Sweet Potato and Chicken Linguine with Brown Butter Balsamic Sauce

Scene:  Woman stands in kitchen looking dazed and confused.

What do I do?

What do I make?

Ugh I really don’t want to go out to the grocery store!  I would have to get presentable to go out into the public….I am not in the mood to be presentable.

Searches through refrigerator

Hmmm…what did I do with those sweet potatoes I bought earlier in the week?

Standing in front of pantry

I guess I can make some kind of pasta, that should be easy enough.

Ok so I have a sweet potato and some linguine…..what am I going to do with this?

I really don’t want to wait forever for this potato to bake or boil, maybe I will just go all Norman Bates and stab it with a fork and nuke it.

Sigh….but I have to make some kind of meat with it or Homeboy is going to complain.

I guess I can defrost some chicken….the faithful quick fix.

Staring at ingrediants

Ok I have pasta, sweet potato and chicken………I guess a brown butter sauce should make an appearance.

This is turning out very “Fall-y”.   Who cares?  It’s my kitchen I will do what I want.  Maybe I will even wear white shoes after Labor day.

Yeah this dish is a little out of season but you know…it’s my party and I will cry if I want to.

I absolutely loved this dish!  I honestly was not sure about what I was doing it when I was making it but it turned out wonderfully.  A sweet and savory pasta dish with a hint of nuttyness.  Yummers!

You can save this one for the fall if you like, but who says you have to?  It’s your kitchen and you can do what you want to.

Print Recipes

Sweet Potato and Chicken Linguine with Brown Butter Balsamic Sauce (serves 2 with leftovers)

Pasta

• 3 chicken thighs, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 Tbs brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 5 oz. dry linguine

Sauce

• 2 tbs butter
• 1 stick butter
• 1 1/2 tsp balsamic vineger
• 1/2 tsp ground sage

Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a skillet melt 1 Tbs of butter over medium-high heat, add chicken to skillet and cook until done.  Transfer chicken to bowl and set aside.

Boil pasta in salted water until al dente.

Pierce the potato all over with fork. Cook potato in microwave on high until softened but still a little firm, about 6 minutes per side. Cool slightly. Peel potato with a small sharp knife and dice into cubes. Toss in brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger & nutmeg. In the same skillet melt 1 Tbs over medium-high heat, add potato mixture to skillet and cook until potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes, toss in chicken.

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Cook until butter begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in vinegar and sage, pour over potatoes and chicken.  Add cooked pasta to skillet and toss until evenly coated.  Serve immediately.

Chicken Lemon Ricotta Pasta

I am standing in my kitchen staring into the abyss of my pantry and telling myself I need to get to the grocery store.   The problem is that after spending the whole day chasing and cleaning after 7 rambunctious puppies, I am beat and I really don’t want to make a run to the supermarket.  I want to make something quick and easy so I can promptly plant my butt on the sofa and chillax for awhile.   That’s right I said chillax….what of it?

Sorry I am a little cranky, I am sleep deprived.

As I stood there in the kitchen, a bright yellow lemon caught my attention and I remembered that I had defrosted some chicken, Lemon Chicken Pasta it is!  I open the refrigerator to grab the chicken and I see a tub of ricotta…..Eureka!  Chicken Lemon Ricotta Pasta it is!  This qualified as quick, easy, tasty and my butt promptly planted itself on the sofa.

Serve yourself a big fat bowl, sprinkle bacon over pasta and promptly plant gluteus on sofa.

I hate to toot my own horn…….but what the heck…”toot, toot, yum”! This was delicious, tangy, touch of sweet and savory.  I little bit of everything in every bite.  I made enough for exactly two servings and Obed was a little disappointed that their were no leftovers, but it’s so simple I could easily whip it up again with little effort.

