Pasta with Ricotta and Broccoli

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 pound dried (orzo) pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon hot chili flakes
1 pound broccoli rabe or broccoli, rinsed, ends trimmed, and coarsely chopped
1 container (15 oz.) low-fat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 3 quarts water to a boil. Add orzo and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender to bite, 7 to 12 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta-cooking water. Return orzo to pan.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic; stir until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chili flakes and broccoli rabe; stir 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 cup of reserved water; simmer until greens are tender to bite, 6 to 8 minutes.

3. Add broccoli rabe mixture to orzo with ricotta, olives, and remaining 1/2 cup reserved water; mix, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Comments:
This was not as good as I expected it to be. It was just missing... something. I don't know what that might have been, but it was pretty bland. I also suspect all that ricotta made me sick, but that's more a personal lactose intolerance thing than a defect in the recipe. :)

Cream of Broccoli Soup

From Weight Watchers



Ingredients:
1 medium uncooked onion(s), chopped
1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
2 pound(s) uncooked broccoli, tough ends removed, stems and florets chopped
4 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth, or vegetable broth
1 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste

Directions:
Combine onion and garlic in a 2-quart saucepan with 1/4 cup of water. Simmer until onion is soft, about 10 minutes; spoon vegetables into a large pot.

Add broccoli and broth to pot; bring to a boil over high heat. Once soup boils, reduce heat and simmer until broccoli is soft but still green, about 8 minutes. Do not cover pot while broccoli is cooking or it will turn gray.

Remove soup from heat; puree until smooth in batches in a blender (be careful not to splatter hot liquid) or puree in pot using an immersion blender. Add evaporated milk and hot pepper sauce to soup; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Comments:
I read some of the reviews on this recipe before making it so I also made some adjustments to the original recipe. I added some cornstarch to thicken it. Added cheese. Added a bunch of Penzey's "Mural of Flavor" spice blend. It was ok, but still not the best. I'm not really a cream of broccoli fan anyway, but I don't know that I'd try this again.

Adam Cooks: Asian Beef with Broccoli

From Crock-Pot Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes



Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs boneless chuck steak, about 1 1/2 inches thick, sliced into thin strips
1 10.5 oz can condensed beef consomme, undiluted
1/2 cup oyster sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 16 oz bag fresh broccoli florets
Hot cooked rice
Sesame seeds (opt)

Directions:
1. Place beef in slow cooker. Pour consomme and oyster sauce over beef. Cover; cook on high 3 hours.

2. Combine cornstarch and 2 tbsp cooking liquid in small bowl. Stir well to combine. Stir into slow cooker. Cover; cook on high 15 minutes longer or until thickened.

3. Pole holes into broccoli bag with fork. Microwave on high 3 minutes. Empty bag into slow cooker. Gently toss beef and broccoli together. Serve over cooked rice. Garnish with sesame seeds, if desired.

Comments:
Maybe it was because we couldn't find beef consomme so we used beef broth. Or maybe it was because we skipped the oyster sauce. Whatever the reason, this was really boring. Very bland, not interesting texturally or flavorally (is that even a word?) at all. Probably wouldn't make this again - I have a different slow cooker version I much prefer.

Broccoli Cheese Bake

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1-3/4 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
2/3 cup fat-free milk
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Place 1 in. of water and broccoli in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch, salt, pepper and milk until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Stir in onion and cheddar cheese until cheese is melted. Drain broccoli; stir into cheese sauce.

Transfer to a 1-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Comments:
I swear I made this before but I can't find it here on my blog. Anyway, I tend to cook the heck out of broccoli but I think I did ok with this stuff. Not spectacular, but ok. I think I'd stick with plain broccoli next time though.

Hot Potatoes

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
7 small yellow-fleshed potatoes, such as yukon gold
1 cup broccoli florets
2 ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded
3 tablespoons reduced-fat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons finely chopped pickled jalapeño chile
Salt and pepper
Olive oil cooking spray
Chili powder, for sprinkling

Directions:
1. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until fork-tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan of boiling water, cook the broccoli until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes; drain. Finely chop the broccoli and place in a medium bowl.

3. Slice 6 potatoes in half. Scoop out half of the flesh from each piece and add to the broccoli. Peel and finely chop the remaining potato and add to the mixture. Add the cheese, 2 tablespoons yogurt and the jalapeño; mash coarsely and season with salt and pepper.

4. Preheat the oven to 425°. Arrange the potato halves cut side down on a baking sheet and lightly coat them with cooking spray; invert and season with salt and pepper. Divide the stuffing among the potato halves. Lightly coat with cooking spray and sprinkle with chili powder. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon yogurt and more chili powder.

