A Quick and Tasty Pasta Dish

Recently I have managed to catch several of Giada and Ina’s shows on the Food Network. I really haven’t seen either of them in a while, so I really enjoyed seeing what they were cooking. Giada had one episode for quick and easy meals for a busy day. Well, Russ and I have lately wanted to eat at home more and I am always looking for a quick, easy, and tasty new meal. She made a one-dish meal of Ravioli with Arugula, Tomatoes, and Pancetta. I decided to make it the next night since I knew I had a lot to do during the day and wouldn’t have a lot of time for cooking that night.

To make the pasta dish you start by slicing the pancetta into small pieces and frying it in a skillet until it is crispy. Once it is done drain it onto a plate with paper towels. Meanwhile start the water for cooking the pasta and add the ravioli once it has come to a boil (I always salt my pasta water). Next add olive oil and the tomatoes (which are drained). I also added a couple cloves of diced fresh garlic. Then add the basil and arugula. The grocery store didn’t have just arugula, so I went with baby spinach instead. Gently toss the spinach as it wilts, so that it mixes in with everything else. Next add salt, pepper, and butter. Once it has all cooked together for a few minutes add the pancetta back in and then the cooked ravioli. Add a little more butter and carefully toss the pasta into the tomato / arugula mixture. Serve immediately.

This was a very simple and quick meal to put together. It only has a few ingredients yet the flavor is fantastic. It really exceeded my expectations. I told Russ that I obviously thought it would be good (or I wouldn’t have tried it), but I certainly had not thought it would be as flavorful as it turned out to be. I love the combination of spinach, tomatoes, and basil. We also both enjoyed the cheese ravioli which I haven’t bought since I was in graduate school. I also imagine that if you have children you could serve them some of the ravioli with just the tomatoes or with just Parmesan cheese on top if they are not interested in the spinach etc. All in all this was a tasty dish that will definitely be repeated in our house. Russ rates it an 8. (The picture of Cash is from the beach earlier this summer. He is a beach bum!)

Chef Russ

While I do most of the cooking in our house, Russ is very involved. He does all the grilling, dishes, pictures for the blog and sometimes he takes the reigns and cooks the entire meal. Tonight was one of those nights when I had a meeting after work and knew I would come home hungry, too tired to cook, yet wanting a home cooked meal. Enter the sweetest husband ever who cooked up his new specialty that he has made once before for me, Pasta Puttanesca while I was at my meeting.

Russ loves this recipe because not only does it taste great, but he says it is fairly simple to prepare and all the ingredients are ones that almost always have in the pantry. I love it because it is delicious and required no effort on my part. It has great flavor from the capers and garlic, a nice kick from the fresh cayenne peppers from our garden, and fantastic color and texture from the olives. The tomatoes still take center stage and are just amplified by all the other tasty ingredients. I give it a 10 and Russ rates it a 9.

A Big Hit with No Meat!

Every now and then my meat loving husband will agree to a vegetarian meal if enough cheese is involved. Tonight was one of those rare occasions. Whenever I go through a new issue of Cooking Light I dog ear the pages of recipes that catch my eye. In the September issue this was one that not only did I dog ear, but also I kept coming back to each time I flipped through it. The recipe is for Ziti with Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes, and Gorgonzola Sauce. Russ and I both love macaroni and cheese and Cooking Light touts this recipe as a grown up version by showcasing the pungent flavor of gorgonzola cheese.

To make this dish you start by heating the water and cooking the pasta. This dish comes together so fast that you have to start the pasta first or you will be sitting around waiting on it. Then heat olive oil in a pan and add the cherry tomatoes, crushed red pepper, salt, and garlic. Once they have cooked for a minute or two then add the half and half and gorgonzola cheese and cook it for about two minutes while stirring constantly. Once it has thickened some add the spinach and allow it to wilt. Drain the pasta and then add the pasta to the pan with the sauce and mix to combine. Serve immediately.

This could not have been any quicker or easier to make. The most time consuming part is literally boiling the water for the pasta and cooking the pasta. This is a great weeknight dinner when you don’t have a lot of time or just don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. It is also a great one dish meal since it includes your veggies. The strong pungent flavor of the gorgonzola is fantastic and creamy. The sauce while still being light is rich and wonderful. The spinach and cherry tomatoes add beautiful colors to the dish and great, fresh flavors. We both thoroughly enjoyed this dish and it will definitely be repeated in our house. Russ rates it a 10.

Without the Beans...

It is not uncommon for me to make minor tweaks to recipes. Sometimes it as simple as just not measuring ingredients, but eyeballing them or swapping out one ingredient for another or leaving out a minor ingredient. Well, tonight I did something I haven’t done before… I intentionally left out a major ingredient. Jamie Oliver recently did an episode titled “Peas and Broad Beans” and I decided to make his Quick Sausage Meatballs with a Tomato and Basil Sauce, Spaghetti, and Sweet Raw Peas from it only I left out the peas. Now I know I said it was intentional, but that is not exactly the truth. The truth is I looked for the peas at the store, but I just went to the regular grocery store and not a vegetable market or a grocery store with more variety and consequently didn’t find them. So, I made the call to go ahead with the recipe and leave out the peas, which was disappointing as I was curious how the raw peas would work in the recipe. In the end the recipe was delicious despite my leaving out the peas, only I am still left wondering what it would have been like had I included them… I guess there is always next time.

