Tag Archives: Easy Dishes

Spaghetti Pie

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After a long week (that I’m pretty sure included more cocktails than food), I’m more than ready for a relaxing and delicious meal! One of my  favorite (and easiest) comfort foods is Spaghetti Pie. It somewhat resembles lasagna….except its 50 times easier to make!

Spaghetti Pie

4 oz. spaghetti noodles (angel hair works best)

1 tbsp. butter

1 egg

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

1 c. cottage cheese (I use fat-free)

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 lb. ground beef or turkey

1/2 c. of each onions and peppers, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 c. of tomato sauce (I use left-over homemade, but you can use a jar of sauce as well)

1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Cooking Spray

Spray a 9″ pie pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Cook the pasta noodles, just until al dente. Drain the noodles, return them to the pot and mix with the butter, parmesan cheese and the egg. Press the noodle mixture in the bottom of the pie pan to form the “crust”.

Next, spread on the cottage cheese and then the tomato sauce. Set aside.

In a medium size skillet, cook the meat, onions, peppers and garlic in the olive oil, until tender, or about 12 minutes. Add in the seasoning and cook a few more minutes.

Top the pie with the meat mixture and then sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Healthy Deli-Style Summer Pasta Salad

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I’m the worst dieter ever!! I like to do things like make “diet goals” lists and then reward myself with an ice-cream sundae (because making lists is such hard work and all).

The obvious solution to my dieting woes is learning to make favorite dishes in a healthier manner. Deli-style pasta salad is one of my favorite summer foods but all that mayo had to go. Adding Greek yogurt and hard-boiled eggs not only adds protein, but also makes this salad so creamy you won’t even miss the extra mayo. Bonus-it only takes about 15 minutes to throw this together!

Now I’ve got to go tackle that sundae…

 

Healthy Deli-Style Summer Pasta 

1/2 of a 16 oz. pasta box (I like elbows) cooked al dente (should equal about 4 c. cooked)

3 scallions, chopped (or you can use a 1/4 c. finely chopped onion)

2 hard-boiled eggs, diced

Optional: 1/4 c. of any or all of the following-peas, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, olives or red pepper ( My favorite combo is peas and red pepper, but here I used peas & corn)

Dressing

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 c. of apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp. pickle relish

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

3 tbsp. Greek yogurt

2 tbsp. mayonnaise

1/2 tsp. sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

Pepper to taste

 

While you cook your pasta and hard boil your eggs, whisk together all of your dressing ingredients in a small bowl. It may seem a bit runny for pasta dressing but it sticks to the noodles quite well. However, if you prefer a thicker dressing feel free to add more mayo or yogurt.

Once your noodles are cooked and cooled, stir in the chopped eggs and onions and the veggies (optional). Pour on your dressing and stir just until combined. Can be served right away but taste bests after cooling in the fridge for at least an hour.

This is the perfect easy, creamy, healthy and light accompaniment for any bbq but we especially love it with our hot dogs and turkey burgers.

Cheesy Spicy Ranch Corn Dog Muffins

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I figured I’d take a break from Santorini things (let’s be honest, I just can’t quite handle the pictures reminding me of the fact that I don’t live there!) and give you an easy summer recipe.

Corn dogs, to me, are the essence of summers spent at baseball games, theme parks and beach boardwalks. Who doesn’t love that?

And who doesn’t love a corn dog?! Especially when it has cheese, ranch dressing and Sriracha!

Cheesy Spicy Ranch Corn Dog Muffins

*corn muffin recipe slightly adapted from Everyday Food; makes 6 muffins*

 

1/2  stick of butter

3/4 c. cornmeal

1/2 c. flour

3 tbsp. sugar

3/4 tsp. of baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. of baking soda

1/3. milk

1 egg

1/3 c. of low-fat ranch dressing

1/4 c. of salsa verde

3 tbsp. of dried parsley

1/4 c. of Sriracha

 

2 large (cut into 3 pieces each) or 3 medium (cut into 2 pieces each) hot dogs

3 slices of cheddar cheese, each cut in half

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease 6 muffins tins. In a large bowl, put your butter, then melt in the microwave. Whisk in the milk, eggs and seasonings (ranch, salsa,etc).Next stir in the dry ingredients, making sure not to over mix.

In each of your muffin tins, put about 2 tablespoons of batter. Next put in a piece of cheese, then a piece of hot dog and top it off with about 2 more tablespoons batter.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, just until lightly browned and the tops spring back when you touch them. Remove from the pan and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

*You can adjust the spiciness to fit your needs….we love Sriracha so we always add a little more*

Chilled Cucumber Broccoli Soup with Bacon, Bleu Cheese & Peppers

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Soooo……it’s Friday!!!! Yay!!!

Do the happy dance, do the happy dance (I may or may not be singing to the beat of “Do the Stanky Leg”…whaaaat?!)

Apparently my brain is just all out of things to write today (as if that wasn’t apparent in the last two wannabe sentences or the fact that I’m writing about stanky legs).

Soooo about this soup. Well, it’s cool, refreshing, and crisp and your body will definitely thank you for making it in the middle of this trillion degree heat wave that is slowly torching us to death. So go make it!

 I mean, it’s topped with bacon…do you really need any other reasons?!

 

Chilled Cucumber Broccoli Soup

1 large cucumber, diced (should equal about 2 cups once it’s cut up)

1/3 c. leeks

1 c. broccoli

1 clove of garlic

1 tsp. olive oil

1 c. Greek yogurt

1 c. water

1 tbsp. of parsley

A small pinch of thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings: bacon, bleu cheese & roasted red pepper

 

In a medium skillet heat the olive oil, then sauté the leeks, broccoli and garlic for about 10 minutes, or until tender and slightly browned.

While that cools, start putting your remaining ingredients into a blender or food processor, or feel free to use an immersion blender. After the other veggies have cooled, add those in and puree for about 2 minutes, or until smooth.

You can chill this soup for anywhere between 30 minutes and 24 hours (definitely a good make ahead dish). Serve topped with crumbles of bacon, bleu cheese and roasted pepper and some nice crusty bread or crunchy pita chips.

 

*Feel free to adjust the spices according to your taste….this would be good with chives or basil too and even maybe some chili.*

 

 

Nicoise Salad

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When I showed a picture of this salad a few ‘Happy Hours’ ago, my dear friend Kelsey asked if I could share the recipe. So of course I had too :)

Real talk-who doesn’t love a healthy, light, super-duper easy recipe?! (especially with that little thing called bikini season getting underway)

My mom used to throw this together all the time (and all the time my sister and I would complain “Ewwww! Gross! Not this salad again”). Now it’s one of my favorite meals (preferably before one of my out-of-control game nights).

 

Nicoise Salad

3 c. lettuce

6 oz. can of tuna

1 c. of green beans, blanched

2 potatoes, cubed & cooked

2 hardboiled eggs, sliced

1/2 c. chopped tomatoes (I like to use cherry tomatoes)

A light vinaigrette of your choice

 

Lay the lettuce on the bottom of the plate. Arrange the remaining food in groups around the plate in whatever way looks best to you. Drizzle with dressing & serve.

*The amount of each ingredient is very flexible, but these are the amounts I use for 2 people*

*I use a basic dressing of oil, vinegar (balsamic), Dijon mustard, minced garlic, and salt & pepper. A little trick-put all the ingredients in an old jam jar, shake & you’ve got dressing! Whatever you don’t use, just put the lid back on and store in the fridge*