Zucchini "Pasta" Bolognese

So zucchini noodles seem to be all the rage on pinterest at the moment, so I decided to give them a try! Let me tell you, they turned out great! They obviously don't taste like pasta but had a similar texture and were super filling! I bought an OXO brand mandolin and it was a great purchase! I think I only paid $7 for mine at TJMAXX. If you are un-familiar with what a mandolin looks like, I have a picture of mine below.

Ingredients:

3 summer squash

2 zucchini 

1 tablespoon of garlic

Non-stick spray

1 lb of ground turkey meat

1 jar of sauce (I use my favorite sauce - Trader Joe's Creamy Tomato Basil Sauce)

Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions:

Cook the ground turkey as directed on package. While that is cooking, begin slicing your summer squash and zucchini with your mandolin. Be careful! The blades are sharp and I always end up cutting myself somehow. Once all of your squash is sliced, place in a medium to large sized sauce pan. Be sure to spray it first with non-stick spray. The noodles only take about 5-7 minutes to cook. I used tongs to stir them mid way. Be very careful because if you are too rough, the noddles will become mush.

When the noodles are almost done cooking, add your garlic and stir. Once the meat is all done cooking, add the jar of sauce to the mixture and mix well. Once everything is warm and finished cooking, plate up and garnish with the Parmesan cheese. Now how easy was that? Feel free to add other veggies to the mixture! I was experimenting so I was playing it safe this time! I can't wait to try new combinations.

Japanese Ginger Salad Dressing

This may sound lame, but my favorite part of going out for hibachi is the salad! The homemade ginger salad dressing is delicious and refreshing! I am a slow eater and always feel rushed with hibachi. I've experimented several times to make this dressing and finally found "the one"! It needs to set for a few hours so I find it best to make it on a work morning so that way, when I get home from work all I have to do is prepare the salad.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of minced onion
3/4 cup of peanut oil
1/2 cup of rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons of water
3 tablespoons of fresh minced ginger root
3 tablespoons of minced celery
3 tablespoons of ketchup
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of white sugar
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of fresh black pepper

Directions:

Ready for this? Take all of the above ingredients, plop them in the blender on high for 30 seconds or until it is at a smooth texture. Place it in a container and place it in the refrigerator. Let it sit for at least 3 hours. Make sure to shake well before serving. Drizzle over a salad. I served mine with my Asian Rice Noddle Soup and it made for a great dinner!

*Side note - you should eat this within 3 days or so of making it. It does not have any preservatives in it so it will go bad quicker than store bought salad dressing.

Seafood Sauté

Last night, I had to work with what I had on hand since it was below zero outside and there was no way I was going out to the grocery store! Surprisingly, this meal came out wonderful! It left me feeling full and pleased! This meal yields about 2 large servings. If  you are cooking for 4, double it.

Ingredients:

- 1/2 lb of fresh sea scallops
- 1/2 lb of fresh jumbo shrimp cocktail
- 1.5 cups of frozen shelled soy beans (edamame)
- 1 white onion
- 1 package of raw mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon of EVOO
- 1 tablespoon of fresh minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- Greek seasoning
- 1 teaspoon of beef broth base
- fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:

Rinse the scallops and shrimp and drain. Pat them dry with a paper towel. Butterfly and take the tails off the shrimp. In a medium frying pan, add 1/2 tablespoon of EVOO and place on medium.Chop up the onion and mushrooms to your desired size. Place them in the frying pan and top with seasoning, stirring occasionally.

In a separate frying pan, add 1/2 tablespoon of EVOO and place on medium. Add the scallops first and top with your seasoning. Allow them to sear on one side. Once they are well seared, flip them over allowing the other side to sear. At this time, add your butterflied shrimp and season both sides.

Going back to your vegetables. They should be just about done by now. Add in the soy beans and lower the temperature to low heat.

Now for the finishing touches. Add the butter and garlic to your seafood pan and toss well. In your vegetable pan, add the beef broth base and stir, allowing the beef broth to fully incorporate into the vegetables.

Plate up the vegetables and top with your seafood. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve!

Cajun Kielbasa Pasta

Now if you  like comfort food, this is the meal for you! It's the perfect dinner for a cold winter night!

