Thai Peanut Sauce Chicken

So sometimes you just get a flavor that you crave and you can't stop craving it until you have some. That is what happened to me with this guy:

Thai Peanut Noodles

Ingredients

1 lb. whole wheat linguine or soba

1 recipe thai peanut sauce

½ oz. sesame seeds (optional)

½ bunch green onions, sliced

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box (boil for 10 minutes or until al dente). Meanwhile, slice the green onions.

Drain the pasta in a colander and then toss with Thai Peanut Sauce, sesame seeds and green onions while still warm. Eat and enjoy!

Thai Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

¾ cup natural style peanut butter

¼ cup coconut milk (optional)

juice from ½ a lime

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled, grated (optional)

1 clove garlic, minced $0.06

1 tsp sriracha sauce (rooster hot sauce)

1 Tbsp soy sauce

½ tsp sesame oil (optional)

1 Tbsp brown sugar

¼ bunch cilantro

¼ – ½ cup water

Instructions

Make sure your natural style peanut butter is thoroughly mixed before measuring (you don’t want to get all oil or all solids). In a blender or food processor combine all of the ingredients except the sriracha sauce. Begin with only ¼ cup of water and add more until you get the consistency you want (I used ½ cup total). Add the sriracha sauce a little at a time (blending between) until it is to your desired heat (I used about ½ tsp).

Enjoy the peanut sauce on salads, pasta or as a dipping sauce!

Black sesame seeds are so yummy.

This dish was super delish and incredibly easy as well. You should try to make this. I threw in some shredded chicken as it was already cooked and ready to be eaten, but it was not needed at all. One word of warning though, do eat it quickly. The next leftovers aren't better than the fresh as the sauce looses it spark.

Until next time...cook it up.

Creamy Tomato & Spinach Pasta

I hit up a really lovely Pasta thanks to Budget Bytes....again. She loves her Carbs and knows how to use them well.


This is called Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta and, boy, is it divine.

Creamy Tomato & Spinach Pasta

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil $0.16 ($.10)
1 small onion $0.25 ($.29)
2 cloves garlic $0.16 ($.05)
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes $0.59 ($.79)
½ tsp dried oregano $0.03
½ tsp dried basil $0.03
pinch red pepper flakes (optional) $0.02
freshly cracked pepper to taste $0.05
½ tsp salt $0.03
2 Tbsp tomato paste $0.11 ($.10)
2 oz. cream cheese $0.48 (Free from work left overs)
¼ cup grated Parmesan $0.42
½ lb. penne pasta $0.89 ($1.00)
1 pound fresh spinach $1.50 ($1.75)
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender (7-10) minutes. Drain the pasta in a colander.
While waiting for the pasta to cook, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Cook both in a large skillet with the olive oil over medium-low heat until softened and transparent (about 5 minutes).
Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper to the skillet with the onions and garlic. Stir to combine. Add the tomato paste and a ½ cup of water to the skillet and stir until the tomato paste is dissolved into the sauce.
Turn the heat down to low. Cut the cream cheese into a few pieces and then add them to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Use a whisk to stir the sauce until the cream cheese has fully melted in and the sauce is creamy. Add half of the Parmesan to the skillet and whisk until it is melted in. Add the remainder of the parmesan and whisk until melted in again.
Add the fresh spinach and gently stir it into the sauce until it has wilted (3-5 minutes). Add the pasta and stir until it is well coated in the creamy tomato sauce. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.


Total for my version of the dish: $4.66 and by my math there are 10 “Ram size” servings in the dish so that makes a serving $.47.
Pigeon had 2 servings and I had 1 so we ate a very yummy meal for only $1.41 and we have enough for 3-6 upcoming meals (depends on who eats it)!

Gotta love the Parm!

Until next time....Cook It Up!

Pastalaya - an almost Creole tradition

So this is a little late as I made this dish for the whole in law family who came over for dinner last week. With all the other interesting stuff going on, I didn't get a chance to share it with y'all until now.

Now just think, Jambalaya is a wonderful dish, so why not make it even more wonderful by making it inexpensively and with pasta? A one pot of wonderful, no doubt. Here is the recipe:

Pastalaya

Ingredients
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ lb. smoked sausage (preferably Andouille)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 15oz. can diced tomatoes (I used fresh cuz I had them.

