Sunday From Rachel Ray's Book of 10
-- Fall Minestrone
2 tbsp EVOO 1/2 teas red pepper flakes 4 garlic cloves, chopped 3 Portobello mushroom caps, chopped 2 med onions, chopped 2 med carrots, diced 2 celery ribs, chopped salt and pepper 2 stems of fresh rosemary 8 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced 1 med zucchini, diced 1 small bunch of kale, chopped 1 15 oz can of cannellini beans, drained (northern white beans) 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes 1 quart 2 cups veggie stock Piece of rind of Parmigiano cheese (just used a couple small chunks instead) 1 cup ditalini pasta (used bow ties, cause they were in the cupboard) Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for topping
Heat med soup pot over med-high heat, add EVOO. Add red pepper, garlic, mushrooms, onions, carrots, and celery. Cook 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add rosemary and sage. Add zucchini and greens and stir until wilted down (2-3 minutes). Add beans, tomatoes, stock, and cheese. Place lid on pot and bring to a boil. Uncover and add pasta. Cook 7-8 minutes at roiling simmer until pasta is al dente. Remove pot from heat. Remove rosemary stems and rind. Enjoy!
-- Asiago Cheese Batard
Very very yummy. It turned into more a stew than a soup, but I like it like that. We had enough left over that I put half into a plastic container for leftovers and half into the freezer for later. I am definitely putting this recipe on my list.
Monday
-- Pizza (J's meeting night at our house, our guest brought pizza!)
Tuesday
-- Pizza leftovers
Wednesday
-- Spinach, Mushroom, and Mozzarella Calzones
Very yummy and so easy to make. Get a pizza crust, throw whatever toppings you want on the pizza crust, fold in half, cook in oven for ~15 minutes. Voila! Easy to eat calzones!
Thursday
-- Brats on the Grill
-- Potato Chips
-- Broccoli
Friday
-- Lazy, lazy... We had Boston Market.
Saturday
-- Spicy Shrimp and Penne with Puttanesca Sauce
1 lb penne pasta Coarse slat 1/4 cup EVOO 8 garlic cloves, chopped 2 teas red pepper flakes 8-10 whole anchovy fillets 1/2 cup black olives, chopped 3-4 tbsp capers, drained and chopped 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes 1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes 1 lb (24 count) peeled and deveined shrimp 2 handfuls parsley leaves, chopped
Boil a large pot of water, add and cook penne pasta. Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add EVOO, garlic, red pepper, and anchovies. Break up the fish with a wooden spoon until they melt in the oil. Add olives, capers, and tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and add shrimp. Cover the pan to cook the shrimp (3-4 minutes). Uncover and add parsley. Toss together pasta and sauce. Enjoy!
Definitely not as good as I hoped. It had all the flavors there, but they weren't strong enough. It ended up being fairly bland. J and I agree that it would probably help to cook this in a pot all day. Then the flavors would have time to settle in. Unfortunately, I didn't, so it really wasn't that good. Probably going into the "not making again" pile.
Week summary/comments: J's constant meeting day changes really threw me of this week. My meal plan just went out the window. I did a lot of improvising and throwing together. Thankfully we already had many of the ingredients in the fridge. (And brats in the freezer!) Next week, I actually have some recipes to tryout. Wish me luck.