Print Recipes

Chicken Lemon Ricotta Pasta (2 servings)

• 5 oz. dry linguine
• 2 chicken thighs, skinned and bone-in
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• 3 strips thick cut bacon, diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbs lemon juice
• 1 1/2 Tbs dijon mustard
• 1 Tbs clover honey
• 1/4 ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 green onions, diced

Drizzle olive oil over chicken and season with salt and pepper. Grill on heavy grill skillet on pan until done, let cool and then remove meat from the bones and chop, set aside.

While chicken cooks bring a pot of salted water to boil.  Cook pasta until al dente.

Dice three strips of thick cut bacon and fry in heavy pan until crispy. Using a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper towel line plate, set aside. Reserve 2 Tbs of bacon drippings. Saute red onion and garlic in bacon drippings until soft.

Add dice chicken and cook for about 2 minutes.

Whisk together, lemon juice, honey and dijon mustard.  Add lemon mixture to pan and cook until sauce just begins to thicken about 1 minute, add ricotta and stir.  Stir ricotta until smooth and creamy. There will be a bit of grainy texture, if you like you could also use cream cheese or mascarpone.

Add drained cooked pasta, green onion and lemon zest to pan, toss until evenly coated.

Serve and garnish with bacon.

Cherry Tomato Shrimp Linguine

I’m back folks!  It has been a little crazy we had family visit, puppies born and a short get away to Denver.  We had a great time in Denver regardless of the fact that I was dryer then the Sahara and always out of breath, but that could also be because of all the food we ate.

It’s kind of nice to be back to normal and back in the kitchen.  I had some unpacking to do and puppies to tend to, so I decided that I wanted to make a quick and easy dinner.  The frig was a little empty because I hadn’t gone grocery shopping since we got back from Denver.  I had some cherry tomatoes that were going to turn soon and shrimp in the freezer.  Don’t under estimate the simple ingredients.

Prepare a stovetop hot tub….errr pot for the pasta to boil.  Don’t forget to salt the water.

While the pasta cooks heat a skillet with about 3 tbs of olive oil.  When the oil is nice and hot add 10 oz of cherry tomatoes and stand back.   If you have a spatter screen you may want to use it.  Fry the tomatoes until they start to pop.

Add salt, pepper, garlic, balsamic vinegar and red onions to the skillet.

Stir the until onions are tender and tomatoes are soft, about 10 minutes.

Add shrimp to the skillet.

Cook until the shrimp is pink and begins to curl.

Add cooked linguine and toss until evenly coated.

If you have fresh basil tear it and add to the pasta.  I however was out of basil so I chopped up some green onions.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

The timing on this recipe isn’t exact because I made it on the fly, but it is so simple it’s really hard to mess up.  This is a great dish to prepare during the work week and if you have an aversion to seafood, smoked kielbasa sausage goes great with this too.  I have also served this for lunch with pita bread instead of linguine pasta.

Print Recipe

Cherry Tomato Shrimp Linguine (Serves 2)

• 5 oz dry linguine
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 10 oz cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1/2 large red onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 24 large deveined and peeled shrimp
• fresh basil

Bring a pot of salted water to boil.  Cook pasta until al dente.

While the pasta cooks heat a skillet with 3 tbs of olive oil at medium high heat. When the oil is nice and hot add 10 oz of cherry tomatoes and stand back. If you have a spatter screen you may want to use it. Fry the tomatoes until they start to pop.  Add salt, pepper, garlic, balsamic vinegar and red onions to the skillet.  Stir the until onions are tender and tomatoes are soft, about 10 minutes.

Add shrimp to the skillet.  Cook until the shrimp is pink and begins to curl.  Add cooked linguine and toss until evenly coated.

If you have fresh basil tear it and add to the pasta and toss. I however was out of basil so I chopped up some green onions.

Stovetop Mac n’ Cheese with Chorizo

We all had that one faithful pasta dish we all loved as kids, it was creamy, cheesy and most important familiar.  Familiar was important because we weren’t exactly adventurous when it came to food.   For a quick lunch my mother would pull out that friendly blue box of mac n’ cheese and some hot dogs.  :D  There was nothing like a big bowl of creamy mac n’ cheese with some pan fried hot dogs.

