Creamy Pesto Pasta with Vegetables

Kind of made this up. I made a creamy white sauce with a roux (sauteed onions in olive oil and then added a little flour and milk) and added more of my leftover pesto to make the creamy sauce a pesto sauce. Wasn't sure this was going to work, but turned out very good. Also added some green-can parmesan and tossed in some hot pasta. And then threw on some steamed vegetables and sprinkled with fresh parmesan because that's just what I do.

From September 3, 2012

Pesto stuffed chicken breast

This is the best thing I've made in awhile. I made this recipe up. First I made some pesto in my relatively-new mini food processor. (I make a pretty simple, semi-lightened up version of pesto. I didn't have nuts, so I left them out and I use very little oil. I think most pesto recipes are way too oily.) I then mixed some of the pesto with a wedge of regular laughing cow cheese, and mixed in a little Parmesan cheese just because. I cut the chicken breast open on the side, creating like a pocket, and stuffed the pesto/cheese mixture in there. Closed it with a toothpick, and rolled it in some crunched up croutons I'm trying to get rid of. I was in heaven while I ate it.

From September 2, 2012

Laughing Cow Chicken

You can't tell, but this chicken is stuffed with garlic and herb laughing cow cheese. It had a good flavor. However, I think my breadcrumbs are a little bit stale. The dish probably would have tasted better if those had been a bit fresher.

From August 31, 2012

Summer Vegetables with Sausage

I got this recipe from one of the blogs I follow. (Recipe is here.) A nice mix of colorful peppers, zucchini and yellow squash, onions, potatoes, and sausage. It's seasoned with fresh rosemary, which I don't usually like that much, but it gave it a really nice flavor.

From August 1, 2012

Creamy pasta with tomatoes and chicken

Made up this recipe. Grilled up some onions and garlic, added some leftover cutup chicken (from a rotisserie chicken I bought last week), and then Italian style diced tomatoes that I had run through the food processor (for just a second...didn't pulverize it). Once that was done, I stirred in some laughing cow cheese to make it a bit creamier. Stirred in with some hot pasta, topped with shredded Parmesan cheese. Sprinkled with some freshly dried basil. Yum! (I wish I would have had some zucchini to throw in, but I didn't. Next time!)

From July 29, 2012

Pita Bread and Falafel

I'm debating whether or not I should actually post this one. But I dirtied enough dishes, I might as well get a post out of it. Anyway, I attempted something somewhat lofty tonight (after failing at in on Sunday, I might add). I made pita bread and falafel from scratch. The dough for the pita bread seemed to rise in the first stages (I even proofed the yeast before starting), but then never really puffed up in the oven like it was supposed to. So they were a bit flat and somewhat heavy, which makes it so most of them didn't have a pocket when you cut them in half...which kind of defeats the point of pita bread! The falalfel were baked, not fried, and had a great flavor, but they were really crumbly and kept falling apart. (I chose one of the best for the above picture, and it almost worked, but then started crumbling like crazy. Gah.) I served the falafel in one of the pitas with cucumbers and a yogurt/cucumber/dill sauce that DID turn out well and tasted great. I'm pretty sure I know what I need to do to improved the structural integrity of the falafel, if I ever decide to try again. As for the pita...I have some ideas too, but probably just need to try again.

From July 26, 2012

Chicken Enchiladas

Confession: I've never before tried to make my enchiladas pretty before. But for some reason, I decided they need some color before getting their picture taken. First I put on the sour cream and tomatoes, but then decided it needed green too. I would have put diced green onions if I had them. But I didn't. I did have parsley, so I put a little bit of that on it. Taste-wise, not a great idea; presentation-wise, I guess okay? Anyway, still the best enchiladas around.

From July 24, 2012