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp thyme
½ tsp curry powder
½ tsp parsley flakes
¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

20 turns of freshly cracked pepper

2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 lb. penne pasta
2 Tbsp half & half or cream

Instructions

Slice the smoked sausage into thin rounds, then cut any larger pieces in half. Add the sausage and vegetable oil to a large pot and cook over medium heat until the sausage is well browned (about 5 minutes).
Mince two cloves of garlic and add them to the pot. Sauté for one to two minutes, or until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Add the Celery and Bell Pepper and sauté until heated through (3-5 minutes). Finally, add the can of diced tomatoes (with juices), oregano, smoked paprika, thyme, curry powder, parsley flakes, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire Sauce, freshly cracked pepper (about 20 cranks of a pepper mill), chicken broth, 1 cup of water, and pasta to the pot. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Let the pot come to a boil. As soon as it reaches a boil, remove the lid briefly to stir, then replace the lid, turn the heat down to low, and let the pot simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Stir the pot once every few minutes as it simmers to prevent the pasta from sticking. Replace the lid as quickly as possible after stirring to avoid heat loss.
Once the pasta is tender, most of the liquid in the pot should be absorbed. If it's still a bit soupy, let the pot simmer for one to two minutes without the lid to allow some moisture to evaporate.
Turn off the heat and stir in the half & half or cream. Serve hot with a pinch of fresh parsley and green onions on top of each bowl.

I didn't add any onion cuz Little Brother.

I made it in my lovely Le Creuset Dutch Oven (THANKS JANET) and that was the only cooking dish that was dirtied. How great is that?!

Until next time...cook it up! 

Healthy Fettuccinie Alfredo

I made this before we moved as I had a grip of pasta left. It turned out to be a a lovely choice.
I also added Parmesan as we had a good chunk of that left in the fridge.

HEALTHY FETTUCCINE ALFREDO
Ingredients
1 lb. uncooked fettuccine noodles
3 small heads cauliflower
6 cups vegetable broth
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup heavy cream
1 cup starchy boiling water from pasta pot
Instructions
Chop the cauliflower. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil over medium high heat and add cauliflower. Cook until cauliflower is soft, about 15 minutes. In my experience, the longer you cook it, the smoother the sauce will be. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for 4-5 minutes or until soft and fragrant.
As the garlic and cauliflower are cooking, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the fettuccine according to directions on package, reserving some of the starchy water to add to the sauce later.
Transfer cauliflower to a blender with about 2 cups of the broth. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender. Add the sauteed garlic, salt, nutmeg, and black pepper and puree until very smooth, about 5 minutes. Once the mixture is moving, stream the olive oil into the blender. Add more broth or water if the mixture is too thick to move through the blender. You want it to turn through the blender easily. When puree is very smooth, transfer back to the butter/garlic skillet.
Add the cream and cook over low heat. Add the starchy pasta water (or regular water if you're not making pasta) and keep warm until ready to serve. Combine noodles and sauce in a large pot or skillet and serve immediately.
Notes
The sauce will "dry out" a little bit as it cools on the pasta. Adding a little water to the leftovers will help make it creamy again. Serving size is ⅛ of the noodles with about 1 cup of sauce.

Stock Photo Fun!

Of course, I failed to get a photo of this. Or maybe I did and I lost it between the the move and now. I loved this dish and I will for sure make something like this again. The Parm was a nice addition and I actually added some Kielbasa as we had some of that left over as well.

A good alternative to cream sauce.


Until next time...Cook it up!

...try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun.

I have been looking and looking for a solid Mexican Macaroni and Cheese recipe. Unfortunately, I was unable to find one that really hit all the flavors I like about mac and cheese as well as what I like about Mexican food. So I just came up with my own recipe.

Please note the <corrections>. Even this things I think will work, don't always. As Our Lady of the Ladle, Julia Child, would say: Learn how to cook -- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun.

Skillet Prepped, Oven Finished Mexican Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

8 ounces elbow macaroni

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

1 pound ground turkey or lean ground beef (leave out for vegetarian)

1 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced <2 Cloves>
1 16-oz. jar tomato salsa < 1 jar Rotel>

1 15-oz. can tomato sauce <too much liquid, instead use half a can of diced tomatoes>
1 can of green Anaheim chilies 
Taco seasonings (see below)
2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese <I ended up using 2 cups>
1 cup corn kernels
1 teaspoon lime juice
2 tablespoons crushed tortilla chips

Taco Seasonings:
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
Cook pasta until just tender, about 8 minutes or as package label directs. Drain.

Warm oil in a large oven safe skillet over medium-high heat.
Add meat, onion, and 1/2 tsp. salt.
Cook, breaking up chunks with a wooden spoon, until meat loses its pink color, about 5 minutes.

Stir in salsa, tomato sauce, Anaheim chilies, and taco seasonings.
Whisk in flour until well combined.
Gradually whisk in milk and cook, stirring constantly, until completely incorporated.
Stir in cheese until smooth.
Stir in pasta, corn kernels, and lime juice.
Top with crumbs or your choice.
Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes.
Spoon into bowls and garnish, if desired, with tomato, jalapeno, avocado, additional salsa, and cilantro.

So as you can tell from above, a few things needed to change while I was making the dish.

