Basil and Green Bean Penne

So...here's my second farmer's market recipe post! (Although, a few of the ingredients came from my raised bed, and they were delicious) We were really tired today, so something quick and easy like pasta sounded perfect. I had some meatballs still in our freezer that we threw in, cause my kids love 'em. You could substitute with more veg, pancetta, bacon, chicken...just make sure the proportion is correct. You don't want your dish overflowing with meat. I usually eyeball it so that in relation to the amount of pasta I've used, there is about 1/4-1/3 meat. That way there is enough for each bite, but not sooooo much that you wish there was more pasta. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1/4-1/2 lb green beans (ours were haricot verts from our garden)

2 small sweet onions, diced

1 clove garlic, diced

2-3 fresh basil leaves, shredded

1 pkg. mini penne

10-12 small meatballs

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

-(if using meatballs) preheat oven to 350 degrees F, cooking for 15 minutes

-cook pasta according to package directions, and drain while making the rest of the dish

-blanch the green beans for 4-5 minutes, drain and set aside until ready to use

-heat 1-2 Tbsps olive oil in a large skillet

-add the onions and garlic, and sautée until soften and just beginning to turn golden brown

-season with a dash of salt

-add the shredded basil leaves to the oil, and sautée for a few minutes more. This allows some of the basil flavor to diffuse into the oil. 

-add the blanched beans, sautée 4-5 minutes more, until the beans begin to brown just slightly. You want them to still have some of their fresh from the garden crunch, so don't overdo it. 

-stir in the pasta, making sure to mix well with all the yummy onions and garlic. Add a tsp or so more olive oil ONLY if the pasta appears to be too dry still after you've mixed it thoroughly

-Mix in the meatballs

-season with salt and pepper to taste

-Enjoy!!

Risotto, yo.

This is the most amazing time of year for finding fresh from the fields fruits and veg. Farmers markets are around town almost every day of the week. CSA's are arriving packed full of all different sorts of deliciousness. I get so excited about figuring out new, easy dinners to make with whatever managed to make it home in my bag from the market. 

I decided, hey, maybe I should start sharing these on ye olde blog...the successful ones at least. So here's one of my first farmers market mash-ups, from a few weeks ago. Risotto does take a little bit of time, but is really not that complicated past that. I included the veg I found while I was at the market, but many others could be substituted: tomatoes, turnips, daikon radish, squash, arugula, greens...the list is endless. Have fun with it!

Farmers Market Risotto

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

6 cups of broth (your choice)

(these are the basic proportions for a risotto...so anything below this is really flexible as far as ingredients.)

1 zucchini, diced

2 small white onions, diced

1 small bunch spinach, loosely chopped

2-4 Tbsps olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 Tbsps Balsamic Vinegar

salt and pepper

Directions

-put a few Tbsps of the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat

-add garlic and onions, sautée til onions are soft

-add zucchini, sautée for a few more minutes

-add the spinach at the very end, cooking til just beginning to wilt

-pour the veg into a bowl to rest until it's ready to be added to the risotto

-add a few more Tbsps to the saucepan, and lower the heat to medium-low

-add the rice to the oil and sautée for a few minutes, til the grains are translucent

-stir in the balsamic vinegar, coating all the grains evenly

-add the veg back in, and begin the process of adding the broth

-slowly ladle the broth in, 1/3 to 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly until all the moisture is absorbed by the grains. Over time, the grains will begin to break down and the delicious creaminess of the risotto will be able to be seen, but don't add more broth until the liquid has been absorbed. This should take approximately 20-25 minutes. The low heat is crucial to the risotto dish, so resist the temptation to turn the heat up, even if it smells delicious and you want to eat it. Also, it may seem impossible for the 1 1/2 cups of rice to absorb 6 cups of broth, but it will. Just be patient and keep stirring. 

-when done, first be really proud! Then add a little salt and pepper, make a side salad, and dinner is served!

Leftovers!

