Pasta Giardino - better than Olive Garden!

Being Italian myself, I am not the biggest fan of Olive Garden.  The food tastes fine in general, but not all the dishes and recipes are totally authentic.  I'm definitely not saying the place is bad though... the breadsticks are wonderful, and the fried lasagna roll-up things are delicious.

While there recently, I had the Chicken Giardino, one of the relatively lighter options available.  I have to say, it was actually really tasty... it was essentially pasta, chicken, and lots of veggies in a scampi-style sauce.  But it inspired me to try and make my own version!  Also, this is super easy to make vegetarian or vegan!

Ingredients:
- ~2/3 stick butter (I actually used Miyoko's cultured vegan butter!)
- one small onion, diced
- ~3 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 bell pepper, diced
- 1 small zucchini, cubed
- ~1 cup shredded carrots
- juice of one lemon
- ~1/2 cup white wine
- ~1 cup grilled chicken (obviously, omit or substitute vegan chik'n if vegan)
- ~4 cups cooked pasta
- ~1/2 cup grated cheese (I used asiago... omit this for a vegan option)
- parsley, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste

Procedure:
1.) Heat a large, wide pan over medium heat.  Add butter and allow to melt.  When it begins to bubble, add onion and garlic... sauté until onions are transparent.

2.) Add zucchini, bell pepper, carrots, parsley, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.  Stir fry until the garlic begins to brown.  Add cooked chicken, if desired.

3.) Add lemon juice and wine; cook until bubbly. 

4.) Remove from heat.  Add cooked pasta, remaining butter, and grated cheese. 

5.) Garnish with more fresh parsley and grated cheese before serving.

Notes:
- Other veggies that would go well in this would be mushrooms, asparagus, yellow squash, broccoli, peas, and spinach.

Homemade purple potato chips!

Sam and I had some leftover purple potatoes and decided to try making chips!

We sliced them nice and thin on the mandolin; tossed them in olive oil; topped them with sea salt, oregano, rosemary, and dehydrated garlic; and baked them at 350° for about 10-15 minutes.  Once they were put of the oven, we topped them with just a little extra salt.

They came out wonderfully crispy!  Despite being coated in olive oil, they did not taste too greasy or heavy.  It's an awesome way to use leftover potatoes that aren't enough to go in a main dish!

Vegetarian Italian Zucchini "pasta" sauté!

This dish is quick and easy, not to mention relatively healthy!

First, I shredded some fresh zucchini as my "pasta", making sure not to peel it (I love the skin!).  I heated my big cast-iron skillet and sautéed some shallots and halved grape tomatoes in avocado oil.  I then added some mini sweet pepper rings and minced garlic... the aroma at this point was already irresistible!

For protein, I used Tofurky Italian sausages, sliced into coins... not to replace a real sausage, but I just love the flavor of them!  I added these to the skillet, and stir-fried everything together until hot.  Finally, I added my shredded zucchini and a small jar of pesto, cooking until the zucchini was al dente.  I served it with some grated parmesan on top.

It turned out perfectly!  Honestly, it was hard to tell the difference between pasta and the shredded zucchini, and I'm Italian!  It was a relatively light meal too, so it didn't sit too heavily.

It could easily be made vegan by omitting the pesto and parmesan, and adding extra oil with the shredded zucchini to make it a more aglio olio style.  Give it a try, it's super easy!

Shakshuka!

Ever since I first received cast-iron cookware, I have seen many people online making this tomato-sauce-and-eggs dish that looks wonderful and I never knew what it was.  After researching, I decided to make shakshuka for the first time last night!

I started it just like my normal tomato sauce... sautéing onions and garlic in oil.  I added crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, sweet peppers, fresh baby broccoli, and fresh spinach.  After letting all of that simmer together a bit, I crumbled some feta cheese on top and cracked some fresh eggs.  I popped it in the oven and let it bake... and it came out very nicely!  I meant to try and leave the yolks a little runny, but I let it bake a little too long.  Even though I cooked the yolks through, it came out to be delicious!  I served it with some garlic bread and it was definitely a comfort food!

Vegetarian goulash!

I entered into a chili cook-off here at my apartment complex!  I decided that I wanted to make something a little different from the normal beans-and-beef chili... so I thought about making it vegetarian-friendly.

