Throw together meals

Eric and I specialize in this. We're pretty good at sticking to our grocery budget, but we're not very good at planning a menu for the week. So we have become near experts at just using what we have.

Last night was a major success--we both loved the meal I threw together at 9 p.m. after Eric got home from taking a midterm. I thought I'd share, even though it's really simple. Also, we don't do well with leftovers, so we make just enough for two people, so you'll definitely need to increase the amount on the ingredients. No worries, though, because it's nothing scientific!

1 thick chicken breast
1 zucchini, sliced into small rounds
Olive oil
Dried basil, oregano, thyme, and/or any Italian-themed spices you enjoy
1 packet alfredo sauce mix (and any ingredients needed to make said mix--usually butter and milk)
Some onion

We thawed the chicken and I made Eric trim it in half for me so it was thinner--it was a large breast. Otherwise we would have used two. Preheat oven to 350. Put the chicken breast in a baking dish, and lay the zucchini on top of the chicken and throughout the pan. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the chicken and zucchini, then sprinkle your spices. Prepare alfredo sauce according to package directions (or if you're being fancy, make your own--just make enough to be able to have a good 3/4 inch or so of sauce in the bottom of your pan). Pour sauce over zucchini and chicken. Slice some onion and arrange over top of the sauce. We had a good amount of onion because Eric loves them. Pop the pan in the oven and let cook until chicken is cooked (for our small dish it took about 30-35 minutes).

We toasted some English muffins for the side and all-in-all it was a nice way to end a long day for my poor grad student--he'd had a midterm in accounting and it was rough.

Try it, you'll like it!

Baked Pasta

I love pasta. I think I would die if I couldn't eat it. So don't even ask me to give it up. I know you're all conspiring to do it, but don't. Just stop here.

Here is a recipe that I came across in Parenting magazine. It's delicious and colorful. But you MUST use fresh mozzarella. MUST. Not the stuff you get over by the Kraft cheeses. If you use Kraft, you're in trouble. Big trouble. Go over to the cool, exotic cheese section and find fresh mozzarella. It's the stuff that melts under your knife. It's awesome.

Here's the recipe.

Baked Pasta With Summer Veggies
Cooking spray
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced (or substitute summer squash, carrots, or eggplant)
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb ziti or penne pasta
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese (fat free is fine also)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, plus 1/2 cup (I buy the fresh stuff)
pinch of nutmeg
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped (I've used fresh and dried, just use less if you substitute the dry)
1/2 lb FRESH mozzarella
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 425. Lightly coat a large, shallow baking dish with cooking spray. Place a large pot of water over medium-high heat.Toss onion, garlic, red pepper, and zucchini in a large bowl with olive oil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Place vegetables on a baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes.

While vegetables are roasting, add pasta to the water and boil about 2 minutes short of package directions (it should still be slightly firm). Drain.

In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, 1/4 cup parmesan, and the nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Gently toss pasta with the ricotta mixture, vegetables, tomatoes, oregano, and mozzarella. Pour mixture into the baking dish.Sprinkle top with the remaining parmesan and break crumbs. Bake, uncovered, until lightly browned and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

P.S. This is also very good unbaked. It makes a delicious cold salad that you can take to work and enjoy when you take a break from the craziness that is our world. :)