Olive Garden Announces 15th-Annual Pasta Tales Essay Contest

/PRNewswire/ -- Olive Garden is seeking to capture students' future aspirations and plans to achieve their goals as part of its 15th-annual Pasta Tales essay writing contest. This year, Olive Garden is asking students to: "Describe how furthering your education beyond high school will help make your dreams come true ." The contest grand prize is a three-day trip to New York City and a $2,500 savings bond.

Today through Friday, Jan., 21, 2011, Olive Garden's Pasta Tales contest will give students in first through 12th-grade in the U.S. and Canada the opportunity to share their stories in essays of 50 to 250 words. Pasta Tales entry forms and complete rules are available on Olive Garden's website at www.olivegarden.com/company/community/pasta_tales.asp and at local Olive Garden restaurants.

In addition to Olive Garden's Pasta Tales grand prize of a three-day trip to New York City including dinner at the Olive Garden in Times Square and a $2,500 savings bond, winners will be named in each grade category and awarded a $500 savings bond and a family dinner at their local Olive Garden restaurant.

Olive Garden's Pasta Tales entries must include the writer's first and last name, complete address, phone number with area code, grade, date of birth including year and a statement that the work is his or her own. Entries must be submitted either online or postmarked by Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 and sent to Pasta Tales, PMB 2000, 6278 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33308-1916.

Submissions will be judged based on creativity, adherence to theme, organization, grammar, punctuation and spelling by the Quill and Scroll Society of the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Iowa, with winners selected by Olive Garden.

Olive Garden's Pasta Tales essay contest provides students in its local communities an outlet to creatively express the influences, experiences and stories that have shaped their lives. For more information about Olive Garden's Pasta Tales, contact Katie Lennon at (919) 376-1737 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST.

Olive Garden is the leading restaurant in the Italian dining segment with more than 700 restaurants, more than 87,000 employees and $3.3 billion in annual sales. Olive Garden is a member of the Darden family of restaurants (NYSE: DRI), the world's largest company-owned and operated full-service restaurant company. For more information, visit Olive Garden's website at www.olivegarden.com.


------
Community News You Can Use
Click to read MORE news:
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
Twitter: @gafrontpage & @TheGATable @HookedonHistory
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga, @softnblue, @RimbomboAAG
www.FayetteFrontPage.com
Twitter: @FayetteFP

Take The Hassle Out Of Weeknight Meals

(NAPSI)-School days don't have to mean meals on the run. Enjoy weeknight family meals together by lessening dinner preparation time and increasing time spent around the table. Try combining practical, prepared ingredients from the freezer or pantry with homemade foods that can be cooked in advance and stored or frozen until mealtime.

When short on time, try Ready-Made Ravioli and Meatballs. By simply combining Mrs. T's Pierogies-the perfect pairing of pasta and potatoes straight from the freezer-with jarred pasta sauce from the pantry and homemade turkey meatballs from the oven or freezer, you'll have a hearty, low-fat dish in less than 10 minutes. And requiring less than 10 ingredients, this take on the classic Italian favorite is sure to become a staple in your weekly routine all year long.

Ready-Made Ravioli

and Meatballs

1 pound ground turkey

1 large egg

¼ cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce

1 (16-ounce) package frozen Mrs. T's® Pierogies

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Combine ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs and salt in large bowl; stir until mixture is well combined. Shape mixture into 11/2-inch-round meatballs.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook half of the meatballs at a time until well browned on all sides, turning frequently; repeat with remaining oil and meatballs. Add marinara sauce; over high heat, heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

Meanwhile, boil pierogies as package directs. Drain.

Toss pierogies with meatballs and sauce, mixing well. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 servings.


-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Quick And Easy Salads For Busy Families

(NAPSI)-Salads can be a tasty way to add more vegetables into your family's diet and get closer to the five to seven daily servings recommended by the USDA.

Tomato and Basil Pasta Salad is a healthful and delicious recipe to serve your active family; a light, flavorful salad packed with nutritious vegetables and drizzled with a canola oil vinaigrette.

It's easy to improvise on this basic recipe. You can substitute other vegetables that your family loves and use a different vinegar or other seasonings. For a heartier meal, add chopped, cooked chicken or cubes of cheese.

Versatile canola oil is great in salads like this because it allows the flavor of other ingredients to come through. High in omega-3s yet free of cholesterol and trans fat, canola oil is the lowest of all vegetable oils in saturated fats.

Prepare this salad the night before and store undressed until dinner. Just add the vinaigrette before serving.

Tomato and Basil Pasta Salad

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 broccoli top, cut into bite-size pieces

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

3 yellow squashes, blanched and sliced (or 2 small zucchini, chopped)

1 cup fresh basil, torn

1 pound penne pasta, cooked according to package directions

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup good red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Toss all the ingredients with the pasta. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

For more recipes, visit www.northerncanola.com.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.artsacrossgeorgia.com
Arts Across Georgia

Thumbs Down on Green Giant Pasta, Broccoli & Alfredo Sauce

I always look for new things to try at the grocery store as I wander up and down the aisles. So, when I spotted what looked like an interesting and tasty change-of-pace in the frozen veggie section the other day, I grabbed it.

"Green Giant Pasta, Broccoli & Alfredo Sauce" sounds good doesn't it? It's one of those open the bag, toss in a dish and nuke dishes that is great as a filler or when you're in a rush.

It looks good on the package photo, too. Big chunks of broccoli florets atop sauce covered noodles. Yum.

I glanced at the calories knowing anything with "Alfredo" in it is usually high in calories and fat. Not so with this one, only 220 calories per serving and 4 grams of fat. Not low-cal, but reasonable.

Tried it last night for the first time... and the last.

First, I missed the sodium content when looking at the "Nutrition Facts" but caught the high content immediately with my first bite. I like salt and like it more than I should, so for me to taste the salt it had to be high.

Took a look at the bag and yep, there's a whopping 710 mg in one serving. Wow.

However, that wasn't the worst. I counted three (3) broccoli florets in the entire dish. The rest of the pieces were stems. I know, picky, picky, but I don't like the stems. I don't mind a few, and I can live with 50-50, but there were way too many for my tastes.

I did like the fact that unlike many similar dishes, this one had a lot of broccoli. Usually they're pasta heavy.

The taste? Mediocre --- maybe because it was so low in calories compared to other Alfredos, maybe because of the high sodium content, or maybe it's just the recipe in general.

My husband and I both curled our lips when we tasted our first bite. It's not horrible, it's just not "good".

I was a bit surprised, and disappointed.

Pasta Sauce...Not Just For Pasta Anymore

(NAPSI)-When you are pressed for time in the kitchen, few things are simpler or more satisfying than a jar of specialty pasta sauce served over your favorite steaming-hot pasta.

One brand even adds wine, an Italian culinary tradition, which adds flavor and richness.

Jarred pasta sauce can be one of the most versatile staples of a well-stocked kitchen, used in a wide variety of ways to make the job of the home chef a little easier and the results a lot more rewarding.

Here are some tips:

• Always keep jars of high-quality pasta sauce in the cupboard. With freshly chopped onion and carrots, a few fresh herbs and a protein such as chicken or beef, you can have a hearty homemade chicken cacciatore or savory Italian beef braise on your table fast.

• Combine jarred pasta sauce with water or broth. Add a drained can of Tuscan white beans, your choice of fresh, seasonal vegetables and a handful of uncooked pasta, heat gently and serve with fresh grated Parmesan. You've just created delicious, meatless minestrone.

• For best results, check the label. Look for fresh and natural ingredients and no preservatives.

• For a quick Bolognese, add one pound of ground beef, veal, turkey, pork or chicken, sautéed in a bit of extra-virgin olive oil until cooked, to one jar of pasta sauce. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes and serve with the pasta of your choice and crusty garlic bread.

• The best tomatoes for sauce are Italian plum tomatoes. Simple and elegant Napa Valley Bistro Marinara Sauces are made with tomatoes imported from the San Marzano region of Italy. Napa Valley Bistro robust, full-flavored, classic sauces are made with vine-ripened plum tomatoes from California. The sun-ripened tomatoes contain plenty of the anti-oxidant lycopene and vitamin C.

• These sauces are complete recipes ready to enjoy right out of the jar. But when you're feeling adventurous and have a little more time to spare, they make an excellent base for all your culinary creations, adding a layer of richness and flavor that plain canned tomatoes can't deliver.

Made with heart-healthy extra-virgin olive oil, Napa Valley Bistro Sauces are the only sauces with Napa Valley wine added.

You may care to try them in recipes like this:

Easy Napa Valley Bistro Braised-Beef Short Ribs

(Serves 6-8)

4 lbs. beef short ribs

1/4 c. Mezzetta Extra-Virgin Italian Olive Oil

1 jar Napa Valley Bistro Porcini & Portabella Mushroom sauce

1 t. Mezzetta Crushed Garlic

2 c. beef broth

1/2 c. red wine

1 bay leaf

1 sprig rosemary

1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped

1/2 cup celery

1/2 cup carrots

Minced fresh parsley

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat, season the short ribs with salt and pepper and brown all sides. Place the short ribs into a deep baking dish and cover with all of the remaining ingredients. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and cook for 3-4 hours, until the meat is tender and falling off of the bone. Skim fat off top or refrigerate, covered, overnight, and remove fat before gently reheating and serving.

To serve, place the meat on a platter, whisk the sauce and spoon on top. Garnish with minced fresh parsley and serve with rice, potatoes, pasta or polenta.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page