Oriental Salad ~ Chinese

Ingredients:

capellini pasta, cooked, drained
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, grilled, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/4 cup red peppers, finely chopped
1/2 cup oriental sesame dressing
2 green onions, sliced


Method:

Toss all ingredients except dressing and onions in large bowl. Add dressing; mix lightly.

Sprinkle with the green onions.

Enjoy...

Angel Hair Pasta with Basil & Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
5-6 Roma tomatoes, chopped
3 tabelspoons balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 lb angel hair pasta


Method:

- In a large skillet, saute the garlic in olive oil until lightly browned. Leave on a side.

- Place tomatoes, salt & pepper, basil and balsamic vinegar in a bowl and set aside for 10 minutes, stirring occassionally.

- Boil water for pasta.

- Just before you put the pasta in the water, drain tomatoes and reserve the juice .

- Put the angel hair pasta in the water to cook for the recommended amount of time.

- Heat your garlic skillet and toss drained tomatoes briefly just to heat. They should retain their shape.

- The pasta should finish cooking within 5 minutes; at the same time the tomatoes are ready.

- Toss the pasta and tomato mixture together and serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Serves 6


Ingredients:


Meatballs:

500g beef
1 egg
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tabelspoons breadcrumbs
good grind black pepper
1 teaspoon salt


Tomato sauce:

1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 large tomatoes
1&1/2 cup boiling water
pinch sugar
salt and pepper
100ml full fat milk


Method:


For the meatballs:

Just put everything in a large bowl, and then, using your hands, mix to combine, shape them into small balls. Place the meatballs on baking sheets or plates that you have lined with clingfilm, and put in the fridge.


For the tomato sauce:

Put the onion, garlic and oregano into the process and blitz to a pulp. Heat the butter and oil in a deep wide pan, then scrape the onion-garlic mix into it and cook over a low-medium for about 10 minutes. Don't let the mixture catch, just let it become soft. Add the tomatoes, boiling water, pinch of sugar, some salt and pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes.

The tomato sauce will appear thin at this stage, but don't worry as it will thicken a little later. Stir in the milk, and then drop the meatballs in one by one. Don't stir the pan until the meatballs have turned from pink to brown as you don't want to break them up. Cook everything for about 20 minutes, with the lid only partially covering it. At the end of cooking time, check the seasoning as you may want more salt and a grind or two more of pepper.


Enjoy...

Shrimp & Garlic Spaghetti

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 whole pack of Spaghetti
1 pound medium shrimps, deveined, shelled and chopped coarsely.
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chili flakes
2 tablespoons butter
5 cloves of garlic
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Method:

- Put pasta to boil. Remember to toss in 1/4 cup of salt into boiling water with pasta. 10-12 mins.

- In the meantime, in a par or skillet, brown the garlic

- Toss in shrimps and chili flakes. As soon as the shrimps turn pink, remove.

- Using same skillet, toss in butter, return chilli/shrimps into it and cook thoroughly

- Toss in parsley and mix nicely

- Toss in pasta and mix until everything is distributed nicely. Serve hot!

Amazing Tuna Salad

lovely and refreshing...

Serves 4


Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1 teaspoon salt
1 quart water
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 cup chopped red, orange, and or yellow bell peppers, seeded and de-stemmed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cans of tuna in water
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil.
2 stalks of celery, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed
1/4-1/3 a head of iceberg lettuce, roughly chopped into 2 inch long strips
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Fresh ground pepper


Method:

1 In a saucepan, add 1 cup of elbow macaroni to 1 quart of boiling water with an added teaspoon of salt. Simmer either covered or uncovered for about 10 minutes until the macaroni is just a little more cooked than al dente. When ready, remove from heat, drain and rinse with cold water.

2 While the macaroni is cooking, assemble the other ingredients. In a large bowl mix the green onion, bell peppers, parsley, tuna, celery and lemon. Fold in the iceberg lettuce and mayonnaise until well mixed. Add the paprika. Add fresh ground pepper to taste.


Enjoy...

Taken from Simply Recipes

Seafood linguine

Serves 6


Ingredients:

2 pounds mussels or small hard-shell clams in shell, scrubbed
1 bottle clam juice
1/4 cup butter, divided use
3/4 cup sliced green onions
2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1 pound medium-size raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
12 ounces fresh linguine
1/2 cup chopped parsley


Method:

- Pull beard from each mussel with a swift tug.

-Pour clam juice into a 5 to 6-quart pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add mussels; reduce heat, cover, and boil gently until shells pop open, about 5 to 10 minutes.

- Discard any unopened mussels. Drain mussels, reserving liquid; keep mussels warm. -- Strain cooking liquid to remove grit; reserve 1 cup of the liquid.

- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil; then boil, uncovered, until reduced by about half, about 5 minutes.

- Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add shrimp, then cover and remove from heat. Let stand until shrimp are opaque in center, about 8 minutes.

- Meanwhile, cook linguine in a about 3 quarts boiling water until al dente, about 1 to 2 minutes; or cook according to package directions. Drain well.

- Add pasta and parsley to shrimp mixture and toss gently to combine. Mound on serving platter and top with mussels.


Enjoy...

Macaroni and Hamburger

Serves 4








Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 yellow onion, chopped (or you can mix it with green onions as well)
Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
Dash crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 large can of diced tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cups uncooked macaroni


Method:

Put a large pot of hot water on the stove and begin cooking the macaroni until al dente.

In a skillet, brown the ground beef in a tablespoon of olive oil on high heat. Stir only infrequently so that the ground beef browns.

