Spinach Artichoke Pasta

The creator behind this recipe recommended it for anyone who loves spinach artichoke dip, which I definitely do!  Mmm.  Here it is:

• 1 12-oz box pasta (I used bowties)
• 1 tsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 8 oz package reduced fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 14 oz can artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained and chopped
• 10 oz chopped, frozen spinach, thawed, with as much excess water squeezed out as possible
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• Additional Parmesan for serving

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Slowly stir in milk, then add sour cream, lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes. Stir in artichoke hearts, spinach, and parmesan cheese.

Drain pasta and add to artichoke mix. Toss and season to taste with salt and additional lemon juice as needed. Serve with additional shredded Parmesan.

I seriously love this pasta.  It IS kinda rich, so I would definitely serve it with something lighter, (the chef recommends salad) but I love all the ingredients in this dish.  I need to find even more recipes with artichoke hearts in it because.... well, yum.  If you like spinach artichoke dip, I highly recommend this recipe.

I also threw in a little extra red pepper flakes because I love the added flavor!

Broccoli-Quinoa Casserole

Looking for something healthy to serve for dinner?  This is a great option:

One 10 oz can condensed Cream of Broccoli soup (or mushroom), low-sodium if you prefer

1/3 cup reduced fat mayonnaise 

2 tablespoons milk

1 1/4 cups reduced fat shredded cheese (cheddar, colby-jack, etc)

1/2 teaspoon Splenda/sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Dash freshly grated nutmeg

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2 cups cooked broccoli

1 1/2 cups  COOKED quinoa (see note)

Feshly grated Parmesan cheese

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To cook quinoa:

3/4 cup quinoa

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt

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Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve until water runs clear.  In a small saucepan combine the quinoa, water, and salt.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook for 18-20 minutes, or until fluffy and the white ring/tail is visible.  Fluff with a fork.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a shallow (8×8 in or 5-6 cups) casserole dish – or individual ramekins – with vegetable cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine the soup, mayonnaise, milk, shredded cheese, Splenda, pepper, and nutmeg until well mixed. Stir in the quinoa and broccoli.
Spoon mixture into prepared casserole.  Sprinkle on a couple tablespoons of Parmesan and bake for 35-40 minutes (20-25 minutes for ramekins) or until bubbly on the edges and golden.  Makes 8 generous 1/2-cup servings.

I was surprised at how much I liked this.  Even my husband liked it, "for being such a healthy dinner."  Ha!  It had way more flavor than I thought it would and it's packed full of nutrients.  I am not always the biggest fan of quinoa, but for this dish, quinoa is perfect.  I definitely recommend this.

Oh, and I used a mix of cheddar and pepper jack cheese so that it would have a little more kick to it.  Yum.

Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake

I was craving a new pasta-type dish, so I gave this one a try.  I liked that it included spinach, which I've been trying to eat more of.  Here's the recipe:

Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake

• 8 oz uncooked rigatoni
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 c chopped onion
• 1 (10 oz) pack frozen spinach, thawed
• 3 c cubed, cooked chicken breasts
• 1 (14 oz) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (8 oz) container Philadelphia chive & onion cream cheese
• ½ t salt, ½ t pepper
• 1½ c shredded mozzarella cheese

Prepare rigatoni according to pkg directions.  Spread oil on bottom of 11×7 in baking dish; add onion in a single layer.  Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or just until tender.  Transfer onion to large bowl, set aside.

Drain chopped spinach well, pressing between paper towels.  Stir in rigatoni, spinach, chicken, & next 4 ingredients into onion in bowl.  Spoon mixture into dish & sprinkle evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese.  Bake covered at 375 for 30 minutes; uncover & bake 15 more minutes or until bubbly.

I liked this a lot, as did my husband and my son.  It was pretty easy to make and had a nice flavor to it.  It also kept well, so we all got to enjoy the leftovers.  It is not the best pasta I've ever had, but it's a good dish to try if you want to mix things up.... and baking it is a nice change to the usual pasta recipe.  I'll definitely be making it again.

Crock Pot Thai Chicken Thighs

This was the first time I ever attempted to make Thai food.  I love Thai food, so hopefully I'll find some more yummy Thai recipes to try!  (I'm looking for a good Thai curry recipe, so if anyone finds one, please share!)  Anyway, here's the recipe:

Ingredients

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• 8 boneless,skinless chicken thighs
• 1 (16 oz) jar cilantro sasa(or any salsa you prefer)
• 1/2 c peanut butter
• (crunchy or creamy)
• 2 tsp ginger
• 2 TB soy sauce
• 2 tsp lime juice

How to make it

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• 1.Put all ingredients in crockpot on low 6-8 hours(mine was done in about 5-1/2 hours)
• 2.Garnish with cilantro,scallions and peanuts.
• 3.Serve with jasmine rice made with 1/2 coconut milk and 1/2 water(1 c raw rice,1 c coconut milk,1 c water)
• I added 1 tsp Sriracha
• If you want to try this and don't have a crockpot,bake at 350 for about 1 hour or so.

This recipe made me nervous because it calls for peanut butter and that seemed super weird and gross.  I was brave though and made this dish exactly as it calls for.  (I used creamy peanut butter).  I actually kinda liked it!  It wasn't amazing, and was definitely a little weird, but the flavor was unique and I liked that.  It doesn't really taste peanut butter-y....the peanut butter mostly just makes it creamy.  Overall, I'd recommend it if you like Thai food, but I wouldn't recommend it if you have a family of picky eaters!