Italian Jambalaya

I realize it's been a long time since I've posted a new recipe, but that's only because I want to provide you with only the best of my work (and I'm just not much of a summer cook...let's just say I've ODed on BBQ food).  Luckily I got my groove back when I had some leftovers from our (FINAL) cookout that I needed to use up.  We had some Italian sausage and chicken breast left over from Labor Day, so I decided to come up with something creative to rid my refrigerator of all of it at once and get B and I through most of the week.  I originally wanted to make jambalaya, but B insisted he hates jambalaya (I'm calling his bluff on that, by the way) and insisted I throw everything together with some pasta and marinara sauce, which I am very tired of at the moment.  Rather than overruling him and being a culinary dictator (even though I was the one doing all the work), I decided to be creative and come up with a compromise that incorporated both of our ideas.  I came with an Italian-style "jambalaya," with orzo subbing in for rice and the tomato base filling B's request for a red sauce.  I have to say I was quite pleased with 1- my ingenuity and 2- my benevolence.  Hey, I could have totally overruled him and made him eat whatever I cooked.  Instead I took the high road.  I'm going to be such a good wife!  (BTW, I feel like a giggly teenage girl referring to myself as a future wife...wonder when the reality of that is actually going to kick in?)  Anyway, I hope you enjoy the result of my good wife-practicing exercise, I know I did!  (B secretly did too, even though he won't admit it and insists he still would have rather had boring old pasta and red sauce...someone's going to have to clue him in on the "tell your wife whatever she makes you is delicious so you don't starve" rule before we get married).   

Italian Jambalaya

Makes 6-8 servings

extra virgin olive oil

2 chicken breasts, cubed

2 Italian sausages, cut into bite size rounds

2 red bell peppers, bite-size chunks

1 green bell pepper, bite-size chunks

1 vidalia onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup dry white wine

1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes and juice

1/2 tsp each of oregano, basil, salt, pepper, thyme, parsley

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 box orzo

Begin by heating about 1/4 cup of EVOO in a dutch oven pan on medium to medium-high heat.  Brown the chicken and sausage, then remove from pan and set aside.  Saute the peppers and onion in the pan, adding a little more oil if the pan is dry.  Saute until onions are translucent, then add in the garlic and herbs and reduce heat to medium.  Saute for a few minutes, then add in the chicken, sausage, tomatoes, chicken broth, and white wine.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover, cook for at least an hour.  About half an hour before serving, cook the orzo according to the directions on the box.  Drain, then add to the jambalaya.  It's best to let it cook for a few more minutes so the orzo absorbs the flavor of the sauce.  Remove from heat and serve with a crusty bread and top with fresh Parmesan cheese if desired. 

Enjoy!

Monday Blues

Hi DCFoodLovers!  Sorry the posts have been sparse lately, summer really just seems to have a way of getting away from me!  Between travelling and a crazy work schedule, June and July are always a little hectic.  That and I haven't been cooking much lately because I'm never home!  I did try out a new pasta recipe earlier this week though, so I finally have something to share! 

Monday night B and I invited two friends up for dinner.  Everyone hates Mondays, so I can't think of a better way to cheer up the day and make the week more bearable than by spending the night with friends, a bottle of wine, a good meal, and The Bachelorette!  Pasta is my go-to comfort food, so I picked a new Giada recipe to try to help beat the Monday blues.  Of course I adapted it to my own liking- added more vegetables, and I kind of guestimated measurements (that's the beauty of a pasta dish, you can usually get away with just throwing things together).  I thought it turned out very well, everyone seemed to enjoy it, and it really was a great way to start off the week!

I encourage you all to try an early-week dinner party, you won't be sorry!

 

Italian Baked Chicken and Pasta

Adapted from a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 4

 

1/2 box whole wheat rotini

1 zuchinni, cut into bite-sized chunks

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup cubed chicken breast

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 can diced tomatoes with juice

1 cup shredded mozzarella

oregano, red pepper flakes, parsley, salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 tbsp butter

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook pasta until tender (about 5 minutes) and drain.

Meanwhile, saute the chicken in olive oil over medium heat.  Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the onion, garlic and zuchinni and cook for 5 more minutes.  Put the pasta in a mixing bowl and add the chicken and zuchinni mixture, the can of tomatoes, cheese, herbs, salt and pepper and mix well.  Place in a buttered 8 by 8 baking dish. Top with the breadcrumbs and parmesan and bits of butter.  Bake for 30 minutes. 

 

Cook's note: You can save yourself some time on Monday by making this dish ahead of time Sunday night.  Just stop after placing the mix in the baking dish, cover and refrigerate overnight.  Add the breadcrumbs and parmesan right before baking on Monday.

Bon Apetit! 

 

Comfort Food Done Healthy

B’s surgery this week went very well, and he’s on the road to recovery.  He’s handling it really well, but I know he’s still in some discomfort and tired of being stuck in the apartment.  Being the (part) Italian that I am, I immediately turn to cooking for others in their time of need.  Food is one of those things that people look to for comfort, and providing that for others is my way of consoling and (hopefully) helping those in need.  Since B can’t be physically active for a while, I wanted to make him something comforting but still somewhat healthy.  Lasagna is one of B’s favorite foods, so I decided to put a healthy spin on the old classic.  What I came up with was turkey and vegetable lasagna rolls.  Rather than layering sheet upon sheet of noodles and filling, I thought that rolling up the noodles and filling would make it easier to portion out and serve.  I ended up with individual lasagnas instead of a big messy pan.  To increase the health quotient, I replaced the classic ingredients with healthier versions and added lots of veggies.  Read on for my recipe!

Lasagna Rollups

Makes 9 servings

9 whole-wheat lasagna noodles

1 c. diced onion

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

½ lb. ground turkey (93% lean)

1 c. fresh spinach

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

½ tsp. pepper

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. basil

½ tsp. oregano

4 tbsp. part skim ricotta cheese

1 jar marinara sauce

1 c. mozzarella cheese

1 tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook noodles according to directions on box.  Drain and lay out on foil so they don’t stick together.  Chop the onions, peppers, and garlic, then sauté in olive oil (I usually add the garlic a minute or two later so it doesn’t burn). 

When the veggies are soft, add the turkey and spices and brown.  Put the spinach in a large bowl, add the cooked turkey/veggie mix and stir.  Let cool for a few minutes before adding the ricotta and half of the mozzarella cheese.  

Mix well, then spoon filling on each noodle, spreading down the length of the noodle, then roll.  Put a layer of sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 inch pan, then add the lasagna rolls (seam down) and top with remaining sauce and mozzarella.  Cover with foil, bake for 15 minutes.  Remove foil and cook another 10 minutes.