New recipe and weekend plans

Baked pasta w/ summer veggies - Parenting Magazine

1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, sliced (or summer squash or eggplant)
olive oil
salt/pepper to taste
1 lb of ziti or penne pasta
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
3/4 cup parmesan cheese, divided
pinch of nutmeg
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 Tb fresh oregano
1/2 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, small cubes
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss first six ingredients together in bowl and roast on a baking sheet for 10 minutes. Cook pasta 2 minutes short of package directions. Drain. In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, 1/2 cup parmesan and nutmeg. Add pasta, veggies, tomatoes, oregano and mozzarella to bowl. Pour mixture in to baking dish and sprinkle bread crumbs and remaining parmesan cheese on top. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

Jason's not a pasta person and he even said that it was really good! Plus I got him to eat vegetables other than corn. HALLELUIA!!

We plan on spending the weekend with family.....Going to Jason's aunt and uncle's place either on Friday or Sunday and spending the 4th w/ my family in D-town! Can't wait!!

Yummy new recipe - Estofado de pollo

I tried a new recipe that I clipped out of Family Circle magazine and it turned out really good. I'm going to make a few changes the next time I cook it - they'll be in parentheses.

8 bone-in chicken thighs, skinless (4 breasts)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons paprika
2 cups chicken broth (2.5 cups)
1 cup frozen peas (1/2 cup)
1 cup frozen carrots (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup white port wine
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
(curry powder - I don't know how much yet, maybe 1/2 teaspoon or so)

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Fry chicken in batches, 4 minutes per side until lightly browned; transfer to plate.

Add onion, garlic, tomato paste and paprika to pot. Cook 3 minutes, stirring. Add chicken broth, peas, carrots and wine. Simmer, covered for 5 minutes. Add potatoes and chicken making sure most of it is covered in sauce. Simmer, covered for 25 - 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

It turned out really good but I would like it to have a little kick. Next time I'm going to use some Arabic curry powder that my friend's mom gave to me. Also, Jason isn't a big peas/carrots fan so there was a lot of veggies left at the bottom of the pot. The sauce was a bit too thick so I'm going to add another 1/2 cup of broth next time, too. Other than that, I could eat that dish once a week!! If you make it, then let me know what you think.