Pasta with portobello mushrooms, onions, spinach and goat cheese

This recipe was adapted from Bella Eats, adding a package of frozen spinach. It’s a relatively easy and tasty meal that works well for weeknight family dinner. The goat cheese is a nice smooth flavor that the kids like. Using whole grain pasta and adding the spinach makes this a bit more of a healthy one-pot dinner.

Pasta with portobello mushrooms, onions, spinach and goat cheese

Portobello pastaAdapted from Bella Eats

  • 2 Tbsp butter, divided
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 3 large onions, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1 lb portobello mushrooms, stems removed, caps halved and then cut into 1/4-inch slices
  • 1 package (10oz) frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
  • 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 tsp fresh-ground black pepper
  • 3/4 lb ziti or penne (preferably whole grain)
  • 4 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled
  • 4 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until just done. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water and drain.
  2. In a large sauté pan, melt 1 Tbsp of the butter with 2 Tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are well browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from the pan.
  3. In the same pan, melt the remaining 1 Tbsp butter with 1 Tbsp of the oi. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and brown, about 8 minutes. Add the reserved onions, the parsley, spinach and the pepper.
  4. Toss the pasta and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water with the mushroom mixture, the remaining 1 Tbsp oil, the goat cheese, and the Parmesan. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved pasta water.
  5. Serve with additional Parmesan.

Zucchini and saussage upside down cornbread

I was looking for a nice main dish incorporating zucchini the other day and came across this recipe for Zucchini Upside Down Cornbread. I liked the sausage and am always up for cornbread, so we gave it a shot. Not sure about the cooking time they list, I ended up doing about 45 minutes, at least 30 of which were at 425, which is what the cornbread recipe called for. I’d guess 40-45 minutes at 425 is the best bet. It sure looked good when it came out of the oven, but flip it over and wow, it’s a nice looking dish that tastes great and fills you up!

Zucchini and sausage upside down cornbread

Based on Bastrop Farmers Market

2 medium zucchiniZucchini and sausage upside down cornbread
1 lb Turkey/Chicken Italian sausage
1/4 cup chopped onions
8 ounces corn muffin mix–or recipe from corn meal container
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

  1. Preheat oven to 425º
  2. Coarsely shred enough zucchini to make 1/3 cup; set aside. Cut remainder into 1/4-inch slices.
  3. In skillet, over medium-high heat, brown sausage; crumble well. Add the onion when partially cooked. Remove sausage onions and drain if needed. Reduce heat a bit. Add zucchini slices to pan. Cook over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes, stirring twice.
  4. In a well-sprayed 8×1-1/2 inch round cake pan, starting in center of dish, arrange cooked zucchini slices in concentric circles using all of the slices.
  5. Make the corn bread mix according to package instructions. Add cheese, crumbled sausage and onions, andZucchini and sausage upside down cornbread before flipping over shredded zucchini to cornbread batter. Spread mixture evenly over the zucchini slices.
  6. Bake for 45 minutes, till top is golden.
  7. Using a spatula, loosen sides of corn bread from dish; invert onto a serving platter.

Makes 6 wedges. Serve warm.

General Tso’s Chicken

Frying chicken for General Tso's Chicken

The following is adapted from this recipe at Food For My Family. The coating on the chicken fries up nice and crispy. The original recipe didn’t have much in the way of veggies, so I added some red bell pepper and a bag of stir fry veggies (broccoli, snow peas, etc.). The recipe for the makes quite a bit, I keep cutting it down, and think this recipe has about the right amount, especially with a good amount of veggies. Sorry there’s no picture of the final product with all the veggies added in. Serve over rice–brown if you have time.

General Tso's Chicken

MealsWeLike.com, adapted from Foodformyfamily.com
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main dish
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4 -6

Ingredients
  

For the chicken:

  • 1.5 lbs chicken breast cut into 1-1/2″ chunks
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 egg
  • oil for frying

For the sauce:

  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 tsp grated ginger
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 3-5 Tbs oil--for frying chicken

Some Veggies

  • 4-6 scallions chopped
  • 10-15 dried thai or cayenne peppers--I left these out for the kids
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced
  • 1 bag stir fry veggies or whatever sounds good or is on hand

Instructions
 

For the sauce:

  • Mix together cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water.
  • Add garlic, ginger, sugar, 1/4 cup soy sauce, rice vinegar and the hot water.
  • Stir until the sugar dissolves.
  • Refrigerate until needed.

For the Chicken

  • In a separate bowl, mix together the cornstarch and pepper.
  • Add the egg and the soy sauce to the cornstarch.
  • Mix well.
  • Add in chicken pieces and stir to coat.
  • In a wok or large skillet, heat oil on medium high and fry chicken in batches for 5-7 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
  • Set chicken aside and cover to keep warm
  • Pour off excess oil, keeping about 1 Tbs of oil
  • Add in scallions and sauté for a couple of minutes.
  • Add in the peppers and other veggies and cook a couple more minutes.
  • Add in sauce and hot peppers, if using, and cook for 5-10 minutes until sauce begins to thicken.
  • Add in chicken and cook until sauce thickens and coats the chicken.
  • Serve over steamed rice.

 

Kale chips

Roasted veggies are a favorite in our house. The kids love roasted broccoli and carrots. We were turned onto kale chips by a neighbor, and we’ve made a few batches and they disappear as fast as they come out of the oven! They are really easy to make too.

Roasted Kale ChipsKale chips

  • One bunch kale washed and dried
  • 1-2 Tbs olive oil
  • Dash of salt

Preheat the oven to 375. Tear the kale into pieces, removing the ribs. Toss with olive oil. Add a sprinkle of salt if desired. Bake until crisp, 15-20 minutes. They cool quickly and are best still slightly warm.