Pasta Primavera

Pasta Primavera (My own take on a classic)
Pasta Primavera is one of those classic pasta dishes from the 80’s or if you’ve been to many a hotel hosted conference like I have. It is full of veggitables and has a light sauce, sometimes creamy sometimes not. I poked around the recipe world and read so many different takes on it I ended up shaking my head and pushed away my laptop and decided on how I wanted it to taste.

1# spaghetti noodles
2 cups cubed ham (you can use chicken or shrimp if you want meat or leave it out to keep it meat free)
1 diced red bell pepper
1 diced green bell pepper
1 cup diced mushrooms
2 T garlic (can use less if desired)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 parmesan cheese (or a romano parmesan blend)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
pinch of nutmeg

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta per directions on the packet. Reserve a cup of the cooking liquid.

While pasta is going, brown the ham to a large skillet until lightly seared. In same pan, add the butter, bell peppers, garlic and mushrooms. Sautee the ham and veggies until the veggies are slightly al dente. Add heavy cream and seasonings and cook over medium heat until sauce is bubbly. Add Parmasen cheese and stir. Taste sauce to make sure the seasonings are to your liking. Pour over drained spaghetti and toss gently. If the sauce is too thick for your taste, you can add some of the reserved cooking liquid to thin it out.

Makes 5 6 ounce servings. Add a little bit more cheese to each serving.

Monkey Bread Muffins

My hubby and I love monkey bread. The only problem is that we have this compulsion to eat it all when I do make it normally in a bundt pan. So why not make it into muffins? We can eat a little at a time…when we want another one it is just a quick 30 second pop in the microwave to warm it up.
And it sounded so good! So I got everything together and went at it.

Monkey Bread Muffins
1 can of Grands Buttermilk Biscuits
1 cup Sugar
2 T Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
2 T Butter, melted

Mix the Sugar, Cinnamon and Nutmeg into a bowl. Cut each biscuit into eight pieces. Dip the pieces into into the butter and then coat with the sugar mixture. Place 5 or 6 pieces into a muffin tin (spray the muffin tray with Pam first). Top each muffin with any extra sugar mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 13-17 minutes. You want make sure that the bottom pieces cook well.

Cool for a few moments before gently taking out each muffin. And then enjoy!

Mexican Mocha Mousse

 

There is this Mexican restaurant that my family used to love to go for Sunday Brunch when I was younger. They had this wonderful mousse that I always had to have for dessert. It was light, airy, slightly chocolately, slightly coffee and oh so yummy. Even when we pretty much stopped going there, I still remember that mousse. Finally one day I started to tinker around the kitchen and came up with this. Imagine my surprise when I took a taste of the finished product and was immediately transported to that Mexican restaurant and those times with my family. It has since become a favorite of mine and my hubby’s. Enjoy!

Mexican Mocha Mousse
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 T Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 T prepared coffee (I normally just make a small cup of really strong instant coffee)
4 T sugar
2 T unsweetened Cocoa (powdered)
Additional cinnamon (optional)
Dark Chocolate shavings (optional)

Place the heavy whipping cream, vanilla, and coffee in a mixing bowl and start to whip lightly. Once there is a little bit of air into the whipped cream, add the cinnamon, sugar and cocoa. (Note: I normally do this so the dry ingredients don’t sink to the bottom. I just find it mixes better.) Whip until there are stiff peaks.

Keep refrigerated until serving time. Portion out into 4 4oz servings and garnish with cinnamon and dark chocolate shavings (optional). I normally serve with cinnamon sugared pita chips or cinnamon sugared tortilla strips. Enjoy!

Pink Lemonade Pie

I promised a friend that this would be the first recipe I posted after rearranging my website. This is a wonderful light summertime dessert. It is easy to make and on a hot summer night it is very refreshing. It’s tart but not overly so because of the sweetness of the ice cream. And it is easy to change up the flavors if you so desire as well but for me I enjoy the tartness lemonade brings to it. It keeps it from becoming too sweet.

Pink Lemonade Pie

18 mini graham cracker tart shells (Keebler normally sells a package of 6 for a decent price) OR two graham cracker 9 inch pie shells
1 container of pink lemonade concentrate – thawed
1 quart of vanilla ice cream – softened
½ recipe of whipped cream
Diced strawberries – optional
Dark chocolate grated for garnish – optional

Note: If you do not want to make the whipped cream you can substitute it with a half container of thawed out Cool Whip. I prefer the whipped cream though…it comes out a bit lighter and tastes better in my opinion.

Make the whipping cream in a large bowl. Add thawed out pink lemonade concentrate and ice cream. Gently mix together just enough so you don’t have chunks of ice cream or whipping cream but not so much you take all the fluffiness out of the whipped cream.

If you are making the larger pies – add the diced strawberries and gently fold in. Make sure you dice them into small bite size pieces. There is nothing worse than breaking a tooth on frozen fruit. Pour mixture into pie shells. (I find using a measuring cup works well with the mini pie shells.) Top with diced strawberries. And add grated dark chocolate for garnish if desired. freeze on a flat surface for about two hours at least.

