Roasted Tomato Rotini – Food Bloggers Against Hunger
Today, I am happy to be a part of Food Bloggers Against Hunger and share with you a simple less then $4 recipe for roasted tomato rotini. Before I pass you on to the recipe I would like to share a story with you below.
Here is a bit more on Food Bloggers Against Hunger:
Food Bloggers Against Hunger was created by Nicole from The Giving Table in response to the new documentary, A Place at the Table. Today, April 8, 2013, food bloggers will donate their posts to raise awareness about the film, issues of hunger, and ask their readers to send letters to Congress to protect SNAP funding and make anti-hunger legislation a priority.
A Place at the Table premiered on March 1st, 2013. This documentary from Participant Media—the same studio that brought you Food Inc.—follows three families struggling with food insecurity, and sheds light on the very real problem of hunger in America.
Please refresh is video doesn’t pop up 
Food Bloggers Against Hunger – April 8, 2013 from Nicole Gulotta on Vimeo.
My first child was born when I was 16, two weeks away from my 17th birthday. He was my perfect birthday gift. With plenty of help from my grandmother, I moved on to get my GED and got a decent job alternating schedules with my grandmother; so my son would never have to go to a daycare. I was a single mom.
Then a few months after giving birth to my son I met Mike. This brilliant full of life individual that I fell passionately in love with at first sight. Another few months pass and with great surprise I find out I am expecting my second child. Mike was immediately excited and got a job at a local ice cream joint. After the baby was born I went to work as a photographer. We eventually got our own apartment. We had two incomes but we still didn’t have enough to afford to pay for the food. We decided to go out and look for help, something that most people fear. We got SNAP which then was called Lone Star and we received WIC. Both programs helped with baby food and formula but still did not cover all food costs for the four of us.
At least we both had creative imaginations and a love for food. We shopped sparingly by buying in bulk such as: rice, pasta, and flour. We bought cheap packages of meat at the meat market, in which, we broke down in to small amounts to last the entire month. Ramen was a necessity in our home. The cheapest pasta you could buy and add a tad of chicken and small handful of spring onions creating a delicious dinner to us. We eventually made enough money to support ourselves.
In 2000, he passed away while I was pregnant with our daughter. I once again needed help with food. Only this time I learned how to make food stretch. That scrapes made great stocks and lemons, grapefruits, and orange peels were easy to make candy out of for the kids. Luckily, three years later I would meet another man, my V, that would step in to help me with the kids and to follow my dreams. The kids are all now beautiful teenagers and the middle one works in a restaurant. Not everyone can be this lucky. More then 50 million people are food insecure (no means to have a constant nutritious meal).
To this day I still make some of the recipes we created to save on food costs. Continuously buying bulk foods to stock in the pantry never knowing when we could end up with out money for food. Always playing it safe I bought a deep freeze and I over stock it just like my pantry. These are not bad practices to always make sure if you lose a job or become short on money that you will still have food to last; even in a natural disaster or power outage the food that is needed will be there.
So, how can YOU (and all of us) help?
- Find a screening of A Place at the Table in your city.
- Watch A Place at the Table on iTunes or Amazon.
- Tell Congress to change their priorities and fund Federal nutrition programs that are crucial for hungry children. (sign the petition in the previous link)
To follow along you can use hash tag #takeyourplace or join us on FB at The Giving Table’s fan page. To have a look at the delicious low cost recipes you can check out the pinterest board here.
My recipe that will feed 5 people for under $4 total.
Ingredients
Instructions
Fill large pot half full with water. Bring to a boil and add in pasta. Cook for 9 minutes or until pasta is talking to you. Drain most of the water reserving a small amount. Open tomato cans and pour over pasta. Do not drain juice from can as this adds flavor to the pasta.
There is no needs to heat the tomatoes as the hot pasta will warm them for you. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with parmesan if desired.
Side note: Have friends collect anything condiments they get when they go out to eat and do the same yourself. Most of the time this gets thrown away and it is perfectly good to store and use. I keep a ziplock bag of extras we get in case we ever run out of something.
http://mooshujenne.com/roasted-tomato-rotini/Fried Chicken Jalapeno Bacon Fettuccine Alfredo
Fried chicken jalapeno bacon fettuccine alfredo recipe is below but first a little story. Yesterday we went to see the final edition to the Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part II. I was not so sure how well it would match the book prior to watching the movie. The movie literally hit the nail on the head in comparison to the book. There was plenty rumors that movie is not as good as it’s predecessors. To be honest, it was one of my two favorites, the other being New Moon. If your a vampire or wolf fan let me know what you thought of the movie in the comments. No spoilers! No whining about sparkling vampires either 
On to the food! Below the food is the giveaway for Devo’s Jalapeno Fettuccine!
