lunch ideas for weekdays

I've been trying to think of more creative but not too complicated lunch options now that my husband has been coming home for lunch everyday. Last year, his office moved to a better and more convenient location that's very close to our home. Shown below are some lunch ideas I've made recently.

Whole wheat clubhouse sandwiches with scrambled egg, sliced ham, Swiss cheese and dijon mustard, shown above. I found the best 100% whole wheat bread recipe from the King Arthur Flour website that  I bake often. I make it with either molasses or honey but the molasses gives it a darker color and a deeper flavor.

A simple and light omelet made with sauteed mushrooms and grated cheese, shown above. I also make a lighter version with chopped tomatoes and spinach.

For the creamy pasta shown above, cook 1 cup shell pasta then drain. Brown sliced sausage in a skillet then add 1/4 cup chopped red onions and 1-2 cloves of minced garlic. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Toss in the cooked pasta with a little of the pasta water. Add some frozen peas if desired. Remove from heat then mix in about half a cup of sour cream. Stir until well mixed. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

rainbow chard

colorful rainbow chard stalks

We're happy with the organic produce box we got this week which included some beautiful rainbow chard. It's exciting to learn more about these unusual vegetables. Discovering their flavors as we get to try them is part of the fun. It's also inspiring to research and try new recipes and ways to use them. We have green salads everyday now since we started ordering. Good for us :-)

we're enjoying more of these vegetables and fruits everyday

 

I tossed some torn rainbow chard leaves into the other salad greens so we could taste them raw. They have a slight bitter flavor similar to kale. I reserved the colorful stalks and may try to sautee them next time. I also sliced and added the leaves to the pasta dish shown above.

For the recipe...

homemade tortellini

I still remember the day I first made pasta fetuccine from scratch. Inspired by an article in a food magazine, it was the most labor intensive cooking project I ever attempted. I had no pasta making gadgets at that time so I just used a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a thin sheet and cut the strands of pasta with a knife. That was many years ago and thanks to modern gadgets, pasta making is now a much more enjoyable task. The first time I tried the Kitchenaid pasta maker, I was very impressed with how effortless it was to use. It took some practice at first along with learning the correct consistency of the dough. Too much moisture in the dough will make the strands of pasta stick together when they're cut so the right balance of wet and dry ingredients is important.

ready to cook tortellini pasta filled with ricotta cheese

I've made ravioli a few times but for a change, I felt inspired and in a good mood as I tried to make my first batch of tortellini pasta. I was happy with the result (as shown above and below). I made a simple ricotta cheese filling which turned out just right with the rich bolognese sauce.

I like adding whole wheat to the pasta flour

There are so many ideas for the filling and I'm thinking of adding spinach or mushrooms to the mixture next time. It would also be a nice touch to add pureed spinach to come up with a bright green colored pasta dough as I have done before (see post). With some helpful tools, pasta making is a fun cooking project.

tortellini with a rich bolognese sauce and some pan-fried sausages

a simple Noche Buena

Noche Buena is a traditional Christmas Eve dinner in the Philippines. After the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass which celebrates the birth of Jesus, the highlight of the Christmas season for Catholics, families head back home to share a meal together. It's a very old tradition that centers on the meaning of Christmas and family but when there's a gathering, food will always be an important part of it . We spent Christmas this year at home and enjoyed a simple Noche Buena for two. It was a quiet and relaxing Christmas Eve at home together.

Noche Buena table setting for two

gouda cheese and challah bread

pasta with beans and escarole

There are a few items that I consider pantry staples and this may be true for many households. Dried pasta, canned beans, canned chicken and beef broth for quick soups and simple dinner time side dishes are essential for me. With some pasta and a can of beans, it's easy to create a healthy and affordable dish for everyday meals at home.

This simple pasta side dish showcased my favorite cannellini beans, rotini pasta and escarole. In a skillet, heat about two tablespoons of olive oil and sautee the sliced escarole for a few minutes or until the color turns bright green. Toss in the cannellini beans and cooked rotini pasta next and gently stir to combine. This dish may also be served cold as a salad. Sprinkle with shaved parmesan cheese and adjust the seasonings.

pasta night

mushroom ravioli and cheese sauce

This was a ravioli version of the classic mac & cheese. I had limited ingredients the day I decided to make this. I had a small can of button mushrooms, a bag of grated cheese, chopped onions and parsley. I cooked the onions and parsley in a little olive oil then added the chopped mushrooms, pinch of salt and pepper. After cooling the mixture slightly, I combined it with about a cup of grated cheese. The ravioli was made with whole wheat flour and pasta flour using the Kitchenaid pasta roller attachment. We also loved how the sauce turned out. It was a cheese version of the basic white sauce. I melted some butter, whisked in about 2 tablespoons of flour then slowly added chicken broth, sour cream and grated cheese until the consistency was just right.

