Creamy Beef and Noodles

With twin babies and our hectic schedule, I have to be able to whip together quick, easy meals some days. Mondays are one of those days around here. I made this last Monday and it was really yummy. I wanted to make my Mom's Goulash recipe, but I didn't have macaroni noodles, so I combined elements from that with another casserole I sometimes make and came up with this.

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1/2 sweet onion, diced
14 oz can tomato sauce
1 TBS Paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt, to taste
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 cup of frozen corn
1 cup of sour cream
1 lb of pasta, I used rotini
Shredded cheddar cheese
2 sliced green onions

Brown beef in a large skillet, add onions and cook until translucent. Add tomato sauce, seasonings and corn, simmer while you boil the pasta. Preheat broiler. Drain pasta, add to the beef mixture, stir in sour cream. Transfer to a casserole dish, or use the skillet if it is oven-safe. Scatter shredded cheddar over the top, sprinkle with green onions and place under the broiler until cheese is nice and bubbly.

Chicken Rigatoni and Family History

A while back, I became interested in researching my Father's family. My biological Dad passed away when I was 14, and I never knew his Father or his father's family, except for one great-aunt. I met my grandfather only once, when I was maybe 3 or 4 years old, I very vaguely remember him.I've never actually spoken to him, though my research leads me to believe he may still be alive, so I am contemplating writing a letter. Anyway, my Grandma had told me a lot about the family. When she spoke of my Grandfather, she usually talked about how he cooked. He is Italian and from New York City and she told me about how when he made pasta, he'd have a big pot of sauce simmering all day long, and he'd stir it and check the spices and season it. The first time I set out to make homemade sauce, I disregarded any recipe that took less than 3 hours to make. She talked about his brothers and how they dressed and how the whole family ate. I always romanticized it in my head, and when I would see a big Italian family gathered together in movies or on TV, I always imagined that's what it was like and being a part of it. I have an Italian friend who is also from NY, and her family IS that large, loud, gorgeous, loving Italian family you see in movies. I remember eating dinner with her family and imagining that my Father's family was just like them and I might one day be a part of something like it. Please don't get me wrong, the family that I do know was wonderful to grow up in, and we had many many happy dinners and holidays.

Anyway, through my research I discovered that my Grandfather lived at least part of his life in upstate/central New York. Through researching the town, I found that there is a regional dish that is very popular there, called Chicken Riggies. I'd never heard of it in my life, but the description of rigatoni pasta, chicken, and peppers in a tomato cream sauce sounded amazing. I looked up several recipes and found that the recipes vary drastically from family to family. The ingredients that all of the recipes contained were rigatoni, cherry peppers, chicken, and tomatoes. So, I chose 5 recipes and picked and chose what I liked from them, added my own ingredients and preferred tastes, and came up with my own recipe. I can't call it Chicken Riggies, because I've never been anywhere near NY and I would have no idea if it tastes anything close to their beloved dish. I can tell you, though, that what I came up with is delicious. My husband devoured it, talked about it for days afterward, and has requested that I make it at least once a month.

Ingredients:

1 lb of Rigatoni pasta
2 lbs of boneless chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
5 cloves of garlic, smashed, grated, or minced
1 bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces, I used green
7 jarred sweet cherry peppers, seeded and roughly chopped (I plan to try with fresh when in season)
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 (28oz) can of whole tomatoes
1/2 cup sherry wine (cooking sherry is fine)
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried basil (can use fresh, just triple the amount)
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes, optional
olive oil, for sauteing chicken and garlic

In a large pot (I used a 5 qt nonstick dutch oven), place 2 TBS olive oil and 4 cloves of minced garlic (I grate mine on a Microplane) while the pan is still cold. Turn the heat on to medium and allow the garlic to heat with the oil, to infuse it with flavor and not burn and turn bitter, about 5 minutes. When the garlic is golden but not burned, add the chopped bell pepper and mushrooms. Allow to cook for 5 minutes, to soften. Add the tomatoes, cherry peppers, and sherry, bring it to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to keep it bubbling but not boiling while you prepare the chicken.