Rather than just leaving that protein portion out, I made my own vegetarian version of Italian sausage.  I used LightLife vegetarian ground sausage for the base.  I ground up my own fresh whole fennel seeds using a real mortar & pestle... I got both the fennel and the mortar & pestle from Artisano's Oils & Spices here in Indianapolis (highly recommended!).



I added that to the sausage with some green pepper and a touch of oil, and browned it in a skillet just like real ground sausage!  The texture and flavor were spot-on!

For the goulash, I started it by sautéing onions and garlic in a garlic-flavored coconut oil.  Then I added crushed tomatoes, salt, oregano, basil, rosemary, white pepper, and the rest of my ground fennel.  After mixing that in, I added a generous amount of grated Romano cheese and the browned "sausage".  While all of that was simmering, I boiled some pasta water, to add ditalini to the goulash.  I also did a quick sauté of some baby sweet peppers and kidney beans.

Once the pasta was done, I stirred everything together and it was complete.  It came out amazing!  The people that tasted it couldn't even tell there was not meat in it... the freshly hand-ground fennel make a world of difference.  All of the flavors and textures came through nicely, and it was definitely comfort food.  Also, since it had a high proportion of vegetables and no meat, it was not too heavy.

... not to mention, I won the cook-off! :)

Homemade mutter paneer!

I finally tried making my own masala sauce... and it turned out to be almost identical to the flavor of the same thing at India Garden, my favorite Indian restaurant in Indianapolis!

I started it the same way I start my Italian pasta sauces, by sautéing onions and garlic in oil... except instead of olive oil I used a garlic-flavored coconut oil I got on clearance at Kroger.  I'm glad I did, because it worked out well... it did not splatter quite as much as olive oil usually does, and the coconut flavor and aroma went well in the dish.  Then I added crushed tomatoes, a little bit of sugar, some dried cilantro, and a generous amount of Madras curry powder.

 Once the powder dissolved in I added peas, paneer cheese, and enough heavy cream to get it to just the right orange color.

After letting that simmer for about 20 minutes on low heat, I served it with some fragrant basmati rice and garlic naan... and it was absolutely perfect!  I don't typically like much heat, but if you want it spicy, just add crushed red pepper and there you go!  This is pretty easy to make and it's just as good as what you get in a restaurant.

Christmas Feast!

I made a huge spread for christmas dinner! My dad is in town... we don't get to see him that often, so I really wanted to go all-out.

Here is what I made:
- 3lb meatloaf (using ground chuck, eggs, italian bread crumbs, fresh chopped Vidalia onions and green peppers, fresh garlic, green onions, worcestershire sauce, ketchup, oregano, rosemary, and white pepper... all baked in a cast-iron skillet!)
- mashed potatoes with the skin on
- oven-roasted corn with butter, sautéed onions, and green onions
- pan-fried parsnips (cooked by my sister!)
- beer bread (using Budweiser and baked in cast-iron with a whole stick of butter on top!)
- Hawaiian bread rolls baked with garlic butter over the top

Everything turned out delicious!  We all succumbed to an intense food coma afterwards while watching Jurassic World.  All-in-all a very successful holiday, from the food to the festivities!

Copycat Chipotle chicken bowl!

It's easy and quick to get the same quality product as you would get at Chipotle!  This is totally customizable as well, so you can simply season the to chicken with whatever spices and herbs suit your craving!

You need:

- boneless and skinless chicken breasts
- prepared rice, with cilantro and lime juice
- spring mix or chopped romaine
- cheese (I like feta or cotija!)
- more veggies  (avocado, bell pepper, corn, black beans...)
- dressing, if desired (I love ranch!)

Take some raw boneless and skinless chicken breasts, and cut them into ~5oz pieces.  Put together a dry rub of whatever herbs and spices you like (I used oregano, basil, rosemary, and powdered garlic... I did not add any salt or pepper because it turned out great, but add them to your taste) and coat both sides of the chicken breasts with your dry rub.

Heat a cast-iron skillet just above medium heat, and preheat the oven to 350°F.  Sear the chicken breasts about 3 minutes on each side; melt some butter in a mug or something as well. Once the chicken is seared, pour some butter over the chicken breasts and around them in the pan, then bake it for ~10 mins.  Take the pan out, flip the breasts and add more butter, then bake another ~10 mins. Once out, let rest for a few minutes and cut into bite-size pieces.

