Crab Linguine

Even without fresh ingredients, this was quite yummy. Definitely plan on making it again :)

Crab Linguine (with lemon & basil)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. pasta, such as linguine or spaghetti
•  1/3 cup olive oil
•  2 tbsp. butter
•  6 cloves garlic, minced
•  ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
•  1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
•  Salt and pepper, to taste
•  8 oz. fresh crab meat, cooked (or substitute pre-cooked shrimp/prawns)
•  1 lemon, quartered

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente.  Drain well; set aside.  
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the olive oil and butter, heating until the butter is completely melted.  
3. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant and bubbling.  Remove the pan from the heat.
4. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss well until the pasta is well coated with the garlic-oil sauce.  
5. Add the basil and cherry tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  
6. Divide the pasta between warmed serving bowls.  
7. Top each individual serving with the fresh lump crab meat, about 2 ounces each.  
8. Squeeze one quarter of lemon over each serving.  
9. Serve immediately.

My Changes:

1. I used more butter, because I ran out of olive oil.  I personally don't think the amounts above would have been enough, we tend to dislike dry pastas in this house.
2. I ended up only using about 1/2-2/3 of the pasta (see above, with the dryness issue).
3. Instead of fresh basil, I used dried with some Italian seasoning.
4.  I used pre-cooked crab (it's March in a landlocked state, so sue me) and added it to the butter/garlic/basil/tomato sauce to give it some extra flavor- HIGHLY recommend doing this.
5.  Rather than doing everything per serving, I added the sauce to the pasta and stirred it all together.  Just simpler. 

Summer Lasagna

So, I really want to give this recipe rave reviews.  I do.  And it was absolutely delicious.  I mean...it's literally all I can do right now to not go get a second helping because it was THAT good.  But there were some issues in the presentation, and I have to address those.

Summer Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 cup ricotta
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 lasagne noodles, broken into thirds, cooked and drained
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup torn basil leaves

Directions

1. Cook noodles according to the package.
2. Combine ricotta, Parmesan, and olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Refridgerate.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high and add garlic and tomatoes.  Cook until slightly broken down, about 3 minutes.  Transfer to bowl.
4. Add zucchini to skillet (with more oil if needed).  Season with salt & pepper to taste; cook until tender.  Transfer to (yet another) bowl.
5. Scatter a few tomatoes over four plates.  Top with one noodle, a spoonful of ricotta mixture, zucchini and more tomatoes.  Repeat layering twice, ending with noodle & then tomatoes.  Drizzle a little more olive oil on top.  Garnish with basil and serve.

My Changes

• This really was an amazing delicious combination of flavors.  However, it was awkward to put together.  It didn't stay layered because everything was so slippery with the olive oil.  Not a huge deal, but it was especially weird once I realized that it was supposed to be presented plate by plate.  There's only 2 of us here and leftovers are basically guaranteed.  So when I went to put the rest up, I was confused on how to do it.  I ended up just putting all of the tomatoes in a dish, then noodles, then the ricotta mixture, then the zucchini.  I'll try to update after my husband comes home & gets his share of it to let you know how that worked.
• I used only 24 oz of tomatoes (I know, LESS than the recipe called, it's a miracle).  I'm sorry, cherry tomatoes are kind of expensive :-/ Anyway, it worked.  But I may have just added a lot of them to my individual portion...
• I didn't have fresh basil, but I decided to use dried in the ricotta cheese mixture and it worked perfectly.
• Here's what I really think would work best to make this recipe as practical as it is delicious- change out the "lasagna" for shells.  Put the ricotta mixture in shells, and then serve the tomatoes & zucchini mixed on the sides.  It would be easier to maneuver, store, and serve while still keeping the integrity of the dish.

 

Lemon Spaghetti

Lemon Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 1 poundspaghetti
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juic
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup basil, minced
• 1 cup slow roasted tomatoes 
  

Directions

1. Gently heat olive oil until warm.  Add red pepper flakes and garlic; let steep for about 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Boil a large pot of water. Season very generously with salt. Cook pasta until tender but still a little firm to the bite, about 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
3. Add lemon juice to garlic-pepper oil and whisk to combine. 
4. Toss with hot pasta, parmesan cheese, and basil. 
5. Add pasta water 1/4 cup at a time to moisten. 
6. Add slow roasted tomatoes and toss gently. 
7. Garnish with lemon zest, parmesan cheese, and basil. Enjoy!

