Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

Welp, we're in that awkward limbo between Christmas and New Years. It's the time where we "pretend" like the holidays aren't actually already over and try to squeeze in some last minute eating and drinking before the new year begins.

Usually I hit rock bottom on New Years Day, but I think my holiday binge eating began a little early this year, so by Christmas Day my body was absolutely spent. As I walked around Barnes and Noble on December 26th, I thought...why not get a new cookbook to kick off the new year.

Somehow...I found myself in the diet cookbook section which is ironic considering this blog is all about how absolutely disgusting I am when it comes to food. BUT I do love to cook, and my malnourishment has really begun to bring me to a place I have never been before. SO I decided to go with one of the Cooking Light cookbooks.

After going through the entire cookbook, I picked out a few recipes that I could actually see myself making and enjoying...so..after indulging in some chips and queso ( I didn't say getting out of this funk was going to be easy...baby steps people..) I decided to kick off my week with a Sunday night healthy new recipe!

What you need:
1/2 box of spaghetti
4 TBSP of extra virgin olive oil
2 pints multicolored cherry tomatoes
4 garlic cloves diced  (or 2 teaspoons of minced garlic)
black pepper
salt
Fresh mozzarella cheese (or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese), sliced or shaved
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves


Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Put a pot of water on to boil. While the water is boiling, start to prepare your tomatoes for roasting. Pour all your tomatoes in a baking dish and toss with 2 Tablespoons of oil, and your garlic until the tomatoes are coated. For timing's sake, wait until the pot is boiling and pour in the uncooked pasta. Simultaneously, put your pan of tomatoes in the oven. Pasta will likely cook for 8 min, and tomatoes for 11.

 

 

   When your pasta is done, scoop 6 TBSP of the cooking water into a small sauce pan, before draining. Once you drain the pasta, put it back into the pot. Next, add two TBSP of oil to the small saucepan with the cooking liquid. Cook this on high until it starts boiling (shouldn't take more than 2 minutes). Pour the cooking liquid/oil into the big pot with the pasta.

 

By now, your tomatoes should be done. They will likely be a bit brown and mushy. Pour the entire pan of tomatoes into the big pot of pasta. Make sure to scrape the garlic and oil off the bottom of the pan to so it makes it in the dish. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and mix everything together.

Top the pasta with fresh mozzarella cheese and basil.

This dish was super light but still full of flavor. Would definitely be better in the summer when tomatoes are more in season (and it must be good because I just realized it made the cover of the book!), but still delish!

Deluxe Town Diner-627 Mount Auburn Street, Watertown, MA

Built in 1947, the Deluxe Town Diner is the hot spot for an old school diner breakfast in Watertown. This place has a real retro feel to it, and the look of an actual box car. Inside, the they make a pretty good use of the space, with a full bar for folks to sit, as well as booths and tables for 30. I would recommend this restaurant for groups of 4 or less- It didn't look like they could accommodate groups much larger (although I am sure they must have to)

We sat at the bar, and had quick but enjoyable service. I got the Challah French Toast with a side of bacon and Jake got the Corned Beef Hash & Eggs. My French Toast was thick, buttery and delicious with hints of nutmeg and topped with powdered sugar. BUT..I have to say- I wish I got the hash & eggs. It was the BEST corned beef hash I have ever had. It was shredded (we know how I feel about shredded meat), tender, and tasted amaze with the running egg yokes. I seriously considered ordering an additional meal of hash & eggs because it was so good. I would absolutely recommend this place for breakfast if you are in the area. It is reasonably priced, fast, and has a really cool historic feel to it. There is typically a line to get in, so if you are going in the winter, wear a warm coat! They don't have a "waiting area", so you basically just wait outside. We went at 8:30 on a Sunday morning, and had no problems getting a seat at the bar! http://deluxetowndiner.com/

 

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

If I could pass along only one recipe- this would be the one! It is the easiest hot app to make for a party, and is a crowd pleaser! And surprise, surprise- it is a crock pot recipe!

What you need:
A crockpot
1 bag of frozen bite size Swedish meatballs
1 can of jellied cranberry sauce
Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce
Toothpicks for easy serving



Let the easiness begin! Pour the entire bag of meatballs in the crock pot, with the can of cranberry sauce and 1 cup of BBQ sauce. Mix it together with a big spoon. Cook on Low for 4 hours (or if you're in a time crunch, High on 2 hours) and mix every 30 min or so.

