Day 358: Swiss Chard Manicotti

Happy Meatless Monday!!!  I planned another special Italian (meatless) meal for Randy's week of "birthday" meals.  It was almost for nothing since Randy had a late site visit today and would have to go right to his second job afterward.  Luckily he decided to come home during the late afternoon in the time he had between site visits and we had an early supper.  I'm so glad we did that because not only did Randy LOVE the meal and not stop talking about it, but it was so nice to have all of our evening routines over and done with by 6 pm!  As of 6:01 the dishes were done, the kids were bathed, the kitchen was clean, and the kids and I were sitting in the living room watching "Peter Rabbit."  If only all nights could be that easy...

While this meal has no meat in it, it is VERY hearty and flavorful.  And if you're looking for a new way to get green veggies into your kids, just try coating them with 2 pounds of cheese! :)  Try this amazing recipe.  Trust me, you'll love it!

Swiss Chard & Pea Manicotti (Giada De Laurentiis)
1 box of manicotti (usually 12-14 pasta shells)
1 bunch of Swiss chard (green or red--I used red), stems removed and chopped
olive oil

1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
15 oz ricotta cheese
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 oz parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup chopped basil
salt, pepper
Fontina Sauce:
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 oz grated fontina cheese
2 TB grated parmesan cheese
2 TB chopped basil
6 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water for 6 to 8 minutes.  Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.  Preheat the oven to 400*. 
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onion.  Cook for a few minutes, until soft.  Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.  Then add the Swiss chard and cook for a few minutes until wilted.  Cool slightly.
In a food processor, combine the ricotta, peas, mozzarella, parmesan, basil, salt, and pepper.  Add the Swiss chard mixture.  Pulse until smooth.  Place the filling in a large Ziploc bag and snip off the corner.  Pipe the filling into each manicotti and place in a 13 x 9 inch baking pan. 
In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk and heavy cream to a simmer.  Add the shredded fontina cheese and whisk slowly until smooth.  Add the parmesan and basil and slowly incorporate until smooth.  Pour the sauce over the manicotti.  Top everything with the shredded mozzarella.  Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling.
I served it with an arugula salad: arugula, shaved pecorino cheese, freshly cracked pepper, and balsamic vinaigrette.  It added a fresh touch and the acid helped cut through all the cheese of the manicotti dish.  Delicious!  

Day 353: Baked Orzo with Chicken

It's funny how you go through different moods for things--different moods for movies, music, food, and for me, cooking styles.  In my heart of hearts, I will always be the Pioneer Woman's number one fan.  The problem is, we don't live on a farm and aren't doing hard, physical labor all day everyday.  If we ate only the types of food she writes about all the time, my family would be huge!
Giada De Laurentis makes very healthy, flavorful Italian recipes.  Her recipes are crisp, clean, and fresh and she makes tons of vegetarian options, too.  I only have one of her recipe books, because, I confess, her style is not my style.  I like the more rustic, hearty looking food--food that will fill you up and warm your soul.  But, as I said before, sometimes I get into different moods for different foods.  And as I was searching for some new ideas for Randy's birthday meal(s), (see yesterday's post) I picked almost all of them from Giada's cookbook. Maybe it's because Randy's Italian?  Remember that chicken tetrazzini dish I shared back in November?  I had a story that went with it about how I saved the recipe especially for Randy because it stood out to me as something he would love, even though we weren't together at the time I found it.  That was a Giada recipe, and so is this baked orzo, and they are very similar.  In Giada's original recipe for the orzo, there is no meat.  I added some shredded chicken to mine, but the dish is delicious either way.  So here is dish #2 of Randy's birthday week of meals!

Baked Orzo (with chicken)
This makes a enough for a crowd.  I made it for our small family of four and there was so much leftover that I had Randy take the whole thing to work the next day and put it out for everyone.  When he went back at the end of the day to get the dish, the food was all gone.  I've found a new way to help get rid of leftovers! :)

2 chicken breasts, cooked with salt and pepper, and shredded
1 lb orzo
4 cups chicken broth
2-3 TB butter
1 onion, diced
8 oz small white mushrooms, sliced
1 cup marsala wine
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 oz fontina cheese, shredded
4 oz mozzarella cheese, small cubed
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried thyme