My Changes

• I used chili powder instead of red pepper flakes.
• I forgot to add the pasta water.  Whoops!
• I didn't slow roast the tomatoes, just regular roasted them (instructions are in the link above but basically- cut cherry tomatoes in half, drizzled with olive oil, basil, & salt, then baked at 400 F for 20 minutes).
• I didn't use lemon zest, and I only used about 1/2 cup of lemon juice (again, MUST BUY A JUICER).  My husband thought this was still too lemon-y, I loved it.
• Must use more tomatoes.
• I only used 6 oz of Parmesan cheese (rather than 8)-  that's what size tub it comes in at my grocery store (yes I use pre-shredded) so I deal with it.
• Altogether, at first I wasn't sure about this pasta but after a few days (loooove leftovers in this house) I really enjoy this.  It's pasta, but lighter and with a twist.  My husband doesn't enjoy it (although apparently he likes it better cold...the man is strange), so just be prepared that it's definitely different and may not be a crowd pleaser if there are some traditionalists in your house.

Mexican 6 Layer Dip

I'm going to link to several recipes in this post, because I used a basic recipe for dip (which can be found here).  But instead of using that avocado layer, I combined two recipes for guacamole (which can be found here and here).  So the setup here will be a little different.  I'll explain what I did for the guacamole, and then for the dip.

Guacamole

  

Ingredients:

• 3 Avocados (peel & pit)
• Juice of one lime
• 1/4 red onion (chopped)
• Small handful minced cilantro
• 1 small clove of garlic
• Salt & pepper to taste

 Directions: 

1. Peel & pit the avocados (I use a spoon to take the pit out, which is the hardest part IMO; then I slip the spoon under the avocado & scoop it right out- so easy).  Place avocados in a bowl and mash- I started just mashing with a spoon and then switched to a potato masher, worked like a charm.
2. Chop the red onion (you could add more, but my husband isn't crazy about red onions so I used a minimal amount), add to bowl and mix.
3. Juice the lime, add to bowl and mix.
4. Chop the garlic, add to bowl, and mix.
5. Chop the cilantro, add to bowl, and mix (you may want to add slowly & taste as you go alone if using fresh cilantro- it's much stronger than dried...but in a good way).
6. Add salt & pepper to taste.

6 Layer Dip

 

Ingredients: 

•  16 oz refried/black beans
• Homemade guacamole
• 1 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 pack taco seasoning
• 3 tomatoes 
• 1/2 cup sliced olives
• 16 oz shredded cheese
• Tortilla chips

Directions:

1. Chop the tomatoes & olives (if so desired)
2. Mix the sour cream & taco seasoning.
3.  Spread beans in the bottom of a large dish.
4. Add  guacamole.
5. Add sour cream/taco seasoning mix.
6. Add cheese.
7. Add tomatoes.
8. Add olives.
9. Serve with tortilla chips & enjoy!

My changes: 

• As mentioned, I used the above guacamole mixture instead of just mashing the avocados- it was AMAZING!  On it's on I thought it was okay, but mixed with the rest of the ingredients Oh. My. God. (said in the voice of Janice from F*R*I*E*N*D*S).
• The original recipe is for a 7 layer dip, but one of those layers is onions.  Since I already had red onions in my guacamole, I decided to skip this layer.
• While this was a great vegetarian recipe (even my husband, who is the ultimate "I am man, I eat meat" kind of guy, loved it), you could easily add a meat layer with ground beef or shredded chicken.  
• This recipe was SO easy to prepare, AND I didn't have to turn on my oven or even microwave (a big plus in the summer).  It's surprisingly filling & delicious- I'm sure I'll be making it again soon. 
• One thing- have a HUGE bag of tortilla chips.  The delicious salty chips with the cool, smooth taste from the guacamole & sour cream...my mouth is watering... 

Shrimp & Rice Tortilla with Lime Vinaigrette

The recipe for the Shrimp & Lime Vinaigrette is linked below.  I thought it sounded yummy, but the husband didn't think it sounded like enough to make a meal by itself (it's ridiculously hot here and we have no A/C, so I'm trying to keep my cooking minimal.  I make no apologies).  So I decided to add rice & stick it in a tortilla. 

 

Shrimp Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1 pound large cooked shrimp
• 1 avocado, in large dice
• 1 cup fresh or canned corn
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
• ½ cup fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 garlic clove, pressed or chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 cup rice (uncooked)

Directions

1. Combine the shrimp, avocado, corn, cilantro and onion in a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, honey, garlic clove, salt, pepper and olive oil and whisk until well combined.
3. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad (tasting as you go) and gently toss to combine.  
4. Cover and chill for at least an hour before serving.  
5. Cook rice.
6. Once the shrimp salad is chilled, combine rice & salad into tortilla.
7. Enjoy!