To make Jamie’s Quick Sausage Meatballs with a Tomato and Basil Sauce, Spaghetti, and Sweet Raw Peas you start by snipping the end of the casing on the sausage (I used turkey sausage instead of pork) and then pushing the meat out into imperfect balls. These then sauté in olive oil until they are cooked through. While the sausage meatballs are cooking go ahead and start the water for the spaghetti and once it comes to a boil salt it and add the pasta. Once the meatballs are just about done cooking add some herbs to the pan. I used chopped fresh thyme, basil and parsley. In order to cut down the number of pans I was using I removed the sausages from the pan and then made the tomato sauce in the same pan where as the recipe calls for doing them in separate pans. To make the tomato sauce you start by heating olive oil and adding chopped garlic and basil stalks to it. Once these have cooked for a couple of minutes add some of the basil leaves and the cans of tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring this to a simmer and break up the tomatoes with a spoon or spatula and add a swig of balsamic vinegar to the dish. At this point I added the meatballs into the tomato sauce and let it simmer until everything was hot and incorporated. Serve over the pasta and top with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

As the recipe name indicates this really is a quick meal. It came together in very little time and was easy to do. I loved the simple tomato sauce, which had a great fresh flavor from the herbs and a little kick from the vinegar. I thought the sauce was so tasty that I would have been happy without the meatballs. However, the sausage meatballs were the easiest meatballs I have ever made and they did add nice texture and density to the dish. Russ loved the meatballs and thought they really completed the meal. While I was disappointed to not have the fresh beans to include in the dish, it was a wonderful meal that was perfect for a weeknight dinner. Russ rates the meal a 9.

Pasta with Lots of Olives

I love it when I get a new Fine Cooking, Cooking Light and Cooks’ Illustrated all within a few days of each other! I spent time going through all three and this past weekend read out a list of recipes to Russ to let him pick one for dinner one night this week. He chose a pasta dish from the new Cooks’ Illustrated.
To make the pasta dish you start by mincing the garlic, chopping the olives, and slicing the sun dried tomatoes. Mix these three along with the olive oil, anchovies, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes in a bowl and set aside. Then you can make the bread crumbs, but I decided to skip this step for the sake of time. While I think they would add a nice crunchy texture to the top I didn’t have the time for them tonight. Next get the pasta cooking and while it is going put the olive mixture in the skillet and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Once it has cooked for a few minutes add some of the pasta water to the pan and let it continue to cook. Then add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss it together. Finally add the cheese, parsley and basil to the dish and toss. Add additional pasta water if it is needed. I added slices of turkey sausage as Russ is not a big fan of meals without meat. Serve it with a lemon wedge.

The pasta was very tasty! If you love olives then this is a great dish for you as the olives are the dominant flavor. I love the combination of salty olives and the somewhat sweet and savory sun dried tomatoes. The fresh herbs really add a nice pop of color along with a fresh from the garden flavor. I was a little skeptical of serving it with a lemon wedge, but it really did work well with the flavors and I felt like it brought out the flavors of the fresh herbs even more. As for the sausage… Russ, the meat eater himself, felt like it would have been better without it. I certainly don’t think you need to add meat to this dish at all. Russ felt like grilled chicken sliced over the top would have gone well with it. I think if you are going to add meat then that is probably the way to go, but next time I’d rather put the time towards the bread crumbs and skip the meat. All in all this was a wonderful pasta dish. Russ rates it a 9.

Pasta with Olives, Garlic, and Herbs, Cooks’ Illustrated July and August 2008
Serves 4 to 6

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon anchovy fillets (4 to 6 fillets)
¼ - ½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
¼ cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed, patted dry, and cut into thin strips
1 cup pitted kalamata olives rinsed and coarsely chopped (For a milder olive flavor, use manzanilla olives in place of kalamata.)
2 large slices white sandwich bread (about 3 ounces), torn into quarters
1 and ¾ teaspoons table salt
1 pound mezze rigatoni or fafalle
2 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 ½ cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
Ground black pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon garlic, anchovies, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground, about 16 one-second pulses. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in 12 inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in remaining tablespoon garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant and bread crumbs are dark golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer to plate to cool. Wipe out skillet with paper towels.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add pasta and remaining 1 ½ teaspoons salt. While pasta is cooking, return now-empty skillet to medium heat and add olive mixture. Cook until olive mixture is aromatic and oil has turned rusty red, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove ¾ cup pasta cooking water from pot and add to skillet. Bring to simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat while pasta finishes cooking.

When pasta is just shy of al dente, drain pasta, reserving ½ cup of pasta cooking water, and transfer back to Dutch oven. Add olive mixture to pasta and toss over medium heat until pasta absorbs most liquid, about 2 minutes. Stir in ½ cup Parmesan. Adjust consistency of sauce with reserved water. (Sauce should cling to pasta but not be too loose or runny.) Remove pot from heat and stir in parsley and basil; adjust seasoning with pepper. Serve, passing lemon wedges, remaining Parmesan, and bread crumbs separately.

Not so simple sauce...

So, I have only had my Cooks’ Illustrated subscription for a few months now, but even before the subscription started I began to have a love / hate relationship with it. I don’t know if you remember the cookies from Jess and my holiday baking this past December. Well, two of the cookie recipes came from Cooks’ Illustrated. The Nut Crescent Cookies were easy to make, looked great, and tasted wonderful. Now, the Chocolate Butter Cookies were a major pain and very time consuming to make. They did end up tasting good and while they looked fine they didn’t look as good as they should have since the white chocolate topping didn’t work out… These cookies pretty much started my love / hate relationship with Cooks’ Illustrated. Since then I have made their Roasted Broccoli which was amazing and pretty much the best broccoli ever which makes me love Cooks’ Illustrated. Which brings us to tonight… where I make their Simple Italian-Style Meat Sauce which while it was not difficult it was also not a simple, week night sauce at all as it was touted to be. I am not sure that Cooks’ Illustrated cares, but we are having a very tumultuous relationship.

To make the “Simple” Italian-Style Meat Sauce you start by cleaning the mushrooms and giving them a rough chop. Then put them in the food processor until they are finally chopped. See what I mean, when a food processor is involved it is not exactly what I would I would call a simple sauce. Then you put the mushrooms in a bowl and set them aside. Then add the bread, milk, salt and pepper to the food processor and process it until it is pasty. Then add the ground beef and pulse until it is combined with the bread mixture. Add the oil to the pan and heat it up. Then add the onions and mushrooms and cook until they are browned. Then add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Next add the tomato liquid and oregano. Lastly add the meat mixture to the pan and use a wooden spoon to break it up while it cooks. Once the beef has lost its raw color then add the crushed and diced tomatoes and let is simmer for about 30 minutes. Last add the parmesan cheese, the remaining oregano (or a little more to taste), and salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta.

