farmer's beans and pasta

this is one of my stand-bys. it is simple but delicious and nobody complains when i make it! it's from martha stewart.

1/2 pound mini penne pasta
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 onion, thinly sliced crosswise into half-moons
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup canned chopped tomatoes
1 can (15 1/2 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed

cook pasta according to package instructions; drain. set aside.
in medium nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. add onion and carrots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 3-4 minutes. add sage oregano, salt, pepper, and stock. reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes. add zucchini and tomatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender, 7-8 minutes. add the beans, and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes more. remove from heat. toss with pasta and serve.

honey-seared salmon with cilantro noodles

i made this the other night and it was good, except i used chicken because that's what i had.

Serves 4
18 ½ oz salmon fillet
2 tbsp honey
cracked black pepper
for the cilantro noodles…
7 oz dried somen,
Chinese wheat or egg noodles
½ cup cilantro leaves
1/3 cup shredded mint leaves
1/3 cup basil leaves, halved
2 zucchini, shredded
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp honey

To make the cilantro noodles, cook the noodles in boiling water for 3-5 minutes or until soft. Drain and rinse under cold running water until cool. Drain again. Combine the noodles with the coriander, mint, basil, zucchini, lime juice, soy and honey. (If you're making this for kids you might consider keeping some noodles plain.)Cut the salmon into ¾ in wide strips and toss with the honey and pepper. Heat a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Cook the salmon for 1 minute on each side or until the honey is golden.To serve, place the noodles on serving plates and top with the salmon.
-Donna Hay, Off the Shelf: Cooking from the Pantry

Shrimp Stew

this is much better than it sounds...shrimp stew? i don't know, they need a better name, but it is really yum. this is from the whole living website and is very good for you. the shrimp i picked up were so sweet and delicious. enjoy!

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed, halved, and thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, quartered and sliced crosswise
2 links (3 ounces) each fully cooked Italian-style chicken sausage, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 pound pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup parsley leaves, chopped

Directions
In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add potatoes, carrots, garlic, onion, sausage, and cayenne; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are crisp-tender, 15 to 17 minutes.
Sprinkle flour over potatoes and vegetables. Stir in broth and 1/4 cup water; bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes more. Top mixture with shrimp. Cover and simmer 3 to 4 minutes until shrimp are opaque throughout. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.