Four Cheese Baked Penne

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http://netcommunity.childrens.com/NetCommunity/kmckinley As mentioned in my post from Monday evening, this will be the start of every post through Tuesday, November 16!

Baked Ziti always held a special place in my heart; not only was it my first "specialty" meal to make for company but it was Mr. Max and I's first dinner to make together - yes, aww how sweet, I know.

Let's take a trip down Memory Lane to June 2008. I remember we had just played a kickball game and decided to grab some dinner then meet our friends at a bar up the street with karaoke - I never turned down karaoke. Alas, this night I did, as we went to the grocery store and wandered around until we decided to make baked ziti. Back then it was simply combining just a few store-bought ingredients and bake them: pasta, Ragu, Italian Blend cheese, then some Italian seasoning sprinkled over top. Don't get me wrong, this tasted amazing, we've enjoyed it thoroughly. We thought we were really advanced by adding our own garlic, basil and oregano to the sauce and then over top the cheese, how innovative. We sat there ignoring our friends texts to meet them at the bar, instead we watched the Boston Celtics play the LA Lakers in the NBA finals and enjoyed our Thursday night in with our Baked Ziti.

Now flash forward to present day. I came across Elie Kreiger's Healthy Living recipe for Four Cheese Baked Penne, where you make your own homemade tomato sauce and combine with four fresh cheeses and herbs. Here is a matured version of this classic Italian dish and it did not disappoint!

Grocery List:
- Whole Grain Penne
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves, garlic
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper
- 1 tbsp. fresh basil
- 3 tbsp. fresh parsley
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup ricotta cheese (low fat/part skim)
- 3/4 cup cottage cheese (low fat/part skim)
- 1 cup mozzarella (skim)
- Parmesan

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees, then boil your penne pasta in water until al dente. Once they are just barely cooked, still a little firm, drain and set aside.

Conjure everyone's favorite kitchen aromas by heating canola oil in a small skillet and add the onion, next the garlic. In a pot, add the can of crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, fresh basil and 2 tbsp. of the fresh parsley and a few shakes of roasted red pepper flakes. Next add the onions and stir together on medium-high heat. Let the sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes.


In a separate bowl combine the ricotta, cottage cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella and additional 1 tbsp. of fresh parsley.


Add the noodles in with the sauce and stir well. Next, add the cheese mixture into the noodles and sauce, combining well.


Transfer the pasta into a baking dish then cover in the remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with fresh basil.


Pop it in the oven and cook in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes. My instructions said 30 but I felt that was a little too long.


Max Man and I loved this rendition of our new baked ziti, or in more sophisticated terms, our four cheese baked penne. It was gooey, cheesy, melty, saucy.... this comes highly recommended!

Giada's Tortilla Soup

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http://netcommunity.childrens.com/NetCommunity/kmckinley As mentioned in my post from Monday evening, this will be the start of every post through Tuesday, November 16!


Big sigh - as much as I love Sunday, we have such a bittersweet relationship, especially when about 5:00 rolls around. The weekend is over, it's time to get work done to get ready for the week. Meal planning today was the highlight, I am looking forward to the week of cooking, starting tonight with this Tortilla Soup, followed by Elie Krieger's Healthy Living Baked Ziti, then a spinach and feta salmon with roasted fingerling potatoes.

I recently decided to record Giada De Laurentiis on Food Network and came across this recipe. I am picky when it comes to tortilla soup - I do not like it chocked-full of vegetables and I prefer a tomato base broth. Watching this episode of her show, I took copious notes so that I could recreate it on my own. On this chilly Sunday evening, when the Dallas Cowboys are actually winning a game, I bring you a wonderful tortilla soup recipe, complete with your own baked tortilla strips. Coming from the tortilla soup snob, I loved this recipe and it was just the way I like it. I added additional flavors such as Adobo powder, cilantro and roasted chicken to the recipe and substituted a Poblano pepper for the Jalapeno pepper used in her recipe.

Let's get started!

Grocery List:
- 2 tsp. of Canola Oil
- Small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- 2 cans diced tomatoes
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Seeded poblano pepper, seeded and minced
- 3/4 tsp. oregano
- 1 tsp. cumin
- Adobo
- Chili powder
- 1/3 cup Cilantro
- 3 shakes Cayenne Pepper
- 2 corn tortillas
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
- 1 rotisserie chicken
- Avocado (for garnish if wanted)

Start by pre-heating your oven to 375 degrees.

In a small saute pan, heat the canola oil, then add your onions. I chose to sprinkle some Adobe powder as they soften. Once translucent, add your garlic and saute for about 5 minutes.


In a large pot, combine the chicken broth and diced tomatoes on medium-high heat. Add oregano and cumin.


Mince the pepper and add to pot, along with the onions and garlic. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes to thicken.


Take your two corn tortillas and brush them with canola oil, then sprinkle with your seasoning of choice - I used chili powder. Using scissors or a knife, create small strips. Spread them along a baking sheet and pop them in the oven for about 12 minutes.


