Friday Fun: Creamy Garlic Spinach Chicken Pasta

Summertime, and the living is easy! We hope you've been having amazing summers: lots of swimming, family time, cocktails and of course food! The Wisconsin Test Kitchen has been having a very active summer! We hit up Milwaukee Kayak Company, rented kayaks and toured the Milwaukee river. It was a blast, and so fun to see our great city from a new vantage point. 

SB has been spending her summer at day camp with her friends, and last week she passed her swimming test and can now swim in the deep end of the pool (much to her delight). 

We've also tried some new (to us) restaurants, and have declared Barnacle Bud's the best patio in Milwaukee. We've been fortunate to have beautiful weather so far this summer, and we hope it lasts!  

Between exploring all Milwaukee has to offer, we've also been cooking. We've tried to focus on meals that are easy to prepare, so we can spend our evenings playing in the yard, or meeting friends for ice cream. 

Here's an easy meal we made a few weeks ago and loved. 

Creamy Garlic Spinach Chicken Pasta
Recipe courtesy of: Becky's Best Bites

Ingredients
12 oz. penne pasta
10 oz. fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 large, yellow onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
½ cup garlic and herb cream cheese (we used 4-5 Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb wedges)
⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flake, more or less depending on your preference
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste.

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions, reserving one cup of starching cooking water. Drain and return to hot pot, add chopped spinach, cover and set aside to let spinach wilt.

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.

Once hot, add chicken to the skillet and sauté for approximately 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Add onion and garlic to the pan and saute for 2-3 minutes or until the onion has softened and beginning to turn translucent.

Add cream cheese and reserved cooking water to chicken. Stir to combine and melt cream cheese.

Add chicken/cream cheese mixture to pot with pasta and spinach. Add parmesan, crushed red pepper (if using), salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Serve with additional parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes for garnish.

We hope you're having a fantastic summer; and can't wait to share more recipes with you!

Stay Cool,

The Cool Dads Crew

Monday Meals: Beef & Broccoli

The 4th of July was the official kick-off to summer: fireworks, grilled food and time with family and friends. With all the excitement (and heat) summer brings, sometimes cooking dinner is the last thing you want to think about. Especially if you don't have air conditioning, or a grill...

But never fear: Cool Dads to the rescue! Last week the Wisconsin Test Kitchen tried a new recipe that immediately became a family favorite. We loved that we could throw ingredients in the slow cooker, not heat up the house, and come home to a delicious, fresh, healthy dinner. This recipe is even kid tested and approved!

Beef & Broccoli
Recipe courtesy of: Buzzfeed

2 lbs sirloin steak or boneless beef chuck roast, sliced thin
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
4 Tbsp. water
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
White rice, cooked for serving


In the insert of the crockpot, whisk together beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic.

Place slices of beef in the liquid and toss to coat. Cover with lid and cook on low heat for 4 hours.

After 4 hours, whisk together cornstarch and water in small bowl. Pour into crock pot and stir to mix well. Add the broccoli and gently stir to combine. Cover with lid and cook 30 minutes to cook broccoli and thicken sauce.

Serve over warm white rice. Enjoy!

We all know slow cookers are the perfect way to cook winter stews and soups; but summertime is also slow cooker time! Do you have any favorite recipes for your slow cooker in summertime? Leave your recipes in the comments below!

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Friday Fun: 4th of July Recap

Are you still recovering from the 4th of July weekend? The Wisconsin Test Kitchen sure feels that way... We spent most of the weekend at home, but did a lot of cooking and entertaining of family and friends. At one point, Rebecca joked she must have run the dishwasher 25 times that weekend because of all the dishes and cooking. But it was all worth it. We thought we'd break down some of our favorite summertime recipes we've prepared over the last week! Sorry for the lack of pictures; we were too busy cooking to remember to snap a lot of pics! 

We had some of our favorite families over for a cookout the week before 4th of July, and smoked a pork shoulder and some ribs. Even though Kevin thinks meat alone is an acceptable meal, Rebecca felt the need to prepare a few side dishes. 

