Easy Peasy Capellini

I don't know if you guys have noticed, but I'm a HUGE fan of easy cooking. Things that don't require a lot of work or a lot of ingredients, but that are big time flavorful and family friendly.

It isn't that I don't enjoy cooking, because I do, but when it's a weekday (when I'm not traveling for #dayjob), time's super limited, and you have a lot to get done, I'm in favor of all things that will give me more time to bond with the kiddies, hang with the Hubs, and get in some time to write too!

Here's a recent addition to the easy peasy recipes for a quick and yummy weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

1 lb package of capellini pasta (angel hair or thin spaghetti)

6 Roma tomatoes - chopped

1 pckg fresh Basil - thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic - minced (more if you like more garlic)

salt to taste

pepper to taste

olive oil

1. Cook the pasta per directions and drain.

2. Heat olive oil in a pan. Toss in minced garlic, lower heat to medium, cook for a minute.

3. Add tomatoes to pan, saute for about 5 minutes.

4. Add basil, salt, pepper to pan, stir to combine, turn off heat.

5. Toss pasta into pan and combine.

6. Serve. (We had Italian sausage on the side this day... but that's optional)

Oh, and you can also make the sauce beforehand and freeze as well, reheat and toss in cooked pasta to serve.

Enjoy!

Suzanne Lazear on Steampunk, Bento Boxes and Tired Mommy Dinners

I met Suzanne Lazear through the Apocalypsies group and have been following her bento box lunch chronicles on Facebook. Her young adult Steampunk dark fairytale, INNOCENT DARKNESS, Book 1 of The Aether Chronicles, will be released from Flux in August of 2012. Visit her website here. She’s also part of the Steampunk group blog Steamed.

Tell me a little about your own history with writing and with cooking.
I like to cook and bake, but I’m a total disaster in the kitchen—I prefer to refer to myself as “domestically awkward.” I do enjoy good food and I often bribe myself with candy and cookies when on deadline. I’ve been cooking since I was a little girl. I have vivid memories of making a chocolate putting pie with an Oreo crust when I was about 6. I let my little brother lick the middles out of a whole box of Oreos so I could crush up the cookies for the crust. I am not entirely sure where my parents were during this process.

I’ve wanted to be a writer for a long time—the third grade is when I really remember publication as a goal, but it may go back even further. For the most part I “doodled”—writing stories for fun but never finishing them—and certainly never editing them. Then one day I realized that if I really was serious about getting published, then I needed to write an *entire* story. So I did. Then I did it again. And again. Finally, I wrote one someone liked enough to buy. (INNOCENT DARKNESS, my YA Steampunk Dark Fairytale comes out in August 2012, from Flux.)

Do you write about food? Do any foodie scenes appear in your debut novel?
Sometimes I write about food and cooking, but it all depends on the characters. In Innocent Darkness, there’s not a whole lot of cooking or food scenes, though there are a couple of scenes in the Otherworld where Noli, the main character, is trying foods she’s never had before.

You write steampunk... have any cool steampunk kitchen gadgets found their way into your work?
I have flying cars and hoverboards, but no neat kitchen gadgets. Noli, being a bit of a rebellious hoyden, would much rather fix things then engage in the “ladylike” arts.

What kind of food fuels your writing process?
I have a thing for sour patch kids, chocolate toffee, and those butter cookies with the slabs of chocolate on them.

What kind of meals do you make for your family? How does cooking fit into your workday?
I work a full-time day job in addition to writing and having a family. My dinners tend to be easy things—a lot “tired mommy dinners” where you cook everything in one pot. I try to make things healthy while also making them quickly—and I’m always on the hunt for new recipes especially since I have a picky eater with food allergies.

I do make bento lunches for my daughter—they tend to be on the easy spectrum. A lot of people think bento lunches are only for stay-at-home moms—that’s not true, there’s a ton of fun and easy lunches you can make. Here’s the first part in a four part series I did on bento lunches for the working mom.

Your blog bio says you keep chickens. Do you cook the eggs?
We have two chickens, Trudy and Fluffy. They’re spoiled pets, though we do eat the eggs. Gathering the eggs and feeding them are part of my daughter’s chores.