I don't think the tortilla chips are really necessary.

I think I would change it even further by getting some milk involved to get us closer to the Mac and Cheese idea, versus the "Pasta Bake" feel I got from it.

Blurry, I know. Not really Mac and Cheese, more of a Pasta Bake.

All in all, the flavor of this dish turned out WONDERFULLY. It was solid try for a "make it up from my own brain" and I hopefully we get to work on making it even better next time I attempt it.

Cooking up all the veggies

While it is not exactly what I envisioned, it was a very satisfying meal and hit all the points I wanted it to, save the cheesiness factor.

Until the next experiment...

When my pantry attacks...and by attacks I mean that I want to get rid of some canned soup...

So this little gal was from my own brain thoughts and the Crockpot's power.

I took 2 cans of French Onion soup (Campbell's, that I got on sale like 2-3 years ago), a box of mushrooms (chopped and only a few of the stems), 1/3 cup of Worcestershire sauce, and a package of stewing beef and put them in my Crockpot on low for 8 hours. I then thickened the sauce with a bit of sour cream, milk, and flour, a quarter cup of each. I then let it cook for another 30 minutes while I cooked up some pasta (I know it should be egg noodles, this is what we had). I garnish it with Horseradish, because delicious. No other reason needed.

Not ready for the show "Chopped", but I am getting better!

BOOM! Created.

Until the next challenge...

A challenge is good. It takes you out of you comfort zone.

I keep trying new things. Which, if I recall my original goal for this blog, is the reason I started it. At the same time, I have to remember that just because things are commonly made in my kitchen, doesn't mean they are "boring" to my reader. So I decided to try to make some that I never dreamed I would make (mainly because Trader Joe's has some excellent versions of pasta).

With out further ado, here is my attempt at Gnocchi from "Justataste"

Sweet Potato Gnocchi  

Ingredients:

For the gnocchi:
2 (1-pound) red-skinned sweet potatoes
1 (12-oz.) container fresh ricotta, strained in a sieve for 2 hours <I used cottage cheese actually!>
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups (or more) all-purpose flour

For the brown butter:
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup loosely packed sage leaves
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

Make the gnocchi:
Scrub and dry the sweet potatoes, then prick them all over with a fork. Place the sweet potatoes on a plate and microwave them on "high" until they're fork-tender, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the sweet potatoes from the microwave, cut them in half, and then scoop the flesh into a medium bowl.  <I ended up baking mine in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes, because I like that more than microwaving them...and I'm crazy.>
Using a fork, thoroughly mash the sweet potatoes, or alternately, pass the sweet potato flesh through a ricer.

Transfer 3 cups of the mashed sweet potatoes to a large bowl. Add the strained ricotta, stirring until thoroughly combined. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and salt, and then start adding the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. (See Kelly's Notes.) Shape the dough into a large ball.

Lightly flour a baking sheet and set it aside. Lightly flour your work surface and divide the dough into six equal portions. Take one portion and roll it on your work surface or between your hands until it's about 20 inches in length. Cut the dough into 20 pieces to form each gnocchi then transfer them to the floured baking sheet. Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the remaining five pieces of dough.

Using the back of a fork, press each gnocchi into the tines to form indentations.

Prior to cooking the gnocchi, make the brown butter sauce (recipe follows).

To cook gnocchi:
When you're ready to cook the gnocchi, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add a portion of the gnocchi to the boiling water, stir, and then let the gnocchi cook until they float back up to the top, about 1 minute.

Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon to a serving bowl. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining gnocchi.

Toss the warm gnocchi with the prepared brown butter sauce. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Make the brown butter:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook the butter until the foam subsides and it begins to turn a golden brown color, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the sage leaves, allowing them to cook for 1 minute.

Remove the brown butter from the heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Serve immediately with the sweet potato gnocchi.

Kelly's Notes:
Sweet potatoes will vary in how much moisture they contain, but it's important to not add too much flour or your gnocchi will be dense. The goal is to add the least amount of flour while still making a cohesive, pliable dough. You should end up using roughly 2 cups of flour to reach this point.

Look at the yum! (AKA BROWN BUTTER)

Cutting the pieces of goodness...

I think that next time I make this, I will cut the pieces half the side, simple because I like my unstuffed pasta a bit on the more manageable size. Granted, I am smaller that the average adult, so it is possible that, as Husband said, that this is not a universal truth.


This turned out amazeballs. Like SO good. I love browned butter and it crisped the sage leaves so nicely and made a lovely sauce to coat the gnocchi. Plus, you can never go wrong with a bit of balsamic in the mix in my opinion. The gnocchi itself definitely needs to be made with ricotta (verses cottage cheese) to amp up the flavorfulness. Withou tthe sauce, this dish would be considered only good and not spectacularness I am rating it at right now.

