Posts Tagged ‘arugula’
Mini Greek-Style Meatloaves
May 9, 2013 | 
Author Meatloaves. Yes dad, if you are reading this I willingly made myself meatloaf for dinner. But I discovered the secret to overcoming their mushy texture which is the primary reason for my distaste for them all my life – minis! When you make them mini it’s just like eating a meatball and are less mushy. After I discovered this fact while reviewing The New Way to Cook Light cookbook, I decided to try out another mini recipe.
Since I recently received a ginormous shipment of Chobani Greek yogurt, I decided to make some mini meatloaves using some of it. Fittingly, I made Greek meatloaves with the Greek yogurt! With the additional flavors of mint and cucumber this meal is perfect for the spring-time and can be ready in under 30 minutes. Did I mention that I have now enjoyed my second meatloaf in my entire life? Crazy!
One year ago: Homemade Imo’s Pizza
Two years ago: Avocado Fries
MINI GREEK STYLE MEATLOAVES
Serves 4
Ingredients:
MEATLOAVES
10 oz. ground sirloin
5 oz. lean ground lamb
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup minced red onion
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
SAUCE
1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt (I used 0% plain Chobani)
2 oz. reduced-fat feta, crumbled
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp chopped fresh mint
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
SALAD
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 cups baby arugula leaves
1-1/2 cups 1/4-inch diagonally sliced, seeded, peeled cucumber
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat eight muffin cups with nonstick spray, set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine meatloaf ingredients. Press mixture into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 7 minutes. Turn broiler on to high and broil for 3 minutes.
- While the meatloaves cook, combine sauce ingredients in a mini food processor. Pulse 10 times to combine.
- In another large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add arugula and cucumber then toss to coat.
- Serve meatloaves with a cup of salad and feta sauce on top.
Source: Cooking Light, May 2013
Posted in Beef, Entree | 
Tags: arugula, cucumber, feta, Greek, Greek yogurt, ground beef, lamb, lemon, mint | 
9 Comments »
Guiltless Avocado Alfredo Pasta with Spicy Chicken
I have a confession to make. I am a candle hoarder. You see, I love finding candles in amazing scents and thinking how great they will make my apartment smell. Yet somehow they end up being stashing away for some “special occasion” because I don’t want to waste such an awesome smell on just a regular ol’ day. And what if I cannot find that scent again? The horror! Apparently my own existence in my apartment did not seem like a good enough reason to burn them. And that makes absolutely no sense. So, I have since changed this strange habit of mine because candles are meant to be BURNED. Plus I refuse to box up several large candles whenever I graduate and move this summer.
While I am offering up my habits, I present to you yet another variation of guiltless alfredo. I cannot get enough of it – it’s just so easy to make! And with the absence of heavy cream there’s really no excuse not to make it. This version is made with avocados and results in an amazingly green and creamy sauce. But just so you are ware, it is thicker than traditional sauce due to the avocados. It is also especially delicious when paired with the spicy chicken.
GUILTLESS AVOCADO ALFREDO PASTA WITH SPICY CHICKEN
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 servings of pasta of choice
1 cup arugula (I use spinach because the grocery was out of arugula)
SAUCE
2 large avocados
1-1/2 cups 2% milk
2 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan plus 1/4 cup
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
CHICKEN
1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken tenders
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch cayenne (plus additional as desired)
2 Tbsp olive oil
Directions:
- Cook pasta in lightly salted boiling water until almost cooked through (just before al dente). Reserve a cup of the cooking water.
- In a food processor add the flesh of the avocados, milk, cream cheese, 1/2 cup parmesan, flour and process until smooth. Transfer to a pot over medium high heat. Simmer until warmed, about 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper, plus additional to taste. Add the noodles into the sauce, simmering until noodles have finished cooking, about 3 additional minutes (add reserved cooking water if sauce becomes overly dry and thick).
- In a bowl stir together the black pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder salt and cayenne. Add additional cayenne for a higher level of heat. Add chicken and toss until well coated.
- Heat olive oil until hot but not smoking in a pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken, flipping once, until cooked through.
