Delicious Dinner Idea!

I had to share last nights recipes with you as my 8 year old said "If you make this everyday I will eat it!"

From Bon Appetit - the asparagus on the cover caught my eye!



Ingredients
* 12 ounces fettuccine or penne
* 3 ounces pancetta or bacon, chopped
* 1 1/4 pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
* 2 cups shelled fresh green peas, blanched 1 minute in boiling water, drained, or frozen peas (do not thaw)
* 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced, white and pale green parts separated from dark green parts
* 2 garlic cloves, pressed
* 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
* 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
* 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, divided

I also added some thinly sliced chicken breast for a bit more protein!


Preparation
Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.
*
Meanwhile, cook pancetta in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon drippings from skillet. Add asparagus to drippings in skillet; sauté 3 minutes. Add peas, white and pale green parts of green onions, and garlic; sauté until vegetables are just tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
*
Add vegetable mixture, 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid, dark green parts of green onions, 1/2 cup Parmesan, cream, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon peel, half of parsley, and half of basil to pasta. Toss, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if needed. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to large bowl. Sprinkle pancetta, remaining parsley, and basil over. Serve, passing additional Parmesan cheese.

Tasty Tuesday ....

thought I would share a dinner idea with you that we tried last night to much success.

We set up a baked potato bar and each person got to choose their own topping for a tasty baked potato!



some of the toppings we tried included...

chili
shredded cheese
melted cheese
broccoli
asparagus
stir-fried pork
sour cream
bacon
salsa



all in all it was a huge hit - a little something for everyone! What else would you add for toppings??

Another Dinner Hit!

I am feeling pretty good here - 2 for 2! Last night I tried another Cooking Light recipe and LOVED it! My changes to the recipe are noted on teh side - if you become a frequent visitor to my blog you will come to realize I almost NEVER follow a recipe exactly nor do I measure spices with a measuring spoon - more of an educated eye to the amount!

So, without further ado, may I present Chicken & Sweet Potato Curry!




Ingredients

* 2 teaspoons curry powder
* 1 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1 teaspoon ground turmeric *** I did not have tumeric so I upped the curry
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
* 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 1 1/2 cups vertically sliced onion
* 1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger *** or more if you like ginger!
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth *** used 2/3 of a lg can
* 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained *** used crushed and 28oz
* 2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
* 3/4 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
* 1/2 cup frozen green peas *** ommitted - not a pea fan
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation

1. Combine curry powder, coriander, turmeric, salt, black pepper, red pepper, and bay leaf in a small bowl.

2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken from pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high; return chicken to pan. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add curry powder mixture; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour. Stir in potato and chickpeas. Cook, uncovered, 30 minutes. Add peas; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice. Discard bay leaf.

If you are veg - try adding more chick peas, onion maybe some spinach in lieu of the chicken.

We garnished with Major Grey Mango Chutney and practically licked our bowls clean!

What's for Dinner tonight??

with fall in the air it is time for roasting vegetables! My sister and I headed to the local public market yesterday to scoop up some of falls best bounty...



I picked out some yummy delicata squash and sweet potatoes for roasted veggies for dinner.... this is how I prepared it!



cut off ends of squash, slice in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds and slice into 1/2" thick slices





slice the sweet potato into thick sticks ... keep skin on for added nutritional value!



toss in a bowl with onion slices and season to taste with olive oil, salt, ground cumin and curry powder



place in pan - try to keep it to 1-2 layers high... roast at 350 degrees until tender - about 45 minutes



enjoy!!!

What's for dinner tonight????

well...actually I made this last week but it was such a hit I wanted to share with everyone!



I substituted butternut squash for the acorn squash....MMMM MMMM good!

Find the recipe here.