 

 

 

 annnnnd Mow Town here you come! One tip- this isn't the easiest thing to transport. I like to bring the entire crockpot and reheat on low when I get to my destinations. But you could also dump it all in a bowl and just heat it up in the microwave!

Don't Shred On Me

I think pork might be my favorite type of shredded meat. It has taken me awhile to think this through, but I think it has been decided. It is always my go-to in quesadillas, burritos and sandwiches. And every time I see it on the menu at our cafe...I have a moment...

 

Today it was a Braised Pork Leg, Cumin Braised Carrots, Creamy Shiitake Mushroom Polenta and a Citrus Slaw. I needed to have it- and it did not disappoint. The pork was tender and went well with the crisp citrus coleslaw. The polenta was creamy and super flavorful, I am also a huge fan of mushrooms so that was a big bonus.

 

 

Stellina- 47 Main Street, Watertown, MA



Stellina's is an upscale, yet affordable, Italian restaurant located right in the heart of downtown Watertown. The place is a decent size, could probably seat about 100 people, and is the perfect spot for a Saturday date night or afternoon lunch with friends.

They also have an awesome private room that can fit up to 46 guests- which is why I was there tonight! I plan events for my job, and my favorite part of planning is picking out the restaurants and menus. Stellina's was the perfect fit for my team's holiday dinner this year. It had a private space, was festive and an awesome private dining menu. I am a big fan of a pre fixe menu for a large group. It makes life a lot easier for the wait staff, which helps a more efficient and enjoyable service for the guests. It also is sometimes a lot easier for the guests to only have a few things to choose from! Stellina's offers several menu options for private dining. The one I chose included 3 family style apps, 2 family style salads, 4 entree options and 2 dessert options.

We started off with a plentiful bread basket and oil/pesto dipping sauce. Perfecto. I love when restaurants offer a variety of bread. I mean 80% of the time I'm going to go for a soft fresh loaf over a hard crunchy ciabatta, but this is America-the more options the better. I digress..

 

 

Apps are sometimes my favorite part of the meal, and at Stellina's they def hold their own-we had Family style Fried Calamari (always delicious), Margherita Pizza and Stellina's "Best of Boston" (WHATTUPP) Warm Tomato Salad (a MUST ORDER!)

sorry- horrible pic

Next, we moved onto two family style salad options: the Caesar salad and the house salad. I was already full. BUT THAT HAS NEVER STOPPED ME BEFORE. The entree choices all sounded heavenly and literally stressed me out. I wanted ev..er..y..th..ing... The choices were: Chicken Piccata, Pasta Special (with a lot of fancy ingredients), Grilled Pork with Balsamic Figs and Grilled Swordfish Spiedini. I ended up going with the Chicken Piccata- which was an amazing choice. Unfortunately, I dove right in before taking a pic (worst blogger everrrr), but lets try using some adjectives- It had two tender and moist chicken breasts in a tangy sauce with white wine, garlic, lemon and capers. It was served with creamy garlic mashys and asparagus. I licked my plate clean. For dessert we had the choice between tiramisu and a cookie/canoli plate.

Everything at this place was absolutely delicious, from the bread basket to the cannoli. Oh! And Fun/Awesome Fact- Stellina's gets all their fresh produce from RUSSOS MARKET (if you don't know what that is, see post from 12/11)!!!!! That excited me way too much, but I like when my blogging life comes full circle.

The private room was perfect for my big group and the service was outstanding. I started planning this dinner about a month ago and Stellina's was fantastic to work with and I def plan on doing so again.

P.S- That guy in the picture up top thought I was so creepy. Definitely won't be the last time that happens.

Hearty Baked Ziti

I was looking for a nice warm comfort food to make for dinner tonight. Nothing says comfort like cheese and pasta! I decided to go with a hearty baked ziti with ground turkey. Here is the recipe!

What you need:
1 box of ziti
1 lb of ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 TBSP dried rosemary
1 TBSP Italian Seasoning
2 Jars of Marinara Sauce
1 bag of shredded mozz cheese
1 carton of ricotta cheese
Parmesean Cheese
9x13 casserole dish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. First off, put a pot of water on the stove to boil. Cook the ziti as the box suggests. Cook the ground turkey in a medium size pan and break it into pieces as it cookes. When mostly brown, add the chopped onions. Continue cooking (about 5 minutes) until they are translucent. Add the chopped garlic, rosemary and italian seasoning and cook for another minute. Add a jar and a half of marinara and stir everything together well. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce cook for 5 minutes.

 

 

Spread a thin layer of the meat sauce on the 13x9 casserole dish.  Scoop several "dollops" of ricotta cheese on top of the sauce.

Drain your cooked pasta and put it back in the pot. Pour in 3/4 of the remaining sauce and stir together. Next pour the pasta into the casserole dish. Pour the remaining sauce on top, and scoop the rest of your ricotta cheese on top. Cover the entire top with the shredded mozz cheese, and sprinkle the parmesean cheese (as much as you like!)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. This recipe can serve about 8 people. Its the perfect dish for a potluck or holiday dinner. Also great to bring to work for lunch the next day! Enjoy :)

Old Faithful

Hey hungry peeps- sorry for my absence the past few days, I was battling some sort of flu and haven't been as hungry as usual. But have no fear- I AM BACK. And you know how I know I'm back, I had a craving today for one of my top 5 most reliable food chains- The Cheesecake Factory. Now some of you don't even need an explanation for this ranking, because you fully understand me as a human, being. BUT for those who don't agree- I will tell you why I enjoy this food establishment so much:

1.) The menu is unbelievably extensive- it might even be the biggest menu in restaurant history.
2.) Every thing I have ever ordered has been delicious. While I have my favorites/go-to's I have to say even if I try something new, it is always the bomb.com
3.) Portions- this place is known for its gynormous servings and is all I'll ever want and more
4.) The server's uniforms are all white- which is a.) awesome because they look like angels from heaven when they bring my meal to the table and b.) awesome because it is B.A. They don't hide behind black uniforms, they face those food stains head on- which makes me feel really good about the cleanliness of the establishment. 
5.) There is an 80% chance you will see a male server with his hair in a ponytail- which always makes me awkwardly stare with pure and utter amazement. I can't get enough of it.

So anyway, I ventured to the Cheesecake Factory in Natick today while finishing up some Christmas shopping. I strategically planned out my meal so I could get an app, entree and dessert without them having to wheel me out of there. One factor you cannot forget in this equations is THE BREAD (which is pretty close to making my list of reasons above). Bread is a good indication of what your dining experience will entail. Cheesecake gives you two fresh and warm loaf options with butter. These are HEAVEN ON EARTH. I literally just smiled while thinking about them again.

For my app, there really was no question in what I would choose because I always get the same thing- fried mac and cheese. The Cheesecake's fried mac and cheese is by far the best I have ever consumed. 4 balls of gooey mac and cheese fried in breadcrumbs and swimming in a pool of a creamy marinara and cheese sauce- need I say more?

When deciding on an entree, me and my dining counterpart decided to split the pasta carbonara. This creamy pasta dish with smoked bacon was perfect for the bitter cold day today. Even after splitting this entree, we were absolutely stuffed.

 

But there was no way I could go to the Cheesecake Factory and not eat its signature dish. We decided to order dessert to-go and eat it when we got home...and let me tell you...waiting to eat that dessert was the best decision I ever made. Nothing like coming home from a long day of shopping, sitting on the couch and enjoying a lovely slice of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake topped with light and fluffy whipped cream.

 

If I could go back- HA! I will order this same entire meal for the rest of my life. It was perfect in every way and I could not have asked for a better sequence of deliciousness. Cheesecake Factory  you've done it again!

 

P.S. I think the only complaint I've ever heard about the CF is the long wait to get seated. For God's sake- REALLY? Rome wasn't build in a day...patience is a virtue people! Put in your name, and go shopping to kill time OR choose an early or late dining time. In the word's of Tim Gunn- "Make it work!" 