Bring out about five minutes before serving so that the mixture softens slightly. This is really important for the larger pies. If not cutting it can be a hassle.

This pie keeps really well in the freezer. So It’s nice to have on hand during the summer. I find I really like the dark chocolate on the top as it gives the pie an added depth of flavor.  You could also add a couple of dollops of the whipped cream if you make extra. Regular Lemonade or Limeade also works well.

Quick and Easy Whipped Cream

There are just certain things I no longer buy at the grocery store. Yeah, sure sometimes it costs a little bit more to make it and okay it can take a little bit more time…BUT the taste is normally oh so much better. And not to mention, nine out of ten times it was better for you as well. You can control the ingredients, the amount of sugar or salt. You know what preservatives if any that are in it. And honestly with just a few tools it is not really all that difficult.

One things I never buy any more is whipped cream or cool whip. Once I found out how simple it was to make it was no contest. And my husband will actually eat the homemade whipped cream so that’s an extra bonus…well most times.

Basic Whipped Cream
2 cups Heavy whipping cream
3 Tablespoons sugar (can subsitute with Splenda to make it truly sugar free)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients into mixing bowl and mix until stiff peaks are formed and the beaters leave trails in the cream.

That’s it! Seriously that is all that I do. What is even better is that it’s easy to adjust to suit your tastes or to do something different. You can make it sweeter or make it more vanilla. I like to add a tablespoon or two of cinnamon for dipping in strawberries. (OMG That is so yummy…one of our favorite desserts during the summer).

It holds up well to use as a frosting for a cake. Or you can pipe it onto pies or other desserts. Quick tip: if you do not have a piping bag…just snip a corner off a ziplock bag and put your piping tip inside it. Instant piping bag!

Cucumber Feta Dip

Or as my friends and husband like to call it…CRACK! Because once you start eating it you just can’t stop! Seriously this stuff is so good.

I found the basis for the recipe years ago when my friend T and I were planning a Greek Gods/Goddess costume party. We wanted most of the foods to be reflective of the theme. It is similar to a Tzatziki sauce but definitely with my own twists.

Cucumber Feta Dip
2 8 oz packages of cream cheese soften
12 oz Greek yogurt – Plain (you can use regular plain yogurt. The dip will be a little thinner)
1 cup sour cream
6 oz crumbled Feta cheese
1 large cucumber (2/3’s chopped the remaining third sliced)
1 small can of sliced olives, drained roughly chopped and reserving 1.5 TB for garnish
3 TB crushed garlic
1.5 ts kosher salt
1/2 ts ground white pepper
1 Roma tomatoes – chopped (optional)

Combine cream cheese, yogurt and sour cream into a mixer and mix until combined. Don’t worry if the dip looks really thin as the cucumber and feta really help to thicken it up. Add the chopped cucumber (I leave the peel on as I love the flavor it adds. I just wash it well to make sure it no longer has a waxy texture), olives (yes I know I can just use chopped olives instead of chopping sliced olives but I find that the flavor of the olives get lost and I like the texture of the chunkier olive pieces). Mix well.

Add garlic, salt and pepper mixing well after each addition. NOTE REGARDING SEASONINGS: I highly recommend starting the spices out at lower measurements. My hubby and I are self-proclaimed garlicholics. And the salt and pepper are to our tastes. Just mix well, taste and adjust to your liking.

Smooth out into a container and top with the remainder of the olives, tomatoes (optional) and line the pan with the cucumber slices.

Serve with pita chips or wheat thins (normally I do both. Wavy Lays will work as well)

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs Every Time!

I was asked by a couple of my co-workers how to properly cook hard boil eggs so I thought I would share my secret for the perfect hard-boiled egg here. After all it’s not that big of a secret.

Here is the key to the perfect hard-boiled egg: DO NOT BOIL THE EGGS!

What? Are you kidding? Is it really as simple as that? Yes, yes it is.

I love hard-boiled eggs but there is nothing worse that rubbery whites and a grayish green crumbly yolk.  If you are making deviled eggs you can work around the yolk but the whites? Nope not gonna happen. It’s a tricky thing. If you cook the whites perfectly then the yolks are goopy. If you made sure the yolks are done then your whites are the consistency of rubber.

So try this way and tell me if it’s not better.

Take a large pot and place your eggs in it. Make sure not to overcrowd your eggs. If that means you have to cook them in multiple batches then do it. Trust me the extra time is worth it.

Cover your eggs with COLD water. You want to have about an inch of water over the eggs.

Turn the burner on medium high and bring to a light boil. You start to get bubbles going but not too many.

Take the eggs off the heat and cover firmly with a lid. Leave covered for at least 10 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE LID! Covering the pot contains the heat and steam and that will cook the eggs gently yet thoroughly. After 10 minutes, you can check the eggs by sacrificing one. Cut it open to check the yolk. If it is still not to your desired firmness, cover and let sit for a few more minutes.

Once eggs are done either rinse under cold water or let sit in an ice bath. I prefer the ice bath method as it does double duty. It stops the cooking process and two if you let them sit for a bit it will also make them easier to peel.

You can also use vinegar or baking soda in the water to make them easier to peel. I find out of the two I prefer baking soda. I only use a teaspoon of it. But the ice bath works just as well in my opinion.