Start by baking your chicken or however you like to do it before shredding it.  I prefer chicken breasts with the skin and bone because they bake more flavorfully.  I seasoned them with oil, salt, and pepper and baked them until cooked through.  Then they cooled on a plate and I shredded them with my hands.  On to the baked orzo...
Boil the 4 cups of chicken broth in a stockpot and add the orzo.  Cook until all the liquid is absorbed and the orzo thoroughly cooked.  Meanwhile, saute the onion and butter in a skillet over medium heat.  After about 3 minutes, add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are soft and the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the marsala wine and cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 7 minutes.
Transfer the shredded chicken, cooked orzo, and mushroom mixture into a large mixing bowl.  Add the peas, heavy cream, and cheeses.  Season with salt and pepper.  Mix thoroughly and place in a baking dish (13 x 9 pan works, or a large round casserole dish).
In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and dried thyme.  Sprinkle over the orzo.  Bake in a 400* oven for about 20-25 minutes.
Serve!  I sprinkled pecorino cheese over each portion.

 

I haven't shared any pictures of Abby and I doing school for a while.  We took 2 weeks off for Christmas/New Year's and we're back at it this week with a new schedule.  Since Noah is no longer taking morning naps, it threw a wrench in our morning school time.  Now we do school in the afternoons with tea.  Abby's nap usually isn't as long as Noah's, so it's a nice way to transition from napping into that awful late afternoon time period that every mother dreads.  ;)  At this stage in the home school process, I feel like forming a good schedule and sticking to it is 75% of the battle!  

Although we do more "formal" school in the afternoon, we do lots of activities in the morning when we are home, and Noah can participate, too.  We've been into patterns lately.  Take a look...

 Finished!  She's at the silly face stage.  I can almost never get a NICE smile out of this girl.

Day 316: Thanksgiving leftovers day 1--Sausage Bechamel Shells

So after a long weekend of eating actual leftover Thanksgiving dinners and a couple birthday celebrations, it was time to re-invent some leftovers.  Once the vegetables and potatoes ran out, we were left with 2 types of stuffing and massive amounts of turkey leftover.  What to do, what to do?

I started with the sausage stuffing to give us a break from turkey from a night.  I'll give you the original recipe first, then the recipe for what I did with the leftovers.

Roasted Chestnut Sausage Stuffing (Tyler Florence)
I replaced the chestnuts with walnuts, which I simply toasted on a dry skillet for a few minutes until they were fragrant.  Everything else in the recipe I followed exactly.

1 carrot, peeled & roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
1/2 bunch fresh sage
1.5 pounds sweet Italian sausage (ground or loose)
olive oil
salt and pepper
5 cups cubed sourdough bread, crusts removed
1 lb roasted chestnuts
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 375* and butter a 9 x 11-inch baking dish.  In a food processor, puree the carrot, onion, celery, and sage into a fine pulp.  Brown the sausage in a large skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat.  When the sausage is good and brown, remove it with a slotted spoon and place it in a large mixing bowl.  Add the vegetable pulp to the skillet and cook until most of the moisture has evaporated.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the pulp to the mixing bowl with the sausage.  Add the bread cubes and the chestnuts (walnuts, for me!).
Mix together the chicken stock, cream, and egg.  Pour this wet mixture over the meat, bread, and vegetables.  Season and fold everything together.  Pour out into the roasting dish and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown on the top.

So, that was one of the stuffings I had leftover.  To turn it into a sausage béchamel shell dish, here's what I did:

Sausage Béchamel Shells
Béchamel sauce is simply a white sauce with nutmeg.  It's a little sweet and very smooth and creamy.

1 lb medium shell pasta
4 TB butter
1/4-1/3 cup flour
1 cup or more of whole milk
nutmeg
parmesan cheese
leftover sausage walnut stuffing
beef broth

Preheat the oven to 250*, just to warm the leftover stuffing.  Drizzle a little bit of the beef broth into the leftover stuffing to liven it up a bit and place the stuffing in the oven to warm.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season liberally with salt.  Add the shells to cook according to package instructions.  In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the flour to create a roux, or a thickening agent.  Add in the milk and whisk continually over high heat until it starts to bubble, then immediately reduce the heat to "low" and season with nutmeg.  Continue to whisk, the sauce should be thick.  Add more milk to thin it out if desired.  I also added about a teaspoon of fresh chopped sage to help bring out the sage flavor in the stuffing.  When the pasta is done cooking, drain it, and combine the pasta, béchamel sauce, and leftover stuffing.  Mix well, season with parmesan cheese if desired.  Enjoy!

