Arugula Lemon Pasta

Here's a nice meal we made last night with a big bag of arugula from our CSA share.  You could use spinach in its place, but the arugula gives it a nice peppery punch.  

Wash and roughly chop two bunches of arugula, removing any thick stems.  Mince three very large garlic cloves and zest and juice a lemon.  Boil one pound of long pasta in salted water until done.  Drain and set aside, reserving a cup or so of the cooking water.

Into the empty pasta pot, add a long pour of olive oil and a couple tablespoons of butter.  Place over medium-low heat and saute the garlic until it just begins to brown.  Add the arugula and stir, letting it cook down.  Add salt and pepper to taste, as well as the lemon zest and juice.  Once the arugula is cooked to your liking, add the pasta back to the pot along with a good handful of grated Parmesan.  Toss everything well and add some of the pasta water if it seems dry. 

Serve with extra grated Parmesan and chile flakes.

Tortellini and Roasted Vegetables

Around here, we're getting tired of looking at (and dealing with) Thanksgiving leftovers.  We needed a meal this week that bore no resemblance to turkey and stuffing, and had never met a sweet potato.  We did a bit of improvising and wound up with an easy and tasty weeknight dinner (and don't we all need more of those).  My husband gets credit for the general idea, and I did some fine tuning during the execution.  This was a big hit with all of us, including our six-month-old daughter.  Sorry - I didn't get a chance to take a photo!

A word to the timid:  try not to shy away from ample salt, butter and toppings.  They are the fine line between boring and brilliant here.

Chop half a head of cauliflower and an equivalent amount of broccoli into medium-sized pieces.  Toss with several minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of salt, juice from half a lemon and enough olive oil to thoroughly coat everything.  Roast in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until completely tender and beginning to brown - stir the mixture every 15 minutes or so. 

Meanwhile, mix some fresh bread crumbs with melted butter and toast in a skillet over medium heat.  In a large pot, cook a pound of tortellini or small ravioli.  Drain the pasta, reserving at least one cup of the cooking water.

Combine cooked pasta, roasted vegetables, a tablespoon or two of butter and a few splashes of the pasta cooking water.  Add a bit more olive oil if it appears too dry (but bear in mind this will basically be sauce-less).  Serve with toasted bread crumbs, crushed red peppers and freshly grated Parmesan.

Enjoy!

Corn Casserole

Since today is the day after Thanksgiving I decided to start by posting a recipe that was one of the favorites at our table this year....it was also probably the easiest thing I made. Wish we could have all enjoyed our Thanksgiving meal together...looking forward to celebrating Christmas in a few weeks!  xoxo, meg

1 (15 1/4 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained

1(14 3/4 oz) can of cream corn

1 (8oz) package Jiffy corn bread mix

1 cup of sour cream

1/2 cup of butter melted

1cup of shredded Cheddar

Preheat oven 350 grease a 9-by 13 baking dish or a large casserole dish.

Mix together the corn jiffy, sour cream and butter in a large bowl next stir in cheese. Pour mix into greased baking dish.

Bake for 55 minutes, or until golden brown , let it sit for 5 minutes before severing.