The sauce was tasty and even a little creamy. It had a nice smooth texture to it which I liked as a change from my chunkier spaghetti sauce. I did need to add extra oregano, salt, and pepper to it. Russ and I both thought it would be better with a smaller pasta than the rigatoni that we used (which was what CI showed with it in the picture). While we both enjoyed it and I did especially like the creaminess and smoothness of the sauce it really wasn’t anything special. I also did not think it was as simple as Cooks’ Illustrated did since it involved lots of equipment and steps for a fairly plain sauce. Russ rates the sauce an 8.

Simple Italian-Style Meat Sauce, Cooks’ Illustrated March / April 2008
Makes about 6 cups

4 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed, and broken into rough pieces
1 large slice high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
2 tablespoons whole milk
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef (not ground round)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine (about 1 and ½ cups)
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained, ¼ cup liquid reserved
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
½ ounce grated Parmesan cheese (about ¼ cup)

Process mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped, about eight 1-second pulses, scraping down side of bowl as needed; transfer to medium bowl. Add bread, milk, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper to now empty food processor and process until paste forms, about eight 1 second pulses. Add beef and pulse until mixture is well combined, about six 1 second pulses.

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add onion and mushrooms; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are browned and dark bits form on pan bottom, 6 to 12 minutes. Stir in garlic, pepper flakes, and tomato paste; cook until fragrant and tomato paste starts to brown, about 1 minute. Add ¼ cup reserved liquid and 2 teaspoons fresh oregano (if using dried, add full amount), scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Add meat mixture and cook, breaking meat into small pieces with wooden spoon, until beef loses its raw color, 2 to 4 minutes, making sure that meat does not brown.

Stir in crushed and drained diced tomatoes and bring to simmer; reduce heat to low and gently simmer; reduce heat to low and gently simmer until sauce has thickened and flavors have blended, about 30 minutes. Stir in cheese and remaining teaspoon fresh oregano; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Canned Tuna: The Saga

When I started cooking for I came up with a simple and yummy pasta with tuna dish that I would make for lunch on the weekends fairly frequently. It is simple because it takes very little time to prepare and because it has only a few ingredients all of which I tend to always have on hand: pasta, a can of tuna, mayonnaise, onion, salt and pepper. The dish is fairly self explanatory based on the list of ingredients, but basically I would cook the pasta and then drain it. I would then mix it with a drained can of tuna, some diced onion, some mayonnaise, and season it with salt and pepper. I love it; however, when I introduced Russ to it he did not like it at all. He has named it “Tuna Surprise” and won’t have anything to do with it. His reaction to my beloved “Tuna Surprise” was and is still so strong that he doesn’t want to eat anything involving a can of tuna for fear of it being ever so slightly similar to my tuna dish. Well, after an almost three year hiatus from canned tuna we finally gave it another go in a new recipe tonight.

Russ spoiled me on my birthday this year including giving me two Jamie Oliver cookbooks. We both love Jamie Oliver and have a renewed interest in him after becoming hooked on his new show on the Food Network, Jamie at Home. I have been flipping through both of my new cookbooks, Cook with Jamie and Jamie’s Italy, and ran across a simple pasta with tuna dish that looked very tasty! I showed Russ the recipe and the picture of the dish and while he was hesitant he said he’d be okay adding it to the menu this week. Yeah! I gave it a go tonight and I think I can safely say we are back to eating canned tuna again!

To make the dish you start by chopping the red onion and basil stalks and then sautéing them in a little olive oil with the cinnamon. Once the onions are soft and a little sweet you add the tuna, tomatoes and their juices, and a little salt. Let this simmer for about 20 minutes. Cook the pasta until it is al dente and then drain it. Add the torn basil leaves, lemon zest, lemon juice, a little olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and pasta to the sauce. Toss it all together and taste for seasoning. I added a little more salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Russ and I both enjoyed this dish. It is a simple, light pasta dish with great flavor from the cinnamon and basil. While the cinnamon seemed a little odd to me it worked really well in the dish and added some real depth and warmth to the seasoning. The torn basil leaves added near the end give it a pop of color and a fresh burst of flavor. I served it with a side of steamed broccoli. We both really enjoyed this meal! Russ rates it a 9.

Jools’ Favorite Saturday Afternoon Pasta, Cook with Jamie
Serves 4

Olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 – 2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
A bunch of fresh basil leaves picked, stalks chopped
2 x 14 oz. cans good quality plum tomatoes
2 x 10 oz. cans good quality tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1lb. 2 oz. good quality rigatoni or penne
Zest and juice of 1 – 2 lemons
A small handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a splash of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and cook the onion, chilli, cinnamon, and basil stalks on a medium to low heat for 5 minutes until the onion has softened and is slightly sweet. Turn up the heat and add your tomatoes, tuna, and a good pinch of salt. Break the tomatoes up using the back of a spoon, then bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

Meanwhile, cook the rigatoni in a pan of salted boiling water according to package instructions. When al dente, drain the pasta in a colander, reserving some of the cooking water. Toss the pasta into the tuna and tomato sauce with the roughly torn basil leaves, a glug of olive oil, the lemon zest and juice, and Parmesan and mix together well. Loosen the pasta with a little of the reserved cooking water if needed. Check the seasoning and serve immediately.

My Notes: I left out the chillies since I could not find them at the store. I cut the recipe in half since it was just for the two of us.

Picture Notes: My Venezuelan brother, Ernesto, was in town for a visit this past week. Ernesto, Russ, and I went with Mom and Dad to the Oklahoma vs. Louisville NCAA game together. It was a lot of fun except poor OU didn't play very well.