If you were marooned on an island, and Pots 'N Pens granted your wish for only one book and one food, what would you choose?
Wow, that’s really hard. I would have to say chocolate and Little Women – I love that book and have read it a million times.

Tired Mommy Dinner
This one is designed to use whatever you have handy, you can use whatever meat and sauce you have handy—fish and chicken will go well with white sauce, beef and chicken with red sauce, etc. You don't even need to add meat. Add whatever veggies you want (fresh or frozen) for a yummy vegetarian dinner.

Ingredients:
Note: I made this for three, adjust accordingly

Noodles (I used 1/3 of a box of angel hair pasta)
Veggies (I used about a cup of tiny, uncooked broccoli florets; use as much veggies as you think you can get everyone to eat)
Meat (I used 1/2 lb cooked shrimp)
Sauce (I used 1/2 c. prepared Alfredo sauce)

Directions:

Boil water for noodles. Since the angel hair pasta only needs 4 min to cook, I dump the uncooked broccoli florets in with the water, I've cut them so they're tiny and cook faster.

When the water boils I add the noodles and the shrimp (which is cooked, I just need to warm it up).

While it's boiling I put some garlic toast in the toaster oven. You can also put some lettuce in a bowl for a salad.

When the noodles are done, I drain the whole mixture, then put it back in the pot and toss it with just enough sauce to coat everything. I like alfredo sauce, but depending on your meat and veggies you could use marinara, pesto, or even gravy. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese if you'd like. Serve with garlic toast and salad.

Prep time: virtually none, unless you need to cook the meat ahead of time or cut veggies.

Cook time: varies depending on how long the noodles need to cook, but under 20 min.

Serving notes: There are infinite ways you can make this. You can also make the noodles with veggies and sauce as a side dish (sans meat) and serve it underneath a chicken breast, piece of fish, etc.—or use lots of different veggies for a hearty vegetarian dish. I also make this using couscous—I add some veggie or beef bouillon to the water, tiny pieces of chicken or beef, and sweet corn or frozen mixed veggies.

Interview with Leland McCaslin and his secret recipe for Pasta Lee!

I am so excited to introduce you all to Leland C McCaslin. Lee has been a good friend of mine way back in my querying days. We met about four years ago on one of my favorite websites, Query Tracker. And a nicer guy you couldn't hope to meet. Here's his bio:

 Leland graduated from Mississippi State University in 1969 where he majored in communications, studied Military Science (and received some airborne training) and obtained his Army commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Intelligence Corps. On active duty in 1969, he attended the combat arms tanker's Armored Officers' Basic Course; the Counterintelligence Special Agent's Course and served at various locations in the US. Upon leaving active duty, he joined the US Civil Service and began working for the military in various intelligence jobs, starting as a GS-9 in 1973.

He served at our nation's Military Headquarters, The Pentagon from 1973 to 1976. In 1979, he arrived in Heidelberg, Germany, and served 16 years at US Army Europe where he actively participated in the Cold War. To thwart espionage, he appeared on several live and recorded segments of the European Armed Forces Network TV and Radio to discuss counterespionage strategies, both past and present.

He then retired as a GM-14 in 1995. At that time, he was the most senior Security Specialist in Europe. While overseas, he acquired a M. Ed. from Boston University.

After he retired from civil service, he taught speech at several local colleges. With his background in Security and Intelligence, he worked as a contract investigator for ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) with 9/11 related duties.

He is now fully retired and resides with his wife, Charlotte, and rescued greyhound, Keener, in Alabama.

Lee wrote a fantastic nonfiction book about the cold war called, SECRETS OF THE COLD WAR: US Army Europe's Intelligence and Counterintelligence Activities Against the Soviets During the Cold War.

You can pick up your very own copy at Amazon.   

Not only has Lee agreed to sit down with us and answer a few questions, but he's also agreed to share his super secret recipe for PASTA LEE.

PNP: What was the military food like when you served as a security specialist for the US Army?

Lee: Regular American food like we have but very tasty and LOTS OF IT! Served steak frequently! Loved the SOS for breakfast!!

PNP: Was there a particular food or meal that you missed while overseas?

Lee: Fried Okra!

PNP: While you served our country with the military, you visited many countries and sampled many cuisines. Is there one meal that stands out in your memory above the rest?