When they come out of the oven, they will be nice and crisp!


Sidenote: so I've been in the market for an immersion blender. Today I decided I needed to buy one for this soup, so I went to Target and bought a cheap Oster 2 speed. Though the KitchenAid beckoned my name, I decided to start with the Oster with the amount I will actually use it (not often enough to justify the $35 swing). Say hello to my new toy!


If you do not have an immersion blender, transfer the soup into a regular blender and blend until smooth. With the immersion blender, move it around the pot until well blended.


We bought a rotisserie chicken and carved it up into bite size shreds to add to the soup.


Taste test your soup. I added lime juice and about 1/3 cup of fresh cilantro, along with a few shakes of cayenne pepper and pinch more oregano.


Now you are ready to ladle and serve. Garnish with your tortilla crisps, some cheese and fresh cilantro. I bought an avocado to add but accidentally put it in the fridge when unpacking groceries and forgot, next time! Mr. Max made some Spanish rice and our refried bean recipe to go with our amazing soup.

Beef Goulash Stew

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http://netcommunity.childrens.com/NetCommunity/kmckinley As mentioned in my post from Monday evening, this will be the start of every post through Tuesday, November 16!

As part of my ode to cold weather foods, tonight I give you a beef stew. Not just any beef stew, but a Hungarian Beef Goulash Stew! Now, I'm not Hungarian, the closest I am is that I get hun-ga-ry every now and then (insert lame joke drum cadence here) , but in my recipe research, this one seemed like an interesting new take on a hearty stew recipe.

At lunch today, I ran to my beloved World Market to check out their Dutch Ovens. I couldn't bring myself to get one when I have the crock pot. I feel much more at ease leaving my crock pot on for hours at a time than a dutch oven on my stove. My Max Man is at kickball tonight - yes, kickball. As an adult. This is how we met 2.5 years ago - and some girlfriends and I decided to have an impromptu happy hour to enjoy what is sure to be the last of this not-so-cold-after-all weather. While he's reliving those elementary school recess glory days as a mid-twenties responsible young professional, and I'm enjoying glorious wine, gabbing with friends at a beautiful patio bar, this little dish was home cooking on its own in the crock pot. My lunch time errand wasn't a total bust, I did pick up souffle dishes for an upcoming chicken and spinach souffle recipe, only $2.99 for both! And a 8 in skillet that was on sale, I needed a small one.

Let's cook some Goulash....

Grocery List:
- 1 lb. of chopped beef (stew meat)
- 1 large onion
- 3 tablespoons of Paprika
- 6 oz. can of tomato paste
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cups beef stock
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 cups of baby carrots (about 1/2 a bag)
- 1 pound potatoes, quartered
- Garlic Salt to taste
- Cumin
- Meat tenderizer
- Salt and Pepper to taste

Start by heating your crock pot and getting that ready for the stew mix.

Take your stew meat and put in a zip lock bag, add the flour, 4 shakes of meat tenderizer, 4 shakes of Cumin, salt and pepper, pressing it all together in the bag to combine.


Add a little olive oil to a skillet and add the beef. Brown the beef for about 10 minutes.


Add the beef stock, red wine and tomato paste to the crock pot and heat. Once browned, add the beef to the crock pot. Take the onions and add to the skillet. Once translucent, add the chopped garlic, then 1 tablespoon of the paprika. The aroma was incredible!


While the onions and garlic saute, chop up the potatoes into 1 inch cubes.


Add potatoes and carrots to the crock pot, followed by the onion and garlic mixture. Last, add two tablespoons of paprika to the pot and let cook for 2 - 2 1/2 hours!


When I got home from happy hour, I could smell the stew from down the hall, it was amazing. There was a sweet richness from the paprika and red wine, this was the best stew I've ever had!
I tried to get a good picture but they turned out a little steamy.


Enjoy this one, we will repeat this throughout the winter months, for sure!

Cheesy Pesto Chicken with Tomato Relish

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As mentioned in my post from Monday evening, this will be the start of every post through Tuesday, November 16!

I'm really excited to post this recipe, this one is a Katie-original! I started making the initial variation of this 2 years ago and it has evolved from a chicken breast covered in 1 sliced tomato, 1 slice of mozzarella and Italian seasoning, to what I've made it today. The new version of my coined chicken recipe now includes stuffing the chicken with the pesto and the cheese. Then, we dice up tomatoes, allowing them to marinate in balsamic vinegar and olive oil, topped with fresh strips of basil to create the tomato "relish". Tonight, I've decided to coat the chicken in panko bread crumbs before baking. As a side we will do a simple pesto cream pasta.

I'm also very excited because I have a guest in my kitchen tonight, my dear friend Erin!!

Erin and I were overdue for girl-talk-wino-time and when I asked her where she wanted to go she said, "your kitchen, teach me a recipe," so here we are! Erin instructed that she wanted something that she could recreate with ease for her boyfriend Kevin. I decided to go with this stuffed chicken delight, a simple practice that can open the door to all kinds of stuffed chicken recipes for her to try on her own.

