Garlic and Oil Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus

Since I have been making weekly trips to the Farmers Market, it has inspired me to try new recipes! I can't resist the opportunity to purchase slender asparagus and then hunt down a recipe. This was the perfect summer dinner. I made some changes and it was a success!


Ingredients:

1 lb. of pasta, cooked al dente
approx 1 lb of boneless chicken, sliced thin
1/3 cup olive oil
1 lb. of fresh asparagus, cut into one inch pieces
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
a bunch of scallions, sliced and separate the white and green parts
one small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/2-1 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes

I like to use alot of bowls when I cook. It helps when you are ready to start cooking, since this really doesn't take long to throw together. It's all in the prep work!

First get your water boiling for the pasta. I used Penne Pasta, but you can use any variety you like.

While the water is boiling, you can saute the thinly sliced chicken in the cloves of minced garlic and olive oil in a large skillet. Remove the chicken and place in a bowl while you then saute the asparagus on mediun heat.

Add the sliced cherry tomatoe, parsley and the whites of the scallions and cook briefly.

Your pasta should be boiled now. Drain the water from the pasta and add to the sauteed vegetables.
 Add your cooked chicken.

Serve with grated pecorino romano cheese and top with greens of scallions. Bellisimo!

Chocolate Strawberry Nutella Cake

Once again, I have pinterest to thank for this yummy dessert!! I love to search for food ideas this way; it can be very addicting! I've always loved to make angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream in the summer. When I read through a few recipes, I realized I had everything to try a chocolate version! WARNING: this is a very dense, filling dessert and probably 583,405 calories, so only a small slice is needed. Tasted more like a pound cake! Could be because there's two sticks of butter!! :)

Ingredients:
 FOR THE CAKE:
2 sticks butter
4 heaping TBS cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1- 1 1/2 cup of Nutella

FOR STRAWBERRIES:
2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

FOR WHIPPED CREAM:
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two round baking pans with cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cocoa and stir it until smooth. Pour in the boiling water and let the mixture bubble up for approx 20 seconds and then turn it off and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, blend buttermilk,baking soda, eggs and vanilla. Set aside.

In another large mixing bowl, mix the sugar, flour and salt. Stir in the hot chocolate mixture until it's combined.

Pour and divide the batter into two round pans evenly. Bake for 18-22 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the strawberries by stirring them with the sugar and the vanilla. Let them sit for 15 minutes then drain off the excess juice.

Whip the cream and the powdered sugar.

Spread half the Nutella over the bottom layer of cake. Spread on half the whipped cream and top with half the strawberries. Place second layer of cake , repeating the same steps.

NOTE: Don't start to assemble more than an hour before serving. The cake needs to be refidgerated.

I know you want a piece!!

Asian Spaghetti and Flounder

Ok, so it's really been a challenge cooking this week with the temperatures soaring near 100 degrees!! Too hot to grill, too hot for the oven, so I looked for some new stovetop ideas!! I. Love. Pinterest!!

This was so easy and healthy!!

Ingredients:

1 lb uncooked angel hair pasta
1-2 cups uncooked broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
4 green onions, diced
2 TBS canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 TBS sesame seeds, toasted

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the broccoli, carrots and onions until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, cayenne pepper and sugar. Add sauce to pasta, tossing to coat. add sesame seeds.

The flounder is first dipped in egg, then dipped in a random amount of panko bread crumbs and old bay. The fish was fried at 300 degrees in a skillet using "Plenish". Bet you wish you knew what plenish is! ;)

Mediterranean Stuffed Pork Chops

Ok, so it's been for-ev-er since I've blogged, but those of you who really know me, understand I've had sort of an epiphany lately. I joke that it's my new coffee pot making amazingly delicious coffee, but it's actually been a series of events happening to me. And I really, really wanted to make something new!

The ingredients:

4 thick cut boneless porkchops
4 ounces goat cheese
fresh spinach leaves

3 medium tomatoes, diced
1 small onion, chopped
black olives
1 fresh lemon
white cooking wine

garlic powder(or fresh garlic if you have it on hand), black pepper to season
olive oil


Cut the boneless porkchops in half forming a pocket. Spread the inside with the goat cheese. This was the first time I ever tried this cheese; the name is weird, but it's very mild and tasty!