Lee: I'll have to give you two: Coquilles St. Jacques and Steak au Poivre, both French! 

PNP: When you were working on your book, SECRETS OF THE COLD WAR, did you have a favorite writing/editing snack? 

Lee: Crystal Light Lemonade and LAY'S® Kettle Cooked Jalapeno Flavored Potato Chips.

PNP: You’re sharing with us your world famous recipe, PASTA LEE. How did you develop such a delicious pasta?

Lee: I made it up. Really! Before I was married to my wonderful wife Charlotte, I needed a nice meal I could make for my dates in Germany!! :) Now she fixes it!! I can't count a time when we weren't asked for 2nds (or 3rds).

PASTA LEE

Ingredients:

Chopped onions, garlic, mushrooms, red bell peppers, salt, pepper, garlic powder, brown chili powder, 2 Jars of Prego or whatever, EVO, 1 pound hamburger, sliced Italian hot sausage, some red dry wine, 3 packages of fresh tortellini and sugar.

Fix:

Get a big, deep skillet or pot, put in the EVO, med-high heat, sauté all the vegetables, scoot them over when almost done and add the chopped up hamburger, as it cooks add salt-pepper-chili powder-garlic powder.

When pretty much done, mix vegetables and meat back in together, add 2 jars of Prego (and clean out jars with a little red wine in bottom of jar to pour in mixture (put cap back on and shake jar mixture) and cut up sausage (previously cooked separately) and add fresh tortellini and let cook in mixture (not water). Add a pinch of sugar now.  Turn down heat and let cook down and simmer.

Later, transfer to a pasta serving dish, add whatever shredded cheese you like over top and nuke or bake on low, low heat, until cheese melts. Drink lots of red wine as you cook!!  Lee

Meet the Contributors: Laci Smith

Hello, everyone! I was wondering how many of you have noticed it is getting a little harder to do up your pants? *raises my hand* Well, if you joined me in raising of the hand, this recipe is so not going to help if you’re trying to shed some pounds. But, if you are a mom on the constant go (or are on a really good writing streak and can’t chance pulling away longer than a bathroom break), it’s your lucky day.

I love to prepare this ahead of time and freeze it, then on those days when the kids surprise you by wanting to eat again; you’ll have something that will be ready in 20 minutes. I give you what my kids call “Kid Friendly Lasagna”.

You’ll need;

2 pounds or hamburger

16 oz of pasta (egg noodles work the best, but I was out so I used Penne.)

1 can of tomato sauce

16 oz container of cottage cheese

16 oz container of sour cream

Shredded cheese

First you want to brown your burger (season to tastes with garlic salt) and boil your noodles. In a cake pan, layer your burger on the bottom and cover with the cooked noodles.

Next, spread the cottage cheese, sour cream, and tomato sauce over the noodles.

 Last, sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top. (Now, if you are going to freeze this to cook later, this is the point you’d do that)

Bake for 20 minutes at 350.

My kids snarf this dish up! I hope you enjoy.

Meet the Contributors: Windy Aphayrath

I'd like to preface my intro with a very firm, I'm not the greatest cook in the world. I'm not even the greatest cook in our house. Husband is far more skilled than I could ever imagine to be. But that's a story for anther time.

For now, just know I'm getting better every day and I like to be in the kitchen far more than I used to, especially since I now know how to do more than just the dishes after a meal. :o) My cooking leans toward the more simple, measurements by eye, and most of the time pretty kid-friendly. The reason for this comes a lot from growing up with two full-time working parents and siblings a lot younger than me that I had to care for. (My sister's 11 years younger than me, my brother a year younger than her.) Similar to the main character of one of my wips, who's left to fend for both herself and her significantly younger sister oftentimes, learning to cook was more a necessity than anything else.

Now, being a full-time working mom with two young kids, a husband who, while he's the better cook, also works graveyards so cooking is often left to me, and a spastic dog that sometimes gets into everything, I just don't want cooking to be another chore. I'm not great at making up recipes, but more often than not, I like taking a recipe and giving it my own spin.

So let me share with you a super quick and easy, family friendly recipe that is a big hit if you have guests as well, since you can totally dress it up and make it look even more fancy!

