Basil Pesto and Pimento Chicken Panini

Ready in minutes .This healthy and delicious dish is great for the days when you are too rushed to make a proper meal.Pair with your favorite soup to make a great lunch.Also a great way to use up Rotisserie chicken.The Pimento cheese and Pepperjack add a nice spice to it.

Ingredients:

4 slices of multigrain bread

2 tbsp Pimento cheesespread

2 tbsp basil pesto

1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken( like Rotisserie)

2 slices Pepperjack cheese

Directions:

Heat Panini press or grill to high. Spray with cooking oil.

Spread the basil pesto on one slice of bread .On the other slice spread the pimento cheese spread,top with chicken and Pepperjack cheese slice .Cover with the basil pesto layered slice of bread. Drizzle with olive oil. Toast on the Panini press till crisp and golden brown.Serve hot with your favorite soup.

Creamy Tomato Basil soup

Tomato Basil Soup

The secret to a delicious tasting Tomato Basil soup is in the freshness of the ingredients since this is a very simple soup prepared with very few spices .

Ingredients :

4 vine ripened red tomatoes chopped

1 can of organic tomato sauce ( not ketchup )

1/2 cup carrot puree/juice

3 tbsp heavy cream

1/4 th cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1 cup  vegetable stock.

1 shallot

2 cloves of garlic finely grated

salt to taste

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil 

2 tbsp fresh Italian Parsley (to garnish)

Italian Basil growing in  my backyard

Fresh tomatoes from my backyard

Directions :

Heat olive oil in a non- stick pan .Add the finely sliced shallot and sautee till transluscent.Add the garlic and saute for a few seconds. Now add the chopped tomatoes ,salt  and pepper and roast for 5-7 mins.Add the tomato sauce ,vegetable stock and  carrot puree (this helps to cut down the sourness of the tomatoes and also adds a delicious flavor and nutrition to the soup) and simmer on a low flame for 10 mins till soup starts bubbling.Add the fresh  cream and chopped basil leaves .Simmer for another 2 mins. Garnish with chopped Italian parsley. Serve hot with grilled cheese toast.

Giada's Spinach,Peas n Mushroom Stuffed Manicotti Pasta

This is a modified version of one of Giada's signature recipes.She made this with Swiss chard but since it's not in season right now I replaced it  with spinach and also added cremini mushrooms.Since this is a pretty elaborate recipe if you follow all directions ,I've  replaced some ingredients of the Fontina Fonduta sauce with a jar of Bertolli white Alfredo sauce as I didn't have Fontina cheese and also to cut down cooking time.The results were fabulous and the kids n hubby polished off their plates .A great  way to get the kids to eat spinach and mushrooms.
Here's a link  if you want to follow the original recipe :

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/swiss-chard-and-sweet-pea-manicotti-winter-recipe/index.html


My recipe :

Ingredients :

2 tbsp olive oil
8-10 Manicotti pasta shells
1 jar of Bertollini Alfredo sauce
1/4th cup shredded Mozarella cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped spinach
6-7 cremini mushrooms
1 cup green peas
2 cloves of chopped garlic.
1 medium onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
1 cup Marinara sauce

For the white sauce :
1/2 cup milk
1/4 th cup whipping cream
1/2 cup Ricotta cheese
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1/4th cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions :

Boil 8-10 cups of salted water in stock pot .When it comes to a rolling boil add the Manicotti pasta shells and cook till tender but firm around 8 mins .Remove the shells with tongs and keep aside.

Filling :
Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan .Saute the onion till transluscent .Add the finely chopped garlic and saute for 30 secs. Add the spinach ,salt ,pepper and saute for 5 mins .Add the sliced mushrooms and green peas and lemon -pepper seasoning and cook for another 5 mins.Add  the Bertolli Alfredo sauce and blend well with the vegetables for another 5-7 mins till the sauce bubblles and mixture thickens .Turn off the heat and let it cool down (cool enough to be handled).


For the white sauce :
In a thick bottomed non-stick pan heat the milk and cream till bubbles form .Reduce the heat and add Ricotta cheese stirring continuously till mixture thickens ..around 5 mins .Add the chopped basil leaves to it.

Preheat oven to 400 F.Grease a 13x 9 inch baking pan liberally with butter.Fill the cooked Manicotti  pasta shells  with the prepared spinach mixture using a spoon as shown in the picture below .Hold the Manicotti diagonally to prevent the mixture from slipping out.Keep the prepared Manicotti on the buttered dish. Finish preparing all in a similar way and arrange  them on the baking dish.Pour the prepared white sauce over it.Sprinkle the shredded Mozarella cheese on top .Bake for 35 mins till the top is golden brown .Serve hot with marinara sauce .

The Manicotti dish before you put it in the oven



Ingredients :Manicotti pasta,shredded Mozarella cheese,peas,spinach,Ricotta cheese,Bertolli Alfredo sauce,cremini mushrooms




Filling the Manicotti



Preparing the mixture



The dish after baking



Italian Chicken Tortellini soup

Tortellini pasta(dry)

Tortellini are ring shaped   pasta stuffed with different ingredients.I have used Pesto (basil leaves & pine nuts  paste) stuffed Tortellinis in this soup you can use any of your choice .This soup eats like a meal. Serve with a side salad and garlic bread for a healthy Italian meal.Replace chicken with Mozzarella cheese balls and chicken stock with Vegetable stock for a veggie version of this soup.