tuna macaroni salad

A great tasting idea that I found in the Big Oven cooking website. Canned tuna turned out to be a very good substitute for the chicken in this macaroni salad. I cooked 8 oz of ditalini pasta (small elbow macaroni and other small pasta will work just as well) then combined it with 2 cans of well drained solid albacore tuna in water, chopped red bell pepper, a tablespoon of pickle relish, sliced green olives with pimiento, olive oil mayo, salt and pepper to taste. May be made a day ahead. Keep refrigerated.

pumpkin fettucine pasta

The addition of pureed canned pumpkin was one of my experiments in pasta making at home that turned out quite well. Not only did the pumpkin impart good flavor to the pasta but it also resulted in a bright and sunny color which added a nice touch to this pasta dish. The pureed pumpkin also blended well and was very easy to add to the pasta dough.

This was just a simple Italian sausage pasta that I thought would be ideal to make for the pumpkin fettucine pasta with the red bell peppers, green parsley and white button mushrooms representing the colors of Italian flag. Cook the fresh pumpkin pasta in boiling water and drain well reserving some of the pasta water. Remove the sausages from the casing then cook until well browned. Set aside to drain. In the same pan in about 1/4 cup olive oil, add minced garlic and cook until fragrant for just a few seconds. Continue to add the sliced red bell peppers and sliced mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes. Return the browned meat to the pan and toss with the ingredients. Add more olive oil if necessary. Add the drained pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time if it gets too dry. Transfer to a serving dish then sprinkle with chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese.

whole wheat spaghetti

From the very first time I used it, I've always been pleased with the Kitchenaid pasta attachments. One thing that I like is having the option to make the pasta healthier with the addition of whole wheat flour and less eggs.

This spaghetti bolognese was a simple but satisfying weekend treat for us. The bolognese sauce may always be made days ahead and kept frozen until ready to reheat and poured into some fresh homemade spaghetti. Just one of the most basic and comforting meals for a lazy weekend afternoon.

WHOLE WHEAT SPAGHETTI 
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup pasta flour blend or all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 tablespoons water (add more as needed)

Mix together and knead until dough comes together. Additional water may be added as long as the dough doesn't get too moist. Continue kneading or run through the pasta machine until dough comes together and becomes pliable. Then run through the spaghetti cutter. Hang out to dry until ready to cook.

chicken with button mushrooms

I've always relied on boneless chicken breast fillets for simple dishes to make for our weekday meals. One of the best combinations that we like is chicken with mushrooms and cream. I used whole canned button mushrooms this time and half and half instead of heavy cream. I prefer to slice the chicken breast fillets into thinner slices for faster cooking. Sprinkle each side of the chicken with salt and pepper them dredge in flour. Pan-fry until slightly browned on each side and fully cooked but not dry. Set them aside on a serving platter. In the same skillet, melt about 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil. Sautee finely chopped onions until soft. Add the button mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. Pour in some chicken broth and half and half. I also added a little sour cream but this is optional. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer the creamy sauce for a few minutes until slightly thickened. Add chopped parsley. Pour the sauce back on the chicken in the serving platter. Garnish with more chopped fresh parsley if desired. I served it with fresh whole wheat pasta, shown below.

fresh spinach pasta

(1) using a food processor, mix 2 cups of all purpose flour or a blend of semolina, durum and all purpose flour (I like to use this perfect pasta blend which may be ordered from King Arthur's Baker's Catalogue), 1-2 eggs, 1-2 tablespoons water and half a package or box (about 1 cup) of frozen cut spinach together. Add more water if needed, a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture becomes grainy and comes together when pressed (2) roll out the dough or use a pasta machine or attachment to make the fettucine, then hang them out to dry (3) the cooked spinach pasta (4) spinach pasta topped with a basic tomato sauce and Italian sausage.