Prepare a bowl with some of the rice.  Add the lettuce, then the chicken, then the other veggies, then the cheese and dressing.

In my opinion, this is even better than Chipotle... and it's not difficult to make!  I am not even very comfortable cooking many meats and this was easy!

Pesto pasta with bacon-wrapped asparagus!

Pasta tossed with red pesto, olive oil, fresh green peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes... served with asparagus wrapped in bacon and roasted in a cast-iron skillet.  Sprinkle some parmesan and romano on top and it is absolutely delicious!

Sun-dried tomato pasta salad!

A quick, nutritious, and relatively light dinner solution for busy people! 

Tri-color pasta (cooked al dente, drained, and rinsed in cold water), green bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil, cut into strips), fresh spinach, shredded carrots, feta cheese, ranch dressing, and red pesto... all mixed up and served with some parmesan on top.  Full of flavor with very little effort!

It is also good with some black olives, black beans, corn... it would also be good with grilled chicken if you want extra protein!

Our first harvest from the patio garden!

Our first harvest from the patio garden!  Oregano, basil, a purple bell pepper, and some broccoli!

We used the purple pepper, oregano, and basil to make dinner tonight! It's so awesome to use fresh things that we grew ourselves. 

Beer bread!

Tried making beer bread, one of my grandma's old recipes, for the first time!

Extremely simple: self-rising flour, a little sugar, cheap beer, and some melted butter on top before baking.  It smells so good!

I made one in a loaf pan and one in a cast-iron skillet!

I don't drink personally, and I usually dislike the taste of any beer, but I loved it when my grandma made it... so I decided to make it as an entry in a bake-off at work!  I will see how people like it (and I will get to taste it) tomorrow!

Trying new things: Quinoa garlic "bread"

Using the leftover quinoa, I made a garlic "bread"!  I had found the recipe on Pinterest months prior, and finally got to try it.

This was one of my less successful newly tried recipes, probably because I have never used quinoa before this week.

I mixed leftover cooked quinoa with eggs, garlic, basil, oregano, olive oil, baking powder, and some shredded cheese... and then baked it with some garlic butter and parmesan on top. It wasn't bad, but I definitely like real bread better, haha. Yay for trying new things!

Trying new things: Quinoa with roasted vegetables!

Quinoa cooked in vegetable broth with tomatoes, green peppers, and zucchini roasted with herbs and olive oil, all stir-fried in the cast-iron with fresh green beans!

This was my first time cooking quinoa, and the texture was perfect! I used a 1.3:1 ratio of liquid to quinoa, and 8 definitely recommend it!

Beer brats with REAL pork and beans!

Giant fresh bratwurst, simmered in Budweiser then seared as the beer evaporated and caramelized, along with Bush's vegetarian baked beans (I use those because I hate the gross chunks of rubbery pork fat in other kinds) doctored up with freshly cut and cooked bacon!

Chorizo and Veggie Frittata!

Fresh chorizo sausage, onions, orange bell peppers, black beans, corn, mixed power greens (spinach, kale, chard, and mizuna), Velveeta, a dozen eggs, oregano, and Cholula!  Cooked partially on stove top and finished in the cast-iron under the broiler. It was delicious!

Reduced-sugar banana bread!

This banana bread only uses half a cup of sugar as opposed to one whole cup... and it is even better than normal! The reduced amount of granulated sugar allows the flavor of the bananas to come through more, yet it is still sweet enough to satisfy... and it is a little better for you too!  Also, adding 8oz of cream cheese (which I add to all of my sweet baked items) keeps the loaf wonderfully moist!

(Better Than) Papa John's Cheesesticks!

Pizza crust, sauced with a mixture of margarine and garlic powder, topped with mozzarella and asiago cheeses!  Tastes better than Papa John's and is way cheaper to make!

Homemade waffle-iron breakfast sandwiches!

Homemade egg patties made with green bell peppers in the waffle iron, hash browns cooked in the waffle iron, and cheese all on toasted oatnut bread! 

Great to make ahead and heat up for a quick breakfast in the morning!

Copycat Taco Bell Breakfast Crunchwraps!

Hash browns, eggs, green peppers, and velveeta, all grilled together inside a flour tortilla! It definitely rivaled Taco Bell pretty closely!