I made a super delicious, super quick and easy casserole tonight for me and my kids. Here's what I did:

I had half of a Rotisserie Chicken leftover from a few nights ago. I pulled the remainder of the meat off and mixed it together well with 1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup, and half a bag of frozen peas. I put the mixture into a glass baking dish, and then placed frozen biscuits on the top. The casserole baked for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

It, obviously, wasn't anything complicated. More vegetables could be added easily, I was just using what I still had in the freezer. Also, fresh biscuit or cornbread dough could be substituted for the frozen biscuits that I used. But, on a tired Thursday evening, something about a quick casserole just makes me feel extra cozy. It's perfect for a night in.

Happy fall!

Easy Wednesday Chicken Thighs

This is a really simple and quick chicken recipe. Paired with steamed green beans and rice, it's a perfect mid-week dinner. If I'm missing one of the spices, I just fill-in with another teaspoon of a flavor I like. It always turns out delicious, no matter what. The times on the recipe are for boneless-skinless thighs. Make sure to add a good three minutes on each side if you decide to do bone-in or larger pieces.

Recipe:

Set oven to broil.

In a large bowl, mix together:

1 tsp Curry

1 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp Chili Powder

2 tsp Ground Red Pepper

1/4 tsp black pepper

Wash and dry the chicken pieces, then one by one, toss them in the spice mix til well covered. Arrange pieces in a glass baking dish and set under the broiler. Cook five minutes on each side (remember to add time here for larger or bone-in chicken pieces).

While cooking, mix together well:

6 Tbsp Honey

2 Tsp Apple-Cider Vinegar

Remove Chicken from the broiler and brush top side with the Honey-Vinegar baste. Return to the broiler for 1-2 minutes (until dark-golden brown). Turn the chicken over and baste the other side, then broil for another 1-2 minutes (or until done).

Now Enjoy!

Flourless Chocolate Decadence

This was one of the quickest, easiest, most delicious cakes I've ever made. And no gluten! I don't have a good picture of it, because we ate it too fast. Have the oven and boiling water ready to go. It's perfect for a holiday dinner party. Another plus too, this can be made the night before!

Here's the recipe:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Have a kettle full of boiling water ready for your water bath. Grease an 8x2 inch round cake pan, and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.

In the top of a double boiler, or a heatproof bowl set in a pan on simmering water, melt:

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate 

1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, chopped into pieces

Stir occasionally with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon. In the meanwhile: in a mixing bowl fitted with a whisk, beat until soft peaks form:

5 egg yolks

scant 1/4 tsp cream of tarter

Add slowly, and beat until peaks are stiff, but not dry:

1/4 cup sugar

Set the egg whites aside until chocolate and butter mixture is melted. Once ready, remove chocolate and butter mixture from the heat and whisk in quickly:

5 egg yolks

Fold into the chocolate a quarter of the whipped egg whites. Once incorporated, fold in the remaining egg whites. Pour into the prepared cake pan, and place the pan inside a shallow baking dish or roasting pan. Pour the boiling water from your kettle into the baking dish halfway up the sides of the cake pan. This will gently cook the cake and help keep the temperature around it even.

Bake for exactly 30 minutes. When done, it will still look sticky in the middle but have a thin shell around the outer edges. Let cool on a rack completely, then put in the refrigerator for an hour or so, or up to overnight if you're preparing this early. When ready to serve, use a knife to separate the cake from the edges of the pan. Flip out onto your cake plate, remove the parchment paper and dust with powdered sugar. Serve and enjoy!

Empty Pantry Challenge

In an effort to decrease my food budget, I've recently taken up a new mindset. Before just heading to the grocery when I feel like I have nothing at home, I have challenged myself to make everything I possibly can from what I already have at home. My dish for tonight turned out really well!

Leftovers:

Taco ground beef, 1/2 pound approx. (from taco night last night)

Wide egg noodles, 1/2 bag (from Aldi's!)

Indian Korma Sauce, 1/3 jar (from Publix, international section)

Frozen Peas, 1/2 bag

Cabot Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, 1/2 cup (I just love this cheese, so always have some around)

So, what I made was:

Pasta Bake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Boil egg noodles according to the package directions
3. Combine the beef, peas and Korma sauce in a medium size mixing bowl.
4. Drain noodles and add to the other ingredients. 
5. Pour into a glass baking dish. 
6. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top. 
7. Bake approximately 15-20 minutes, until all ingredients are warm and delicious. 
8. Enjoy!

