Spinach Ricotta Rigatoni with Balsamic Asapragus

The name sounds intimidating, but it's basically pasta with a sauce! This is a sauce that I made up as I went along, so I know there is room for improvement, so feel free to let me know what you try to make it special just for you.

I started by sauteing garlic and onion along with some Thyme and Italian seasonings (I don't measure, so you'll have to bear with me!)  I then added the rest of the portobello mushrooms I has leftover from the previous posts.  Once everything is pretty well cooked, I added the spinach.  I used fresh spinach (always tastes best) You can get a big plastic box of the stuff from Sam's for like 3 bucks.  Much better deal than the bags at walmart, plus it stays fresher longer in the fridge.

I probably chopped up 3 handfuls of spinach and added it to the pan, it cooked down quite a bit.  Once it starts wilting, add about a teaspoon of nutmeg or so, fresh cracked pepper and some salt to taste.  It should be a good base for the sauce.  Once it's cooked down to where you like it, add the Ricotta cheese.  Again, Sam's has a huge container of the stuff for 4 bucks.  (We plan on making ravioli sometime soon, so I'll keep you posted.)

Fold in the ricotta cheese with the spinach mixture until the cheese has melted.  (By the way, I have some rigatoni pasta cooking in boiling water while all of this is taking place) You might add a little bit of the pasta water to the sauce to make it a little creamier, it tends to thicken while you cook it.

Again, taste it.  If it needs more salt, add it, nutmeg or maybe even some crushed red pepper for some spice.  I even added a little Smart Balance butter.  It's a little healthier than the real stuff. It really added some extra flavor.  If I had some cream cheese, I may have added some to make it a little creamier.  But, it's probably a little healthier this way.

Once your pasta is done, drain it and add the pasta to the sauce and slowly fold it together.  At this point you can do 1 of 2 things.  You can 1) put it in bowls, and enjoy, or 2), you could add some parmesan cheese and put it in a casserole dish and bake it...  I went the route of #1.  But later thought of the latter, the problem is, I could see it getting a little dry if you baked it, so it would need something else to keep it creamy and not dry.

So there you go, an easy dish, probably 30 to 35 minutes total.

For the side dish, simply wash your asparagus, and place it on a cookie sheet.  Spray it with some olive oil pam, and sprinkle some lemon pepper on it.  Bake at 400 in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, just keep an eye on it.  Try one, if it's tender and good, take it out.  Then drizzle some balsamic vinegar over it, then place it on a plate.

Enjoy!

PS. watch out for Michelle's blog, something special just might show up later today! michellebreakandbake.blogspot.com 

Pizza

Not only am I a sucker for sandwiches, I love pizza as well.  I think since Michelle and I have been married we have only ordered pizza twice to eat at home.  We really like to make our own pizza.  It all starts with the amazing dough.  (yes, home made pizza dough) you can find the amazing woman who makes the dough (with the recipe) at michellebreakandbake.blogspot.com

Once you have the dough ready to go, you obviously know how pizza works. Add whatever you like to it and bake it. (20-25 min at 400) I will share with you what I put on this pizza this time around.

Arrabiata pasta sauce (I like it better than just pizza sauce)
Sliced portobello mushrooms (leftovers from previous post)
Diced green peppers
Diced red onion
Diced Jalapenos
Slices of tomatoes (seasoned with italian seasoning, salt and fresh cracked pepper)
Sprinkle of Mozzarella cheese

I am also a huge fan of ranch dressing with pizza, but I decided to spice things up a little bit.  I took some ranch dressing and added some chipotle flavored Tabasco to make a Chipotle Ranch dressing... incredible.

Hope you try it out and enjoy!

Philly Cheese Steak (Veggie Style)

I'm a sucker for just about any sandwich.  In fact, I've said in the past that if I could only have one genre of food every single day it would be the sandwich.  You can put anything between two pieces of bread, and it can be just incredible.  So many variations to a sandwich!

Tonight (after the longest day ever) I was craving a sandwich.  It's been a while since we've had the food network, but one of the sandwiches that always made me hungry was the philly cheese steak, so tonight I set out to make a vegetarian version of one.

Here is what you you'll need:
Hoagie bread
2 slices of Provolone cheese
1/2 green or yellow pepper
2 slices of red onion
1 1/2 portobello mushrooms (the big ones)
2 Tablespoons of water
1 Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste


Slice the mushrooms and place in a medium high skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil.  Once tender, remove from skillet and let rest on a cutting board.  Add the pepper and onion slices to the skillet, salt and pepper them and add the 2 tablespoons of water.  Once the veggies are tender, add the balsamic vinegar, stir and add the mushrooms.

Meanwhile, slice the hoagies and place the provolone cheese on them and toast them in the oven.  Once melted, add the mushroom and veggie mixture and enjoy!

Michelle and I both enjoyed this sandwich with a bowl of soup. If you like mushrooms, this is a great sandwich, if you don't like mushrooms, you better stick with the real deal!

Morningstar Turk'y Burgers

As much as I love to make things from scratch, it's always nice to have a product to rely on when you just don't feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Morningstar has been a part of my life since I was a boy. The breakfast patties and breakfast links went with me on the way to school for most of my childhood. So whenever Morningstar comes out with something new, I usually try it. Sometimes I am impressed, other times I've been very disappointed.

The last time we were at he grocery store, Michelle really wanted to purchase these. I'm usually not a fan of "specialty veggie burgers" out there. In my opinion it's hard to beat a good "Griller," so with hesitation I said yes. Today was the day...

I know that I don't need to go through the process of making a burger, I'm pretty sure you can handle that part. Here is what I did to make it just a little bit unique.

I used colby jack cheese to top the burgers, as well as diced jalapenos, spicy brown mustard tomatoes and spring mix lettuce. Make sure to lightly toast the bun (always).

Again, as I said, it's hard to beat a good Morningstar griller, but I would say their turk'y burger is pretty good. If I put Griller as the standard of 10, I would put this burger at about an 8. It has a good texture and no weird after taste like some veggie burgers out there. The patties look nothing like it does on the box, so don't let that scare you. When I remake these, I will probably add a Morningstar breakfast strip (stripple) and some avocado slices.

If you like veggie burgers, and are used to eating them, I think you will really like these. Enjoy!