Garlic Pasta with Mushrooms and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients

1 lb angel hair pasta

4-6 garlic cloves (depending on size and how much you like garlic)

12 oz jar of sun-dried tomatoes

6 large button mushrooms - chopped

olive oil (if you get the sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, you can omit this)

parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

1) Boil your pasta per directions. I nearly always use angel hair pasta, but really, spaghetti or any noodley pasta will work. My family just prefers angel hair.

2) While your pasta's cooking, chop your mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes.

3) And crush your garlic. Okay, so I'm not really huge on kitchen contraptions. I come from a family of immigrants who've learned to live with very little, so I've got a certain level of cynicism around kitchen gadgetry, but I do have to say, Pampered Chef, how I do love my garlic press.

Yes, that's an entire unpeeled clove I just dropped in there.

That's 6 cloves of crushed garlic and my hands don't smell garlicky AT ALL! We love our garlic in this family. So, umm, this may not be the best meal to have on a first date ... just saying.

4) Your noodles should be done now, so go ahead and drain them.

5) Over medium heat, put about a tablespoon of olive oil - or use the olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes- into a pan and sautee up your mushrooms for about 5-7 minutes, or until they're soft. Adding a dash of salt and pepper. Toss in the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic and turn off the heat.

6) Add the pasta and toss it all together.

7) Serve it up with a sprinkle of grated parmesan and some chopped fresh parsley. And a fork.

Then eat it on up!!

My favorite thing about this recipe? Here's a few other variations I've done with it this--

feta cheese with sun-dried tomatoes

feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers

sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, onions

sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, fresh grape tomatoes

Hope you enjoy it!

Meet the Contributors: Cole Gibsen

A good meal, just like a good book, has the power to transport you to another world. I remember that it was just  around the time I began to write KATANA that I also began collecting Japanese cookbooks. It wasn't enough for me to simply read about Japan so I could write about it, I also wanted to taste it. For me, food is just as an important element to a story as conflict and tension.

Don't believe me? If I said the word 'butterbeer' to you, what's the first thing you think of? I rest my case. :)

And that's why I wanted to start this blog. It's occurred to me that every meal has a story to tell and every story has a meal to share. And who are we kidding? I love books and I love food. Creating a blog that gives me an opportunity to discuss both was a no brainer. In the coming weeks, I've asked each Pots n' Pens contributor to introduce themselves and share one of their favorite recipes.

The recipe I'll be sharing with you is a favorite of mine because it's fast, I can use the basil and tomatoes that I grow at home, and it's a hit with both my husband and toddler. Last year, I created a character who was a vegetarian, so I trotted off to my local library and came home with a armful of vegetarian cookbooks to research foods and recipes that a vegetarian might eat. To say my husband was less than enthused is a gross understatement. But, after playing around with the recipes in the books and adding a few twists of my own, I now have a vegetarian recipe that my husband not only likes, but asks for.

TOMATO MOZZARELLA AND PESTO PASTA SALAD

First, gather your ingrediants:

1 package of speghetti
2 cups freshly packed basil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cups olive oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
1/2 cups Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes (more or less depending on how much you like cherry tomatoes)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 8 oz. package of mozzarella cheese pearls

(Poor unsuspecting basil plant that doesn't know what's coming.)

Next, boil a large pot of water and cook your speghetti per its package directions. You can use plain speghetti or flavored. Just for kicks I bought a package of spinach basil garlic linguine from a specialty olive oil store. Yum.

While your pasta is cooking, take your 2 cups of basil (withholding a few leaves for garnish) and dump it in a food processor. Since my food processor died on me, I had to resort to using my blender which worked really well. Add the garlic, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and blend  until pureed. Next, add your Paremesan and pulse until blended. Viola, you have pesto! Double yum!

In a seperate bowl, cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add the vinegar, dash of pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir gently and gradually add in the mozzarella.

Now, go back to your cooking pasta. When it's finished scoop out 1/2 cup of the cooking water and keep it to the side. Drain your pasta and return it to the pot along with the 1/2 cup of cooking water. Next, add in the pesto and toss to coat.

Spoon your coated pasta into a serving bowl and top with the tomatoes and cheese. Garnish with basil.

Yummy. :)

I hope you'll enjoy this recipe as much as I have. Please stay the rest of the month to meet the rest of the contributors as they share their drool-worthy recipes.