Sweet Pepper Pasta

Say that three times fast!

This is one of the most simple and satisfying meals. To boot, it also helps you eat seasonally.

Roasting the peppers give them a great taste, while topping it with burrata or fresh mozzarella is just fun.

Prep time: 45 mins
Cook time: 20 mins

What you'll need:

• 1 16 oz package of linguine or fettuccine 
• 2 red peppers
• 2 yellow pepper
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 package of burrata (if that's not available, fresh mozzarella or ricotta)
• olive oil 

What to do:

Boil the water and cook the pasta according to directions.

Quarter the peppers and lay them out in a single layer on a foil lined broiler pan. Broil the peppers for about 10 minutes, or until the skin is blackened. Once they are nicely roasted, put them in a ziptop back and let sit for about 15 minutes. When the peppers are cooled, peel the skin and discard.

Take our your favorite food processor and puree 1/2 of each color of pepper and set aside. Chop the other half. 

Heat up the olive oil and brown the garlic. Toss in the chopped peppers and saute for 5 minutes. 

Drain the pasta and mix with pureed peppers. Top with chopped pepper mix and buratta. Serve immediately and enjoy. 

Broiled Pork Chops Marinated in Mustard

We dream of summer grilling and backyard barbecues. But, living in a city, we have a tiny kitchen and no grill! We've found the broiler is a better than average substitute for that just-grilled flavor.

This recipe riffs off the marinated pork chops with green bean and grilled crouton salad in the June 2014 issue of Cooking Light. While the original recipe uses the extra dressing for the salad, we decided to increase the number of chops and substitute the salad with some roasted asparagus and yellow sweet potato fries. 

The mustard gives the pork a tangy flavor and marinating it overnight allows that flavor to permeate the whole chop. 

Prep time: 8-12 hours marinating time, 30-40 minutes actual active time
Cook time: 12 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 heaping tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 6 boneless pork chops (thinly sliced)

What you need to do:
Whisk together the red wine vinegar, mustard and olive oil until well combined. 

Using a fork, pierce each chop on both sides.

Place the chops and marinade in a ziptop bag and shake to coat. Make sure each chop is coated evenly. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour before broiling.

When you're ready to broil: 
Pre-heat the broiler and line the broiler pan with foil. Broil each side for 4-5 minutes. We broiled the first side twice, just to brown the edges a bit, but once per side is enough. 

Just Desserts: Coconut Cake

We saw this delicious recipe for easy coconut cupcakes on Serious Eats and wanted to put our own spin on it (and use up some coconut milk in the process). The coconut flavor comes out in all aspects of this cake, from the glaze, to the shredded coconut, to the coconut milk infused cake. 

While the original recipe calls for making your own cake, we opted for a semi-homemade feel and used a boxed cake mix. 

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 30-40 mins (depending on which mix and pan you use)

You'll need:

• 1 package of white cake mix
• 1 can of coconut milk (not low-fat or light)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract)
• 1 cup shredded, sweetened, coconut, divided
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) cake flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) confectioners' sugar

What you'll do:
Make the cake according to the directions, but substituting the liquids for the same amount of coconut milk. For example, the Betty Crocker mix we used called for oil and water. Instead, we used the same amount of coconut milk. 

Bake according to the box directions.

When the cake is cooled, you can start on the glaze. If you start too early, the glaze hardens. 

Mix the confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons of coconut milk until smooth. Add additional milk to get the right glaze thickness to your liking. If you're feeling wild, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract for extra flavor. 

Sprinkle the shredded coconut over the glaze and serve. 

Fontina, Asparagus & Leek Strata

It's been awhile, but trust us it's worth it.

We've never made a strata before and if you're like us, you weren't sure what to expect. Think about it like a hearty combination between a quiche and a casserole. This particular recipe comes from Cooking Light, with some tweaks and notes from our kitchen. 

Some advanced warning: this is a bit of a time consuming recipe, but it is worth it as it makes some great leftovers. 

