Fettuccine with Italian Sausage, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Spinach, Pine Nuts, and Basil

I loved my Linguine with Turkey Italian Sausage, Tomatoes, Arugula, and Ciliengini so much that I wanted to use the same sauce base for this recipe but with different ingredients. I used what I had on hand and tossed it with my homemade fettuccine. It was quick and simple to make and tasted wonderful! We all, dinner guests AND children included, loved this dish. It was full of great flavors and textures and the homemade fettuccine turned out perfect. I will be making this recipe again and again.

Fettuccine with Italian Sausage, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Spinach, Pine Nuts, and Basil:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• Cooking spray
• 5 links of Johnsonville Sweet Basil Italian Sausage, removed from casings
• 8 oz button mushrooms, quartered
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup of grape tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
• 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 11 oz Fettuccine, cooked per instructions
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup fresh mozzarella, chopped into small cubes
• 3 tbsp toasted pine nuts
• Handful of fresh baby basil leaves

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and coat with cooking spray. Remove the Italian sausage from casings and form into very small balls. Cook the sausage for 2-3 minutes then add the onion and mushrooms. Continue to cook for 4-5 minutes or until the mushrooms are golden and the onions are tender. Add the minced garlic, grape tomatoes, oregano, and crushed fennel seed then cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth. Break up a few tomatoes by piercing them with a spatula then simmer the sauce for 7-10 minutes. Taste the sauce and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Cook the pasta, per instructions, while the sauce is simmering. Drain the pasta then place into the sauce along with the spinach, mozzarella cheese, pine nuts, and small basil leaves. Toss to coat evenly then serve immediately. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

I loved this dish so much that I plan to enter this recipe in the Italian Sausage recipe contest hosted by Johnsonville.

Homemade Fettuccine

I was recently sent a pasta kit from the folks at Johnsonville. The kit included a pasta machine, a pasta dryer, cheese grater, and meatball former... being a food blogger has great perks! Anyway, I thought I would try making homemade fettuccine. Most recipes online were similar so I just read a few to get the general idea on how to make the pasta. I then searched for some videos to help show me how to use my pasta making machine and this video really helped me.

Homemade Fettuccine:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• 2 cups of flour
• 3 eggs
• Pinch of salt

Place the flour on a clean surface making a mound then form a well in the center. Make sure to keep the walls of the "bowl" of flour even. Crack the eggs into the well of flour then season with a pinch of salt.

Mix the eggs carefully with a fork without disturbing the flour. Once the eggs are mixed well, slowly incorporate the flour into the egg mixture, a little at a time. Once the flour and egg mixture is well combined, use your fingers to form a dough ball. If the dough is too wet, add a bit of flour.

Knead the dough like you would bread dough. Push the dough down away from you with the palm of your hand then turn it 90 degrees, fold, and push down again away from you with the palm of your hand. Continue kneading for 5 minutes.

After you have finished kneading, cut the ball into 4 even pieces.

Flatten the dough balls in your hand. Prepare your pasta machine on the widest setting, mine was setting 1. If you don't have a pasta machine, you can roll it as THIN as possible with a rolling pin. Feed the flattened piece of dough into the slot of the pasta machine while turning the handle. Hold the dough in your other hand while it comes out of the machine. Fold the dough in half and repeat the process 6 times to help make the dough extra smooth. Make sure to keep your dough well floured, you don't want it sticky.

After you have done the 1 setting 6 times, turn the setting to 2. Feed the dough into the slot while gently holding the dough with the other hand when it comes out. Repeat. Turn the setting to 3 and repeat. The dough should go through each setting twice. I stopped my dough at setting 8.

I placed the long piece of thin dough on my floured work surface and cut into half.

I sprinkled flour on each side of both pieces and then I fed each piece through the dough cutter on my machine making sure to catch the falling pasta with my other hand. If you don't have pasta machine, simply fold the WELL floured pasta then cut into desired size with a sharp knife.

I then placed my pasta on a flour surface to separate each piece before putting it on my pasta drying rack. Repeat the process with the other balls of dough. Let the dough dry for 3-4 hours.

Prepare pasta by boiling water that has been well seasoned with salt over high heat. Once the water is rapidly boiling, place the pasta into the water and cook for 3-5 minutes or until al dente. Drain and toss with your favorite sauce. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday. I am looking forward to seeing old friends, eating lots of great food, and spending time with my family. See you in a few days.

