Crispy Spaghetti with Zucchini and Herbs

This is by far one of the yummiest things I've ever made. And - I'll be honest - I might try a lot of recipes, but I by no means make things you'd call "yummy." "Very good," and, "satisfying," maybe; but never "yummy." Maybe that has something to do with the fact that this is one recipe I actually follow to the letter. No, that's probably un-related.

While allrecipes.com is my go-to when I'm in search of something, Woman's Day magazine is my favorite go-to to stumble on recipes and meal ideas. I never thought the day would come, but I out-grew Cosmo, so I usually pick up Woman's Day for the articles and come away with a lot more.

Along with the Cheesy Chicken Taquitos, Crispy Spaghetti with Zucchini and Herbs is an exercise in using up leftovers. As my mom mentioned as she copied down the recipe, good ideas for leftover spaghetti noodles are few and far between.

If you don't happen to have the September 2012 issue of Woman's Day lying around (I did; you wouldn't believe the size of my magazine collection), you can find the recipe here. Or - you know - just a few lines down right here...

1 Tbs olive oil (I use Extra Virgin, natch) to heat the pan to cook the onion mixture
2 Tbs olive oil to heat the pan to cook each side of the spaghetti mixture
1 small onion chopped (this is the only ingredient I eye-ball because I have no idea what constitutes as a "small onion")
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 Garlic clove, chopped
4 cups cooked, cold spaghetti
1 cup zucchini, shredded
3/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

As per the instructions, I heated the 1 Tbs of olive oil in the pan and cooked the onions - covered - with the salt and pepper. I accidentally threw the garlic in with the onion instead of cooking the onions for 6-8 minutes *then* throwing in the garlic for an additional minute, as the instructions instruct. I wasn't able to tell a huge difference in the final product, maybe it just makes the dish more garlic-y.

Then I tossed the cooked onion and garlic with the spaghetti, zucchini, parsley, and cheese while 1 Tbs of oil heated in a medium-sized skillet. Once the underside was brown, I inverted it onto a piece of parchment paper. Then I heated another 1 Tbs of oil in the pan and slid the spaghetti back into the pan until the other side was a nice, golden brown. The recipe estimates about 8-10 minutes on the first side, then 6-8 minutes on the other side, but since my stove decides on its own how and how long to cook things, I just keep an eye on it.

When I first made this dish - this, here, is my second rodeo - I wrongly concluded that I was supposed to cook a little bit of the mixture at a time, a la pancakes. They were still good, but a tad crispier than we would have liked. I just blamed that on the weird slant to my stove. In reality, you're supposed to put the entire mixture in the pan so it makes a sort of pie that you slice up and serve, hence the picture of a pie-slice in the magazine. You have no idea how hard I tried to make a freakin' triangle in the pan when I first made these.

Cooking the entire mixture at once was definitely an improvement and made the meal a little hardier. Of course, my husband mentioned how good it would be with sausage in it. Men.

(Still not a freakin' triangle, but a vast improvement.)

Taquitos a la Homemade: Easier Than You Think

Or maybe you already know. Or maybe you have thought about it and even though you've never actually done it, you think it would be the easiest thing in the world to make homemade taquitos. Or you're like me and think everything in the frozen section seems like you need to be some master chef to create it yourself.

As a bachelorette I routinely bought frozen Taquitos but knew the inevitable moment where it felt like I was chewing on a finger would soon be upon me. Growing older and arguably wiser, why would I want to put stuff in my body when I have no idea what it's made of?

But - mind you - Taquitos were never some integral part of my personal food pyramid. Yeah, they were good and easy but they weren't vital to my survival. When I recently found this recipe in Parenting magazine, though, it did become an integral part of my survival. Listed as an idea to use leftovers, this is a genius way to use leftover chicken, especially a whole bird (sidebar: I used the leftovers from making Glamour Magazine's famous Engagement Chicken. It's supposed to have instant proposal results but as an already married woman, it was just a really good tasting chicken.)

2 Cups shredded cooked chicken
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
 1/4 tsp garlic powder
12 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
Corn tortillas

I also love this meal because there is minimal clean-up. Per the recipe instruction, I combine the chicken, cheese, and seasonings in a bowl. The recipe also instructs to heat the tortillas between two damp paper towels in the microwave for 20 seconds. I do 25. I'm such a rebel.

I spoon the chicken mixture on the warm tortilla, roll it up, and place seam-side down on an un-greased cookie sheet. When all are done, I spray them with cooking spray. I like the EVOO kind, natch. The recipe says to bake them at 400-degrees for 25 minutes, or until brown; but for my whack-a-do oven, this translates to 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

I'm getting better at this cooking thing. But, believe me, if I can do it, you can do it.