Cooking with Susie Q

10 years ago

I realize that this is one of our busy seasons (one out of four) with basketball, hockey, cheerleading, etc. We are often rushing around for something quick, and nutritious for supper. While hamburgers and hotdogs are fine, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to Wow them with something else. Something that seems like it had to take longer than 30-40 minutes to make. Here are some of mine. I would love to have you send me some of yours.  Have a great day!

Light Fettuccine Alfredo
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons vegetable or olive oil
2 cups skim milk
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black
pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 ounces dry fettuccine pasta
1 (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli florets
(for full flavor-replace skim milk with heavy cream, half and half, or a
combination)

    Directions: In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden brown.     In a small saucepan, stir together milk, chicken broth, flour, salt and pepper over low heat until smooth and thick. Stir into onion mixture. Continue to cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thick. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water. Add broccoli to the pasta for the last several minutes of cooking. Continue cooking until the pasta is aldente. Drain the pasta and vegetables, and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with sauce. Serve.

Pepperoni Pizza Bake
1 (16 ounce) package wide egg noodles
2  15 oz jars or cans pizza sauce, divided
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
1 (3.25 ounce) package sliced pepperoni
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

    Directions: Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. In a bowl, combine noodles and 1 jar pizza sauce. Transfer to a greased 13-in.x 9-in.x 2-in. baking dish. Top with remaining pizza sauce. Layer with the mushrooms, olives and pepperoni. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Light Linguine Carbonara
8 ounces uncooked linguine
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup fat-free evaporated milk (I usually use half and half)
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red
pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

    Directions: Cook linguine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the next five ingredients. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until mixture reaches 160 degrees F and coats the back of a metal spoon. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, peas and bacon; heat through. Drain linguine; toss with sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
This Carbonara recipe is fast becoming one of my favorites, I had to do a little research to find out the difference between Alfredo and Carbonara, I liked both, but could tell there were some subtle differences — egg. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do.
I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you and any suggestions or recipes you like. I can be reached at susieqcooking@ainop.com or c/o Pioneer Times, PO Box 456, Houlton, Maine 04730 See you next week!