Sweet Love and Ginger

Quick & Easy

Dinner 4One: Spinach Artichoke Pasta

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Spinach Artichoke Pasta

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.
Spinach Artichoke Pasta
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?
Spinach Artichoke Pasta
Dinner 4One: Spinach Artichoke Pasta
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
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
  1. 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.
  2. Cook for 1-2 additional minutes before adding the artichoke hearts, pasta, and broth, stirring well to combine.
  3. Continue to cook stirring regularly until the pasta is aldente. Fold in the spinach and cheese until the spinach has wilted.
  4. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve warm with an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
Spinach Artichoke Chicken Casserole

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Casserole

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French Onion Baked Gnocchi

Shrimp & Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Shrimp & Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Venison Stir Fry

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Stir fry is a pretty humble dish. It’s about the easiest
thing someone can cook, and it’s usually pretty healthy for you. There a
probably a million different variations from the basic recipes which is what
makes it so appealing. I love making it when I am feeling lazy, or need a
simple healthy meal. So I make them a lot; like once a week a lot. Because of
this I like to dress them up with unique meats, or vegetables, mostly just to
add a fun twist and keep it fresh.

The unique thing about this stir fry is the venison. Venison
can be tricky at times to cook with for a couple reasons, its super lean so it
can get tough if over cooked, it can be gamey, and it cooks quickly, so you
don’t really have a lot of time to play around with the flavors without ruining
the entire dish. But you are lucky that I’m a pro and can tell you how to do it
correctly.

If venison scares you this dish can also be made with beef
or lamb, though you may have to adjust the seasonings a little.

A little side note: This meal wasn’t meant to be clean, it
just worked out that way. Don’t you love it when things like that happen?

Venison Stir Fry

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 large carrots, peeled & cut into matchsticks
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 lb venison steak, cut into bit size chunks
½ cup fresh or frozen peas

In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat and sauté
onion, garlic and carrot for 3-4 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Add
pepper, oregano, and soy sauce stirring well to combine. Add venison and cook
for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add peas and cook an additional minute
before serving.

Easy & Clean to Fight the Carb Cravings

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Mondays are hard for everyone I know, especially after
having two weeks off for the holidays. This past Monday I was all gung-hoe (did
I spell that right?) to get my life back together, get back to work and working
out. I was going to get back into eating healthy, relaxing morning routines,
and better habits.

Well now it’s Wednesday and all I want is my bathrobe, Netflix
and a pizza.

I know this is just part of it all; right now I’m facing the
cravings stage of the new diet. It’s taking everything in my power to not pick
up that olive garden gift card and stuff my face for dinner tonight. All I can
think about is a big pile of pasta swimming in some kind of garlic and butter
laden sauce and an abundance of breadsticks.

Gah! Ok Let’s talk about something else, perhaps the dinner I
had last night?

Easy & clean is the name of the game this week. I’m as
much of a mess as I was before Christmas so quick, easy meals are my savior,
and are really helping me stay on track despite the little ginger demon on my
shoulder waving hot mozzarella sticks under my nose.

This recipe is super easy and can be paired with a number of
sides; you can also swap out or add nearly any vegetable to the broccoli to
make it a more complete meal. The parchment helps to seal in the juices, so
every single bite is brimming with flavor. From start to finish this dish only
takes about 20 minutes, so less than the time it would take to make a box of Mac
& Cheese, and probably way easier, just sayin’.

Parchment Baked Tilapia & Broccoli

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

Pinch of crushed red pepper

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp sea salt

2 tilapia fillets (1/4 lb each fillet)

2-4 lemon slices (1/4 inch thick)

2 cups broccoli florets

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a
small bowl combine garlic, parsley, crushed red pepper, oil, salt and lemon,
mixing well to combine. On a precut piece of parchment paper lay one tilapia
fillet, topping it with half of the garlic mixture and one or two lemon slices
on each one. Place 1 cup of broccoli florets on top of this before folding creating
the parchment pouch. Take two opposite sides of the parchment and bring them
together. Fold them downward creasing the paper at least two times. This should
create a tube like package, which can be closed by pinching the open ends
closed and rolling them  inward. Place
the parchment packages on a cookie sheet in the oven for about 10-15 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes before opening. The fish should be
flaky when pierced with a fork. (Serves 2)

This recipe can also be used for salmon and bass, though I
prefer it with tilapia.

Despite the intensity of fatty/carb loaded food cravings in
this post I can honestly tell you that this meal, paired with rice was
incredibly satisfying, and will be made again, probably in the near future.

D4One: Orecchetti with Bacon, Clams and Kale

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Dont mind my unedited pictures again… i’m working on it … Still.

Sometimes I get cravings for something, and my whole world
is not right until I get my hands on that food. Lately it’s been seafood. I
think I’m going through summer with drawl or something. I have been patiently
waiting for chuck to be out of town to indulge. He doesn’t share my love of the
stuff, so why spend the money on him?

He was finally gone the other night so I went searching
through the cabinets thinking there were some scallops in there for my awesome
Scallop Carbonarra, only to find that there wasn’t. So I improvised a little,
and it was fabulous if I do say so myself. Normally I wait until I have tested
a recipe a few times before I post it up here to work out all the kinks but in
this particular case I think you would rather just give it a try yourself. It is
so easy but feels, and tastes so complex.

Orecchietti with Bacon, Clams and Kale
2 cups oreccheitte pasta.
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 strips of cooked bacon, crumbled
1 shallot, chopped
1 can clams and juice
1 cup chopped kale
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese for garnish
Cook pasta according to package instructions, reserving ½ a
cup of the cooking liquid. In a large skillet heat oil and sauté bacon, and
shallot until the shallot begins to soften, 2 minutes. Add clam, juice and
pasta liquid to pan and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, allowing it to reduce
slightly. Toss kale into the pan and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes,
allowing the kale to become bright green and wilted. Add the pasta to the pan, salt
& pepper, toss to combine and remove from heat. Serve warm with a sprinkle
of Parmesan cheese. 

Apple Picking & Apple Pork Chops

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Apple Pork Chops


I love apple picking season, the act of apple picking and the goodies that follow, namely candy apples, apple butter, cider, and pie. This time of year I do whatever I can to add apples to our daily meals, usually because we have so many of them, but also because they are delicious. This is one of my favorite recipes that I think I have made a couple hundred times. I don’t know why I haven’t shared it with you before, it’s a shame that I haven’t.

Apple Picking & Apple Pork Chops
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: Serves 4
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 lb boneless pork chops
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion, sliced thin
  • 1 large apple, cored and sliced thin
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • ½ cup white wine
Instructions
  1. Heat oil over medium high heat while seasoning the porkchops with salt, pepper, and paprika.
  2. Place the pork chops in the hot pan andsear for 4-5 minutes per side, or until it begins to turn golden.
  3. Remove the chops and set aside.
  4. Add butter, onion and apple to the pan and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until the onions begin to brown and caramelize.
  5. Stir in the brown sugar, before adding the wine. Cook for another 3-4 minutes and allow the wine to reduce slightly.
  6. Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.

Apple Pork Chops