Note:  If using fresh Tortellini pasta cook  them for only 5-7mins in the soup  .If using dry pasta boil them for 10 mins or till tender seperately in boiling water as you would with regular pasta .. I have used dry Tortellini here.


Ingredients :

1/2 lb Tortelllini pasta
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 small white onion
1 cup chopped spinach
1/2 cup diced carrots , corn and red bell pepper
1/2 cup cooked chicken  peices
2 cups Organic low sodium chicken stock
1/2 tsp dry parsley flakes
1/2 tsp pepper pwdr
1/2 tsp garlic pwdr
1 tsp Lemon pepper seasoning
8-10 chopped fresh Basil leaves.
Salt to tasteDirections :

In a stockpot bring 10 cups of water to a rolling boil .Add the dry  tortellini pasta and cook for 10 mins till they are tender. Drain and keep aside.
In a  saucepan ,heat olive oil.Add the sliced onions and cook till they are transluscent.Add the garlic pwdr and chopped spinach,carrots,corn and red peppers.Add  pepper pwdr,lemon -pepper seasoning and salt .Stir and cook on a medium flame for 10 mins.Add the cooked chicken and chicken stock and bring to a boil once and then simmer. Add the cooked Tortellini or the fresh Tortellini at this point.Add the parsley flakes and chopped basil leaves and simmer for another 5 mins.Serve hot with salad or garlic bread.

Herb Butter Seared Scallops

Ingredients:

8-10 fresh sea scallops
2 tbsp bread crumbs
1 tsp dry basil
1/4th tsp dry oregano
1 tsp dry parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper pwdr
1tsp French's mustard

1 tbsp butter at room temp
 olive oil

Directions :
 Wash and pat dry the scallops.Mix the remaning ingredients together to form a thick paste.
Coat  the scallops evenly with it.
Spray  olive oil in a non-stick skillet.Place the scallops in the heated skillet and sear on each side for 2 mins.Serve with salad.

Curried Chicken Fettuccine Florentine

1/2 lb dry Fettuccine pasta
10 oz frozen chopped spinach(thawed)
1 small yellow Vidalia onion sliced
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 cup shredded cooked chicken(Rotisserie)
2 tsp McCormick curry powder(or any mild one that you prefer)
Salt to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4th cup fresh basil leaves chopped

Alfredo sauce ingredients:
8 oz Mascarpone cheese
1/4 th cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4th tsp nutmeg pwdr
1 tsp black pepper pwdr
1/4th cup heavy cream

Directions :
Fill a stock pot with water ,season with salt .When it comes to a boil add the Fettuccine pasta and cook till it is 'al dente' i.e firm to bite .Drain and keep aside.
In a non-stick deep bottomed pan  ,heat 2 tbsp of olive oil.Saute  the sliced onion till it is transluscent.Finely chop the two cloves of garlic and add to the onions.Add the curry powder and saute for 30 seconds.Add the thawed spinach and cook for 5-10 mins.Add the chicken  at this stage and blend on a low flame with the spinach for 5 mins.

Alfredo sauce:
In a heavy bottomed non-stick  saucepan mix together  the freshly  grated Parmesan cheese and heavy cream and simmer on a low flame till the cheese  almost melts.Swtich off the heat and blend in the Masacarpone cheese and season with nutmeg and black pepper powder.

Add the Alfredo sauce and cooked Fettuccine pasta to the prepared spinach and chicken and mix well.Garnish with chopped fresh basil leaves.

Grilled Chicken and Cheddar Pesto Paninis

4 multigrain Ciabatta sandwich rolls sliced horizontally
4 tsp basil pesto
4 slices of sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup of shredded cooked chicken
Olive oil

Preheat the Panini Press on High.

On the bottom halves of the Ciabatta rolls ,evenly spread out the basil pesto,shredded chicken and top with a slice of Cheddar cheese.Cover with the top half of the Ciabatta roll.Brush  the top of the roll with olive oil.Prepare all four rolls accordingly. Spray olive oil on the hot Panini Press. Grill the paninis to a golden brown.If you don't have a Panini Press ,these can be made on a non-stick pan or grilling pan by keeping another smaller heavy pan on the sandwich as a press. Keep an aluminium   foil between the sandwich and the small pan used as a press .

Jalopeno Cheddar Bruschetta topped with smoked Gouda cheese

Bruschetta is a first course of an Italian meal but  is hearty enough to be eaten as a  main course  by serving it with a soup or salad.More  toppings can be added to it as you would to a pizza.

1 loaf of Jalopeno Cheddar bread (or any artisan Italian bread)

Extra virgin olive oil

2 big cloves of garlic

1 thick slice of spicy smoked Gouda cheese

1 cup marinara sauce

1/2 tsp dry basil leaves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F.Cut the bread into thick slices.Rub cut garlic cloves liberally on the bread (or use garlic infused olive oil)Drizzle with Extra virgin olive oil. Spread marinara sauce on the bread slices.Arrange sliced or grated cheese on them .Sprinkle with dry basil leaves. Bake for 10 mins or till cheese melts.