Penne alla Vodka

Tags

basil, Italian, pasta, tomato, vodka

Vodka with dinner? Yes please! Hehe. Add in pasta and it makes it that much better! 🙂 I’ve always eyed the jars of vodka sauce in the grocery store, curious about what it really was. It just seems odd to add something such as vodka to a pasta sauce. But much to my surprise, it is awesome! And I’ve made it twice now in the last couple of weeks. It’s fast and easy, and really good. It has a little kick from the red pepper flakes, with a little bite from the remaining vodka. It’s a perfect way to jazz up spaghetti night at home!One Year Ago: Morning Harvest Muffins and Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells with Smoky Marinara

Penne alla Vodka

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ small onion, minced (about ¼ cup)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon salt
⅓cup vodka
½ cup heavy or whipping cream
1 pound penne, or desired pasta shape
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
Parmesan cheese, for serving
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, until just shy of al dente. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, add half of the tomatoes to your food processor and pulse until smooth. Dice the remaining tomatoes into ½-inch pieces. In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine the diced and pureed tomatoes and add the reserved tomato liquid until the total measures 2 cups.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add in the onion and tomato paste, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in the tomatoes and salt; take the pan off of the heat and add the vodka. Return pan to medium-high heat and simmer until the alcohol flavor is mostly cooked off, about 8 to 10 minutes; stir constantly, lowering the heat if needed to maintain a simmer. Stir in the cream and cook until hot, about 1 minute.

Add the pasta back to the large pot; pour the sauce over the pasta, and toss over medium heat until the pasta absorbs some of sauce, about 1-2 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pasta water as needed. Stir in the basil and season to taste with additional salt, if necessary. Serve immediately, garnished with freshly grated or shredded Parmesan cheese.

Source: Tracey’s Culinary Adventures via Cook’s Illustrated

Pork Chops with Caribbean Rub and Mango Salsa

Tags

Caribbean, mango, pork, tomato, tropical

It might not yet be mango season, but I’m all ready for it! I still have a couple bags of mango that I froze from last year. I try to make stuff last, and then I kind of forget about it… whoops! I did the same thing with my thin mints, but that also means I get very excited when I find my hidden stash!

And mango salsa is a great use for leftover/frozen mango! Especially when it’s paired up with a perfectly spiced pork chop. As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew it was something I had to try, I just wanted to wait until mangoes were more in season. And I might have jumped the gun a little, but it’s soon… very soon. So for once I’m ahead of the game, and I’ve given you some food for thought (no pun intended :P).I’ve made these twice so far and they were wonderful each time. The first time, I was at my sister’s and she had pork chops, but no breadcrumbs and her original plan for the chops had fallen through, or she had forgotten an ingredient or something along those lines! She was asking me if I had any ideas, and I remembered that I had bookmarked this recipe. It worked out perfectly. She had all the spices in her pantry, and even had some mango papaya salsa from Trader Joe’s. The meal came together quickly, and I knew I had to make it again soon so my husband could try it. It was a hit with him, too, and it’s nice to know that you can easily make your own mango salsa, or use any store bought tropical salsa. So with summer right around the corner, keep this recipe in mind and spice up your summer with some tropical flair! 🙂One Year Ago: Lemon Bars

Pork Chops with Caribbean Rub and Mango Salsa

1½ teaspoons ground coriander
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
¾ teaspoon sugar
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper
4 (6-ounce) pork chops, bone-in or boneless
½ cup mango, diced
½ cup plum tomato, diced
½ cup cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub pork chops with spice mixture.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray;  add pork to pan and cook 3 minutes on each side or until a thermometer registers 145  degrees F (slightly pink). If pork chops are thick, cook for 3 minutes on each side then bake at 350 degrees F for up to 10 minutes, until chops are fully cooked through.

In the meantime, combine mango, tomato, cilantro, red wine vinegar, and olive oil in a small bowl; toss gently. Serve salsa over pork.