Comments:
A lot of prep work on these ones, and I'm not sure the end result was really worth the effort. It definitely needs more cheese and I couldn't find my chili powder until after I had put them in the oven (stupid Spring cleaning - I can't find anything these days...) so they weren't really "hot" as in spicy at all. Eh.

Gnocchi with Broccoli Fontina Sauce

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
14 cups water
10 cup broccoli florets
2 (16-ounce) boxes vacuum-packed gnocchi (such as Alessi)
2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fontina cheese
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Bring water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add broccoli and gnocchi; cook 3 minutes or until done. Drain.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in broccoli mixture, fontina, broth, and pepper; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Comments:
This was really good. Fontina can be kind of strong, but it was well paired with the blank slate of the gnocchi and tempered with the chicken broth.

Steak & New Potato Toss Recipe

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1 pound small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges
1-1/4 pounds beef top sirloin steak
3 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped

VINAIGRETTE:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, grill steak, covered, over medium heat for 8-11 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145°; medium, 160°; well-done, 170°). Let stand for 10 minutes before thinly slicing across the grain.

Place broccoli florets in a steamer basket. Place in a saucepan over 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and steam for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. In a small bowl, combine vinaigrette ingredients.

Drain broccoli and potatoes; place in a large bowl. Add beef and red pepper; drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to coat. Serve warm or cold.

Comments:
This was good. Adam thought the steak was overdone, which it probably was for him, but that's my fault because I can't stand meat that's red. The sauce is really light and complements the different elements of the dish.

Chicken-Broccoli Couscous

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
3 cups chicken broth
One 10-ounce box couscous
1 onion, finely chopped
1 head broccoli, broken into small florets
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the pan and cook, turning once, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a work surface, let cool, then shred; reserve the skillet.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring 2 cups chicken broth and 1 tablespoon olive oil to a boil; season with salt and pepper. Add the couscous, cover and remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

3. In the reserved skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and the remaining 1 cup chicken broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken, raisins, parsley and couscous; season with salt and pepper. Toss with the almonds before serving.

Comments:
I cooked the chicken on my George Foreman because I forgot to take it out of the freezer the night before. Whoops. Other than that I followed the recipe. It was pretty good - I even ate the raisins. I did use golden raisins though so maybe that's why they didn't gross me out.

Sausage and Broccoli Risotto

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook



Ingredients:
3 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine (or more chicken broth)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage
1/2 bunch broccoli, rinsed and chopped

Directions:
1. To make the risotto, bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and keep at a simmer.

2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the rice and cook until the outer shell is lightly toasted, 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the wine, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the broth and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Continue to add the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until it is absorbed before adding more, until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy. The cooking time from the first addition of broth should be 20-24 minutes. Stir in the parsley.

4. Meanwhile, spray a nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli; cover and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir the sausage and broccoli into the risotto.

Serves 6. POINTS Value per serving: 6

Comments:
This was good. Adam wanted more sausage though. I thought it was fine as it was. That always seems to be the case. Might try this again with other meats. Risotto is kind of time-consuming to make and I was surprised that this was good even without the traditional handful of parmesan cheese at the end.

Broccoli-Ham Macaroni

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
4 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups fat-free milk
2-1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

Directions:
Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, place 1 in. of water in a large saucepan; add broccoli. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender.

In a large saucepan, saute the onion, ham and red pepper in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are crisp-tender. Sprinkle with flour; stir until blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Stir in the cheese, parsley, mustard and seasonings until blended. Drain broccoli and macaroni; stir into cheese sauce. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish (dish will be full).

In a small skillet, melt remaining butter; stir in bread crumbs. Sprinkle over macaroni mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

Comments:
I altered the recipe a little bit in that I just cooked the broccoli in the same water as the pasta, I left out the red pepper and all the butter, and cut the amount of cheese sauce in half. All in all, pretty good. Not too cheesy and a nice ham surprise in every bite.

(Fettuccine) with Chicken and Broccoli (Rabe)

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli rabe, cleaned and chopped
6 oz spinach fettuccine
4 tsp olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 head radicchio, shredded
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions:
1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the broccoli rabe 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl. In the boiling water, cook the fettuccine according to package directions. Drain.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tsp of the oil. Add the chicken, salt, oregano, and red pepper and saute until cooked through, 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates.

3. In the skillet, heat the remaining 2 tsp oil. Saute the onion and garlic until tender, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the broccoli rabe and radicchio; cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 4-5 minutes. Add the fettuccine, the sprinkle with the cheese and black pepper. Serve topped with the chicken and sprinkled with the basil.

Serves 4. POINTS Value per serving: 7

Comments:
So, I had to do some improvising on this one. I can never find broccoli rabe at the grocery store so I end up using plain old broccoli. I also couldn't find radicchio, but I did find a bagged mix of baby spinach, radicchio, and romaine so I figured that was kind of close. I skipped the basil, mostly because I forgot to get it. Also, I used the awesome garlic olive oil again instead of oil + garlic.

Anyway. This was very good. Nice mix of flavors and textures. The greens kind of melt into the background so they're not anything to worry about. I'd have this again.

Cavatelli with Broccoli

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook



Ingredients:
2 cups cavatelli or rotelle
4 tsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups broccoli florets
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broccoli; cook, stirring, until tender-crisp, 3-4 minutes. Add the sauteed vegetables, basil, and salt to the pasta. Toss, adding just enough of the pasta water to moisten. Sprinkle with the cheese and pepper.

Serves 4. POINTS Value per serving: 5

Comments:
I used Barilla's teeny tiny fusili that had been sitting in the cupboard forever. I also used garlic-infused olive oil so I skipped the first step. In this particular case, you do really need the extra pasta water to keep things from drying out. Overall, great tasting result without a lot of work.

Oriental Beef & Broccoli

From Better Homes & Gardens Simple Slow Cooker Recipes (also seen here.)



Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef round steak
6 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium onions, cut into wedges
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 3/4-oz envelope beef gravy mix
4 cups broccoli florets
3 cups hot cooked rice

Directions:
1. Trim fat from meat. Cut meat across the grain into 1/2-inch strips. Set aside. In a 3 1/2-to 4-quart slow cooker place carrots and onions. Add meat, ginger, and garlic. In a small bowl stir together water, soy sauce, and beef gravy mix. Pour over mixture in cooker.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours (or on high 4-5 hours.)

3. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir in broccoli. Cover and cook about 15 minutes more or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Serve meat mixture over hot cooked rice.

Comments:
I really like the flavor of this recipe. It reheats well and doesn't get soggy like you might think. Adam still isn't its biggest fan, but he ate it without comment this time.

Breaded Pork & Mozzarella Stacks with Broccoli

From Everyday With Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1/4 pound mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
8 pork cutlets (about 2 pounds), pounded thin
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 baguette, finely ground (about 3 cups breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 head broccoli—broken into small florets, plus stems peeled and thinly sliced crosswise

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 250°. Divide the mozzarella among 4 pork cutlets; top with the remaining 4 cutlets. Season with salt and pepper. Place the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in three separate shallow bowls. Coat the pork stacks in the flour, then in the eggs, then in the breadcrumbs.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 2 pork stacks and cook, turning once, until golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven; repeat with 3 tablespoons olive oil and the remaining 2 pork stacks.

3. Wipe out the skillet and return to the heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the garlic, broccoli and 2 tablespoons water; season with salt. Cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with the pork stacks.

Comments:
Since I was only making two I skipped the whole oven part. One thing I'll never understand is why they tell you to use so much more flour/breadcrumb mixture than you'll ever need. 3 cups of breadcrumbs for four "stacks"? That's ridiculous and a total waste of bread. I had a little less than one cup in the bowl for two and used less than 1/4 of them. I don't get it.

Anyway, simple prep and execution, though I never seem to be able to get my oil at the right temp to cook the meat but not burn it a bit. Eh, still tasted fine, and just look at that cheese ooze out! I might not have been at my best since I had a creepy audience most of the time I was in the kitchen tonight:



That's Carly on the counter on the left, Connor is in the hall, and you can see part of Ted on the right side on the floor. JC was in the cat room eating, otherwise I'm almost certain I could have had all four of them staring at me at one time. Freaky!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

From Beer Cookbook: 101 Recipes with Beer



Ingredients:
3 tbsp butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3/4 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder with parsley
6 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup beer
1 10oz package frozen broccoli, thawed and drained
10 oz grated Cheddar cheese

Directions:
In Dutch oven, melt butter and saute onion, seasoning salt, and garlic powder with parsley until onion is tender. Stir in flour. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in chicken broth and beer. Return to a boil. Add broccoli. Reduce heat and add cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.

Comments:
Adam had ordered broccoli cheese soup a restaurant a few weeks ago and was bitterly disappointed when it was pretty much cream of broccoli soup with some cheese thrown on top. I think this was much more what he was expecting. Pretty simple to make, tastes great. Lots of depth of flavor from the broth and beer. Lots of cheese too, so we'll see how it treats my stomach. :)

Pasta Bake With Sausage, Broccoli and Beans

Inspired by this recipe from the show "Cook Yourself Thin"



Ingredients:
1 pound rigatoni pasta
1 pound breakfast sausage
1 can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Cook the pasta according to package directions, knocking off two or three minutes from the cooking time. In the last two minutes, add the broccoli to the water as well. Drain, and put into a large bowl.