Prep time: 8h30 mins (includes chill time)
Cook time: 45 mins

You'll need: 

• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 1 healthy sized bunch of asparagus, chopped (or a 10-12oz frozen bag)
• 3 small leeks (remember, only use the white parts of the leek and don't use the tough, green parts)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 slices of regular old white bread
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
• 2 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 large egg white
• 1 cup breadcrumbs

What to do:

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add asparagus, leeks, and water. 

Bring to a boil, simmer on reduced heat for about 10-15 minutes, to make sure the vegetables are tender (but not too tender, or the strata will be too mushy). When you're done, strain the vegetables. 

Mix in parsley, tarragon, lemon rind, salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Coat a 13x 9 baking dish with a little butter. Place 6 of the bread slices in a single layer on the bottom of the pan. 

Layer on top of the bread 1/2 the asparagus mixture, followed by 1/2 cup of the cheese.

Repeat with the last 6 pieces of bread and the other half of the mixture and cheese. 

In a separate bowl, combine the pepper, salt milk, eggs, and egg white, and stir with a whisk until well-blended. Pour the milk mixture over strata. Cover strata, and chill for 8 hours or overnight.

When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top and bake for 40 minutes, until the cheese starts to bubble and the strata is set. 

Ricotta Cups with Hazelnuts

This dessert will  help you keep to your New Year's resolution of eating more sweets! These cupcake sized ricotta bites are light and fluffy and surprisingly very easy to make. This is not an overly sweet dessert and you can vary the toppings depending on your mood. We edited this recipe from the Pillsbury site to make it less sugary and to fit regular sized muffin cups.

One word of advice: go with the whole milk ricotta and not light of skim. You want that fuller flavor of the whole milk.

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus one hour or more for cooling)
Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes 12 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 15oz container of whole milk ricotta 
• 1/2 powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 box of refrigerated pie crust, brought to room temperature
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (or other toppings of your choice, like mini chocolate chips)
• flour for your work surface

 In a large bowl, combine ricotta, powdered sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla. You can use an electric mixer, or a spatula, but make sure to mix until smooth and creamy. Once mixed, place it in a resealable bag (a piping bag if you have it, or use a sandwich bag) and refrigerate for at least one hour.

While the ricotta mixture is cooling, start on the pie crust. Preheat the oven to 425.

Unroll the crust on your floured work surface. To cut the dough, we used the diameter of a one cup measuring cup, and that fit the regular muffin cups perfectly. A 3-4 inch round cookie cutter would work as well. Press the dough into the ungreased muffin cups and bake for 10 minutes. The cups should be browned when finished.

Take the ricotta mixture out of the fridge and begin piping it into the cups. If you used a resealable plastic bag, just cut one corner to make an instant piping bag. Sprinkle with the topping of your choice and enjoy!

Fattoush!

We all know we have to eat salads, but sometimes it's really hard to get excited about a bunch of leaves. Fattoush, a Lebanese bread salad, is a good way to have your daily dose of veggies, while keeping you interested enough to finish it! We love the version from Mark Bittman's app "How to Cook Everything"  and added our own touches to suit our tastes.

This salad is only as good as its ingredients, so try to find the best product for the best results. If you plan on having leftovers, do not dress the whole salad or toast all the pita, only what you plan on eating that night.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes (to toast your pita)

Ingredients:
Salad:

• 6 inch whole wheat pitas, cut into strips or wedges
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 vine ripened tomatoes (medium ripe). chopped and seeded
• 1 medium cucumber, diced and seeded
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped and seeded
• Choice of greens (romaine works well, or a spring mix)
• pinch of salt

Vinaigrette:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper

Combine the parsley, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, salt and greens in a large bowl. Set aside.

To make the dressing, whisk the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper until it forms a creamy mixture. Store it in your favorite dressing dispenser. If you plan to refrigerate it, be sure to mix it and bring it to room temperature before using.

Add your toasted pita to the greens mixture, pour the dressing and toss! 

Crispy Cauliflower Patties

Vegetables are great, but vegetables coated in panko? Out of this world.  This is another gem from Cooking Light, with our edits to better fit a busy schedule.

