Sesame Noodles

I was turned onto sesame noodles many years ago when I was in the military.  I thought it sounded strange at the time because it’s a cold noodle salad that I got from some hole-in-the-wall Chinese food place.  I loved it and got it a lot.  I came up with a version that most closely resembled what I had except I put the veggies in and they did not include that in my noodles.  This way I am getting a more well-rounded meal out of it! 

• ½ Cup Natural Peanut Butter
• 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• Juice of 1 Lime (about ¼ Cup or so)
• 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1” Piece Fresh Ginger, grated
• 1 Large Garlic Clove, grated
• 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Package Soba Noodles (or 1 lb. box of Whole Wheat Spaghetti)
• 2 Bell Peppers, sliced into strips
• 2 Scallions, sliced
• ¼ Cup Cilantro Leaves, rough chopped
• ¼ Cup Sesame Seeds, toasted

First: whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, olive oil, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes.

Second: cook noodles until tender, drain, and rinse with cold water to cool off. 

Third:  add noodles, peppers, scallions and half of the cilantro to the dressing and toss.

Finally: serve topped with cilantro and sesame seeds…yum!

This is an amazing vegetarian salad but can be easily converted to a full on meat-eaters meal by adding grilled chicken or steak!  I love this as is most of the time and doesn’t make me too full but certainly satisfies.  I love using Soba noodles (buckwheat noodles) as they are light and super healthy but some whole wheat spaghetti will work just fine as well, it just takes a few minutes longer to cook the noodles.  I know this will please!!!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Mac'n'Cheese

I don’t think it’s possible to have too many mac’n’cheese recipes so here’s one of my absolute favorites!  Chicken Cordon Bleu is a great dish but not the quickest to put together.  Here is a pasta dish packed with flavor and all of the guilty pleasure you can handle.  What makes it better is it all comes together on the stovetop!

• ½ Pound of Rigatoni (or whatever pasta you like)
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• ½ Cup Ham, diced (I just get a ¼” slice from the deli)
• 3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
• 3 Cups Milk (I used 2%)
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt (or to taste)
• 2 Cups Swiss Cheese, Shredded
• 1 Cooked Chicken breast, diced small (or shredded)
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 Cup Breadcrumbs (I use whole wheat)

First: cook the rigatoni until it is just shy of al dente.

Second: heat the olive oil and butter in a medium pot, sauté ham for a minute, add flour and cook for a minute, and then slowly add milk. NOTE: I find a whisk makes easy work out of this process to keep the lumps out!

                                                                                                   

Third: once the milk begins to thicken add the cheese and salt; taste for seasoning at this point; add the pasta and stir to combine. 

Fourth: heat the 2 tablespoons of butter in a small sauté pan and add the breadcrumbs; cook until nice and toasted, about 1 – 2 minutes.

Finally: stir the chicken into to pasta; serve topped with some of the breadcrumbs. ENJOY!

Who is not going to love this?!  This is so decadent and perfect paired with some veggies on the side.  This is one of those dishes that I feel like just going all out and not worrying too much about calories!

BONUS TIP:  I make my own breadcrumbs at home.  I take bread and process it into crumbs in the food processor.  I often get the day old bread that they discount at the grocery store and stick it in the freezer.  This bread is good for toasting if you want to use it for sandwiches and even better as breadcrumbs.  I don’t bother toasting them; I just keep them on hand in the freezer and use them as I need them!

Hummus and Veggie Pasta

Here is another use for hummus.  I love hummus and try to find different uses for it as much as possible.  I happened to have some leftover in my fridge so I thought this would make a great pasta sauce.  Now with pasta I keep portions low and nutritional value high as to not go overboard.  I found this mini bowtie (farfalle) pasta that was made with tomato and carrot. This pasta dish is cheesy with a TON of flavor going on and packed with veggies!  It’s pretty tasty so I highly recommend it!

• 1 Pound Small Pasta
• ½ Cup Pasta
• ½ Cup Parmesan and/or Romano (I like a mix)
• 2 Cups Frozen Mixed Veggies (I used a mix of carrots, corn, and green beans)
• 1 Large Red Bell Pepper, diced
• ¼ Cup chopped Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper

First, bring a pot of water to a boil and add a couple of tablespoons of salt to dissolve.  Cook the pasta until al dente; put the sun-dried tomatoes (already chopped) in a bowl and add about a cup of the pasta water and let it sit.  Reserve another cup of pasta water and drain pasta.

Second, add the hummus to the pot along with the sun-dried tomatoes WITH soaking water.  Whisk to combine and add some fresh ground pepper.  Cook for about a minute to allow the veggies to thaw and cook a bit.

Third, add the pasta back to the pot and combine thoroughly.  Turn the heat off.  Add a little of the reserved water if the pasta is too dry for your liking. 

Finally, serve the pasta with a little grated cheese and black pepper.  ENJOY!

This pasta dish came together in less than a half hour!  It is a great weeknight meal and all in one pot!  Sometimes I like this for a light lunch as is or if I want something even more substantial I might throw in some chicken and/or garbanzo beans.  Either way it is really tasty so give it a try!    

Baked Ziti in Peppers with Spicy Buttermilk Gravy

This recipe was a fun one for me.  I love to try different things and keep it interesting at dinner time.  I had these red peppers that I wanted to use up and didn't want to do the traditional stuffed peppers.  I love baked ziti...baked any kind of pasta really!  I thought it would be a great thing to try and I am glad because it came out great!  I also like a bit of something saucy with my stuffed peppers and wanted to do a white sauce.  The only milk I had on hand was buttermilk so I thought we will either have sauce or not so I gave it a shot.  It was beyond expectations and came out great with a little more tang than a traditional white sauce....and has a little kick...yum.  

• 4 Large Bell Peppers (I like Red)
• ½ Pound Whole Wheat Ziti
• ½ Pound Ground Turkey or Lean Ground Beef
• Salt to taste
• 1 Large Zucchini, sliced into half moons
• ½ Large Onion, diced
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced
• 2 Cups Pasta Sauce
• 4 Slices of Provolone Cheese
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 Tablespoon All Purpose Flour
• 1 Cup Buttermilk
• 1 Cup Chicken Stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

First, make the sauce by browning the ground meat, season with salt.  Add the zucchini, onions, and garlic and cook until just softened.  Add homemade or store bought sauce and just heat through…bam…sauce.

Next, cut the peppers straight down the middle and clean out the seeds so you have little bell pepper boat.

Next, boil the pasta until just a little under done.  Add to the sauce and combine.  Divide among the pepper halves and top with a slice of cheese.

Bake in the oven for about 40 – 45 minutes.  Just keep your eye on them to avoid over browning the cheese. 

In a sauté pan heat the butter over medium high until melted and then add the flour.  Whisk the roux until foamy and slightly darker in color.  Add the buttermilk slowly while whisking briskly to keep the sauce smooth.  Add chicken stock, salt, and cayenne.  Whisk until smooth and let it come to a bubble for a few seconds.  Spoon over peppers and enjoy!

This meal was an experiment that turned out amazingly!  I highly recommend this dish whenever you want a nice home-cooked meal that is a little unique.