Bacon Wrapped Potatoe Bites

Every so often the mood just strikes you. You start to crave something…sometimes you don’t know what other times you know exactly what it is. And then if you’re like me it will take on a life of its own.

Earlier I was getting a bit hungry and started to crave potatoes, specifically roasted potatoes. I knew we had some red potatoes left over from when I made corned beef and cabbage last weekend. Then I started to look through Pinterest and saw a recipe I just had to try. Bacon wrapped potato bites…my mouth started to drool just thinking about it. I was already craving potatoes and well bacon just makes everything better. Really bacon needs to be its own food group.

So I gather up all my ingredients and set out to make these bites, changing it up to suit our tastes a bit better. And let me tell you THEY ARE SO YUMMY! The husband and I inhaled these things. Already we are plotting on when we can take a batch (or two) over to our best friends’ house as we know they will love them as well.

Bacon Wrapped Potato Bites
1# red potatoes
3/4 – 1# bacon (cut into thirds)
2 tsp salt (divided)
1 tsp fresh crack black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasonings
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp Mae Poi (sweet chili sauce)

Place a pot of water onto boil with a teaspoon of the salt. While that is heating up, wash the potatoes and cut into 1 inch pieces. You get the best bacon to potato ratio and they are the perfect popping size. Place the potatoes into the boiling water and cook just until you can pierce them with a fork. You don’t want them too cooked or they will fall apart in the remaining stages. Drain the potatoes and place into a large bowl. Add the rest of the salt, pepper, garlic, seasonings and olive oil to the potatoes and gently toss.

Next take your cut bacon and wrap each piece around a potato. Secure with a toothpick and place on a foil wrapped cookie sheet pan. I had a few extra potatoes so I just placed them on the tray as well. Using a basting brush I coated the pieces with the olive oil and seasonings that had gone to the bottom of the bowl. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn the pieces over and cook for another 15 minutes.

While the bites were in the second oven round, I mixed up the sauce. In a bowl mix the sour cream and the Mae Poi together until smooth. I layered a little extra Mae Poi on top as I just love the stuff and thought it would provide a nice extra little kick. Then plate and serve!

Trust me you will LOVE these things! Even just the plain potatoes with the sauce were delicious!

Lemon Scones

My husband and I love scones. It is not something I make often though, I don’t want us to get tired of them. I promised that I would make him some this weekend and he requested that I make Lemon Scones. This recipe turned out so yummy. The scones was tender and flaky. They were dense but not heavy as some scones can be. They were soooooo good.

Lemon Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (one stick cut into pieces)
1 cup heavy cream
zest of one lemon
2 tablespoon lemon juice
Additional sugar

Mix all the dry ingredients together with a fork. Add the butter pieces and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add zest, lemon juice and cream and mix until incorporated. It is easiest to mix with your hands at this point to get it mixed. Trust me. Place dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times. Pat the dough into a circle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into pieces – you can get anywhere from 4 to 8 pieces depending on how big you cut them.
Lightly brush the flour off the dough before placing on a greased cookie sheet. Make sure you have at least an inch of space in between the scones on the baking sheet. Sprinkle some sugar over the tops. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes. I normally start checking them at 10 minutes. You want them to turn to just a light golden brown. Let scones cool for about 10 minutes before glazing and serve.

Glaze
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar – shifted
1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Shifting the sugar helps eliminates the clumps. Slowly mix the lemon juice until smooth. If you want the glaze to be thinner you can add a little milk to it but do so a teaspoon at a time.

Enjoy!

Homemade Sloppy Joes

As a kid I loved sloppy joes. It was always a treat when mom made them, which wasn’t very often. I’m not sure why but she didn’t. As I got older, the thoughts of sloppy joes went to the wayside. Occasionally the craving would hit like it did today while texting back and forth with hubby about what to do for dinner.

But I didn’t want to use the can mix. It has so much sugar and salt not to mention preservatives. It’s not really that hard when you think about it. It’s a tomato based sweet savory sauce. So I did a little bit a brain storming and this is what I came up with.

Homemade Sloppy Joes
1 lb ground beef
1 chopped small onion
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp yellow mustard
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp garlic (optional)
12 oz tomato sauce
¼ tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown ground beef with onion  and garlic. Drain the fat and add remaining ingredients, stir and let simmer for 10- 20 minutes until nice and thick. Serve on toasted buns (I used onion rolls – so yum!)
Serves 4 to 6 (depending on the size of buns you are using).

I used tomato sauce instead of ketchup as my husband does not like ketchup. The lemon juice I added for the acid. It helps cut through the sweetness and the Worcestershire adds a nice little oomph of flavor.

This is an easy recipe to adjust to your particular taste. If you want it sweeter you can use ketchup instead of tomato sauce or add a bit of bbq sauce for an extra little zing. This is a great recipe to add in some extra vegetables like diced up tomatoes, green peppers and/or carrots if you have someone who doesn’t like their veggies. You can also top with some cheese and pop under the broiler so it melts. You could even use different types of ground meat like turkey, elk or venison. Really the possibilities with this sauce is quite amazing.