Meatless Meal- Shallot Pasta

Around this time of year I start running out of ideas for "no meat-Friday" dinners. Thought I'd share a recent favorite of mine- shallot spaghetti. This dish is very simple to throw together and it packs a lot of flavor! Don't worry if you're not a huge onion fan shallots are much more mild and sweet- give it a try!  I also find that this dish lends itself well to whole-wheat spaghetti because it gives it a nice nutty flavor that makes you not miss the meat. I like to pair this with an arugula salad and some shrimp cocktail to round it out. 

(p.s. I much rather make it with a little crispy pancetta garnished on top to give it a little more texture and amp up the taste, as it is shown below- but we all have to sacrifice sometimes right!?)

Total Cook Time: 35 minutes
You will need:

8-10 shallots depending on size
2-3 handfuls of baby spinach

1 lb spaghetti (save about 1/2 cup cooking water)

Garlic

Olive oil
Butter

3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

*Optional prosciutto or pancetta- few slices

First up get your water on to boil and then peel and chop up shallots, garlic and pancetta...

Then heat a liberal amount of olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat in a high-sided skillet. Add pancetta/proscuitto if using, and crisp it up and set aside.  Then add butter, garlic and shallots to the oil and cook slowly to let them caramelize, about 20 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Then throw in the baby spinach and stir around to let it wilt. . .

Stir in the resereved pasta water to help get brown bits incorporated into the sauce...

Then use tongs to add in cooked pasta and grate cheese liberally into pan, toss to coat evenly..

Top with crispy salty goodness (pancetta/proscuitto) and serve!

Easy Dessert- Best.Cake.Ever!!

I came by this recipe from a co-worker a few years ago. You can find it on the internet called "chocolate cavity maker" cake. This is my go-to cake when I need to bring something for brunches/birthdays/holidays but don't have time to spend on an involved dessert. This is so easy that you practically don't need anything but the pictures below. The best thing is that you toss everything in one bowl so easy cleanup! The recipe is more of a method, you can play around with the flavor profiles and make a whole different cake. The chocolate is my personal favorite-people go nuts for it!

The girls and I made the classic chocolate Kahlua and a vanilla white chocolate version for the Christmas bake sale this year and they were both gone in an instant. What will be your favorite combo?!

The recipe below is for the original chocolate version,  with the vanilla version in parenthesis
If you want to change things up do so by changing the pudding, cake, alcohol and mix ins.

You Will Need:
18.2 oz box of dark chocolate or chocolate fudge cake mix (butter cake mix)
16 oz sour cream
3.9 oz instant chocolate pudding mix (white chocolate pudding)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1/2 cup Kahlua liquor or strong brewed coffee (Godiva white chocolate liquor)
1 1/2-2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (butterscotch chips)

First step- gather your ingredients, a large bowl, hand mixer  and a bundt pan.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  

Next literally take all ingredients with the exception of chocolate chips and dump them into the bowl

Next using hand mixer blend well then fold in chocolate chips (the girls got in on some spatula action)

Spread into greased and floured bundt pan and bake for 1 hour until cake springs back when touched.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn out to cool completely on wire rack.....

and Voila!!!!!

I dusted these with just a little powdered sugar because they are plenty sweet without frosting but hey- its' ups to you!!

Be sure to share your flavor combos with me!!!

Easy Entertaining- Chicken with Mustard Marscapone Marsala

This is my favorite glammed up version of chicken Marsala. It's a Giada De Laurentis recipe that I came across a couple of years ago and it has become my go-to meal for entertaining since it tastes gourmet but comes together quick and it is very easy to double or triple the recipe for entertaining.  I play around with the mix-ins to give it a twist. Yum!

Total cooking time: 30 minutes
What you'll need:

1- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast or tenderloins cut into chunks
1/4 lb proscuitto (optional)

1 box fettuccine

3/4 cup marscapone cheese

1-2 tablespoons dijon mustard

1 cup dry Marsala wine (the REAL stuff, not supermarket kind)

1 cup chopped onion
16 oz package baby bella or cremini mushrooms

Garlic
Butter

Olive oil 

First off get your pot of water on to boil and get everything nice and chopped up uniformly...

Next season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to heated oil in pan over medium-high heat. Cook until slightly brown and cooked thorough. Then transfer to plate.

Then melt a few pats of butter in the same pan and throw in your garlic, onions, proscuitto (if using), and mushrooms. Saute them together until softened, about 10 minutes.

Hit that pan with the Marsala wine and scrape up any brown pieces from the bottom. Let it simmer for 5 minutes or so.  

Next stir in the dijon mustard to taste- I like about 1 tablespoon of the grainy Grey Poupon kind.  Also stir in the Marascapone, and pop the chicken back into the pan.  Mix it all around to coat chicken and let the sauce thicken up a bit. Season with more salt and pepper. If you want here you can even wilt in a few handfuls of baby spinach to boost up the veggie component.