Holiday Cinnamon Rolls

All right, all right. I know that making homemade cinnamon rolls is something that's probably not at the top of everyone's list. But, I just can't help it! At the holidays, all I want to do is bake, bake, bake!! This recipe that I found is really delicious, too. And yes, there's tons of sugar, but this is a special occasion kinda thing, so enjoy!

Now, they do take a bit of extra time (the dough needs plenty of time to rise). Make sure to give yourself two to three hours, so you don't end up feeling rushed. It's a really great cold, grey, winter day thing to do. My kids loved helping me roll them out and get them ready to bake. I made ours in the evening, then stored them to be ready for breakfast the next morning....we may also have tried a fresh one just before bed too.

Grocery List:

1 pkg Active Dry Yeast
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening, softened
1 tsp salt
1 egg
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tbsp butter
1 cup sugar
4 tsp cinnamon
2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla


Recipe: (all the ingredients you need are listed above)

Cinnamon Roll Dough:

1 pkg Active Dry Yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening, softened
1 tsp salt
1 egg
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl. Stir in milk, sugar, shortening, salt, egg and 2 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough of the remaining flour just to make the dough easy to handle.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until elastic about 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turn greased side up. Cover and let rise until double, about 1 1/2 hours. (It's ready if an indentation remains when touched.)

Punch dough down. Shape, let rise and bake as directed.


Cinnamon Rolls

4 tbsp butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Roll the Cinnamon Roll Dough into a rectangle 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Spread with the softened butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle over the rectangle. Roll up tightly, beginning with long side of your rectangle. Stretch the dough to make the shape even. Cut into 1 1/2 inch slices. (I used a very sharp paring knife, but you can also use wire). Place into greased medium sized muffin cups. Let rise until double, about 40 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Spread rolls with the glaze (recipe below) while still warm.


Glaze

Mix 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tbps milk and 1 tsp vanilla until glaze is smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk. Pour over the warm Cinnamon Rolls. Then eat and enjoy!!!

Pasta Delicioso

This is one of my favorite quick, cozy dinners that my kids love as much as I do! (I know, a meal the WHOLE family loves, crazy). The best part about it is you only need three ingredients and most of them you probably already have in your kitchen! I usually use UDON noodles, because my kids love being able to suck in the long noodle (think Lady and the Tramp). However, any pasta noodle works well. Just make sure to find one that takes about 10-12 minutes to cook. That way everything is ready to put together at the same time. Ok! Enjoy!

Pasta Delicioso!

Grocery List:

1/2 pkg Bacon

16 oz pasta noodles of your choice

Fresh Basil

Parmesan (optional)

1. Preheat Oven to 450F
2. Bring the water for the pasta to a boil.
3. (while waiting for water to boil) Chop the bacon into bite-sized pieces and spread in a single layer on a jelly roll pan. 
4. Put the noodles into the water for 10-12 minutes
5. At the same time...put the bacon into the oven. Let it cook until the noodles are done. 
6. Drain the noodles and place in a large serving bowl. Add the bacon (along with a portion of the grease from cooking) to the pasta. Mix well. 
7. Top with chopped fresh basil and quickly mix together. 
8. If desired top with freshly shredded parmesan. 
9. Enjoy!!

King Ranch Chicken

Ok. This is seriously one of the easiest, most delicious, coziest recipes for the fall weather I know of. So I thought I'd pass it on along. A version of it was featured in Southern Living this past month, but I'll give you the version my grandma passed down (along with a lot of other lovely Southern ladies, I'm sure).

Grocery List:

• 2-3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• 1 large onion
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 10oz can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 10oz can cream of chicken soup
• 1 16oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel Tomatoes, for example)
• corn tortillas
• 1 2 cup package sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• salt
• pepper
• few drops of tabasco

 Ok. So here's how you make it!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 Glass baking dish.

