Salmon Noodle Bowl from Health Magazine

Ingredients

4 ounces soba buckwheat noodles or whole-wheat spaghetti, (I used Fettuccini)   

5 ounces asparagus, cut in thirds (I used sugar snap peas because asparagus wasn't in season)   

Cooking spray

1 (6-oz) salmon fillet, skin off, cut into 8 pieces

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Zest and juice of 1-2 limes (3 TBSP juice)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper

4 ounces cucumber, skin on, cut into medium pieces

1/2 small avocado, cut into bite-size pieces

 

Directions 

1. Cook the noodles in boiling water until soft (about 6 minutes for soba, 8 for spaghetti). Transfer with tongs to a strainer. Add asparagus to same boiling water. Cook until al dente (about 2 minutes); rinse under cold water.
2. Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Coat lightly with cooking spray. Cook the salmon until cooked through, turning pieces (about 2-3 minutes per side). Reserve.
3. Make the vinaigrette: Whisk together sesame oil, lime zest and juice, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Combine the noodles, asparagus, and vinaigrette in a medium serving bowl.
4. Add the cucumber and avocado; toss to coat. Just before serving, add salmon. Serve warm or at room temperature, or make up to 4 hours ahead and keep refrigerated in an airtight container.

This was a delicious noodle salad. I lost this recipe for awhile, and was searching for it online- there are some other similar great looking recipes online I will have to try.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 2 1/4 c
Servings Per Recipe: 2
Amount per Serving:
Total Calories 492, Total fat 21.9 g, Saturated fat 3 g, Sodium 783 mg, Carbohydrate 47 g, Dietary Fiber total 7 g, Protein 29 g

Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles from OnceAgainNutButter.com

Ingredients

½ cup Once Again Organic Peanut Butter

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (I think I would use another spice next time, like basil. I remain not a fan of cilantro)

¼ cup warm water

¼ cup sweet chili sauce

¼ cup fresh lime juice

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 8 oz box or bag Pad Thai rice noodles (I used fettuccine)

1 cup carrots, julienned or shredded

1 cup red bell peppers, julienned

1 cup snow peas, julienned

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 lime, wedged

Directions

1. Place the peanut butter, cilantro, water, sweet chili sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, sugar, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, hot chili sauce and garlic in a blender.  Purée until smooth.  Set aside.

2. Heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat.  Add the vegetables, season lightly if desired, and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until vegetables have softened but still maintain some crunch.  Set aside.

3. Cook the noodles in simmering salted water for 1-2 minutes.  Rice noodles cook very quickly.  Drain the noodles and place back in the pot.  Toss with the peanut sauce.

4. To serve, arrange the noodles in a shallow bowl or on a plate.  Top with a large scoop of the vegetables.  Garnish with a lime wedge.

This was delicious! I added some chicken to make it a complete meal. There was so much sauce I mixed it with the veggies. I'd rather not have to do that next time.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: ?

Servings Per Recipe: 4

Grilled Sausage and Pepper Pasta Salad from Family Circle Magazine

Ingredients

Dressing
1/3 cup white wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup fresh basil, sliced

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Pasta Salad
1  lb fiori pasta (honeycomb shape) I used wagon wheel

1 sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices

2 sweet red peppers, cored and cut into 4 pieces

1 green bell pepper, cored and cut into 4 pieces

1 1/2 lbs mild pork sausage links

1/4 tsp salt

Directions
1. Heat grill to medium-high heat. Make Dressing. Whisk together vinegar, sugar and mustard. While whisking, add oil in a thin stream. Whisk in basil, salt and pepper.

2. Pasta Salad. Heat a pot of lightly salted water to boiling. Add pasta; cook 7 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with half the dressing.
3. Secure onion slices with toothpicks. Grill onion and peppers for 10 to 12 minutes, turning. Remove toothpicks and chop veggies. Stir into pasta. Reduce grill temp to medium.
4. Grill sausages on medium heat or the cooler part of a charcoal grill for 9 to 10 minutes, turning often, until internal temperature registers 150 degrees F. Slice into coins. Toss with pasta, salt, peppers, onions and remaining dressing.

This was tasty, but due to overduing the pasta, the flavor was not as intense as it should have been.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: ?

