[Guest Post] Easy, Delicious Pasta Primavera in Under 30 Minutes by Michelle Rebecca

 

Healthy, wholesome meals that are also quick and easy to prepare aren’t difficult to come by, if you know where to look and have a little creativity. This recipe for pasta primavera will provide a complete, balanced meal for the whole family that also happens to taste wonderful. Even the kids won’t mind the veggies!

Ingredients:

3          Yellow squash, sliced

3          Zucchini, sliced

1          Pound mushrooms, sliced

4          Tablespoons butter or margarine

1          16-ounce box penne

2          15-ounce jars Alfredo sauce

Instructions:

In a large boiler, boil water and prepare pasta according to package directions. While the pasta cooks, melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced squash and zucchini and cover with lid. Allow to cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and add mushrooms. Cook an additional five minutes or until all vegetables are tender. Add Alfredo sauce to skillet and warm slightly. Drain pasta and return to boiler. Combine vegetable-Alfredo mix with pasta and toss until evenly distributed. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Ideas to Enjoy Your Easy Italian Dish Even More

If you’d like to make this dinner a special affair, consider one of the following ideas:

·         Dress up the table. Dim the lights in the dining room, put a fancy tablecloth on the table, and light a couple of candlesticks. Serve bowls of the pasta restaurant-style to create a feeling like you’ve gone out for a fancy dinner.

·         Take it outside. Your pot of primavera makes a nice, portable, complete meal. Set up a picnic area and move everyone outdoors. Just make sure your Mosquito Magnet traps are set and working so you don’t have to fight the bugs to enjoy your impromptu picnic.

·         Create dinner and a movie. Slide your main furniture out of the way and create a makeshift theatre out of pillows. Give everyone their meal and settle in on the floor for a fun family film.

While this recipe will make more than enough for a family of six, you may still want some side items to go with it. Sides that go well with pasta primavera include garlic bread, bistro salad, and yeast rolls.

For dessert, consider picking up some Italian ice, cheesecake, or cannoli. A nice, freshly brewed cup of coffee or cappuccino is also a nice finishing touch for those who enjoy these beverages.

You can increase the difficulty level by trying your hand at your own Alfredo sauce. You can also simplify the recipe even further by purchasing vegetables that are pre-sliced by your grocer. However you choose to do it, though, this recipe is sure to become a family favorite that you’ll find yourself turning to over and over again.

Michelle is a blogger and freelancer. She’s written about almost every topic under the sun, and loves constantly learning about new subjects and industries while she’s writing. In her spare time she enjoys spending time outdoors with her dogs. Follow her on Twitter and Google+.

Stir-fry Ginger Onion Beef with Oyster Sauce

Stir-fry Ginger Onion Beef with Oyster Sauce

A bottle of oyster sauce is one of the ingredients that can't be missed out in our kitchen as it go very well with a lot of stir-fry dishes.

Ingredients

1. 130g of Beef (Cut to thin slices)
2. 1 Big Yellow Onion (Cut into slices) (Note:I use red onion as I am running out of yellow onion)
3. 3 stalks of Green Onion (Cut into approx 5 cm in length)
4. 6 thin slices of Peeled Ginger
5. 2 tablespoon of Oyster Sauce
6. 1 tablespoon of Light Soya Sauce
7. 2 tablespoon of Olive Oil

Steps

1. Add Olive Oil in hot pan
2. Add Ginger and fry until fragrant (approx 1 minute)
3. Add Onion and fry until translucent (approx 2 minute)
4. Add Beef and fry for approx 2 minutes
5. Add Oyster Sauce and Light Soya Sauce and stir-fry to mix well
6. Add Green Onions and fry for approx 2 minutes

Serve while Hot!

Good to go with Rice and a bowl of Chinese Soup and 2 to 3 more Chinese dishes.

Stir-fry Pasta Linguine with Sausage, Eggs and Prawns

Stir-fry Pasta Linguine with Sausage, Eggs and Prawns

In the pan

Sharing a different cooking style of pasta.

Ingredients (Serve 2 Pax)

1. 2 Serving of Linguine
2. Olive Oil (quantity as suggested below)
3. Chopped Garlic (quantity as suggested below)
4. 3 stalks of Green Onion (Cut into approx 5cm in length)
5. 2 Sausage (Cut into thin slices)
6. Half Carrot (Cut into thin strips)
7. 10 Medium /Large Prawns (Deveined and deshelled)
8. 1 1/2 tablespoon of Oyster Sauce
9. Light Soya Sauce (quantity as suggested below)
10. Sea Salt

Preparation - Prawns

1. Sprinkle Salts onto Prawns and marinate for approx 5 minutes

Preparation - Eggs

1. Lightly Beat Eggs into a mixing bowl with 1 tablespoon of Light Soya Sauce

Steps - Pasta

1. Boil Pasta in boiling Water with 2 tablespoon of Olive Oil and Salt (approx 7 to 11 minutes for al-dente, follow the instruction on package)
2. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process

Steps - Eggs

1. Add 2 tablespoon of Olive Oil in hot pan
2. Add Eggs into pan
3. Flip the eggs when one side is cooked (approx 2 to 3 minutes)
4. Repeat 3 until both side is cooked.
5. Gently place eggs onto cutting board and once it has cooled down, Cut it into thin strips.

Steps - Prawns

1. Add 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil in hot pan
2. Add 1/2 tablespoon of Garlic and fry until fragrant (approx 1 minute)
3. Add Prawns and stir-fry until 90% cooked (approx 3 minutes)
4. Scoop out Prawns on plate for later use.

Steps - Main

1. Add 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil in hot pan
2. Add 3 tablespoon of Garlic and fry until fragrant (before it turns brown, approx 2 minutes)
3. Add Carrot and stir-fry for approx 1 minutes
4. Add Pasta and stir to mix well with Garlic and Olive Oil (approx 2 minutes)
5. Add Sausage and Prawns and stir-fry to mix well
6. Add Oyster Sauce and stir-fry to mix well
7. Add Green onions and stir to mix well for approx 1 minutes
8. Taste if it is of the right taste, if it is too bland, sprinkle salts

Serve while Hot!

Good as a Main Course with a bowl of Chinese Soup and 2 to 3 more Chinese dishes.

Stir-fry Prawns and Swiss Brown Mushroom with Oyster Sauce

Stir-fry Prawns and Swiss Brown Mushroom with Oyster Sauce

A bottle of oyster sauce is one of the ingredients that can't be missed out in our kitchen as it go very well with a lot of stir-fry dishes.

Introducing and sharing a dish that goes very well with rice. If you like prawns, I am quite sure that you will like this.

Ingredients

1. 10 Medium Tiger Prawns (Deshell and Devein)
2. 10 Swiss Brown Mushroom (Cut into slices)
3. 1 tablespoon of Minced Garlic
4. 2 tablespoon of Oyster Sauce
5. 1 tablespoon of Light Soya Sauce
6. 1/2 teaspoon of Black Pepper
7. 2 tablespoon of Olive Oil

Steps

1. Add Olive Oil in hot pan
2. Add Garlic and fry until fragrant
3. Add Prawns and fry for approx 3 minutes
4. Add Mushroom and stir-fry for approx 2 minutes
5. Add Oyster Sauce and stir-fry to mix well
6. Add 2 tablespoon of hot water and stir to mix well
7. Sprinkle Black Pepper on prawns and stir-fry for 1 minutes
8. Sir-fry until prawns and mushroom is cooked approx 2 to 3 minutes

Serve while Hot!

Good to go with Rice and a bowl of Chinese Soup and 2 to 3 more Chinese dishes.