Green colored food may not appeal to many as in the case of the fresh spinach fettucine pictured above. Although when cooked, spinach pasta becomes a wonderful base for the simplest pasta sauces. I had the option of going meatless for a healthier and lighter pasta but browned Italian sausages were also a welcome addition. Slice and brown the sausages then drain well and just use as a topping for the pasta. The basic sauce was a simple combination of diced canned and fresh tomatoes, lots of minced garlic (a personal preference), Italian seasoning, sliced mushrooms and sliced black olives (optional). Simmer until the sauce gets thicker then add about 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Season with salt & pepper. Making the sauce as uncomplicated as possible will bring out the flavor of the spinach better. I'm sure a creamy white sauce will work just as well so I'm looking forward to trying it next time. Sprinkle the pasta dish with a little grated parmesan just before serving.

amberjack fillets

Last week I finally had a chance to check out the newly opened fresh fish and seafood store in our small town. The timing was just perfect for the Lenten season. There was a pretty good assortment of local fish varieties like red snapper, grouper and these amberjack fillets. I planned to bake the big chunk of fillet I bought but I was concerned that the thickness which required longer cooking time would dry out the fish so I decided to cut it up into 1" thick slices. I marinated the fillets in lemon juice, salt and pepper for about an hour. Then I simply pan fried them in olive oil and served them over a simple pasta with some grilled zucchini (now one of our favorites). I was very careful not to overcook the amberjack since these type of firm fish will easily get tough and dry when overcooked. With it's mild taste, amberjack is perfect to use for homemade fish sticks and other popular fish recipes. I've been looking forward to making a pasta side dish idea that I found in a catalogue so this was also the best time to try it.

PASTA WITH PANKO & RED BELL PEPPERS

(recipe from Baker's Catalogue)

I used angel hair but the recipe suggested spaghetti.

8 oz. angel hair pasta, cooked al dente then drained (reserve about 1 cup pasta water)

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup diced onions

2-3 cloves garlic

Lightly toast the panko breadcrumbs in half of the olive oil then transfer to a plate. In the remaining olive oil, cook the garlic, onions and red bell pepper for a few minutes. Toss in the angel hair and add some pasta water if mixture gets too dry. Season with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil if desired. Mix in half of the toasted breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the rest of the breadcrumbs on top of the pasta along with grated parmesan and some chopped parsley.

pasta in saffron oil

This was a clever recipe I found while I was on a regular visit to one of my favorite food sites, Tastespotting. I get so much ideas and inspiration from the creative food lovers in this group. The inspiration for this came from Foodgal. I put my own twist to the dish and instead of using the high quality tuna as Foodgal suggested, I went for a variation with more Spanish flavors. I used spicy sausages, roasted red bell peppers, black olives and chopped fresh parsley. The combination worked pretty well. The first step is to steep the saffron threads in olive oil, the longer the better. Mix about 1/4 teaspoon of saffron threads in a tablespoon of hot water. Then heat up 1/3 cup of olive oil then add the saffron and water mix. Remove from heat and allow to sit to develop a more intense color. Meanwhile, cut up the red bell peppers and brush with olive oil before roasting. Roast them skin side up, allow to cool and slice into strips. I often use the toaster oven for small roasting jobs like this. In a skillet, cook the thinly sliced sausages then add minced garlic and chopped onions. Add the olives, sliced roasted bell peppers and half of the parsley (use the rest for garnish). Season with salt and pepper. Toss the cooked and drained pasta (I used some fettucine I made from scratch) in the saffron oil then top with the sausage mixture. The saffron oil imparts a deep yellow color to the pasta. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and some grated parmesan cheese.

pasta primavera with scallops

I thought about taking a break from our favorite tilapia fillets : ) for our Friday fish and seafood dinner and picked up some scallops at the grocery instead. These were the ready to cook frozen baby or mini ones and I thought about trying them out in some pasta dish. Pasta primavera came to my mind as I was browsing for ideas in an old issue of Cook's Country magazine. I had the vegetables and other ingredients for this and it didn't really take long to make fresh fettucine pasta using our Kitchenaid pasta attachments. I enjoy making fresh pasta at home using a combination of whole wheat and all purpose flour for a healthier version. As promised in my previous post, I added the chopped fresh basil leaves I harvested in the sauce and sprinkled them generously on the pasta before serving.

