Lemon Ricotta Spaghetti with Spinach

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So, as I have decided to lose a few LB’s and cut out my carbs except for at dinner, carbs are kind of my focal point at dinner. When you look forward to it ALL day… it’s a special meal! I never knew you basically go through a type of detox from carbs and sugars when you start to cut them out. I mean, back in college I did the “South Beach Diet” and I remember something about that. 🙂 I truly am realizing it though. Cravings because your body is wondering what the heck is going on!
So, I decided I need carbs. I do need to cut back as I’ve previously said because it gets a bit ridiculous. … but I needed more veggies and greens and FRESH fruits in my life!
At least this pasta dish has spinach greens and lemon zest! Right?! 🙂 Ricotta cheese adds protein too!  I calculated an approximate 8g of protein per serving, and if you toss some shrimp or chicken in it (as suggested by my awesome friend) it will up that protein content quite a lot!

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Ingredients

Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 TB lemon juice
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 cup chopped (or whole) baby spinach
2-3 tsp. Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup pasta water set aside

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Preparation

Prep: 5 Minutes
Cook: 10 Minutes
* Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.
* In a bowl, stir together ricotta, olive oil, lemon zest and salt&pepper, garlic salt, grated parmesan, lemon juice, oregano and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
*Drain spaghetti, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pot and stir in ricotta mixture, spinach and 1/4 cup pasta cooking water. Toss well, adding more pasta cooking water 1 Tbsp. at a time, if necessary. Serve hot.

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This was quite delicious! Filling as well! I enjoyed every last bite! 😉

And now, for the quote of the day:

My husband’s current favorite meme going around the Internet

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Chili Cheesy Homemade Hamburger Helper CopyCat

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Today was absolutely crazy… so much so, when my husband came home from work dinner wasn’t even started! So, I picked something quick and filling… very reminiscent of those Hamburger Helper dishes I had as a kid and in college. Lately I’ve started to try and make dishes that are not processed and don’t come out of a box. So, how do you make such a dish from scratch? It’s seriously a lot easier than I thought it would be!
This is one that the whole family would enjoy and just gobble up! I have a feeling that even the leftovers are going to be amazing! You could even use leftover chili with this one and just kind of add a few ingredients to make this yummy dish!

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INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 lb. ounces 85/15 grass fed organic ground beef
3 cups vegetable stock
1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 can canned black beans drained and rinsed (or you can use kidney beans!)
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8-10 ounces uncooked pasta (I used egg noodles, you can eve use elbow pasta)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 TB unsalted butter
3 TB half&half
1 tsp cornmeal (optional!) For thickness and flavor

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INSTRUCTIONS

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add garlic powder, onion and ground beef, and cook until browned, about 5-10 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; REMEMBER to drain the excess fat.
Stir in vegetable stock, tomatoes, beans, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a simmer and stir in pasta. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13-15 minutes. Add the 1 tsp of cornmeal and stir in.
In a separate pan, melt the butter and then add the half&half. Do not let boil. Drop in 1/2 cup shredded cheese and stir until a smooth cheesy sauce. Should only take 2-3 minutes total. Pour into chili mac pot and stir until well blended.
Top each serving with some shredded cheese!
Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

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Enjoy! This one will definitely be made again. Simple, not too spicy, and quick!

And now for the quote of the day… this one made me giggle!

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Pasta Primavera

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Today everyone wanted leftovers… taco leftovers that is, except for me. I wanted my favorite pasta… and since I have decided to only eat bread or pasta like carbs at dinner time, I was CRAVING those carbs! So, I made this!

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Ingredients

8-10 baby carrots cut into thin strips
1 large zucchini, cut into bite size pieces
1 yellow squash, cut into bite size pieces
1 onion sweet yellow onion thinly sliced
4 sweet mini peppers cut into thin strip (remove pith and seeds)
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp dried Italian Seasoning
1 tsp lemon zest
1 TB lemon juice
1 TB butter
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 pound small pasta – I used egg noodles – you can use farfalle, or fusilli
Optional: grape tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

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Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a cake pan, or baking sheet toss all of the vegetables with the oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs to coat. Bake until the carrots are tender and the vegetables begin to brown, stirring after the first 10 minutes, about 20 minutes total.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, and set aside in serving bowl with the 1 TB of butter stirred in to prevent sticking.