Source: Our Best Bites, via Cooking Light

Crock Pot Italian Chicken

Tags

cheese, chicken, Italian, slow cooker, tomato

Looking for a super easy and super tasty chicken recipe? Then look no further! This recipe consists of dumping everything in your slow cooker, then walking away for 8 hours. Come back, and dinner is ready!! It’s flavorful, easy, and leaves you with lots of leftovers for lunches at work or dinners. I’ve only tried it over pasta, but this past time I made it, I was thinking that it might even work as a sandwich. Throw some chicken on a french roll, melt some mozzarella on top and you have a delicious Italian chicken sandwich. Definitely going to have to try that next time I make this, which I’m sure will be fairly soon!Crock Pot Italian Chicken

4 chicken breasts
½ cup light Italian salad dressing
1 (24-ounce) jar tomato sauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried basil
½ tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley
Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese for topping

Place all ingredients in crock pot except cheeses and cook on low for 8 hours. Shred chicken with fork. Serve over pasta of your choice; top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Source: Adapted from Ryan Bakes

Cassoulet-Style Sausage and Beans

Tags

beans, French, garlic, sausage, tomato, wine

So apparently we’re in for 6 more weeks of winter… I’ll believe that when I see it because so far we haven’t even had much of a winter! But my body knows what time of the year it is, and I therefore must cook accordingly. It’s time for soups and casseroles and comforting foods.

This dish is a quicker version of a French cassoulet, which is a slow-cooked stew or casserole with beans and meat. I don’t believe I’ve ever had a real cassoulet, but it’s okay because this dish can fill that void! All the flavors meld wonderfully, and the breadcrumbs add a nice crunch along with an extra garlic kick. Sausage and beans pair perfectly! I have Julia Child’s cookbook with a real cassoulet recipe in it, so maybe I’ll make it one day, but in the meantime I’ll stick with this tasty twist on sausage and beans! Cassoulet-Style Sausage and Beans
Yield: 4 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
4 garlicky pork sausages
5 cloves garlic, minced, divided
¾ cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, divided
1 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
2 slices of thick-cut bacon, diced
½ onion, diced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
⅓ cup dry white wine
⅔ cup chicken broth
2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat until shimmering; add the sausages. After about 5 minutes, add the bacon to the sausages and sauté until bacon is golden brown and sausages are thoroughly browned on both sides. Remove sausages from the pan; set aside.

Meanwhile, make the breadcrumb mixture. In a small bowl, combine Panko, 1 minced clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon parsley, and ½ teaspoon thyme; season with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoons olive oil, stirring to evenly coat the breadcrumbs; set aside.

Lower the heat to medium-low and add the onion; season with salt and pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes, or until onions start to turn translucent. Add the garlic and sauté another 2 minutes then add the tomatoes. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook until the liquid has evaportated and the tomatoes are just beginning to catch on the pan. Add the wine and cook until the liquid has evaporated again. Add the chicken broth, beans, 1 tablespoon parsley, and ½ teaspoon thyme. Cook for 1 minute, until the broth is bubbling.  Transfer the bean mixture to a wide, shallow baking dish and arrange the sausages on top. Top with the breadcrumb mixture and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the sides of the pan are bubbling and the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Serve hot with a green salad.

Source: Adapted from French Revolution, as seen on Lilacs in May

Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa

Tags

black bean, cilantro, gluten-free, lime, quinoa, tomato, vegetarian

Happy new year! I hope everyone had a great one. With the holidays over, I’m hoping to have some more free time to put towards writing blog posts and visiting everyone else’s blogs, and of course making more yummy food in the kitchen! I still have some belated Christmas stuff to get out (whoops!), but other than that, it’s back to trying out new recipes and having some fun with my new cookbooks that I got for Christmas!

Now I’ve never been one for new years resolutions. I was always forced to make some in school, as a fun little homework assignment, but I never followed through on any of them so I kind of just gave up. If I want to try to better myself in some way, I don’t think it should wait until the beginning of the new year to start trying. That’s just my opinion… I don’t mean to offend anyone, of course. But for those of you who have made some resolutions, and if that resolution includes eating healthier (or if you just want to try something new), then this recipe is for you! This was my first time ever trying quinoa, and I know I’m totally behind on this trend, but what else is new :). It’s simple and delicious, and such a fun texture! I love the combination of the tomatoes, beans, and lime and next time I try this, I might add some avocado because it seems like it would fit right in with the rest of the ingredients.Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa

2 teaspoons grated lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 cup quinoa, uncooked
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium tomatoes, diced
3 green onions, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Prepare quinoa according to directions on package.

Meanwhile, whisk together lime zest and juice, butter, oil, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add quinoa to dressing and toss until dressing is absorbed.  Stir in remaining ingredients and additional salt and pepper to taste.

Source: Misadventures in Cooking