Italian Hodgepodge Salad

Have you ever been too ThugKitchen? If you haven't, check it out. Healthy recipes and humor. Be warned though, it is not PG. It did show me what FF has been missing, though -- profanity.
And when you're done checking that out, make this Italian Hodgepodge Salad.
I guess it's a salad. There's pasta, there's vegetables, there's lettuce, there's dressing. It' a hodgepodge, if nothing else. But a delicious hodgepodge, so try it.
It was inspired by The Pioneer Woman's recent post on her Pesto Pasta Salad. I've had this tiny star pasta in my fridge since this winter, so I decided to make my own version. I love the idea of serving a pasta salad over lettuce. It really brings a great freshy crunchiness to it. And it kept the man from eating it all in one sitting.
So I have food for lunch today.

Note to self, invest in the ability to photograph food. 

Sorry. 

Ingredients
Salad
4 cups cold cooked pasta - dealers choice, use whatever you like. Like I said, I used star pasta.
2 roma tomatoes - deseeded and diced
1 cup sliced black olives, drained - I used two small cans. Someday, when I'm a grown up, I will remember to check the size of the can before I throw it away. But that wasn't yesterday, so all I can say is they were the really little baby food size cans.
6 small or 3 large bell peppers, deseeded and diced - I used red, orange, and yellow, because that's what I like. You put in what you like.
1 cup feta cheese
2 heads romaine lettuce - or you can use your favorite lettuce or what's on sale (if you are me). I won't tell you how to live your life.
Vinaigrette
1 c olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons honey
salt, pepper to taste

Directions
1. Combine pasta, diced tomatoes, sliced black olives, diced peppers, and feta cheese in a bowl. Toss gently to combine. You don't want to beat up the feta. You want crumbled feta, not feta sauce.
2. In a bowl (preferrably with a lid) combine vinaigrette ingredients. Whisk (or shake with a lid) until it is completely emulsified.
3. Toss the pasta and 1/2 of the vinaigrette.
4. Serve over lettuce with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat everything.

I suppose if you are not serving a small army or trying to have leftovers for you and your husband, you could half this recipe. A whole recipe will serve 6-8.
But it does make delicious leftovers.

Italian Sausage Risotto

My friend, Emma, and I get together every Friday to cook and bake. It started when we were preparing for preparing for Iowa State's 'Soy You Think You Can Cook?' contest. (How clever.)

The first couple Fridays, we practiced making our competition dishes - Curried Butternut Squash Soup (with silken tofu) with a Fresh Edamame Salad and a Panko Sesame Crusted Tofu Sandwich with Warm Brussels Sprout Slaw. It was as delicious as tofu can be. Which is pretty delicious.
Not that we are biased or anything.

We mastered those in about two sessions, obviously. Actually, in one, but the second seemed like good measure, since it was a contest. Practice makes delicious...or something like that.

Anyway, we enjoyed it so much that we kept getting together every Friday. But we stopped making vegetarian things and we started making whatever our hearts desired. So far, our hearts have desired buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese and fajita nachos and Italian sausage risotto with tomatoes and spinach. Buckets of yum. It would have been on Friday, but apparently spring break won out over cooking with me.

But as soon as she got back, I demanded food.

Is that an old Pizza Hut cup? 
Why yes, yes, it is. 

Italian Sausage Risotto
Ingredients:
1/2 pound Italian sausage
2 cups arborio rice
6 cups (48 ounces) chicken stock
1 can (12 ounces? 15 ounces? regular can size...I'm sorry.) stewed tomatoes, Italian if you can find them
3 cups fresh spinach
2 teaspoons fresh basil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
salt to taste

Directions:
1. If you're responsible, heat chicken broth to boiling and then reduce to a simmer. I'm not responsible. Don't be like me. Heat yo' chicken broth. It will make the rest of the process go faster.
2. While broth is heating/boiling/simmering, in a big wide stockpot, cook sausage over medium-high heat, crumbling it as it cooks. Once it's done, move it to a plate lined with a paper towel, using a slotted spoon (or a pancake turner if you are in Emma's kitchen), so most of the grease stays in the pan. I repeat, leave the grease in the pan. At least a couple tablespoons. Don't be scared.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add the rice to the grease and toast it for 1-2 minutes.
4. Begin adding the chicken broth. Start with three cups. Heat it until it starts to boil, then reduce it to medium-low and simmer until about half of the liquid has evaporated. Add 1/2-1 cup of broth and repeat. Simmer, add broth, simmer, add broth, until the rice is al dente. That is, soft but not mushy. If you run out of chicken broth and the rice is still not quite al dente, you can use vegetable broth or water.
5. When the rice is done cooking, add tomatoes, spinach, basil, garlic, and Parmesan  Stir to combine and cook another minute or two, until everything is nice and hot.
6. Top with a sprinkle of Parmesan. And parsley, if you're into that.

Foodie Fact
It is important to use arborio rice for risotto. It has more starch than long- or medium-grain rices. More starch means a thicker sauce and creamier final product. Which means more yum. So use arborio rice; it's the right thing to do.

I wish I had a cool sign off....
Until I figure that out, Happy Monday!
-- Krissy

Creamy Delicious Overnight Oatmeal

I have found that I write the best blogs when I am supposed to be doing my homework, or am otherwise pressed for time. This week I have four papers, a test, two quizzes, and a group project. But, writing this blog is the right thing to do, because I have to share this with the world.
As a student, wife, part-time employee, and full-time doggy mom, I find myself constantly short on time, but always hungry. Making breakfast every morning is simply not going to happen. This year I finally found the solution! Overnight oatmeal. A totally customizable, five minute recipe that you can make ahead and have breakfast for days? Where have you been all my life.
Now, my first experience with this magical breakfast was a bit lackluster. I made it with oats, milk, and fruit. It was convenient, but ultimately disappointing. It was basically a cold blob of oats and purple. It lacked the creamy, silken yumminess I was hoping for. I gave up on it for a while. Until I found this recipe on Iowa Girl Eats.
Sidebar - Can I just say that I love Kristen? Not in a creepy stalker way, but in a "we should exchange emails and then totally hang out right now" kind of way. (Name that movie).
She has some great fresh, light recipes. Awesome for summer. Which I'm told is coming soon. I'm also told it's going to snow tomorrow, so I have my doubts.
And I can really appreciate another Iowa foodie.
And I met her at the HyVee Beer, Wine, and Food Expo this year. She made butternut squash gnocci with a  beer sauce and other things that I don't remember, but I know were delish.

Anyway....

Overnight oatmeal is made by combining one cup of yogurt, half a cup of any style oats, and whatever else your heart desires or your fridge holds and letting it sit overnight (or for at least an hour) in your fridge.
That's it! So easy! So fast! So filling! So customizable! So make it now! (Sorry for yelling. I'm just really excited for you to try this! oops.)
The oats are chewy. The yogurt is creamy. The result is delicious.

Ingredients:
1 c yogurt - you can use any kind. I like vanilla.
1/2 c oats, any style
1 c of your favorite toppings - I like berries, nuts, chocolate chips, cinnamon, and/or a drizzle of honey

Directions:
Combine yogurt and oats completely in a bowl. Spoon into tupperware or small mason jars. Top as desired. Let stand in the fridge at least an hour or overnight.


Enjoy your new favorite breakfast!

-- Krissy