PASTA PRIMAVERA WITH SCALLOPS
1 package frozen mini scallops, thawed out and drained
orange or yellow bell pepper, sliced
broccoli florets
frozen peas
half & half or cream
pinch of cayenne pepper, optional
water or chicken broth, optional
lemon zest and a little juice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/3 cup chopped onions
1/3 cup diced tomataoes
chopped fresh basil leaves
cooked fettucine pasta

Blanch the vegetables in boiling water until half cooked. Combine and set aside. Dry the scallops with papertowel and sprinkle with lemon zest and a little juice. Season with a little salt and pepper. In a small amount of olive oil, cook the scallops for a few minutes until they turn white and opaque. Be careful not to overcook. Transfer to a colander over a bowl to drain. Reserve the liquid from the scallops. In the same pan, add a small amount of olive oil, then sautee the minced garlic, onions and tomatoes for a few minutes. Add the reserved liquid from the scallops and simmer. Add about half a cup of half & half or cream, chopped fresh basil and continue to simmer gently. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Finally, toss in the blanched vegetables and the scallops. Pour over the fettucine pasta. Sprinkle additional chopped basil leaves for garnish and flavor.

ravioli with a dumpling maker

Although I like using our ravioli maker, which takes a little practice to get used to, I also couldn't help thinking about using other gadgets just for the fun of it. This plastic dumpling maker comes in a set of four sizes. They're perfect for calzones, empanadas, pierogi and Asian style dumplings or potstickers.

For this easy ricotta filled ravioli, I used the smallest size dumpling maker [shown above] which also works great for pierogi. The filling was a very simple ricotta cheese combined with sauteed onion, garlic, parsley, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. I made the pasta dough with a standard recipe using 1 cup pasta flour [we get this durum, semolina and all purpose flour mix from King Arthur's] or all purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour [adding whole wheat flour is optional but I like it for a healthier alternative], 1 egg and 2-3 tablespoons of water. I sprinkle the water gradually to the mixture as I go along. The Kitchenaid mixer does a good job with mixing and kneading the doug. Making pasta at home has also been so much more enjoyable with the Kitchenaid pasta maker attachments. As soon as I finished making the ravioli, I cooked them in a pot of boiling water then drained and transfered them to a serving platter.

The creamy sauce was simple as well made with the leftover ricotta. In a saucepan, I cooked some minced garlic, onions and sliced mushrooms with olive oil. In a small bowl, I whisked the leftover ricotta cheese [about a cup] with half and half, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Then I poured the mixture into the saucepan with the sauteed garlic and onions and simmered it for a few minutes until thickened. I served the sauce garnished with chopped Italian parsley with the ravioli in a separate platter. The ravioli turned out great using the smallest size dumpling maker but next time I will try to use the next bigger size to get more filling in them. Other than that, I didn't see any reason why these dumpling makers can't be used as a ravioli maker as well.

sausage & asparagus pasta

This colorful pasta was a gift from my cousin and her husband who visited Venice on their honeymoon a year ago. Much as I would like to save it as a souvenir, the temptation to try it was far greater than my intention : ) I ended up cooking it with some Italian sausage and asparagus as the main ingredients. The Italian sausages were cut up and browned in olive oil. Drain and set aside. Season the asparagus spears with salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast or broil until tender but not overcooked. Combine together some olive oil, fresh minced garlic, finely chopped parsley or basil leaves, salt and pepper. Transfer the cooked Italian sausages and roasted asparagus in a serving platter. Toss with grated parmesan cheese and olive oil mixture. Serve with additional grated parmesan cheese.

chicken farfalle pasta

These tender chicken fillets were served over farfalle pasta in tomato sauce for a simple dinner idea. I like to have a few fun pasta shapes in hand like farfalle for quick meals like this. I used canned crushed tomatoes for the pasta sauce and flavored it with Italian seasoning, fresh garlic, fresh parsley, salt, pepper and olive oil. The chicken fillets were thinly sliced, then seasoned with salt and pepper and lightly breaded with whole wheat flour. Shake off excess flour before pan frying in olive oil. Cook them through, set aside and keep warm while tossing the farfalle pasta in tomato sauce. Arrange the pan fried chicken on top of the farfalle pasta and serve garnished with chopped fresh parsley. Grated parmesan cheese may be sprinkled on top as well.

simple baked mac

I still remember the restaurant downstairs from the office in Manila where I used to work. It served the best baked macaroni with sliced sausages and cheesy white sauce on top. It was the most popular item in their menu that they were always hot straight from the oven at all times. The melted cheese didn't have a chance to cool down before the hungry patrons came by for them. It had very simple ingredients but what made it good was the overflowing cheese bubbling on top. For this simple baked macaroni version, I made the creamy sauce by starting off with some chopped bacon and pan-frying them until crispy. Drain and set aside the bacon on some papertowels leaving about 2 tbsps. of oil in the pan. Add about 1 tbsp. of butter for flavor and sautee minced garlic and chopped onions until cooked. Add some chicken strips and stir fry in the oil for a few minutes until cooked. At this point, about 2 tbsps. of flour may be added and cooked over low heat. The flour helps to thicken the sauce. Sprinkle with basil and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper according to taste. Add a little chicken broth and simmer. Chopped tomatoes are optional. Slowly pour in some heavy cream or half & half. Additional chicken broth may be used if sauce is too thick. Fold in cooked and drained macaroni ( I like to use rigatoni or penne ) until well coated with the sauce. This process may be done off the heat. Sprinkle parmesan cheese or other grated Italian cheese and reserved bacon bits on top. Serve hot with some garlic bread.