In a large skillet using olive oil, season the porkchops with black pepper and garlic powder. Sear the chops until golden brown and remove from heat. Place them in a 9X13 glass pan.

Saute the onion, tomatoes and black olives (which you can omit if you dislike) Add a splash of the cooking wine (approx 1/2 cup and squeeze the juice of one lemon. Mix together and pour over the porkchops.

Bake uncovered @400 degrees for approx 20-25 minutes, depending on thickness.

Snappy Pumpkin Cheesecake

Every Thanksgiving I feel compelled to make the traditional desserts: apple pie and pumpkin pie. I decided to search for a new recipe this year, and this one combined with another dessert I love: cheesecake! It looked so pretty and I am a visual person. I decided after reading the ingredients, this is going to be worth it. The only trouble I ran into was finding gingersnap cookies!

This was pretty easy and I can't wait to make it again! Try this. You won't be disappointed.


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies ( approx 30 cookies)
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
GARNISH:
whipped topping

Directions:

~Grease a 9 inch springform pan and securely wrap aluminum foil around the outside.

~In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and pecans. I used my mini food processor and it did a great job! Stir in melted butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of pan. Bake at 325degrees for 9-11 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.

~Meanwhile in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined.

~Place 1 cup of the filling in another small bowl; stir in the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and remaining sugar. Remove 3/4 cup of pumpkin filling and set aside. Pour remaining pumpkin filling into the crust (making the first layer)

~Top with the plain filling. Drop reserved pumpkin filling by spoonfuls over the top; cut through filling with a knife to make swirls.

Place pan on a large baking pan and fill with water. I used a thick cookie tray you can see in above picture.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until center is set and appears dull. Remove pan from water bath and cool for 10 minutes. Take a knife to loosen around edge. Refrigerate overnight.

Remove sides of springform pan. Garnish with whipped topping.

Braided Spaghetti Bread

I have to give a shout out to Danielle for finding this yummy bread on Pinterest! And what a better day to  make it...drinking some wine and waiting for this hurricane!! :)

I made homemade dough and sauce, but if you want to keep it really simple, follow these simple ingredients:


1 loaf bread dough, thawed ( I make a pizza dough recipe for any stuffed bread)
6 oz spaghetti, cooked - I used angel hair pasta
1 cup spaghetti sauce
8-12 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes ( the more, the better!)
1 egg white ( i brushed the bread with olive oil)
Parmesan cheese
Parsley flakes
Garlic powder


Lightly flour the surface you are going to roll dough on; make into a 12x16 rectangle.

Cook pasta according to package; drain and let cool slightly.

Mix spaghetti and sauce together and then place in the center of the dough; top with cubed mozzarella cheese.

Make cuts 1 1/2 inches apart so you can braid the dough. Begin by braiding top and bottom strips towards the filling. Then braid strips left over right, then right over left and tuck last strip under braid.

Brush with egg white (or olive oil) and sprinkle with parsley, parmesan cheese and garlic powder.

Bake @ 350 for 35 minutes or until golden.  Cool slightly and slice to serve.

Baked Mac-n-Cheese (Sriracha Style!)

Try this recipe for a new twist to the traditional macaroni-n-cheese recipe! The panko breadcrumbs make a nice crunchy topping!

4 cups (1 lb) dry elbow macaroni

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 small onion, diced

2 TBS flour

1 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp black pepper

3 cups milk

4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

4 TBS Sriracha Sauce

1/4 cup grated parmigiano cheese

~Melt 1/2 stick butter; then add panko breadcrumbs,mix and set aside.

~Cook elbow macaroni in salted boiling water for one minute less than recommended time.

~In a large pot, saute the diced onion with the other 1/2 stick of butter over low heat until tender. Add flour and wisk for 2 minutes over low heat. Add dry mustard and black pepper.

~Add milk and stir until thickened. 

~Remove from heat and add cheddar cheese and Sriracha sauce; mix until the cheese melts.

~Add the cooked macaroni to the cheese mixture, then transfer to 13X9 pan.

Top with the parm cheese, then breadcrumb mixture and 1/4 cup cheddar cheese(if desired).

BAKE AT 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Enjoy!