Spinach & Tomato Pasta

Sorry I've not posted any recipes recently. This mainly reflects my lack of creativity in the kitchen of late. Tonight was a breath of fresh air.

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup spinach leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
16 oz. whole wheat pasta
2 1/2 tbsp feta cheese
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Heat olive oil and saute garlic, adding tomatoes and spinach once garlic is softening.

Let the oil, tomatoes and spinach simmer on medium low while the pasta finishes.

Drain pasta and pour tomato/spinach mixture over it.

Add feta and balsamic vinegar and stir well.

There wasn't a bite of this left. J and the girls loved it!

The one thing I might change next time is to add more spinach - it just wilts to nothing, so adding a lot more wouldn't have been a bad thing.

Jalapeno Cheese

I was in the mood for some pimento cheese yesterday, but had no pimentos, so I made this instead. It was spicier than pimentos, but that only made me like it more.

1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 marinated jalapeno slices
1/2 to 2/3 cup plain yogurt

Chop the jalapenos into tiny pieces.

Mix all together and enjoy on toasted bread!

Bean Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries

Bean Burgers

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, diced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup corn

Saute bell pepper, onion and garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil.

Mash beans with potato masher and mix all other ingredients in.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, turning halfway.

Top with lemon sour cream.

Lemon Sour Cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Mix and let sit.

Sweet Potato Fries
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into fries
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper

Mix all together and bake at 425 for 15 minutes on each side.

While I used olive oil, try canola oil next time since it has a higher burn temp.

Beef, Etc.

1/3 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves
1 beef roast

Mix mustard and Worcestershire in crock pot.

Put garlic cloves in and beef on top.

Cook on high for 3 hours, then turn to low for 4-5 hours.

I'm going to serve this with harvest grains and peas or green beans (whichever I can find in my freezer!)

Barbecue Pork Sandwiches

Left-over spiced pork roast
1/4 cup grape jelly
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
Hoagie rolls
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Heat left-over pork, jelly and sauce in a saucepan on the stove top.

When warmed through, spread onto hoagie rolls and top with cheese.

Bake at 350 for 5-10 minutes.

My family loved these and the jelly/barbecue sauce muted the spiciness.

Roasted Chicken

A few weeks ago, J and I went to a new Greek restaurant in our neighborhood. The food was wonderful and J had a wonderfully tender roasted chicken dish. He said it was more tender than anything I've ever made, so this was my attempt to prove him wrong:

1 whole chicken, washed, skin on
3 small onions, cut into chunks
5-6 cloves garlic
2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and diced into large chunks
1 pear, skin on, cut up
1 apple, cored and cut up
1/4 cup honey
3 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

Stuff cavity of chicken with cut up pear pieces.

Place chicken in roasting pan.

Surround with onions, potatoes and garlic.

Mix together honey, mustard and rosemary.

Pour honey mustard mixture over all and cover tightly.

Place in preheated 325 oven.

Cook for 5-6 hours, basting occasionally.

For the last hour, add 2 zucchini, thinly sliced and cut into half-moons.

I'll admit this wasn't quite as good as what J had at the restaurant, which considerably dampened my enthusiasm. However, every member of the family other than me (even K!) had seconds, so it certainly wasn't a bad meal.... just not fully what I had hoped for.