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 :)

Pita Bar Night

Justin and I are absolutely in love with pita bread, especially pita chips, so I decided to do a meal incorporating some Greek flavors! This meal was originally just a twist on a normal burger with a turkey patty inside a pita pocket. However, turkey is a naturally very lean meat, so I decided to add some extra flavors with hummus. Hummus is a popular Middle Eastern dip made of chickpeas, which are high in protein. My favorite flavors are roasted garlic, red pepper, or a mix of the two. This led to my other toppings: cucumbers and light feta cheese. You can also add tomatoes, lettuce, or even a tossed greek salad. I prefer to stay away from the extra carbs, but seasoned rice is an option as well.
Instead of making turkey patties, I ground up the turkey with sea salt and Greek seasoning (well worth $5 for the flavor it brings). Ground turkey, instead of formed patties, makes you consider portions a bit more (IMO), so I chose to do that instead.
Set out all your toppings, make your pita pockets, and create your pita bar!

Jazzed Up Steaks

I was trying to come up with what I wanted to eat this week - and read Justin's mind about what he felt like eating. I don't know about you all, but trying to get Justin to cough up what he feels like eating is harder than getting him to close cabinet doors after himself. His reply is always "I don't know. Whatever sounds good." and then I end up having to come up with a couple options and if I'm lucky he'll be pretty decisive on just one!
So naturally, being out of food and since it's the weekend - it was time to do our little ritual of picking out this week's meals. It's been a little while so I decided to treat Justin to some red meat! I found this recipe for steak that has a summery touch and as Justin likes to refer to "fancy". This is a steak over bruschetta with a tossed spinach salad in vinaigrette and crostini.

Your first priority is to find your steak! They had a pretty good quality steak on special at a local market so I got about 1 lb of steak which makes enough for 3 slightly large servings. Remember that your steak is the star of your dish so if you can, throw in a bit of extra money for a really good quality steak! The original dish called for pesto but since I was unable to find a dairy-free pesto (and I decided I was gonna be too lazy to make one - too many other things competing for my attention this weekend!) so I just replaced it with bruschetta. And since Justin is in love with bruschetta, it was a win-win situation. :)   Also pick up your favorite green for a tossed salad, I picked spinach because it has a great source of iron but others work just as well like arugula.
Here is a total list of your ingredients:

Steak

Bruschetta

Greens (Spinach)

Your favorite bread (Ciabatta)

This meal is super fast and easy - but you need to have everything going all at once! First, slice your bread into about 1/2" slices and place them on a baking pan. Spread a small amount of olive oil on each bread and sprinkle a small amount of salt. These go into the oven at 350 degrees F for about 5-6 minutes to get the bread just crusty. After putting your bread in the oven, put your pan on the stove to heat. Once it is warmed up, place your seasoned steaks in the pan, I seasoned my steaks with a sprinkle of sea salt and minced rosemary. I don't really cook my steaks via time, so if this helps, flip your steaks once they are cooked almost halfway through the steak. Cook the steaks on the opposite side for about 1 minute less than the other side, turn off the heat, and leave the steaks to finish cooking. After flipping your steaks, take your greens and toss a mix of 2/3 olive oil and 1/3 balsamic or red wine vinegar with a sprinkle of sea salt. If you are nervous about the simple flavors of a vinaigrette, any flavored vinaigrette can be substituted.

Once you have all your components prepared, smear about 2 tablespoons of bruschetta/pesto on your plates, top with your rested steaks, and a nice bunch of greens with a crostini. Enjoy!

Meatloaf

No picture of the meatloaf tonight! If you have a crazy day where you need to cook, eat, and clean up after yourself (with a little time to spare to change!) in 40 minutes - this is the meal for you! I never actually had meatloaf growing up but Justin is from a midwest All-American family and its comfort food for him :)
This is actually his mom's recipe - although I've never measured anything for this recipe (makes things quicker - in my opinion!). For Justin and I, I pick up 1 lb of ground beef with the lowest fat content I can find (if you pick up a fattier piece of beef, you can cut down on the wet ingredients) which makes 1 dinner and a lunch for one person, although Justin is a big eater! Take your pound of beef with chopped onion and 1 cup of oatmeal per pound of beef in a mixing bowl. For 3-5% fat content, add about 2-3 tablespoons of ketchup and 2-3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. Mix your beef until ingredients are evenly dispersed and spread onto a baking pan (or even a baking sheet). I personally use a square glass baking pan - but that's like my one square pan lol.
Cook 1 lb of beef at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. You can also cook at a lower degree for a longer period of time - which would allow a slow roasting of the flavors - but I just did not have time tonight! The great thing about meatloaf is you have the option!
Within 40 minutes (10 to prep, 20 to cook, 10 to eat), you will be fed a great hearty meal!

Thai Peanut Satay

This is one of my favorite "30 minutes or less" weekday meals! Finals for summer session classes are coming up and after taking a long study break this morning I needed something super quick and easy! The only basics you need are:

Your favorite Peanut Satay Sauce

Onion

Meat (I always use chicken)

Mince half of a yellow onion (I like it to be about the same size as the rice grains) and add to a heated pan. Saute the onion until partially translucent, then add your meat (I recommend bite-size pieces so it cooks quicker!). Once the meat is halfway done, add a generous amount of satay sauce. Store bought sauces are incredibly variable in the thickness of the sauce and the  taste. I recommend House of Tsang for a sweeter, more mild taste or San-J Thai Peanut Sauce for a spicier, bolder flavor. I cook my peanut satay off the skewer just because my s/o doesn't care for the taste of baked chicken.

If you have the time when cooking this meal, get creative with different vegetables and presentation (use skewers and grill or bake!). I've been dying to try the peanut satay with thai eggplant and some other fresh vegetables! :)