What to Do With Those Leftovers

(Add them to this yummy pasta dish!)

When it comes to food, my eyes are always bigger than my stomach. Instead of baking a couple of drumsticks for my husband and I (the only two in my household), I cook a whole roaster with intentions of eating the entire thing in one dinner. It never works out that way. I'm stuffed after my fill and we're left with more than half a chicken!

I just met Stacey DeHass, the Executive Chef at Amish Naturals, a  fast-growing organic food company out of Holmesville, Ohio. Because of the high price of food these days, Stacey has gotten quite crafty in the kitchen and has developed an entire roster of  tasty, fulfilling and healthy recipes by using leftovers. Here's one of her delish concoctions:

***This recipe is a perfect way to utilize seasonal vegetables, which are generally cheaper, and to experiment with different additions such as leftover grilled chicken.  Just heat it in the microwave and toss it in at the end.

12 oz Pasta (try Amish Naturals Pasta...it's really good!)

4 qt Water

1 Tbsp Kosher Salt

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Roasted Garlic, crushed

3/4 cup Sweet Onion, diced

3/4 cup Bell Peppers, diced

3/4 cup Zucchini, diced

3/4 Mushrooms, sliced

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Asiago Cheese

Boil water with tablespoon of kosher salt in large covered stock pot.  Remove lid, add pasta and boil according to package instructions or until al dente (soft but not overcooked).  Drain pasta through colander and rinse immediately with cold water to stop cooking process.  Set aside.

In large sauté pan over medium heat, heat oil, then stir in garlic, onions and peppers and sauté until nearly tender.  Add zucchini and mushrooms and continue sautéing.  Season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste and mix in remaining butter.  Stir in pasta and cook long enough to heat thoroughly– garnish with grated cheese to serve. 

Take the Gourmet Foods Pop Quiz

Ritz crackers are good, but they just don’t compare to those gourmet crackers (ever-so-slightly seasoned with pepper and sesame seeds) that are laid out with fine cheeses at weddings and other fancy functions. If I could afford to snack on those crackers regularly, I would. Same applies with everything else in the gourmet aisle at the supermarket. Ever tried Das Caramelini Salted Caramels? Oh. My. Goodness.

I just got wind of The Nibble, a free online gourmet food magazine, that offers its readers the chance to win something that's normally reserved for special occasions – i.e. chocolate marzipan dusted with confectioners sugar, imported honey mustard...hmm, you get the point. Every week, take a four-question quiz (that you don't even need to answer correctly) and you could win that week’s gourmet gift. This week it's a box of 36 assorted bags of Popchips.

P.S. A little birdie tells me that since the contests are still an undiscovered gem, your odds of winning are quite high.