This is not a recipe. More of a good idea. Everyone has times now and then where you need dinner fast, and you want it to be filling and look nice.
I love keeping a few frozen items from Trader Joe's around for what I've dubbed "backup meals". I don't use them all the time because Hello high sodium content! but sometimes I'm so busy and distracted that I completely forget about making dinner until, well, dinner time.
Frozen meals are great too if you have a hastily planned date, if you want to impress someone but your cooking skills are sub-par. I see it as a halfway point between a home cooked meal and putting a store bought cake on your plate and calling it your own.
My favorite backup meal is the "penne arrabbiata" frozen pasta from Trader Joe's. The pasta and sauce are frozen in bag together and all you have to do is throw them in a pan for about 7 minutes and stir occasionally. So easy! All I do to make the meal more well rounded and filling is add a can of drained and rinsed garbanzo beans into the pan for the last few minutes of cooking. Done! If you want to get really fancy and make it your own you could even go one step further and cut up some fresh basil to sprinkle over top.
That's it. You can now fake you way through a pretty, healthy (enough), and filling meal for two in under ten minutes, and for less than $5. How's that for date night?
You ever have one of those days where it seems like everyone in the house is sick, or has crazy busy schedules, and you haven't been to the grocery store in what seems like a month? Welcome to the last month at our house.
Finally I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Liam is the only left with a light cough, Christmas chaos is far behind, and I finally have time to grocery shop.
In the meantime I can make pea-sto pasta. I've been making it for ages, but I really appreciate it now. Quick, hearty, comforting, with pretty healthy and sparse ingredients. Yes please!
This is one of those recipes that I've been making for years, but somehow totally forgot about when it came to blogging. Its great. The ingredient list is minimal, the pea-sto sauce can be made quickly in a blender while the pasta is cooking,
This is total comfort food. Warm, creamy, filling, and you can get your veggies and protein all in one dish. Bonus, the kids love it. I'm pretty sure that the brighter color a food is, the more the kids will like it.
I like to use my baby bullet blender for this because it is the PERFECT size. You can use any blender or food processor, I just don't want like to use one that's too big because I feel like I lose too much sauce even if I use a spatula to scoop out as much as I can.
You might wonder (or not) why I use garlic powder in this recipe instead of garlic cloves. The real garlic would be very strong raw, and one of the best parts about this recipe is how quick it is to make. I didn't want to spend so much extra time roasting or sauteing garlic.
I completely forgot to set out the pine nuts in the above photo, but not counting the pasta, this is all you need. Really.
I like to use frozen peas because they taste the freshest. Don't try to blend them still frozen. Just don't. Microwave them for about 2 minutes until warm, Add the peas, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, olive oil, pepper, and basil to the blender (food processor, etc.) and blend. I like mine a bit chunky, but feel free to completely puree.
My favorite three things about this recipe are so random:
perfect if you're craving pesto, but are a bit short of basil and want to fill the sauce out a bit more.
you can always prep the sauce ahead of time and freeze or refrigerate it separately to have instantly.
the creamy sweet texture from the peas makes this dish feel so fatty and decadent without adding a million calories.
The pea-sto sauce can also be used as a good sauce over chicken, or you can bake and cut up a chicken breast and mix it in with this pasta. I am SUCH a fan of a balanced (ish, at least) meal you can eat out of a bowl. I love mixing things together!
Pea-sto pasta
2 large servings
total time: 15 minutes
ingredients:
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, warmed
1 large handful basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tbsp parmesan
2 tbsp pine nuts
4 tbsp olive oil
4 oz. dry pasta
directions:
Boil a pot of water and add the pasta. Cook al dente. Drain. Set aside.
Start making the sauce as soon as you add the pasta to the pot. Toss the rest of the ingredients (peas, basil, pepper, garlic, parmesan, pine nuts, and olive oil) into a small blender or food processor. Stop when your sauce is a chunky or pureed as you prefer. If you want to thin the sauce out a bit add a bit of water or olive oil (1/2 tbsp at a time). Scoop out the sauce and add it to the drained pasta. Enjoy!
Really, you can't go wrong with this recipe. It is practically foolproof, plus all of the above bullet points. Bonus, the entire tomato sauce recipe is made with only six ingredients. This is my go-to sauce. It is so good actually, that I eat it over pasta, spaghetti squash (pictured above), good bread, or heck, I'll even eat it all by itself!
I start making the sauce just after I've started the pasta, squash, etc. as that they are ready about the same time.
Start by dicing the garlic and placing it in a pan with the olive oil on medium heat.
When the garlic has softened a bit add in the chopped tomatoes and salt. Adjust the amount of salt used depending on the flavor of the tomatoes.
It doesn't really matter what size you chop the tomatoes, just make sure they are uniform. Stir them a bit, then you can ignore them until they soften.
