Creamy Ranch Soy Mac & Cheese

Hubs and I both enjoy our usual mac & cheese recipe, but when I saw this one on Taste of Home, I figured it was worth a try (with just a few tweaks, of course).

Soy sour cream is a fabulous addition and helped this mac & cheese be much creamier than usual – the ranch mix also helped cut some of the ‘twang’ often associated with soy cheeses.

I added some cubed turkey kielbasa to the finished dish…it was delish!

INGREDIENTS
1 package (16 ounces) Small pasta shapes
1C. Unsweetened soy milk
1/4C. Butter or vegan margarine, cubed
1 envelope Ranch salad dressing mix (many of these mixes contain dairy, so if you are dairy-free, look for the Lipton brand kosher packets – they are dairy free!)
1t. Garlic salt
1t. Black pepper
1t. Lemon-pepper seasoning
2C. shredded Soy cheese of choice
1C. Soy sour cream
1/3C. Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Cook macaroni according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine the milk, butter, dressing mix, seasonings and heat through.

Stir in cheese and when melted, stir in sour cream.

Drain macaroni and stir into cheese sauce.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Husband Rating – 4 out of 5 – “Very creamy, but also incredibly dense.  A little goes a long way.”

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Clams Casino Pasta

I’m a huge fan of clams casino and will often order it when it is on a restaurant menu.  I mean, what’s not to love … clams, bacon, peppers, butter, garlic …

**wipes drool from lips**

Ahem, sorry about that.  Anyway, I came across this recipe on How Sweet It Is the other day and couldn’t wait to make it.

This pasta dish is wonderful and tastes just like clams casino!  It was easy to put together and the flavor is really outstanding.  We’ll definitely make this again soon!

INGREDIENTS
2T. Olive oil or bacon grease
1/2C. Chopped red peppers
1/2C. Chopped onions
3 Cloves garlic, minced
2 cans Minced clams in clam juice, 13 ounces total
1/2C. Dry white wine
1T. Butter
4 Slices bacon, fried and crumbled
1/2lb. Pasta of choice
1/4C. Parmesan cheese + more for garnish
Freshly chopped parsley for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat a skillet on medium heat and add olive oil (or, if your bacon isn’t already cooked, cook the bacon first and reserve a little of the grease to use when cooking the veggies).  Add chopped onions and peppers with a pinch of salt and saute until soft, about 8 minutes.  Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds.

Add in both cans of clams + juice and bring the mixture to a boil.  Add white wine and let mixture simmer for about 5 full minutes.  Stir in butter.

Turn heat down to low and add cooked linguine. Toss to allow the noodles to soak up the sauce. Add Parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon and parsley.

Serve with additional Parmesan.

Husband Rating – 4.5 out of 5 – “I wanted to write a haiku about this dish, but it just wasn’t happening tonight – just know I loved it enough to spend 5 minutes trying to write a clams casino haiku.“

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Spaghetti with Braised Kale

Another snow day here in Connecticut.  Snow AND ice this time.  Yippie!  (please note the sarcasm).  I’m getting really sick of this white crap.

School was canceled again today so I decided to switch around the meal plan and make this tonight instead of later in the week.  It’s not the quickest side dish (I served it with sliced lemon garlic pork tenderloin) but it is worth the time.  It was delicious!  A nice, hearty, and tasty dish to chow down on while we recuperate from all of this shoveling!

This gem is from the most recent edition of Bon Appetit Magazine.

INGREDIENTS
1lb. Kale, large center ribs and stems removed, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
3T. Olive oil, divided
1 Yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2C.)
8 Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2lb. Spaghetti
2t. Lemon juice
Finely grated Parmesan cheese (soy cheese works well here)

INGREDIENTS
Rinse kale. Drain; transfer to bowl with some water still clinging.

Heat 2T. olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add sliced garlic and sprinkle with salt; cook until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Add kale and remaining 1T. olive oil and toss until wilted, about 3 minutes. Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking until kale is very tender, stirring occasionally and adding water by teaspoonfuls if dry, about 20 minutes (mine took closer to 30 minutes).