Toss the pasta with the vegetable mixture in a large bowl to combine. If desired, add tomatoes. Add lemon juice and zest at this time to moisten. Season the pasta with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately.

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This one hit the SPOT! Lower in calories, a ton if veggies, and just enough pasta to curb that craving. DELISH!

And now… my ongoing problem where I’m the only person who knows where anything is deserves this quote:

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Shrimp Alfredo

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I’ve decided I am going to try my best to restrict most of my carbs to dinner. I, personally, cannot give up carbs without going a little bit crazy. So, in trying to tone of my slightly soft figure… carbs and sugars are being lowered and I am making choices using healthy fats… as much as possible. I am also watching my portions.
This alfredo recipe uses all natural ingredients, it’s inexpensive to make, delicious, and if you’ve been good all day, a great treat at the end of the night! And… if you want to eliminate the carbs… remove the pasta and use spaghetti squash! I got this from food network, and it’s one of Giada’s recipes. I made a few changes, but this is a really really good one! Giadas Alfredo

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Ingredients

10-12 ounces fresh pasta
2 cups half&half
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cups grated Parmesan
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 teaspoons grated lemon zest
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper

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Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Drain.

Stir 1 1/2 cups of the cream and the lemon juice in a heavy large skillet to blend. Add the butter and garlic, and cook over medium heat just until the butter melts, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Add the pasta and toss. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of cream, and Parmesan to the cream sauce in the skillet. Add the lemon zest, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute.
Serve immediately and enjoy this lemony, creamy, fresh dish!
I added shrimp to mine! I follow Ina Garten’s recipe and drizzle with olive oil, and salt and pepper and then roast them at 350 in the oven  for 10-12 minutes. They always come out PERFECT!

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We all know food is important. Some of us get what is called “hangry” like I do. When I’m hungry… sometimes I act a little crazy. I’m ashamed… but it’s true. Gotta remember to keep snacks with me for me AND the kids! Here’s a shirt to go with this statement! I may need to purchase it!

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Vegetable Tian

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Do you have a threenager? Because I do… I have one that’s seriously kind of exhausting. We didn’t experience the “terrible twos” with either kid… but age three with a little boy is way different than what I expected. All if my friends with little boys warned me… they told me it’s a VERY MEMORABLE stage…. but I was not prepared for the exhaustion. The decision to be consistent and follow through no matter how tired I was and how badly I wanted to give in. There are tests all day long. All day. And right now, he FINALLY laid down for his nap. Finally. After over an hour and a have and me having to go in there with consequences two times.
You know what though? I dearly love him. My heart melts when he looks at me and says “I wuv you mommy, so much!”. He can turn me to absolute mush if I’m not careful! God gave us children that are precious and adorable… with a sin nature, but quite moldable! But oh… these times of molding! I can’t imagine how God must feel! Ha!
Sorry, off on a tangent.

And…. I must have been tired when I edited these pictures I must have been REALLY tired. I put the wrong name of the blog on the pictures! HAHAHAHAHA! And you know what? I’m too tired to change it. Giggle about it in my honor. 🙂
Last night I needed vegetables. I’m on this “need less sugar and carbs in my life because I have a problem” kick. I know when I start slipping. So… veggies for the main course tonight! A vegetable Tian! Most tians have tomatoes, but mine does not for 2 reasons… 1. I didn’t have any. 2. I, sadly, do not care for tomatoes. I’m weird. That’s all I can say. 🙂

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Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium yellow sweet onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium yukon gold potato
1 tsp dried thyme
to taste salt & pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
4 sweet mini peppers sliced
1/2 cup shredded cheese

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Finely dice the onion. Saute in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).
While the onion is sauteing, thinly slice the rest of the vegetables.
Spray the inside of an 8×8 square or round baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread the softened onion in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and thyme.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

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Serve and enjoy!