Erin doesn't have a mini-processor, so I got fresh pesto made at Whole Foods, rather than opting to make my own tonight. I also had to really stop and think about how much I was using for each ingredient, I never have measured out when making this so that was a challenge.

Grocery Needs:
2 - 4 chicken cutlets (I made 4)
1 cup of fresh pesto or store bought pesto
Fresh mozzarella (I used one cut of the cheese block for each breast of chicken)
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 box of noodles (use whichever you care for most, I used Rotini noodles because the swirl of the noodle gathers the flavor of the pesto so well!)
1 tomato, diced
Olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 basil leaves, chiffonded
Fresh parsley
1/4 cup half & half

Start by pre-heating your oven to 400 degrees and then boiling your noodles in a large pot. Next, take your chicken cutlets and spread the pesto on one half, then place the mozzarella on top of the pesto.


Gently fold the other half of the cutlet over the pesto and mozzarella filling. Lightly coat the outside of the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle the bread crumbs over top the chicken, pressing them down to help adhere.
(I forgot to take a picture at this point, we were absorbed in conversation)

Check your noodles, if cooked through, go ahead and drain - add a little olive oil to coat them so they do not stick together and set aside. Take your tomato and dice it up. Combine tomato, olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a small mixing bowl and let soak. I added a pinch of garlic salt, some pepper, then added the fresh chopped parsley.


Place your chicken in an oven safe dish and cook for 10 minutes. At the conclusion of 10 minutes, sprinkle parmesan over top the bread crumbs, then add your tomato relish to the top of the chicken breasts, top with fresh strips of basil (julienned, rolled tight into a "hot dog" then cut up and down the roll to make fresh strips).


Bake for another 10 minutes until bread crumbs are browned, tomatoes and basil are roasted and your kitchen is filled with mouth watering aromas! Pour your noodles into a pot and add the remaining pesto, then Half & Half to make the simple pesto cream sauce. Take your chicken out of the oven, and you are ready to serve!

Caramelized Pear Salad with Cranberry Viniagrette

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As mentioned in my post from Monday evening, this will be the start of every post through Tuesday, November 16!

I found this recipe in my Cooking Light magazine and felt it would be a delicious complement to the butternut squash soup I was making for dinner. This 250 calorie salad is light and tangy in taste yet very filling.

Grocery List:
2 tsp butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 red onion, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 bag of fresh spinach
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

for dressing
1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
1 tbsp ginger
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground pepper
Salt to taste

Start by melting the butter in a skillet and saute over medium heat. Add the pear and brown sugar, sauge until brown and caramelized - about 10 minutes.


Heat the oil in another skilled over medium heat. Add red onion, vinegar, sugar and saute until caramelized - about 10 minutes.


Combine spinach, pears, onions, cheese and walnuts.


Combine dressing ingredients and toss with salad.


Serve the salad on a plate.


We added strips of chicken to the salad and served with the Spiced Butternut Squash soup. This was a delicious combo!

Spiced Butternut Squash Soup

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As mentioned in my post from Monday evening, this will be the start of every post through Tuesday, November 16!

After roaming the terminals of the Indianapolis Airport for food, my friend Laura and I came across the Wolfgang Puck restaurant. She got a butternut squash soup, while I opted for a chicken pesto salad. Both delicious! While I loved my choice, her soup was so good! I decided to find the perfect recipe and make my own for tonight's dinner. After scouring Allrecipes.com, I took a little bit from 4 different recipes and deliver to you my Spiced Butternut Squash recipe! Spiced because of the spices involved, not spicy - I felt the need to clarify because a coworker asked me "Spiced? Like spicey?"

Let's get started, shall we?

Grocery List:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 and 1/2 pounds of peeled, seeded, butternut squash (I bought pre-cut fresh 1 inch chunks from Whole Foods)
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 pinch sugar
3 large cloves of garlic, thickly sliced
1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon Allspice
2 cups chicken broth
1 and 1/2 cups half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: Sour cream, sprig of fresh thyme

First start by taking you squash and roasting it in the oven on 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes. By roasting the squash, you are helping to seal in the nutrients of the vegetable.


Next, heat the oil over medium-high in a large, deep saute pan until simmering. Add the onions and saute. Once the squash has been roasted, add to the pan to mix with the onions.


Reduce the heat to low and add butter, sugar and garlic. Continue cooking until all vegetables are rich and spotty - about 10 minutes. Add cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Continue to saute until fragrant.


Add broth slowly, 1 cup at a time, and bring to a simmer. Partially cover, cook until squash is tender - about 10 minutes.


I cannot wait to get an immersion blender, that will be my next kitchen purchase, but until I do, I use my regular blender. Puree the mix until smooth.


Return the soup mix to a soup pot and add the half and half. Add salt and pepper to taste - I added a little more ginger and cinnamon.


Ladle into bowls, garnish and serve!


I made a caramelized pear salad with cranberry viniagrette to complement the soup. This was a delicious and healthy dinner!