Quick Fix Lunch or Side

This lunch is so quick and easy! It's hardy a recipe at all!

1 c dried pasta

1 7-10 oz box of steamed vegetables in seasoned sauce, your choice

1 tsp butter or margarine

1 tsp minced fresh parsley

shaved Parmesan cheese, if desired

salt and pepper to taste

For this lunch, I used Green Giant Healthy Weight Steamed Vegetables. It has sliced carrots, sugar snap peas, black beans, and edamame (soy beans)! Yummy!

Cook the pasta and the veggies according to the manufacturer's instructions.

In a large bowl, add the butter or margarine. Next, add the drained pasta and minced parsley. Toss. Then, add the steamed veggies. Toss again. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary. Last, add the shaved Parmesan cheese (I didn't because I was being lazy)!

Serves 2

Creamy Rice with Peas

I decided to take a simple side dish of rice and bump up the volume! Creamy Rice with Peas has a luscious richness to it with a delicate cheesy flavor! The peas are merely warmed through so they don't lose that fresh taste or texture. I hope you enjoy it.

1 shallot, finely chopped
Enough olive oil to coat the bottom of your sauce pan
1 c. long grain rice (long cooking rice)
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 c. half and half (I used fat-free)
1 c. frozen peas
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp finely chopped parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the chopped shallots and salt. Saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and toss to coat with oil. Allow the rice to cook for a minute.

Add the chicken broth. Wait for the liquid to come to a boil, then reduce heat to low (very low). Place a cover over the pot and allow rice to cook until tender and the broth is absorbed. This will probably take about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in the frozen peas and the half and half. Replace the cover and let the rice sit for 3 minutes.

Stir in the Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Makes 6 servings.

Jazzing Your Veggies

The newest thing on the market are the "steam in the bag" frozen vegetables. They're great when you need a quick fix! But they lack something ... flavor! Here's how I jazz them up!!


Green Beans - while the vegetables are steaming heat a teaspoon of butter and a table spoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add one "smashed" garlic clove. Saute until the beans are done. Add the green beans and saute until the water is evaporated.

Corn - melt 2 teaspoons of butter in a bowl in the microwave. Add a good dash of dried basil and a pinch of pepper. Mix with a spoon and let this sit and warm with the corn is cooking. Mix in the corn when it finished.

Broccoli - melt 2 teaspoons of butter in the microwave. Add a dash of garlic powder and mix to combine. Set aside while the broccoli cooks. Toss the broccoli and butter together and sprinkle with cheese.

These are just a few ideas, but certainly not the only ones!

Cate's Cheesy Smashed Potatoes

These are my daughter's signature potatoes. They're tangy, chunky, and oh so cheesy. No gravy needed here!




6 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 oz (half a small carton) of sour cream
1/4-3/4 c of milk
3/4 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, add potatoes and enough water to cover about an inch over the top of the potatoes. Heat to boiling over high heat. Add a good pinch of salt, reduce heat to medium and cover. Boil the potatoes until they are tender, approximately 15 minutes (when you can smash them easily with a fork against the side of the pot, they're done).

Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.

Add the sour cream and cheese and smash by had using a potato masher. Add enough milk until they are your desired consistency.

Return the pot to the stove and over low heat, stir the potatoes until they are steamy and the cheese is melted.

Salt and pepper to your taste.

Serves 6.

Minestrone Vegetables with Pasta

This lovely dish, brimming with vegetables and two kinds of beans, is a meal in itself! It’s reminiscent of the soup it’s named after. With a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a green salad, you have a low fat, well rounded, tasty meal, or pair it with my Italian Herb Braised Chicken Breasts!

2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced
1 carrot, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced
½ pound green beans, sliced diagonally in 1 inch pieces
1 cup canned petite-diced tomatoes
1 can pinto beans, rinsed
1 tsp dried basil
¾ c low sodium chicken broth
12 oz Rotini Pasta
Salt and pepper to taste
½ grated Parmesan Cheese

Start a pot of water boiling for the pasta. Add salt and pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente according to manufacturer’s instructions. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until tender and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the carrots, zucchini, and green beans and sauté for another 3 minutes, until the vegetables begin to get tender. Add the tomatoes and basil and sauté for 1-2 minutes (you want the tomatoes to soften). Add the broth and pinto beans. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the green beans are tender. Drain the pasta and add to the vegetables. Toss gently to mix, sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.

Makes 4 meal sized servings or 6 side dish servings.

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Holiday hold over! All holiday recipes must go!! Actually I just forgot I had this photo lying in wait in my camera. This is more of a technique than a recipe. I’ll give you the ingredients involved and you decide on the quantity (mine changes every time I make them). I, personally, cannot get away without making a huge pan of Candied Sweet Potatoes. I’ve even tried to leave them off the menu and was met with serious oppositition! They are only made a few times each year, usually Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Read on, and you’ll understand why! They are a crowd pleaser and sure to disappear quickly!

Sweet Potatoes, or Yams, skin on
Butter
Light Brown Sugar
Dark Brown Karo Syrup (I've tried other syrups, Karo works the best)

Rinse the potatoes, place in a large pot, and cover with cold water. Place a lid on the pot and boil the potatoes until they are tender. Using tongs move the potatoes to a towel to drain and cool. When you can handle them without burning yourself, cut the ends of the potatoes and pull off the skin. I do this, as I go along, not before hand. Spray a large casserole, or baking dish, with non-stick cooking spray and place several pats of butter, a drizzle of Karo Syrup, and a generous sprinkle of brown sugar in the bottom. Next, slice the sweet potatoes lengthwise and layer them in the dish. Again, place several pats of butter, a drizzle of Karo syrup, and a generous sprinkle of brown sugar on top of the layer of potatoes. This is your method, one layer of potatoes and one layer of butter, syrup, and sugar. The more butter, syrup, sugar you use, the soupier the potatoes will be. Continue until you are out of potatoes or reach the top of your pan. Make sure you leave enough room at the top for bubbling. Bake at 350 for 2 hours, or, as I do, bake them overnight at 200. The longer you bake these, the more candied they will be.

Now you understand why I only make these a few times each year. Make plenty; people will want to take some home!