Big thank you to Devo Olive Oil for sending out a package of jalapeno fettuccine. It was absolutely delicious! The fettuccine is a perfect pair with my bacon alfredo sauce. I still cannot wait to try the pumpkin fettuccine and chocolate fettuccine. These are perfect for customized culinary gift baskets.
The jalapeno fettuccine has just enough kick to add the right spice to this meal. There is no burn for me although I can eat pretty spicy food. It was more like a tickle and I think that is just perfect for a pasta dish. The pasta would pair well with Cajun dishes featuring shrimp, crab, or crawfish.
Ingredients
Instructions
In large frying pan, heat oil to medium-high heat. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
In a small bowl, add eggs and beat. In a medium bowl add breadcrumbs. Dip chicken filet in egg and then toss in breadcrumbs covering the entire filet. Set aside on dish. Repeat with the remainder of the chicken.
Fry chicken for 2 to 3 minutes each side until cooked. Set cooked chicken in a casserole dish in the oven when done frying to keep warm. While chicken is frying you may start the sauce.
In a sauce pan or deep saute pan, add in bacon and cook on medium heat until it is crisp but not fully cooked. Add in onions and garlic and cook until onions are caramelized. Melt butter over bacon, onions, and garlic. Add in heavy whipping cream and cook on medium low heat for about 15 minutes until heavy whipping cream begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon; stirring frequently. Salt and pepper the sauce.
Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring water with one tablespoon olive oil to a boil. Salt the water.
The chicken should be finished frying and the pasta should be boiling. Go back to the sauce and add in Parmesan cheese little by little, stirring frequently, until all cheese is added. Turn sauce down to low.
Remove the noodles and drain. Plate noodles with one piece of fried chicken and top with alfredo sauce.
http://mooshujenne.com/fried-chicken-jalapeno-bacon-fettuccine-alfredo/Devo Olive Oil was please to offer one of my readers a chance to win and test out the jalapeno fettuccine I used in this recipe!
To enter the giveaway fill out the rafflecopter below.
*Disclosure: Devo Olive Oil is providing one package of jalapeno fettuccine. I was not reimbursed for writing this post and all opinions expressed are my own.
Tuscan Chicken
Everyone needs an easy weeknight dinner that you can pop into the oven and ignore while you work on everything else. Tuscan chicken is a simple oven dish. You may use fresh herbs to top it when cooking or if you get heartburn from them like I do, then no herbs is just fine too!
I prefer just fresh basil in mine. Some people like thyme, bay leaf, or rosemary. The taste of roasted tomatoes and the buttery flavor of the fingerling potatoes make a merry match.
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large baking dish, place chicken and two cans of fire roasted tomatoes. Add salt, pepper, and fresh herbs. Cover with foil and place in oven. Cook for about an hour and a half until chicken is done.
In a additional small baker, add washed potatoes and top with butter. Make sure to place some butter under potatoes to keep from sticking. Add salt and pepper and cover with foil. Place in oven next to chicken or on another rack. Cook until potatoes are done. Usually done the same time as the chicken.
http://mooshujenne.com/tuscan-chicken/Eggplant Mozzarella
Most of you are probably wondering if this Eggplant Mozzarella is a take on the traditional Eggplant Parmesan. Yes, this is but my teens tend to not like the taste of Parmesan. Yes, I know they are definitely weird; I tell them this daily. Parmesan is one of my most favorite stinky cheeses; though most would call it nutty. It is not usual to use a different cheese as my great grandmother would use provolone between the layers of the fried goodness. She always cut her eggplant in rounds after peeling the skin. On the other hand I prefer to cut the eggplant length wise after peeling off the skin. Most think you must rub the eggplant down with salt and drain it. This is an extra process that is not needed if your frying the eggplant. I have found that salting the eggplant make it too tender and has a awful texture.
Eggplant mozzarella is a fantastic Meatless Monday dish. It is hearty and serves well for a man that prefers meat dishes. My other half is a meat and potatoes type of guy. He was born in Czech Republic and grew up with his parents in the states. While he loves pizza he still has a tendency to gear toward Czech style food which is fried or roasted with gravies and grease. I am not by far complaining as I LOVE this style of food. However, on occasion it is nice to have something somewhat healthy. What recipe do you make for Meatless Monday that can easily replace a meat dish? If you have any tricks up your sleeve I would love to know about them. As for the eggplant, you may top it with cheese and side it with garlic bread. I like to side it with fresh basil and garlic bread myself.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a large bowl, crack eggs, and beat. Add breadcrumbs to another large bowl. Set aside.
Heat oil in pan on stove to medium heat.
Peel eggplant and then slice lengthwise to have elongated slices. Dip eggplant in eggs, coating both sides, and then toss in breadcrumbs to cover. Lay on a dish. Once all the eggplant is battered it is time to begin frying.