The tomatoes should become very juicy. Don't be concerned about it. The liquid will be absorbed again. When the liquid thickens and turns into a full sauce you are done. If you want less chunks in your sauce let the sauce cook a few minutes more. Add in the pepper and chopped basil.
Around this point your pasta, squash, etc. should be about done too. Mix in the sauce and enjoy!
quick and easy tomato sauce
ingredients:
5 tomatoes, chopped
5 cloves garlic, diced
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
small handful basil, chopped
directions:
1. Dice the garlic and add it to a pan with the olive oil on medium heat. Saute for 3 minutes.
2. Chop the tomatoes and add in with the garlic. Stir together with the salt. Adjust the amount of salt used depending on the flavor of the tomatoes.
3. Let the tomatoes soften. The sauce will thin and get juicy. Stir it a bit then ignore the sauce for about 10 minutes. When it thickens and the tomatoes soften add the pepper and basil. Gently mix them in. Serve warm.
I wasn't very familiar with spaghetti squash until recently. I had seen the occasional recipe using it on Pinterest, but that was about it. Last week we got one in our produce box and I was pretty excited to try it.
Random tangent: We get a produce box delivered to us every other week and it is my favorite thing ever! It is fresh, local, and has a good mix of basics (carrots and celery) and new or more exciting items (spaghetti squash and pomegranates). I'd been wanting to try spaghetti squash in particular for a while, but I probably would have taken longer to remember to get one if one wasn't literally dropped at my doorstep.
First step is to cut the spaghetti squash in half long wise and scrap out in seeds and gunk in the middle. Season lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper. Pop them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. For ease of cleanup place them on a lipped baking pan lined with parchment paper.
Remove from the oven when the squash is fork tender.
Note: I only used half of the squash for this recipe because it was a huge one. A single half still ended up being enough for four large servings. I roasted and scraped both halves, but put half in a freezer bag in the freezer (duh) for later use.
In the meantime start the marinara. Frankly, if you are in a rush or short on ingredients you can use store bought marinara, but I like this version better. I wanted marinara that was loaded with garlic, something that wouldn't be too thick and chunky to overpower the squash.
Dice the garlic and saute it in a bit of olive oil for a few minutes. Add 3 cups (fresh or canned) of diced tomato, and season to taste with basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and a dash of chili powder. Cook on medium heat until the tomato juice has cooked down a bit and thickened. If the sauce is done before the squash has finished cooking take it off heat and set it to the side.
When the squash is done take it out and let it cool to the touch. Then grab a fork and gently scrape out the squash. It should be very easy. All that should be left is the hard outer edge. Add the squash into the sauce and heat until warm. Mix well to incorporate the sauce.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired. I recommend having some crusty bread with this too. Use it to soak up sauce. So good!
As much as I love this recipe I would never lie and say that this tastes EXACTLY like pasta. It is totally different but still amazing. I feel like I had to say that because of my experience with tofu. I might have liked tofu but I was told it tasted JUST like vanilla ice cream, so of course I took a huge bite of it and have hated it ever since. So here it is again. Spaghetti squash does not taste or feel like pasta, but still goes well with marinara and is delicious.
This dish also reheats really well. You'd never know it was reheated in the microwave by the taste.
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basic spaghetti squash with marinara
by Liesl October-27-2014
like spaghetti but with way less calories
Ingredients
1/2 large spaghetti squash (or 1 whole small squash)
1 tbsp olive oil, divided
pinch salt and pepper to taste
4 cloves garlic, diced
3 cups tomatoes, diced (canned or fresh)
2 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
pinch chili powder
1 tsp sugar (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut squash in half length wise. Drizzle each half with 1 tsp olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place on parchment paper on a lipped baking pan. Roast for 45 minutes or until fork tender. 2. While the squash is roasting start the sauce. Heat the diced garlic in a pan with the remaining 1 tsp olive oil. Cook on medium heat for several minutes until fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes and seasonings. If the sauce needs it, add the optional 1 tsp of sugar. Keep on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the liquid begins to evaporate and the sauce thickens. If the sauce is ready before the squash take it off heat and set to the side. 3. When the squash is done take it out of the oven and let it sit for a few minutes until it is cool enough to touch. If the squash is small use the whole thing, if it is large, set half aside to use later. Using a fork scrape the inside of the squash until all that is left is the hard outer part. The scraped squash should resemble spaghetti. Add this part in with the sauce and mix together well. When this is mixed well and heated to your liking, remove from heat and serve. Pairs well with parmesan and crusty bread. 4. If you are only using half the squash for the recipe scrape the other half into a freezer bag and store in the freezer to use later.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 4 large servings
This is one of my favorite meals ever. Seriously, I have to stop myself from taking seconds every time. Sooo good!