Day 294: Chicken Tetrazzini and Mocha Brownies

We have life group every Sunday night and I feel so lucky to be a part of this group!  We always have such a wonderful time and each week is full of lots of laughs!  Of course, since I'm (yet again) a week behind in my posts, I'm actually writing about the week before last Sunday's gathering.  We had a "fellowship feast" and we all brought something to contribute to dinner. I made a chicken tetrazzini and mocha brownies.  Yum yum!

I love this chicken dish.  When Randy and I first met, we dated for a little while and ate together quite a bit.  I soon learned about his love of broccoli, pasta, and white sauces.  He ordered chicken and broccoli alfredo pretty much everywhere we went.  Well, Randy and I ended up taking some "time off" from dating and at the time, neither one of us imagined we'd ever end up married!  One day, I was watching Giada de Laurentis on the Food Network, back when her show was "Everyday Italian."  She made this dish and I instantly thought of Randy.  I actually went to my computer right away and printed the recipe so I'd have it on the off chance that we ever hung out again, much less I'd cook for him.  Of course we know how the story goes, we did end up getting married.  While we were engaged, I made this dish for him for the first time and he loved it!  It then became his signature birthday dinner for a few years.

Chicken Tetrazzini
This is the original recipe, which calls for linguine for the pasta.  I prefer to use penne or some shorter pasta because it makes for easier division of portions.  I also use only half an onion rather than a whole. :)  Also, you can easily make this recipe up ahead of time and stick it in the refrigerator until you need it.  Just be sure to let it come to room temperature before putting it in the oven.

9 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 pound white mushrooms, sliced

1 large onion, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups whole milk, room temperature

1 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature

1 cup chicken broth

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

12 ounces linguine

3/4 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

1 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 cup dried Italian-style breadcrumbs

 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Spread 1 tablespoon of butter over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Melt 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in a deep large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook until pale golden and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool slightly. Coarsely shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and into a large bowl.
Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil to the same pan. Add the mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms become pale golden, about 1-2 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to the bowl with the chicken.
Melt 3 more tablespoons butter in the same pan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, cream, broth, nutmeg, remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase the heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Drain. Add the linguine, sauce, peas, and parsley to the chicken mixture. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well blended.
Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Stir the cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the pasta. Dot with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top and the sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes.

Mocha Brownies
OK. Can Ree Drummond get any better than this???

Four 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate

2 sticks butter

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

 

Icing:

2 sticks butter, softened

5 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 to 3/4 cup brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature

 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick baking spray.
For the brownie batter: Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments, being careful not to let it burn. Set it aside to cool slightly.
In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar. Beat in the eggs. With the mixer on low speed, drizzle in the melted chocolate. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Add the flour to the bowl and mix just until combined; do not over mix.
Pour the batter in the prepared baking pan. Spread it to even out the surface. Bake until the center is no longer soft, 40 to 45 minutes. Set the brownies aside to cool completely before icing.
For the icing: In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla. Mix until slightly combined, then add 1/2 cup of the coffee. Whip until the icing is light and fluffy. If the icing is overly thick, add 1/4 cup more coffee. It should be very light and fluffy.
Ice the cooled brownies, spreading the icing on thick. Refrigerate until the icing is firm, and then slice the brownies into squares.

Birthday Bash: Days 258 & 259

Over the weekend we celebrated my daughter's 3rd birthday, and I don't think the oven rested at all during the day!  I made tons of food for family and friends and am kicking myself for not remembering to photograph it all!  It was Abby's first "friend" party, so I was a little consumed with that.  I made sure to get some pictures of the party itself, but completely forgot to capture the food in our family dinner afterward.  You'll just have to imagine what some of these recipes look like--they are totally scrumptious!

Craft Time at the party!

I had a few appetizers planned for the adults who would come and stay while their kids enjoyed the party.  Those included a vegetable platter, nuts, chips & dip, apple oatmeal cookies, and a delicious baked brie with crackers.  Here's the recipe:

Baked Brie
This recipe is soo autumn!  The flavors just scream "fall" in your mouth.  It's always a crowd-pleaser!