Servings Per Recipe 6 (I made more pasta since I needed more than 6 servings, but it was too much pasta. These are large servings).
Amount Per Serving
Calories 608, Total Fat 30 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 33 mg, Sodium 921 mg, Carbohydrate 65 g, Dietary Fiber 5 g, Protein 22 g,

Inside-Out Lasagna

From EatingWell: January/February 2010
I liked this recipe. It was a one pot meal (once I added some ground turkey) and it really did only take about 25 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients8 ounces whole-wheat rotini or fusilli
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves cloves garlic, sliced
8 ounces sliced white mushrooms (about 3 1/2 cups) I omitted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Some ground turkey- I threw in to make a complete meal
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs- it didn't say whether to drain or not, so I did- but not hard core.
8 cups baby spinach
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

Directions1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta; cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms release their liquid, 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, spinach and crushed red pepper (if using). Increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring once halfway through, until the spinach is wilted, about 4 minutes.
4. Toss the sauce with the pasta and divide among 4 bowls. Dollop each serving with 3 tablespoons of ricotta.

(4 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each)
Nutrition (without the added turkey): 364 calories; 9 g fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono); 14 mg cholesterol; 16 g protein; 7 g fiber; 588 mg sodium; 786 mg potassium.

Pasta with Roasted vegetables and Arugula

From Everyday Food Jan/Feb 2010

I made this tonight and it was a hit- with me at least. You know when Hermione says Ron has the emotional range of a teaspoon. I think Matt has the taste bud range of said utensil.

2 pints grape tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
3 shallots, cut into eighths (I substituted onion)
2 TBS fresh thyme leaves (I used dried)
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
8 oz. rigatoni pasta
1/3 c olives, chopped
3 c baby arugula or spinach

To make this a full meal, I added some cooked, ground turkey

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place tomatoes, garlic, shallots, and thyme on rimmed baking sheet. Toss with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tomatoes are burst, shallots are browned and garlic is soft, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/4 c pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot. (I found I needed more).
3. Peel roasted garlic and mash with the flat side of a chef's knife. Add to pasta pot, along with vegetables, olives, and pasta water. Cook over med-high until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly, then toss with arugula.

I was perhaps more shy with the spinach, which was what I used, than I needed to be. I was afraid because I don't like the taste of raw spinach. But, even with cooling the pasta for a few minutes the spinach still wilted a little and wasn't so bitter. Probably arugula is the better choice in the end.

W/o turkey 350 calories per serving, 9.5 g fat (1.4 g sat fat); 58.2 g carb; 5.2 g fiber; 10.7 g protein.

Fake Fettuccini Alfredo

Sauce
1/2 c ricotta cheese
1/2 c yogurt
1/2 c real Parmesan cheese
1 Tbs butter
12 oz pasta
salt and pepper to taste

For Sauce:
Puree ricotta cheese with yogurt, butter and Parmesan in a food processor along with salt and pepper. Boil pasta according to package instructions. Then after draining past mix the sauce with the pasta while the pasta is still warm.

Alterations:
Add diced chicken and sauteed veggies. Alter the amount of pasta or the amount of sauce to taste - just keep the sauce proportions the same.

Comments:
The second time I made this I forgot to add the butter and the recipe did not taste as creamy or fettuccine like as I had remembered. I also added 1/4 cup more of the yogurt and cheeses. It is also possible I used a full fat ricotta the first time. The second I used low fat (but not fat free). A tasty addition was a couple of tablespoons of fresh mint finely chopped.

Spicy Asian Style Pasta Salad

So here is the pasta salad recipe I have been promising to put up
Source : August of 1999 Bon Appetite, Too busy to Cook Section


1 lb linguine, broken in half

4 Tbs Sesame Oil
3 Tbs Honey
3 Tbs Soy Sauce
3 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

3 Red Bell Peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
3 C Snow Peas
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
3/4 C honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp Fresh Basil

Boil pasta until done. Drain and rinse. Transfer to large bowl.
Whisk 3 Tbs sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Mix dressing in with pasta.
Heat remaining 1 Tbs oil in a large pot. Add bell peppers, peas and onion and saute until just beginning to wilt (about 2 minutes). Add veggies to pasta. Add peanuts and basil. Serve.

Suggestions
I only used about half a pound of linguine when I made this I think and there was plenty of pasta in the salad. I also would use a low sodium soy sauce. Add feel free to reduce to 2 Tbs soy if you want, I think I did. As far as the bell peppers, red would be nice. I used green and yellow. For color contrast reasons it is nice to avoid green (plus the others are a little sweeter) but feel free to mix things up depending on price or what you want.

