Five Favorites: Tasty meatless recipes

Seeing as I spent my entire Quick Takes post last week complaining, it does seem right to say that I'm not always so whiny. I've struggled with depression before, but that post was just taking several complaints from the last few months and putting them all into one post.

Anyway, today I'm going to link up with Ashley at The Big White Farmhouse for Five Favorites! Today's edition will be meatless recipes. We're over halfway through Lent, but Shane and I do meatless every week (except for major feasts and octaves).

(Sorry about the lack of pictures, I'm very bad at remembering to take pictures of my food. Even though I intend to write a blog post on it.)

1. Fettuccine Alfredo

This is a recipe that I make when Shane isn't home, because he's ridiculous and doesn't like creamy sauces or cheese. It's very easy, and doesn't require a roux like most recipes. And it's very hard to turn it into a lumpy mess!

You will need per two servings:

• 2 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup mozzarella
• 1/2 cup Parmesan 
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 ounces fettuccine 

1. Boil enough water and a dash of salt to cook the pasta. 
2. When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook till al dente, 6-7 minutes. 
3. While the pasta is cooking, put 3/4 plus 2 tablespoons of the milk into a pot and start it simmering. Whisk 2 tablespoons of the milk with the flour, and once the milk is simmering, stir in the milk with flour until it thickens, 2-3 minutes. 
4. Once the milk has thickened, add the mozzarella, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. 
5. Add the sauce to the cooked pasta and stir to combine. Serve while hot. 

You can add spinach, broccoli, shellfish, or chicken (if you aren't doing meatless, obviously). 

2. Mac and Cheese

This is actually the base I used to make my fettuccine alfredo recipe.

You need per 2 servings:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Muenster cheese
• 1/2 cup Colby-Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup sharp white cheddar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 ounces pasta of choice (I like rotini or medium shells personally)

1. Boil enough water and a dash of salt to cook the pasta. 
2. When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook till al dente, 6-7 minutes. 
3. While the pasta is cooking, put 3/4 plus 2 tablespoons of the milk into a pot and start it simmering. Whisk the remaining milk with the flour, and once the milk is simmering, stir in the milk with flour until it thickens, 2-3 minutes. 
4. Once the milk has thickened, add the cheeses and salt and pepper. 
5. Add the sauce to the cooked pasta and stir to combine. Serve while hot. 

You can add anything you'd like to this. If you would prefer different cheeses, feel free to experiment. This is just the combination that I particularly enjoy. I find that it has the perfect combination of flavor and melted texture for my liking. You can also add a dash of Worcestershire sauce if you'd like. I do when I'm just using cheddar.

If you prefer baked mac and cheese, you can slightly undercook the pasta, add a little bit of extra milk, put it all into a greased pan, top it with seasoned bread crumbs, and bake at 350 Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.

3. Shrimp Scampi

My family's recipe differs from the standard white wine version. It has a more citrus-y flavor, which I personally like. (My husband isn't nearly as fond of lemon in seafood as I am.)

• 3/4 pound (50-60 count) shrimp, raw/shelled/deveined  
• 6 tablespoons butter  
• 1 tablespoon minced green onion 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 5 cloves pressed garlic 
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley 
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest 
• Optional dash of hot pepper sauce

1.  Pat shrimp dry with paper towels; set aside. 
2. Melt butter in wide frying pan over medium heat. 
3. Stir in green onion, oil, garlic, lemon juice and salt; cook until bubbly. 
4. Add shrimp to pan and cook, stirring occasionally until shrimp turn pink, approx. 4-5 min. 
5. Stir in parsley, lemon peel and hot pepper sauce, if using. Serve hot.

We typically serve this over cappellini (angel hair) pasta, but you can use some other pasta if you would like.

4. Beer Battered Fish

We typically make Alton Brown's recipe for this. I think. My husband normally makes this one, so I'm not 100% sure. I know he adds garlic powder, and I think a touch of paprika. And if you'd like very interesting flavors, use Not Your Father's Root Beer for the beer. It adds a slight sweetness that is kind of nice. (I use kind of because I'm not really sure sweetness is the right word. It just adds...SOMETHING that makes it taste slightly different and takes it up a notch on the tasty front.)

5. Lentils with Spaghetti

This is another family recipe. Fun story: my third sister HATES beans of all kinds. Abhors them. That includes this dish. And my parents say you have to try at least one bite. She has had this dish served to her at every meal for four consecutive meals because she wouldn't even eat one bite. (Not because it's bad, she just REALLY doesn't like it.) Heaven knows what she would do with garbanzos and rigatoni. 

For four servings:

• 1 32 ounce can tomato sauce or pureed tomatoes
• 3ish tablespoons basil
• 5 cloves of garlic, cut in half
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 lb lentils
• Spaghetti 

1. Put the tomato sauce, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper into a pot. Save the can from the tomatoes. Cook until it simmers. 
2. Add the lentils and one canful of water to the pot. Cook until the lentils are tender. 
3. Cook and add spaghetti. Serve hot. 

I left the amount of spaghetti up to you. You can serve this more liquid-y as a soup (add extra water after the lentils cook if you want to do this), or like a tomato sauce for pasta (my preferred method). 

Those are some of MY favorite meatless recipes. (Not so much my husband considering the amount of creamy, cheesy, lemony items on here, but I still get most these once in a while!)

And, since Kathryn is cute, I'll finish with a picture of her in an adorable dress on our first 70 degree day!