1 8-oz round of brie cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped apples (1/2 an apple, peeled)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 TB melted butter
pinch of kosher salt or sea salt (just to bring out the flavors)

Preheat the oven to 350*.  Slice the round of brie in half, horizontally.  Combine the apples, cranberries, almonds, sugar, cinnamon, and add the pinch of salt.  Pour the melted butter over the mixture and stir.  Layer half of the apple mixture on the bottom half of the brie, and cover it with the top half of the brie, like a sandwich.  Top with the remaining half of the apple mixture and bake for 10-12 minutes.  Serve with crackers and/or sliced apples.

For the kids, they of course had cake (which the adults were welcome to, also) and individual bags of chips and juice for the movie.  It was a rainy day and a Veggie Tales themed party, so what better way to spend it than by watching a Veggie Tales show?  I also made cake pops to look like the "French peas" from the show, but sadly forgot to take them out!

My "ugly" cake pops that never "popped" out of the freezer!!! :(

The Cake:
Like finding the perfect wedding dress for the big day, I always feel like once the cake is done, the rest of the birthday party planning/preparing will be a snap!  For Abby's cake, I actually make 4 cakes: 2 chocolate buttercream (1 round and 1 rectangular) and 2 vanilla (1 round and 1 rectangular).  I used my own recipes.  The entire bottom layer of the cake would be chocolate while the top layer would be vanilla, this way each piece would have a little of both so no one had to pick or choose what kind of piece to take.  I made a traditional buttercream frosting which came out nice and fluffy.  I kept the frosting white to glue the cakes together.  I fit the round cake and rectangular cake together and carved a "Larry the Cucumber" out of the rectangular cake.  The scrap pieces of cake are what I used to make the cake pops.  Once the shape of our 2 friends leaning into each other was formed, the rest was just a matter of food coloring and minimal artistic skill. ;)  Bob the Tomato & Larry the Cucumber in cake form--perfect for our Veggie Tales themed birthday party!

Dinner:
That night's dinner consisted of macaroni and cheese two ways.  Macaroni and cheese is one of Abby's favorite meals, but I had a feeling she wouldn't like it baked (and I wasn't about to serve Kraft!).  I was right, but it was a chance I had to take.  Everyone else loved the dishes.  Although I don't have pictures, here are my recipes...

Traditional Mac & Cheese
1 lb pasta (I used medium shells)
1 lb shredded cheddar cheese (I used 1/2 lb sharp and 1/2 lb mild)
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups whole milk
salt, pepper
1 tsp stone ground mustard

*If you want to make this dish ahead of time, cook the pasta to al dente and then bake it the rest of the way when you're ready.  If you don't want to bake it, just cook the pasta fully the first time and serve right when the dish is put together.
Cook pasta to al dente following package instructions.  While it's cooking, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat.  Add the flour and cook for about 5 minutes, whisking constantly.  Add the milk and mustard and bring to a boil and then reduce heat and let thicken, stirring constantly.  Pour in the cheese, all except about 1/2 cup and stir in a figure 8 motion until the cheese is all melted and the sauce is smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  When the pasta is done cooking, drain it and add it to the cheese sauce.  Pour the whole mixture into a baking pan and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.  When ready, bake at 350* for about 20 minutes.

Philly Cheese Steak Mac & Cheese
This recipe follows the same concept as the traditional mac & cheese but we're adding roast beef and caramelized onions.

1 lb pasta (I used rotini)
3/4 lb roast beef, roughly chopped
2 cups shredded provolone cheese or Italian mixture
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup beef broth
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 cup flour
salt, pepper

Again, cook the pasta to al dente.  While the water is boiling, start caramelizing the onions by cooking them over medium heat in a skillet with some extra virgin olive oil.  Cook the onions until they get a good caramelization.  In another pan, start the cheese sauce.  Melt the butter over medium heat and add the flour.  Cook for about 5 minutes, whisking constantly.  Add the milk and bring to a boil and then lower the heat and let the sauce thicken, continually stirring.  Add the cheese when the sauce is thick and stir in a figure 8 pattern.
When the onions are caramelized, add the roast beef and cook for another minute before adding the beef broth.  Keep warm.
Combine the meat sauce and the cheese sauce and when the pasta is al dente, drain it and add it to the sauce.  Pour the whole mixture into a baking pan and bake at 350* for about 20 minutes.