Freezer Lasagne

I modified this, and am going to keep tinkering with it.
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb Italian sausage (I just did all ground beef)
1 onion, chopped
Brown, drain, then add:
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pint stewed tomatoes (I did a can, petite diced)
1 can tomato soup (I think this maybe makes it too sweet. Can substitute an equivalent amount tomato sauce)
1 TBS parsley
2 TBS Sweet Basil
Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour (I skipped this step the second time I made this but am not adverse to trying it this way again). Meanwhile mix and have ready:
1 C cottage cheese
1 C ricotta cheese (low fat)
1/4 c Parmesan
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp oregano
Reserve 1/2 C meat sauce for top. In an ungreased foil lined baking pan(s). (I didn't line them with foil. It seems more wasteful). Make 3 layers each of sauce, uncooked noodles, cheese mixture and mozzarella cheese:
4 C mozzarella, shredded
Spread reserved sauce over top. Sprinkle with:
1/2 C Parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil and freeze.
To serve: Thaw (in fridge, overnight). Bake uncovered for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
Pans 1 9x13 or 2 9x9

I want to add spinach to this. I know Shiree tried to talk me through it but I found this complicated enough having never really made it before. With the uncooked noodles it was a lot easier.

Italian Pasta Salad

I am not sure if that is the correct name for this dish or not, but I think it is delicious.

Cook some chicken breasts up and cut them up.
Cook some pasta (any kind that you like. For this dish I prefer bowtie pasta).
Cut up brocoli, cheese, olives, mushrooms, carrots, and tomatoes.
Mix everything into a bowl and mix in italian dressing. Put in as much s you want. You can let it cool for awhile in the fridge and than serve and eat.

I think this meal is so very tasty. It is easy to make too. You can add whatever veggies that you want, and take out what you want to.

Beef Noodle Bowl from Kraft Foods

Prep Time:10 min

Total Time:30 min
Makes:4 servings, 2 cups each

Ingredients
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) linguine, uncooked
3 cups broccoli florets
3 carrots, peeled, sliced
2 tsp. oil
1 lb. beef sirloin steak, cut into strips
1/4 cup KRAFT Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
1 Tbsp. teriyaki sauce

COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding vegetables to the boiling water for the last 2 min.

MEANWHILE, heat oil in large nonstick skillet. Add meat; cook until browned on all sides, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing and teriyaki sauce; cook 2 min. or until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally.

DRAIN pasta mixture; place in large serving bowl. Add meat mixture; toss to coat.

Kraft Kitchens Tips
For added crunch, sprinkle with 1/2 cup PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts just before serving.
Variation Prepare as directed, using KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing, adding 1 tsp. ground ginger and increasing the teriyaki sauce to 1/4 cup.

The Result: Success! Matt said it was one of the best things that I ever made for him (you never know what will tickle their fancy.) Eli liked the noodles and actually ate the carrots. The good thing about this method of cooking the carrots was that they were not too well done. Yay! Another yay, a one pot meal. What I did differently was 1) I used whole wheat linguine pasta. 2) I had a roast so I did it in the crock pot and shredded it in. 3) I didn't have the right type of dressing so I mixed up vinegar and sesame oil. The dressing ingredients when I looked at them online were listed as: WATER, APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, SOY SAUCE (WATER, WHEAT, SOYBEANS, SALT), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, SOYBEAN OIL, SESAME SEEDS, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF GINGER, ROASTED GARLIC, CARAMEL COLOR, SESAME OIL, ROASTED GARLIC JUICE, XANTHAN GUM, POTASSIUM SORBATE AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA AS PRESERVATIVES, PROPYLENE GLYCOL ALGINATE, POLYSORBATE 60, VINEGAR, SPICE, NATURAL FLAVOR, SALT. (I need some soy sauce.)

Nutrition Information: (But I think mine was healthier)

Calories 440 Total fat 11 g Saturated fat 3 g Cholesterol 60 mg Sodium 440 mg Carbohydrate 53 g Dietary fiber 5 g Sugars 9 g Protein 30 gDiet Exchange
3 Starch,1 Vegetable,3 Meat (L),1/2 Fat