Tilapia over Pesto Spaghetti

I'm super crazy busy lately which means almost zero time to do my usually planned out grocery shopping! I went to the grocery store today looking for a last minute dinner to put together. The Tilapia was on special and my Mum recently made some dairy-free pesto for Justin and I - giving me the idea to do a pesto and olive oil with the fish. Instead of veggies, I opted for a grain - a thin spaghetti. 

To make this meal, you will need your favorite fish fillet, homemade or purchased pesto (extremely easy!), lemon, and your choice of side.

To make pesto, you will need basil, garlic, olive oil, salt, and a nut (my Mum used pecans for the buttery taste but you can use pretty much any nuts of your choice). Grind together to make a slightly thick paste. You can always reduce the thickness with olive oil, I recommend making a paste and keeping it in the fridge where you will have the option of using it as is or add olive oil.

Cook your Tilapia fillet until cooked through, if I remember correctly it was about 5-7 minutes on medium heat. I'm terrible at flipping my fillets without breaking them - and I hate having to add more olive oil. If you are unsure if your fillets are cooked, just give a peek in the middle. 

At the same time as your fillets are cooking, add your pasta to boiling water. If you are in a hurry, choose a really thin pasta so it doesn't hold up your dinner. Get your pesto ready and toss in with the pasta. Serve with lemon and pesto for the fish. Enjoy!

Pasta and Sausage

I haven't put a new post up in a little bit, mostly because it's almost the end of my classes and I've been busy and also I made this amazing fish dish the other day but it looked horrible! Lol
This dish is so easy and super cheap, and variable! First, pick your favorite pasta (and if you are gluten-free then pick rice flour pasta). Then pick or make your sauce (I used fire roasted tomato and garlic) as well as your meat or sausage. I used a delicious Burgundy Pepper sausage but chicken, seasoned ground beef, shrimp (for pescetarians), pork, or whatever strikes your fancy! I prefer to use uncooked, fresh sausage and I specifically look for ones without nitrates. Uncooked meat does not require to be cooked beforehand so if you are really short on time, get cooked meat or pre-cook when you have time (up to a couple days in advance). While you chop up your veggies, start boiling your water for your pasta. Cook your meat (if you need to) with your vegetables and eventually the sauce when your meat is 2/3rds of the way cooked. When your pasta is cooked al dente, drain and rinse in cold water, and toss with your sauce, meat, and vegetables.
Dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes! Enjoy :)

Summer Pasta with Sausage

This is a late post since I've been feeling kinda sick - but thankfully when I'm feeling ill, I love to munch on a light pasta. Talking to my friends, I feel like there is often a misconception about pasta. There is pasta topped with marinara, bolognese, or alfredo and then there is pasta tossed with butter. I get bored with these limited options - especially since alfredo and butter are not possibilities!
This pasta is a refreshing option that lets fresh ingredients like basil and lemon shine.
Take your favorite pasta, I used linguine as a medium between my favorite (spaghettini) and Justin's (any thick pasta). Cook the pasta al dente while you cook your sausage in garlic and shallots. I prefer to remove the sausage from the casing and my favorite is sweet italian because it melts in your mouth like butter. When the sausage is 3/4 of the way cooked, add spinach to your pan to cook. When the pasta is finished, drain and toss with olive oil and a light amount of balsamic vinegar. Toss in your sausage and spinach mixture, add lemon zest, and fresh squeezed lemon juice to taste. Add basil for a refreshing, light summer pasta!

Tonights dinner is homemade pizzas! It seems I've been craving Italian as the past couple meals have been following the theme :)
I'm also looking for a Moroccan or Indian dish thats milk free if anyone has suggestions?

Italian Sausage and Orecchiette

I'm quite careful with sausages because I'm sensitive to the preservatives but I found these nice hot Italian sausages from a local Trader Joe's! I made this great easy meal with a very minimal amount of ingredients!

1/3 cup Olive Oil

Italian sausage (hot or sweet)

Spinach or Broccoli Rabe

Orecchiette

4 cloves Garlic

Red Pepper Flakes

As a recipe suggested, I boiled a pot of water and cooked the spinach first, which I removed into a separate bowl. I then cooked the pasta in the water. While the pasta was cooking, I removed the sausage from the casing and let my pan and 1/3 cup of oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes heat. I added the sausage, until brown, then added the spinach to cook. This meal takes less than thirty minutes to prepare! I also added a bit of crushed homemade croutons, leftover from last week's soup, to create a bit of a different texture. And of course - cheese! I used a skim mozzarella but parmesan-reggiano would add a wonderful nutty flavor as well!

I found the original recipe in a Williams-Sonoma International Cookbook at Borders' going out of business sale! My passion is international food and I cannot wait to cook more of these recipes! I especially have my eye on curried cauliflower from India! :D

Stuffed Pasta Shells

Almost a year ago I started cooking dairy-free. After a couple months without pasta, I got a huge hankering for some ricotta stuffed pasta shells. Of course, I'd have to eat them by myself and I almost never cook just for myself - so instead of cheese - I stuffed the pasta shells with meat! I cooked ground turkey (beef works well also!) with my usual recipe that I use for meatballs:

Ketchup

Italian Spices

Garlic

Finely chopped onion

Red Crushed Pepper

Salt/Pepper

I cooked the meat about 3/4 of the way through while my shells soaked in some cold water. I took the meat of the stove and spooned a good tablespoon and a half into each shell. After all the shells were stuffed, I topped it off with pasta sauce - and putting my shells in a separate dish I added some light mozzarella cheese! The shells, sauce, and meat cooked for about another five minutes and then ready to eat!

This meal is great if you have some extra time on your hands one day but absolutely no time the next! I took about an hour and a half to prepare - with the TV on (lol) - but I have quite a few meals of leftovers!

Super excited about another meal this week - BLT soup! And it requires almost no cooking!

And sorry about the messy photo!