Both of these dishes made great leftovers for Sunday, Day 259!!!

For desserts with Abby's birthday dinner we absolutely had leftover cake, but being the kind of "over-cooker/baker" that I am, I also had 2 other desserts prepared: apple pie and pumpkin whoopie pies.  If I had remembered to take pictures of the whoopie pies, I would include the recipe here.  Not only did I make them for Saturday, but also for 2 events on Sunday.  They're always a huge hit.  I guess I'll just have to make them again so I can take pictures and post the recipe.  I don't think Randy will mind...

Comfort Food: Mac & Cheese, Creamy Salmon, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Apple Pie (Days 251-255)

Food is comforting.  For me, anyway.  Food stirs memories.  A good meal can relieve stress, momentarily, anyway.  When Randy comes home from work, I want him to immediately feel more relaxed when he enters the doors.  I like to have candles burning for a nice aroma, supper cooking, and a relatively clean house (as clean and organized as it can be with my two little ones running around still).  Even when I was working, I would get home before him and create this atmosphere.  And when he worked 3rd shift, he would always comment that he loved waking up to the smell of supper on the stove and the candles that created a coziness in our home.  I talked about this coziness I remember from my childhood and what I try to recreate in a recent post.  I feel the same way about food.  Food can be cozy and comforting just like my candles, music, and overall home decor.  Randy and I have been in need of some comfort food this week.  So here are a few things I cooked up for just that.

Velveeta Mac & Cheese (Day 253)
Ok, so there's baked mac & cheese--a favorite of my husband's, and Kraft Mac & Cheese, a favorite of my children's.  I've made them both.  But I grew up on Velveeta Mac & Cheese--every Sunday after church.  We would come home, and Dad would start making Velveeta Mac & Cheese for lunch.  I don't know how or when this tradition started, I don't ever remember it not existing.  Not only was there comfort in the warm, cheesy taste of the dish, but there was comfort in the consistency of the meal.  We always knew what to expect.  That's comforting.

2 cups or a little over 1/2 box of pasta (my dad used elbow macaroni, I used small shells)
1/2 lb (8 oz) Velveeta cheese
roughly 2-4 TB milk

Cook the pasta as directed.  While it's cooking, you can create a double-boiler over the hot water or you can use the microwave.  I like the double-boiler because the cheese melts evenly and stays smooth.  I just place a glass bowl over the cooking pasta and slice the 8 oz of cheese and add to the bowl.  Once the cheese starts melting, I pour in a little milk to help smooth it out.  Once the cheese is melted and the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta and add it to the bowl with cheese.  Toss to coat the pasta completely.  Mmmm... mac & cheese!

Ok, we did NOT have wine with this dish as a kid, but I think it's a nice touch as an adult!

Salmon with Poblano Peppers, and Creamed Corn (Day 254)
I make this salmon a lot--probably about 50% of the time I make salmon, it's this version.  The original recipe can be found here.  I served it with wild rice and snow peas.  Salmon may not have you thinking "comfort", but trust me--the creamy corn and poblano sauce is so luscious and creamy and the heat from the pepper just makes this meal warm you through and through.  It definitely belongs on the "comfort food" list! 

I paired this meal with a nice, fruity cocktail to complement the salmon and the pepper.  It was a nice contrast.  I mixed 1 part Triple Sec, 3 parts rum, and 4 parts orange juice.  I poured the mixture over ice and added a splash of grenadine.  Garnish with a Maraschino cherry.

Spaghetti & Meatballs (Day 255) -- is there anything more comforting than good ol' spaghetti and meatballs?  I think not.  Again, Randy proclaims this to be one of his "favorite meals."  Serving it with a salad and nice glass of red wine is certainly a comforting way to enjoy this classic dish!