When the pasta is cooked, add some butter or olive oil to it and then top each serving with the marsala mixture and there you have it!

Oh- don't forget to serve with some good vino!!

Enjoy!

Date Night Dinner at Home: Drunken Risotto

Let's face it- these days it is not so easy to get out for a date night. I have a long list of restaurants I am dying to try out.  To keep myself content in the meantime I like to cook a fancy meal at home. I came across this recipe for "Drunken Risotto" in a Rachel Ray magazine a few years back and it has since become one of my favorites.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Italian cooking, Risotto is a rice dish cooked in a broth to a creamy consistency. It is one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy. It is made with a special type of rice called Arborio because of its short grain and high starch content. Once you get the method down you can change up the flavors pretty easily by using different broths, different wines and altering your add-ins.

Risotto is a great home date night meal because it doesn't require much active cooking. You can drink wine, talk, hang out and give it a little attention to the stove every few minutes and then it's done! I love the pairing of the deep wine flavor with the grated romano cheese and spiciness of the sausage. Give it a try- it might become one of your favs too!

Here's What You Need:

3 cups dry red wine
2 cups chicken broth (I use low sodium stock)
1/2 lb bulk italian sausage or links with casings removed
1 small sweet onion
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (WARNING no other type of rice will do!)
3 large handfuls of baby spinach leaves, chopped
1/2 cup grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
Olive oil, nutmeg, butter

Makes 4 side dish servings or 2 entree servings, Total Cook Time: 35 minutes

In medium size saucepan combine chicken stock and wine and let it simmer on low to keep warm.  Any kind of red will do here but I think this dish is best with a dry not too fruity one.  I've used Rojas, Pinot Noir, Malbec, and Cabernet and all have been great. You want to keep the liquid warm the whole time so when you add it to the dish as you are cooking your'e not bringing the temp down.

While your broth is coming to a simmer chop up your onion and garlic into a fine dice. I used shallots tonight which is also a great option. Then heat some olive oil (couple turns of the pan) in large deep skillet add sausage to cook through, crumbling it up as it cooks and browns (2-3 minutes). Tonight I used chicken sausage but you could also sub in turkey sausage or regular sausage or even chorizo if you prefer.

Once it's browned add in the chopped onion and garlic and sautee until softened.  Next stir in the Arborio rice and add salt and pepper to taste.  Time to turn burner down to medium heat.

Now for the stock- you are going to add in about a ladleful or so at a time, as long as it wets the rice. Then stir it around vigorously each time to help the rice release its starch. A wooden spatula or spoon works best for this!

Let liquid almost evaporate completely each time before adding more liquid.  Total cooking time will depend on your preference of firmness. Somewhere between 20-25 minutes. I like my risotto a little softer but most Italians will say that al dente is the proper way.

As you keep adding the broth/wine the color will intensify and the rice will plump up a bit.  Here is a pic about 10 minute in...

And here is another pic about 20 minutes in... notice the deeper color

In the last 5 min of cooking wilt in the baby spinach, grate some nutmeg in for taste- a tiny bit goes a long way.  Then turn off heat and stir in 2 pats of butter and your grated Romano cheese which will give it a velvety and rich texture.

And there you have it!! Fill your wine glass with the rest and ENJOY!

Weeknight Dinner- Easy Chicken Piccata

Chicken piccata is another go to meal. It requires little prep and cooks in under 20 minutes perfect for hectic weeknights.

What do I need???

-4 thin cut chicken breast cutlets (or chicken breast pounded thin)

-1 lemon sliced thin

-capers

-white wine

-flour for dredging 

-garlic, olive oil, and butter (staples!)

Total Prep and Cook Time- 15 min  

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat some olive oil on medium high in a skillet.  Coat the chicken in light dusting of flour on both sides.  Add the chicken to the pan when the oil is hot...

While the chicken is cooking, chop up the garlic and slice up the lemon.  












Flip chicken over after 3-4 minutes to brown other side. 

Once chicken is golden brown on both sides, remove from pan and add a few pats of butter  to the pan along with the garlic, lemon, and capers.

**To "gourmet it up" you could also throw in some artichoke hearts, mushrooms, or sun dried tomatoes in** 

After a few minutes when the garlic is cooked add a few glugs of white wine (I used Savignon Blanc) and scrape up brown bits from bottom of pan. Just make sure not to use too fruity of a white like Riesling because the taste will be off.

**FOOD TIP- Always cook with real wine- and use one you would drink! 

When the sauce is bubbly return the chicken to the pan and toss to cover in the sauce. Let it simmer for a few more minutes until chicken is cooked through.

And there you have it!

Serve with a side of sweet potato and broccolli for a complete meal.

Buon appetito!