Until the next miracle via food....(yeah, I said it)...

An adventure with what was in the kitchen...

One night I didn't have something planned out to make. Crazy, I know. It ended up being a really good experience because I looked into the the pantry and fridge and figured it out. This is what I came with after a quick search on Pinterest and internet:

Lemony Chicken & Pasta

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. chicken breasts

½ tsp. each salt & black pepper

1 can {14.5. oz.} chicken broth

⅓ cup lemon juice

2 tsp. honey

8 oz. green beans, cut into 1 -inch pieces
3/4 cup small bite pasta
Parmesan Cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Pour broth and lemon juice into a large pot; bring to a boil and add chicken.

Cover and reduce heat to medium.

Cook for 9 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken from pot; set aside. Increase heat to high and cook sauce for 5 minutes.

Stir in remaining ¼ tsp. salt and pepper.

Whisk in honey.

Add 2 cups water to pot and bring to a boil.

Add pasta and cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender and most liquid has been absorbed.

Add green beans to pot for final 4 minutes of cook time.

Stir chicken back into the pot and serve!

Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

This turned out very nicely and, while I don't think that I will make it again, I learned a lot about making a sauce of this nature as well as making a pasta dish without a tomato based sauce.

Until the next experiment...

Sneaky Spinach for the Win!

So last Monday I got to go back to Disneyland for he first time in 2 months! All the Excite! Not only did I get to go play again, I got to go with my "sisters from another Mister". DJ got us each a pin of the 3 Peas in a Pod from Toy Story 3 to make it official. The three of us are pinned and are going steady with each other. But not romantically, just in life.

Anyway, to the recipe for today, I was on the phone with Husband and I inquired about what sort of food he wanted to late dinners this week (he is working eves right now). He asked about what we had to work with. Well I was at Disney, so I asked him what was in the pantry. He said 3 different types of pasta and I knew what vegetables we had in the good old fridge/bread box (we don't eat a lot of bread so our tomatoes make it in there more often than not).  So I found this recipe on Pinterest.

Creamy Spinach Spaghetti with Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients

1 pint cherry tomatoes

olive oil

kosher salt

pinch of sugar

8 oz whole wheat spaghetti

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb baby spinach

1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

1 avocado, chopped

1/4 cup basil

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375.  Toss the tomatoes with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and a pinch of sugar.  Put on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing once midway through.

Cook the pasta according to package directions, reserving about 1/2 cup cooking water for the sauce.

As the pasta cooks, saute the onion in 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet until softened, 5-6 minutes.  Add in the garlic and cook about 30 seconds more, or until fragrant.  Add in the spinach a few handfuls at a time, waiting until the previous bunch has started to wilt before adding the second.

Remove from heat and stir the Greek yogurt and avocado into the pan.  Add 2-3 tbsp of the reserved pasta water and, using an immersion blender (or a food processor), puree the mixture until smooth, adding more pasta water as needed to give it a sauce-like consistency.

Stir in the basil and parmesan.  Add the noodles to the sauce, tossing well to coat.  Serve the noodles topped with a spoonful of the roasted tomatoes.

Hmm ....spinach creaminess...

A dash of Parm and TADA! Yum!

I only had to go out to buy an avocado and Parmesan cheese. Boom, cost effectiveness! The alterations to the dish I made were that after I roasted the tomato (I also through in a few leftover sliced of green pepper and zucchini), I just stirred them in instead of serving them over the dish. Make it look a bit more "slop like", but I think that is added to the flavor having the veggies dispersed. I also did a small bite pasta instead of spaghetti simply because it is what we had. One thing I should have changed is that I that I should have chopped up the zucchini and green bell pepper I added as it would have been a better choice to disperse the flavor better and not interrupt the eating process quite as much.

This dish is a winner. An incredibly simple to make and an even better way to use the spinach that might be going bad soon. Husband thought it was solid and enjoyed it greatly. I am hoping that my someday maybe kids will like it too so I know they will get all the green stuff they need. The roasted tomatoes are like candied delicacies and I have every intention to try this dish with a bit of sun dried tomato sometime and maybe a bit of goat cheese instead of Greek yogurt... you know, to make it FAncy.

Until the next meal...

Happiness: a good bank account, a good cook, and a good digestion.

So the other night I didn't feel like cooking... I know! Who is this person who writes this?!?!

In all seriousness, I just wan't feeling it let alone had no desire to go out to the store to get the things necessary. I, also, didn't want to go out and spend more money (we went over our food budget a bit last month). I am sure I was in such a funk simply because I hadn't planned the week yet. Any who, I took to the kitchen to see with what we had to work. 

