Authentic Italian Mushroom Pasta

Happy Monday! It has been a week since I posted last, so I am making it up with a pasta that is just simply divine. Now, I need to warn you- it is not light, as it uses heavy cream as one of its main ingredients- but if you need to splurge, this is one pasta worth splurging.

I learned this recipe over 10 years ago, when I was in college, at KU. I learned it from an Italian friend of mine, and he would make it often when he had friends over. It has become a favorite recipe of mine, but one that I don't make as often these days. It is also good to choose a good red wine to go with it, as it is part of the recipe.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of buttoned mushrooms
1 6oz package of heavy cream
1 8oz cup of red wine ( I used Cupcake Vineyards Malbec)
1 tbsp of cayenne pepper ( or more if you like spicier)
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 lb of Penne pasta

Directions
Start cooking the pasta, per package directions. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, let it heat for 3 minutes, and add the mushroom. Saute for 5 minutes, or until light coated with the olive oil. Add the cayenne pepper to taste, and pour the heavy cream. Let it cook and simmer for another 5 minutes. It should start foaming/bubbling. When it does, lower the heat, add the wine, and let it simmer for about 10 more minutes. It should look like the picture below.

Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring constantly. When pasta is done, drain pasta, and add sauce to the pasta pan, as shown below.

Coat pasta well, and serve with shredded Parmesan cheese.
There is hardly ever leftovers from this pasta, but when there is- they make the best lunch for a busy weekday.

I hope you enjoy this one- Ciao Bella!
Beijos
Thais

Pork Tenderloin with mushroom sauce

Happy Sunday night! I am back from a work trip to Bend, and can post this great recipe I cooked last week on Wednesday. Surprise surprise, I got it from Cooking Light magazine. It is one of their budget recipe, for $2.45 per serving. It is one of my new favorites, because it is pretty lean and a great value.

I buy the Pork Tenderloin at Costco- because you buy 4 lbs for $19, and you can't beat that price. I cooked two 1lb pieces, and we had leftovers for lunch the next day.

This is the first time I cooked with Creme Fraiche- an acquired taste, for sure, but it turned out good in the sauce. I bought the mushrooms at Costco too, because then I had leftovers for this mushroom pasta I will cook this coming week.

Enough talking- let's get to the main subject- the food :)

Ingredients
1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 8 oz package button mushroom, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 cup fat-free lower sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup creme fraiche (sour cream will do as well, if you can't find creme fraiche)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions
Place a small roasting pan in oven. Preheat oven to 425. Sprinkle pork evenly with 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to preheated pan. Add pork to pan, and roast for 10 minutes, then turn and roast for another 10 minutes. You should insert a meat thermometer and read at least 145 degrees, so you know it is cooked through and properly. In a separate saute pan, add the remaining olive oil and saute the mushrooms on medium heat, for 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar, and bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute until vinegar evaporates. Add broth and remaining salt and pepper, cook until liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup. Remove from heat, stir in creme fraiche and mustard.

Serve it with corn and sautee spinach ( I saute it with garlic and balsamic vinegar).

Love this recipe- will include it again in the coming months :) each serving has 257 calories, 15 g of fat, 3 g of carb.

Let's all have an awesome week,
Beijos
Thais

Trader Joe's Pizza- toppings of your choice :)

Happy Saturday! How this week flew by, and I have three new recipes to post, but I am traveling for work and forgot my recipes at home. I will post them on Monday for sure. In the meantime,
I have this great alternative to your store-bought pizza, or restaurant pizza. I have the pizza stones, the ones you can buy from Pampered Chef, and they have been a lifesaver for making homemade pizzas. Now, I am not as adventurous as to attempt to make homemade dough, but Trader Joe's is here to the rescue :)

They have a Garlic/Herbs Pizza dough that is just plain awesome. I added some  shredded Gruyere cheese, tomato sauce, mushrooms, sliced tomatoes and- homemade pulled pork- and it was insanely delicious!