Mini Lemon Pies and Mini Cherry Pies

When I saw this recipe on Georgia's site The Comfort of Cooking, I knew I would be making these beauties immediately. My kids love fruit pies so making them their own perfect little pie made them so happy! My daughter and I had so much fun making these together... she especially loved cutting out each little flower for the top crusts. These were extremely quick and simple to make and they tasted fantastic! We had friends over for dinner and these pies were a huge hit with all of us. Thanks for the great idea Georgia!

Mini Lemon or Cherry Pies:

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

Original recipe by The Comfort of Cooking

• Cooking spray
• 2 9 inch, store bought, pie crusts
• 1 can of lemon pie filling
• 1 can of cherry pie filling
• 1 egg + 1 tbsp water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a muffin tin with cooking spray.

Roll out the pie crusts on a flour surface then smooth them out with a rolling pin. Use a cookie cutter or a ramekin to cut 4 inch circles out of the pie crusts. Roll the leftover dough up into a ball then roll out with rolling pin and cut out more 4 inch circles. I had enough to fill all muffin tins because I rolled my dough out pretty thin.

Place the circles (bottom crusts) into the muffin tin, pressing them firmly but gently to the sides. Scoop 2 tablespoons of either cherry or lemon filling into each tin.

Use different cookie cutter shapes, we used flowers and regular circular cookie cutters, to make the top crusts. Top the pies with the crusts. Make sure you slice vents into the top of each pie if it's completely covered with a crust.

Mix the egg and water together and brush the tops of each pie with the mixture. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Let them cool for 4-5 minutes. Serve plain or with ice cream. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Herb Dinner Rolls

I recently saw a recipe for herb dinner rolls on my friend Marjie's site which inspired me to make these rolls. I used my Mom's Dinner Roll recipe and added some fresh basil, fresh parsley, and a bit of dried oregano to make these extremely delicious dinner rolls. They were so flavorful with the added herbs and a huge hit with my dinner guests. These rolls will make your holiday dinner extra special.

Herb Dinner Rolls:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking

Inspired by Marjie at Modern Day Ozzie and Harriet

• 1 cup of water
• 2 tbsp of butter, softened
• 1 egg (hold under warm water before breaking it)
• 3 1/4 cup of bread flour
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tsp regular active dry yeast

Place all dough ingredients in the bread machine in the order listed. Select the dough cycle and press start. Once the bread machine stops (it was one and a half hours on my machine). Grease a cookie sheet. Divide dough into 15 pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Brush with butter then cover with a cloth.

Let the dough rise in a warm place 30 to 4o minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Roasted Yams with Maple, Dried Cranberries and Pecans

This side dish is so delicious! The combination of the soft yams with the crunchy pecans, tart cranberries, and sweet maple is wonderful. I love how easy it is to make and that it has very little clean up. This is a new favorite holiday side dish.

Roasted Yams with Maple, Dried Cranberries, and Pecans:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• Drizzle of olive oil
• 2-3 yams, peeled and large dice
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
• 1-2 tbsp dried cranberries
• 1-2 tbsp pecan pieces
• 1 tbsp real maple syrup
• 2 tsp butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking tray with tin foil then coat with cooking spray. Place the diced yam on the baking sheet then drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until yam is fork tender. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Pour the roasted yam into the baking dish followed by the dried cranberries and pecan pieces. Mix the melted butter and maple syrup together then drizzle on top of the yam mixture, toss to coat. Cover with tin foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 5 minutes. Taste and drizzle with more syrup if needed. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Tomato Tian

Here's another wonderful side dish for the holidays. I love making Vegetable Tian but this time I decided to keep it all about the tomatoes. I picked up some beautiful yellow tomatoes at the store recently and decided to make a tian using them along with some Roma tomatoes I already had on hand. I topped the baked tomatoes with shredded Parmesan cheese and Italian flavored panko as well as fresh chopped basil. This dish was easy to make and it tasted delicious.

Tomato Tian:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• 4 firm yellow tomatoes
• 4 firm red tomatoes (I used Roma)
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Parmesan cheese, shredded
• Italian flavored panko crumbs
• Fresh basil, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a circular baking dish with cooking spray.

