Jessica

Dinner 4One: Spinach Artichoke Pasta

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This whole week has been just little ol’ me and the Brody Monster haning out a la casa de Ginger. It’s been a while since Chuck has had to be gone for more than a night, and as much as I love having him around sometimes it’s just nice to be on my own.

I have finally gotten some much needed cleaning done, set up some new camera toys and practiced. I bought Tasty Food Photography way back in January and though I’ve read it through I haven’t had much the opportunity to practice what I have learned. Something about a big bearded man craning his neck over my shoulder, asking “when’s dinner” that really puts the ki-bosh on getting the AH-mazing photos I know I’m capable of. I keep telling both him and myself that patience is a virtue, but this week has helped me get my feet back on the ground with it all.

I mean look at these pictures!

Now let’s get back on track here and talk a little bit about the Spinach Artichoke Wonder-Pot. Call me crazy but I simply cannot understand these “wonder-pot” things that seem to be floating around the internet, I mean even Martha is on that band wagon. I just cannot get behind the idea of dumping everything into one pan, adding water and boiling the hell out of it. Why aren’t we sautéing the onion and garlic? Or getting some good carmelization on the mushrooms people? The point is to make a pasta dish, not coddle, or a pot roast or something.

I know we are all going for ease here, but that couple extra minutes to get some more flavor out the food we are cooking is so worth it. Don’t you think?

Dinner 4One: Spinach Artichoke Pasta

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: Serves 1

Ingredients

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 14 oz can of artichoke hearts, chopped
1 cup of uncooked pasta
2 cups of vegetable broth
1 cup loosely packed baby spinach
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for garnish)
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil in a thick bottomed sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until the onion just begins to turn translucent then add the garlic and red pepper flakes.
Cook for 1-2 additional minutes before adding the artichoke hearts, pasta, and broth, stirring well to combine.
Continue to cook stirring regularly until the pasta is aldente. Fold in the spinach and cheese until the spinach has wilted.
Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve warm with an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Casserole

French Onion Baked Gnocchi

Shrimp & Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

St. Patrick’s Day & Irish Vegetable Soup

By Jessica

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

This is an updated version of the Irish vegetable soup recipe first posted in 2012.

St. Patrick’s Day is coming. It’s the one day a year when all of us Americans show our Irish pride, claim to be Irish, and drink ourselves stupid. We all also eat a boat load of corned beef & cabbage, because, you know, that’s all they eat over their really. Or so we all seem to think.

…

Leftover Chicken Croquettes with Smoked Cheddar & Squash Soup

By Jessica

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

You may have noticed I have been into posting whole meals. I feel like it’s more real this way. Everything I post here is usually made right before we eat it. Occasionally I will make something ahead so I can get a good picture of it but it’s always eaten for dinner later or lunch the next day, besides some things just taste better after a few hours of sitting in the fridge, soups and stews especially.

What I’m getting at is that I hope you don’t mind that I do this sometimes. You know, bombard you with 3 or 4 recipes in one post. This is how we eat, what we eat all together I thought it might be helpful for people trying to come up with dinner menus, weeknight meals and other combinations. Plus I also get really excited about some of these recipes and combos and want to share them all at once.

This collection of recipes seems a little off at first glance but I’m telling you all the pieces fall nicely into place. The croquettes were developed out of necessity I have an abundance of leftover chicken, and we are kind of getting sick of chicken soup these days. My step mom Miss Amy has made these same croquettes before with turkey so I figured the same could be done with chicken. Now what do you serve with such a thing?
Squash soup of course! Chuck just really wanted it, and I really wanted Maple Walnut Salad Dressing, which goes so well with the smoked cheddar and apples, so let put it all together. What goes better together than soup and salad anyway?

The croquettes need liquid, whether it be gravy, salad dressing or some other kind of sauce it‘s definitely required because they are kid of dry
without it. They are a pretty blank canvas which I like because I wanted to taste more of the dressing; however you can jazz them up by adding some chopped up veggies or spices to the mix.

Leftover ChickenCroquettes

5 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1 cup milk

2 cups cooked and minced chicken (you may want to use a food
processor)

½ cup bread crumbs

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat, and whisk in flower.

Cook for 1 minute, whisking continuously.
Add milk whisking until well combined and cook for 1-2 minutes, until thickened then remove from heat and allow to cool. In a large bowl combine the chicken and cooled sauce, mixing well. The combination should be sticky, if it doesn’t start to form clumps then add a few bread crumbs a pinch at a time.

