Sausage and Spaghetti

This is so easy....trust me, anyone can do this.  Nice and easy for any week night.

whole wheat spaghetti (or any type of pasta you would prefer)

hot italian sausage links
olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 - 24 oz tomato basil marinara sauce
fresh basil leaves chopped for garnish
shredded parmesan for garnish

Drizzle large sauté pan with olive. Cook sausage browning on all sides. While sausage is cooking, begin boiling water for pasta.

Once sausage is brown, remove and slice on a diagonal. Reserve slices sausage covered to keep warm.

In the sauté pan add the onion and garlic and sauté until onion begin to soften. Add marinara sauce and reduce down to a simmer.

Cook pasta according cooking directions.

Add cooked pasta to marinara sauce and toss to coat. Allow to cook for an additional 3-5 minutes in the sauté pan while you toss frequently.

Add pasta to the plate and top with sausage, parmesan and basil. Serve and ENJOY!!!!!

Wine pairing.......Chianti or Zinfandel

Chicken Tostadas

flour tortillas

1/4 cup vegetable oil
boneless skinless chicken
olive oil
paprika for seasoning
salt and pepper for seasoning
Mrs Dash (no salt) for seasoning
1 large tomato diced
1 jalapeno (seeds removed) diced
1/2 red onion finely chopped
1 garlic minced
1 can of corn, drained
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp lime juice
cooked Mexican rice (about 1/4 cup for each tostada)
shredded Mexican cheese blend
avocado, sliced for garnish
cilantro, chopped for garnish
salsa for garnish

Preheat grill.

Season chicken with paprika, salt, pepper, mrs. dash and drizzle with olive oil. Grill chicken until cooked through. Once cooked, wrap in foil and set aside.

Mix in a bowl tomato, jalapeno, garlic, onion, corn, black beans and lime juice. Season with paprika, salt and pepper.

Heat vegetable oil in a large sauté pan. The oil needs to be hot before you add the tortillas. Add one tortilla in at a time. Brown one side, flip and brown the other side. Cook one tortilla at a time. Place cooked tortillas on paper towel.

Dice chicken.

Top tortillas with rice, shredded Mexican cheese, chicken and then with corn black bean salsa. Finish with avocado, salsa and cilantro. Serve and ENJOY!!!!

Wine pairing........Sauvignon Blanc or go with a nice cold Mexican beer.

Ravioli ..... Scott's Try At It!!!

Scott gave my sausage and cheese ravioli dish a try recently and was so kind to share some pictures.  Looks awesome!  I am sure he did me proud.  He is an awesome cook.

Warm Shirmp Pasta Salad

arugula

shrimp, shelled, deveined and cleaned (patted dry)
pasta (of your choice, I used a whole wheat corkscrew type pasta)
7 oz. sun dried tomato pesto
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp butter
olive oil
salt and pepper for seasoning
21 spice seasoning (such as Mrs. Dash - no salt)
1 tbsp lemon juice

Begin boiling water for pasta.

Drizzle non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add butter and melt. Add shrimp and season with salt, pepper and 21 spice seasoning. Cook shrimp until cooked through. Remove and reserve until later.

Add onion, season with additional salt, pepper and 21 spice seasoning. Cook until beginning to soften. Add bell pepper and garlic. Cook until onions begin to caramelize and bell pepper begin to soften. Stir frequently.

Cook pasta according to cooking directions.

Drizzle shrimp with lemon juice and toss to coat.

Place cooked pasta in a large bowl. Mix in sun dried tomato pesto and toss to coat. Add onion and bell pepper mixture. Toss altogether and mix well.

To serve, lay arugula down. Top with pasta and shrimp. Serve and ENJOY!!!!

Wine pairing.......Riesling.

Balsamic Drizzled Salmon

I served this with a simple orzo side dish. Please make note, the balsamic can give off a strong smell when reducing. This sauce can also be served with grilled pork chops and roast pork tenderloin.

olive oil
salt and pepper for seasoning
21 spice blend for seasoning (such as Mrs. Dash - salt free)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Boneless salmon fillets

Preheat oven to 400.

Place salmon in a glass baking dish. Drizzle salmon with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and 21 spice seasoning.

Heat a small pot over medium-high heat. Bring balsamic vinegar to a rapid simmer and cook until reduced to a syrup consistency. About 5 to 10 minutes.

Bake salmon in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until cooked through.

Plate salmon and drizzle with balsamic syrup. Serve and ENJOY!!!!!

Wine pairing.....Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.

Baked Zucchini

This is a great low carb meal. Just like lasagna, but less fat and carbs. For the marinara sauce, I used Trader Joes tomato and basil sauce.

olive oil
spicy ground sausage
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
salt and pepper for seasoning
1 onion, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bottle of marinara sauce
4 large zucchini, sliced long and thin
fresh mozzarella ball, halved

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large sauté pan, drizzle with olive oil. Add onions, bell pepper and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, italian seasoning and fennel. Sauté until onions begin to caramelize and bell peppers are soft. Add sausage, crumble and cook until browned and cooked through. Add marinara sauce and simmer for about 15 minutes.

In a large casserole dish, spread a thin layer of sauce. Lay a layer of zucchini, then sauce. Keep repeating layers until zucchini and sauce are all used up. Make sure to finish the top layer with sauce. Top with the fresh mozzarella.

Cover with foil and bake for about 25 minutes. Increase oven to 400 degrees. Remove foil and bake until mozzarella is melted and starting to brown. Let rest for about 5 minutes or so. Serve and ENJOY!!!!

Wine pairing........Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon.

Penne with Chicken, Edamame and Arugula

I made this with whole wheat penne, but you could use any type of short pasta. Garnish with red chili flakes and/or shredded parmesan cheese.

penne pasta
olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 cups shelled edamame (green soybeans)
2 cups arugula
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 onion, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 7oz. pesto (prepared or homemade)
1 large boneless skinless chicken
salt and pepper for seasoning
21 seasoning blend (such as a salt free Mrs. Dash)

Season chicken with salt, pepper and seasoning blend. Drizzle with olive oil. Heat grill.

While grill is heating, begin to pre-heat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Coat with olive oil and melt butter. Add onions and season with salt, pepper and seasoning blend. Sauté until beginning to brown and caramelize (stirring frequently). Add bell pepper and garlic. Continue to sauté until bell peppers begin to soften. Then add edamame and mix.

While onions and bell peppers are sautéing. Begin bringing water to a boil and start grilling the chicken.

Once chicken is completely cooked through, remove and wrap in foil to keep warm.

Once water is boiling add pasta and cook according to cooking directions. If onion and bell pepper mixture is ready, reduce heat to the lowest setting.

When there is about 5 minutes left on the pasta cook time, dice chicken and add to onion and bell pepper mixture. Stir to mix.

Once pasta is done, drain and place in a large mixing bowl. Toss pasta with pesto. Then add tomatoes and toss completely. Add chicken mixture and toss. Finish by adding the arugula. Toss to mix completely. Serve and ENJOY!!!!!

Wine pairing.......Merlot.