Lightly fry eggplant for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove to paper towels to drain off excess oil. Finish frying all eggplant.
In a large baking dish, layer in one layer of eggplant and season with salt and pepper. Top with sauce and about one cup of cheese. Add another layer of eggplant, top with sauce, and remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 375F degrees until cheese is melted. Serve with fresh basil and garlic bread.
http://mooshujenne.com/eggplant-mozzarella/
Muir Glen Reserve Kits Giveaway
I am excited to announce an another brilliant giveaway. Muir Glen Reserve Kits which have canned organic tomatoes and a recipe booklet! I have the opportunity to giveaway five of these lovely baskets! The giveaway ends 10/15/2012. Please follow the instructions below the picture in the Rafflecopter to enter to win a Muir Glen Reserves Kits giveaway.
The kit contains:
- One 14.5 oz can Reserve Harvest Sunset Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
- One 14.5 oz can Reserve Harvest Sunset Organic Diced Tomatoes
- One 14.5 oz can Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
- One 14.5 oz can Muir Glen Organic No-Salt Added Diced Tomatoes
- A recipe booklet featuring a variety of recipes created by award-winning chefs from around the country made with the 2011 Reserve Tomatoes
- Retail Value: $10 excluding shipping
You can also find all the information about Muir Glen their newest website: www.muirglen.com
Enter using the Rafflecopter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
*Disclosure: Muir Glen is providing five baskets. I was not reimbursed for writing this post and all opinions expressed are my own.
Two Year Blogiversary
Yay! The blog and I have made it two years. Though, I am a few days late on this post due to my birthday and the cold front that swept in and made everything so dark that there would be no way to get one single natural light photograph. At least the sun is back out and my son and I can have some fun photographing our favorite lunch container by Frego!
Today, for the blogiversary, I am giving away one Frego lunch container! This beast is the guru of all lunch containers. One of my very personal favorites! Here is a video to tell you why it is my favorite with all the super cool features this container comes with. We’ve used this container over and over and it works very well in the microwave and the oven. It’s sturdy and the double seal is fantastic; no leaks!
I wanted to share a recipe that I use to put in my Frego container. It’s an older recipe on the blog but one of my absolute favorites when the Autumn air comes rolling in.
Ingredients
Instructions
Fill a large pot with water and a few drops of olive oil. Salt your water bath and bring to a boil. Drop in pasta and cook till done.
In a large sauce pot, add in your chopped onions, peppers, garlic, and olive oil. Saute for about 2 minutes. Add a little salt and then add in your ground beef. Stirring frequently, breaking up your meat while browning. Once your meat is browned add in paprika and Worcester sauce. Then add in your four cans of stewed tomatoes and large can of tomato sauce. Bring to a low boil and cook for about an hour.
Mix your pasta and sauce in a large bowl and serve!
http://mooshujenne.com/two-year-blogiversary/
For the giveaway just follow instructions in the Rafflecopter below.
*Disclosure: I was given two containers from Frego to review. I was not reimbursed for writing this post and all opinions expressed are my own.
Bucatini all’Amatriciana
After months of promising this recipe for bucatini all’amatriciana it is finally here. Guanciale (pork cheek) is not common in the US, which means you must replace it with the closest item, that item is pancetta. Pancetta in a block is also hard to locate but at least we have one Italian market and deli in town. Finding the pancetta was the simple part.
I would eventually go on a three month endeavor to find bucatini pasta. Bucatini is a No. 12 pasta that resembles spaghetti but has a elongated hole running complete through it. Luckily, World Market is renovating their stores and recently stocked it with bucatini. I purchased five packages I was so excited!
Bucatini all”Amatriciana is a dish that made it popular in Rome. It is named after the tiny town of Amatrice. It is said that the shepherds love this meal to warm up from the chilly mountain air.
I just love any excuse to have fresh basil in the house as the aroma is delightful! If anyone is interested, I can add the recipe of how to make your own peeled tomatoes to replace the canned tomatoes within this recipe. Canned can be bought but are sometimes hard to locate.
Ingredients
Instructions
Fill a large pot with water, one tablespoon olive oil, and salt. Bring to a boil and cook pasta until done while cooking the sauce.
In a pot or saute skillet, add onions, pancetta (guanciale), garlic, and two tablespoons olive oil and tad of salt; cook on medium heat for three to five minutes. Add in dried red chili pepper and saute for about a minute. Drain just the top juice of the cans, not all, as you want the sauce to be a bit thick rather than runny. Add peeled tomatoes and the white wine. Break up the tomatoes while cooking. Cook for about ten minutes reducing the tomato juice off. Salt and pepper to taste.