Mac n’ cheese was faithful to us through childhood, collage and even when we were first out in the world on our own and broke. It was cheap, easy and darn good to eat!

This is a little bit of a grown up twist on the creamy stove top mac n’ cheese.   I saw this recently on Good Eats and I had to try it ASAP!  Is it exactly like the ol’faithful blue box?  No, but it is pretty close and darn good to eat!  T he sauce is of course cheesy and it sort of the texture of a creamed ricotta.   Regardless it’s soft, creamy, cheesy and delicious.

Dice up your sausage of choice or hot dog, no one here will judge you.  I chose chorizo because I love the hint of spiciness you get from a chorizo.

In a hot skillet fry up your sausage until crispy and browned.  Mmmmm choriiii-zoooo…

Boil your macaroni in salted water until al dente, drain the pasta and return to the pot, add butter and toss at low heat, until the butter is melted and the pasta is evenly coated.

In a separate bowl whisk together evaporated milk, eggs, mustard, cayenne pepper, salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Stir milk and egg mixture into the pasta;

Add shredded cheddar and stir.

Using a slotted spoon add your sausage into the pasta.

Stir together on low heat for about 3 minutes or until creamy.

Serve yourself a big heaping bowl and sit down and watch your favorite cartoon.  Because that is what you did when you were a kid right?

Print Recipe

Stovetop Mac n’ Cheese with Chorizo (adapted from Alton Brown: Good Eats)

• 10 0z cured chorizo (or sausage of choice)
• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 eggs
• 6 ounces evaporated milk
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

Dice sausage into cubes and pan fry until toasted and browned, set aside.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Return to the pot and melt in the butter. Toss to coat.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir into the pasta and add the cheese. Using a slotted spoon transfer sausage in with pasta.  Over low heat continue to stir for 3 minutes or until creamy.

Lamb Ragu

If anyone has been following my twitter feed you are well aware that my camera is sick and has been sent to Dr. Canon.  I cannot express how upset I was to send my camera off for repair.  I feel like I have lost an appendage.  Alas I have hope that it will return to me like new and we will be back to our old tricks again.  Unfortunately I have no back-up camera and this is hindering my posting process. 

I went digging through my photos to see if I had something that I hadn’t posted yet.  I found this lamb ragù which was delicious but I wasn’t happy with the photographs and thought I would re-shoot it in the future.  I had also made my first attempt at homemade pasta and over cooked it to the point that the noodles pretty much dissolved in your mouth.  It was not a good texture, it was mushy.  Rookie pasta making mistake….fresh pasta does not have to boil nearly as long as dry…duh!

Earlier in the week we were at Sam’s after a winter storm and all the meat was on sale including the lamb shanks.  For a long time Obed was reluctant to try lamb since he had tried it before an it was gamy, but he decided he was willing to give it another try.  I had been dying to make some kind of lamb dish so I jumped at the opportunity when I got the green light.

This ragù was simple to make and just requires time to braise.   I did add a few more veggies to the original recipe to give it a bit more heartiness since it was so cold and dismal outside.   I also used red wine instead of white wine because I had it on hand and I did not feel like trekking any further in the snow to get another bottle of wine.   Beside when cooking with red meat I almost always default to red as opposed to white wine.   Call me old fashion but I just think it makes more sense.

With minimal effort and a few hours later I had a beautiful and rich lamb ragù.   It was perfect and hearty and I killed it with mushy noodles.  I was so disappointed.   But I redeemed myself eventually.  I had some ragù left over so a few days later I boiled a pot of rigatoni, tossed it with the ragù, placed it in a baking dished, topped it with shredded mozzarellaand baked it at 350 for about 25 minutes or until the cheese was melted and bubbly.  It was a quick and easy weeknight dinner.  Obed was pleasantly surprised by the lamb and was successfully converted.  He gobbled up every bit of the non-mush noodle version. 

