Rainbow Pasta

With the warmer weather, I have been looking for lighter recipes. This recipe was suprisingly easy and light and delicious!

From Tasty Kitchen

1 pound Farfalle Pasta, Cooked
3 whole Carrots, Peeled And Cut Into Thin Strips
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Cut Into Thin Strips
1 whole Yellow Bell Peper, Cut Into Thin Strips
1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Cut Into Thin Strips
½ whole Red Onion, Cut Into Thin Strips
½ cups Grape Tomatoes
½ teaspoons Dried Italian Seasonings
½ cups Parmesan Cheese, Grated
Olive Oil
1 cup Reserved Pasta Water

Preparation Instructions

Start by preheating your oven to 450ºF.
Prepare your vegetables (except tomatoes) by cutting them into thin strips.
Put them on a baking dish into their own little piles.
Drizzle some olive oil on each pile of vegetables and also salt and pepper each pile.
Put it into the oven and set your timer for 10 minutes.
While the vegetables are roasting, start cooking your pasta. You can use any kind of pasta you like (penne or rigatoni would be great in this). All I had was bow tie, so that’s what I ended up using.
After the first 10 minutes, stir the vegetables around and also sprinkle the herbs on top.
Continue roasting them for another 10-15 minutes.
While the vegetables finish cooking, grate your Parmesan cheese and prepare your tomatoes. Most of the tomatoes can be left whole, but the ones that are bigger, you may want to cut in half.
The vegetables are done when they are tender, soft and slightly crisp.
When the pasta is done, reserve one cup of pasta water. Drain the rest of the pasta and return to the pot.
Add in your vegetables and a little bit of pasta water, and stir. Add in the cheese, tomatoes and the rest of the pasta water and give it one more good stir.
Place into bowls, grate a little more cheese on top and serve immediately!

Salisbury Steak

I was cruising my usual cooking sites looking for something to cook and saw this recipe on Cooking Mamas. I don't know if it is because we have really been limiting the red meat at our house or if I just needed something that had a little substance to it, but this recipe really grabbed my attention. I couldn't wait to make this for our Sunday dinner. It was delicious and my kids were negotiating who got the last steak. I was definitely happy and satisfied after I ate this. I followed all the instructions for the recipe (except for a few substitutions) including the mashed potatoes and green beans. MMMMMM!!!!!

1 lb. ground beef
1/2. saltine crackers, crushed (I didn't have these so I used Panko bread crumbs)
1 egg beaten
1/4 c. onion
1/2 t. salt
pepper to taste
1/2 c. water
1 12 oz. jar turkey gravy (I made my normal gravy from this recipe)

Combine beef, crushed crackers, beaten egg, onions, salt and pepper into a large mixing bowl. Mix well and form into 4-6 patties depending on size the want them. Set aside. Combine water and gravy in a large skillet over medium heat. Add patties. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, turning once halfway through. Whip up some mashed potatoes,pour over some of the yummy gravy, have some green beans and you have yourself another hearty meal!!

Chewy Soft Pretzels

I saw this recipe around SuperBowl weekend and thought they looked great. I have to say these were just awesome and easy. After making these I think I will have a hard time buying soft pretzels again.

From My Kitchen Cafe
Makes 8 pretzels
Dough:
2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
7/8 to 1 cup (7 to 8 ounces) warm water

Topping:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
Coarse salt (optional)
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Place all of the dough ingredients into a bowl and beat until well combined. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it is soft, smooth, and quite slack. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 30 minutes (see pictures below).Preheat your oven to 500°F. Prepare two baking sheets by spraying them with vegetable oil spray, or lining them with parchment paper.Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into eight equal pieces (about 70g, or 2 1/2 ounces, each). Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda, and place it in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved; if it isn't, it will make your pretzels splotchy.Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28 to 30 inches long), and twist each rope into a pretzel. Dip each pretzel in the baking soda wash (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.Bake the pretzels for 8 to 9 minutes, or until they're golden brown. I only bake one baking sheet at a time and let the other rest while the first is in the oven.Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you've used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but that's what gives these pretzels their ethereal taste. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave.

*Use the greater amount in the winter, the lesser amount in the summer, and somewhere in between in the spring and fall. Your goal is a soft dough.

Farfalle with Broccoli

This was super simple and pretty good! I probably would leave out the anchovies next time, but I think that is just because the smell bothered me.

From Food Network

1 pound farfalle pasta
2 heads broccoli, trimmed to florets (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons butter (I only used a tablespoon and a little more olive oil)

3 garlic cloves, chopped
5 anchovy fillets, diced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally. After 5 minutes, add the broccoli florets to the pasta and stir and cook for another 4 minutes. Drain pasta and broccoli, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, pasta, salt and pepper and toss. Add some of the reserved pasta water, if necessary, to make a light sauce. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with Parmesan.