pasta. I deviated a bit and used whole wheat linguine. There were some concerns whether WW would not have enough starch to thicken the pasta. Took a bit of tweaking but it worked!

Ingredients:
6 oz whole wheat linguine
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 white onion, sliced into thin strips
1/2 14-oz can of diced tomatoes
4 small squirts of tomato paste (about 1 tbs)
3-4 basil leaves, sliced
2-3 sprigs of fresh oregano (or you can use dried oregano, 1 tsp)
2-3 sprigs (fresh marjoram, optional)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp parsley flakes
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 tbs dry white wine
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese
fresh parsley

Serves 2-3



1. Place pasta, garlic, onion, tomatoes, fresh herbs (if you're using dried, sprinkle it just before starting cook) in a large saute pan (or any pan with a high straight side, ensure that pasta will be submerged in the liquid).

2. Pour the broth and white wine.

3. Sprinkle the red pepper flakes (and the dried herbs if using) and drizzle the top with olive oil.

4. Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Stir with tongs once in a while to make sure all the ingredients are mixed together and that pasta does not stick together.

5. Since WW pasta does not have that much starch, the sauce will not thicken as much if you leave the pan covered so after simmering for 2-3 minutes, slide the cover off a bit to let the liquid evaporate slowly. Make sure that you have enough liquid to cook the pasta.

6. Constant checking is what I did to make sure the liquid evaporates and yet have enough to cook the pasta.

7. After about 9-10 minutes or when the pasta is cooked al dente, and you still have more liquid than you want, you may turn up the heat a bit to thicken the sauce to your desired consistency. '

8. Season to taste.

9. Finish with fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese.

10. Enjoy!
 

Reese's Peanut Butter cups Biscotti

I originally wanted to make hazelnut biscotti and had the recipe all ready when I found the recipe for cappuccino biscotti at www.joyofbaking.com. I like this one better because it didn't call for butter and only used 1 egg. Set out my ingredients and found I only had a fourth of a cup of chocolate chips left instead of the 1/2 cup needed. Digging in my pantry, I saw I still had some Reese's. why not right? Decided to call these Peanut butter biscotti instead as the PB taste was really distinct and oh so good! I cut the salt to less than 1/4 tsp because the Reese's cups were salty enough.

Ingredients:
3/4 cups hazelnuts, toasted, peeled
1/4 cup espresso or strong coffee, cooled
1 tbs low fat milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
A little less than 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup Reese's peanut butter cups, roughly chopped

Directions:
1. Toast hazelnuts in oven at 350F for about 12 minutes, wrap in clean towel, let stand for a couple of minutes then rub briskly to remove skin, chop roughly
2. Leave oven at 350F
3. Whisk together espresso, milk, egg and vanilla
4. In a stand mixer, using paddle attachment, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
5. Add the coffee/egg mixture and mix until it forms dough
6. Add the chocolate chips, PB bits, and hazelnuts gradually until incorporated
7. Dump dough on a lightly floured surface and cut sough into 2 equal pieces
8. Roll each pc into a log about 10 inches long and 2 inches in diameter
9. Place logs on a large baking sheet lined with parchment, about 3 inches apart
10. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes until firm to the touch
11. Place baking sheet on a wire rack to cool for about 10 min
12. Reduce oven temp to 300F
13. On a cutting board, slice the log about 3/4 inch lengthwise on the diagonal. Each log would yield about 12 pcs
14. Place the pieces back on the backing sheet, cut side down and bake for about 7 min.
15. Turn the biscotti and bake for another 7 min. If you want crispier biscotti, bake for about 9-10 min on each side
16. Place biscotti on wire rack to cool
17. Store in airtight container

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Raspberry Marshmallow Cream Cheese Frosting

I got this again, from Pinterest (don't you just love that site??!!), and I wouldn't change a thing! First made this for my friend Angela's birthday and its been one of my favorite cupcake recipes since then. Click here for the original post! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:

1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup + 2 tbs sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