Although my noodles were a sad and mushy failure, the ragù was a success and it was vindicated when paired with properly cooked noodles and delicious melted cheese.  This is a great dish for the weekend or if you are stuck indoors surrounded by snow.  If you were are like Obed and have an aversion to lamb you can easily substitute it with beef tips or even maybe some yummy short ribs.

Print Recipe

Lamb Ragù (adapted from Bon Appetit Nov 1998)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 lamb shanks (each about 3/4 pound)
• kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 pound small button mushrooms, halved
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 3 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
• 1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in purée
• 1 1/4 pounds rigatoni pasta

Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over high heat. Sprinkle lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Add to pot and brown on all sides, about 12 minutes. Transfer lamb shanks to platter. Add onions, mushrooms, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, rosemary and crushed red pepper to pot and sauté until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Return lamb to pot. Add wine and boil until liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Add 3 cups beef stock and tomatoes to pot; return to boil.

Cover pot, transfer to oven and bake until lamb is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Using tongs, transfer lamb to large bowl. Cool 10 minutes. Cut meat off bones into generous 1/2-inch pieces (discard bones). Return meat to sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cold; cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm over medium-low heat before continuing.)

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain well. Transfer pasta to large serving bowl. Spoon sauce over pasta. Serve, passing Parmesan cheese separately.

Simple Carbonara with Sage

This weekend was a very busy weekend and I didn’t get a chance to do my usual baking.  By Sunday night we were both exhausted and I needed to get dinner together quick and easy.  I was also low on groceries because we didn’t get a chance to make it to the grocery store.   

I think everyone can agree one of the easiest things to make for dinner is a pasta dish.  At first I thought I w0uld do a simple spaghetti with meat sauce but I had no tomato sauce and no ground beef.  So scratch that idea.  Then I thought about a quick Alfredo, but I had no cream cheese or whipping cream. UGH!  I really need to go to the store.   That is when I saw the chicken stock and the eggs.   I then found some bacon, onions and a lonely chicken breast. 

This is when I decided that carbonara was what we were having for dinner.  It’s simple and easy which means my butt could be on the sofa a lot sooner then later.  I decided to toss some sage in just because it’s Fall and it’s my kitchen so I can do whatever I want.    It was a good call, I really enjoyed it and Obed loved it.  He went back for seconds and thirds. 

Was it healthy?  Probably not since the base of the sauce is bacon fat and egg yolks, but when you are exhausted and everything including your hair follicles hurt, who really cares?   I ate my bacon fat/yolk based pasta and enjoyed it and I suggest you do the same!

Print Recipe

Simple Carbonara with Sage  (adapted from Linda’s Italian American Kitchen)  6 Servings

• 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
• 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
• 1 large yellow onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large chicken breast, diced into 1 inch cubes
• 4 sage leaves, minced
• 1½ cups hot Chicken Stock
• 1 pound cooked linguine
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• Coarsely ground black pepper
• salt to taste

Bring 6 quarts of salted water to the boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until the bacon is lightly browned but still soft, about 6 minutes.

Measure out 3 to 4 tablespoons of the bacon fat, add the onions, garlic and chicken and cook until onions wilted but still crunchy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the stock, bring to a boil, and adjust the heat to a simmer. Add sage and cook until the liquid is reduced by about half.

In the meantime, stir the linguine into the boiling salted water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, about 8 minutes.

Ladle off about a cup of the pasta-cooking water. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and pour in the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, stirring to coat the pasta with sauce. Check the seasoning, add salt if necessary. If necessary, add as much chicken stock or pasta-cooking water as needed to make enough sauce to coat the pasta generously.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg yolks one at a time, tossing well after each. Add the grated cheese, then the black pepper, tossing well, and serve immediately in warmed bowls.

Lazy Woman’s Dinner: Almost Carbonara

It’s a new work week, it’s stinking HOT and I am tired.  What do I make for dinner when I get home?   I wanted to make something effortless and quick, because I did not feel like hanging out in my poorly ventulated kitchen.

