Meal of the Month - February

Cooking is one of my happiest things to do.  I love trying new recipes as well as making some of our old favorites.  I think it's easy for me to love cooking since I have a husband who will eat anything (and I mean ANYTHING) and enjoy it.  I'm so lucky.  I love planning out meals, grocery shopping, preparing the food - you name it!  (Am I crazy?)  Oh, and of course I love eating it!  About the only thing I don't love about cooking is cleaning up the mess afterwards.

To go along with my love of cooking and baking, I am going to do a monthly Meal of the Month post near the end of each month.  I will post the recipe of the best thing we ate that month, whether it was a new recipe or an old one I've been making for years.  I'll try to include a main dish, side dish ideas, and a dessert recipe.  But don't believe that I necessarily made all of those things at one meal - it's not true.  I usually throw a little canned corn and a muffin next to my main dish at dinnertime, and call it good.

Also, because of the current economic situation, we are learning to be very frugal with our grocery budget.  I've recently cut my grocery budget down by almost $200 a month, and I'm very proud of that fact!  So, I'll make sure to post recipes that won't break the bank.

So, without further ado, The Meal of the Month for February is... 

Sauteed Pasta Bar

I got this recipe from my mom, and it has become a regular at our house.  I love that it is so versatile and so easy.  Just a simple extra step changes this meal from boring, home cooked pasta noodles and sauce to something worthy of the Olive Garden.  It's so delicious!  It's also great because it can feed our small family of three or a huge crowd with very little extra effort. Also, if you have any picky eaters, this meal makes it so everyone can have exactly what they want (or DON'T want), and so everyone is happy.

Ingredients:

• pasta noodles of your choice (my favorite is penne)
• garlic, minced
• pesto
• pasta sauce of your choice
• olive oil
• any meat you want:  Our favorite is Italian sausage rolled into one inch balls and cooked.  You could also do chicken or hamburger...  And of course, meat is optional.
• any vegetables you want:  mushrooms, tomatoes, green peppers, olives, etc.
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook any meat you plan to use thoroughly.  Cook the pasta noodles al dente according to the directions on the package.  Then, have each person take a bowl and assemble the following in their bowl:  cooked noodles, a scoop of minced garlic to taste, a scoop of pesto to taste (in my opinion you can NOT skip the pesto - trust me), and any meat and vegetables they want.  Do not add any sauce yet. Meanwhile,  heat about 2 T. of olive oil in a skillet.  Dump the contents of one person's bowl onto the heated skillet and saute for about 5 minutes or until warmed through and mixed well.  (If you are serving a bigger group, you can have several skillets going at once.)  Remove from the pan and return to the bowl or the person's plate. Top with the sauce of your choice and parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!  

Here is a picture of my pasta this month before I put my sauce on the top, but after it had been sauteed.  

Side Dishes:  This is yummy with a fresh green salad and a piece of Tuscan Flat Bread (recipe below).

Tuscan Flat Bread

I can't remember if this recipe originally came from my sister Melissa or from my mom, but I like this recipe because not only is it delicious, but it's pretty fast for a homemade bread.

Ingredients:

• 1 T. yeast
• 1 T. sugar
• 2 c. warm water
• 4 c. flour
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. crushed rosemary
• 1/2 c. melted butter
• parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat over to 400 degrees.  Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water.  Let sit for 2 - 3 minutes.  Add flour and salt.  Knead 2 - 3 minutes (optional).  Spread dough to the edges of a greased, lipped, jelly roll pan (12 x 16).  Pour butter on dough and spread to cover all the dough. Sprinkle rosemary and Parmesan over surface of dough.  Let rise for 30 minutes.  Bake 20 minutes.  Serve warm.  

Dessert: Easy, Creamy Cheesecake

This is one of Gerald's favorite desserts, and he requested this for his family birthday dinner.  It is really delicious, and lighter than a 'real' cheesecake, which I like.

Ingredients:  

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 8 oz. Cool Whip
• 1 c. sour cream
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• topping of your choice (we like raspberry pie filling)
• Graham cracker crust

Bring the cream cheese to room temperature.  Using a food mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add in the cool whip, sour cream, sugar and vanilla and beat until mixed well.  Pour the mixture into a 9-inch graham cracker crust.  Top with your favorite topping and refrigerate or serve.

So, will you let me know if you try any of these recipes?  Post your opinions here, that way others can know if they are worth trying or not.  (I'm not offended if you don't like them, by the way!  They're not my recipes, only ones we enjoy.)  And, if you come up with any variations, I would love to hear those, too!   By the way, I'm ALWAYS looking for new recipes, so feel free to share your favorites with me, also!  =)