Shrimp with Spaghetti & Pine Nuts

First, let me start my acknowleding that the blog is sparse.  However - I do make meals, sometimes... This weeks is a perfect example.  I've cooked 2 of the past 3 nights - but have just not taken the time to post.  Between work, taking care of the husband & house, and studying for my exam that I'm taking on Saturday - its everything I can do to get a fresh meal on the table.  But I'm taking the time this morning to catch up on the posting.  I'll start with the least exciting and leave you with the fantastic meal in a separate post.

We all know by now that I love shrimp - I cook with it often.  In attempt to make something quick and maybe a bit different I tried out this recipe.  I used the opportunity to use up some pine nuts leftover from the prosciutto pasta.  To make a side note - we did not have pasta two nights in a row.  I made this meal last night - so there were a couple nights of pasta free eating.

It was pretty simple, but I should have listened to my gut and thrown in something more exciting - a can of diced tomatoes, some mushrooms, something - it was just pasta & shrimp....  Quick, satisfying and I used whole wheat pasta in an attempt to be healthier.  I can't tell a taste difference with the wheat pasta, but its delicious just the same.  I probably won't be making this one again - but then again - I typically make variations of shrimp & pasta all the time.

Pasta with Asparagus, Prosciutto and Pine Nuts

I am very much a fan of pasta, as well as a fan of asparagus.  When it comes to asparagus, I've very judgemental of size.  The thin petite ones are my favorite - they are more tender.  Albertson's finally had some small ones in stock - so I took advantage of the opportunity.  I also used up the remainder of the prosciutto from the pizza the other night.  This meal was a great one-pot wonder with the assistance of using aluminum foil for the oven items.

I absolutely loved this dish!  It melded all the flavors that are my favorites and had plenty of asparagus to make it a veggie-full meal.

• 8 oz of cavatappi pasta (its just regular pasta, but in a fun swirl shape)
• 1 lb of aspargus, trimmed and broken in smaller pieces
• Teaspoon of minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• A couple shakes of salt & pepper
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 oz or so of prosciutto, diced
• 1/4 shredded parmesan

• Boil pasta per package directions, throw in asparagus in the last 3 minutes of cooking time.
• In 400 degree oven, toast the pine nuts for about 3 minutes. Take out, then up the temperature to 475 and cook the prosciutto for about 6 minutes - to give it a good crisp.
• Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper.
• Drain pasta & asparagus and put back in the pot, stir in the garlic & lemon/olive oil mixture, pine nuts, prosciutto & the cheese.

Yum!

Mushroom, Prosciutto & Gouda Pizza

I attempted to make a pizza to deviate a bit from the normal pizza we usually make.  David typically makes a delicious thick slow baked crust that rises quite a bit with a rich garlicly tomato sauce.  So, in effort to be totally different because I cannot reach his greatness - I made a thin crisp crust, no sauce, hearty mushrooms & crisp prosciutto with creamy gouda (leftover from last nights dinner)

I found the crust recipe in a Cooking Light magazine: Crust Recipe  I preheated up the pizza stone in the oven while it got up to 550 degrees.  Cooking at a high temperature helps get a nice crisp to the crust, however, I would recommend to clean out any little burnt crisps that lay in the bottom of the oven before getting it this hot.  The little boil over that I have postponed cleaning up created quite the whaft of black smoke that had the dog a bit worried.

While the oven heated up, I sauted 1 minced shallot with 8 oz of sliced mushrooms.  Once the mushrooms became tender, I stirred in a tablespoon of garlic and a few teaspoons of red wine vinegar.

We like to roll out pizza dough on cornmeal to give it that extra crunch, so once the oven was heated up, I rolled out the dough and topped with the mushroom mixture (no sauce needed), 3 oz of thinly sliced prosciutto, and shredded Gouda (leftovers from last night).  I baked for about 10 minutes. I watched closely in fear it would start on fire with the oven being so hot - but it all turned out without incident.

I loved this pizza - the flavors were different than the typical pepperoni and tomato sauce.  I didn't miss a sauce, and the prosciutto crisped up nicely.  I would definitely make this one again - and I'll remember to clean out my oven a bit first next time :)

Gnocchi with Spinach & Zucchini

I've been in a bit of a food rut lately.  I haven't really been too adventurous with our meals lately - so it was time to try something a little different.  We are a fan of gnocchi and its so easy to cook - so I just expanded a bit on how we've had it in the past.

• 1 pkg of gnocchi
• 10 oz bag of spinach
• 2 small zucchini
• 2 oz of Gouda (found in the specialty cheese section - I usually buy the smallest quantity I can find - so its not too expensive)

While the gnocchi cooks, saute sliced zucchini chunks until slightly crisp & browned - about 4 minutes.
Add a spoonful of garlic, then add spinach and cover for a few minutes until it all wilts.
Reduce heat and stir in 1/4 cup of milk and the 2oz of shredded Gouda, and stir in the gnocchi.

The flavor of the Gouda really added a different twist to this pretty simple dish.  The flavors didn't really lend themselves to hot sauce - so not sure this had the zing that David typically likes in his food - but I was happy to try something new.

Southwest Chicken Soup

Tonight's dinner is also known as -  a good way to use up a rotisserie chicken.

The other night I brought home a rotisserie chicken for a quick dinner - but with just the two of us - its tough to get through a whole chicken.  So - the fantastic solution - a soup!

• Saute a few spoonfuls of garlic in a soup pot.
• Add 6 cups of chicken broth (we use this a lot - so I always stock up when its on sale)
• Add in 1 tsp of cumin
• 1/4 cup of rice (I used brown rice)
• 1 can (16 oz of Great Northern beans) - the white ones :) rinsed & drained.
• Simmer for 30 min - because I used brown rice, it took considerably longer than if I had used quick white rice)
• Stir in 3 cups of shredded cooked chicken & 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
• Heat for 5 minutes or so until the chicken heats up, then stir in 1 tsp or so of fresh lime juice.

I love soup - and this one turned out pretty good.  The cilantro stirred in near the end gave it a fresh bite.