This was incredibly easy, and incredibly delicious! Make sure that you cut the potatoes quite thin and all the same size! You can even use a mandolin if you have one!
Another topping idea is also a balsamic glaze! I’m gonna try it the next time I make this one!

And now, for the quote of the day… something I have learned in the past and am currently putting into practice:

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Hot and Spicy Jambalaya

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It was soooo nice out today! We spent a good portion of our day outside and it was glorious! The nice thing about it is that the bees and wasps haven’t rely made an apearance yet, the pollen is not yet out of control, and it’s not sweltering… so we’ve gotta QUICK get in our “outside enjoyment” in! 🙂
Personally I have a lot of requirements to enjoy being outside. I am kind of high maintenance in that area. The awesome thing was that while I was making this dinner, I put a large bucket of water on the back patio that is right by the kitchen window I had open, turned the hose on, and let the kids play till dinner was done! It was awesome not having them whine at my feet while I was cooking!
Now, let’s be honest… if you know me, you know neither me nor my kids ate this. It was waaayyyy too spicy for the kids, and definitely too spicy for me to have more than a taste. I love my husband though, and was so extremely excited to make this for him! It was worth it too, he LOVED it!
So here’s the recipe:

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Ingredients

1/2 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
2 cups chicken broth/vegetable stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound andouille sausage, sliced
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
4-6 sweet mini peppers, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tablespoon Emeril’s Bayou Blast seasoning
2 (10 oz. Each) cans diced tomatoes with green chilis
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup long grained white jasmine rice
salt, pepper and cayenne to taste
Juice of 1 lemon plus 2 tsp lemon zest
4 green onions, sliced
hot sauce to taste
Parsley to garnish if desired

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Directions

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, add the sausage and cook until browned on both sides, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the onion and peppers and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the garlic and Bayou Blast (or similar) seasoning and cook until fragrant, about a minute or so.
Add the broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, lemon juice and zest and rice to the sausage and vegetables, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, place lid on pot and simmer until the rice is tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened to the desired thickness, about 20-40 minutes.
Add the shrimp and fold in. If your shrimp was thawed, remove pot from heat, place lid on and let sit for 10 minutes until shrimp are cooked through. If shrimp are still frozen, simmer in pot woth rest of jambalaya for 10 minutes on low heat until no longer translucent.
Season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste and served topped with the green onions and hot sauce on the side.

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This is a spicy one! If you like it to hit ya and clear your sinuses out, this is one for you!
Enjoy!
And now… a quote that speaks to the fact that my husband prefers that I do  not go to Target without him… 🙂

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Note: This recipe benefits from more simmer time so if you have the time simmer it for 40 minutes.

Baked Penne/Ziti with Mini Meatballs

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It’s Sunday night and I seriously have no idea what to write today. I seem to be completely out of words! So, I’m just going to stick to the recipe!! 🙂

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This is baked “Penne” – Ziti … with Mini meatballs …

Inspired by Giada’s recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/baked-ziti-with-meatballs-recipe.html

First, I used my own recipe for the meatballs, because I don’t put dairy or eggs in them. If you’d like to refer to it, the link is here: https://dancinandcookininthekitchen.com/2014/08/22/italian-orecchiette-pasta-bowl-with-homemade-meatballs-and-tomato-sauce/

Make the meat balls as listed above, and then set them aside.

Ingredients

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ziti or penne
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 jars pasta sauce of your choice
1 cup whole milk ricotta
1 tsp dried oregano
2 Tb fresh basil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 TB butter

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Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot, bring 4-5 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander and set aside. If not using immediately, cover top with plastic wrap so that pasta does not dry out. Do not rinse pasta with water since you want to retain the pasta’s natural starches so that the sauce will cling to the ziti or penne.