In a large skillet, sauté chopped onion with a tablespoon of olive oil on medium high heat. Add the ground beef and lower the heat to medium. Add a dash of crushed red pepper, seasoned salt, celery seed, canned tomatoes. and Worcestershire sauce.

Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in the drained and cooked macaroni and parsley. Simmer for another 5 minutes.


Enjoy...

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Another very easy dinner idea...




Serves 10



Ingredients:

448g elbow macaroni
120ml evaporated milk
2 eggs
227.2g sour cream
4g seasoning salt
1g black pepper
170g shredded Cheddar cheese
50g grated Parmesan cheese
15g butter


Method:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.

Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and rinse with cold water.

In a bowl mix milk, eggs, sour cream, seasoning salt, and pepper.

Layer macaroni, cheddar cheese, and milk mixture until pan is full.

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and pour melted butter on top.

Bake in a preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until milk mixture is done.


Enjoy...

Mushroom & Asparagus Fettuccini

An excellent dinner idea...



Serves 4




Ingredients:

2 cups fresh chopped asparagus
63g sliced black olives
225g fettuccine pasta
15ml olive oil
3 large portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 can peas, drained
3g Italian seasoning
1 can tomato paste
50g grated Parmesan cheese


Method:

Fill a large pot with water, asparagus and the olives; bring to a boil. Cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute mushrooms, peas, and Italian seasoning until mushrooms are tender.

In a blender or food processor, puree asparagus, black olives, tomato paste and Parmesan. Transfer to a small saucepan, and heat through over medium-low heat. Spoon asparagus sauce over fettuccini, and top with mushrooms and peas.


Easy and Yummy...
Enjoy...

Spaghetti & Meat Sauce

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 medium onions, chopped
2 pounds lean ground beef
3 cans whole tomatoes
3 cans tomato paste
18 ounces water
1 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf crumbled
2 & 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked and drained
grated parmesan cheese


Method:

- In a large pot, saute garlic, parsley and onion until tender, but not browned.
- Add the ground beef; cook over high heat, stirring to break up the meat as it browns.
- Crush tomatoes in a blender or with a potato masher. Add to the pot with the tomato paste, water, sugar, salt, oregano, basil, pepper and bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes.
- Taste and correct seasonings by adding salt, pepper or more sugar if needed.
- Serve over cooked spaghetti, topped with grated parmesan cheese.

"This recipe makes a lot of sauce, but it freezes well"


Enjoy...

Wild Mushroom Pasta ~ DB

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
8 oz. mixed wild mushrooms (shiitake, portobello, oyster, and chanterelle) cleaned, stemmed, and thickly sliced
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup coarsely chopped basil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Method:

- In a large deep skillet, melt butter in heated olive oil. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat until golden. Add the mushrooms, fennel seeds, rosemary and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but firm to the bite; drain well. Add the pasta to the mushrooms, adding the basil and cheese. Mound onto two plates and serve immediately, offering additional Parmesan if desired.

Enjoy...

Chicken Noodle Soup the old-fashioned way

What's better than soup in this cold weather....



Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. canola oil
1 chicken, quartered
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 large yellow onions, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 bunch celery, tops and bottoms trimmed, cut into 1-inch chunks
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 quarts water
1 bay leaf
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 lb. dried fettuccine, broken into 2-inch pieces
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh parsley

Method:

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces, skin side down, and cook until well browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Add the onions, carrots, celery, chicken broth, water, bay leaf, thyme sprigs and coriander. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the meat is nearly falling off the bones, about 1 1/2 hours. Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs, transfer the chicken to a colander and let cool to the touch.

Meanwhile, in a large pot two-thirds full of boiling salted water, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Drain the noodles in a colander and cool under cold running water; set aside.

Remove the chicken meat from the bones, discarding the skin and bones, and cut the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Skim the fat from the broth and return the chicken to the pot along with the pasta, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the pasta is heated through, 3 to 4 minutes. Adjust seasonings as needed, stir in the parsley and serve immediately.

Tip:

Browning the chicken pieces before simmering them with the vegetables produces a rich, flavorful soup broth.

Items used in this recipe:

Pasta with chicken, asparagus & gorgonzola

"Bold combination of flavors"

How to approach your asparagus: Trim it by gently bending each stalk near the base to break off the tough ends. peel 2 inches of the botton skin using a peeler to take off any thick or old stalks. You asparagus is now ready for cooking.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound fresh asparagus
1/2 pound linguine
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup thin strips of chicken
1/2 cup heavy cream
red pepper flakes for taste
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
a dash of nutmeg (if you can find it in Kuwait)
2 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Cut the asparagus into 1 1/2 inch lengths. place in boiling water; set aside.
Cook the linguine until al dente. drain it and set it aside.
Melt the butter in a skillet, stir fry chicken until brown. whisk in the cream, red peppers, shallots, and nutmeg.
Add gorgonzola; stir until melted.
Add tarrgon, asparagus, and linguine. Toss well.
Serve with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy....

Penne in Rosemary Cream Sauce

it's cold today.. and I was in the mood for pasta, so I tried this simple recipe... loved it.


Ingredients:

1/2 pound penne pasta
1/8 cup fresh rosemary, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup tomato puree
salt & pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

cook the penne until al dente. meanwhile, suate the rosemary in olive oil over low heat for 3 minutes. Add the tomato puree. Season with salt & pepper.
simmer for 15 minutes. Pour in the cream and parmesan chesse, and keep stirring until heated.
Drain your pasta and toss with the cream sauce.

Enjoy....



Tip:

To warm a large bowl for serving pasta, put the serving bowl in the sink and place the colander in it. When the pasta is done, pour it into the colander, allowing the hot water to drain into the bowl. Pull the colander out of the serving bowl and let the pasta drain.