Pasta (staple, I buy different kinds when it is on sale as it doesn't go bad with any rapidity)

Tomatoes (leftover from a meal a few weeks prior)

Garlic  (staple, at least in my kitchen)

Onion  (staple, again, at least in my kitchen)

a bit of brie cheese and rosemary Parmesan (leftover from a small shindig had a couple week early) 

Milk (staple)

Flour (staple)

Butter (staple)

Chicken  (staple, we buy in bulk at Costco)

So I figured I could make a light white sauce, roast so garlic, caramelize some onions, and cook up some chicken, throw it on some pasta wtih diced tomatoes and call it done. I reflect now that for MOST people this would NOT be a "blerg, I don't waaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnt to cook!". Most people would order take away or heat up something prefrozen instead, but not this girl. I still cook, even if I don't feel like it. 

The dish was pleasant, nothing to write home about. I think perhaps some ham or sausage mixed in would have been a welcome addition. The distribution of the white was on the light side, which is fine, you really don't need a lot of that stuff. 

Oddly enough, I think that the leftovers have gotten better...The white sauce has sort of become one with the pasta and the tomatoes, somehow, and held onto their firm nature. As you can see, I am very fancy at work, with my plastic fork and paper plate. 

Until the next meal...

**From the great mind of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a French Philosopher during the 18th century and French Revolution: Happiness: a good bank account, a good cook, and a good digestion.**

It's absurd. I never go without my dinner.

So with all our travel and adventure last month, we decided to attempt to go a bit cheap on as many meals as possible to keep the budget with in a reasonable amount. That normally means pasta and casseroles. To keep in my healthy eating trend, I substitute healthy alternatives to canned or processed foods. A family friend of Husband's and, now, a friend of mine posted her recipe for Tuna Noodle Casserole  a while back and it got me all hungry for the delishnosh of said food tradition.

Her recipe is a solid one:

Cook:

1/2 box of pasta

Mix together:

3 cans of tuna

2 cans of cream of mushroom soup

1/2 bag of frozen peas

1 pint mushrooms

Worcestershire sauce

Then mix all the things together.

Put into a casserole dish and top with bread crumbs mixed with melted butter.

Cook at 350 for 60 minutes. Enjoy!

Me being me, I use what I have at home/normally buy from the grocery store. Which, as per usual, made it a bit more work than most people desire to put forth for a casserole. The big this is that Husband and I are trying to stay away from most processed foods, so the soup was a no go which really is the life saver of ingredients. 

Here is the ridiculousness I ended up based off of her simply beautiful recipe.

Cook:

1/2 box of pasta

Dice and Saute until tender:

Onion, carrots, garlic, celery, and mushrooms with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 oz Sherry

Mix together:

3 cans of tuna

1/2 bag of frozen peas

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon Dijon

Worcestershire sauce

Salt and Pepper

1/2 cup grated (Sharp) cheese

Then mix it all together in a 9X12 Casserole dish and top with:

Paprika / Parmesan / Bread Crumbs /Parsley

Cook at 350 degrees for 30 – 45 minutes

Husband liked all the veggies I jammed into my version of this classic dish. I think that it needs another whole cup of Greek Yogurt as I like my Tuna Noodle Casserole rather creamy and this batch just seemed at bit too much like regular pasta. Now I know, and knowing is half the battle.

Until the next meal...

**Today's title comes from Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest:You can't possibly ask me to go without having some dinner. It's absurd. I never go without my dinner. No one ever does, except vegetarians and people like that.**

Winner Winner

So I have been jonesing for some Asian noodles lately, but the last thing I wanted to do was to go out and buy some already made with stuff in them that I have no clue what it is. So I went to the web. Also, considering the fact that we have no budget left for food for the month and I don't want to go over, I was looking for the an inexpensive version of said noodles. Thus I found Budget Bytes' Chicken Yakisoba.

Chicken Yakisoba

Ingredients

½ head green cabbage 

1 medium yellow onion 

2 medium carrots 

1 small crown broccoli 

{I used some Broccoli Carrot Slaw from Trader Joe’s}

2 inches fresh ginger (used a table soup of powdered and rubbed the chicken withit as well as S&P)

1 large chicken breast 

2 Tbsp vegetable oil 

2 (3 oz.) packages ramen noodles

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup worcestershire sauce 

2 Tbsp ketchup 

1 Tbsp sriracha hot sauce (this is what I would consider medium spice)

1 Tbsp sugar 

Instructions

Before you begin, prepare the meat and vegetables for stir frying. Peel the ginger with either a vegetable peeler or the side of a spoon and then grate it with a cheese grater. Peel and grate the carrots with a large holed cheese grater. Remove the core from the cabbage and cut into thin strips. Slice the onion into thin strips. Cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Slice the chicken into thin strips.

Begin boiling a medium pot full of water for the noodles. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the grated ginger, saute for about 30 seconds to one minute (its okay if it sticks to the pan but don’t let it burn). Add the chicken strips and cook until they are no longer pink (about five minutes).