Judging a Book by the Title

I am sure you have all heard the saying “Don’t Judge a Book By the Cover” and I am well aware that it is talking about a lot more than books… however, tonight’s dinner came from one of my neglected cookbooks (remember my New Year’s Resolutions) and it is safe to judge this one by the cover or better yet the title. Jessica and Scott gave me Southern Living’s Light and Easy Comfort Food well over a year ago and in that time I have used it once... So this weekend I pulled it off the shelf and began thumbing through it again and it is full off recipes that are just as the title reads light and easy comfort food dishes. None of the recipes are super complicated or time consuming, they are all on the lighter side, and they are all dishes that at some point in time during the year you crave. I found several recipes that looked tasty and perfect for a weeknight dinner. I couldn’t decide so I asked Russ to pick between the three and he chose the Lemon-Chicken Pasta.This particular recipe came out of a section on Cooking for Two. I want to point out that while it does make two servings that it would still be a good recipe for one person. You could easily half this recipe and most of the ingredients are ones that will save for later such as the frozen peas and extra dried pasta. Other ingredients such as the unused chicken and chicken broth could be frozen for later.

Russ and I both really liked this dish and it fit the title of the cookbook exactly as it was easy, light and comfort food. It wasn’t an out of the ball park homerun for us, but it was a solid, delicious weeknight dinner for just the two of us. One aspect of the dish I did really like is the use of chicken broth with cream cheese. The sauce is both light and tasty and one that you could adapt in so many different ways. I don’t know that I’ll follow this recipe exactly again, but I certainly will use aspects of it and then make it my own by adding different vegetables and flavors to it. You could easily sub asparagus (as long as you let them cook a little longer) and shrimp and I think it would be super tasty. I also think I would add a little lemon juice to it. Russ rates it an 8.
Quick Note: If you are interested in tracking my progress towards my New Year’s Resolution of cooking from my underused or never used cookbooks I am categorizing all applicable blog entries as “Cooking the Books”.

Lemon-Chicken Pasta, Southern Living Light and Easy Comfort Food
Yield: 2 servings

Cooking Spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into ¼ inch-wide strips
½ cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/3 cup shredded carrot
½ cup condensed low-sodium chicken broth, undiluted
2 tablespoons tub-style light cream cheese
2 cups hot cooked farfalle (about 1 and ¼ cups uncooked bow tie pasta), cooked without salt or fat
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Fresh chives (optional)

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and oil and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add garlic; sauté 15 seconds. Add chicken and sauté 1 minute. Add peas and carrot; sauté 1 minute. Remove chicken mixture from skillet and set aside.
Add chicken broth and cream cheese to skillet, and cook over medium-high heat 3 minutes of until cream cheese melts, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return chicken mixture to skillet. Stir in pasta, Parmesan cheese, lemon rind, salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute. Garnish with fresh chives if desired.This is a family photo with the addition of Cash's cousin Hugo from our hike this weekend.

Back in the Saddle or Kitchen Again

Since Thanksgiving I can count the number of meals we have eaten at home on one hand. Maybe that is an exaggeration, but it certainly seems like we have been so busy with fun holiday plans that we haven’t had many relaxing dinners at home. While we love the holidays and all the dinners and parties that come with it I was really starting to miss cooking dinner at home for just the two of us. Now that 2008 is here I am back in the saddle or kitchen rather again and loving it.

For the first meal of the year in our kitchen I went with a new to us pasta dish out of Giada’s Everyday Pasta. Russ and I both had a run in with the stomach bug over New Year’s and I’ll spare you the details, but as of now we are still craving simple, plain food – nothing too rich or spicy. We went with Pasta with Tomato and Peas and added grilled chicken to the top. The pasta dish is very simple and uses lots of pantry items and other ingredients that we always have on hand which makes it nice for a night when you don’t feel like going to the grocery store. To make the sauce you cut up the shallots, carrots, and garlic and then sauté them in a little olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Once they have softened you add the tomato paste, some of the water from the pasta, and the other seasonings. Once the pasta has finished cooking you add it along with the peas to the sauce and toss.

Giada says it take 15 minutes to make and while I didn’t time it I would guess it takes a little longer than 15 minutes, but it is still very quick and easy meal to prepare. The pasta has great flavor and while it is not anything super special it was perfect for a tasty weeknight dinner. The peas really work well with the subtle tomato flavor. The sauce just coats the pasta which I love instead of an overly saucy dish. Russ loved it and rated it a 10. It makes a ton and while I don’t always think pasta reheats well, we actually both enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Family Recipes

The best thing about living in Birmingham for Russ and me is our family. Our parents, all our siblings, and Russ’ grandfather all currently live within ten minutes of us and we love it! Not a week goes by when we don’t see at least one or more family member. Just this past week Jess, Scott and Hugo came over for dinner, we ate lunch with my Dad, and we hung out in Tuscaloosa at the Alabama game with all of Russ’ siblings. Our families have lots of things in common including a love of food and sharing meals together. Not long after I started this blog I realized I needed a category for family recipes. Maybe I am a sap, but there is something really special to me about making a recipe that I remember my Mom or Dad making when I was younger or learning a family recipe from Russ’ Mom. Both our families have recipes that go back several generations and that is an incredible gift to have. When it comes to family recipes I always ask if I can put the recipe up on my blog. Usually the answer is yes, but sometimes like tonight’s dinner the answer is I’d rather keep this one in the family. I can appreciate that some family recipes are just that recipes for the family. Its not that Mom is worried that someone might go make a million dollars off of her Stroganoff, but there is something special about keeping some recipes just in the family.

For Bachelor Night tonight Russ and I hosted and served Mom’s Beef Stroganoff over egg noodles. Elizabeth and Seth brought a Cesar salad and bread and Emily and Dowe brought cheese and crackers and chocolate chip cookie bars. Everything was yummy! Russ rates the stroganoff a 10.

Since I didn't post on Halloween and there have been a few requests I am posting a picture of Russ and me in our costumes (Mario and Princess Peach) from last weekend.

Surprisingly Tasty and Simple Pasta

Whenever we come back home from being out town no matter how long we've been gone Russ and I both are always ready to have a home cooked meal. The only problem with this is that we usually come back tired from traveling. This weekend was no exception. We went to Atlanta for one night to visit Sam and Farrah and go to the Beer Festival. We had a wonderful time and like always when we got home we both wanted to stay in and eat a home cooked meal for diner. For some reason I was at a complete loss as to what to make, so Russ mentioned that pasta sounded good to him. I pulled out Giada’s Everyday Pasta cookbook and flipped through it. I almost immediately stopped at a recipe that has caught my eye before as one that looked simple and pretty good, Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions. Since I was looking for simple and pasta I decided to go for it even though it didn't look like a fabulous recipe.