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in medium pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1/4C. cooking liquid. Add cooked spaghetti to kale mixture in pot. Add lemon juice and 2T. reserved cooking liquid; toss to combine, adding more liquid by tablespoonfuls if dry.

Sprinkle spaghetti with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

Husband Rating – 3 out of 5 – “Kale still kinda scares me, but this was pretty tasty!”

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Asparagus-Spinach Pesto Pasta with Blackened Shrimp

I just knew this recipe would be a winner the minute I read the title.  I mean, what’s not to love?  Lots of yummie green veggies with pasta and shrimp.  And best of all, it was very simple to convert to be a dairy-free recipe.

Adapted from Gimme Some Oven!

INGREDIENTS
1lb. Asparagus spears
3 handfuls baby spinach leaves
1/2C. Soy Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1C. Pine nuts (did not use)
1/4C. Olive oil, plus 1T. for cooking the shrimp
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1lb. Pasta
1lb. Raw shrimp, deveined and peeled
1t. Garlic powder
Kosher salt
Black pepper
2-3T. Blackening spice

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the rough ends off of the asparagus spears and then cut the remaining spear into 3 pieces.  Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil then sprinkle with kosher salt, garlic powder and pepper.  Toss to coat and bake 10-12 minutes.

When cooked, set aside the pretty asparagus tips and keep warm.  The bottoms will be pureed for the pesto.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.

If using, put the pine nuts in a single layer in a large skillet. Heat on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned.  Remove and set aside.

Add the asparagus, spinach, garlic, Parmesan, and 3/4 cup of the pine nuts to a food processor. Purée and, with the motor running, drizzle in the 1/4 cup of olive oil until a paste forms. If too thick, thin it with a bit of the pasta water. Add the lemon juice, salt, and black pepper and continue pureeing until mixed.  Set aside.

In a medium-sized skillet, heat 1T. olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add in the shrimp, and immediately sprinkle with blackening powder.  Stir until it is mixed in, and then continue stirring occasionally until the shrimp are pink and just cooked.  Remove to a small bowl and set aside.

After draining the cooked pasta, toss immediately with the asparagus pesto.  Add in the shrimp and asparagus tips, and stir briefly until well mixed.

Serve sprinkled with the remaining pine nuts (if using) and some extra Parmesan.

Husband Rating – 4 out of 5 – “YUM!  This is delicious!”

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Chicken Pot Pie Penne

Last night was a particularly chilly night here in CT.  Even though it is not technically fall yet, the cooler weather is making me crave some of my favorite fall foods.  Pot pie is one of my favorites – and this dish is perfect because it is so quick and can  be thrown together anytime the craving hits!  Yum!

Recipe from Joelen’s Culinary Adventures.

INGREDIENTS
2T Unsalted butter or olive oil
1 Medium onion, finely chopped
2 Cloves garlic, minced
10oz. white or cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1T. All-purpose flour
2C. Low sodium chicken broth
1C. Half & half or heavy cream (I used soy milk)
1 Rotisserie chicken, shredded into bite sized pieces
1C. Frozen veggie mix
1T. Fresh lemon juice
1t. Minced fresh thyme
1-2C. Dry penne pasta

DIRECTIONS
Cook the pasta according to package directions.  When done, place hot penne pasta in a large bowl and set aside.

Melt the better (or oil if using) in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Cook onion, garlic and mushrooms in the skillet until golden brown.

Sprinkle in the flour over the mushroom mixture in the skillet and stir.  Cook for a few seconds to rid the floury smell then add the broth, half & half (or heavy cream) to the skillet.  Deglaze the skillet, scraping up any bits of fond at the bottom of the skillet.  Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered until the liquid is slightly thickened.

Add the chicken, frozen vegetable mix, lemon juice, and thyme to the skillet.  Cook until heated through and season with salt & pepper to taste.

Place the hot penne pasta into the skillet and toss to combine.  Add the cooked penne pasta and toss to coat pasta. Serve hot.

Husband Rating – 3 out of 5 – Pretty good, but I could do without the mushrooms.

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Tagliatelle with Fresh Corn Pesto

Usually, when I browse through my monthly Bon Appetit magazine, I pull out multiple recipes I want to try.  This month…not so much…but I did find one that looked very tasty.