Once the chicken is cooked through, add all of the vegetables. Stir and cook until wilted (about 5-10 minutes). Meanwhile, once the water boils, add the noodles and cook just until tender (2-3 minutes). Drain, return to the pot (with the heat turned off) and toss with the sesame oil to keep from sticking {I just put a bit of cold water over it}.

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, ketchup, sriracha, and sugar. Use only ½ tsp of sriracha if you don’t want it spicy, use up to 1 Tbsp if you like it hot. Stir until the ketchup and sugar are dissolved. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the chicken and vegetables with the heat still on medium high. Add the noodles, stir to coat everything in the sauce, and heat through (just a few minutes).

This was seriously good.

My friend "DJ" was over for dinner and she agrees that it turned out really well. I think my cabbage slicing could have been better, but is that is the worst part about it then WIN. Husaband liked it so much that he actually stuck his head in quietly (I was attempting to fall alseep) and when he realized I was awake he excitedly told me how good it tasted.

For a dish so inexpensive, you KNOW I will be making this guy on the repeat.

Until the next meal...

**Today's title comes from Urban Dictionary: Winner Winner Chicken Dinner**

Cheese makes it better.

Original Recipe day! YAY!

So it was the end of the month and I had pretty much depleted our budget for groceries this month. So I started thinking about what we had in the pantry as well as the fridge. and this is what I came up this....

“It really got my goat” Pasta

Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup red onion, finely chopped

½ cup mushrooms , finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup pesto

1 cup spinach

Chicken: (Leave out and double Vegetables for Vegetarian version) 

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded 

Salt and Pepper to flavor

1 tablespoon olive oil

Pasta:

2 cups uncooked pasta, whole grain

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Well Salted Water

Garnish:

4 oz goat cheese

Method:

Put 1 tablespoon of the extra virgin olive oil into a skillet over medium heat. Cook onions, garlic, and mushrooms until soft. Add wine and cook until sauce is reduced by half, or about 5 minutes. Add pesto then stir until warm.  Take off heat and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil into a pan, salt and pepper chicken, then add to pan, cooking thoroughly until chicken is browned on both sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and shred with 2 forks. Wilt spinach in the pan the chicken was cooked in. Add shredded chicken to spinach to keep warm.

Heat a pot with boiling salt water with a dash of olive oil to keep pasta from sticking. Once water is boiling, add pasta and cook until soft (depending on pasta 10 – 20 minutes). Once pasta is drained, toss with shredded chicken and spinach in pesto sauce. Crumble goat cheese in while tossing. Goat cheese should melt slightly. 

So when I made this i didn't end up shredding the chick and instead just put it on top.

I later spiced up some leftovers with some tomatoes and sausage (from the jambalaya).

Both versions of this.....SPECTACULAR.

While the Pesto bumps it up a bit, the goat cheese puts it at a whole other level. This was good as left overs as well as fresh and the thin whole grain pasta was very nice, though I'd love to make this is a penne.

Also, during let's not spend money the last week of this month week, I was blessed with a few bunches of flowers from a wedding that occurred at our church. Having never really had the chance to play with floral arrangement (save for Best friend's wedding with dried flowers) I was very pleasantly surprise with how my arrangement turned out. 

Until the next meal...

**Today's title comes from Bertolt Brecht: Life is great. Cheese makes it better.**

All I want...

A few of my friends and I who live in the Valley/come to the Valley on Tuesdays for Softball, have started making dinner with each other once a week. Last week was the first weekly dinner with some delish Turkey Chili and Corn Bread made by Janet. This week was my time to host. As I get off work at 5 and the Softball game is at 6:30, I figured having something ready prior to me returning home from work would be the least stressy way to host. As I am on a Bacon Kick with weekend, I decided to make a comfort food  and then amp it up a little. Here is what I came up with:

Crockpot Cheesy Swine Pasta Florentine (if you say it like I do in my head, it totally rhymes)

Ingredients

3 cups uncooked pasta (about 12 oz) I went with Fusilli as I had it in the pantry

¼ cup butter or margarine, cut into pieces

1 can condensed Cheddar cheese soup

1 ½ cups half-and-half (or whole milk)

½ cup sour cream

3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

8 oz Velveeta, cut into cubes

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ cup chopped packaged precooked bacon (about 8 slices from 2.1-oz package) (unfortunatelty we ran out so instead we threw in some cut up hot dogs!)

1 onion, chopped and caramelized (precooked from the Danger Dog)

1 cup spinach, chopped

Method

Spray 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.

Cook and drain pasta as directed on package, using minimum cook time as the pasta will be cooking more in the slow cooker.

Place pasta in slow cooker; immediately add butter and stir until melted.

