Corey's Pasta Bake

Adapted from the Hunt's recipe for Spicy Italian Pasta Bake. This is great for family and pot-luck dinners.

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 12-14oz. box Rotini or penne pasta (NOTE: you can use 80% of the box just fine for this dish)
19 oz. Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
2 medium Onions (or 1 large yellow), chopped
1 Green pepper, cut into thin strips of around 1 1/2" long
1 pkg (12 oz.) Mushrooms (white), sliced in half
2 tsp Garlic, chopped (or cloves)
2 28 oz cans Crushed tomatoes
1 tsp Basil, dried
1 tsp Oregano, dried
2 tsp Parsley, dried
2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 13"x9" (or larger) baking dish with cooking spray. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, cook sausage in large nonstick skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, breaking apart with spoon to crumble. Add onion, green peppers, mushrooms and garlic. Cook and stir for around 6 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are crisp-tender. Add tomatoes and spices; heat 2 minutes or until bubbling.
3. Add pasta to tomato mixture; stir until pasta is well coated. Spoon half of mixture into baking dish. Top with half of the cheese. Repeat layers once more. Bake 15-17 minutes or until hot.  Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Simple Roasted Vegetables

This is one of my favorite recipes and I was surprised that I had to posted it yet. It is very simple, can be easily tweaked for taste, and is a great side dish for the holidays. You can play with the recipe and include just about any root vegetable - but make sure you have the Parsnips!

Ingredients:
2-3 Sweet Potatoes – peeled and diced (1/2” cubes)
3-4 Large White Potatoes – peeled and diced (1/2” cubes)
4-5 Carrots - peeled and sliced (1/2” wide at the tip and smaller at the wider part)
4-5 Parsnips - peeled and sliced (1/2” wide at the tip and smaller at the wider part)
4 tablespoons Oil (I use extra virgin Olive Oil)
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried and crushed thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Place cut vegetables in a large roasting pan. You can adjust the amount of veggies to the size of the pan.
3. Coat with oil and mix in the dry spices with the salt and pepper. You can easily adjust the amount to taste.
4. Cook for 1 hour, mixing periodically.

Christmas Orzo Pesto Salad

Great easy pasta salad - I love having it for pot-lucks and picnics.  It travels very well.

Ingredients:

2 oz Pine Nuts
1 lb Orzo
1/2 green pepper - diced finely
1 6-7oz jar prepared Pesto (like Delallo)
3-4 roasted red pepper sections
1 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Lightly toast pine nuts in a dry pan. Stir often so they do not burn (10-12 minutes over low heat). Set aside and let cool.
2. Cook orzo as directed for "al dente." When fully cooked, drain and rinse with cool water.
3. Dice green peppers (very small) and cut roasted red peppers into thin strips, about 1/4" wide and 1" long. Does not have to be precise.
4. In a large bowl, combine green and red peppers, pesto and toasted pine nuts. Add olive oil to keep moist.
5. Chill for at least 30 minutes and serve.

This is a photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cseeman/4675308306/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/cseeman/4675308306/</a>

Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Sauerkraut

Been a while - this is a great dish and just in time for St. Patrick's Day! Super easy and delicious.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon dried minced onions
1 corned beef (average piece - 3 lbs)
2 lbs sauerkraut (canned or jarred) - you might need more with a larger piece of corned beef)

Directions:

1. Sprinkle the dried onion on the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Add the corned beef, fat side up.
3. Place the sauerkraut on top of the beef to cover. Include all the liquid from the jar or can.
4. Cook all day long - around 10 hours on low setting.

You could add other veggies, but we have kept it simple.
This is WONDERFUL as sandwiches with rye bread.

Franklin Sole and Vegetables

It was adapted from this recipe from Ellie Krieger (a Food Network cook): http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/healthy-appetite-with-ellie-krieger-/flounder-and-vegetable-parcels-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

4 (4-ounce) frozen sole fillets (could work with other thin white fish fillets)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 medium zucchini (sliced into 1/8" diagonal slices)
1 medium carrot (sliced into 1/8" diagonal slices)
1 medium red bell pepper, cut julienne style
2 medium shallots (sliced into 1/8" diagonal slices)
12-16 thin asparagus tops (top 2-3 inches) - if thick cut in half
4 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon (sliced into 1/8" diagonal slices)
4 sprigs of fresh dill

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

1. Season the fish fillets with the salt and pepper.
2. Place 1 fish fillet at the center of a piece of foil (around 12-14").
3. On top of the fish, place a equal amounts of zucchini, carrot, pepper, shallots, and asparagus.
4. Put 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil & 1 tablespoon of white wine on each fillet. Add 2-3 lemon slices and one sprig of fresh dill on each packet.
5. Seal the packets securely, leaving a little room to allow the fish to steam. Transfer the packets to a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
6. Remove from foil and pour sauce on top of the fish.

Celebration Pasta

Ingredients
1 pound pasta - any will do (I like penne or rigatoni)
4 cloves garlic, chopped (or 4 teaspoons)
5 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound shrimp (31/40 count) - increase to taste
1 small onion, chopped
8 oz. mushrooms, whitecap, sliced
1 package fresh arugula (around 5 oz)
1 package fresh baby spinach (around 8 oz)
4-6 pieces of sun-dried tomatoes - cut into thin strips.
1 bunch fresh basil, cut into strips (you can replace with a much smaller amount of dried basil if you do not have any fresh)
2-3 tablespoons of shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta as directed

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. You will need a big pan for this as the greens need room to wilt.

3. Add 2 cloves (chopped) of garlic, cook for 30 seconds and then add shrimp. Saute the shrimp until they are pink, remove from pan and leave covered under foil to keep warm.

4. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil; add remaining garlic and the small chopped onion; cook for 3-4 minutes.

5. Add chopped mushrooms, cook for 4-5 minutes.

6. Add greens (arugula and spinach). Using tongs (I think that is what they are called), work the greens into the heat until it is fully coated and starting to wilt. As you are mixing, this should take just a few minutes.

7. When the greens are wilted, add sun-dried tomatoes; cook for 1 minute, then add shrimp and fresh basil.

8. Add pasta and mix in the pan, cover for around one minute.

9. Add 2-3 tablespoons of shredded Parmesan cheese and cook for around one more minute.

Sugar Glazed Salmon

This was a great recipe that I adapted from the cookbook by Cynthia Nims called "Salmon" (part of the Northwest Homegrown Cookbook Series from WestWinds Press (2005) - Picked it up at ALA Midwinter in Seattle.

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil
1-2 salmon fillets (about 14 oz total)
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tbs kosher salt
pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Get a piece of aluminum foil that will be big enough to wrap the salmon with a small air pocket.
3. Drizzle the oil on the middle of the foil. Place the salmon, skin side down, in the middle.
4. Sprinkle the salt over the salmon and add pepper to taste.
5. Spread evenly the brown sugar over the salmon. Fold up the foil to it covers the salmon and creates a light seal.
6. Cook for 20 minutes or so.

Serve with rice and vegetables.