Ingredients
1 package of TJ's Garlic and Herbs pizza dough ( see picture below)

2 cups of shredded Gruyere cheese
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
3 cups of BBQ pulled pork - Hubbie made this, but  TJ's also offer some great ones, in the frozen section)
2 cups of sliced buttoned mushrooms (Costco sells packages of 24 oz for $5.00)
3 tbps of tomato sauce

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. While it is heating, remove the dough out of the plastic bag, and leave it out for a minimum of 20 minutes, to breathe and rise. I used this time to prep the other ingredients, like shredding the cheese, slicing the mushrooms and tomatoes.

After 20 minutes has passed, roll the dough so that it fits over the pizza stone. Add a bit of flour to the stone, so that the dough doesn't stick on it. Spread the tomato sauce, then sprinkle the cheese, pork, tomatoes and leave mushrooms for last. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the dough is browned and crisp.

Happy to report that there were only 2 slices left for lunch the next day :))
Enjoy this gorgeous weekend,
Beijos,
Thais

Enchilada Casserole

Cooking Light is by far one of the best magazines I subscribe to. They never fail to bring some amazing recipes, and all with healthy ingredients and easy ways of preparing the food. This is one of the best recipes I made from my set of Cooking Lights recipes too, because it is a dish that had everything to be bad for you, but it is not.

The recipe calls for flour tortilla, but if you are a Top Chef fanatic- like I am- you know that on this season's first episode, the poor chef was sent home for making enchiladas with flour tortillas, as the traditional recipe calls for corn tortillas.

Ingredients
1 lb ground sirloin ( Safeway has a nice selection, 90% lean beef for a good price)
1 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup fat-free, lower sodium beef broth (TJ's has these babies)
1 tbsp 40% less-sodium taco seasoning mix
1 8oz can tomato sauce
8 4" corn tortillas
1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers

Directions

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and onion to pan; cook until onion is browned, and meat is cooker all the way through. In the meantime, preheat oven to 400.  In a separate saucepan, you will start making the enchilada sauce, so melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic, saute 1 minute. Sprinkle with flour, cook 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Add broth, taco seasoning, and tomato sauce to pan. Bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 1/2 cups tomato mixture to beef mixture, reserving 1/2 cup tomato mixture. Spray a 9" pie plate, and start layering the tortillas and beef mixture, ending with a tortilla on top. Spread the reserved tomato mixture, and top with the grated cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.

This recipe serves 4, and each serving has 337 calories, with 32 g of carb and 5 g of fiber.

Enjoy this Valentine's Day week!
Beijos
Thais

African Peanut Butter Stew

Happy Saturday! I am back from vacation, and after taking a while to catch-up at work, I am ready to post some of the recipes from the February Menu. If you'd like a copy, please feel free to email me.
The first recipe on the menu was this fantastic- and I repeat Fantastic- chicken stew from the cookbook hubbie got me for Christmas. You will need the Dutch Oven, but it is well-worth its price.

Ingredients
Olive oil spray ( Trader Joe's has the best one so far)
1/2 medium onion, diced
3/4 cup white rice
3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp chicken broth
1/2 to 3/4 lb chicken breasts or thighs
1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced
2/3 cup milk
2 to 4 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
1/2 tsp cayenne
Sea salt
3 tbsp peanut butter, creamy or chunky
3 or 4 tomatoes, diced or one 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups of Butternut Squash (you can buy it pre-cut at Costco)
3 cups of fresh baby spinach

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450. Spray inside of the Dutch Oven with olive oil. Scatter the onion in the pot. Rinse the rice in a strainer under cold water until the water runs clear. Tip the rice into the pot, add the liquid, and stir to make an even layer.

Place the chicken on the rice. Add the bell pepper.

In a measuring cup, whisk the milk, garlic, cayenne, salt and peanut butter until the peanut butter dissolves. Pour over the chicken. Layer in the tomatoes, butternut squash and spinach. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Serve immediately.

This was a lot for two people- so you're guaranteed to have leftovers.
Enjoy! Again, if you'd like a copy of the menu and shopping list, email me.