Add soup, half-and-half, sour cream, 2 1/2 cups of the Cheddar cheese, the cubed cheese, mustard, salt and pepper; stir to blend well.

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 2 to 3 hours, stirring once halfway through cooking time.

During last 15 minutes of cooking, stir in bacon, onion, and spinach. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese.

This was amazing.

I have created some decent dishes in my time, but this recipe is winning right now. Granted, add caramelized onion and bacon to most anything and it will taste amazing. There was none left (besides the spoonful I saved for myself for after Yoga class) after the dinner feeding 6. Make this. Love this. Or make your own favorite Mac and Cheese Recipe, then add caramelized onions, bacon, and spinach.

Your mind = Blown.


** Today's title is from Kurt Cobain, "All I want...is mac and cheese." Truer words have naught yet been uttered.**

Short of screaming-hot Thai Food....

I don't know about y'all, but occasionally I get an itch for one dish or another and I can't shake it. That is how I have been feeling about eating some Pad Thai since I have returned home from Brazil. So I pulled out my trusted recipe I found and altered a while back.

I was once super intimidated about trying to cook things that I wasn't familiar with. Then I finally realized that as long as I am tasting it while I cook, I won't mess it up so badly that it will be uneatable. I hope y'all like it as much as I do.

Southern Pad Thai with Chicken

Ingredients:

9 oz pad Thai rice noodles (click on link to see what these look like)

3/4 lbs boneless chicken thigh or breast, cut into small pieces or strips

1.5 Tbsp soy sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 fresh red or green chili, sliced

1 thumb-size piece fresh ginger, grated

4 green onions, sliced

1 egg

2-3 cups bean sprouts

1/3 cup dry-roasted unsalted peanuts or cashews, ground or roughly chopped with a knife

1 fresh lime, sliced into wedges

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Garnish with Thai Chili Sauce or Sirracha

Pad Thai Sauce:

1/3 cup good-tasting chicken stock

3 Tbsp. rice vinegar (or substitute white vinegar)

1 Tbsp. lime juice

3-4 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. paprika (if you like it spicy)

1/8 tsp. white pepper

Preparation:

Place prepared chicken in a bowl and toss with 1.5 Tbsp. soy sauce. 

Set aside.

Combine 'pad Thai sauce' ingredients together in a cup, stirring well to dissolve sugar. Set aside.

**Note that this sauce needs to taste sweet first, then sour and then salty to create good pad Thai.** 

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Dunk in rice noodles and switch off heat. 

Allow noodles to soak approximately 6 minutes, OR until soft enough to bend easily, but still firm and 'undercooked' by regular standards (They will finish cooking later in the wok). 

Drain and rinse noodles briefly with cold water to keep from sticking. Set aside.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. 

Coat with oil, then add the garlic, chili, ginger, and half of green onion (or just the white parts), reserving remaining for later. Stir-fry 1 minute to release the fragrance.

Add chicken and stir-fry 3-4 minutes, or until cooked. 

**If pan becomes dry, add 1-2 Tbsp. of the pad Thai sauce, just enough to keep ingredients frying nicely.**

Push ingredients aside and crack egg into center of pan. Stir quickly to scramble, then combine.

Add prepared noodles plus 3-4 Tbsp. of the pad Thai sauce. 

Using two utensils, lift and turn noodles to stir-fry and combine with other ingredients. 

Continue frying in this way, adding more of the sauce every minute or two, until all sauce has been added and the noodles are chewy-delicious and a little bit sticky (8-10 minutes). 

When sauce has been absorbed and noodles are cooked, fold in the bean sprouts (you want them to stay crispy).

Remove from heat and taste-test, adding more fish sauce until desired taste is achieved (I usually end up adding 1-2 Tbsp. fish sauce, but I like mine on the salty side). 

Portion out onto individual plates and add a lime wedge on the side. 

Before eating, top with remaining green onion and squeeze over the lime wedge, then finish with a generous sprinkling of chopped/ground nuts. 

For those whole like it extra spicy, serve with Thai chili sauce on the side, and enjoy!

I love this dish. No, it isn't the end all be all of Thai food. Actually, from everything I have read, most restaurants in Thailand don't serve Pad Thai because they can't complete with the street cart vendors who only make it and make it amazingly. Also, the full name of the dish is Kway Teow Pad Thai which suggests the dish has a Chinese origin, although the ingredients are definitely Thai. 

Husband doesn't care for shrimp or tofu, otherwise you would see them as ingredients as I like them in my Pad Thai. I like to sear each piece of chicken individually if I have the time as it keeps the inside juicy and the outside a little crisp. When I use Tofu, I will press out the juices of an extra firm block then marinade it with a bit of Pad Thai Sauce. If you want to attempt to make this a bit more of a well rounded meal, shredded carrot and chopped broccoli are great additions.