Cook the sausage in a skillet, breaking it up as it browns. Drain and add to the bowl with the pasta and broccoli. Add the beans and cheese and stir.

Put the pasta mixture into a greased baking dish. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

Comments:
I caught parts of this while I was reading on the couch earlier this week. I didn't bother to go and look up the actual recipe until after I made this, but I knew I had broccoli to use up, I had thawed sausage for a dish I didn't end up making, and pasta and cheese are always welcome on my plate. I think I needed some more liquid, but overall it was good. I might browse their recipes to see if anything else catches my eye. I saw a different episode where they made cupcakes using grated zucchini instead of butter. Interesting...

Broccoli and Cheddar Strudel

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 leeks (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Two 10-ounce packages frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
Salt and pepper
2 large eggs
16 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (4 cups)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
10 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and cook until the leeks begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the broccoli, season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Transfer the broccoli mixture to a large bowl and let cool for 10 minutes. Wipe out the skillet and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, lightly beat 1 egg and stir into the broccoli mixture along with the cheddar cheese and mustard. Set aside.

3. In the skillet, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, lightly beat the remaining egg and set aside. Place 1 sheet phyllo dough on a work surface with the short side closest to you; cover the remaining phyllo sheets with a damp kitchen towel. Brush the phyllo sheet lightly with the melted butter, beginning with the edges. Stack 4 more phyllo sheets on top, brushing all but the last sheet with butter. Place half of the reserved broccoli mixture on the short end of the phyllo, leaving a 3-inch border of dough along the sides and bottom. Fold the bottom edge over the filling, then fold in the two sides and gently roll up into a log, brushing the inside flap with the egg to seal the strudel. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make another strudel.

4. Place the strudels seam side down and 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops and sides with the remaining egg. Bake until golden-brown, 30 to 35 minutes.

Comments:
As I'm sure you loyal readers of my blog (all two of you) know, I don't do phyllo. My version is obviously made with puff pastry. Why go through all that pain and suffering about keeping the phyllo damp and brushing butter when you can defrost the puff pastry while you're making the filling, roll it out a little, and fold it? Keep it simple!

Anyway. This recipe was easy to make and I liked the subtle leek flavor. I've been on a leek kick lately. They've been on the grocery list for the past three weeks straight. This dish is also similar to the calzones I make occasionally. Yum.

Turkey & Bow Ties

From Taste of Home's Cooking for 2 Winter 2009



Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
6 ounces turkey breast tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup fresh broccoli florets
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup canned Italian diced tomatoes
1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons white wine or additional reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Dash cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook turkey in oil over medium heat until no longer pink. Add broccoli and garlic; cook until broccoli is tender.

Stir in the tomatoes, broth, wine, basil and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-8 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta; add to turkey mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 2 servings.

Comments:
I actually used chicken rather than turkey. I always have a gazillion boneless, skinless breasts in the house and turkey is not cheap. That was my only swap out on this one. It seems similar to another recipe I made previously, but I'll never turn down chicken and pasta. :)

Broccoli Cheese Strata

From Taste of Home's Cooking for 2



Ingredients:
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh broccoli
2 green onions, sliced
1 tablespoon water
2 slices white bread, cubed
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon dill weed
Dash ground nutmeg
Dash pepper

Directions:
In a small microwave-safe dish, microwave broccoli and onions in water on high for 1 minute; drain and set aside. Place bread in a shallow 3-cup baking dish coated with cooking spray. Add broccoli mixture and cheese. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, milk, mustard, dill, nutmeg and pepper; pour over cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Yield: 2 servings.

Comments:
Interesting dish. I made it in the morning and baked it for dinner. The texture wasn't really that great, but it tasted fine. I don't know that I'd make it again. We'll see.

Veggie Mac 'n' Cheese

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
3 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 cups fresh cauliflowerets
3 large carrots, halved and thinly sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Directions:
Cook macaroni according to package directions, adding the broccoli, cauliflowerets, carrots and celery during the last 6 minutes. Drain; transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.

Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, saute onion in butter until tender. Sprinkle with flour; stir until blended. Gradually stir in milk and broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the cheese, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over macaroni mixture; stir to coat. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 12 servings.

Comments:
After a disasterous mac and cheese incident a few months back (as in, it turned out horrible and made us both very sick) I decided I should try again. Using a recipe this time. Overall, pretty easy to make. Although the cats were swarming more than usual when I made this. I don't know why. Maybe they like cauliflower? In any case, simple to assemble, tastes good. I like how the veggies get almost sweet when they're baked.