One of our tried and true summer salad recipes is a Pea Salad from The Pioneer Woman. The combination of sweet peas, cheddar cheese, red onion and bacon is savory, salty and perfect for summer. It's easy to throw together, and it's usually the first salad to go at a cookout.

No cookout is complete without dessert, and this family meal was no exception. Since rhubarb is in season, we decided to make a Rhubarb Cake, and use some of the 12 cups (no exaggeration) of rhubarb in our freezer. This cake couldn't be easier to make; and is perfect served room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream on top. I have a feeling we'll be making it again, since we still have so much rhubarb to go through...

Over 4th of July weekend, we smoked more pork shoulder, experimented with some pizza recipes, and pretty much stuck to our tried and true recipes. But we did attend a 4th of July party, and brought along a Feta Dip that was easy to make the morning before the 4th of July parade, swimming and other festivities. We served this tangy dip with a side of red pepper slices and crackers. It's so easy, it will make you look like a culinary rockstar. Don't worry: your secret is safe with us! 

We look forward to sharing more of our recipes with you; and would love to hear some of your summertime favorites! Leave your recipes in the comments below.

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Friday Fun: Thai Pork

We wouldn't describe the smallest member of the Wisconsin Test Kitchen as picky; she's just very opinionated about the types of food she'll eat. 

Cantalope? No.
Honey dew melon? Yes
Raw octopus? Yes
Tomatoes? No
Anything that has the smallest amount of black pepper added? Don't even think about it.

So you can imagine how thrilled we've been lately with her desire to try new recipes. She loved our Eggplant Pasta with Red Pepper & Tomato; and our Broccoli Soup. But the biggest hit of the week was definitely the Thai Pork. 

Thai Pork wins on multiple levels: it only requires a handful of ingredients, it's easy to make, and according to the meat eaters in the house: it's seriously delicious. Kevin tried hard to keep it on the DL how delicious it was, not wanting to tempt his vegetarian wife. Sawyer was less discrete. "Mom! This is the best meal ever!" she loudly announced. 

Thai Pork
Recipe courtesy of: Sublime Reflection

Ingredients
One 2 lb. boneless pork loin or pork roast
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 cup prepared Teriyaki sauce
2 T. rice vinegar
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic
3 T. creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped green onion

Instructions

Place pork, Teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and red pepper flakes in crockpot.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Remove meat from the crockpot and shred.
Stir peanut butter into the remaining liquid.
Add sliced peppers, and return meat to crockpot.
Cook approximately 30 minutes until peppers are slightly cooked, but still crisp.

Just before serving, stir in green onion and cilantro.

We served our pork over white rice, but it would be tasty in lettuce wraps, or over a salad as well. Take advantage of your crock pot this summer: let it do the cooking, and spend time with your family soaking up the sun. 

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Meatless Monday: Eggplant Pasta with Red Pepper & Tomato

A few months back, Rebecca's dad was on a flight, and was seated next to a food blogger he struck up a conversation with. She shared her favorite Milwaukee area restaurants and talked about the recipes on her blog. Rebecca's dad texted her right away; and told her she had to check out the blog. 

Done and done: Well Plated is a gorgeous blog: full of delicious recipes and beautiful photography. The Cool Dads Crew follows Well Plated on several social media platforms; and the Wisconsin Test Kitchen even tried a Well Plated recipe for Meatless Monday last week!

Update on No-Meat June: Rebecca breezed through the first 20 days of the month, but the past week has been a struggle. The worst was watching the family devour a delicious Thai Pork (will be posted Friday); while she had a veggie burger instead. The month will be ending with a celebratory burger from Cudahy Burger Joint. 

Eggplant Pasta with Red Pepper & Tomato

12 ounces pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 pound)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 x 1-inch strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces prepared tomato pasta sauce
1/2 cup pitted green, black, or mixed olives, chopped (we used black olives)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley or basil
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving


Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Drain, toss with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking, and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add the chopped eggplant and bell pepper and cook until just softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the garlic and sauté just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato sauce, olives, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until warmed through. Stir in the lemon juice and zest.