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. When almost smoking, add meatballs in batches and without moving or turning the meat, allow it to brown for about 3 minutes. Turn meatballs and brown other side. Continue to cook until all sides are golden brown. Remove meatballs to a plate.

In a large bowl, combine the spaghetti sauce and ricotta and mix well. Add the cooked penne and meatballs and toss gently.

In a large greased baking dish, pour in pasta mixture. Sprinkle the mozzarella, Parmesan, and remaining Romano all over the top. Dot with the butter. Place baking dish on top of baking sheet covered with aluminum foil to collect any drippings from the dish. Bake until top is golden brown and bubbly, about 30 to 40 minutes.

And… ENJOY!!!!

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Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/baked-ziti-with-meatballs-recipe.html?oc=linkback

And now, for the quote of the day:

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1 Pot Wonder: Sun-dried Tomato and Kielbasa Pasta

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I was at a women’s church conference a lot of the last couple days and wanted something quick and easy when I came home today. This was definitely the answer! I like dishes that I can just toss in 1 single pot, only dirty 1 dish, and then serve from that same dish.
Have you ever gotten done cooking and looked around and seen like an entire sink full worth of dishes to wash?! I definitely have done that. I do try to wash and clean as I go, but in general I like to use as little dishes as possible. When I find one that I like, I have to post it!
Side note: So today our dog had dog training! Good thing, he’s doing really well! Bad thing, he doesn’t show his true colors when the trainer is around… ever. It’s really really annoying! It’s lime children and their babysitter or nanny. ANGELS compared to when they are with you! Ha! Hopefully his true colors will come out when needed.

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Ingredients

3/4 pound spaghetti
1 package all natural nitrate free turkey kielbasa, thinly sliced
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes with some oil from the jar
2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
Kosher Himalayan sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Dash (1/8 tsp) cayenne powder
1 TB butter
1 cup grated Parmesan
Garnish with fresh parsley

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INSTRUCTIONS

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat, combine spaghetti, kielbasa, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, garlic, cayenne powder and 4 1/2 cups water; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until pasta is cooked through and liquid has reduced, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in Parmesan.
Serve immediately

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This one was a HIT too! So easy, and everyone went back for seconds and I still has some leftovers! Have a crazy day and need to have something quick to make? This is it! And I purchased all of these ingredients at Aldi! Give it a go!

And now, in honor of the women’s conference I went to this weekend, the quote of the day:

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Easy Peasy Chicken Tortilla Soup

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Ok, this soup tasted really yummy… but it did not photograph well… it was very frustrating. Honestly? I don’t know how people always get good pics of their dishes. I don’t have the time to be quite honest. My pictures aren’t perfect, but my food is good!

I have another recipe for chicken tortilla soup, but this one is pretty dang easy! It’s a thinner soup as well, and went great with some chips that I had. Start to finish it took me less than 30 minutes! You could probably let this one simmer for a while too if you wanted.

Today it was 80 degrees here!!! My kids and I spent a majority of the day outside, which was awesome!!!! I wasn’t sure if a soup would go well on such a warm day, but it was honestly just perfect!

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I couldn’t get a good picture of the whole pot of soup, so I will show 2 separate pictures of the soup in a bowl. 🙂

  • 4 chicken tenderloins
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • end of jar of salsa – add 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth to jar, shake, and pour into skillet with the chicken
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 TB olive oil

For the Soup

  • 32 – 40 oz. of low sodium free range chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup medium restaurant style salsa
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 TB tomato paste
  • 1 cup frozen sweet white corn
  • 1 can organic black beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 TB fresh chopped cilantro

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Directions

  1. Drizzle olive oil into skillet, and heat at medium high. Season the chicken tenderloins with the garlic powder, salt and pepper, and cumin. Place into the skillet. Add the salsa and chicken broth – use the end of a jar of salsa, add 1/2 cup of chicken broth, shake and pour into the skillet with the chicken and the place the lid on. Reduce to medium low heat. simmer for 4-5 min per side until cooked thru. Remove the chicken and shred. Set aside.
  2. In a Dutch oven or large pot, combine the first five ingredients under “for soup”; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the rinsed black beans and the corn, stir in the chicken that you previously set aside.
  4. Stir cilantro into soup. Top with tortilla chips, a bit of cheese and sour cream if you desire!. If desired, serve with additional salsa. Yield: 8 servings.

Ever wonder what to do with leftover soup??? This is what I do:

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I use leftover applesauce jars, pickle jars, etc… I fill it up with a couple of inches room at the top, and let them cool. Once cooled, I place them in the freezer. Then, my husband takes them to work for lunch!!! Perfect and quick lunches!

And now, for the quote of the day, I love C.S. Lewis!

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Read more: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/fiesta-turkey-tortilla-soup#ixzz3TTDX9Wol

Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork

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On cold, rainy blah days I usually feel like using the crock pot to cook. I like those days when I’m busy, or just don’t feel like standing in the kitchen in the evening, when I can toss something in the crockpot and just literally forget about it until dinner time. This is one of those meals.

Today I just had a lot to do. Catch up on laundry, do school with the kids, teach my son that you cannot put a little bit of a roll of toilet paper into the toilet and then flush repeatedly to let the ENTIRE roll go down the toilet. I also had to teach him that he still needs naps and that he cannot repeatedly come out of his room during naptime. He also learned that if he holds his food out towards our dog, Duke, and tell him “no”… Duke will not listen. He will eat the food being held out to him. The experiences today were the normal… 3 year old testing mommy on what she’ll say no to today… because yesterday I learned the other stuff she said no to. Exhausting. Tiring. But… rewarding. I wouldn’t change the opportunity to mother these babies for anything. Not a thing. I’m blessed beyond what I ever could have imagined.

Now… to the easy dinner I made. 🙂 I really think it took me MAYBE 10 minutes. Maybe.

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My recipe is adapted from this great blog: http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/03/slow-cooker-smoky-bbq-pulled-pork.html

Ingredients:
2 lb pork shoulder roast (mine did not have the bone in)
1 Tablespoons paprika
2 1/2 tsp himalayan sea salt
2 tsp fresh black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 packet instant coffee (7 oz.)
1 tsp unsweetened baking cocoa
2 Tb olive oil
1 (16-20 oz) bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
Buns or… like me, if you don’t have any or time to make some… use sliced bread!

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Ok, take a minutes to look at the picture above. Seriously. I put that in the crockpot FROZEN with the seasoning rub on it. I then covered the crockpot with tin foil to keep all of the heat in it, and had it on LOW all day. The CRUST on the outside of that pork was AMAZING! It looked and tasted like I had it in a smoker or a grill. I didn’t even sear it!!!! The inside of the pork was juicy and tender and just fell apart!!! This was probably the best shredded pork I have had out of my crock pot to date. Amazing. My husband said “restaurant quality!”. Try it. Seriously.

Directions:
Spray the inside of slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray (or use a slow cooker liner). Combine paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, unsweetened cocoa and instant coffee in a small bowl and set aside. Drizzle olive oil over the roast and rub in. (My roast was still frozen. I did NOT thaw or sear it at all, and it still came out AMAZING!) Take the seasoning and rub all over the roast, covering all sides. (Optional: poke your roast with a large fork a couple of times to let the flavors really soak in). Place lid on slow cooker and bake on low for 8-10 hours (or high 5-6 hours). Shred meat when finished and add bottle of BBQ sauce. Serve on buns or sliced bread and enjoy! You can serve this with a cold salad, cole slaw, potato salad.. or just some fruit and veggies! Endless options!

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For the quote of the day: There has been speak a lot in the media and different blogs that I follow that talk about mom shaming, bullying, just overall judging others. We all know it’s wrong too! What is it? Most likely insecurity. We’ve gotta stop it! Let’s look at ourselves in a positive light, and build others up around us. I’ll start! 🙂

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