olives

Italian Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Leah Short — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 15:36:55 +0000

A few days ago I got back from visiting my friends Carol and Mike, who just had a baby girl! I couldn’t wait to meet her! You may remember my visit to their house last year. I knew with a 2-month-old in the house that we’d be hanging out at home mostly. This was ok with me because I knew Carol would be down with making some goodies in the kitchen. We found these Italian Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms in the latest issue of Food Network magazine. There were several variations, but these sounded so good with all the cheese and fennel. These hearty appetizers would also be great for watching the game later that night!

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Poached Egg over Polenta with Olive-Herb Pesto

Leah Short — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 12:38:41 +0000

Runny egg. Cheesy polenta. Salty olives. I should just end this post after those six words. I can’t even begin to tell you how hard it was to photograph this Poached Egg over Polenta with Olive-Herb Pesto without drooling all over it or my camera. I mean it was painful. Food bloggers always joke about never being able to eat a hot meal and gosh if it isn’t so true! Watching that yellow yolk ooze out over the creamy polenta almost did me in. You better believe I set my camera down (after a bajillion pics, amiright?!) and instantly grabbed a spoon. Heaven. Salty, creamy, cheesy, eggy heaven.

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Broccoli Linguine with Feta

Leah Short — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 12:55:31 +0000

I hate it when a good pasta dish goes bad because of crappy pasta. This is my second time cooking with whole-grain/whole-wheat pasta, and it’s my last. I don’t care for the texture or the taste. I already had a tough start with this Broccoli Linguine with Feta because it was supposed to be broccoli rabe. Apparently it was my grocery store’s mission to be out of the stuff they usually carry when I need it. This was the same trip they were out of fennel for this sandwich. Of course yesterday when I went, there was both! I have no idea if broccoli is an appropriate substitute for broccoli rabe, but I liked it and it works well in pasta, so I went for it. This pasta dish is loaded with all kinds of hearty, filling goodies. If it weren’t for that damn linguine.

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Taco Spaghetti

Leah Short — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:29:14 +0000

Taco Spaghetti? That sounds weird. That’s what you’re thinking right? I’ve mentioned this dish before to friends and they turn their noses up as if I’d said, “Hey for dessert let’s dip broccoli in chocolate.” I know it sounds strange, but trust me, merging taco salad and spaghetti is magnificent. There’s no tomato sauce involved, no Parmesan, so it’s not a true merging, but that probably helps you picture it’s goodness better. It’s like taco salad with the added bonus of pasta.

So, how’s it taste?

I’ve been making taco spaghetti for a long time. It really is just like taco salad, but with spaghetti. I love everything about it, all the cheese, the hearty beef, tangy olives. Plus any dish I can top with sour cream is always a winner. You can turn up the heat level with the type of salsa you use and certainly a great addition would be jalapenos. This dish is fairly low calorie for quite a big serving using beef, but if you make it with turkey it’s even lower. Both meats are fantastic.

It’s a really filling casserole and the leftovers are even better. It sounds strange, but I’m telling you, it’s worth trying. A great conversation piece when someone asks, “What’s for dinner?”

Taco Spaghetti

Better Homes and Gardens, Cooking for Today Pasta
makes 6 servings
per serving: 438 calories, 36g protein, 42g carbs, 21g fat

Ingredients:

5 oz. dried spaghetti, broken
1 lb. ground beef (or turkey)
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 cup water
2 tbsp. taco seasoning mix
11 oz. can whole kernel corn with peppers, drained
1 cup sliced pitted black olives
1 cup colby jack or cheddar, shredded
1/2 cup salsa
4 oz. can diced green chili peppers, drained
shredded lettuce
tortilla chips
tomato
sour cream, optional

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a 12-inch skillet, cook beef and onion until meat is brown. Drain fat. Stir in water and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cooked pasta, corn, olives, half of the cheese, salsa, and green chili peppers.

3. Transfer mixture to lightly greased 2-quart round casserole. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake until melted.

4. Serve with shredded lettuce, tortilla chips, tomatoes, and sour cream, if desired.

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