Zucchini & Tomato Pasta in Creamy Dijon Sauce

I dreamed up this creamy dijon sauce one day last week; I've never had or made anything like this, but it just sounded good in my head. Creamy sour cream with the spice of some dijon mustard and the sweet of some honey. I decided to toss it with whole wheat rotini pasta, slivered grape tomatoes, sauteed zucchini and some chicken sausage for a good protein addition to round out the dish. It's always nice when I can incorporate all the food groups in one pile of food ;).  

Zucchini & Tomato Pasta in Creamy Dijon Sauce

12 oz. whole wheat rotini, cooked according to package directions

12 oz. package chicken sausage (any flavor)

1 medium zucchini, cubed

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise

3/4 cup light sour cream

1 T dijon mustard

2 tsp honey

zest of 1 lemon + juice from half the lemon

fresh chives, finely diced to garnish

Get a large pot of water boiling and start cooking your pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Cut the sausage in thin rounds on the diagonal and sear on both sides (chicken sausage is already cooked, so you're just searing it). Meanwhile cube the zucchini and slice the tomatoes.

When the sausage is finished, set aside and cook the zucchini in the same pan for just a few minutes; enough to slightly brown but still keeping it crispy (no soggy zucchini please). Set aside. 

Reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid from your pasta, then drain the noodles and return to the same pot. Go ahead and add the sliced tomatoes so they soften a bit with the steam from the noodles. Meantime, make the creamy dijon my whisking together in a small bowl the sour cream, dijon, honey, and lemon. Taste for your likeness and adjust honey and/or dijon.

Add the zucchini and sausage to the pasta pot and combine well, then add the creamy dijon and combine well. If the mixture is a little stiff, add a tablespoon or two of the cooking water to the pot and stir. You may or may not need this.

Serve immediately, topping with fresh chives.

PS - life is crazy in the Goodwin house lately, so no time for pics these days!

Butternut Squash Disaster

This side dish was actually inspired by the hot bar at my local Whole Foods, which I have rarely partaken in but as I passed by on my way to the checkout I saw "butternut squash slaw" as one of the dishes. Hmm, I've never heard of that, but sounds good. I decided to try to make it myself...plus butternut squash was on sale for $.99/lb, so you know.

What a disaster. I researched a few recipes to help inspire my own, so the below is what I came up with. Can you say pumpkin guts? This is exactly what the slaw, even after marinating for a few hours, smelled and tasted like. This is either a specific taste some like, or it's just not meant to be eaten this way. You know me, I never throw anything out, but this stuff went to the dogs!

I'm only providing the recipe for your laughing pleasure, please do not make this dish!

Butternut Squash Slaw

1 1/2 lbs butternut squash (about 1 medium squash)

1 1/2 T honey

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

juice of 1/2 lemon

3 T extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

2 T chopped fresh parsley

Peel the squash with a potato peeler or knife, shred finely using a box grater, mandoline or food processor.

In a bowl, whisk together honey, cider vinegar and lemon juice. When smooth, drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly. Season with salt and pepper. 

Toss squash and parsley in dressing until fully coated. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Chicken Curry Pockets

I revere puff pastry as both one of my favorite things to indulge in but also something I utilize infrequently. Besides the fact that it is fairly expensive, it's also almost completely nutritionally void. But every now and then, I soften my resolve towards this ultra refined carb and incorporate it. Tonight's dinner used the puff pastry to make these little chicken pockets. These are delicious and easy, and could also pull double duty as an appetizer. PS I did not take any pictures because a) my husband and i were ravenous and ate them right out of the oven and b) most of my "pockets" opened up during cooking, so although delicious they were sloppy looking.

Chicken Curry Pockets

1 T canola oil

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp curry powder

1/2 cup coconut milk + more as needed

1 red onion, finely diced

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

3/4 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 (17.25 oz.) package frozen puff pastry, thawed

Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in coriander, turmeric, cumin, and curry powder. Cook a few seconds until fragrant. Pour in coconut milk, onion, and red pepper; cook until the vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. 

Stir in chicken and continue cooking for 10-12 minutes, adding more coconut milk if the mixture becomes too dry. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until chicken is cooked through and has absorbed most of the liquid; remove from heat to cool.

Preheat oven to 375 deg F. Prep a baking sheet with cooking spray or parchment paper.

Unfold the puff pastry and lightly flour; gently roll the dough to make it slightly thinner, trying to maintain the rectangle shape. 

Cut the sheet into 16 equal squares (I used a pizza cutter). Place heaping spoonfuls of the filling in the center of each square. Gather all 4 corners of the pastry and pinch together at the top, forming a small pouch. Place each pastry on the baking sheet, about 1" apart.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to serve. 

You could easily double this recipe and use the entire package of puff pastry (both sheets) to make 32 pockets. 

Lemon Raspberry Muffins

Again, I made this recipe at the recommendation of a friend (thanks Denise!). These are one of Denise's favorite muffins, and after making them they are mine too...simply delicious. 

I must have over-mixed mine because they turned out with a purple hue and some had those pointy peaks that leave a cook no wiggle room for explaining the number of times the spatula circled around the batter, but they were moist and flavorful...in fact I could have used even more lemon flavor...perhaps next time I will zest two lemons. I also did not have white whole wheat flour, so I used regular whole wheat flour. 

The original recipe for these muffins, as passed along to me from my friend, was posted on the eatingwell website (http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/lemon_raspberry_muffins.html).  

Lemon Raspberry Muffins

1 lemon

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup canola oil

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups frozen (not thawed) raspberries

Preheat oven to 400 deg F. Coat a (12 count, large) muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper liners.

Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemon in long strips. Combine the zest and sugar in a food processor; pulse until the zest is very finely chopped into the sugar. Add buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla and pulse until blended.

Combine whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture and fold until almost blended. 

Gently fold in raspberries. Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups.

Bake the muffins until the edges and tops are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.