The Best Thing I Ate This Week: Spinach Pesto

Super-yum!  I found this recipe on MarthaStewart.com, and it did not disappoint!  Martha rarely does disappoint, though.  ;)

Linguine with Spinach Pesto

12 ounces fettuccine

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)

2 tablespoons pine nuts, plus more for serving (optional)

1 garlic clove

1 teaspoon grated zest plus 2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; immediately drain pasta, and return to pot.

While pasta is cooking, place spinach, Parmesan, nuts, garlic, and lemon zest and juice in a food processor. Process until a paste forms. With motor running, add oil and 1/4 cup cold water; process until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add to pasta; toss, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until sauce is thinned slightly and coats fettuccine (you may not need all the water). Serve, sprinkled with additional Parmesan and nuts, if desired.

I only had about 1 tbsp. pine nuts, so I substituted in some walnuts, and they worked great!  As always, if you make it, let me know how it turned out for you!

What I'm Eating... Pork w/ Honey & Butter Sauce

Yum!  We had this with sides of spinach and garlic sauteed in olive oil, and spicy sweet potato fries with red pepper flakes and cumin.

I'm really loving spinach, right now!

Recipe:

Pork w/ Honey & Butter Sauce

(clicking this link will take you to vanessauttaro.com)

Ingredients:

Pork chops or tenderloin, honey, butter, salt & pepper, water

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Decorate, Eat & Repeat

Decorate, Eat & Repeat

Decorate, Eat & Repeat

What I'm Eating... Basmati Rice & Spinach

I'm trying to take a fresher approach to my food, especially because I'll be back at work next week, and I need to get out of my bad (lazy) habits.  So... I made basmati rice, and spinach sauteed with fresh ginger.  It wasn't the best thing I've ever eaten by a long stretch, but it tasted so clean.  I coupled this with a hot mug of lemon water.  Yup, just hot water and lemon, no sugar.

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Now I want to come up with ideas for lunches I can bring to work that I won't have to re-heat in the microwave there (I've got something against microwaves).

What I'm Eating... Kielbasa w/ Egg Noodles, Spinach

The best part about this meal is that it only takes about ten minutes to prepare.  It's delicious, too!

Kielbasa (Polish sausage), egg noodles boiled in salted water, butter, sauteed spinach, salt & pepper

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What I'm Eating... Roast Chicken w/ Veggies

Mmm, I love roast chicken, and now that I've finally learned that it should take around two hours, not four, to make it, I'm a much happier girl.  Succulent chicken is the way to go!  I've also finally learned to properly truss the thing, so there have been major roast chicken improvements around these parts.

Roast chicken stuffed with celery, carrots and onions; corn, spinach sauteed with garlic

What I'm eating... Pizza w/ Fresh Mozzarella, Spinach, & Shrimp

So, the (Da) Bears lost, and then the Jets lost, too...  Blah, that makes for a pretty annoying Superbowl, in my opinion (two teams I can't stand).  At least the pizza I made didn't disappoint!  It was filling and refreshing, and just different enough from what I'm used to that it gave my taste buds the little kick they were sorely in need of.

Recipe:

Pizza w/ Fresh Mozzarella, Spinach, & Shrimp

Ingredients:

Pizza crust, olive oil, fresh mozzarella, shredded mozzarella, fresh spinach, shrimp, garlic powder

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What I'm eating... Spaghetti w/ Shrimp and Spinach Sauce

Yummy garlicky goodness!

Find this recipe HERE, as well as a recipe for cream of celery soup, all at my website

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Spaghetti w/ Shrimp and Spinach Sauce