In a large saucepan, poach the chicken breasts. I simply cover the chicken breasts with about 1/2 inch of water and bring the water to a boil. I let it gently boil until the chicken is done cooking, about ten minutes. Poaching allows the meat to remain really tender for pulling, as you will do later on in the recipe. For more detailed information on poaching chicken breasts, check out this website.

While the chicken is cooking...

1. Dice the onion and the bell pepper, and place in a large bowl. 
2. Add to the bowl the following of the ingredients

• cream of chicken soup
• cream of mushroom soup
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• tomatoes
• tabasco
• salt and pepper to taste

Then...mix all the ingredients together well.

When the chicken is done cooking, set it on a cutting board and pull it apart to shred it for the casserole. Add the pulled chicken to the bowl with the other ingredients.

Assembling!

1. Line the bottom of the glass baking dish with a layer of corn tortillas. It is fine if they overlap. 
2. On top of the tortillas, pour about one-third of the chicken mixture. Spread it evenly. 
3. Sprinkle one-third of the cheese on top of the chicken. Now, repeat steps 1-3. 
4. For the top layer, do a last layer of the chicken then sprinkle the cheese on the top. (This leaves a deliciously tasty cheesy layer on top for your first bite). 

Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until it is bubbly through all the layers. Let cool for a few minutes, then enjoy!!!!

pie time in tennessee

The weather's gettin' cooler, and I'm wantin' some pie!!!! Shepherd's Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Butternut and Acorn Squash Pie...any sort of savory sumthin' sounds delicious to me. In an effort to spread the love of all things savory this time of year, I thought I'd share with you the easy steps to deliciousness. I think sometimes we all forget how easy it really is to make these kinds of things, as long as we know the key points to success. Once you've got those down, you can take any recipe and twist it around just a bit to make it your own!


Tonight's Pie: 


Shepherd's Pie.

Ok. First off!

Grocery List:
5-6 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes
4-5 Carrots, diced
1 white or yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
2 cups lentils (any variety works, I like to use French)
1 lb ground beef (chuck or round both work well, you can also use   ground lamb if you'd like)
1 apple, cubed (optional) 
  cumin
  chili powder


Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 
(sidenote: this always seems to be a good oven temperature when making a savory pie, because the oven is hot enough to properly roast the vegetables, but not so hot that the crust will get burnt)

Peel Potatoes and cut into equal size cubes. Put in a 4 qt saucepan, covering with water by an inch, and bring water to a boil. Boil for about 20 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork. 

so. While those is boilin'...

In a small saucepan, boil 2 cups water. Add the:

lentils
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin

stir occasionally, until most of the water is gone. 

And now for...

The Filling:

Heat in a large skillet 2 tbsps butter. Just as the butter begins to sizzle and brown add:

diced onion 
garlic

Once the onion has softened and browned just a little on the edges add:

diced carrots
cubed apple
Sauté for about 5-7 minutes, until there is a nice glaze on the carrots and the apples have begun to get slightly soft. 

Add:
Ground beef (or lamb)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala (or cumin)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp pepper
Cook until just browned. Then add to the saucepan the cooked lentils(make sure to drain any remaining water out of your lentils before adding the them to the filling.)    
Turn the heat on the stove to low, and simmer while you make your mashed potato topping. 

Mashed Potato Topping:

Drain your boiled potatoes and mash as you normally would. I use a stand mixer. I added into my potatoes:

1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp cream (optional)
1/4 cup ranch dressing (optional)

Make sure you've added enough milk to get the potatoes to an easy consistency to spread. You don't want them so dry that they're flaky, but also not so wet that they're potato soup.  


Putting it all together:
If you're not using the skillet you cooked your filling in to bake your pie in, transfer the filling now. Then take the mashed potato topping and
spread it over top of the filling as if it is icing. You should have a good inch of potato over the filling of your pie. If you wanna get really fancy you can do the following:

1 egg (beaten)

Brush this over the top of the mashed potatoes to create a nice golden crust on the top. Then, over the top of that put a light layer of shredded cheese. I recommend a sharp white cheddar (such as Cabot).

Put it in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden, and it is heated throughout. 

Now enjoy!!!!