Russo's- 560 Pleasant Street, Watertown, MA

Family owned Russo's market in Watertown is the place to go for the freshest and most delicious products in the Greater Boston area. From produce to flowers to prepared foods, at Russo's you are guarenteed the freshest and finest ingredients at the best possible price. This place is a true triple threat serving as a grocery store, take out spot, and a caterer. I have been a customer of all three and have never been disappointed.
 
I work in Watertown, and often have to find places to cater my events. Russo's is always professional, accomodating and a huge hit for my parties! Their catering menu is extensive, reasonable, and offers a variety of items for big or small groups. Yesterday, I chose to get a few platters. The large pastry platter is a big hit, because I can specify which pasteries I want to fill it. Also- the meat and cheese platter comes with finger rolls, mayo and mustard so folks can make sandwiches if they please!
 
If you are in the Watertown area, I recommend stopping by the market to see for yourself. Be prepared to spend some dough, because once you start looking around you will want everything!!

http://russos.com/index.html

Crudite with dips- A flowering medley of broccoli, zucchini, summer squash, carrots, peppers, red onions,celery, asparagus, and tomatoes, with a choice of dips: Cucumber Ranch, Blue Cheese, Balsamic or Italian Vinaigrette.

Fresh Fruit Platter

 

 

Premium Italian Meat and Cheese Platter- Prosciutto di Parma, mortadella, Prosciutto Cotto, Genoa salami, Toscano salami, hot and mild capicolla, Provolone cheese, garnished with lettuce, tomatoes, and olives. Served with finger rolls.





 

Large mini pastry platter- mini cheesecakes, chocolate canolies, chocolate covered strawberries and fresh fruit tarts

 

 



If you can't beat em- eat burgers

 

Ahh the Victoria Secret Fashion Show- a mix of high profile performances, celeb sightings and of course tall, gorgeous and teeny tiny supermodels. While I am looking forward to seeing all the facebook posts about how the show will "make you feel bad about yourself" or "motivate you at the gym tomorrow", I have a different outlook. These girls are on strict diets, crazy workouts and have all the money in the world to pay for it. I choose to celebrate these fabulous women ...with a value meal from McDonald's. Oh and not just any value meal- the #1 Value Meal (literally its #1 on the menu list) THE BIG MAC.

I limit my fast food during the week, trying my best to cook at home and typically only frequent the McDonald's drive through in a cab home from the bar on a Saturday night. But sometimes, it... is.. just... necessary. If you had a bad day at work and already decided that you're not going to the gym- why not just top it all off with the joyous combination of two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun? And don't even get me started on those fries...

Sometimes you need to hit rock bottom before charging towards the top again...

Three Bean Turkey Chili

Looking for a hearty dish to serve during a Sunday Pats game? Try making my three bean turkey chili! It cooks in the crockpot all day, so by the time its ready everyone will be racing to the kitchen for first dibs. It takes about 20 minutes to prep and then 6-8 hours to cook. Here is the recipe!

What you need:
A crockpot
1 lb of ground turkey
1 small yellow onion
1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans- drained
1 (15 oz) can black beans- drained
1 (15 oz) can chick peas- drained
1 (22 oz) can of diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce
1 (4oz) can of mild green chile's
2 Tablespoons of chili powder

Optional (but somewhat necessary)
1 bag of Frito's
sour cream
Mexican cheese
corn bread

Dice your yellow onion and place in a medium size pan. Cook on medium heat until the onions are clear. Add the ground turkey and cook until no longer pink. Try breaking up the turkey into small pieces as it cooks- a spatula works really well with this.






Scoop your turkey and onion into the crock pot. Add all your drained beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chile's and chili powder. Mix everything together and cook on HIGH for 6-8 hours. Stir the chili every hour to make sure it mixes through.

mmmmm smell the sweet aroma seeping through your house..

When the 6-8 hours are up, you want to prepare your sides. Any of the four sides I listed below will be a great addition to your chili, but I typically go with ALL of them. I first place a piece of cornbread on the bottom of my bowl. Then, I pour 2 or 3 spoon fulls of chili on top. Next, a handful of Mexican cheese, a dollop (Ha! I love that word) of sour cream and of course a bunch of Frito's around the outside of the bowl. Get creative with your presentation!! This dish is perfect for a snowy Sunday afternoon, and will have you going up for seconds and thirds!