Slice the tomatoes into thick slices then layer them alternately in the baking dish, fitting them into a tight spiral, making only one layer. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste then drizzle them with a bit of olive oil.

Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the oven to broil. Sprinkle the tomatoes with Parmesan cheese and panko crumbs then place under the broiler, on the middle rack, for 1-2 minutes or until the panko crumbs are golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with freshly chopped basil. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Green Bean and Mushroom Casserole

I won't be cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year because we are heading to a friend's house to enjoy her amazing cooking. I decided since I wouldn't be cooking a turkey feast to share with you all, I could at least cook some of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes to share.

I'll admit it... I love the green bean casserole using canned soup and French's onions. I wanted to make a homemade version of this classic holiday side dish. When looking at recipes in cookbooks and on the web, I noticed they all made this casserole with at least 6 tablespoons of butter and whole milk. I decided to try making it a little bit healthier while still keeping it delicious. It was fun to create this recipe and it tasted wonderful, we all loved it except for my son. When I asked him why he didn't like it he said "I just didn't". Oh well... you can't please them all. I loved this recipe and thought it tasted way better than the canned soup version. This will be on my table for future holiday dinners.

Green Bean and Mushroom Casserole:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• 16 oz fresh green beans, ends trimmed
• 1 tsp + 2 tbsp butter (divided)
• 8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 shallot, sliced thinly
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup of milk (I used non fat)
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• French's fried onions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a casserole dish with cooking spray.

Blanch the green beans in a pot of boiling water for 3-4 minutes or until just tender. Strain the green beans and rinse them under cold water to stop them from cooking.

Heat one teaspoon of butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the mushrooms and cook, without stirring for 2-3 minutes. Flip the mushrooms and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Add the shallot to the pan and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the minced garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Season with a bit of sea salt, to taste. Remove the mushroom mixture from the skillet to a bowl and set aside.

Place the skillet back on the stove and add the 2 tablespoons of butter, once it has melted, add the flour and stir for 30 seconds. Add the milk to the flour mixture and whisk until thick and creamy without and any lumps. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Add the green beans and mushrooms to the mixture and toss to coat evenly. Place the green bean mixture into the casserole dish and cover with a lid.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle generously with French's fried onions. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the onions are golden brown. Be careful - the onions burn quickly. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Potato Crab Chowder

I got three different meals out of one can of crab - I love that! For the last crab recipe I decided to make a Cooking Light Potato Crab Chowder I found on Myrecipes. It looked hearty, filling, and delicious. It was quick and simple to make and tasted wonderful. The crab made this chowder rich and delicious and I loved the chunky potatoes with the creamy and sweet corn. I served this chowder with fresh baked bread - the perfect dinner on a cold rainy night.

Potato Crab Chowder:

Adapted recipe by For the Love of Cooking.net

Original recipe by Cooking Light 2003 ~ Myrecipes

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 3 stalks of celery, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 1/2 cups of baby red potatoes, diced (about 10)
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp fresh nutmeg, grated
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 2 1/2 cups of 2% milk
• 1 14 oz can of cream style corn
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• 10 oz lump crab meat
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and celery then cook for 3-4 minutes; add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the potato and sauté for 1 minute; add flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add thyme, nutmeg, and sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Next add the milk, cream corn, and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in crab and parsley. Taste and re-season if needed. Cook for 5 more minutes then serve. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Crab Quesadilla with Homemade Guacamole

I think my new favorite flavor combination is crab with avocado. I loved the Cilantro and Lime Crab Salad with Avocado Halves so much I decided to use the same flavors together to make a quesadilla for lunch the next day. I recently won a package of Tortilla Land corn tortillas from Two Peas and Their Pod and I couldn't wait to use them. I precooked the tortillas a little bit first then layered them with Jack cheese, the crab mixture followed by a bit more cheese. I loved the flavor of the crab mixture with the fresh corn tortillas and homemade guacamole. This was a quick and simple recipe to make but made my lunch extra special. Thanks for the great tortillas Maria!