Drain pasta reserving some of the pasta water; add sauce to pasta. Toss and plate. Top with freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese and garnish with basil.
http://mooshujenne.com/bucatini-allamatriciana/Rainier Cherry Ricotta Cobbler
The lovely team at OXO sent me a Cherry Pitter to test out. I am already bias to OXO tools since everything I have tested is wonderful! The cherry pitter is simple to use even for my left handed daughter who is 12. She was excited to use the new tool and insists that I buy all OXO tools for her to use in the kitchen because it is difficult for her with most kitchen gadgets. As you can see below it pops out the seed and has a splatter proof shield.
Here she is using the cherry pitter to pit the rainier cherries for this rainier cherry ricotta cobbler recipe.
In addition to the cherry pitter, OXO is running a recipe contest which will be judged by creativity, taste, and presentation. Below is my recipe for Rainier Cherry Ricotta Cobbler in which I am entering into the OXO Cherry Recipe Contest. The ricotta acts as an ice cream in this dish and it is topped with a crumble crust regularly featured on cobblers with a fresh topping of Rainier cherries that have been tossed lightly in honey added to the top with more honey drizzled over the entire dish.
I hope you all enjoy this refreshing dessert in this relentless heat.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a food processor, add ricotta, cinnamon, heavy cream, and sugar; blend well. Select the dish you plan to serve it in and layer in the ricotta mixture and freeze for about two hours until set.
Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, add brown sugar and flour; whisk well with fork. Adding one tablespoon at a time, whisk in margarine with a fork to make crumble granules. Be careful not to add to much margarine as you want the butter to create the granules rather then make it mushy. With your hand, drizzle the crumbles on to the cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Pull and let cool.
Using a OXO cherry pitter or other pitter of choice, pit cherries and then slice them in halves. Toss with about two tablespoons of honey and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Pull the ricotta ice cream from the freezer and top with crumble crust. Lightly scoop Rainier cherries over the top of the crumble crust. Drizzle lightly with honey and serve.
http://mooshujenne.com/rainier-cherry-ricotta-cobbler/Please stop by Pinterest and have a look at all the other great recipes from bloggers that are entering the OXO Cherry Recipe Contest.
Italian Garden Pasta Salad
It’s Summer BBQ season with the 4th right around the corner many of us are getting ready to light up the grill. Just like me, I am sure many of you have a go-to Summer salad recipe. For a little fun for the 4th, I invite all of my blogging friends to share their favorite Summer salad recipes. This can be a new or old post just has to be a Summer salad recipe.
Here is a simple Summer salad recipe for Italian garden pasta salad that I use when the last minute BBQ happens. To share your recipe click the “add your link” button below.
Ingredients
Instructions
Fill a large pot with water and one tablespoon of olive oil and bring to a boil. Once boiling at pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until done. Drain pasta and let cool.
Add pasta to a large bowl with tomatoes, spring onions, salt and pepper; toss well. Drizzle with Italian dressing till desired coating; toss well again. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until cool and serve.
http://mooshujenne.com/italian-garden-pasta-salad/Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
When the Summer season is upon us it is just too hot to cook indoors. Though when your grill tank is out that perceives to be a problem. The quickest meals to make with less effort and money is pesto. Very few ingredients, hardly no heat, and super quick to throw together. The only thing I suggest is owning a food processor. If you don’t have one your so missing out! These guys can whip up a quick pesto to a delicious dressing to a super spicy salsa in seconds! Buy yourself one, you won’t regret it. Either that or ask for one as a gift for your birthday; that’s what I did!
When searching your local market for Sun dried Tomatoes you might find it difficult to get them whole. I hope in the near future I will figure out the drying process of these, but in the meantime, try to find them whole and make sure to drain the oil from them as it adds to much oil to the pesto. I love a Romano or a Parmesan Reggiano but the cheese is completely up to you on which of the stinky cheeses you like. The strongest of all the suggestions with this recipe is to definitely buy a basil plant and use the basil straight from it. It seriously gives the best flavor when fresh. I never suggest using dried basil in pesto as it offsets the texture completely. Besides, fresh basil smells so good and you can plant the roots to regrow the plant!
Ingredients
Instructions
In a large pot, boil water with olive oil and salt. When water is boiling add in pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes depending on pasta. Follow pasta package for detailed instructions.
In a food processor, add in basil, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes. Process for 1 minute until the tomatoes are in small bits. While processing add in olive oil slowly till you get a paste. Be careful not to add to much oil.
In a large bowl, add drained pasta, reserving a 1/2 cup of pasta water into bowl with pasta. Add pesto and cheese to pasta and toss. Salt and pepper to taste and serve while hot.
http://mooshujenne.com/sun-dried-tomato-pesto/
