Greek Spinach-Pasta Salad with Feta and Beans

Makes 6 servings

6 oz. fresh spinach (I buy the 10 oz. bags from Walmart or Smith's for $1.99 and just use a little more than 1/2)
1 - 15 oz. can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese (I buy the large bricks of President's feta cheese from Costco, come home and cut the block into 9 smaller pieces (each piece is about 4 oz.) and freeze each of the 9 pieces until I need them.  This way 4 oz. of crumbled feta cheese costs less than $1)
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
12 oz. dried whole wheat pasta (farfalle, penne, etc.)

1.  In a large serving bowl combine, spinach, beans, cheese, tomatoes, garlic, lemon peel and juice, oil, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Cover; let stand at room temperature while cooking pasta or up to 2 hours; stir occasionally.

2.  Cook pasta according to package instructions.  Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.  Toss cooked pasta and pasta water with spinach salad mixture and serve.

 This recipe was in the Better Homes and Gardens magazine in February 2011 and my whole family loves it.  It goes together fast.  I can have this recipe ready in 30 minutes and I can't say that about very many of the dishes I prepare for dinner.  My whole family loves it!

Thai Yellow Curry with Pineapple

Prep Time:  40 minutes

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
2 red or yellow bell peppers, cut into small strips
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 lb. chicken, pork, or shrimp
20 oz. can of pineapple slices, drained and cut into bite-sized pieces (optional, but oh, so good!)
2 cans (13.5 oz each) coconut milk
2 tsp. salt
steamed Jasmine rice

1.  Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Cook onion and bell pepper until softened, about 2 minutes.  Add spices, garlic, and meat, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add coconut milk, pineapple, and salt; simmer 10 minutes.

2.  Spoon curry over rice, you can garnish with cilantro leaves if you would like.

Makes 6 servings.

(I found this recipe in Sunset magazine and have only tweaked it slightly.  This is my oldest son's favorite food!  I take about 1/3 of the curry during the last 10 minutes of cooking and simmer it in a separate pan with a couple diced Thai chilis because my husband loves the heat, he really likes this.)

Shrimp Tacos

Prep Time:  1 hour

2 - 14.5 oz. cans of whole kernel corn
12 green onions, white and light green parts only
2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 chopped avocados
2 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 lb. medium - large shrimp, peeled and deveined
16 flour tortillas

1.  Heat grill to medium-high heat, (350 to 450 degrees.)  Or preheat broiler.

2.  Combine the corn, green onions, tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, 1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper in a large bowl.

3.  Brush shrimp with olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper.  Grill or broil for 2 - 4 minutes or until the shrimp have some color to it (I am very careful not cook the shrimp too long, rubbery shrimp does not make great eating.)  :)

4.  Grill the tortillas for about 30 seconds per side to warm them.  This step makes a big difference in how delicious this dish tastes.  If you don't have a grill, you could heat the tortillas in a skillet. 

5.  To serve, place a tortilla on a plate, put 2 - 4 shrimp down the middle of the tortilla and top with the vegetable mixture.

Serves:  8

(I took this recipe from Weber's Real Grilling Cookbook, BTW, I love this cookbook!  I have simplified the recipe a bit and don't use any of the spicy peppers it calls for because I want my kids to eat this recipe.)  :)

Spaghetti with Roasted Butternut Squash

Prep Time:  1 hour

2 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces
1 bulb garlic, separated in cloves and peeled (halve large cloves)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
14 to 16 oz. package of whole wheat spaghetti
1/4 cup butter
3 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Sliced green onions (optional)

1.  Heat oven to 425 degrees.  In 15x10x1-inch baking pan toss together squash, peeled garlic cloves, oil, and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper.  Evenly spread squash in pan.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until squash is tender and lightly browned.

2.  Meanwhile, cook spaghetti, with 1 Tbsp. of salt added to water, according to package directions.  Drain; keep warm.

3.  In small saucepan heat butter over medium heat until it turns the color of light brown sugar, stirring frequently.

4.  In serving bowl toss spaghetti with about half the browned butter.  Toss squash, garlic, bacon, nuts, and nutmeg with the remaining browned butter.  Serve squash mixture over spaghetti.  Sprinkle with green onions if desired.

 Makes 6 servings

(This recipe was in the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine in September 2009.  I've tweaked it a little.)