Pantry Pasta

From The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond via FoodNetwork



Ingredients:
1/2 whole red onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1/3 cup chicken stock or white wine
1/3 cup assorted olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1 whole jar artichoke hearts, halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces pasta, cooked al dente and drained
2 to 3 tablespoons jarred pesto
1/2 cup fork-chunked feta
3 tablespoons dry-toasted pine nuts

Directions:
Add the onions into a skillet with the olive oil over medium heat. Saute for a few minutes, and then add in the diced tomatoes, chicken stock, olives, artichoke hearts and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and stir to combine with the sauce. Mix in the pesto. Toss in the feta and top with the pine nuts.

Comments:
I don't know that I've ever made anything from The Pioneer Woman that I haven't totally loved. I caught this recipe on her new(ish) show on the Food Network and I knew it was right up my alley. A local Italian restaurant makes a version of this and I love it and this is what I always get at Stone Cellar as well. Olives and tomatoes and artichokes and pasta = Heaven! I did leave out the pesto since I'm not particularly a fan. I also used some Garden Delight Ronzoni in an effort to up the healthy components. I'm not sure about the two servings thing though - this makes a whole lot, and unlike Ree, I don't live on a working ranch and chase cows around all day.

Artichoke and Goat Cheese Strata

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (about 1 large)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
1 3/4 cups 1% low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 (1-pound) loaf country-style white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
Cooking spray
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese, divided

Directions:
1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in artichoke hearts and garlic; cook for 8 minutes or until artichoke hearts begin to brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in herbes de Provence. Cool 10 minutes.

2. Combine milk, black pepper, salt, and eggs in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and bread; toss gently to combine. Stir in artichoke mixture, and let stand for 20 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 375°.

4. Spoon half of bread mixture into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with half of goat cheese, and top with remaining bread mixture. Sprinkle remaining half of goat cheese over top. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Comments:
Quite a bit of prep work on this recipe as well, although not all of it is active. This one is worth it though - great results. I cannot believe I went so many years not knowing how awesome goat cheese is. Yum.

Greek Chicken Pasta

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 cups cubed rotisserie chicken
1 jar (7-1/2 ounces) marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 cup sliced pitted Greek olives
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet, melt butter. Add onion; saute until tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the chicken, artichoke hearts, cheese, tomatoes and olives.

Drain pasta; stir into the pan. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 5-7 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Sprinkle with parsley.

Comments:
I omitted the olives since Adam doesn't like them and used a drained can of diced tomatoes rather than sun-dried. I also used plain artichoke hearts instead of marinated ones. Overall this was very good. I think it would have been even better with the olives, so if I make it again I might add them to my bowl. I added some salt and a lot of pepper to my dish because without something else it was pretty bland.

Chicken Salad Caprese

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 can (14 ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup pitted Greek olives, thinly sliced (I left out)
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, garlic, salt and pepper; drizzle over chicken mixture and toss to coat.

Comments:
This recipe is meant to be a crostini-like appetizer. I just left out the bread and treated it like an entree salad. Worked out fine. Also, I used a "Tuscan Blend" olive oil so I didn't add any extra garlic or basil. It was wonderful!

No Crust (Spinach) Artichoke Quiche Squares

From Recipezaar.com



Ingredients:
1/3 cup dry sherry or apple juice
2 tablespoons chopped red onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 (10 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
3 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
1/4 teaspoon marjoram or basil
1 pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. In medium non stick skillet over medium heat, heat sherry or apple juice, add onion and garlic. Cook until soft, but not brown,stirring frequently for about 3 minutes. Spoon mixture into medium bowl, and add all the other ingredients,and mix well. Pour batter into a lightly oiled 8 inch square baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until set and lightly browned. To serve, cut into squares. Can be served hot or cold.

Comments:
I made this as an appetizer for Thanksgiving down at my Dad and Cheryl's house. I added some spinach for color and flavor. I don't know if it was that there were so many other things to choose from or if it totally sucked, but hardly any of it was gone when we left. I have most of it in the fridge. We'll see if it gets eaten.

The corner I tested tasted fine... I'd definitely say try and serve it warm though. Also, it took my oven more like 45 minutes to get the quiche set and browned.

Spinach-Artichoke French Bread Pizza

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1 baguette, quartered
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 pinch nutmeg
Two 10-ounce boxes frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
One 9-ounce box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet. In a medium skillet, melt the butter with the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk and season with the nutmeg. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.

2. Pull the spinach apart, then add to the sauce. Fold in the artichokes and cook until heated through. Stir in the parmigiano-reggiano, season with salt and remove from the heat.

3. Spread the spinach and artichoke mixture on the bread and top with the mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted, 10 to 12 minutes. Top with the thyme.

Comments:
I thought this sounded like a great idea - combine spinach-artichoke dip and French bread pizza. It was easy to make, tasted alright. A little bland, so I might mess with seasonings next time. What I want to know is how everyone keeps their bread upright in the oven. I end up sticking a piece of sandwich bread on the side to keep it from tipping. There must be a better way though. Any ideas?

Turkey-Stuffed Zucchini Boats

From Robin Miller via Foodnetwork.com



Ingredients:
zucchini
ground turkey
poultry seasoning
egg white
salt & pepper
tomato sauce
chicken broth
chili sauce
cider vinegar
brown sugar
thyme
sour cream
artichoke hearts
Parmesan cheese
oregano
bread crumbs

Comments:
I made this once before when our parents came over for something. I liked it and so I decided to try it again. The meatballs used to fill the zucchini cook in the slow cooker all day and get smooshed up for the stuffing. It's a pretty easy recipe and tastes great and they're actually pretty healthy too.