I like to have Randy's drink ready for him when he gets home.  That way he can really start to unwind from work right away. ;)  It's idealistic to want to have dinner on the table already since I don't always know the exact moment he'll arrive.  Sometimes that happens, but usually not.  If I'm able, a nice appetizer--just bread, or cheese & crackers is something special that can be on the table waiting for him to enjoy with his drink.  Then we can talk about our days a little bit while supper finishes cooking.  Of course, you have to imagine this with 2 toddlers running around, asking for Daddy's attention, too.  And, being the wonderful father that he is, he's usually able to get in a few rounds of "Couch Monster" before dinner hits the table.  The night we had spaghetti and meatballs, I had a cheese and cracker appetizer waiting (featuring Trader Joe's caramelized onion cheddar cheese--yum!) and one of Randy's favorite drinks: rum & cokes.

This is NOT the appetizer that I had on the table on a weeknight.  But, I wanted to throw in a picture of the cheese platters I served at our Open House over the weekend (Days 252-253).  However, I forgot to take pictures that day!  So you'll have to enjoy my recreation of the setting I used for my kids' snacks on Monday.  For a fun idea, I used leftover ceramic tiles from our floor renovation as cheese platters.  Really cute idea, thanks HGTV! ;) 

THE BEST Apple Pie
In our house, apple pie is not just for Thanksgiving or any other holiday.  Once it's apple-picking season, it's apple pie season.  Imagine finishing off a plate of yummy spaghetti and meatballs and knowing that there's apple pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert.  Now THAT'S comforting--almost Heaven!  This recipe is truly the best.  There is added apple flavor in the crust and technique that helps the body of the pie stay firm.  It's amazing!  It takes a little extra wait-time, but it's worth it!   I've adapted it from an Alton Brown recipe I used years ago when I made my very first apple pie.

Crust
2 sticks of butter, cold, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 3/4 cups flour
2 TB sugar
1 tsp salt
6-7 TB apple cider

Filling
6-8 apples (depending on their size--6 large apples is usually good)
1/3 cup sugar
1 TB cinnamon
1/2 stick of butter, sliced

I start by making the crust.  Using a food processor is literally the easiest way to make a crust or dough.  The machine does the work for you and it will come out perfect every time!  Place the flour, butter, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the butter is the size of peas.  Slowly add the apple cider and continue pulsing until the dough starts to come together.  Use your hands to press the dough together into a nice, sticky ball while still in the processor.  If it's not sticking, you may need to add more cider.  Once you have a ball of dough, divide it in half.  Form 2 round discs of dough and wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Peel and chop the apples.  Place the apple pieces in a colander over a small saucepan.  Sprinkle them with 1/3 cup of sugar and toss.  Cover the apples with a towel and let sit for at least an hour or more.  The juices from the apples will drain into the sauce pan.  This process helps release the juices now and not when their in the pie--so you won't get a super soggy pie.  Plus, you will use the juices on the crust of the pie, also. :)

You can let the apples sit all morning and the dough can hang out in the fridge for as long as you need.  When you're ready to assemble and bake the pie, preheat the oven to 425* and remove the dough from the fridge.  Let it sit out a few minutes to help it come to room temp and make it easier to roll out.  Start with one disc, roll out the dough and place it in the bottom of a pie plate.  Add the apples and toss them with 1 TB of cinnamon.  Place the slices of butter over the apples.  Roll out your second disc and cover the apples with it. 

Trim off any extra dough hanging from the side.  Pinch the dough together around the edges of the pie.

You should have a little apple "juice" in the bottom of your saucepan.  Turn the stove on high and boil the juice to reduce them.  Keep an eye on this because it will happen fast.  When the juices are reduced by half, turn off the heat.  You should have a sticky "syrup" at this point, which you can pour over your pie and spread it out with a pastry brush. 

Use a sharp nice to prick the top of the pie. Cover the edges of the pie with aluminum foil.  Bake on the very bottom rack of the oven for about 30 minutes (I place the pie plate on a baking sheet, also).  Then, remove the foil and place the pie on one of the top racks of the oven and bake for another 20 minutes.  When the pie is finished, let stand on a cooling rack for about an hour before serving.

Delish!  (This picture was taken BEFORE my son reached up high and dug a chunk out of the pie before his father got home. Tsk tsk!)  Most of the pie was still salvaged and it, of course, tasted great!

 

So-long Summer: Day 246

Yes, I still have the weekend to recap, but that will be for another post.  I have don't have a lot of time to write tonight, but I wanted to share the quick dinner I whipped up as a tribute to the end of summer.  Autumn is my favorite season, but I still get a little sad to see summer go.  This summer felt like it went by much too quickly since we spent half of it moving and working on our new house.  I already can't wait for next summer so we can spend more time relaxing at the beach! 

I brought the kids to the park this morning and met 3 other friends and their kids--we had a great time.  When Randy came home, we took the kids to a local park.  I haven't done the grocery shopping for the week yet so we had to run to Hannaford so I could pick up a few items for dinner.  For "Meatless Monday" I made a summer vegetable pasta with bruschetta. 

Summer Vegetable Pasta

1 zucchini, cubed
1 summer squash, cubed
1 pint grape tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb pasta of your choosing
4 TB butter
2 TB olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup white wine
few basil leaves, roughly chopped
salt, pepper

Start boiling the pasta water in a large stock pot.  When it comes to a boil, season it with salt and drop the pasta.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, drizzle the olive oil and add 2 TB of butter over medium-high heat.  When the butter melts, add the zucchini and squash.  Let cook for a few minutes until just tender.  Add the tomatoes and the garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Cook 1-2 more minutes.  Pour in the white wine and the lemon juice and bring to a bubble.  Reduce heat to low.  When the pasta is done cooking, add it to the skillet and add the remaining 2 TB of butter.  Toss and garnish with the chopped basil.  Add more salt and pepper if needed.

Day 190: Crockpot Chicken Tortellini

Day 2 of Crockpot meals wasn't a total failure, but it also wasn't a huge success.  I did 2 things wrong tonight:

We have a fun dinner table!

1. I made the dish too spicy.  The idea behind this meal is a good one and I will definitely try it again, but I will have to dial back the spice.
2. I didn't start it early enough in the Crockpot and it wasn't done on time.  It's true that not EVERY meal in the slow-cooker takes all day to cook, but time got away from me this afternoon and what needed about 3 hours in the Crockpot only got 1 1/2. :(

I'm still going to share this "recipe" with you, though, because I'm a believer in keeping this blog real and what happened tonight was real life.  Also, the flavors and the idea for this meal is a good one and I hope you try it out on your own and just give yourself enough time and gauge your spices wisely. :)

Crockpot Chicken Tortellini
1 lb boneless, skinless, chicken breast (cubed)

1 zucchini, cut in chunks
1 summer squash, cut in chunks
1 bag frozen tortellini
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 - 1 cup beer (I used a whole bottle and wished I hadn't.  I would use less next time, like a 1/2 cup or so.  This is to flavor and marinate the chicken.  The stock is to help cook the tortellini.)
1 tsp salt*
1 tsp pepper*
1 tsp paprika*
1/2 - 1 tsp chipotle chili powder (your taste)*
1/2 tsp garlic powder*
dash of cayenne powder*

Yay, chocolate!!!

*These seasoning measurements reflect what I SHOULD have measured.

Here's the best part of this dish, the EASY instructions!!!  Throw everything in the slow-cooker and cook on high for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. 

On a separate note, today is National Milk Chocolate Day.  Uh, yum!  We don't have a grill, but I made s'mores in the microwave.  Place the graham, chocolate, and marshmallow in the microwave for a few seconds (12 in our very mild microwave) and then place the other graham on top.  Enjoy!

Shrimp Penne w/ Tomato Cream Sauce--a non-traditional 4th of July (Day 166)

On Thursday, (Day 165) I went out to eat with my parents.  Phew!  Feels good to get that off my chest.  Ever since I started this blog journey, I feel like I'm sinning when we go out to eat. ;)  But in the summer, that's bound to happen more often than not.  Thursday was the original date for the Worcester fireworks, so the original plan was to go to their church picnic and then see fireworks but that was rescheduled for Saturday.

Friday, the 4th of July, brought rain.  Lots of rain.  I didn't even get my run in.  I kept waiting for the rain to stop, even for just a little while, but it never did.  We packed and packed some more.  I ended up making a pasta dish for supper, which is so NOT 4th of July-ish.   Oh well, there's always next year.  In the meantime, enjoy this recipe for a warm pasta dish that does include seafood, so it's okay to have in the summer! :)

Shrimp Penne w/ Tomato Cream Sauce
1 lb penne
1 lb shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 TB butter, 1 TB olive oil
1/2 of one onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
15 oz can of tomato sauce
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup white wine
1 tsp sugar
2 TB parsley, chopped
3 TB basil leaves, chopped
salt, pepper
parmesan cheese

Get the pasta cooking in a pot of boiling, salted water.  In a large skillet, start cooking the prepared shrimp in the butter and olive oil until just pink, about 2 minutes.  Don't forget to turn the shrimp.  Remove them onto a plate and set aside.  In the same skillet over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook until translucent.  Add the white wine and cook another minute or two.  Pour in the tomato sauce and heavy cream and sprinkle in the sugar and herbs and cook for a few minutes over medium-low heat.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Chop up the cooked shrimp and add it to the sauce.  Add in the cooked penne as well.  Serve hot with parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top and bread to mop up the sauce.  Mmmmmm......

Day 164: "Chicken Spaghetti"

Let me start out by saying that this is not a hot, humid-weather-friendly dish!  (Unless you have air conditioning, maybe.)  We have a small apartment and a small air conditioner in the living room and one in our bedroom.  Even though it felt much more cool and dry in our apartment than outside, I still regretted having the oven on!  I was just looking for something different for dinner to change it up a bit.  This dish is sort of like a casserole, and it's pretty good, but definitely more suitable for those cool fall or cold winter evenings! 

Chicken Spaghetti
The original recipe is from Ree Drummond.  Here's my take:

chicken: either 1 lb of chicken breast, or a whole fryer chicken, or some legs and thighs, whatever your preference
1 lb spaghetti
1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 small can green chiles, drained
2 cups chicken broth
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, all to taste

Boil the chicken in water for about 15 minutes or until cooked through.  Then shred it.  Cook the spaghetti in salted water until al dente.  In a large bowl, combine the spaghetti, onion, pepper, green chiles, mushroom soup, chicken, broth, 2 cups of cheese, salt, pepper, and cayenne.  Mix well.  Pour into a baking dish, top with the remaining cheese, and bake at 350* for 30-35 minutes.  Enjoy!

Day 142: Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo Lasagna

So, it's a good thing I have a gym membership and enjoy going to group ride, group power, and on my morning runs because these past 2 recipes have not been beach-body friendly!  On Sunday we had my parents over for dinner and I served spaghetti and meatballs.  My mom ate some but also informed me that she's given up eating pasta.  Randy looked at me and basically told me that wasn't an option for us! :)

I have two beliefs when it comes to food and my blog (ok, maybe more, but here are two): 1) True "foodies" who are committed to the culinary arts create recipes more based on the food (origins), taste, ingenuity, and eye-appeal rather than on the latest diet.  2) Being health-conscience doesn't have to mean giving up entire food groups--eating less of certain things (or less in general) and exercising are super beneficial!

With that, I give you:
Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo Lasagna (For the "healthy" version--just eat half of what you normally would.) ;)
Abby loved this meal!  By Randy and my standards, I wouldn't say I "hit it out of the park" yet.  I need to make it a little more moist and make a little more of the alfredo sauce, pesto, and chicken.  So, that being said, I'm not 100% ready to give out a true recipe at this moment.  I'll post the pictures of each step and let you know the basic ingredients.  If you're a confident cook, I'm sure you'll come up with something yummy!  If you require a little more guidance in the kitchen, don't worry--the full recipe is coming soon!

I marinated my chicken in Italian dressing all day, then grilled it in my grill pan.

I shredded my chicken once it was cooked through and cooled slightly.

Here's the start of broccoli pesto.  Broccoli and garlic in the food processor and stream in olive oil while pulsing.

Voila!

To make alfredo sauce, start with a roux.  If this scares you--don't let it!  Start with butter, garlic, and red pepper flakes.

Add flour and whisk 1-2 minutes.  There's your flavored roux for the alfredo sauce!

Add milk--it starts thin!  Bring it up to a bubble and whisk continuously.

And there's your nice, thick sauce.  Ready for a heat reduction and a handful of grated parmesan cheese--alfredo sauce!

Start by layering the sauce in the 13 x 9 pan.

For a quick lasagna, make sure you use "Oven Ready" noodles--no boiling!

On top of the sauce, layer the noodles, then the broccoli pesto.

Then the chicken--and start all over again!

Top it off with freshly grated parmesan cheese!

Yum!

I served it with a caprese salad--an intense flavor combination--not sure I would do that again.  But, it's a good thing we had the wine to cleanse our palettes!