- Plate pasta, top with arugula and then chicken. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Source: Adapted from Domestic Fits.
White Cheddar and Arugula Pesto Mac & Cheese
Remember how I mentioned I wanted to make something else with the leftover arugula pesto on Monday? Well here it is! It’s another pasta dish, but this has white cheddar int it – one of my favorite cheeses. While preparing and practicing my presentation for my committee meeting today, I was in serious need of some comfort food. White cheddar macaroni and cheese was already super comforting by itself, but the addition of the pesto added great flavor. I even served this mac and cheese with some chicken sausage. It’s an adult version of hot dog mac and cheese.
My meeting is at 10am central today. Here’s to hoping I will be super relieved and happy when I talk to you tomorrow!
One year ago: Bean and Cheese Taquitos
WHITE CHEDDAR AND ARUGULA PESTO MAC & CHEESE
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
13.25 oz. box uncooked whole wheat pasta
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
8 oz. freshly grated white cheddar cheese, divided
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup arugula pesto
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Bring water to a boil and cook pasta according to directions, minus a few minutes of the cooking time since it will be going in the oven.
- While pasta is cooking, heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once sizzling, add flour and whisk until smooth to create a roux. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until golden and has a nutty aroma. Add milk and cream, bring to a boil while constantly whisking. Reduce heat to low and add all but 1/4 cup of the cheese, then cook for a few minutes while stirring until cheese is melted and mixture thickens. Add nutmeg, then taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Add pasta to a baking dish and pour cheese sauce over top. Stir to distribute sauce, then stir in pesto. Top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn on the broiler for 5 minutes or until top is golden and bubbly.
Source: Adapted slightly from How Sweet It Is.
Posted in Entree, Pasta | Tags: arugula, heavy cream, milk, pesto, white cheddar, whole wheat | 6 Comments »
Arugula Pesto Pasta
Time for November’s Secret Recipe Club! This month I was assigned to K&K Test Kitchen, a blog run by a mother-daughter pair where they document the results from recipes they have collected over the years.
Pesto seems to make everything better. And with the ease at which it can be made, all kinds of variations have popped up. Since I had yet to try pesto made with arugula I decided to try it out, despite the copious amount of regular pesto I have stocked up in my freezer. The peppery bite of the arugula was a great change from traditional pesto and I especially loved the addition of sun-dried tomatoes. I am very glad that there is some leftover from this recipe to use later on.
Check out some more great K&K Kitchen recipes such as Blueberry Quinoa Breakfast Salad, and Tart Cranberry Doughnut Glaze to use up any leftover cranberry from Thanksgiving.
Two years ago: Caramel Apple Pie
ARUGULA PESTO PASTA
Serves 4
Ingredients:
PESTO
4 cups arugula
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup walnut pieces
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
PASTA
1/2 pound whole wheat linguini
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a glass baking dish with a bit of cooking spray or lightly coat with olive oil, set aside.
- To make the pesto, prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl, and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put the arugula in a large sieve and plunge it into the boiling water. Immediately immerse all the arugula and stir so that it blanches evenly. Blanch for about 15 seconds. Remove (leaving the water boiling), shake off the excess water, then plunge the arugula into the ice water bath and stir again so it cools as fast as possible. Drain well.
- Squeeze the water out of the arugula with your hands until very dry. Roughly chop the arugula and put in a blender. Add the garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and walnuts. Blend for at least 30 seconds. Add the olive oil and blend. Then, add the cheese and pulse to combine. (The pesto will keep several days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.)
- Place the chicken in the dish and spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of pesto on top of each chicken breast. Bake for 30 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until it is al dente. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water. Put the pasta back into the pot, along with 1/2 cup (or more if you prefer) arugula pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and the cooking water. Stir well to combine. Serve with the cooked and sliced pesto chicken. Reserve the rest of the pesto for dipping bread or as a spread for sandwiches.
Source: K&K Test Kitchen
Posted in Chicken, Dressing Sauces & Condiments, Entree, Pasta | Tags: arugula, chicken, garlic, Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, whole wheat | 8 Comments »
