Perfect Pasta

Written Monday, April 26th, 2010 by Anne Coleman

Grandmother's noodles, long thin strands of vermicelli, corkscrew rotini, elbows smothered in cheese - pasta comes in so many beautiful shapes and sizes and each is as versatile as the next.

Whether you're counting carbs or not, there's no denying that pasta is an all-time favorite around the globe. From classic spaghetti and meatballs to pad thai there are many cultures that make use of humble pastas to create unforgettable and satisfying meals.

My own use ranges from the very basic tossed with olive oil and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese to a more intense preparation like pierogies. No matter what, I love pasta not only for its range of uses, but the fact that it's so quick to cook.

Many nights I've tossed a pound of cooked pasta with a vegetable or two and a jar of prepared sauce and called it dinner - and wasn't once questioned about it. Sometimes I would add meat or poultry. The kids love the various shapes and sizes and never tire of it.

This is what we had for dinner tonight and below the recipe is a link to the 'pasta' listing here at Half Hour Meals, which is filled with new and delicious ideas you won't want to miss.

Creamy Pesto and Chicken Pasta
Serves 4
Ready In: 15 minutes (depending on pasta choice)

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into chunks
1/2 pound pasta
1/2 cup pesto sauce
1/2 cup light cream
salt and pepper to taste

Set water to boil for pasta and coook chicken in a small skillet just until no longer pink. Set aside.
Cook pasta to desired doneness and drain well. Put back into pot and add chicken.
Stir together pesto and cream and toss with pasta and chicken.

Pasta on Half Hour Meals

Half an Hour to Healthier Fries

Written Thursday, December 10th, 2009 by Anne Coleman

French fries (a.k.a. 'chips' in other countries) are a huge favorite around the globe, but they often come with a high health price tag. Deep fried and covered in salt, they aren't so good for a body, but cooked with less oil and a controlled amount of salt, their true flavor and healthful attributes, like potassium, iron, vitamin C and fiber, can shine through.

Potatoes are rarely seen as a time-friendly food either, but this recipe fits in well with the half-hour frame of mind and can be put into the oven before starting on other parts of your meal. Any potato works for these, but I like Russets as they make a longer fry and the kids absolutely like that part. These don't last long in my home and I more often than not make a double batch. Even so, they're economical and fit in to our quick-but-frugal meal budget and they go well with everything from burgers to fried chicken to a stand-alone with dipping sauces.

Oven Fries
Serves 4
Total Cooking Time: 30 minutes

2 large Russet potatoes
2 Tablespoons olive or other oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed Rosemary
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Scrub potatoes well and make lengthwise cuts in each, making 12 thin wedges from each potato - 24 total.
Toss wedges with oil, salt, Rosemary and garlic powder making sure to coat each well.
Lay on baking sheets in a single layer.
Bake for 30 minutes, switching baking sheets between oven racks halfway through cooking time.

Salt again if necessary once cooked and enjoy!

*Pottery in photo courtesy Chris Fredericks

Cookbook Review: 101 Things To Do With Meatballs

Written Thursday, November 5th, 2009 by Anne Coleman

Stephanie Ashcraft of 101 Things to do with a Cake Mix fame, has done it again. This time the focus was meatballs and this book, like the other twelve '101' books, comes through. Nothing is faster than prepared meatballs in the struggle to get dinner on the table quickly and many of the recipes in this book are ready in 30 minutes or less.

Each recipes uses very few ingredients and relies on a base of frozen meatballs. Keep in mind that though the book is endorsed by Rich Foods, you can easily substitute homemade meatballs for any of the recipes, provided they are frozen first as the cooking times take that into account.

This isn't all spaghetti and meatballs either; with recipes like Meatball Jalapeno Poppers, Chipotle Meatball Pasta and Italian Focaccia Meatball Sandwiches there is lots of variation and something for everyone.

I made Crowd-Pleasing Meatball Chili (pictured above right) and Thai Pizza and both were very good. The kids especially love meatballs and chili so that combo is a real winner for them. There are far more recipes that I plan to try since I happen to think meatballs are one of the finest foods ever invented. This is one of those books you'll find yourself turning to whenever dinner needs to be done FAST, and you won't be disappointed.

You can find a copy of 101 Things to do with Meatballs at Amazon.com.