Penne with Creamy Tomato Sauce

I am one of those people that is very food-suggestible.  Most food commercials are probably made for people like me because the second I see something like macaroni and cheese, all I can think about for dinner options until I break down and make it is "man, macaroni and cheese sounds really good."  I happened to catch a show on the Cooking Channel last night that showed someone making penne in a tomato sauce.  Tonight, I made this for dinner.  It was everything I hoped it would be.

Serves: 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 spring onion, chopped (or about 2 tablespoons regular onion)
1 cup chopped spinach
3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 14oz cans petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon red wine
2 cups penne
4 oz cream cheese (I use the 1/3 less fat kind)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1. In heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and onion. Saute until tender, 1-2 minutes.  Stir in spinach and oregano until wilted.  Pour tomatoes over sauteed mixture and stir well.  Stir in bay leaf, sugar, and wine.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour or until tomatoes start to break down and any liquids are absorbed.
2. Once sauce has been simmering for 30 minutes, begin preparing pasta.  Prepare according to package directions and drain well.  Set aside.
3. Turn heat off below tomato sauce.  Stir cream cheese and Parmesan cheese into tomato sauce, mixing until smooth and melted.  Add penne to creamy tomato sauce and toss until evenly coated.

Moo Goo Gai Pan

Though I love snow peas, I only really know of about two ways to eat them and they are both stir-fry.  Since last week's stir-fry was beef with a dark sauce, I thought chicken with a white garlic sauce would be a nice change.  The box this week did not have too many snow peas, so I supplemented with frozen peas I already had.(A note on woks:I like to use a wok for this recipe because I think it heats more evenly.  Mine is nothing fancy, but it does a good job for smaller recipes like this. See it here Calphalon Commercial Nonstick 10-Inch Stir Fry)

Serves 2-4
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoon white wine
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup snow peas, stems removed
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 garlic scapes, diced
1 spring onion, diced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
Pepper and garlic salt to taste
Rice, for serving


1. Mix cornstarch, wine, sugar, and chicken broth together in a measuring cup.  Whip until smooth.  Set aside.
2. Heat oil in wok or large skillet.  Saute snow peas, frozen peas, garlic scapes, and onion until bright and tender.  Remove vegetables from skillet, but strain well to leave as much oil as possible in the wok.
3. Return wok to heat with oil.  Saute chicken breast strips, garlic, and ginger until chicken is browned and cooked through.  Return vegetables to wok and stir.  Pour cornstarch-wine-sugar-broth mixture over chicken and vegetables.  Stir and cook until sauce is clear and thickened.  Season as needed with pepper and garlic salt.  Serve over rice.

Faux Alfredo with Spinach

I'm not entirely certain when the idea came to me that sour cream might be able to double for actual cream in alfredo recipes.  It was probably some night when Husband or I really wanted alfredo, I didn't want to go to the grocery store, and I realized that I had sour cream in the fridge.  Either way, it's a fall back that I have made a number of times in many different manners.  Don't be fooled, it isn't as creamy and rich as real alfredo made with heavy cream.  But it does give a nice creamy finish to whole-wheat pasta and tempers strong vegetables well.

Serves 2-4
2 cups small whole-wheat pasta (I used rotini)
1 spring onion, finely chopped
2 garlic scapes, finely chopped
1 10 oz bag spinach, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup sour cream (I used light)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste

1. In medium saucepan, bring water to a boil.  Cook whole-wheat pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.
2. In same saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Saute spring onion and garlic scapes until soft.  Add spinach and cook until dry, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.

3. Toss pasta in saucepan with spinach-onion-garlic mixture.  Top with sour cream and Parmesan cheese.  Stir until pasta and spinach is evenly coated.  Season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste.

Week 1 Box

Box this week contained:

• Spinach
• Mixed field greens
• Collard greens (which for me is a blanket term that includes kale, just so you know)
• Rhubarb
• Garlic scapes (this might not be the real name, but it's what my CSA calls it when they cut the tops off garlic cloves; they are green shoots that look like scallions but taste like garlic)
• Turnips
• Butter lettuce
• Spring onions
• Snap peas