1-1/4 tsp vanilla

2 to 2-1/2 tsp liquid red food color (depends on how red you want them to be, don't go beyond 3 tsp or you'll only taste the food coloring)

 

For the frosting: 

1/3 cup fresh raspberries, keep in refrigerator until you are ready to make the frosting

1 package cream cheese, soften to room temperature

1 tub (7 oz) marshmallow creme

1.  Preheat oven to 350F

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt

3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 4-5 minutes on medium speed

4. Beat in the eggs one at a time

5. Mix in the sour cream, milk, vanilla and the food color

6. Slowly mix in your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients just until all are incorporated, do not over mix

7. Fill lined muffin cups 2/3 of the way

8. Bake at 350F for about 18 min, check for doneness, bake for a couple more minutes if you see that they are not done at 18min

9. While the cupcakes are baking, make the frosting

10. Roughly chop raspberries, you still want the pieces to be visible in the frosting but small enough to pass through the tips of the pastry bag

11. Blend the cream cheese and marshmallow creme until smooth and creamy

12. Add in the raspberries with a fork

13. Place the frosting in the refrigerator to firm it up

14. Once the cupcakes are done, take them out of the oven and let cool for a few minutes

15. Frost the cupcakes with either a pastry bag with any shape of tip you want or fill a quart size zip lock back with frosting, cut one corner just big enough to pass the chunk of raspberries

16. Top each cupcake with a raspberry

 

 

Chicken Spinach Bake

Easy recipe, it's even like a pantry pasta bake. Pinned this on Pinterest a few months ago but only got to try it in the last few weeks. The first time I made this, I had to substitute adding a little bit more onions and some dried chives to make up for not having onion and chive cream cheese on hand (only had plain). This time, I had some onion and chive cream cheese but didn't want to use the whole tub. Then, I had some leftover sour cream from making cupcakes, so in they go! I must say it's even yummier the second time around LOL!

Ingredients:
8 oz uncooked rigatoni (1/2 box of rigatoni, I use Barilla, usually 16 oz per box)
1 tbs olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup chopped mushrooms
3 cups cooked chicken, cubed (recipe calls for chicken breasts but if you have boneless thighs, those would really be yummy too!)
3/4 tub (8 oz container) of onion and chive cream cheese (low fat)
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed (usually 1 box)
1 can italian style diced tomatoes (14 oz, usually named diced tomatoes with basil and oregano)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1-1/2 cups shredded low moisture mozzarella cheese (divided in 2)

1.  Preheat oven to 375F
2. Cook rigatoni according to package directions for al dente (approx 12 min, you want it to still have that bite, it will cook more once the we place the whole thing in the oven)
3. Spread the oil on th bottom of an 11x7 baking dish or an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish
4. Place the onion and mushrooms in a single layer in the baking dish and bake for about 15 min or until onions are transluscent and the mushrooms slightly cooked (don't let the mushrooms shrink too much!)
5. Take out the dish out of the oven and if you see that some liquid from the mushrooms have come out, just blot them with a paper towel
6. Place the onions and mushrooms in a large bowl
7. Drain the thawed spinach well by pressing between paper towels or a clean dish cloth. Wring it out to get the water out
8. Stir in the cooked rigatoni, chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, spinach, and tomatoes into the onion and mushrooms. Add some salt and pepper (I like a lot of black pepper so add more if you want to. You can even add some red pepper flakes for that extra bite). Add in half of the cheese and mix it in gently a few times
9. Spoon mixture into the baking dish (yes, same one you used for the onion and mushrooms)
10. Cover with foil and bake at 375F for about 30 min
11. Remove the foil and bake for 15 min more or until bubbly and top is golden brown. Be careful not to burn the cheese
12. Enjoy!

Makes 6-8 servings
 

Mini Apple Pies

By request... I have been craving for apple pie since Tuesday, election day. A post on Facebook mentioned sitting down to election results and having pie and what could be more American than that on that day, and well, you know, I wanted apple pie! Really fought the urge to make or buy one but finally succumbed to it Thursday. In concession to dieting and portion control, I thought, make them in small, individual pieces.