Until the next dish...

** Today's title is from Guy Fieri who once said "Short of screaming-hot Thai food, everything can be suitable for kids too". This dish is totally kid friendly, just substitute veggies they will eat into it.**

...crunchy like a bell.

Yet again, I have a grip of peppers that need to be used. I really need to learn to not buy the baggies of them, but they are such a good value normally. Value is pretty much my favorite thing. Even above cooking, I think.

Anyway, it isn't really a value if I have to throw them out, now is it? So I figured it was time to roast those suckers up and put them in a mason jar so they could last a bit longer than their raw selves. Oven to 400, rub the peppers with a bit of olive oil, and cook till well charred, stirring occasionally.

Since I now have roasted peppers at my disposal I decided it was time for a recipe I have been waiting on for a while since I never actually buy roasted peppers.

Pasta with creamy sweet pepper and feta sauce
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups of roasted peppers
1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup crumbled feta
1 pound pasta
Salt and Pepper for taste
Fresh Parsley for garnish

Method:
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Saute onion and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes.
Add roasted peppers and saute until heated through.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Place mixture in the bowl of a food processor with stock and all but 2 tablespoons of feta.
Process until combined and smooth about 30 seconds
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
Toss pasta sauce, adding pasta water by the tablespoon
Sauce should cling nicely to the pasta
Salt and pepper to taste.
divide pasta into bowls
Garnish with parsley and remaining feta.

This dish turned out extremely well. The best part was how thick and creamy the sauce was without heavy cream to help it along. Also, I got to use my immersion blender (verses my food processor) which made me feel exceptionally "chef-like". I would say that because I chose the immersion blender over the food processor, I think my sauce was a bit chunkier. Another alteration to the recipe that I made was that, as I made only a half recipe of this, I didn't use stock. Mainly because I don't like to open stock unless I use a good amount of it. Instead I used the lightly salted pasta water. This is another reason my recipe was thicker than would be expected as I didn't use quite as much liquid.

Besides roasting the peppers, the recipe was easy and it didn't take too much brain power. Husband and I talked while I cooked about who is getting what for Christmas, our impending trip to Brazil, and the last few things that need to happen before his parents arrive for the weekend. I will definitely make this dish again sometime.

In completely other news, I have been typing up my Grandmother's recipes. As much as I have been enjoying the action pouring over the ancient, hand written texts, it has been begun to get a little ridiculous. Honestly, how many "Date Bar" or "Ham Loaf" recipes does one lady need? I have stopped typing up EACH recipe and have begun sifted through them a bit more, typing up the recipes I either don't have a version of yet or ones that look esp different and interesting. I still find this to me a very rewarding task and look forward to Pinteresting-it-up a bit by framing a couple of this recipes. Still hoping to find a couple written by Maman so I can frame them and give them to the brothers.

Until the next meal....


**Today's title comes from The Simpsons the episode entitled "Dial 'N' for Nerder". The full quote from the genius of Homer's mind goes like this: It tastes good like a pepper, but crunchy like a bell." **

I hates it.

Yesterday was the first day in awhile with Husband home as a house hubby.  Between Husband's late hours at work last week, the World Series (Let's Go, Cards!), and a bit of sickness on my part last week, coming home to laundry done and a clean house was a huge blessing. Over psychic paper (text messages) today, we talked about what to have to dinner this week. Considering we still have of pork loin, pork stew, chicken casserole (from my friend Taylor who came over for lunch), stuffed sweet peppers as well as curried carrot and apple soup, I am doing my best to make a little left overs as possible.

As Husband expressed the desire for lighter fare (the past week has been heavier than normal both at home and work), I decided on a Pinterest /Weight Watchers recipe that has been begging my eye as of late.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls
Ingredients:
9 Lasagna noodles, cooked (I only had 6)
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained
15 oz part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
salt and pepper
32 oz tomato sauce
9 Tbs mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Ladle about 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9X12 baking dish. (I used 2-3X8 pans)
Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry.
Take 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.
Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 tablespoon of mozzarella cheese. Put foil over baking dish and back for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts. Makes 9 rolls.
To serve, ladle a little sauce on the plate and top with lasagna roll.

This was rather well received, I think. Husband and I discussed what it lacked and what we liked about it over dinner. I think that a bit of onion and maybe a tablespoon or so of red pepper flakes would have made it perfect in the world of our palates. Despite this, the flavor was light and appealing. The texture was spot-on actually, as I cooked the pasta very al dente. I liked the pasta-to-filling ratio and the presentation was simple and elegant. In summation, we would definitely enjoy this meal again though I would add a few more things to the filling.

** Today's title is from the 1980 classic, Popeye starring Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall.  "Bluto: So you don't like spinach? Popeye: I hates it." **