Sift together breadcrumbs, parsley and salt in a shallow dish or plate.

With your hands create hockey puckshaped disks. Coat the disks with the bread crumb mixture and place in a greased baking dish.

Bake for 30 or so minutes or until the croquettesbegin to turn a golden brown color.

Maple Walnut Salad
Dressing

¾ cups chopped walnuts

3 tbsp Apple Cider vinegar

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp pure maple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or jar, then whisk or shake well to combine.

Squash Soup with Smoked Cheddar
and Apple

1 medium onion, peeled & chopped

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium roasted butternut squash, flesh only

½ cup apple cider vinegar

4 cups Low Sodium vegetable broth

1 medium apple, peeled and diced

1/3 cup apple smoked cheddar

In a large thick bottomed sauce pan heat oil over medium high heat and sauté onion until it begins to soften and become translucent.

Add squash and broth to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes then with an immersion blender or in batches blend until smooth.

Over medium heat add apple and smoked cheddar and cook for 5-6 minutes stirring regularly.
Adjust seasoning and serve warm with extra cheese for garnish.

Chicken Parm Meatballs & Homemade Tomato Sauce

By Jessica

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Back in January I stumbled on this post, and while the recipe was pretty awesome, I wasn’t ready to gripe about the cold yet. But seeing as how it’s now March and we are still, to put it in her words, in the midst of “unrelenting cold” I’m ready to succumb to the idea that I may in fact be ready for spring.

I also have to agree with her position on soup. We have been eating it quite a lot lately, and I’m so in the mood for something else, so why not recreate her recipe? The original version is pretty amazing, but I wanted something a little more week day friendly so I cut a few ingredients and simplified the steps a bit.

I also wanted to keep this recipe completely clean, so I added the recipe for my home made tomato sauce. I usually make this in big batches then freeze it in smaller quantities for later use, but if you are strapped for time you can use a store bought sauce just as easily, there are a lot of options out there. Also using a ready made sauce makes it a one pan meal, two if you make a pasta side like I did.

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

1 lb ground chicken

1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1 egg white

3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Premade Sauce *** (recipe follows)

2/3 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

2 or 3 large basil leaves, chopped

Parmesan cheese for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 Degrees. Combine chicken,
breadcrumbs, egg, cheese and spices in a large bowl until evenly mixed. With your
hands shape the meat mixture into 1-2 inch balls. In a large oven proof skillet
heat oil over medium high heat, then add meatballs cooking for 5-6 minutes,
turning regularly. Once all sides are
browned add the sauce to the pan, making sure that the meatballs are covered.
Top with mozzarella, basil and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Place in the oven
and cook until the cheese is melted and the meatballs are cooked through (about
15 minutes). Serve warm.

Homemade Tomato Sauce

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 small carrot, shredded

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3-4 large basil leaves

1 tbsp fresh Italian parsley

5 cups seeded, diced tomatoes (if jarred no salt added)

In a large thick bottomed sauce pan heat oil and saute
onion, and carrot for 2-3 minutes or until the onions begin to turn
translucent. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Stir in herbs and
cook for another 10 minutes or so. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender
or by transferring in small batches. Bring to a low simmer, cover and cook for
2-3 hours stirring regularly. Once simmered add salt and pepper to taste and
serve warm, or allow to cool and store. (will last for 3-5 days in the fridge
or a few months in the freezer)

Whats bringing you out of this cold winter blues?

I’m Profound and 5 Awesome Cocktails

By Jessica

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

I’ve been racking my brain for a while now trying to come up
with something profound to talk about since I turn 26 this month.

I’ve come up with a whole lot of nothing.

I could poetically wax on about all the lessons I’ve
learned, how far I’ve come as a person, or my future dreams, but that just doesn’t
feel right.

A lot happened in the last year, and a lot is going to happen this
year. I can feel it, I know it, and I’m ready for it.

And that pretty much sums up my profoundly poetic emotions right
now.

Anticlimactic I know.

Maybe these cocktail recipes will make up for it? Keep me in
mind tonight while you are stirring yours up, because that’s what I will be
doing. Happy Friday!

Dirty Martini Shooters

Blackberry Crush Cocktail

Blood Orange Sangria

Raspberry Lemonade Champagne Smash

Pomegranate Gin Cocktail

Jessica

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