Crab Quesadilla with Homemade Guacamole:

Recipe and Photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• 1/2 cup lump crab meat
• 1 tsp jalapeno, diced finely
• 1 tsp red onion, diced finely
• 2 tsp cilantro
• Juice from 1/2 a lime
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Dash of cumin
• 2 fresh corn tortillas
• Jack cheese, shredded
• Homemade guacamole

Note: If you are using par cooked tortillas, cook them in a hot skillet for 30 seconds on each side before preparing your quesadilla.

Combine the crab meat, jalapeno, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and cumin together in a bowl and gently mix.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Place a corn tortilla in the skillet then sprinkle a bit of cheese; then add the crab mixture followed by a little more shredded cheese. Place the other tortilla on top and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and let cool for a minute before slicing. Serve with fresh guacamole. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Cilantro and Lime Crab Salad in Avocado Halves

I picked up a tub of lump crab meat recently so I decided use some of it to make a quick and delicious salad to put into avocado halves. I found a recipe on Epicurious that looked simple and delicious. I tossed the crab with a bit of lime, cilantro, light mayonnaise, and red onion. The crab salad tasted so good with the creamy avocado. My husband and I both enjoyed this dish and I look forward to making it again.

Cilantro and Lime Crab Salad in Avocado Halves:

Adapted recipe by For the Love of Cooking

Original recipe on Epicurious

• 1/2 cup lump crab meat
• 1/2 tbsp light mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 tsp red onion, diced finely
• 1-2 tsp jalapeño, diced finely
• 1 tsp lime zest
• Juice from 1/2 a lime
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Dash of cumin
• 1 avocado, cut in half, pit removed

Combine the lump crab meat, mayonnaise, cilantro, red onion, jalapeño, lime zest, lime juice, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and cumin together. Spoon the crab mixture into each avocado half and serve immediately. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Garlic Basil Knots

I wanted to make some rolls to go with the Roasted Vegetable Minestrone I made for dinner recently. I decided to use my Mom's Dinner Rolls recipe but instead of making them into rolls, I cut the dough into strips, tied them into knots (easier said than done), baked them then coated them with melted garlic basil butter. They were a HUGE hit with all of us, especially my kids who each had three with dinner. They were simple to make (thanks to the bread machine) and tasted fantastic. I will be making these again and again.

Garlic Basil Knots:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• 1 cup of water
• 2 tbsp of butter, softened
• 1 egg (hold under warm water before breaking it)
• 3 1/4 cup of flour
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tsp regular active dry yeast

Place all dough ingredients in the bread machine= in the order listed. Select the dough cycleand press start. Once the bread machine stops (it was one and a half hours on my machine). Place a silpat mat on a baking sheet then coat with cooking spray. Flatten the dough onto a well floured surface then using a pizza cutter, cut into strips.

Take each strip and tie into a knot, making sure to keep it well floured so it doesn't stick together. Place each knot onto the baking sheet. Once you have tied all the strips into knots, cover them with a cloth and set in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake 9-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Other ingredients:

• 1-2 tbsp of butter, melted
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
  
• 3-4 fresh basil leaves, chopped finely

Add butter and minced garlic together and cook in the microwave until melted. Add the fresh chopped basil and stir. Once the knots are out of the oven, brush the top of each knot with the garlic basil butter. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Roasted Vegetable Minestrone

We have all been struggling with terrible colds this week so I made a big pot of minestrone soup. I decided to roast the veggies before adding them to the soup for extra flavor. It was so simple to make, took very little time, and was enjoyed by each of us. My son especially loved it and asked for the leftovers for his lunch the following day.

Roasted Vegetable Minestrone:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking

• 2 tsp olive oil plus more for drizzling on roasted veggies
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 carrots, diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 yellow squash, diced
• 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 15 oz can of cannellini beans, drained
• 8 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 - 1 tsp dried oregano
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 cup of ditalini pasta
• 2 cups kale, chopped
• 6-7 basil leaves, chiffonade
• Shaved Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil (for easier clean up) and coat it with cooking spray. Add the carrots to the baking sheet, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, and roast in the oven for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add the zucchini and yellow squash to the baking sheet with the carrots, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, then roast in the oven for 3-5 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the oven and set aside.

Heat the 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and celery then sauté for 4-5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic then cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes, beans, chicken broth, oregano, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste and the ditalini pasta. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through. Add the kale, chopped basil, and roasted vegetables. Taste and re-season if needed. Serve with shaved Parmesan on top. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net