Broccoli Grape Harvest Salad by The Big Cheese

April sort of snuck by the Divas this month. We are actually meeting on May 1st to complete April's "Color-Me-Diva" month. Each diva was given a color, and our meal has to (I guess) have that color in it? Either way, The Big Cheese was given PURPLE...I mean, come on...I thought about eggplant? A purple colored wine? However, I kept coming back to grapes. I love them, my family loves them, who doesn't love grapes? The only problem with grapes is the recipe probably can't be frozen. My bad fellow divas, my bad. You'll just have to enjoy this meal ASAP! We divas know how to NOT waste a good meal. So, I'll stop rambling and give you this fresh recipe that I found (via Pintrest) at Eat Yourself Skinny blog. Who doesn't want to EAT themselves SKINNY? For real.



Here are your ingredients:

1/2 (16 oz) box whole wheat farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1 lb. fresh broccoli
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
2 cups seedless red grapes
6 cooked turkey bacon slices, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan for about 6 minutes until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Then prepare pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems and separate into small pieces using a paring knife. In a large bowl, whisk together mayo, yogurt, sugar, red onion, vinegar and salt and toss with broccoli, hot cooked pasta and grapes. Stir to coat. Cover and chill for up to 3 hours. Stir in bacon and toasted pecans just before serving, enjoy!

Panera Mac 'n Cheese (from Dessert Diva)

Greetings, Diva fans! I've been on a bit of a bloggy break for quite some time, but I'm back and ready to give you an awesome recipe! Our theme for this month is "Restaurant Copycats." I went back and forth several times on which recipe to go with, but ultimately, I chose a recipe from one of my favorite food bloggers and one of the very few chain restaurants we frequent in my family. Panera's Mac 'n Cheese is delish! Hope you give this recipe a try and love it!

Here's the link to the recipe over at Annie's Eats!

Peppered Shrimp Alfredo

This may not seem like a "Summer Lovin" dish  to some, but I love seafood pasta dishes in the summer. I especially love them when paired with a nice cool glass of white wine. But, since I am now carrying the next baby diva (coming to a kitchen near you this December) I will have to make due with no wine pairings this summer.  Luckily, this dish is great on it's own!

Peppered Shrimp Alfredo
Ingredients


12 ounces penne pasta

1/4 cup butter2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, diced2 cloves garlic, minced1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 pound portobello mushrooms, diced

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 (15 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

1/2 cup cream

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped parsley


Directions


1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2.Meanwhile, melt butter together with the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic, red pepper, and mushroom; cook over medium-high heat until soft, about 2 minutes more.

3.Stir in the shrimp, and cook until firm and pink, then pour in Alfredo sauce, Romano cheese, and cream; bring to a simmer stirring constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir drained pasta into the sauce, and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.

(I originally found this recipe on All Recipes...if you haven't checked out this site, you should!)

Pasta Milano by The Big Cheese

This recipe was inspired by Macaroni Grill and found online. One word: yum!

What you'll need:
3 slices bacon, diced
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
4 cloves roasted garlic, mashed
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup white mushrooms, sliced
1 cup chicken broth, divided
1 cup heavy cream (or half & half for a lower fat version)
salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces dry farfalle (bowtie) pasta
water for boiling pasta
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

In a large skillet over high heat, brown the diced bacon. Season the cut up chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and saute until lightly browned. Once the chicken is cooked, add the sliced mushrooms and saute until browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the roasted garlic, sundried tomatoes and chicken broth to the hot skillet. Allow it come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender. Add the cream and bring to a boil; stirring.Take off heat and add the bacon, chicken and mushroom to the sauce and set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add dry pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, transfer to a bowl.

Pour the chicken and sauce over the hot pasta and toss. Place in a baking dish and top with shredded Parmesan cheese and bake in preheated oven for 5-7 minutes until cheese melts.

Alfredo Tortellini - By: The Big Cheese

Original post date: 8/18/11

Pasta lovers beware! August 2011 brings the Mac-Daddy of all things good and creamy! Sweet Heaven, this diva LOVES this dish!

What You’ll Need:
1 (8 oz) pkg cheese tortellini

1 cup ham, diced

(8 oz) cream cheese

1 pkg dry Italian dressing

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup milk

1/2 stick butter

What You’ll Do:
Add tortellini to a large pot of boiling salted water and let cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a skillet to medium heat. Add the cream cheese, butter, cream of chicken soup, Italian dressing, and milk and stir until smooth. Once smooth, add in ham and stir to coat.
After the tortellini finishes boiling, drain, then add to cream sauce. Stir to evenly coat and serve warm.

Creamy Asparagus Pasta - by The Big Cheese

This month I was so excited to use asparagus as my "Iron Chef" ingredient!