This pasta is full of flavor. Pesto, garlic, peppers, broccoli. Yum. Plus, it looks so pretty but is actually very easy to make.
I love the taste of fresh produce. The stars of this dish include red and yellow bell peppers, yellow onion, garlic, tomato, pine nuts, and pesto. I make my own pesto, but you can use store bought if you want to.
I love this with curly pasta. The shape is just so fun. Plus it is small enough that if you chop your veggies small enough you can get a bit of everything in each bite.
I got the idea for this pasta from my favorite dish at the Cheesecake Factory, Evelyn's Favorite Pasta. Mine is a bit different, but the same idea. Some pasta, pesto, and tons of fresh veggies!
Rough chop the peppers, onion, tomato, and garlic. Roast them in the oven at 425 degrees F for 35 minutes.
Take the veggies out when they are soft and flavorful.
Making pesto is very simple, but if you are feeling lazy or lack the ingredients, store bought pesto is okay too. Time isn't even an issue because you can make the pesto while the veggies are roasting, and also while the pasta is cooking, and the broccoli is steaming. Woohoo, we're multi-tasking.
Okay, time to make pesto. I use a bullet blender for this. I like using it for this because if I use my huge vitamix for such a small amount of pesto, I lose half of it scrapping it down the sides. In whatever blender (or food processor) you choose to use add a tablespoon of pine nuts, a tablespoon of parmesan, a bit of black pepper and sea salt each, a large handful of basil leaves, and about 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Hit puree for several seconds until the pesto comes together and voila! Seriously, that's all there is to it.
Make the pasta while the veggies are roasting, drain, and toss with a bit of olive oil.
As soon as the pesto is ready, mix it all in with the pasta, then add the rest of the pine nuts.
Now stir in the roasted veggies, the steamed broccoli, and the olives. Done! This is delicious as is, but if you want to add a bit more protein feel free to add more pine nuts, some white beans, or some diced chicken.
Note: If you do add addition protein you might want to make more pesto so everything can still be well covered. An extra half pesto recipe would be perfect.
This recipe is great for a busy weeknight dinner or even a dinner party because it looks fancy and time consuming, plus tastes wonderful, but you can multi-task and make all the separate pieces of it in the time it takes to roast the veggies.
This reheats well too if you make a large batch. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, and simply microwave.
The best part? Both kids wanted seconds!
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pesto pasta with veggies
by Liesl October-4-2014
Ingredients
5 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 cups spiral pasta, uncooked
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 medium tomato
1 yellow onion
3 large garlic cloves
3 tbsp pine nuts, divided
1 large handful basil leaves
8 kalamata olives, halved
1 tbsp parmesan
large pinch each salt and pepper
1 small head, chopped broccoli
Instructions
1. Rough chop the red and yellow bell peppers, onion, garlic, and tomato. Spread them evenly in a parchment lined lipped baking sheet. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and roast at 425 degrees F for 35 minutes. They should be soft and fragrant. 2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta, drain, put back into the pot, off heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. While the pasta is cooking. steam the broccoli and set aside. 3. If you are making your own pesto do it while the veggies and pasta are cooking. Using a blender or food processor add a tablespoon of pine nuts, the parmesan, a pinch of black pepper and salt each, the basil leaves, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Puree. Scoop out and mix into the cooked pasta. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of pine nuts, the steamed broccoli, the kalamata olives, and the roasted veggies. Stir together and serve.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 4-6 servings
I love cooking with couscous and lentils. Just in general. They are both quick, easy, and can be seasoned numerous ways. I often have a pre-made container of each in my fridge either to eat as-is, or to add to a new dish.
This is a great dish for dinner in a hurry. And as usual for my dishes, is very kid friendly. Both kids loved it.
All that's needed for this recipe is two small pots and a strainer. I love meals that don't require a million pots and pans, and that take less than 30 minutes to make.
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lentils and couscous
by Liesl August-22-2014
Ingredients
1/2 cup dry couscous
1 cup red lentils
2 tbsps olive oil
2 tsps sea salt
2 tsps lemon juice
2 tsps basil
2 tsps garlic
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
1. Boil one cup of water in a small pot. As soon as it boils take it off the heat, pour in the couscous, put a lid on, and set aside for 10 minutes. After ten minutes mix in 1 tbsp olive oil, a tsp sea salt, the lemon juice, a tsp basil, a tsp garlic, and the pepper. 2. Boil the red lentils in a pot of water until very soft. Pour them into a strainer to drain, then pour them back into the pot. Mix in the remaining tbsp of olive oil, a tsp of sea salt, a tsp of basil, a tsp of garlic, and the cayenne pepper. 3. Either plate the couscous and lentils side by side or mix them together. Eat immediately.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: serves 2-4