My Changes

• I only used about 1/2 of the vinaigrette when originally mixing with the salad.  However, once I added the rice I thought it could have used more.  In the future I will most likely go ahead & mix in the rice, salad, & vinaigrette all at once.
• Personally, I found the vinagrette a little too sweet.  I had to hand squeeze my limes (MUST buy a juicer ASAP) so I was a little shy of 1/2 cup...but barely.  I personally think the honey could have been cut down (maybe only 1/8 cup).  I also only used about 1/4 of a red onion, and I'll definitely be increasing that next time.
• Oh, I used almost 1/2 cup fresh cilantro.  It was amazing (my grocery store has been out of fresh & I've been making do with dried...it's okay but fresh is soooo much better).
• The original recipe (linked) mentioned something about not letting it chill overnight.  I did, because my husband & I didn't finish it all and we believe in leftovers.  It was fine.
• I think bell peppers would be an awesome addition to this recipe and may add that in next time.  This recipe is pretty easy to customize honestly- the husband added sweet peas to his portion (yuck) as well as sour cream. 

CAT Salad

Okay, this may sound bad.  But it is Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad...which is a very long name to keep typing.  I served it with Tuna Burgers and it paired nicely.

CAT Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pint grape tomatoes (I used chopped Roma tomatoes because that's what I had)
• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 ears of fresh sweet corn
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

• Juice of 1 lime
• 3 tbsp vegetable olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Dash of cayenne chili pepper

Directions

Dressing 

1. Mix the lime juice, oil, honey, salt, pepper, garlic, and c. pepper and whisk to combine.

Salad

1. Remove the husks from corn and grill for 15 minutes/microwave for 5 minutes.  Cut corn off of cob and into bowl.
2. Cut tomatoes in half (if using grape) or chop (if using Roma/regular), dice the avocado, and chop cilantro.
3. Mix together and top with dressing.  Let sit 10-15 minutes to let flavors mingle.

My Changes

• I forgot to add the cilantro.  I felt like a little something more was needed, and perhaps that was it.
  
• This was more on the sweet side for me, so I may add more salt/pepper/chili pepper next time.
• The upside is- this is SUPER easy to prepare and I will definitely be making it again.

Garlic Lemon Tuna Burgers

Ingredients

• 2 cans tuna fish (drained)
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley/Italian seasoning (I dislike parsley alone)
• 2 cloves garlic (mince)
• 1/4 teaspoon each, salt and pepper 
• juice of half a lemon
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 egg
• 4 English muffin
• 4 leaves romaine
• 1 tomato

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix tuna, bread crumbs, green onions, parsley/Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, lemon, sour cream, and egg.  Mix well with hands.
3. Form into 4 wet patties.
4. Place on greased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Serve on toasted English muffins with lettuce & tomato, extra sour cream if desired.

My Changes

• This was a tad bit mushy in the middle for me, so I would probably add at least 5 minutes to the cooking time...maybe 10.  Just depends.
  
• Horseradish mustard made this amazing.  I may add it to the mixture itself next time instead of just spreading it on the English muffins.

Pasta Sala

This is another recipe with no link...my mom used to make this & so now I do.  This is a recipe that I make a lot in the summer, because it's served cold and doesn't make the kitchen hot.  

Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

since I make this up as I go along, the amounts are really just estimates

• 16 oz pasta (I typically use rotini)
• 2 cucumbers
• 10 oz pitted olives
• 2 tomatoes
• 1/2 bottle salad dressing (I use Ranch or Italian)
• 8 oz cheese
• Meat (optional, this could also easily be vegetarian- but I usually add chopped ham or shrimp)

Directions:

1. Cook rotini according to directions. 
2. Cook/chop meat as needed.
3. Slice & chop cucumbers.
4. Chop olives (optional, I just like them in small pieces)
5. Put rotini, cucumbers, olives, cheese, dressing, & meat into a large bowl.
6. Mix thoroughly.
7. Refrigerate.
8. Enjoy.

My tips:

• You may notice I didn't include the tomatoes in the directions.  That's because I while I love tomatoes, I find that if you chop them up & mix with the rest of the ingredients they can throw off the taste after a few days.  If you're going to eat this right away, definitely go ahead & add them ASAP.  I just usually make a big batch for hubs & I that lasts longer than a day, so we add them to our own individual portions.
• Feel free to modify amounts or whole ingredients, or add ingredients.  This is an easy, yummy recipe but I'm a firm believer that everything tastes better with customization :)