Stir the pasta into the eggplant tomato sauce, adding a little more of the prepared pasta sauce as needed to moisten the noodles. Served topped with chopped fresh herbs and Parmesan. Enjoy immediately.

This might be our favorite Meatless Monday recipe so far. We had given SB some plain noodles (she's not always a fan of tomato sauce); but after trying our dish- she wanted this pasta instead of her plain buttered noodles. I believe her exact words were, "Yum! I love eggplant!" Aww, that kid is a keeper.

Additionally, this pasta is also good cold the next day: it yielded enough for leftovers, and Rebecca had it for lunch almost all week. This is a perfect summer pasta dish that carnivores, vegetarians and vegans will all enjoy. 

Stay Cool,

The Cool Dads Crew

Meatless Monday: Ricotta Baked Pasta

The Wisconsin Test Kitchen has a go-to baked pasta recipe: penne, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. It's pretty basic; I'm sure you have the same recipe in your arsenal of week day meal recipes. But we found a tasty, new take on baked pasta, thanks to one simple ingredient: ricotta cheese. 

Our one piece of advice: if you try this recipe, splurge on the good quality, fresh ricotta instead of the cheap stuff that's more like wet cement. A light, fluffy cheese will make all the difference in this tasty recipe. 

Bonus points for this being a one-dish meal, and it's on the table in 30 minutes. 

Ricotta Baked Pasta
Recipe courtesy of: Kitchen Nostalgia

8 oz ziti or penne
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves
3 cups crushed tomatoes with juice
½ tsp Italian seasoning (oregano, basil and thyme)
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp red wine (optional)
2 cups water
salt, black pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 small egg

Saute onion in olive oil and butter until soft. 

Add garlic, tomatoes, wine, sugar and seasonings and cook for about 5-10 minutes.

Add pasta and 2 cups water to tomato sauce in the pot. Bring to boil, cover and cook on low boil, stirring from time to time, until pasta is tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and egg. 

Season with salt. Stir half of the mixture into pasta and dollop remaining on top.

Place pasta under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is softened and warmed through.

This might be our new favorite Meatless Monday recipe; the ricotta cheese was a wonderful addition to one of our favorite tried and true recipes.  

What's your favorite Meatless Monday recipe? Leave your suggestions in the comments below!

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Friday Fun: Dill Refrigerator Pickles

Now that the kids are all out of school for summer, it's time to find some fun recipes to try in the kitchen! A few weeks ago when the Wisconsin Test Kitchen went to the Dane County Farmer's Market; we picked up some smaller cucumbers to make pickles out of. Between the Bloody Mary's, sandwiches, and snacks consumed in our house- we go through a lot of pickles. And I mean A LOT of pickles. We thought refrigerator pickles might be a fun, and easy project.

If the idea of canning and preserving overwhelms you; refrigerator pickles are the way to go. You don't have to worry about canning, and all you need to do is add ingredients to your jars, and store them in your fridge for a week before eating. The only catch to refrigeration instead of preserving: whatever you refrigerate needs to be eaten in 4-6 weeks. Not a problem in our house! 

This is a great project for kids: older kids can slice the cucumbers, while smaller ones can count peppercorns, pick dill off the stalk and help measure sugar and salt. 

Dill Refrigerator Pickles
Recipe courtesy of: Self Proclaimed Foodie

10-12 pickling cucumbers
4 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
big bunch of dill
1 head of garlic, skins removed, cloves smashed (less if its a strong garlic)
10 peppercorn kernels

Slice cucumbers into 1/4 inch slices or spears. Set aside

To make brine, combine water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil and swirl to make sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Add cucumbers to jars. Do not pack them super tight as you you'll want room for the brine. Add the fresh dill, smashed garlic, and peppercorns to the jars. Finish by adding enough brine to cover the cucumbers. Seal with an airtight lid and store in the refrigerator for at least one week. Pickles should be good for at least 4-6 weeks after that.

This recipe made enough to fill two quart jars. 

Since strawberry season is upon us, stay tuned: one of the items on the Wisconsin Test Kitchen Summer Bucket list is to go strawberry picking. We've got an easy jam recipe you'll love making with your kids. 

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew