Pierogies and Sauteed Veggies

I always need more meatless main recipes in my arsenal. I hope you feel the same and add this to your stash: Pierogies and Sauteed Veggies.

While making homemade pierogies is totally on my culinary task bucket list, this recipe utilizes a good ole box of Mrs. T's mini pierogies that I usually have stashed in my freezer for emergencies.

The entire endeavor of making this takes no more than 20 minutes. And it is a hit with the whole family. My son asks for many extra servings.

You can sub out any veggies you love. I think this summery mix of zucchini and red and green bell peppers is really nice with the pierogies. I sometimes serve this on top of fresh arugula too for a salad situation.

Pierogies and Sauteed Veggies
(Makes 4 servings)

1 box (12.84 ounces) frozen mini cheddar pierogies, such as Mrs. T's (about 28 pierogies)
1 small red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 small green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 small zucchini, trimmed, sliced in half and cut into moon-shaped pieces
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream to serve

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pierogies to boiling water. Cook according to package instructions, usually about 3 to 6 minutes once water comes back to a boil. (I usually go longer, like 6 minutes.) Stir the pierogies occasionally while they cook. If you think they aren't cooked entirely, boil them longer.

Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add butter. Once butter is melted, add peppers, zucchini and onion. Toss frequently and cook until lightly browned about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper

Using a slotted spoon or a spider ladle, transfer cooked pierogies directly into the saute pan with the veggies. Toss the pierogies so that they become slathered in the butter and veggies. Add a ladle of water from the pot in which the pierogies boiled to the saucepan with the veggies and pierogies. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 4-5 minutes.

Serve with sour cream.

A Can and a Plan: Clams and Spaghetti

Growing up in the 80s, clams and spaghetti was in the daily dinner rotation pretty much weekly.

As a working maniac mom circa 2019, I totally understand why.

1. It's cheap.

2. It's easy.

3. It's fast

4. It's super amazingly delish.

Shoutout to my mom for the inspiration. She worked everyday as an art teacher extraordinaire, schlepped my sisters and me all over the place, volunteered in many town organizations, maintained the house with no outside help and cooked dinner every freaking night for us.

Superwoman, for sure.

So this one is for all of today's moms getting it done.  Because sometimes you need some easy crowd pleasers that involve little time or thought.

And truth be told:  I rocked this out years ago when my and my husband were kicking it newlywed style. It's amazing no matter what your lifestyle.

You can double this recipe to suit the size of your fam. With one son, mine is pretty small. But I got to say, my boy ate quite a few helpings of this.

Clams from a Can and Spaghetti
Serves 4

6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4- 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp. oregano
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
1 cup white wine
1 can of Cento whole baby clams (10 oz.)
1/2 cup Cento clam juice
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound spaghetti
1 to 2 cups of pasta water (as needed)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Be sure to salt your water according to package instructions.  Cook spaghetti according to instructions on your package. Stir so that the spaghetti doesn't stick together and cooks evenly.

While bringing the pasta water to a boil, make the sauce. In a large sauce pan over medium heat, add olive oil. Add garlic, red pepper flakes and oregano. Cook for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Add the clams, clam juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, white wine, salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add pasta directly from the pot into the clam sauce using a spaghetti spoon. Ladle pasta water into the clam sauce so that the sauce is abundant enough to coat your pasta nicely. Drizzle with olive oil. Top with fresh parsley.

Serve with grated cheese  and extra red pepper flakes if desired.

Lemon Chicken with Croutons

This is currently a favorite dinner for my husband and son: Lemon Chicken with Croutons. It is from one of my most favorite Barefoot Contessa cookbooks: "Barefoot in Paris."

Perhaps it's my love of all things French from the style to the art to the oldness to the chicness, but this dish is everything. So simple and so elegant.

If you are planning to serve it for company, I suggest roasting two chickens. This is dinner for literally three people, which fits my little family perfectly.

I use way less salt then recommended by my girl Ina. I also dry the chicken before actually placing it in the roasting pan. Other than that, I follow this recipe as is.

The fact that the chicken is served over croutons means you are totally covered for a starch. I usually serve this with string beans and a salad. And wine, of course, Dahling.

The fall is the perfect time to roast things, so get on this recipe stat!

Lemon Chicken with Croutons
Serves 3 to 4
From "Barefoot in Paris"
By Ina Garten

1 (4- to 5-pound) roasting chicken
1 large yellow onion, sliced
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons, quartered
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
6 cups (3/4-inch) bread cubes (1 baguette or round boule)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Take the giblets out of the chicken and wash it inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers. Toss the onion with a little olive oil in a small roasting pan. Place the chicken on top and sprinkle the inside of the cavity with salt and pepper. Place the lemons inside the chicken. Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels, brush it with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.

Roast for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Cover with the foil and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. (The onions may burn, but the flavor is good)

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until very hot.  Lower the heat to medium low and saute the bread cubes, tossing frequently, until nicely browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add more olive oil as needed. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Place the croutons on a serving platter. Slice the chicken and place it plus all the pan juices over the croutons. Serve warm.

Roasted Plum Tomatoes and Garlic

Tomato season is just about wrapping up. Here is an amazing recipe to use up those delicious plum tomatoes we get our hands on in Jersey. You can also make this easily with small round tomatoes. Simply cut them in quarters.

This dish is a perfect side for roasted meats, cutlets or fish.

When I made this last, I used round tomatoes. I also used dried oregano as I didn't have fresh. I sprinkled the oregano on the tomatoes before baking.

I finished mine with my fresh basil leaves. They aren't listed in the recipe, but they are a nice bright touch right before serving.

It smells soooooo good in the oven.

Roasted Plum Tomatoes and Garlic
Serves 4
From "The Italian Cooking Encyclopedia"

8 plum tomatoes, halved or 4 small round tomatoes, quartered
12 garlic cloves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 bay leaves
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves, to garnish; or 2 tsp. dried oregano sprinkled over tomatoes before roasting

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Select an ovenproof dish that will hold all the tomatoes snugly in a single layer. Place the tomatoes in the dish and push the whole, unpeeled garlic cloves between them.

Brush the tomatoes with the oil. Sprinkle with black pepper. Sprinkle with dried oregano, if using. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened are sizzling in the pan. They should not be charred around the edges. Season with salt and black pepper. Garnish with fresh oregano and fresh basil if desired.

Please note: The Jersey Girl uses dried oregano only, not fresh. The Jersey Girl removes the bay leaves before serving. She also garnishes with fresh basil before serving.