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Baked Ziti with Sausage and Spinach

~ nourishedpeach ~ 4 Comments

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Well, today marks four years from the day my husband and I were married.  Four years.  It may not seem like much to you but I suppose it is all relative.  It seems like just yesterday to me and I am afraid I don’t know where the time is going.  Well, actually I do, for me anyway.  It’s going toward loving and laughing and playing and cuddling and pretending and dreaming and just being plain happy among my husband and daughter; I just wish I could slow it down.  Don’t get me wrong, there are days we are at each others throats about the most ridiculous of things but at the end of each day, when I think about my life with my husband, there are just no words.  I literally have no clue who told God I deserve a guy like this…but I hope I can continue to fool him for the rest of my life.  

So, in honor of Nick I’m posting about his favorite meal…baked ziti.  As you all know, the guy adores Italian food in any way, shape or form.  And in these 4 + years we’ve had together I frequently get requests for “pasta Sunday”.  This dish is my go-to when I really want to treat him; he just adores it and I don’t disagree one bit (nor does my daughter).  It is a recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated March/April 2009 and I have tried to simplify the process while adding a few of our own preferences like ground turkey sausage and spinach.  If you like a saucy, gooey, rich and cheesy yet tomatoey pasta dish this is absolutely for you.  

So, my love….thank you for so very many things.  For loving me constantly and so well, even when I’m crazy and hormonal.  For being so patient and kind, even when you probably shouldn’t be.  For being every ounce of the wonderful daddy that I knew you would be.  And, as cheesy as it may sound, for making my dreams a reality in so many ways.  And to top it all off…thank you for having such a fun belly to feed 🙂 xo

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Baked Ziti with Sausage and Spinach

Note:  if you’re looking for a great store-bought marinara, check out my favorite one here 

Ingredients

12 Ounces Brown Rice or Quinoa Ziti or Penne

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Pound Ground Turkey Italian Sausage

4 Cups Packed Baby Spinach

1 Cup Heavy Cream

2 Cups Cottage Cheese (preferably 2% or full fat)

8 Ounces Fresh Mozzarella, cut into small cubes

1 1/2 Cups Freshly Grated Parmesan

2 Eggs, lightly beaten

4 1/2 Cups Marinara Sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.  Cook pasta in a pot of salted water until it just begins to soften to the touch but is not cooked through, about 7 minutes; drain (reserve the pot you cooked the pasta in, do not rinse out).  While pasta is cooking heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the sausage and cook until browned, breaking up with the back of a spoon.  Stir in spinach and cook for 1 minute.  Add  2 cups marinara, bring to a simmer and then remove from heat.  

Pour the cream in the pasta pot and bring to a light boil and simmer for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in cottage cheese, eggs, 1  cup parmesan and half of the mozzarella.  Add the sausage/spinach/marinara mixture to the cream mixture and stir it well to combine.  Stir in the cooked pasta.  Pour Pasta mixture into a 9×13 glass baking dish, spread the remaining 2 1/2 cups marinara evenly over the top and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and 1/2 cup parmesan over the the sauce.  Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue to cook until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes longer.  

Mixed Green Summer Salad

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I made this salad for company last night and received wonderful reviews;  I, personally, can not wait to have it again.  (you’d think I’d learn to stop trying new recipe ideas and experimenting on company…thankfully it did not backfire this time; livin on the edge over here, folks) It makes a wonderful side dish but would also be the perfect main dish with a grilled chicken breast on top.  A crave-able combination:  creamy goat cheese and avocado, sweet, bright, juicy nectarine, smokey bacon, crunchy pine nuts and a tangy vinaigrette.  Summer-fabulous.

Mixed Green Summer Salad

Ingredients

For the Vinaigrette:

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

2 Teaspoons Honey

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

For the Salad:

5-8 Ounces MIxed Greens

1 Nectarine, diced

1 Avocado, diced

4 Slices Nitrate and Nitrite Free Bacon, cooked and chopped

3 Ounces Goat Cheese, crumbled

1/4 Cup Pine Nuts

Directions

Make vinaigrette:  in a medium bowl whisk together olive oil, vinegar, dijon, honey, salt and pepper until it begins to thicken and is completely combined.  Set aside.  Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Assemble salad:   combine greens, nectarine, avocado, bacon, goat  cheese and pine nuts in a large bowl.  Drizzle with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette and toss gently.  Serve remaining vinaigrette on the side.

Fresh Corn Soup

~ nourishedpeach ~ 1 Comment

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I make this soup twice a year:  once in the middle of summer when the corn starts to look really sweet and healthy and once at the end so we can have one last taste of pure tremendousness.  I am sad to report that the former of the two has come and gone for us; bittersweet I tell you.

Here’s the deal:  there are very few ingredients in this recipe and a few extra steps that are extremely simple but the result is truly exceptional. You utilize the corn in so many ways and you are left with the most sweet, savory, bright soup you will probably ever have.  So take a Sunday and treat your family to the pure taste of summer; once you make it it will become a tradition for your family each year, I assure you.

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If you cut your kernels off the cobs on a kitchen towel or paper towel it will prevent the kernels from winding up all over your counter or the floor.

ImageThis photo makes me all hot and bothered 😉  This is the milk and pulp that is scraped from the cobs once the kernels are removed.  Can you handle this?  This is PURE FLAVOR people…like flavor you’ve never experienced.  Magical.

Fresh Corn Soup

Slightly adapted from this recipe

Ingredients

5 to 6 Large Ears Sweet Corn, shucked and silks removed

6 Cups Water

1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Large Onion, diced

5 Cloves Garlic, roughly chopped

1 Medium Red Potato, peeled and diced

4 Sprigs Fresh Thyme, leaves removed

1/8 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes + More for serving

1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

Fresh diced tomatoes, for serving

Sour Cream, for serving

Directions

Cut the kernels off the ears of corn with a sharp knife.  In a pie plate take each ear (once kernels are removed) and scrape the ears with the back of your knife to release all of the milk and pulp from the corn.  Break cobs in half and place in a soup pot.  Add the 6 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes. Throw cobs away, place the liquid corn stock in a bowl and set aside.

In the same soup pot heat olive oil and butter over medium high heat and add onion, sautéing for 5 minutes.  Add garlic, potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, thyme leaves, crushed red pepper flakes and pepper and sauté for 1 minute.  Add corn stock and bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Once at a boil, cover and turn heat down to medium low.  Simmer soup for 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked thru.  Puree soup with an emersion blender or in a food processor or blender.

If using a food processor or blender return puree back to the pot, add the reserved pulp and milk from the cobs and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with a garnishing of sour cream, diced tomatoes and crushed red pepper flakes.  Serves 6.

Quick Flatbread Pizzas

~ nourishedpeach ~ 3 Comments

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Here’s how today went for me:  my daughter and I have breakfast and I quickly get our bag packed and the car loaded for our morning out.  I get her in her carseat and go to open the garage but the door won’t open.  I tried everything, my husbands buddy even came to try to free us but no luck (how nice was that?).  So we got settled back in the house, morning plans canceled.  I go outside to fill up the kiddie pool for the little lady and she follows me out with a pen in her hand (I was unaware that her go-go-gadget arms had grabbed this).  As I am pulling the hose into the pool I turn around  to see that my daughter has become a smurf.  Covered in blue ink.  I believe the explosion started in her mouth based on the looks of her teeth but I am unsure as to how so much ink could come out of one pen.  She’s got it all over her clothes, her arms, legs, in the creases of those wonderful thighs she possess.  Ugh.

I strip her down outside, bring her inside to stand in the doorway while I go get her a swim diaper (because in my sleep deprived brain I thought that the ink would rinse right off if she just got in the pool.  Ha.)  “Don’t move, Georgia, mommy’s just going to go get you a diaper, I’ll be right back”, in fear that she will track the ink thru the house.  All of the sudden I hear “poopie”.  Please Dear Lord in Heaven.  Please tell me she just needs to poop but has not yet performed the deed.  I’ll do anything.  Take my Australian Licorice stash..take anything..but please let there be a poop-free floor when I get downstairs.  As I walk down the stairs I hear “slick, slick”.  Yes, Georgia, if you decide to poop and pee 34 cups of urine on a hardwood floor it is likely to be slick, thank you for pointing that out.  So, I grab a towel, sit her on it and bring over the ipad so she would sit still long enough for me to clean her up and the mess on the floor.  As for that purple dinosaur, he drives me absolutely nuts but he deserves a shoutout: thank you Barney for pulling through for me in the toughest of times.  You are able to sweep my daughter into never never land in the blink of an eye.  Next time, please tell her to hold her poop and pee until the diaper is on, she will totally listen to you.  Better yet, would you mind just teaching her how to go on the potty?

Ah.  Finally all cleaned up.  We head outside so she can swim and I can call around to find a garage repair company.  At this point I realize I left the hose on an the water was spilling out over the edges of the pool, no biggie.  At which point I realized I had set the house phone in the grass next to the pool as I ran over to rescue Georgia from smurfville.  Hose 1, Phone 0.  Me, -472.

Thankfully I found a repair place that could come out this afternoon.  We head in for lunch.  When I ask Georgia if she wants a nectarine she literally gets so excited (apple doesn’t fall far from the tree) she throws her sippy cup full of milk which literally sprays across the room, covering the kitchen table, chairs, railing, floor and some of the carpet with milk.  I cry.  Sometimes you actually need to cry over spilled milk, it makes you feel a million times better.  My child looks at me and says “mommy, hug” and every ounce of frustration and annoyance disappear.  I think to myself, “get over it…if these are your biggest problems today, you’ve got it better than a lot of people” and I move on.  Georgia naps, I get the house cleaned up, the repair man comes out to fix the garage and grant me my freedom back and I have a few minutes to sit here and vent to all of you.  Thank you for taking the place of my traveling husband; and Im sure he double thanks you 😉

This dinner is our special treat when daddy is traveling.  It’s a treat for me because it entails no work at all..and a treat for my toddler who gobbles these things up like crazy.  If you haven’t tried this new Flatout Thin Crust Flatbread it makes for awesome thin crust pizzas and is such a better nutritional option than your standard pizza crust.  It’s also so fun to let the little kiddo sprinkle on the toppings herself.

