Low(er) Fat Spaghetti Carbonara

One of hubby's favorite dishes is spaghetti carbonara. We both love this lower fat version, especially when we are trying to stick with our New Year's resolutions!  Peas are optional but I think they really add to this dish!  Hope you do too!

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked whole wheat thin spaghetti
3 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups bacon (or pancetta), finely chopped (I used real bacon bits from Costco)
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup Egg Beaters egg substitute
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Optional: frozen & thawed baby green peas

1) Cook pasta according to package instructions. (If you plan to add green peas, add to pasta pot 2 minutes before pasta is done).
2) Add olive oil to skillet and then add bacon, onions, and garlic. Cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
3) Drain pasta and add it to the bacon mixture. Stir in Egg Beaters, milk, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook a minute or two, until warmed through.
4) Toss with cheese and mangia!

Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli

Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Servings: 12-14

You will need a large slow cooker for this recipe, 6 quart capacity minimum!  I Love Olive Garden’s soups!  And their pasta e fagioli is one of my favorites.  This version makes it difficult to head out to Olive Garden for soup!  Yep, it’s that good.  Serve it with crusty Italian bread (or bread sticks) and a tossed green salad with Italian vinaigrette, and you have Sunday supper! This is a very versatile recipe; you could sub ground turkey for the beef and sausage.  I thought the Tabasco sauce added a layer of flavor; I added it a bit at a time to be sure of the level of spiciness.  Ditalini pasta is the one that is most commonly used in this soup.  Unbelievably, I had never used ditalini before making this dish!  In my grocery store, the only brand I could find was Barilla. You can freeze left-overs if there are any!

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound lean ground beef

1 pound Italian sausage (I used mild)

1-2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 cup matchstick carrots (or about 3-4 carrots, chopped)

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained (I used fire roasted)

2 14.5 ounce cans low sodium beef broth

1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained

1 (15 ounce) can cannelloni (white kidney) beans, drained

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (optional)

1 (24-ounce) jar favorite spaghetti sauce

1 ounces (1 cup) ditalini pasta (small tubes; it’s a very short macaroni)

DIRECTIONS:

·         Brown beef and sausage in skillet with olive oil, until well browned and crumbly.

·         Drain fat and add meat mixture to slow cooker.

·         Add onion, carrots, and celery to skillet and saute until tender (about 5 minutes); transfer to slow cooker.

·         Add all remaining ingredients to slow cooker, EXCEPT for PASTA) and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or on high 4 to 5 hours.

·         Add the pasta during the last hour, stirring to combine and cook until pasta is al dente.

·         Serve and top with Parmesan cheese!

Cheese Dainties aka Cheese Biscuits

Cheese Dainties

Memories that bring a smile to my face:  Cheese dainties aka cheese biscuits!  My Mom made this a lot since they were a favorite in our household!  I loved them as a kid and I think I love them even more as an adult!  I eat them for breakfast, for lunch along with soup, appetizers with wine, and just any anytime snack!  You can spice them up with more cayenne, decorate them with pecan halves (or not), add rice krispies to them for a bit of a crunch… the variations are fun!  Note that the original recipe (one my Mom used) directed that you mix the batter by hand.  Of course, a KitchenAid mixer works really well!!

INGREDIENTS:
½ pound (2 cups) shredded (or grated) sharp cheddar cheese
½ pound (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cayenne (or to taste)
More cayenne to sprinkle on top (if desired)

Pecan halves

Variation: add 2 cups Rice Krispies cereal to batter
 

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine cheese, butter, flour, salt and cayenne in a large mixing bowl.  (If using Rice Krispies, add this too). Mix well by hand or electric beater. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls and place an inch apart on a Silpat lined baking sheet.

Using a fork, gently flatten each ball and press a pecan half onto each cracker. If desired, sprinkle the tops of each cracker with a little cayenne. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until slightly tan in color.  Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Slow Cooker French Onion Soup

 (adapted from Allrecipes) 

Servings: About 8

I am in love with French Onion soup!  My favorite is served at a little French restaurant, La Bonne Soupe in New York City.  Every time we are in New York, hubby and I stop there at least once for lunch or dinner.  And I, of course, always order French onion soup!   This was a "wintry mix" weekend with rain, freezing rain, and extremely cold temperatures for our area.  As I had plenty of sweet onions and beef broth in the pantry, it was time to make my first batch ever of French onion soup.  Yep, first time!  And, of course, being a slow cooker fan, I put my 6 quart cooker to work.  The result was tres tres bon!  Served with a simple Caesar salad and crusty bread, this winter Sunday supper was excellent! (I forgot to snap a photo of the individual bowls topped with bread and melted cheese!)...

INGREDIENTS:

6 Tablespoons butter (unsalted)

4 Tablespoons butter (salted)

4 to 5 large sweet onions, sliced and separated into rings

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup dry sherry (not cooking sherry)

7 cups reduced-sodium beef broth

1 cube beef bouillon

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon herbes de provence

8 slices French bread

½ cup shredded Gruyere cheese

1/3 cup shredded Emmental cheese

¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat 6 Tablespoons butter in large, heavy pot over medium-high heat; cook and stir onions until they become translucent, about 10 minutes. 
• Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until onions are caramelized, soft and browned, about 30 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook about 1 minute more.
• Stir sherry into onion mixture and scrape bottom of pot to dissolve small bits of browned onions from the pot. Transfer onions into a slow cooker and pour in beef broth, beef bouillon cube, water and 4 Tablespoons butter.  Season to taste with sea salt, pepper, thyme and herbes de provence.    
• Cover cooker, set on high and cook 4 to 6 hours (or on low 8 to 10 hours).
• About 10 minutes prior to serving, set oven rack about 8 inches from heat source and preheat the oven’s broiler.  Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet.
• Broil bread slices until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
• Combine Gruyere, Emmental, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses in a bowl, tossing lightly.  Fill oven-safe soup crocks ¾ full of onion soup and float a bread slice in each bowl. Top with about 2 Tablespoons of cheese mixture per serving.
• Place filled bowls onto a baking sheet and broil until cheese topping is lightly browned and bubbling, about 2 minutes.