Check out this delicious dinner from Cooking Light’s The Essential Dinner Tonight Cookbook (2009). Man, I wish I was a better photographer! I promised it tasted great and even the kids went for it.

Pan-Seared Cod with Basil Sauce

1/4 cup fresh basil, minced

1/4 cup fat-free, chicken broth

2 Tbsp grated fresh Parmesan cheese

4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt, divided

1 Tbsp minced garlic

4 (6-oz) cod fillets (about 1 inch thick)

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Cooking spray

1. Combine basil, broth, cheese, oil, 1/2 tsp salt and garlic in a small bowl.

2. Sprinkle fish with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray.  Add fish and saute 5 minues on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.  Serve fish with basil mixture.

I served this dinner with garlic mashed potatoes and pan-fried asparagus with truffle oil. I hope you enjoy it like we did!

Cheers!

This book has inspired all sorts of great meals now with my family.  If it weren’t for this cookbook, I would have never ventured further in cooking.  Together with my GBF, they taught me to trust my taste buds and show a little creativity while playing with flavor.  So thank you Pablo, Vicky (who you will always be in my heart) and Joie.  This book has sparked my culinary delights many times over.

This delish dish is big, bold, and a yummy favorite.  Even Hubs requests it from time to time.  When you shop, buy twice the amount just so you’ll have it in your cabinet when you get a hankering for these flavors.  Because you will.  It’s good.  This recipe is based on Joie Warner’s Artichoke, Roasted Red Pepper and Olive Sauce, but with a kick of Not Just Another Jen.  Enjoy!

Not Just Another Jen’s Mediterranean Pasta Delish Dish

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped

1 tsp of Italian dried herbs

1 Tbsp of minced garlic

¼ tsp crushed red pepper

1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, chopped [if you get the marinated ones in the small jars, make sure that you drain them well)

½ cup drained bottled roasted red peppers, coarsely diced

½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped

1 tsp dried basil

¼ tsp salt (or to taste)

½ cup fresh basil leaves, cut into strips

½ cup (about 2 oz) crumbled feta cheese, at room temperature

10-12 oz rigatoni, ziti or gemelli pasta (something that is a thicker, heartier pasta noodle)

1.  Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil to a skillet and warm the pan at medium-high.  Add chopped chicken.  Sprinkle chicken with a grind of salt and pepper, and add Italian herbs.  Cook approximately 6 minutes or until no longer pink in center of pieces.  [While the chicken is cooking, boil the water for the pasta.]  Set chicken aside.

2.  Boil the pasta according to the directions on its package.

3.  While chicken and/or pasta is cooking, combine remaining olive oil (2 Tbsp), minced garlic, crushed red pepper, artichokes, roasted red peppers, olives, dried basil, and salt.  Set aside to warm to room temperature.

4.  Drain pasta well.  Add pasta and chicken to the bowl.  Stir well.  Sprinkle with feta and fresh basil.  Stir once again and serve immediately.

Cheers and buon appitito!

Asparagus with Orange and Basil Sauce [with Chicken]

Note: Delicate asparagus is gently scented with orange zest and basil (mint would also be nice). A sprinkling [or more] of subtle Asiago cheese allows each ingredient to shine equally.

¾ pound pencil-thin asparagus [or whatever your grocer sells banded with a rubberband]

1 garlic clove, finely chopped [or more]

Grated zest of 1 large orange [and the juice inside, you don’t want it to go to waste!]

¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper

½ cup fresh basil leaves, cut into strips

¼ cup freshly grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

1. Bend asparagus gently to snap off the tough ends (they break naturally at the right point); discard ends. Cut spears into 1 ½-inch lengths.  Set aside.
2. Combine garlic, orange zest, [juice from orange that you just zested], butter, salt and pepper in pasta serving bowl.  Set aside to warm to room temperature or, preferably place the bowl (be sure it’s heat proof) over the pasta pot to warm the ingredients and melt the butter while heating the water.  Once the water comes to a boil, remove bowl and set aside. [First of all, I only salt and pepper after the fact and to taste.  Secondly, I’ve only set my bowls on top of the boiling water once and it may be why it cracked.  Not recommended.  Use your brain because evidently I didn’t.]
3. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted [or not] water until almost al dente.  As asparagus and cook until tender, but still bright green, about 1-2 minutes [if it’s thicker than a pencil do 3 minutes].  Drain pasta and asparagus well and immediately add to sauce in bowl.  Sprinkle with basil and Asiago cheese and toss.  Serve at once with [lots of] extra Asiago cheese.
4. [ I use frozen chicken breast strips to add protein to this meal.  Simply place frozen strips on plate in microwave and defrost.  Pour in along with Step #3 above and toss.]

Serves 2 to 4.  Recommended Pasta: 8 ounces bowties (farfalle).  [or whatever kind of “meaty” pasta you have in your cupboard.  I don't recommend spaghetti or linguine type noodles.]

Serve with wine (of course) and enjoy!

Taken from Rival’s The New Creative Crock Pot Cookbook (2001) by Robin Taylor Swatt.  My notes are in [brackets].

Tuscan Vegetable Torte

3 medium potatoes, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

2 medium carrots, sliced on the bias (I would not recommend baby carrots, but it can work, what you’re trying to achieve is a layering and the carrots aren’t the ‘correct’ shape)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into rings

1 medium zucchini, sliced on the bias

1 cup fresh or frozen kernel corn

1 cup [or more] mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 cups tomato sauce [Most cans of sauce are 15 oz so I add a bit of water and swirl in can.]]

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, minced

1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced

1 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Coat the Crock Pot slow cooker with a non-fat, non-stick cooking spray.  Layer the vegetables in the order given, sprinkling a little of the mozzarella cheese between each layer or so.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the tomato sauce, soy sauce, parsley, thyme, basil, salt, pepper, and cinnamon.  Pour the sauce over the layered vegetables.  Top with any remaining mozzarella cheese.  Cover; cook on Low 8-10 hours or on High for 4-5 hours.  Makes 6+ servings.

Generally I serve this with a big green salad topped with yummy veggies and bread on the side.

Enjoy!

1) easy

2) tasty

3) kids like it too

4) so very little prep & clean up

Here’s a good recipe from The New Creative Crock Pot Cookbook (2001) by Robin Taylor Swatt (oh thank you Sharon, my MIL, for getting me hooked on slow cooking).  Prep took about 10 minutes.  Throw it in the pot and stir occasionally.  Oh, so easy.

1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts (in my case 2 breasts)

1-14 oz can of tomatoes, drained and diced

1-14 oz can of artichoke hearts in water, drained

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

1 cup nonfat chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine (drink another 2 glasses for yourself)

3 Tbs quick cooking tapioca

2 tsp curry powder

1 Tbs fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 tsp dried sweet basil

1 tsp dried thyme leaves

½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in the Crock Pot slow cooker. Mix thoroughly. Cover; cook on Low 6-8 hours or on High for 3½-4 hours.  Makes 6 servings; 4 grams of fat per serving.

I served this dish on brown rice with a side of green beans (which were frozen and I simply put in the microwave for 4 minutes).  Also I only cooked the meal in the crock pot for 3 hours and it was just fine and yummy, delicious.

Cheers, friends!

P.S. I’d like to thank The Sister Project for the image that I lifted.  LOVE your site!