PASTA CREATIVA (CREATIVE PASTA)

Few days ago I had to bring a dish for a potluck and I decided to create a new recipe. The ladies loved this pasta, they kept talking about it over and over and they asked me to share the recipe so here it is. I couldn't figure out a name for it, but since it is a new creation and as you see there are plenty of ingredients, I figures the "Creativa" name is appropriate.

5-6 servings

Ingredients

1 pack thin spaghetti (I use Pasta Barilla)

3 eggs

½ cup milk

1 cup steamed mushrooms

1 cup Parmesan cheese

2 cups cubed cooked meat (I used roasted pork loin, but you can use ham, bacon, or any meat you like)

6-7 cubed Roma tomatoes

2 garlic cloves

Half medium white onion

1 cube Knorr chicken bouillon (caldo de pollo)

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley

4-5 finely chopped chives leaves

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Kosher or sea salt (both natural salts, I used Kosher salt, less saltier since i used the chicken bouillon. Table salt is sodium chloride combined with iodine, and anti-caking compounds to make it pour by preventing it from absorbing water from the air)

Couple pinches of dry red pepper

Chop garlic and onion in small pieces and sauté them in the olive oil. Add the chicken bouillon. Stir well, cook for about a minute, and add the steamed mushrooms, parsley, meat, tomatoes, chives. Cook on medium for about 25-30 minutes, stirring frequently. While the sauce is cooking, start the water for the pasta. Add ¼ cup of vegetable oil to the water so pasta will not stick together.

Add salt. In a bowl mix the eggs, milk, oregano, red pepper and Parmesan cheese. Let it sit there until pasta and sauce are ready.

Make sure you cook your spaghetti “al dente” that means you drain them right at cooking time that's suggested on the box (Barilla Thin Spaghetti cooking time is 6 minutes)

Drain pasta, add the sauce mixture, mix well. Add the egg mixture (the heat of the pasta will cook the eggs) mix fast and well, you want the eggs mixture to stay creamy.

Serve with a side of salad of your choice and garlic bread, and enjoy!

Summer Salad

Ingredients

Baby Spinach
Arugola (Rucola I'm Italian)
Cherry Tomatoes
1 Cucumber sliced and peeled
Cherry Mozzarella Cheese
Pinto or Kidney Beans
1 Small Onion sliced 
Some Strawberries cut in 4 pieces
Croutons
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt & Pepper

Mix all together, add oil vinegar salt and pepper. Mix again and enjoy a great healthy summer salad.

Gourmet Burgers

Burgers with a sweet or a zesty twist. I made these few days ago and I received thumbs up from my family. I used sliced bread because my family like the toasted bread, but you can use regular hamburger buns.

Ingdredients

For the Burgers:

2 LBS Ground Beef (the leanest the better)
3 Garlic Cloves Minced
1 Cup Breadcrumbs
2 Eggs
1 Cup Flour
1 Tsp McCormick Hamburger Spices
1 TSP Allspice
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive Oil to cook (if you cook them in a skillet)
Cheese Slices

For the Sweet Taste:

1 Large Red Apple
1 Large Navel Orange
Cramberry Sauce
Cinnamon to taste

For the Zesty Taste:

1 Large Onion
1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 Cup fresh Rosemary Leaves
Mac and Cheese (optional)


In a large bowl mix the ground beef, garlic, eggs, breadcrumbs, spices, salt and pepper. Pour flour on the meat and incorporate. Form 8 1/4 pounders burgers.
Grill  the burgers(or cook them in a skillet with olive oil).

While cooking the burgers prep the sauces. Blend the apple and the orange with a pinch of cinnamon,
pour in a small bowl.
Blend the onion, rosemary, dijon mustard adding a very small amount of water, pour in a small bowl.

For the sweet taste, spread the sweet composte on two tosted bread slices (or hamburger bun), add burger, cheese slice, cramberry sauce. Ready to serve.

For the Zesty taste, spread zesty composte on two tosted bread slices (or hamburger bun), add burger, cheese slice. Add some mac and cheese (kids will love this add on) and serve.

Tilapia with Parsley Pesto

Ingredients:

8 Tilapia fillets 
1 Italian parsley bunch
1 Chives bunch
4-5 garlic cloves
1/2 Cup olive oil
2 Tsp lemon juice
Crushed red peppers
Old Bay spice
Salt, pepper


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cover a baking sheet with foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.

Place fish fillets on baking sheet and sprinkle with Old Bay, salt and pepper.

 

In the blender, combine parsley leaves, chopped chives, chopped garlic, a pinch of crushed red peppers, lemon juice and the olive oil. Blend until you have a creamy pesto.

Put the pesto over the fillets, spreading and pressing into the fish.

Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees, then switch to broil to crisp up the crust for the last 2-5 minutes.

When the middle of the fillet flakes with a fork and is completely opaque, it's time to eat!