Penne with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil and Mozzarella

I've blogged before about how much we like Caprese Salad (see earlier post). This pasta dish is like a caprese salad, but in entree form. It is delightfully quick and easy to prepare, and remarkably delicious for its simplicity.

Penne alla Caprese in Crud0 (Penne with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil and Mozzarella)

1 lb ripe and juicy cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tsp salt
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 pound penne pasta
10 basil leaves, shredded
1/2 lb bocconcini (bite-size fresh mozarella; cut in half)

Toss the tomatoes, oil, salt and red pepper together in a large bowl. Whack the garlic with the side of a knife and toss it into the bowl. Let marniate at room temperature, tossing one or twice, for 30 minutes.

While the tomatoes are marinating, cook the pasta al dente (if you don't know what that means, send me an email).

Remove garlic from the marinated tomatoes and toss in the basil. Drain the pasta, add it to the bowl, and toss well to mix. Check the seasoning, adding salt and more crushed red pepper if necessary. Gently stir in the bocconcini and serve.

Garlic-Roasted Chicken Breasts

This is a fast and simpler way to get the taste of whole roast chicken, but well, faster and easier. This is delicious!

Garlic-Roasted Chicken Breasts

3 large garlic cloves, minced (1 1/2 tsp pre-chopped)
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
2 T olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
4 chicken breast halves with skin and bone (2 to 2 1/4 lb) (DO NOT use boneless, skinless)

Preheat oven to 500F with rack in upper third.

Stir together garlic, oregano, red pepper, oil, salt, and pepper.

Cut a 2-inch-long pocket (about 1 1/2 inches deep) horizontally in side of each breast half and spread 1/2 tsp garlic mixture into each pocket. coat chicken with remaining mixture (including under skin).

Roast chicken, skin side up, in a foil-lined large shallow baking pan until just cooked through (20 to 25 minutes).

Hot Chocolate Reviews

Steve and I both gave each other new brands of hot chocolate to try for Christmas. I gave him a can of Schokinag's Mint Chocolate and he gave me a bag of Chocolat Vitale - European Style. Both of these were a change from the normal powdered hot chocolate's that we're all used to, but are rather composed of very small bits of chocolate. For the Schokinag you melt the chocolate in your mug first and then stir in the milk and for the the Chocolat Vitale you do the opposite. While both were delicious we both preferred the Chocolat Vitale. Both are expensive (about $10 for a decent sized can) and available at Whole Foods.

What's for Breakfast?

My husband told me I should expand my blog...so I am. I will no longer limit myself to the arduous question of "What's for dinner?", but also "What's for breakfast?"

Our favorite breakfast lately is steel-cut oatmeal - also known as pin-head or Irish Oatmeal. Steel-cut oats are oats that are chopped up into bits instead of smashed flat like classic oatmeal. They produce a hot cereal with a pleasing texture. You can pay way too much for these in one of those fancy tins or Bob's Red Mill, available nationally I think, sells a packet for a good price. The best option is to buy it from the bulk foods section. The best price around me is at PCC at $1.21/lb and that's organic to boot!

To cook for one person - place 1/3 cups oats, 1 cup water and 1/8 tsp salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to low for about 10 minutes stirring occassionally. The cereal is done when all the water is absorbed and the cereal just starts to want to stick to the bottom of the pot. For 2 adults and 2 kids *(who don't eat a lot), go for 1 cup of oats, 3 cups water and 1/4 tsp salt.

Steve likes his with a touch of cream, dried cherries and turbinado sugar. I like just cream and brown sugar. Natalie likes her's loaded with golden raisins....in fact she likes anything loaded with golden raisins.....

Let me know what you think! If you have leftover cereal, save it in the fridge and email me for a recipe for crackers or bread that will use it up!

This is not your Grandmother's Beef Stroganoff....

Unless of course, she made excellent beef stronganoff...

This recipe (that I put together from several others on Epicurious.com) is divine. No starchy sour cream sauce, no tough meat etc. - just flavor infused tender beef and mushrooms. While this may take a little longer than other stronganoff recipes you've seen, it's worth it, don't try to cheat and combine steps. The layering of the flavors in the sauce are the key to this dinner. I've included directions about how to get a side veggie and the noodles all done at the same time. Let me know what you think.

Beef Stroganoff

1 ½ lbs thinly sliced tender beef (flat iron steak is great)
Salt & pepper
2T olive oil
2 T butter
1 shallot
6 oz sliced mushrooms (crimini)
1 c beef broth
2 T sherry
¾ c cream
2 T chopped parsely
Salt & Pepper

1 large package egg noodles
Frozen peas or canned green beans or whatever

1. Thinly slice, pat dry and lightly salt and pepper the beef
2. Heat oil (2T) in saute pan, brown meat – remove from pan,set aside
3. Melt butter (2T), add shallot, cook till tender (2 minutes is good)
4. Add mushrooms, cook ‘till all liquid (it will come out of the mushrooms) is gone (about 12 minutes)
5. Add broth (1 cup) and sherry (2T), cook until almost all evaporated (about 14 minutes)
6. Start water boiling for egg noodles and pop a bowl of peas or green beans into the microwave, but don’t cook yet
7. Add cream (3/4 cup), any accumulated meat juice, cook for 2 minutes to thicken.
8. Press Go on the microwave, set the table.
9. Taste for salt and pepper, adjust. Stir in parsley and meat.
10. Serve over egg noodles

Mounds of Meatballs

This recipe is origanally from a cookbook for kids by Emeril, I believe. But since I call my sister-in-law Kristi each time I find I have lost this recipe, I call these Kristi's Meatballs. Because they are baked and not fried, they gain points for health and easiness. Cook the spaghetti while the meatballs bake and warm up a jar of sauce (unless you're an overachiever and feel compelled to make both the sauce and the meatballs from scratch on the same night). A bagged salad rounds out the meal.

Krisit's Meatballs

1/2 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb mild or hot italian sausage (what you prefer)
2 eggs
1/2 c. bread crumbs
2 T chopped parsley (flat-leaf/Italian, not the curly stuff)
1 T chopped onion (dry onion flakes is an easy option here)
1/2 c. good quality Parmesan (no Kraft in the green bottle that is 5 years old please)
1 clove chopped garlic
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (grating your own nutmeg yet? It's worth it!)
1/2 T salt

Mush everything together in a big bowl. Your clean hands are the best tool for the job. Form into balls about 1 - 1 1/2" in diameter and place on baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 or until golden.

Yum.

Chicken Pot Pie Like Never Before

Okay, so this recipe for Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pies with Cream Cheese Crust will never appear in "Cooking Light" but man is it good! The cream cheese in the crust makes is an easy dough to work with and roll out and transfer to the pie. Save yourself the trouble of roasting the chicken if you want and just buy a rotisserie chicken (from Costco, the best bird by far!).

Also - no need to put it into indivdual dishes unless you already have cute dishes like this and want too.