Creamy Tomato Pesto Pasta

Creamy Tomato Pesto Pasta

Funny story I signed up to bring something for teacher appreciation week and then forgot.  I got a reminder this week and panicked. I found the recipe below and was able to adapt it to a cold dish. It only took 15 trips around the grocery store and one call to mom.

This recipe was adapted to a cold dish from this recipe  http://www.lifewithmylittles.com/2014/09/cheesy-pesto-and-tomato-pasta.html/#_a5y_p=2593799

12 oz. bowtie pasta

 

1 bunch asparagus, chopped in to bite size pieces

1 tbsp. pesto

1 Tbsp. butter

1 c. whipping cream

⅓ c. shredded mozzarella

1 tomato, diced

1/3 c parmesan cheese

 

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside

 

In the same pan you cooked the pasta, melt butter over medium heat. sauté the asparagus for about 5 minutes. Add in the whipping cream and let it get thick, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the pesto and let the sauce thicken more, about 7 more minutes.

Add ⅓ c. mozzarella cheese and stir until melted. Add tomatoes.

 

Toss in the pasta. Top with parmesan cheese

 

Serve! (I served this cold to teachers the next day.)

Mexican Caprese Salad

The traditional caprese salad consists of mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. But, I could not resist changing the basil to cilantro. I hope you enjoy!!!

Mexican Caprese Salad

1 ball of fresh mozzarella, cubed

1-2 large tomatoes, cubed (I had extra heirloom tomatoes from the garden and I added them.)

1 Avocado, cubed

2 tbsps. chopped cilantro

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

2 tbsp olive oil (for a lite choice, lemon juice)

salt and pepper to taste

Combine in a bowl and enjoy.

For a tutorial on how to cut avocado, see his blog.

Asian Lettace Wraps

 

My husband and I grew up in Oklahoma were you eat black eyed peas for luck on New Years Day. Here in Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Dutch eat pork and sauerkraut . They choose pork because pigs push their snouts forward to forage for food. That is considered good luck looking forward. I am not sure why they eat sauerkraut. This is a spin on that tradition and a healthy meal for your lunch.

This blog post was inspired by https://feedingmykid.wordpress.com/2013/01/06/asian-ground-beef-stir-fry-gluten-free-dairy-free-egg-free-peanut-and-tree-nut-free/

Asian Lettuce Wraps

3 Teaspoons sesame oil

1 lb of ground beef or pork

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 lb thinly sliced mushrooms

½ cup of shredded carrots ( I used 3)

1-2 cups shredded cabbage

2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce

2 tablespoons water

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

1 head of romaine lettuce

Begin by browning the meat with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil .Use the smallest amount of oil possible, it has a very strong flavor.  But, it is the key to making Chinese food at home. Then remove meat from the pan.

 Add another teaspoon of oil, and add onions, carrots, and cabbage. Sauté until onions and cabbage are translucent. Remove from skillet. Add more oil if needed. Sauté mushrooms. While the mushrooms cook, make a dressing with soy sauce, water, garlic and ginger.

In a large bowl, combine meat and all vegetables. Top with dressing and combine well. Place a couple spoon fulls of mixture in lettuce leaf. Roll up and enjoy. 
 

Shrimp and Avocado Salad for Lunch at Work

 

 

I found months ago, this zesty lime, shrimp and avocado salad on Pinterest.  My mom made it for me after Chloe was born and it was so good. We ate it all. But, I have never been able to take for my lunch at work because the shrimp goes bad. Then it occurred to me that if I froze the shrimp in individual portions, I could make the salad ahead and top it off with shrimp.

 

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

1 lb Shrimp divided into 3

1 medium tomato

1 avocado
1/4 cup chopped red onion (can use green onion)
juice of 1 lime 1 tsp olive oil
3 tbsp cilantro
salt and pepper to taste


Chop tomato, onion, avocado and cilantro. Combine in a bowl. Juice lime. Add olive oil, salt and pepper to lime juice. Top salad with dressing. Make sure to coat avocado well, so it does not turn brown. Makes 3 servings.

If you go to the seafood counter, ask for a pound of shrimp divided into 3 bags. They don't blink.

Chop your salad.

I cut avocado, by cutting the avocado in half, removing the seed, then cut the flesh of the avocado each way, finally spoon the avocado out of the peel and into your bowl. No messy fingers.

Make the dressing, by juicing a lime, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Enjoy!!

Quiche for Mommy's Lunch

I am always looking for lunches to take to work. I need them to taste good, last all week in the fridge and be healthy.  I tried a new recipe for this week and it was good so I thought I would share.

It is from Mom on a Time Out. Below is the link to the original recipe.

http://www.momontimeout.com/2012/08/zucchini-green-chile-quiche-recipe/

I reduced the cheese and chiles, left out the cottage cheese and changed the shallots to green onion. Next time I might make it without a crust. It will have significantly less calories without a crust. Half a can of green chiles created a mild flavor. Mild was perfect for me, but if you want more spice add more.

1 pie crust

1 medium zucchini

1 Tbls olive oil

2 green onions 

1/4 c all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

 Dash of pepper

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese, grated

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained

Directions:

First prebake the crust for 7 minutes at 375 degrees.

Then grate the zucchini, I used a paper towel to soak up the extra moisture.

Cook the zucchini and green onions in a skillet about five minutes. While the zucchini mixture is cooking, combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Use a fork to fluff the eggs and combine. Add zucchini mixture.

Place mixture in the pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.