Ingredients

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pint light cream
1 pound linguine pasta
1 lemon, juiced

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Boil asparagus for 3 to 4 minutes; drain.
In a large saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Saute garlic and asparagus for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cream and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add linguine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and transfer to a serving dish.
Stir lemon juice into asparagus mixture; pour mixture over pasta.

Until the next dinner...

Mom's Spaghetti Sauce (from Dessert Diva)

I've been enjoying this recipe for years! Growing up, this spaghetti sauce was a staple in our house, and now my husband just loves it so it's part of our regular rotation. The greatest part about this recipe is that it is incredibly easy to put together, makes enough for an army and freezes really well!

Side note: It is a VERY thick, meaty sauce...not very liquidy at all. Just beware, if that's not really your thing!

Ingredients
2 lbs. hamburger
1 onion, diced
1 tbsp. garlic
2-15 oz. cans diced tomatoes (or use fresh...whatever!)
2-6 oz. cans tomato paste
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 green pepper, diced

Directions
Brown beef in a large skillet; drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients; simmer for 1hour. Serve over pasta.

P.S. I also like to put it on top of garlic bread. Just sayin'.

Making Amends with Jamie Oliver - Macaroni and Cauliflower Cheese Bake (from Saucy Diva)

I don't claim to be the most health conscious person on the planet. I mean, have you seen some of the recipes I've posted on here?? But even I was embarrassed by the snack I purchased for students taking ISTEP at school. Sugar wafers that were loaded with calories, fat, and trans fat. I feared that someone would report me to Jamie Oliver and I would be featured on the next episode of Food Revolution. So I decided that to make amends, I would prepare something from his cookbook "Jamie's Food Revolution" tonight. I just so happened to have all the ingredients on hand for this ooey gooey bake. It was delish!

Ingredients:
1/2 head of cauliflower
8 oz of cheddar cheese (use the real stuff!)
4 oz of Parmesan cheese (again, use the real stuff...save the green bottle for spaghetti night)
parsley (to taste)
sea salt
1 lb dried macaroni (the book suggests elbow, I used penne)
1 cup of sour cream

Prep:
1. Chop 1/2 head of cauliflower into small florets and grate the cheddar and the parm.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and the cauliflower and cook according to the directions on the macaroni.
3. In a separate sauce pan, combine the cheese and the sour cream and cook over medium low
heat until melty. Add the parsley and a dash of sea salt to the cheese.
4. When the macaroni is fully cooked, drain and return to the pot.
5. Pour the cheesy goodness over the pasta and cauliflower and mix well.
6. Transfer mixture to a casserole dish and put under a broiler until golden and bubbly.


I know what you're thinking..."Hey Saucy, there's no picture!"

Delicious isn't always pretty people. Trust me on this one, its gooooood.

Baked Lemon Pasta

This recipe is from my hero, The Pioneer Woman (or P-Dub, as those of us who are especially close to her call her). I made it last night and it was delicious! I thought about making it for our next Supper Club (for a meatless dish) but I thought there would be a few pasta dishes, so I’m looking at something else.

When I made this, I also cooked and diced a couple of chicken breasts and threw them in when I added the sauce. I also doubled the cheese by adding some before it baked and again AFTER it came out of the oven. (Just trying to do the Cheesy Diva proud.)

Baked Lemon Pasta
1 pound Angel Hair Pasta
4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
2 cups Sour Cream
½ teaspoons Kosher Salt, Or More To Taste
Plenty Of Grated Parmesan Cheese
Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
Extra Lemon Juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta until al dente.
In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.
Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.

Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)

When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.


Remember that whole “presentation issue” I mentioned. Well here’s P-Dub’s picture:

And here’s mine:


See what I mean? Oh, just wait until I do the same thing for the best chocolate cupcakes ever. It gets WAY worse. But, its about what it tastes like, not what it looks like… Right? Right.

Lasagna Roll-Ups (by Cheesy Diva)

*Picture taken from a fabulous website known as http://www.kraftfoods.com/

WARNING: These take time a little bit of patience!!!!! They are yummy and so fun to eat. A cheesy dinner to be loved by all - if you ask me.

What do you need?
1 lb. ground beef
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup A.1. Original Steak Sauce (optional)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (8 oz.) ricotta cheese
1/2 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
9 lasagna noodles, cooked, drained
2 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided

How do you make it?
Preheat oven to 350°F. Brown meat in skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Combine spaghetti sauce and steak sauce. Remove half of the sauce mixture; stir into meat in skillet. Set remaining sauce mixture aside for later use.

Mis egg, ricotta cheese and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Spread each noodle with 2 heaping tablespoonfuls of the ricotta mixture. Top evenly with a scant 1/4 cup meat mixture and 2 heaping Tbsp. mozzarella cheese. Roll up each noodle, starting at one of the short ends. Place in greased 8-inch square baking dish. Pour remaining sauce mixture over noodles. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses; cover with foil.

Bake for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Enjoy and go have yourself a relaxing weekend with our scrum-diddly recipes!