pasta making at home

whole wheat fettucine

Gadgets are always interesting but we all know that not all gadgets work. There are so many new kitchen gadgets and small appliances in the market these days that sometimes their importance and usefulness become questionable. We eat out occasionally but I cook our dinner meals almost everyday so I guess I can say I have a good idea about which gadgets and small appliances I currently have work & the ones I can live without. The Kitchenaid mixer belongs to my "can't live without" list. It's an all purpose kitchen appliance and I have used it not only for mixing cake & cookie batters but for all kinds of mixing jobs, from meatloaf, mashed potatoes, etc. The Kitchenaid mixer also have a line of handy attachments which may be purchased for other tasks. I've been reading about this pasta roller set and so far I haven't read a single bad review about them.

It started when my husband saw me manually rolling out pasta dough for fettucine one night and I even asked him to help me separate the strands as I cut them. He must have thought there must be an easier way. I wasn't thinking about the ravioli maker at all, for me, the pasta roller set was good enough. Ravioli may always be made using the pasta roller but I have to admit the ravioli maker (shown above) works as great as the pasta roller set.

Pasta making has never been easier and more enjoyable. It takes just a little time & effort to mix up and knead the dough using the Kitchenaid mixer to clamping the attachments next and proceeding with the pasta making. With the help of the pasta roller set, I make fresh pasta more often now. Lately, I've been adding whole wheat to the pasta flour for a healthier version. For me, this is a great gadget to enjoy for many years.

spaghetti strands

gnocchi & pasta with two basic sauces

two kinds of basic sauces (above)

creamy with bacon & meaty bolognese

cooking the fresh pasta (above)


homemade fresh fettucine pasta (above)
store-bought gnocchi (below)


vacuum-packed fresh gnocchi from the Fresh Market (below)

Pasta supper happens once or twice a week in our household. There are so many possibilities and combinations which can be done with pasta. No wonder it's a favorite dish with a universal appeal which is accepted, loved and enjoyed by almost everyone. One of the items we got from Fresh Market store we visited was this ready to cook gnocchi. Neatly packaged and very convenient to use, it turned out pretty good with the creamy sauce I made. The other sauce I made was bolognese (recipe below), which went well with the fresh pasta I made from scratch. However, the nearby grocery no longer stock semolina flour which I was planning to use for the pasta so I just used all purpose flour. The drawbacks of making fresh pasta was that it was very time consuming, somewhat messy and I wasn't so happy with the clean-up as well. Store-bought fresh pasta are now always available in the grocery, which left me wondering and debating whether it's still practical to make it at home or not. Perhaps the best and only reward we got from the process was that the homemade pasta tasted so fresh and rich. So will I make pasta at home again? It will probably take sometime before I do so but I will do it again because nothing can beat its homemade goodness.

BOLOGNESE PASTA SAUCE

1 lb. ground beef, preferably lean
2 tsps. worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup each finely minced carrots, celery & onion
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1-2 tbsps. all purpose flour
1/2 cup fresh or 1 small can mushroom slices, optional
1/2 cup fresh diced tomatoes, optional
1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced and/ or
2 tsps. dried basil leaves
2 tsps. dried Italian seasoning
1 jar store-bought pasta sauce of your choice, any brand & flavor
1 small can tomato sauce
2 tbsps. tomato paste, optional but adds richness & color
salt, pepper & a little sugar to taste

Saute the minced carrots, celery & onions in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic. Add the ground beef & worcestershire sauce. Add the flour and mix in with the beef. Sometimes, I leave some of the beef lumpy when mixed with the flour like small chunks of meatballs. Cook until beef is lightly browned. Add the rest of the ingredients and let boil. Lower the heat immediately and simmer until rich and flavorful. Our preferred pasta sauce brands in a jar are Newman's Own & Barilla. Adjust seasonings, spoon sauce over fresh pasta and enjoy.