Ingredients:

- 1 package of turkey kielbasa (I prefer the buterball brand)
- 1/2 bag of frozen peas
- 1 purple onion
- 1 tomato
- 1 box of pasta of your choosing
- 2 cups of heavy cream
- 1/2 cup of fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning (less if you are sensitive to spice)
- 1 tablespoon of EVOO

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. Chop up the onion and place in a frying fan with the EVOO. Allow this to cook on medium heat until it is almost cooked through. Slice up the kielbasa into 1/4 inch thin slices and add to the frying pan.

Chop up the tomato.Once the kielbasa is just about browned, add the peas and chopped up tomato. continue stirring occasionally.

In a separate cooking pot, add the cream and Cajun seasoning. Allow it to boil. Once it boils, reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until it starts to get thick. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Feel free to add more spices for more flavor. I added some Greek seasoning to the mix. Add all of the ingredients in a large frying pan or wok and stir. Serve!

Roasted Veggie Croissants

I made these the other night for a family party and they were delicious! 

Ingredients:

1 onion

1 package of mushrooms

1 zucchini

1 summer squash

1 red pepper

1/2 bunch of asparagus

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

1 tablespoon of EVOO

1 teaspoon of sea salt

1/2 lb of white American cheese sliced from the deli

2 packages of crescent rolls

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400. Ready to chop? Chop all of the vegetables into small small pieces. And I mean SMALL pieces. Make sure you have a radio near by or a friend to help! Once they are all chopped up, mix them together with the EVOO and sea salt in a mixing bowl.

Next, lay out the mixture in a baking dish and place in the oven. 

Once the vegetables are starting to get crispy, take them out of the oven and stir them. Place them back in the oven until they are cooked through and roasted. Remove the dish from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. Lower the oven heat to 375. Lay out the crescent rolls and cut each triangle in half. Cut the cheese in quarters and place the cheese squares in the middle of the crescent triangle. Spoon 1 spoonful of the vegetable mixture in the center and wrap the dough around so that one of the ends is covered in dough. Repeat for all of the rolls. Place on an un greased cookie sheet and place them in the oven for 9-12 minutes or until crispy brown. Take them out of the oven once they are done cooking and allow them to sit for a few minutes. Serve!

Parmesan Garlic Seared Scallops

I love the taste of scallops. While fried scallops are awesome, the deep fried-ness takes away from the flavor of the scallops. Parmesan and garlic taste awesome with anything so I decided to try it with my pan seared scallops and it was a delicious combination!

Ingredients:

-1 lb of fresh off the boat sea scallops (If you're going to use frozen, don't bother because they will get watery and dried out)
- 2 tablespoons of butter
-1 tablespoon of minced garlic
-1 tablespoon of fresh grated Parmesan cheese
-5 twists of a sea salt grinder
- fresh parsley for topping

Directions:

In a large frying pan (a large frying pan should fit all of the scallops if they are large enough, if not cut the recipe in half and make 2 batches), melt 2 tablespoons of butter on medium. While that is melting, place the scallops, garlic and sea salt in a bowl and coat well by mixing. Once the butter is melted in the pan, place the scallops in the pan until they are well seared on one side. Flip when they are seared. Once the other side is seared, flip again so that the hot side is facing up. Top with the fresh grated Parmesan cheese and allow it to lightly melt. Place on a plate and garnish with parsley. Easy huh?

Veggie Pizza Recipe

Yum yum yum! I just love veggie pizza! Its light and not super cheesy like take out pizza!

Ingredients:

1 pizza shell

1/2 can of Alfredo sauce

2 tablespoons of minced garlic

2 plum tomatoes

1 onion

1 summer squash

1 zucchini

1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese

1 tablespoon of EVOO

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350. Thinly slice up the zucchini, summer squash and onion. Place in a frying pan on medium heat with 1 tablespoon of EVOO. While the vegetables are cooking, pour the alfredo sauce on the pizza like you would pizza sauce, making sure it is evenly distributed. Top with the minced garlic placing it evenly on parts of the pizza. Next, chop up your tomatoes and sprinkle them on the pizza. When your vegetables are finished cooking, layer them on the pizza evenly. Next, top with the shredded cheddar cheese. Do not put the feta on just yet, if you leave it in the oven too long it will get chewy. Place the pizza in the oven for about ten minutes. When ten minutes have gone by, take the pizza out and sprinkle the feta on top. Now place the pizza back in for about 3 minutes or until it is to your desired crispiness. Serve!