Try pairing this with a some greens and a tangy vinaigrette, or place it on an English muffin for a light sandwich.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• Cakes: (makes about 8-10 patties)
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 peeled yellow potato, cut into 4 wedges
• 2 large shallots, sliced into quarters 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
• 2 cups of Trader Joe's mixed shredded cheese (Parmesan, Asiago, Fontina and Provolone) or, just Fontina
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup panko, lightly toaster
• 2-4 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese 
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• Sauce:
• 2 tablespoons light sour cream 
• 2 tablespoons mayo
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh chives
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Preheat oven to 400 and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. 

Cut the florets off the head and mix it with the cut potatoes and shallots. Drizzle olive oil on the mixture and spread it on the baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes. They should be tender. Keep the baking dish handy, you'll need it for the patties.

Cool the mixture for about 15 minutes. While it's cooling, toast the panko by placing it in a pan on low heat until lightly browned. Combine with the Parmesan in a shallow bowl.

Once the mixture is cooled, pulse until chopped. Place in a large bowl and mix in cheese, salt, pepper and the eggs.

Form small patties out of the cauliflower mixture and dredge it in the panko mixture. Line them up on the baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes on each side.

To make the sauce, just combine the sour cream, mayo, chives, pepper and garlic. 

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Tex Mex Mac and Cheese

We wanted something a little spicy after gorging ourselves on sweets all through Thanksgiving. Rachael Ray had an interesting take on mac and cheese by adding jalapeños . It sounded interesting, but we wanted a bit more spice and have a soft spot for cheddar, so we put our spin on the recipe.

However, because of the spice, this could be an overwhelming main dish. Instead, we served this as a side with baked chicken breasts and roasted asparagus.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 5 jalapeños, diced
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, diced
• 5 tablespoons of flour
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 cups of buttermilk (any milk is fine too, the buttermilk just added some richness)
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 package of tube or curly pasta like a rotini

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 casserole dish and cook the pasta according to the package direction. 

Melt the butter slowly in a medium sauce pan, something big that will hold all the ingredients. 

When the butter is melted, add the jalapeños, onion and garlic. Cook until tender. 

Add the flour, cumin and chili powder and stir until smooth. Then slowly add the milk, stirring until well incorporated. Once the mixture looks smooth, add the cheese gradually. Stir until thick.

Mix the sauce with the pasta. Put the mixture in the casserole dish and sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly on top. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling. 

Just Desserts: Buttermilk Pound Cake

After making those pumpkin cookies, you may have some left over buttermilk. I found this delightful recipe from All Recipes for a buttermilk pound cake. It's the recipe trifecta: delicious, low maintenance, and good for breakfast (that's our trifecta anyway).

We drizzled the lemon glaze from our Lemon Ricotta Cookies on top for some added zing (1.5 cups of powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, zest of one lemon. Stirred until smooth).

Pop over to All Recipes for the full cake recipe!

Just Desserts: Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

It's Thanksgiving time, which means pumpkin everything. We spotted this intriguing pumpkin black and white cookie recipe from Serious Eats and tweaked it a little.

The texture of these cookies is a great mash-up between a cookie and a cupcake: slightly crispy edges and a spongy middle texture. You have the option of making your own cream cheese frosting (like we did for our pumpkin roll with cream cheese frosting) or take it easy on yourself and purchase some of the premade stuff. 

Prep time: 30 mins (not including softening time for the butter)
Bake time: 10 minutes per baking sheet

Cookies:

• 3 cups  all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup buttermilk 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice blend
• 3/4 cup salted butter
• 3/4 cup (5 1/3 ounces) dark-brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2/3 cup (4 3/4 ounces) sugar
• 15 ounces pumpkin puree (one can)
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg

Pre-heat oven to 350 and line your baking sheets with wax paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice blend. Set aside.

In a larger bowl, cream together softened butter, brown sugar. Then, alternate combining the flour mix and pumpkin puree with the butter mixture. Once fully combined, add in the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract. 

Using an overflowing tablespoon, drop dollops of the batter onto the lined baking pan, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Flatten the cookies to roughly 2 inches of diameter. Bake for 10 minutes, until edges are browned and the middle is spongy. Cool for 15 minutes then frost.