Lazy Mango Salsa with Fish

Since we are trying to save money, I like to make Saturday night's dinner a little more special than a weekday. But, I had a sore throat and wasn't feeling really good last night, so I did this the lazy way.

I have a recipe for a mango/pineapple salsa that has an ingredient list about a mile long. I just couldn't manage that last night. So, I improvised and it actually turned out to be very tasty.



I diced up a mango and mixed it with Newman's Own pineapple salsa. I warmed it a little and served it over the fish. For the fish, I just salt and pepper it and saute in a little oil.

So much easier than the fresh mango/pineapple salsa.

What I've Been Up To...

This is what I've been up to this week:

I can name and point out 200 of the 206 bones in the human body (we haven't covered the little bones inside the ear).

I love my Anatomy and Physiology class!

Banana Pudding Parfaits

I was inspired by a recipe I found here. I had to make it quicker and easier.



I used sugar-free Banana Cream flavored instant pudding, light Cool Whip, banana slices and crushed gingersnap cookies. It's just layered in a nice glass. Done!

Stuffed Shells

Delicious stuffed pasta shells for dinner Saturday night... I added spinach, so it would at least feel more healthy. It's really not that unhealthy if you eat a reasonable sized serving.

And, lucky us, we get to eat the leftovers for dinner another night.

STUFFED SHELLS

16 jumbo pasta shells (about half of 12 ounce box)
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese (I used part-skim)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (24 ounce) jar pasta sauce (I used Ragu Chunky Sundried Tomato and Sweet Basil)

Cook pasta shells according to package directions.

Meanwhile, mix ricotta cheese and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl.

When the pasta is done, drain and let it cool just long enough to be able to handle it. Fill each shell with cheese/spinach mixture.

Spray an 8 x 11 baking dish with cooking spray and pour in a small amount of sauce just to cover the bottom of dish. Place stuffed shells in dish and pour over the rest of the pasta sauce. Cover with foil.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes.

Yield: 4 servings

By the way, this dish is also good for the budget. It costs under $7.00 to make the whole thing. That's about $1.75 per serving.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I have always been bored with any chicken noodle soup I've ever had. That's probably because they all came out of a can. So, I wasn't real excited when Eddie requested that I find a recipe for chicken noodle soup. Because I love him, I searched the internet for a recipe... I found this at Recipezaar and adjusted it to my liking. It was really good!

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup diced celery
1 cup sliced or diced carrot
1 cup diced onion
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
4 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (10 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
2 teaspoons chicken base (Better than Bouillon)
2 cups shredded or chopped, cooked chicken
4 to 6 ounces egg noodles

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add celery, carrot and onion; cook and stir until vegetables are tender. Add thyme, poultry seasoning, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, chicken base and chicken. Bring to a boil. Add noodles and cook on low for 15 to 20 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings

Creamy Pesto Pasta Sauce

This is a simple, but versatile, creamy pasta sauce. A variety of added ingredients will give you something different each time.

It's pictured here with cheese tortellini, diced prosciutto and marinated artichoke hearts. (My favorite!)



CREAMY PESTO PASTA SAUCE

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup light cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3 tablespoons prepared pesto
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. With a wire whisk, stir in flour. Add milk, stir constantly and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until thickened. Stir in cream cheese, pesto and Parmesan.

Add desired ingredients and cooked pasta and mix with sauce.

Pasta: angel hair, tortellini, gnocchi, linguine, bow ties

Added ingredients:
(3.5 ounce package) diced prosciutto and (6 ounce jar) artichoke hearts
diced prosciutto and chopped spinach
diced pepperoni
artichoke hearts and spinach

Yield: 4 servings

Here it is with angel hair and pepperoni.

What other ingredients would you use?

Improved Skillet Lasagna

I posted this Skillet Lasagna the first time last September. I told you then that it was really good but could use some improvement. I finally got around to making it again.

I used diced tomatoes and tomato sauce with basil, garlic and oregano seasoning (Hunt's brand). I added more red pepper flakes and some Italian seasoning. Now, it's really great!

SKILLET LASAGNA

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes (basil, garlic, oregano flavor)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, minced
salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
8 ounces curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths (about 10 whole noodles)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (basil, garlic, oregano flavor)
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
8 ounces ricotta cheese

Pour the tomatoes with their juice into a quart measuring cup. Add enough water to the tomatoes to measure 4 cups.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain grease if necessary.

Sprinkle the noodle pieces evenly over the meat. Pour the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning over the pasta – don’t stir. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste and the basil. Dot heaping tablespoons of the ricotta over the noodles. Cover the skillet and let stand off the heat for 5 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings