White Cheddar Mac & Cheese

Hello there! Nice seeing you again! Thanks for stopping by and not forgetting about me during my unintentional blogging sabbatical. I appreciate it. :)

When I was about 14, my family moved into a new house. The kitchen had been re-done shortly before my parents bought the place and the cabinets were custom and most of them had sliding, pull-out shelves (a la Ikea). I was fascinated by them.  I had no idea this was a "thing." I'd never heard of Ikea (forgive me, Swedish ancestry). The state of Minnesota didn't even have an Ikea until I was well into my twenties. I thought that whomever designed the kitchen cabinets was genius, and really onto something.

So, fast-forward until we bought our house. We have a few really deep cabinets. I hated going into them. It was impossible to get things out of them (you can guess where this is going now, can't you). Every time I took out my flour container, it felt like a puzzle getting it back in. I had wanted for almost the entire year-and-a-half we've lived here to do something about those damn cabinets. I was crushed when I learned that one particular cabinet was not the right size to be able to drive the 4 miles to our Ikea and pick up some of the magical shelves. Then, I discovered a company that will custom-make the shelves to fit the actual dimensions of your cabinets.

So, I present to you, the before and after:

I swear, the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah went through my head. It's amazing how much easier it is to get things out - like the pasta to make this mac & cheese. Even my husband, who firmly believes that mac & cheese is a side dish, not a main dish, agrees that this is really good stuff.

Yes, this picture was taken a while ago while it was nice outside.

White Cheddar Mac & Cheese

Recipe from Annie's Eats (she got it from panera.com)

Serves 4-ish (probably should be at least 6)

INGREDIENTS

1 lb small pasta

4 TBSP butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups dairy liquid (milk, cream, half & half - whatever)

4 oz white American cheese, chopped  (I usually just use Velveeta - white American is oddly hard to find around here)

8 oz sharp white cheddar, shredded (I usually use reg. orange cheddar)

1 tsp Dijon mustard (or more, if you really like dijon)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp hot sauce

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the bugger in a large saucepan over medium heat (my dutch oven works well). When the butter is melted and a little bubbly, whisk in the flour, stirring constantly, for about 1 1/2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and keep whisking until the lumps are gone. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens, about 8 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the cheese by the handful, whisking until the cheese is entirely melted before adding more. Repeat until the cheese is all added. Stir in the mustard, salt, & hot sauce.

Return the pan to the heat and stir in the pasta, stirring to thoroughly coat all of the pasta with the sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes to make sure everything is heated through.

Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Penne alla Vodka

We've now been back from San Francisco for about a month. Our trip was a wonderful week filled with great sight-seeing and absolutely wonderful food. The Golden Gate Bridge really is as cool to see in person as you'd think it is. I want to go back, badly. I mean, look at this. It's beautiful.

We both fell in love with the North Beach neighborhood, San Francisco's "Little Italy." The Twin Cities have a lot of really great restaurants, but they truly don't hold a candle to anything we ate in San Francisco. I don't think I've eaten better Italian since I was in Italy. If you're ever there, you should go to Tommaso's.  It's an adorable little hole-in-the wall place - very small, quaint, and cute. Order their lasagna. It's amazing.

And in the meantime, make this Penne alla Vodka. You won't regret it.

Roasted Tomato Penne alla Vodka
Recipe from Rachael Ray, adapted
Serves 4ish

INGREDIENTS
1 lb penne pasta
3 lbs plum tomatoes
2 TBSP olive oil, plus drizzles
2 TBSP fresh thyme, finely chopped
salt & pepper
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced fine
1 cup vodka
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup mascarpone cheese
handful basil leaves, torn

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Cut the tomatoes in half and arrange cut-side up on baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the thyme, salt, & pepper.

Roast for about 1 hr, 15 min. Let cool.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions & garlic and season with salt & pepper. Cook until soft, about 12-15 min. Add the vodka and cook until reduced by about half. Add the chicken stock.and roasted tomatoes and heat through.

Stir in the mascarpone cheese, and then, using an immersion blender (or transfer to food processor), puree until smooth and creamy. Add the basil and stir until it is wilted.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, and drain. Toss the pasta with the sauce, and serve. Top with some grated Parmesan cheese.

Ratatouille Pasta

My oldest two nephews love the movie Ratatouille. I doubt the yonger two have a preference, considering they're 6 months and 12 months, respectively, though I like to think if they could follow a plot line, they'd love the movie, too. We watched it at Thanksgiving (or more accurately, it was on while the adults were talking and drinking homemade Sangria). I'd forgotten how cute the movie actually is. It made me hungry for ratatouille. 

Fastforward 4 months. It feels like summer here. March is normally our snowiest month of the year, but I was sitting on my deck wearing a tank top and capri pants. Now, as much as I know this weather isn't normal and in all probability shouldn't be happening right now, I can't help but love it. It really puts me in the mood to make the things I normally make in the summer when I can get fresh, local produce (often from my back yard or the Farmer's Market at my office). 

This time I decided to take it one step further and make traditionally ratatouille even more delicious - add ravioli, top it with cheese, and bake it. It was a revelation. Now if only I could be guaranteed it won't drop below freezing for the rest of the year so I can get started planting my garden.

Ratatouille Pasta Bake

Serves 4ish

INGREDIENTS

2-3 TBSP olive oil

1 eggplant, peeled chopped (about 2 cups)

2 zucchini, chopped (about 2 cups)

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 (15 oz) can diced tomato

1 (28 oz) can tomato puree 

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 TBSP fresh basil, chiffonade

3 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped

2 packages fresh ravioli (we like the 4-cheese kind from Trader Joe's)

1 cup Mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Put the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let it sit out for about an hour. You'll probably notice a lot of moisture on the eggplant. After about an hour, rinse the eggplant thoroughly, and then pat it dry. This process will help coax out the bitterness in the eggplant and help collapse the air pockets, so your eggplant doesn't absorb as much oil.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Let it get very hot, but not smoking. If your oil isn't hot enough, the eggplant will absorb it and it. Cook until the eggplant has begun to soften and is a little brown, stirring occasionally. It should take around 5. Add the zucchini and cook until it starts to soften, again about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, and again cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the diced tomato, tomato puree, salt, pepper, basil, and parsley and simmer for about 20 minutes, again, stirring occasionally.

In a bit pot, bring some salted water to a boil. Add the ravioli and cook until al dente. Set aside if the 20 minutes isn't up yet, or to the ratatouille, if it is. Stir to combine.

Add the ratatouille with ravioli to a casserole dish and cover with mozzarella cheese. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.

Fetuccini in Roasted Garlic Pesto Cream Sauce

Dishes like this are what happen when I don't know what to make for dinner but discover about a half of a box of fetuccini, a half of a tub of roasted garlic pesto sauce, and some dairy liquid in my fridge. The combination of the roasted garlic pesto with the slightly-cheesy cream sauce was the perfect combination and a great dinner for a cold night.

Fetuccini in Roasted Garlic Pesto Cream Sauce

Serves 3-4

Cook & Prep Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Fetuccini noodles (I used a little more than 1/2 of a box)

1 TBSP butter

1-2 TBSP flour

2 cloves garlic

1 cup 2% milk

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

1/4 cup (or so) pesto sauce 

salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS

Cook the pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Melt butter over medium heat in a big pot or dutch oven. Whisk in the flour and let cook for about a minute. Add the milk and stock and whisk. Let cook for a few minutes, or until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the garlic and season with a bit of salt & pepper. 

Add the cheese and whisk together. Cook for a few more minutes. 

Stir in the pesto sauce and toss with the noodles. Serve and top with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Sloppy Lasagna

Growing up, my family's lasagna was always a jar of spaghetti sauce (usually Prego) mixed with ground beef and some mushrooms, layered with noodles, cottage cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Nothing fancy, but it did the trick. Then, I went to Italy and discovered that lasagna can have a white sauce, too. I was in heaven. It was like a whole new world opened for me.

My husband, on the other hand, prefers his lasagna to be white-sauce-less. This has become an incredibly minor point of contention.

I watched Rachael Ray make this one day and decided I had to try it. You should too. It's pretty quick to put together despite the miles-long ingredient list and was really rich and comforting. I made quite a few changes to the original recipe, but and I think I would keep every single one of them.

Sloppy Lasagna
Recipe from Rachael Ray, adapted
Serves about 8
Prep Time - about 20 minutes
Cook Time - about 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 lb lasagna noodles (not the no-boil kind)
salt & pepper
1 TBSP olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 small carrot, grated
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
pinch of cinnamon
1 TBSP tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
1 jar marinara sauce
a few fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
4 TBSP butter
4 TBSP flour
2 cups 2% milk
pinch nutmeg
1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 to 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese (or ricotta)
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS
Break the lasagna noodles up into irregular-sized pieces. Cook to just shy of al dente. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the meat and brown. Once the meat is almost browned, add the onion, carrot, garlic, and bay leaves. Season with salt & pepper, to taste. Once the meat is browned, drain the meat, if necessary. Return the meat to the pan and add the cinnamon and tomato paste. Cook for about 1 minute before adding the stock. Continue cooking for about another minute before adding the marinara sauce. Reduce heat and add the basil.

While the sauce simmers, melt butter over medium heat in a medium pot. Whisk in the flour. Cook for about a minute and then whisk in the milk and nutmeg. Season with salt & pepper, to taste. Cook for a few minutes, to thicken, and then stir in half of the cheese. Turn off the heat.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Add about 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese to the cottage cheese and stir together.

Add the pasta to the meat sauce and mix together (stop adding pasta when you have reached your desired level of sauce-y-ness). Put about 1/2 or 1/3 of this mixture into the bottom of a lasagna pan. Add 1/2 or 1/3 of the cottage cheese to the top. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and pour 1/2 or 1/3 of the white sauce over all. Continue layering as such until you are out of all ingredients. Top with the rest of the Parmesan cheese and Mozzarella cheese.

Put in the oven and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn the broiler on and keep it under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes until the cheese starts to bubble.

Chicken Bolognese

There isn't much to say about this recipe. It was really tasty and quick to make for a week-night dinner. I'm not convinced it's actually a bolognese, but I don't want to doubt Wolfgang Puck. My understanding is that a bolognese is a rich, thick meat sauce (usually made with a combination of beef, veal, and pork) with a bit of cream and usually a tiny hint of cinnamon. Have I been wrong all these years? Or am I right and Wolfgang is taking liberties with his recipe titles? You should make it and then decide for yourself.

Chicken Bolognese 
Recipe by Wolfgang Puck, adapted
Serves 4
Cook Time - 20 min
Prep Time - 40 min

INGREDIENTS
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 lb ground chicken
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 TBSP fresh thyme leaves
pinch red pepper flakes
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 lb penne pasta

DIRECTIONS
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the ground chicken and cook until browned, stirring occasionally; about 8 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, and red pepper flakes, and cook about 5-8 minutes, or until veggies are soft.

Deglae the pan with the wine and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine is almost completely evaporated.

Add the tomato sauce and tomato juice and simmer about 20 minutes, until the sauce has a thick consistency. Season with salt & pepper, to taste.

While the sauce is cooking , cook the penne to al dente. Drain and set aside. If necessary, add a few TBSP of the starchy cooking water to the sauce (I didn't do this). Add the pasta to the sauce. Top the pasta with the Parmesan cheese and toss until well combined. Garnish with parsley leaves and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Spaghetti Pomodoro

The first time I went to Italy, I was 18 years old. While not particularly well-traveled, I knew that the food in Italy wouldn't taste anything like the spaghetti or lasagna my parents made or the stuff they served at Olive Garden (the closest thing to "authentic" my readily available when I grew up). I didn't know how simple and delicious it would actually be. I also had no idea that pasta is generally a first course. 

On our first night in Italy, we were served a big plate of pasta and it was so delicious that when the waiters came around asking if anyone wanted any more, we all happily took some. Imagine how surprised (and stuffed!) we were when they took our plates away and brought us each a couple of pieces of roasted chicken and potatoes. We learned our lesson the next night, and while we definitely still over-indulged in every dish of pasta the waiters put in front of us, we knew to save room for the equally delicious second plate that was about to come our way.

I've been trying for a while to make a good spaghetti pomodoro, plain and simple, like what you can find in pretty much every restaurant and cafe across Italy. I tried several recipes with no luck. I think I was over-thinking it. So, one day, I decided to just throw things that made sense into a pot and see what came out. I think I hit it with this one. I'm not saying this is going to be better than your Italian grandmother's, but I'll be flattered if you think it is. 

I'm going to submit this to this week's Presto Pasta Nights, hosted this week by Ruth of the great blog Once Upon a Feast. I haven't participated in a while and am looking forward to getting back into it!

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Pomodoro
Serves 4

Cook & Prep Time - 15-20 min

INGREDIENTS
Olive oil
5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken or veggie stock
salt & pepper
6 basil leaves, chiffonade
dash red pepper flakes
1 lb spaghetti noodles
1 TBSP butter

DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Heat about 1 TBSP olive oil over medium heat. Add the garli and sautee for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the red wine vinegar and cook for about 2 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the tomato sauce and stock and stir to combine. Season with salt & pepper, to taste (you shouldn't need much). Add the basil and red pepper flakes and stir. Cook for about 5-10 minutes.

Add the hot pasta to the pot. Top the pasta with about 1 TBSP of butter and toss to combine. Top with freshly grated Parmesan, if desired.

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Marinara Sauce

At the grocery store, I came across a bottle of roasted red pepper Italian dressing and thought it looked interesting. Unfortunately, it's a bit too strong to eat on lettuce, so I was left to figure out what I could make with it. A pasta sauce came to mind. It was delicious, if I do say so myself. The red pepper flavor came through clearly and complimented the marinara sauce beautifully.

Roasted Red Pepper Marinara Sauce

Serves 4

Cook & Prep Time - about 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 TBSP olive oil

1/2 medium onion, diced finely

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt & pepper

1 jar marinara sauce

1/4 cup roasted red pepper Italian dressing

3ish oz cream cheese

1 lb pasta (I used farfalle)

DIRECTIONS

Cook the onions and garlic in the oil for a few minutes over medium heat, until the onions begin to soften and get translucent.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Add the marinara sauce and red pepper dressing. Stir to combine. Add the cream cheese and let it melt for a few minutes. Once the cream cheese is soft, stir to combine until the cream cheese is mixed through.

Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Parmesan

I'm always up for trying a new Chicken Parmesan recipe, so when I came across this one, I fought against my natural instinct to dismiss it because of the crazy name Guy Fieri gave it, and actually looked at the recipe to give it a try. I'm glad I did. It probably won't become my go-to recipe (mostly because it was really time consuming), but there are definitely elements I'll combine into my standard recipe. I loved the breading on the chicken, and I thought that brining the chicken made the meat a lot more juicy than normal. I also loved the crispiness the chicken got when putting it under the broiler for a couple of minutes.


Chicken Parmesan
Recipe from Guy Fieri
Serves 4
Prep Time - 60 minutes (30 minutes are inactive)
Cook Time - about an hour

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 quart water
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/4 lb grated Parmigiano cheese
oil, for frying
tomato sauce (make your own or use a jar - the homemade that went with this recipe wasn't worth it)
Spaghetti noodles, cooked to al dente.

DIRECTIONS
Pound the chicken breasts to about 1/2-inch. Combine the salt, sugar, and water in a large ziploc bag; shake until dissolved. Add the chicken breasts and soak at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Place the flour in a medium bowl. Mix the eggs and milk in medium bowl and whisk thoroughly. In a separate bowl combine the bread crumbs, oregano, basil, parsley, sea salt, and pepper.

Remove the chicken from the brine, pat cry, and lightly dredge the chicken in the flour. Shake off the excess flour. Dredge the chicken in the egg and milk mixture. Dredge the chicken into the bread crumb mixture, and lightly pat down in the bread crumbs to adhere. Let the breaded chicken sit for 5 minutes before frying.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente. Drain and set aside.

Preheat the broiler.

In a medium pan on medium-high heat, add enough olive oil to come 1/3 up the side of the chicken. Cook the chicken until golden brown on both sides. Remove from the pan when cooked and place on a sheet tray.

Top the chicken with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Place under the broiler for a couple minutes, or until the cheese bubbles.

Serve chicken over pasta and ladle marinara sauce on the top. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Fetuccini Bolognese

Considering it was about 90 degrees outside yesterday, I know this seems like a weird recipe to post. But, I actually made it about 2 months ago and keep forgetting to post it. So don't question my cooking/weather sanity just yet.

I'm still on the hunt for the perfect bolognese. This recipe came close, but it's not quite there. Even though I let it simmer for the full two hours, the taste of red wine was still a little strong. If I make it again, I think I'll reduce the amount of wine and maybe add some Italian sausage in with the ground meat.

Fetuccini Bolognese
Recipe from Pastor Ryan, via Pioneer Woman (adapted)

Serves 6

Prep Time - 30 minutes

Cook Time - 2 hrs

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cups Olive Oil
3/4 cup grated carrots
1 medium-large onion, diced
2/3 lb ground beef
1/3 lb ground pork
1 TBSP dried Oregano
2 TBSP dried basil
3 oz tomato paste
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry red wine (Chianti was great)
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
3 cans tomato sauce or tomato puree
1 can diced tomatoes, with juices
1/2 cup milk
salt & pepper, to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb fetuccini noodles

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Add grated carrots and onions and cook for a few minutes. Make a well in the center of the mixture, and then add in the ground beef and ground pork. Cook for a few minutes until brown, gradually stirring it into the carrot mixture.

Add the oregano and basil. Use fresh if you have it. If you don’t, it’s fine (if you do, double the amount used). When the meat is browned and combined with other ingredients, make another well. Add tomato paste and let it heat. Add garlic and stir to combine.

Make a well in the center of the mixture and add red wine. Stir together. Add Worcestershire and stir. Add canned tomatoes. Finally, pour in milk, stir, and let simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours. If you can wait the 2 hrs, really try to give it the full 2 hrs because the flavors will really develop by cooking it for so long.

Serve with pasta and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Linguini Carbonara

I confess: I've been terribly afraid of making carbonara. I love it so much, but the idea of myself trying to cook eggs with nothing but hot pasta scared me. A lot. So... I just never made it. Then, a few days ago, I decided to be brave. Despite my husband's skepticism and jokes of omelet pasta, I made it.

Wow. This was delicious. And as much as I fretted, it really was one of the easiest pasta dishes I've made in quite some time. You need to make it. Like, now.

Linguini Carbonara

Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman/Pastor Ryan

Serves 2-3

Cook & Prep Time - about 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS*

1/2 lb linguini noodles

4 TBSP butter, divided

1-2 TBSP olive oil

1 small onion, diced finely

5 cloves garlic, crushed (or minced)

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 eggs

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

salt & pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. While bringing the water to a boil, chop up your onions and garlic.

Crack the eggs in a bowl and get them ready to mix together with the Parmesan cheese (I mixed them in my food processor).

Drop pasta in the water and cook to al dente. It's very important that the noodles stay in the boiling water until right before you mix them with the sauce. The noodles have to be really hot.

Melt 2 TBSP butter with 1-2 TBSP olive oil over medium heat in the bottom of a big pan. Add the onions & garlic and season with salt & pepper, to taste. Once the onions soften, increase the heat to medium-high and add wine to deglaze the pan. Cook until the alcohol burns off and the liquid reduces by about half.

Add the chicken stock and turn down the heat to medium-low. Cook until the noodles are done.

In the meantime, mix together the eggs and Parmesan. Even though I did this in my food processor, I'm sure a whisk would work, too.

When the pasta is done, quickly drain it and return it to the pot. Immediately add the egg mixture and toss for several seconds. Add the liquid, onions and garlic from the pan and toss for a few more seconds. Then, add remaining 2 TBSP butter and toss until the butter melts and is combined. Season with pepper, to taste.

Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

*I'm aware that a carbonara normally has bacon in it. I don't like bacon. So I left it out.

Chicken in White Wine Sauce

About three weeks ago, I decided I wanted to make some sort of chicken in a wine sauce. When I decided that, I was thinking I was going to make something like the Coq au Vin I made months ago and loved. Apparently I wasn't really feeling it because it stayed on my menu planning list for almost three weeks. Then, tonight, I got inspired and ended up creating something completely different, but very delicious. We both loved this - it managed to be both light and hearty at the same time and bursting with flavor.

Chicken in White Wine Sauce

Serves 2

Prep Time - 10 minutes

Cook Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 oz egg noodles

4 chicken legs

flour, seasoned with salt & pepper, for dredging

1 TBSP butter

1 TBSP olive oil

1 shallot, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

3/4-ish cup white wine

3/4-ish cup chicken stock

1/2-ish cup whole milk (or other dairy liquid)

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp dried chives

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat oil & butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge chicken legs in seasoned flour. Add to pan and brown on all sides. Transfer to cookie sheet and continue cooking in the oven until the sauce is done.

Meanwhile, cook egg noodles to al dente (to have them done around the same time as the sauce, drop them after you put the chicken in the oven).

If your pan is dry, add more olive oil. Add shallots & garlic and cook until the shallots begin to soften.

Add wine to de-glaze the pan and let cook until the alcohol has burned off and liquid has reduced by at least half. Add stock, parsley, & chives, and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add milk (I used some leftover whole milk, but I think any dairy you have on hand would do the same thing) and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Season with salt & pepper to taste. If the sauce doesn't get as thick as you'd like, feel free to thicken it with a cornstarch & water slurry.

Spoon the sauce over the egg noodles and chicken. Top with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Spicy Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

Amatriciana (pronounced: mah-tree-shawna) is a very traditional Roman dish. Word is that you can find it any any osteria in the region. Despite that, I've never had it in either trip to Rome. I don't know why. I think I'm probably just too obsessed with the plain spaghetti, lasagna, and pizza to branch out too much. Call me a creature of habit.

Now, as you should all know, I love simple recipes that don't take a whole lot of time to prepare. So, when I came across this recipe on foodnetwork one day, I knew I had to try it. I took a few liberties with the recipe, and we both really liked it. I can't wait to try making it again with a few simple changes.

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

Recipe by Michael Chiarello

Serves 4

Prep Time - 5-10 minutes

Cook Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/4 lb pancetta, cut into thin strips*

2 TBSP olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (be generous)

2 tsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 1/2 TBSP red wine vinegar

1 cup tomato puree

1/4 cup chicken stock

3/4 lb spaghetti

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add oil, and cook the pancetta until the fat begins to render out. Do not let it get crispy. Add onions & garlic and cook until the onions become translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and parsley and stir.

Add the vinegar and let cook until it evaporates, about 2 minutes.

Add tomato puree and stock. Reduce heat to a simmer.

Add pasta to the saucepan and toss to coat. Let simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until the pasta absorbs a bit of the sauce. Serve with lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

*Given the relatively high cost of pancetta around here, I'm going to try to make this recipe without it next time. I think it added something to the sauce, but I'm not sure it adds enough to outweigh the expense.

Chicken Ragu with Whole Wheat Penne

Whole wheat pasta was on a really good sale at the grocery store a couple of weeks ago. I'd never tried whole wheat pasta before, but had always been a little curious. When figuring out what to do with it, I came across a Rachael Ray recipe that seemed like it had some good concepts. Since I'm always on the lookout for quick, delicious meals, I decided to run with this one.

In the end, we both loved it. I couldn't taste a whole lot of difference between the wheat pasta and regular white pasta, except that the texture was a little bit different. I'd absolutely make this again, and try playing around with the recipe even more next time.

Chicken Ragu with Whole Wheat Penne

Loosely based on this Rachael Ray recipe

Serves 4-6

Cook & Prep time - 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 lb whole wheat penne pasta

1 TBSP butter

1 TBSP olive oil

1 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

salt & pepper

1/2 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

In a large skillet or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add olive oil. Season the chicken with salt & pepper and brown.

Add onions, garlic and rosemary. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until onions get soft.

Add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan and let reduce for about a minute. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Season with salt & pepper and red pepper flakes.

Toss with the pasta and top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Garlic Scape Pesto

I first tried pesto when I was 17 and in Minneapolis for the spring All-State Band festival. My high school band director took myself and my fellow band geeks to Edwardo's Natural Pizza (unfortunately, now closed) for what was pretty much the best pizza I've ever had, even to this day. It was a deep dish with pesto sauce, roasted garlic, and mozzarella, provolone, and Parmesan cheese.

I liked it so much that I made my parents go to this pizzeria with me the next time my family went to Minneapolis to visit family. My mom agreed with me; my dad kept complaining that there wasn't any meat on the pizza (silly dad).

I still crave that pizza occasionally.

A few weeks ago I went to the Farmer's Market and picked up a bunch of garlic scapes and decided to make pesto out of those. I was a bit nervous, but it was delicious! I wish I had made more batches to freeze.

Garlic Scape Pesto

Serves 2-3ish

Prep Time - 15 min

INGREDIENTS

10-12 garlic scapes, roughly chopped

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

1/4 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Combine all in food processor until it reaches your desired consistency. Since I like pesto thinner, I used close to a full 1/2 cup of the olive oil, but depending on your preference, you may use more or less.

Toss with cooked pasta. I used fetuccini, but it's great on almost anything. Top with Parmesan cheese.

** Pesto also freezes really well. Store in an airtight container and it will freeze for several months.

Chicken in Spicy Garlic Broth

This is a great dish for those nights you've had a long day and really don't want to spend much time cooking. It has great depth of flavor and a nice spicy kick. The best part was that it only took about 15 or 20 minutes from start to finish.

Chicken in Garlic Broth

Recipe from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations, adapted

Serves 2

Total Cook & Prep Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 chicken breasts, pounded a bit

1 TBSP butter & 1 TBSP olive oil

Flour, for dredging

Salt & Pepper

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 lb cooked fetuccini

Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Meanwhile, heat butter & oil in a large pan over medium heat. Season chicken with salt & pepper and then dredge in the flour. Cook chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a covered dish or the oven to keep warm.

Add a bit more oil to the pan if it is dry, and then sautee the garlic and onions until onions are soft. Add red pepper flakes.

Add wine and scrape up any brown bits, then add chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Toss pasta in the broth. Return the chicken to the pan and cover the chicken in broth.

To serve, pour some sauce over the chicken and serve next to the pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Fetuccini Alfredo

Despite how much I love it, eating fetuccini alfredo makes me feel really guilty. My favorite recipe calls for something like 12 tablespoons of butter, over 2 cups of cream, and 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Don't get me wrong, it's pretty much the best Alfredo sauce ever, but healthy... it is not.

So, along came this recipe. It's great - smooth & creamy, and much healthier than my beloved recipe discussed above. It definitely won't take over the #1 spot, but will enter our regular rotation so we can leave the calorie-laden stuff for special occasions.


Fetuccini Alfredo
Inspired by Cooking Light
Serves 2-3
Prep & Cook Time - 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS
8 oz uncooked fetuccini noodles (fresh or dry)
1 TBSP butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP flour
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
1-2 TBSP 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Cook fetuccini to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant. Add flour and whisk together. Cook for about 1 minute, wisking constantly.

Add milk and combine thoroughly. Increase heat to medium and allow it to simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5-7 minutes.

Add cream cheese and Parmesan cheese and whisk together until cheese is melted. Toss with the cooked fetuccini noodles and top with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Tomato Tortellini Soup

Sometimes there isn't a whole lot that's more satisfying than sitting down to a nice, hot bowl of a tomato-y soup with a grilled cheese. Sure, your exact preferences for the soup and sandwich may have changed a bit from you were a kid, but the combination is always just as satisfying.

This was the perfect twist on the old classic. The soup was nice and creamy with a nice, unexpected hint of spice and paired perfectly with my husband's excellent grilled cheese sandwiches.

Please click on the link below for a much better picture. Thanks.

Tomato Tortellini Soup
Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens, adapted
Serves 4
Prep & Cook Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1-2 TBSP butter or olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (try to get reduced sodium)
4 oz flavored cream cheese - chive & onion or garlic & herb
1 can tomato soup
1 (9 oz) package refrigerated cheese tortellini)
dash red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS
Melt butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion & garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, or until onions soften. Season with salt & pepper, if desired.

Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook the tortellini in the broth for about 5 minutes, or until almost al dente.

Remove about 2 ladles of broth into a smaller bowl and whisk the cream cheese into the broth. Once smooth & creamy, return to the pot and stir until well-combined.

Add tomato soup and stir until combined. Season with salt & pepper, to taste. Add a dash of red pepper flakes and stir to combine.

Italian-Style Chicken & Noodles

I really wanted to make this recipe for dinner. It had been on my menu planning list for about a week and a half. I'd combed through my cupboards and decided I had all the necessary ingredients. Then, I went to make it. I didn't have a packet of Italian dressing mix. So, I improvised and came up with this really tasty, really easy chicken & pasta dish. We both really liked it and will be making it again.


Italian Style Chicken & Noodles
Serves 3
Cook & Prep Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
2-3 TBSP butter
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
2-3 TBSP flour
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
1/4 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 frozen basil cube from Trader Joe's (or equivalent)
8 oz egg noodles, cooked to al dente

DIRECTIONS
Melt butter in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Season with salt & pepper and let cook until onions soften and begin to be translucent (about 5 minutes). If the skillet is dry, add a little more butter. Add flour and whisk together to form a roux and whisk constantly for about a minute. Add chicken broth and stir to combine.

Reduce heat to medium low and add milk. Stir and let simmer until it begins to thicken. Once thickened to your liking, add Parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese melts. Season with salt & pepper, to taste.

Reduce heat to low. Add the basil cube and stir until cube is melted and combined in the sauce.

Add chicken and cook until heated through. Serve over the egg noodles.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

When I was growing up, spaghetti was always a jar of Ragu or Prego mixed with some ground beef browned with some salt & pepper, and mushrooms. We're Swedish - Italian food really isn't our forte. I loved my parents' spaghetti when I was a kid and didn't know any better, but as I've grown up, my tastes have grown a bit as well, and I now love a nice plate (or bowl) of spaghetti with meatballs, in a nice homemade marinara sauce. In fact, if I order any kind of spaghetti in an Italian restaurant, that's what I'll order. However, I'd never made them at home. I'm not sure if it never dawned on me or if I was somehow intimidated by the Italian spiced meatball, but I finally got over whatever my issue was, read a few different recipes to get an idea of the general ingredients, and made them.

They were great. And as an added bonus, the leftovers make excellent meatball subs.


Spaghetti & Meatballs
Serves 4-5
Prep & Cook Time - about an hour

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 TBSP tomato paste
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
6-7 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese
Marinara sauce
1 lb spaghetti, cooked to al dente.

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, tomato paste, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.

Roll the mixture into small balls. Place the balls on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until meatballs are fully cooked.

Meanwhile, start your marinara sauce. I usually make mine by combining some canned tomato sauce or crushed tomato with lots of garlic & basil, until it tastes good. This recipe is excellent.

When meatballs are fully cooked, remove from the oven and add to your marinara sauce. Simmer for about 15 minutes.

Serve on a bed of cooked spaghetti noodles. Enjoy!