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This is too ridiculously easy for me to write out a full recipe, so heres what we do:

Place the Flatout flatbread on a pizza stone or baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 4 minutes.  Remove from oven and turn the temp up to 375.  Spread pizza sauce on the flatbread and top with whatever toppings your little heart desires.  I love chicken, spinach, banana peppers, black olives and cheese on mine.  Place back in the oven for an additional 4-6 minutes or until crust is crispy and toppings are completely melted.

xo

Balsamic Grilled Veggie Skewers

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If you’re anything like me you are always looking for new ways to add a great veggie side to your recipe box.  I get in ruts and this recipe was the result of my desperate attempt at something different…and easy.  The marinade is subtle enough to allow you to taste the natural flavor of each veggie but bright enough to leave you with a hint of sweet and tart and a beautiful char.  A few dollops of goat cheese on top of these grilled veggies is an awesome addition…but they are just as wonderful on their own.

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Balsamic Grilled Veggie Skewers

Ingredients

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tablespoon + 1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

1 Medium Zucchini, sliced 1-2 inches thick

1 Medium Yellow Squash, sliced 1/2 inches thick

1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes

5 Ounces Baby Bella Mushrooms

Directions

In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon, salt and pepper.  Add zucchini, squash, tomatoes and mushrooms to a large zip-top bag.  Pour balsamic marinade over the veggies, seal the bag and toss to coat well.  Refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 4 hours.

Preheat grill over medium heat and skewer the veggies.  Place skewers on grill and cook for 10 minutes, turning occasionally, or until veggies are nicely charred.

Thai Chicken Coconut Curry

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I am truly having a hard time coming up with a dish that I’d rather eat than Thai Coconut Curry.   It is sitting very comfortably way up high on my favorite list.  I think what I love most about it is it’s multiple personalities:  sweet, salty, rich, light, fresh, comforting, spicy and oh so savory.  Coconut curry is my go-to when it comes to take out food, this one being my very favorite one to order.  So here is an at home version and I tell you, you’d think you were eating at an authentic Thai restaurant.  The first time I made this recipe was last night and the reviews were off the charts by the entire family.  Putting it on “repeat” mode for sure.  If you haven’t tried thai coconut curry before I really REALLY encourage you to move outside your comfort zone and give this recipe a whirl.  It’s so healthy, simple and quick to prepare…like dinner-on-the-table-in-under-25-minutes-quick!  It will make you a believer, I promise.  

Thai Chicken Coconut Curry 

Notes:  In our opinion the amount of curry paste used in my version was far from overly spicy; there was a little heat but it was completely mild enough for my 19 month old to enjoy.  If you like the heat turned up a bit you could add an extra couple teaspoons of curry paste.  We enjoy more heat but I didn’t want to go overboard because of my daughter so my husband and I ended up adding crushed red pepper flakes to our individual plates at the end.  Red curry paste is available at your local grocery store in the Asian section. Also, I’ve opted to use the juice from the fresh pineapple as a sweetener instead of sugar and it works beautifully here.  Slicing your pineapple inside of a bowl will allow you to catch all of the juices and utilize them for this recipe.

Adapted from this recipe

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil

1 Small Red Bell Pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 Small Yellow Bell Pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 Pound Fresh Green Beans

3 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Fresh Ginger

1 Tablespoon Red Curry Paste

1 15 Ounce Can Coconut Milk, unsweetened and full fat

1/3 Cup Chicken Stock

2 Teaspoons Fish Sauce

1 Teaspoon Salt

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, thinly sliced

3/4 Cup Fresh Pineapple Cubes

1 Tablespoon Fresh Pineapple Juice

1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves, for garnishing

Directions

Preheat a large wok or deep skillet over medium high heat.  Add sesame oil, peppers and beans and saute for 1 minute.  Add garlic and ginger and saute for another 30 seconds.  Add curry paste and coconut milk and whisk until the coconut milk is smooth and incorporated.  Add chicken stock, fish sauce and salt and bring to a simmer.  Let simmer over medium heat for five minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the chicken, pineapple and pineapple juice and simmer over medium heat until chicken is completely cooked through, 8-10 minutes.  Top with cilantro and serve immediately over brown rice, if desired.

 

 

 

Real Ranch Dressing

~ nourishedpeach ~ 3 Comments

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This is a wholesome take on the store bought stuff; better taste, better price, better for you.  I’m willing to bet you have most, if not all, of the ingredients in your pantry and fridge already.  Makes the perfect dip to get those kiddos eating more veggies…or they could just drink it right out of the bowl

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Real Ranch Dressing

Ingredients

8 Ounces Sour Cream

2 Tablespoons Buttermilk

1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar

1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard

2 Green Onions, roughly chopped

1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley Leaves (or 1 Tablespoons Dried)

2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Dill (or 2 Teaspoons Dried)

1 Garlic Clove

3/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.  Chill in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.  Yeilds 1+Cup

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