Cauliflower and Sausage Pasta

Whoa! I am back!I am sure you have been wondering where I have been as of late! Well...I had a little girl and I am back at it again! LIFE is so crazy, but I am having a lot of FUN with it! Well, here is one of my all time favorites (Jason asks for it every week, but alas, I like a little variety)! I found this recipe in the Food Network Magazine ( I highly recommend this magazine!) and it sounded as good as the picture looked. We tried it and it was a winner!
Go here to see the original recipe! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/sausage-cauliflower-spaghetti-recipe.html
I don't change the recipe too much. But it helps to not make it so oily!

Sausage-Cauliflower Spaghetti
Slightly adapted from Food Network

Salt (Kosher works best)
1 box of whole grain spaghetti
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
12 ounces of sausage (any type- turkey or pork)
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 head of cauliflower broken into small florets
1 bunch of scallions (about 6)
Pecorino or Parmesan Cheese to sprinkle on top

Bring a large pot of salty water to boil. Cook spaghetti until is al-dente. Reserve 2 cups of cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil on a large skillet. Crumble the sausage into the oil and brown over medium-high heat, until lightly brown (no pink) about 4 minutes. Clear a space in the pan. Add the garlic and let it cook until you can smell it (don't burn it...it only needs about 1 minute) Add the cauliflower and cook until the edges get a golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water, cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook until cauliflower is tender, about 8 minutes. Uncover and boil over high heat until the liquid is almost evaporated.

Add the cooked spaghetti to the skillet with the scallions. Add some salt to taste. Toss for a minute until the scallions start to wilt. Add the remaining pasta water to keep the pasta from sticking to itself, Remove from heat and add cheese if desired (I always desire!)

And Walla- a delicious and quick dinner! I bet even your kids would LOVE it!

Giada's Minestrone and Navy Bean Soup

Giada's Minestrone and Navy Bean Soup Revamped (6 servings- 7 WWP+)  adapted from Weeknights with Giada
 

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and diced into 1/4 in pieces
1 onion, diced into small pieces
1 celery stalk sliced into pieces
1 pound ground beef (she only used 8 ounces...I guess it would be less points, but she also only had 4 servings!)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 28oz can petite diced tomatoes
4 cups beef broth
1 can navy beans rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf
1 cup small noodles (I added this, but can be omitted for one less point)
salt & pepper
Parmesan Cheese

Heat oil in a dutch oven or a large pot over medium heat. Throw in the onion, carrot and the celery with some salt and pepper. Heat vegetables for five minutes stirring frequently. Turn heat to high and add the ground beef and minced garlic. Brown beef with the vegetables for another 5 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink. Add the tomato paste and incorporate it into the beef mixture. Then add all the other ingredients. Bring these all to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. The last 7 minutes of simmering add the noodles and cook until they are al dente.
Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

I think next time I will add more beef broth and make it 8 servings! Mmmmm...

This is a great cookbook! BUY it!

Quick Sunday Sauce

What do you do with all of that extra roast from the Lazy Cook's Pot Roast?! You make Quick Sunday Gravy! This sauce was to die for and took that pot roast to another realm!

Easy Sunday Sauce 
adapted from Cook's Country February/March 2011 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground Italian sausage, out of casing (I use sweet, but hot would be yummy too!)
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste (I freeze the rest)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup beef (or chicken) broth
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 cups shredded leftover chuck roast meat
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound of cooked pasta (I prefer penne rigate, or some other tubular pasta)

Heat oil in Dutch oven (or large pot) over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned. Drain.
Cook onions in sausage fat over medium heat until see through. Add tomato paste, garlic, sugar and spices. Cook until tomato paste begins to darken, 1 to 2 minutes. Add broth, scraping up all of the brown bits and simmer until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, roast, reserved sausage, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until slightly thickened (at least 20 minutes...this is when I start to cook the pasta). Season with salt and pepper and serve over pasta.