Also I had been nursing the headache from H-E-double hockey sticks and just was not in the mood to do anything that required any kind of real effort. In summation I was tired, sweaty and I had an 8 ton elephant sitting on my head.  Do you know what it’s like to have an 8 ton elephant on your head and a yappy dog that won’t shut up?  Not pointing any fingers. *nodding towards Buster*

Read more

Coconut Shrimp Soup, Some Like It Hot…..

It has been a little crazy these past few days.  Yesterday, I was at my church playing Bunkopalooza, which was a ton of fun. However, I got home late and I was starving.  I didn’t really want to take the time to cook because: first, I was starving and second, Hubby had worked late and was on his way home.  So, I ran out to the grocery store.

I have to be honest and tell you that I did not go to the grocery store to buy missing ingredients for this soup.  I didn’t make this soup yesterday.  I made it on Monday.  I am taking this time to confess that I ran out to the grocery store and bought……well, I got…..I GOT A FROZEN BAG OF BERTOLLI PASTA DINNER AND GARLIC TEXAS TOAST…….okay, I feel better now.   Yes, it is true! I bought something pre-made and frozen and it wasn’t  pastry dough.  Dude!  What can I say? I was tired and hungry. Any food blogger out there that says they have never bought a frozen bag of something or other for dinner is probably a fibber.  

Read more

Rosted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Sauce

During the week the my computer was on the fritz I still cooked…..I mean we still had to eat, I don’t only make food to post on this site.   This was one of the dishes that I made that week.  Off the bat it just looks like spaghetti and marinara, but don’t let this picture fool you.  I remember when I made Hubby his plate he looked a little disappointed thinking that is was just plain spaghetti.

Unfortunately, I, like a doofus did not make notes when I made the sauce so I will have to give you a guesstimate.  Also I made some Italian seasoned chicken thighs that I cooked in the sauce but for the life of me I cannot remember how I prepared them.  If you look really close you can see it under all the sauce.  so we are going to just focus on the sauce for this post.

The base of the sauce is roasted red peppers, there are no tomatoes in this here sauce.  (That is my little bit of cowboy talk, I am living in Oklahoma after all) 

A few weeks back my fellow food blogger Stacey Snacks did a post on roasted red peppers.  I had some red peppers that were going to start looking a little sad in my fridge, so I decided to get my roast on.  Roasting peppers is easy and if you got a jar to store them you are good to go, not more need for wrinkly peppers in your fridge. 

Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Sauce

2 large red bell peppers, roasted
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 Tbs oregano
1/2 Tbs basil
1/2 Tbs thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbs goat cheese

Place roasted red peppers in food processor, with juices. (If you like to roast your own peppers here is a how to)

In a heavy skillet heat olive oil at a medium high heat. Saute minced garlic for about 5 minutes. Add spices into the skillet and toast for about 2 minutes.

Add red pepper puree to the skillet, cook till the sauce begins to simmer. Add goat cheese and stir until it melts evenly. Let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Serve over your favorite pasta.

Homemade Pasta: No Pasta Machine Required

I have been wanting to make homemade pasta FOREVER, and  I have been asking for a pasta machine probably for just as long.  So when I saw this recipe I HAD to try it out.  For my first try, and without a machine it turned out pretty good.  Although apparently I needed to roll it thinner because I ended up with some pretty fat noodles, which made an extra hearty meal.   No matter, I froze some of the dough so I will have a chance to try it again.  The sauce that I made, I borrowed from Dutch Girl Cooking, except I used a combo of Italian sausage and beef.  It turned out quite yummy so I recommend you give it a try.  Her recipe makes A LOT of sauce so I froze some of it to facilitate a quick dinner in the future.

This pasta making process is a great weekend project and as you get better at it you can be more creative with it.  I am hopping to make my own ravioli down the road, once I get comfortable with the rolling.

Read more

Next Page »