It was suggested that this pasta dish be served as an appetizer, but it looked hearty enough for a main dish so we decided it would make a great Sunday dinner.  And, we were right!  It was very very tasty!

Usually in a recipe like this, I admit, I cheat and use frozen corn.  But, there was some great-looking corn at the farmer’s market this weekend so I decided to go with fresh.  It’s totally worth it!  If you have access to fresh corn, use that.  You won’t regret it.

INGREDIENTS
4 Bacon slices, cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
4C. Fresh corn kernels (cut from about 6 large ears)
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4t. Kosher salt
3/4t. Freshly ground black pepper
1/2C. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
1/3C. Pine nuts, toasted
1/3C. Extra-virgin olive oil
8oz. Tagliatelle
3/4C. Coarsely torn fresh basil leaves, divided

DIRECTIONS
Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown, stirring often.  Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.  Pour off all but 1T. drippings from skillet.

Add corn, garlic, 1 1/4t. salt, and 3/4t. pepper to drippings in skillet.  Sauté over medium-high heat until corn is just tender but not brown, about 4 minutes.  Transfer 1 1/2 cups corn kernels to small bowl and reserve.  Scrape remaining corn mixture into processor.  Add 1/2C. Parmesan and pine nuts.  With machine running, add olive oil through feed tube and blend until pesto is almost smooth.  Set pesto aside.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.  Drain, reserving 1 1/2C. pasta cooking liquid.  Return pasta to pot.  Add corn pesto, reserved corn kernels, and 1/2C. basil leaves.  Toss pasta mixture over medium heat until warmed through, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency, 2 to 3 minutes.  Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer pasta to large shallow bowl.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup basil leaves and reserved bacon.  Serve pasta, passing additional grated Parmesan.

Husband Rating – 4.5 out of 5 – Really tasty!  Could have used more bacon, though.

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Pepperoni Parmesan Pasta Salad

I’ve had this recipe saved in my Google Reader for a ridiculously long time and am so glad I finally got a chance to make it!  It’s a wonderful change from mayo-based pasta salads that are everywhere during the summertime.

Christopher added some diced raw onion to his and loved the crunch – I don’t care for raw onion, so I left it off.  I also used a stick of pepperoni instead of the pre cut slices, I thought the big meaty chunks would be good…they are!

Found on Lemons & Love.

INGREDIENTS
1 16oz box Pasta shapes
1 bottle Basil vinaigrette dressing (or regular Italian)
1 Stick Pepperoni, diced
4T. Parmesan cheese (I used soy Parm.)

DIRECTIONS
Boil pasta according to package directions, drain.

Add 3/4 bottle of salad dressing.  Toss to coat.  Add pepperoni and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

Before serving add Parmesan cheese and rest of dressing if needed.  Enjoy!

Husband Rating – 4 out of 5 – “Really good!”

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Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

I knew this recipe would be a winner as soon as I heard the name!  What’s not to love about pasta, chicken and cheese?  And, it was very easy to convert to be dairy-free.

This recipe isn’t perfect for a busy weeknight, and does dirty quite a few dishes…but it is SO worth it!  The heat from the hot sauce was just right for me.  H added a little more Frank’s on top of his.

I found the recipe on Noble Pig.  It is originally from Food Network Magazine.  My dairy-free edits are in italics below.

My apologies for the photo – this just isn’t a photogenic dish – I promise it tastes much better than it looks!

INGREDIENTS
7T. Unsalted butter (margarine), plus more for the dish
1lb. Macaroni
1 Small onion, finely chopped
2 Stalks celery, finely chopped
3C. Shredded Chicken
2 Cloves garlic, minced
3/4C. Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce, divided
2T. All-purpose flour
2t. Dry mustard
2-1/2C. Half-and-half (original flavor soy milk)
1lb. Extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded  (soy cheddar cheese)
8oz. Pepper jack cheese, shredded  (soy jack cheese blend)
2/3C. Sour cream  (soy sour cream)
1C. Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2C. Crumbled blue cheese (did not use)
2T. Chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook 1lb. of chicken breasts for 2o minutes.  When done, lower heat to 350 and shread chicken with two forks.

Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish (my baking dish was dirty, so I used my dutch oven – worked like a charm).  Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to package directions.  Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 3T. butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add 1/2C. hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute.

Melt 2T. butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth.  Whisk in the half-and-half, then add the remaining 1/4C. hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes.  Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni.  Pour the cheese sauce evenly on top.

Put the remaining 2T. butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave until melted.  Stir in the panko, blue cheese and parsley.  Sprinkle over the macaroni.  Bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes.  Let rest 10 minutes before serving.  Drizzle with some wing sauce for color.

Garnish with even more wing sauce, blue cheese and sour cream if you like!

Husband Rating – 4.5 out of 5 – I could have done without the celery, but I loved this dish!

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Shrimp and Spinach Noodle Bowls

You know how when you go on vacation you have that one meal that sums up the whole vacation and reminds you of being there whenever you have it? Well, this is going to sound nutso, but for me this Ramen dish reminds me of Paris.  I know, I know!  So wierd!

Here’s the story – The apartment we stayed in in Paris was surrounded by Japanese restaurants (there were at least 8 within a 3-block radius), and while on vacation we both got sick, and for two of our 7 nights in Paris all we wanted was soup…so we went down to one of the Japanese restaurants and had Ramen bowls with spinach and downed enough Green Tea to kill whatever was attacking our travel-weary bodies.

So, tonight I decided to bring Paris to CT with these Shrimp and Spinach Noodle Bowls (I had shrimp to use up and figured this would be a good way to do so).

These were great – simple and so cozy on this unusually cold May day.

INGREDIENTS
3 Packets, Ramen noodles (doesn’t matter what flavor, you’re not going to use the packet)
8C. Water
2T. Homemade Oriental Seasoning – recipe below (tastes just like the Oriental flavor packet that comes with Ramen, without the MSG or added salt)
1C. Fresh spinach
1/2lb. Shrimp (uncooked, thawed, de-veined and de-shelled, please)

Oriental Seasoning
2T. Onion powder
2T Ground ginger
2T. Garlic powder
2T. Black pepper
Salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Boil water.  Add seasoning and noodles.  Cook 3 minutes.

Add shrimp to the water and boil another 45 seconds to 1 minute.

Add a 1/2C. of raw spinach to the bottom of each serving bowl.  Ladle broth, noodles and shrimp over the spinach and let wilt 1 minute.

Enjoy!

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Creamy Taco Mac

Gather around – it’s story time.   I’m only telling you this because I know my twin brother doesn’t read this blog.  He’d smack me.

Anyway, the year after we graduated from High School he went to work with AmeriCorps while I went to college.  One night, he went to make Hamburger Helper…but found he was out of hamburger and milk.  In a moment of sheer starvation and desperation he decided to make the box mix anyway – using only butter he figured it would be just like boxed mac and cheese, right?  WRONG!!  He says it was the most vile thing he’s ever tried to eat and couldn’t take more than a couple of bites (and for him that’s saying a lot).  In our house, it’s commonly referred to as “the Helper Incident”.  We won’t let him live it down.

This recipe, on the other hand, is something he could have totally made without the meat and it would have been perfect – it tastes just like Hamburger Helper!

I love when I come across recipes that look incredibly tasty and can easily be converted to a dairy free version…this is definitely one of those recipes. It was amazing!  So creamy – you’d never know it was dairy free!

I found this recipe on Annie’s Eats (it’s originally from Delish).

INGREDIENTS
1¼ lbs. Ground turkey
1 Box small pasta
1 Small onion, chopped
1 Clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can Diced tomatoes, drained
4T. Taco seasoning (I used a packet of hot and spicy taco mix b/c that’s what I had in the house – the extra heat was great!)
3oz. Soy cream cheese
½C. Soy sour cream
Salt and pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Cook pasta according to the package directions.  Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground turkey over medium-high heat until no longer pink.  A few minutes before the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet.  Once the turkey is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit.  Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

Husband Rating – 4 out of 5 – “A healthier Helper for the 21st Century!”

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