To make the pasta you sauté the red peppers and onions (seasoned with salt and pepper) in olive oil for a few minutes. The recipe calls for ¼ cup of olive oil, but I just used about two tablespoons and it was plenty. Once these have sautéed for a few minutes you add the garlic, basil, and oregano. This cooks for a little longer and then you incorporate the tomato paste. Once this is incorporated you add the Marsala wine, diced tomatoes with their juices, and the sliced sausage. I used precooked sausage which made the dish even easier. The sausage, pepper, onion mixture then simmers until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. This is where you should start the pasta... but I didn’t read the recipe all the way through before starting and therefore didn't realize the sauce needed to simmer for 20 minutes. Anyway, I cooked my pasta earlier and then when the sauce was done I tossed it with the sauce long enough to make sure the pasta was heated back up.. You then serve the pasta and sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese.

I was pleasantly surprised with this pasta dish. As I mentioned before I didn’t have the highest of expectations, but the flavor and combination of red peppers, onions, and sausage were fantastic. Russ and I both really enjoyed this dish and it was perfect for night like tonight where we are tired, but want a warm, home cooked meal. This one will definitely be repeated in our house since it was simple to throw together and very flavorful. I do think I overcooked the pasta a little and I ran out of penne and had to use two types of pasta, but besides that it was great. I am looking forward to having leftovers for lunch tomorrow and that is always a good sign. Russ rates the pasta a 9.

Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions
Giada De Laurentiis

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage
2 red bell peppers, sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Marsala wine
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on both sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain. (I used precooked sausage, so I skipped this step and just sliced them and added them later.) Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the peppers, onions, salt, and pepper and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano, basil, and garlic and cook 2 more minutes.Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the Marsala wine, tomatoes, and chili flakes, if using. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the browned bits. Bring to a simmer. Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each, about 1-inch cubes. Add the sausage back to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes. Drain the pasta and add to the thickened sauce; toss to combine. Spoon into individual bowl and sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Apples, Apples and More Apples

This Saturday Russ and I made no plans except to stick around the house, watch football, bake, grill, and hang out with friends. Russ got started in the kitchen first by grilling wings for lunch and prepping the ribs. Once he was done with the kitchen I took over and started my apple baking. As I mentioned before we stopped by an orchard on our way home from Highlands, NC and picked up two and a half pecks of apples. I have been looking at different apple recipes for days now trying to narrow down what I want to try. I decided on a muffin and cake recipe for today.

The Apple Muffin recipe I decided on is from King Arthur Flour and it calls for predominately whole grain flour. To make the muffins you mix the flours (white whole wheat and all-purpose), baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Set this bowl to the side and cream the butter and sugars. Then mix the egg and buttermilk in and then turn off the mixer and stir in the flour mixture. Once this is all incorporated then you mix in the apple (which is cored, peeled, and cut into chunks). This is then put into muffin tins and baked for 10 minutes at 450 and then 15 minutes at 400. You are supposed to sprinkle the remaining brown sugar over the batter before baking, but I managed to forget this until they had already baked.

The muffins turned out really well! They are not a sweet muffin, but a tasty one filled with apples. The apples truly take center stage in this recipe and really make the muffin. You can’t put too many apples into it. This is one I will definitely try again, only next time I’ll probably double the recipe since it only makes 12 muffins in order to have more to share with friends and family. I did manage to share a few with Jess and Scott and sent a couple with Will (Russ' good college friend who was passing through town) and Megan (Will's friend) for the road. Jess called to tell me that she thinks they are best muffin yet and she has tasted lots of them in my quest for a perfect blueberry muffin! I may have to use some of the last of the Mentone blueberries from the freezer and try this recipe with blueberries. Russ rates the muffins a 9.

Next up on my apple baking spree is a cake I have made once before (pre-blog) and despite it not being the prettiest of cakes it was a real hit as far as flavor and texture. It is recipe I found online called Gooey Apple Sheet Cake. I am typically not a big fan of sheet cakes simply because they are not very attractive and have to be served out of the pan, but I do make exceptions and this recipe is definitely worth the exception.

To make the cake you mix melted butter and sugar together and then add the eggs. In a separate bowl you mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and cinnamon). You then add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk until it is all mixed together. You then fold the apples into the batter and spread the batter into a greased pan. Then you make the topping by mixing the cream cheese, powdered sugar, eggs, and oats together. You then spread this over the cake batter and put it in the oven to bake for 45 minutes at 350.

This recipe is so simple to put together and it is so moist, rich, and gooey (hence the name). It is not light by any means, but it is well worth the splurge. I was a little disappointed though that I chunked the apples instead of leaving them in thin slices. Last time I believe I did the think slices and I think the shape and thickness of slices would work much better than the chunks. Allen, Russ, Will, Megan and I all loved it! It is a recipe that is a guaranteed hit with a crowd, so if you are in need of a dessert sometime soon I would highly recommend it. As an added bonus it is similar to a coffee cake, so it is tasty in the morning too! Russ rates the cake a 10.

On a non-apple note I also made homemade Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese tonight. Russ and I were watching the Food Network recently and ran across Alton Brown’s Good Eats on cheese. Being the cheese lovers that we are we could resist watching. Russ loves the macaroni and cheese from the blue box, so despite the many recipes I have tried for homemade macaroni and cheese he still prefers the box kind. Alton convinces his nephew on the show that his Stove Top Mac and Cheese is better than the box kind, so I had to give it a try.

To make the macaroni and cheese you start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling you cook the elbow pasta until al dente. While the pasta is cooking you grate the sharp cheddar cheese. You also mix the evaporated milk, dry mustard, hot sauce, salt, and pepper together. I went ahead and double the recipe since there were five of us for dinner. Once the pasta is cooked you drain it and run cold water over it. Then you return it to the pan and add the milk mixture and then the cheese. This is supposed to cook for a couple minutes until it thickens up and the cheese melts. I had to turn up the heat in order to get it to thicken a little quicker.

The recipe is very simple and the results are good, but not great. The texture was not as smooth as I would have liked, however, this may have been in part to my increasing the heat to have it thicken. It also had good flavor, but was far from fantastic. I think I’ll keep trying to find a homemade macaroni and cheese recipe that is true winner. Russ rates the mac and cheese a 7.

Gooey Apple Sheet Cake

For the Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar1 cup butter -- melted

2 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c buttermilk

2 c chopped apples -- (1/4-1/2 inch pieces)
1 and 1/2 tsps ground cinnamon

For the Topping:
3 cups powdered sugar

8 oz. lowfat cream cheese (softened)

2 eggs
1/4 c oats

Mix melted butter and sugar with a mixer. Add eggs and beat well. Combine the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, mixing well. Fold in the chopped apples. Spread batter into well greased (or sprayed) 13 x 9 baking pan. Mix Topping ingredients and put over cake BEFORE baking. Bake in a 350ºF oven for 40-45 minutes. You can store this on the counter or in the refrigerator. Great warm, cold, or at room temperature.

Source: Found online and is modified from a recipe from Diana's Desserts.

Sicilian Style Chicken

The past few weeks we have been eating out more than we normally do. So this Friday night instead of going out to eat we decided to cook and eat at home. I decided to try a new recipe out of the September Cooking Light since I just got the October issue and haven’t cooked out of the September one yet. I wanted a chicken dish and decided on the Sicilian Chicken because of the simplicity of the recipe and all the yummy ingredients that go into the sauce.

To make this dish you start by pounding the chicken. I have found that the easiest way for me to pound chicken is to put it in a large zip lock bag and pound away. I used to use wax paper, but it would tear on me. This method has become my preferred way for cooking whole chicken breasts on the stove because having the same thickness (post pounding) allows it to cook evenly which helps me to not over cook it. Once pounded you sprinkle it with salt and pepper and then dredge the breasts in flour. They are then added to a hot pan that has a little olive oil and cook for a couple minutes on each side. Once they are partially cooked you add the wine, tomatoes, olives, raisins, and balsamic vinegar. This cooks for a few minutes while the sauce reduces and the chicken finishes cooking. Lastly you add the fresh basil and then serve. I served it over orzo with a side of steamed broccoli.

Russ and I really enjoyed the flavors of this dish. We tend to really like the combination of tomatoes and green olives and then when you mix in golden raisins, basil, wine and balsamic vinegar it just becomes even better. This was a very flavorful dinner that came together quickly with not too much effort. Russ rates it a 10! I followed the recipe as is except that I only cooked two chicken breasts.

Ready for Fall

Russ and I got back from the beach with his family last night and we ended up with 3 lbs of fresh shrimp and two new cook books! I was too tired when we got back last night to cook, so instead we picked up take out Chinese and are cooking some of the shrimp tonight. There are so many yummy shrimp recipes that I want to try that Russ and I spent part our trip back deciding between the top two. The winner is Rigatoni with Squash and Prawns from an episode of Giada’s show “Everyday Italian” that I caught a couple weeks ago. Butternut squash is one of my favorite foods, so when I saw her make the pasta sauce out of the squash I was sold. Now with fresh shrimp at home this is the perfect opportunity to give this recipe a try.

To make this dish you start by cutting the butternut squash into 1 inch cubes. This is easier said than done as I find it tough to cut the thick skin of the squash, but it is well worth the work. The best way I have found it to cut of the ends to get it flat on both ends and then stand it up. Start at the top and run your knife down it to “peel” it. Once the peel is off scoop out the seeds and cube the flesh. Then sauté the squash cubes in oil with garlic, salt, and pepper for several minutes. Once the squash is tender add the vegetable broth and bring it to a simmer. Continue to let this cook until the squash is very soft. Once the squash is very soft then remove the mixture from the pan and puree it using a blender, food processor, or my favorite the hand blender. While you are making the squash mixture go ahead and get your water boiling for the pasta and cook the pasta. Once the squash mixture is pureed you are ready to cook the shrimp. Add olive oil to the pan and sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper and then sauté them for just a couple minutes. I used my new peperoncino oil when sauteing the shrimp for extra flavor. Once the pasta is drained add it to the pan with the squash sauce and add the milk (I used half and half instead of whole milk). I also added some red pepper flakes to give it a little heat. Once the consistency is good then add the basil, cheese and shrimp and cook over low heat until everything is combined and warm.

I decided to keep the side really simple tonight so I went with mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette (just mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt together in a bowl and give it a good whisk and taste).

We really liked this pasta dish as something different from a tomato or cream based sauce. The sauce was creamy and fairly mild, but the heat from the peperoncino oil (thank you Jess and Scott) and red pepper flakes helped. I was a little concerned that the basil wouldn't work as well as sage might, but I liked the basil with the other flavors. The shrimp were tasty and worked well with the rest of the flavors. We still felt like it was missing something to give it a little more flavor and color. While we really liked the butternut squash sauce in this dish we will probably make a different dish next time we are craving butternut squash. Russ rates the dish a 9.

This is the first of many butternut squash dishes for us this season. I love Fall and all the yummy soups, breads, vegetables, and hearty dishes that go with it. Even though I know we still have more hot weather in store for us I am ready for the cooler days of Fall and all the cooking and baking that goes with it. I am also excited to try new recipes out of my new cookbooks and do some fun game day food now that it is football season. While we have dinner plans out the rest of this week and I have volunteer work at night the next two weeks I plan to be back in the kitchen full force soon enough.

A big thanks to Jason, Mary Margaret, and Jane who stopped to pick up the shrimp on their way back from the beach!

Comfort Food - My Spaghetti Sauce

This week our schedule is up in the air where meal planning is not going to work very well. However, I don’t want to end up eating out every night for dinner and I would like something that we can share with family, so I decided to make a large batch of spaghetti that we can eat off of the nights we are at home this week and share and freeze the rest. I don’t have a recipe that I really follow for my spaghetti sauce, but it is loosely based off of my Mother’s version which also doesn’t have a recipe. I am going to try and put a recipe to my version, but just know that if you try it you can play with it by adding to it or removing anything you don’t about it.

To start I sauté the onions, peppers, and mushrooms in olive oil with a little salt and pepper and dried Italian seasonings. Once these are soft I add the ground beef to it and sauté until the meat is cooked through. I then drain it to get the grease out of it. I then start adding the different tomatoes and tomato sauces. I also add the black olives and more of the dried Italian seasoning. I’ll let it simmer for a while and then will check it to adjust the seasoning as necessary. Usually it will need more spices, salt and pepper. Let is simmer for approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Serve with hot cooked spaghetti.

The spaghetti served it purpose this week by filling in meals for us and allowing us to share some with Russ' family. I like the variety of vegetables in it and the flavor and textures they add to it. This is a thicker, hearty sauce that for me is yummy comfort food. You can also make it anyway you want and it will still be yummy. If you don't like olives then leave them out, if you have other veggies around then throw them in, if you don't want red meat then try it with ground turkey and so forth and so on. It also freezes and shares very well, so whenever I do make spaghetti sauce I make a lot of it. Russ rates the spaghetti sauce a 9.

Creamy Alfredo

Apparently we are on a pasta and chicken kick here lately. Tonight we had fettuccine alfredo with grilled chicken and peas. I decided to try Giada’s recipe for the alfredo sauce which is new to us. To complete the meal Russ grilled chicken breasts and I added frozen peas to the mix.

To make the sauce you add the cream, lemon juice, and butter in a sauté pan and stir them together over medium heat. To lighten the dish a little I used half cream and half skim milk. Once the sauce has cooked for a couple minutes you remove it from the heat and add the lemon zest and nutmeg. When the fettuccine noodles are cooked you toss them with the sauce and add the last of the cream, Parmesan cheese, and white pepper. I also added the frozen peas at this point. You let the pasta mixture cook for a few minutes. I let it cook a little longer than Giada called for since the frozen peas cooled it off a little. Russ grilled the chicken and cut it on the bias. We added the chicken to the top of the pasta.

All in all this was a very simple meal to put together on a week night. While it is a heavier alfredo sauce than what we have made in the past it did have a tasty, creamy flavor and texture. Russ deems it worth the splurge and gives it a 9.

Fettuccine Alfredo, Everyday Italian, Giada de Laurentiis
6 First-Course Servings

1 and 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 to 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt
9 ounces fresh fettuccine
1 cup freshly ground Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, plus more for taste

In a large, heavy skillet, stir 1 cup of the cream and the lemon juice to blend. Add the butter and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until the butter melts, about 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and nutmeg. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 4 minutes. Drain. Add the pasta, the remaining 1/2 cup of cream, the Parmesan, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to the cream sauce in the skillet. Toss over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the pasta to wide, shallow serving bowls and serve immediately.

Dinner with a Lemon Twist

Ken, a long time friend of my family, has recently taken an interest in cooking and baking. He called the other day and wanted to bring a new dessert by to share with Russ and me one night. We checked calendars and decided tonight would be perfect and that he should come in time to eat dinner with us too. So, then came the decision of what to make for dinner. I flipped through several cookbooks and with Russ’ help I decided to go with a lemon theme and make Ina Garten’s Chicken Piccata served Giada's Broccoli Florets with Meyer Lemon Olive Oil. Since neither the chicken nor the broccoli are very time consuming I decided to go ahead and have an appetizer of Late Summer Tomato Bruschetta (Michael Chiarello).

I made a few changes to the bruschetta recipe to make it a little easier and to try a few different variations of it. To make the bruschetta you slice the bread (I used a baguette instead of a country loaf). I then put the bread on a baking sheet under the broiler for just a few minutes on each side to get it toasty. While the bread is toasting then you chop the tomatoes and basil and mix them together with a little salt and pepper. Here is where I added some variation by adding a little balsamic vinegar to part of the tomato mixture. When you pull the bread out you rub it with the pieces of garlic. I then topped some of the pieces of bread with thin slices of fresh mozzarella and then topped all of the pieces of bread with the tomato mixture.

The bruschetta was very easy to put together and very tasty. We liked the addition of the balsamic vinegar and fresh mozzarella to it. Next time I might try cutting the mozzarella into small cubes and mixing it with the tomato mixture. The only thing we didn't like was the strong garlic flavor. I rubbed both sides of the bread with garlic and the bottom side had too strong of a garlic taste to it. The garlic rubbed on the top side works well with the tomato mixture, but the bottom side was overkill. Russ rates the bruschetta a 7.

I have made chicken piccata before, however, I have never made Ina's chicken piccata before tonight. The main difference I see in her dish is that she finishes her chicken off by baking it and simply pours the sauce over it instead of finishing the chicken cooking in the sauce. To make her chicken piccata you pound the chicken out to about 1/4 inch thickness. The chicken pieces are then dipped in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, and finally the bread crumbs. Once coated the chicken goes into the pan with olive oil and sautes for 2 minutes on each side. After the chicken is browned on both sides you put it in the oven to finish baking it. Meanwhile you make the sauce of lemon juice, butter, white wine, salt, and pepper. You bring it to a boil and then reduce it by half. I served the chicken over a bed of angel hair pasta with the sauce poured on top. You top the chicken with parsley and a lemon wedge.

We all really liked the lemon flavor and the texture with the breading on the chicken. The chicken was tender and moist. While it did take several dishes to bread the chicken the most time consuming part was simply pounding the chicken. This was a fairly simple dish that looks impressive and is very tasty. Russ rates the chicken a 9.

As a side I tried Giada's Broccoli Florets with Meyer Lemon Olive Oil. This was a very easy, but different take on steamed broccoli. You cut the broccoli into florets and then steam it. Once it is done then you toss it with the lemon olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. I used the lemon olive oil that Jess and Scott brought us back from Italy.

While the lemon flavor is fairly subtle I thought it complemented the broccoli well. I also really liked the change from using butter to olive oil with the broccoli. As long as I have lemon olive oil around I will continue to dress our broccoli with it. Russ rates the broccoli a 8.

Ken ended our meal on a very high note with a spectacular dessert called a Mixed Berry Pavlova. It is one of Ina's recipe and it was a wonderful summery dessert. The bottom layer is a light, fluffy meringue with the center still somewhat soft and creamy. The meringue is topped with homemade whipped cream. The whipped cream is then topped with fresh berries that are tossed in a raspberry sauce. All in all a beautiful and tasty dessert that is just sweet enough for a hot summer night.

Russ and I enjoyed having Ken over and tasting his sweet creation!

Chicken Piccata, Barefoot Contessa at Home
Serves 4

4 split (2 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 extra-large eggs
1 and 1/2 cups seasoned dried bread crumbs
good olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons), lemon halves reserved
1/2 cup dry white wine
sliced lemon, for serving
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper of plastic wrap and pound it out to 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Mix the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper on a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the eggs and 1 tablespoon water together. Place the bread crumbs on a third plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread-crumb mixture.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add 2 chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan while you cook the rest of the chicken. Heat more olive oil in the saute pan and cook the second chicken breasts. Place them on the same sheet pan and allow them to bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.

For the sauce, wipe out the saute pan with a dry paper towel. On medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and then add the lemon juice, white wine, the reserved lemon halves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves. Serve one chicken breast on each plate, spoon on the sauce, and serve with sliced lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Broccoli Florets with Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, Giada's Family Dinners
6 servings

1 and 1/2 pounds broccoli florets
3 tablespoons Meyer lemon olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fill a large pot with 2 inches of water. Set a steamer rack in the pot. Cover and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli and steam until the broccoli is crisp-tender, about 7 minutes.

Transfer the broccoli florets to a large bowl and toss with the oil. Season the broccoli to taste with salt and pepper, and serve warm.

Note: As an alternative to the Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, use 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. If you have fresh mint, add some, finely chopped.

Nothing Special Chicken and Pasta

Last night I was looking through my "Everyday Pasta" cookbook by Giada de Laurentiis trying to decide what to cook for dinner tonight. I found several pasta dishes that looked good, so I let Russ pick. He went with the Chicken in Lemon Cream with Penne. Since my Mom is out of town we asked Dad to join us for dinner tonight. I never seem to hesitate to cook a new to me dish for company since I always think we'll if it doesn't turn out we could just order pizza. So, tonight was no different. Despite Dad coming I still planned to try the new pasta dish.

To make the chicken and penne you start by cubing the chicken and sprinkling it with herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. It seemed a little weird to me to use a French spice blend in an Italian recipe, but I decided to go with it since most all of Giada's recipes I have tried have been tasty. You then saute the chicken in olive oil. I happen to have some lemon olive oil that Jess and Scott back Russ and me from Italy, so I used that instead. Once the chicken has cooked through you remove it and add the chicken broth, cream (I used half and half), lemon zest, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. This simmers for about 10 minutes. Once it has simmered you add the cooked pasta, chicken, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

While it is hard to go wrong with a cream sauce this dish left us all feeling like it fell short. Russ described it as having no complexity and he is exactly right. While I liked the combination of the cream and lemon flavors the overall flavor was too simple and the chicken added nothing to the overall dish. I thought shrimp would have been better and Dad mentioned that veal would have been good with it. Veal especially would have added some extra flavor and complexity that it was lacking. While not bad it was nothing special. I don't think I'll make this one again as Giada has too many good recipes to repeat one that was not a winner. I guess I should learn my lesson not to try new recipes out on company even if it is family, but I am sure I will do it again however next time Dad comes I am thinking Russ' plank salmon.... Russ rates the dish a 8.

Tonight I also tried a recipe for Blueberry Ice Cream. I love blueberries and eat them by the handful during the summer, so when I ran across a recipe for blueberry ice cream I was sold.

To make the ice cream you boil the blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice for about 35 minutes. This mixture is then pureed. Next you scald the cream and half and half. You add 6 egg yolks (beaten) to the cream mixture and then stir in the vanilla. Both pieces then cool in the refrigerator. Once cooled you put them in your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

I followed the recipe with one major exception. While it calls for dry fresh blueberries, I used some of my coveted frozen Mentone blueberries. I also tried to boil the blueberry mixture while I cooked dinner... Between these two factors my blueberry mixture turned into a super thick blueberry cement (as Russ aptly named it). When I added it with the cream mixture to the ice cream maker the blueberries didn't incorporate as they should have since they were too thick. All in all the ice cream had great flavor, but the clumps of blueberry cement left gave it a rough texture. Next time I will use fresh blueberries and not multi task while making it. As much as I love blueberries I would give this recipe another try. Russ rates the ice cream a 9.

Chicken in Lemon Cream with Penne
Giada de Laurentiis "Everyday Pasta"

Serves four to six.

1 pound penne pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, diced into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
Pinch of salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
Zest of 1 lemon
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Season the cubed chicken breast with the herbes de Provence and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and set aside. Pour off any excess oil from the pan. Add the chicken broth to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, using a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the cream, lemon zest, and cayenne. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the pasta, chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, chopped parsley, and lemon juice. Toss to coat the pasta and chicken with the sauce and serve.

Blueberry Ice Cream, Ann Hodgman

1 dry pint blueberries (2 1/2 cups) rinsed and picked over
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup half and half
6 large egg yolks, well beaten
1 tsp vanilla

In heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, bring blueberries, lemon juice and sugar to a boil, stirring frequently. Let it continue to boil slowly for 35 minutes. Cool the mixture and puree it in a food processor or blender. Scald the cream and half & half together, lower heat to very low. Beat the egg yolks in a bowl and pour a little jolt of the hot cream into them, whisking constantly, to temper the yolks. Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the cream and cook over low heat, stirring, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, transfer into a bowl, stir in vanilla and refrigerate until cold (I left it overnight). In the morning, combine the blueberry and the cream mixture and freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions. Makes approximately one very purple quart.