Pure Magic

This isn't a recipe exactly, but it's something I tried on a whim and absolutely love! It was magical.

Ingredients:
Annie's aged orange cheddar mac n' cheese
Pesto

Mix some pesto in with the mac n cheese once it's cooked, and there you go! A boxed meal with some flair.

Garlic & Kale Baked Gnocchi

Ingredients:
2 big kale leaves, veins removed and chopped.
3-4 garlic cloves
16 oz. of gnocchi
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
1 1/4 cup of milk
1 1/4 cup shredded cheese
1 tomato, sliced
1/4 cup of red wine
Pepper

Chop the kale into small pieces and mince the garlic. In a medium sized pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Cook the garlic and kale in the oil until the kale is bright green and has softened some. Remove to a plate.

Put a pot of water on to boil for the gnocchi. In the same pot used for the kale, melt the butter and whisk in the flour until a paste begins to form. Add cayenne. Whisk in the milk. Add 1 cup of the shredded cheese and stir until combined. Cook gnocchi in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until they begin to float. Strain.

Pour the gnocchi, garlic, and kale into the cheese sauce. Pour into a baking dish, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Place sliced tomatoes on top of the cheese. Use a brush to wipe red wine onto the tomatoes until they are saturated. Season dish with pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes until the edges begin to bubble.

Spinach Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:
15 jumbo pasta shells (about half a 12 oz. box)
2 cups lowfat cottage cheese
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons of parsley
10 oz. package of frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce
1 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Cooking spray

Cook pasta shells according to package directions, stir and separate.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9 x 13 baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce in baking dish.

In large bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg, and parsley. Fold in spinach. Mix well. Fill pasta shells with mixture, and arrange in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over the shells and sprinkle mozzarella over the top. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Carmelized Onion and Spinach

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 medium onions, sliced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon olive oil
10-15 small mushrooms, sliced

3 cups spinach

8 oz fettuccine pasta
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup milk
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in large skillet. Add sliced onions and cook on high heat about 10 minutes or until onions are browned. In other pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add sliced mushrooms, cook on medium-low for about ten minutes and stir occasionally. Reduce heat on the onions to medium and cook another ten minutes. Add a pinch of salt and cook another ten minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle onions with balsamic vinegar, mix together and scrape bottom of pan.

Cook pasta according to package instructions. 

Add mushrooms to the pan with the onions. Add 3 cups of spinach and stir on low heat until the spinach wilts.

Add heavy cream, milk, parmesan cheese, and salt to the pan. Mix on medium-low heat. Add pasta to the sauce, and stir on low heat for 5-10 minutes. Serve warm.

Zucchini, Black Bean, and Rice Skillet

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 cups zucchini, quartered lengthwise
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1 can drained black beans
1 can undrained diced tomatoes with garlic
3/4 cup water
1 cup uncooked instant rice
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and pepper; cook five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans, undrained tomatoes, and water. Increase heat and bring to a boil.

Add rice and stir well. Cover, and remove from heat and let stand for 7-10 minutes (until the liquid is absorbed). Add cheese and mix well.

Apple & Cheddar Quesadillas

Ingredients:
1 apple in slices
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 wheat wraps
Cinnamon
Butter

Spread butter lightly over one side of each wrap, place side by side with the butter side up. Sprinkle half the cheese over one of the wraps. Place apple slices evenly throughout the wrap. Sprinkle cinnamon over the apples. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the apples, and top with the other wrap (so it forms a quesadilla). Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about five minutes or until the cheese is melted and the quesadilla is browned.