I am not much of a pie maker. In fact, I'm scared of making making my own pie dough. I fear that it will be tough and rubbery. I am a pie dough coward. Thank the Lord for frozen pie crusts. Frozen deep dish pie crusts, frozen rolled pie crusts...

This recipe is a combination of 2 mini apple pie recipes I was able to find on the web.

Ingredients:
1 box ready to bake pie crusts (comes in 2 each box), chilled, if frozen, thaw at room temp but do not let it get to room temp. Must be cold
4 pieces Jonagold apples, peeled, cored, and diced in small pieces (Granny Smith will also do)
6 tbs flour

3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
chilled butter, 2 tbs, cut into 12 equal parts
egg wash, beat 1 egg with 1 tsp water

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Mix the apples, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Coat the apples well.
2.5. Take time to smell that wonderful aroma!
3. Unroll the chilled pie crusts and cut 12 round pieces, bigger than the mouth of each muffin cup. Get a glass or the cap of a wide mason jar.
4. Place the crust on each of the cups of the muffin tin, sort of putting it in but not pushing all the way.
5. Gently fill each crust with the apple mixture, pushing the crust+apple mix all the way to the bottom of the cup.
6. The filling will shrink while baking so it's okay to overfill or mound them on each cup.
7. Add a piece of butter on top of each mound.
8. With your remaining pie crust, cover the top as much as you can. Break off pieces and place them on top, or if you have enough, make lattices, or if you have extra crust, cut 12 circles, cover the top of each cup, pinch the sides to seal, then make a slit on the top crust to let the steam in.
9. Brush the top with the egg wash.
10. Bake for about 20 min or until golden brown. Make sure to check from time to time that the top doesn't get burnt.
11. Take out of the oven and let cool. Take a knife and slide it around each cup to loosen from the sides of the pan. Then use a spoon to take the pie out. Be careful that the crust doesn't fall apart so make sure that the pie is cool before taking it out. If it does, who cares?? It still tastes sooo good!

Huling Hirit on the Hainanese Chicken

I still had the legs and wings... hello adobo!

Mixed some soy sauce, garlic, and vinegar and heated that in the same pan. Set that aside then quickly fried the chicken pieces and sauteed some garlic in there. While sizzling, poured in the soy sauce mix. Here you go, adobo. I know, not the same as simmering the meat in the soy sauce, vinegar and garlic mix but still tastes the same lol. Paired up with hot rice and yum! I kinda wished I had some banana leaves, some tomatoes, cucumber, and salted eggs -- BINALOT!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Did you really think I was done with that Hainanese Chicken??

After finishing the chicken and dumplings, I had another use for the rest of the chicken breasts and thigh parts. I had a taste for chicken and white bean chili so off to the grocery to get some beans. Had a hankering for chips too and found these baked no salt tortilla chips, why not??

Once everything was plated, it looked more like chicken tortilla soup - I think this was my favorite reincarnation of the HC! Recipe is based on the Taste of Home white bean chicken chili recipe

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts and thigh parts, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1 small jalapeno, finely diced
1 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tbs olive oil
2-3 cups chicken broth
1 can cannellini beans
1 can Green Giant Southwestern Corn Style corn (I had that in my pantry, you can certainly get some frozen corn kernels, black beans and some chopped red bell peppers)
Mexican style shredded cheese, low moisture
baked, no salt tortilla chips

1. Heat olive oil in a pot and saute the garlic, jalapeno, and onion. Add in the oregano, and cumin. Cook for about a minute and add in the chicken pieces. Brown the chicken making sure it is coated with the spice mixture.
2. Take half of the can of cannellini beans and mash them. Add about 1/4 cup to the mashed beans.  This is to thicken the soup. Add the mix to the chicken. Add the rest of the broth, the rest of the cannellini beans, and the Green Giant corn mix.
3. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 30 minutes. If you want thicker soup, you can add some flour mixed with water or some corn meal.
4. Ladle into a bowl, top with cheese and some tortilla chips!