Catching Up!

So I've been pretty busy lately and haven't had a chance to update the blog regularly so this is my catch up post to share the yummy things I've been making in the meantime.

First up is a tasty pasta dish I made from a recipe that was in the most recent issue of Kraft Food and Family. It turned out well and was quick to make and I like that it included dairy, veggie and protein.


Simple & Creamy Tortellini Alfredo

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
2 pkg. (9 oz. each) refrigerated cheese tortellini
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed (I used 1/3 less fat)
1 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup KRAFT Finely Shredded Italian* Five Cheese Blend (I used the 2% milk kind)
6 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled (I used the fully cooked kind)

POUR broth and water into large saucepan; stir. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Add tortellini. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover. Simmer 8 to 9 min. or until tortellini is tender. (Do not drain.)
ADD cream cheese and peas; stir. Heat 2 to 3 min. or until cream cheese is completely melted, stirring occasionally.
STIR in shredded cheese and bacon.

Source: Kraft Food and Family Magazine (also available at kraftfoods.com)

A few weekends ago we had some friends over for dinner after they helped us with a home improvement project. I cooked the Mexican Lasagna from a previous post and then pulled out my cookbooks to find a rice dish to make for a side. I came upon Fiesta Rice from one of my Cooking Light cookbooks and decided to give it a shot. It was good but it might be even better with the lime juice and fresh cilantro, which I omitted since I didn't have them on hand.

Fiesta Rice

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 (10-ounce) package frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup chopped green onions

1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Dash of salt

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add corn to pan; cook 10 minutes or until corn starts to brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan. Set aside.
Melt butter in pan. Add onions; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice, cumin, and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add chicken broth, black pepper, salt, and diced tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in reserved corn and beans. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro and juice.

Source: Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2008