In a large skillet, heat a little olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, when the pan is hot add the chicken and remaining garlic. Allow the chicken to get good and brown on both sides. This took about 15 minutes total for me. When the chicken is almost done, use a masher to break up the tomatoes in the sauce pot. Once the tomatoes are broken up, add the chicken to the pan. Use a splash of sherry to deglaze the skillet you prepped the chicken in. Add the deglazing liquid to the sauce. Put a large pot of water on to boil the rigatoni. While you are waiting for the water to boil, add the cream cheese and basil, stirring to fully incorporate the cream cheese. You could also use heavy cream, I chose cream cheese since the little grocery store I went to doesn't stock heavy cream. When the water is boiling, add 1 TBS of salt and the rigatoni to the water. Cook 1 minute less than the package tells you to. Continue stirring the sauce, making sure it is at a strong simmer, stir in the Parmesan cheese very well. When the noodles are done, drain them and toss them with the sauce in the pot. Serve with red pepper flakes and extra Parmesan.

I just love discovering regional dishes, local favorites, and I hope to visit many of the places I've read about and try the authentic versions myself. One of my favorites is the Moco Loco, which my husband ordered for breakfast in Maui at my brother-in-law's suggestion. It was so yummy and I've since made my own version at home. It's a bed of white rice, topped with a hamburger patty, a fried egg, and brown gravy. It sounds weird, but it is super yummy.

Orzo in Asiago Cream Sauce

I made this for lunch, and it was delicious. If I were serving it for dinner or for company I would add things like sauteed mushrooms, pancetta/ham/bacon, caramelized onion, and a crumb topping. This is a great base recipe that I will definitely use to create more elaborate dishes in the future. You can use any type of pasta you like, I had orzo and lasagna noodles on hand, so I went with orzo. Farfalle (bow ties) would be my first choice.

1 lb dry Pasta, prepared al dente.
1/2 TBS Olive Oil
1 Garlic clove
2 tsp Italian herbs
1 1/2 cups Cream
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/8 tsp Nutmeg
1 cup shredded Asiago cheese
Salt to taste

Optional Baked Topping:
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 Cup shredded Asiago cheese


Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, chop of grate garlic on zester and add to oil. When the garlic in fragrant, add the herbs. When the garlic is lightly golden, add the cream. Heat through and add the pepper and nutmeg. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Asiago cheese. Taste and add salt accordingly. Serve as is or put it in a casserole dish, combine the Parmesan and Asiago cheeses, sprinkle over the pasta, and pop under the broiler until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly. (Am I the only one who picture Dolly Parton in Steel Magnolias during the Cuppa Cuppa Cake scene when I read the words "golden brown and bubbly"?) Enjoy! I served mine over steamed broccoli in an attempt to feel better about eating pasta, cream, and cheese for lunch.

Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce

 

 

This is a short-cut meal. With a busy toddler, sometimes, I just don't have more than 20 minutes or so to make dinner. This dish comes together quickly with things I usually have on hand. I've served it to several people, everyone loves it, and nobody ever believes how easy it is to make.

Ingredients:
1 lb pasta (I used whole grain penne)
1 26 oz jar of spaghetti sauce (I usually use my own, but if I'm out I use Hunt's 4 Cheese)
8 oz cream cheese
Freshly grated parmesean cheese (I actually prefer pecorino but I use what I have on hand)
Fresh basil (optional)

Cook pasta according to package instructions. While pasta is cooking, cut cream cheese into several pieces. Warm spaghetti sauce and cream cheese together, stirring often to combine. Drain pasta and toss
with sauce. Place in serving dish, top with cheese and torn basil leaves.

Creamy White Chicken Lasagna

is a white lasagna I came up with to use up some ricotta, broccoli, and chicken I had in the fridge. It is a very simple recipe. This is a smaller recipe than I would normally make, I only used an 8x8 pan, but It could easily be adapted to a larger pan.

Ingredients:

1.5 - 2 cups chopped, cooked chicken. I used the meat from 3 thighs.
1 package frozen broccoli, cooked
8 lasagna noodles, cooked
1 lb ricotta cheese
2 cloves garlic, chopped or grated on a zester
salt and pepper
1 T Italian herbs
2 cups mozzarella cheese
2 cup chicken broth
2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup flour
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper

After cooking the chicken, lasagna, and broccoli. Combine the chicken, broccoli, rocotta, herbs, and a few pinches of salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk together broth, milk, flour, nutmeg,and a few pinches of salt and pepper ina sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk until thickened, mix half of white sauce in with chicken and broccoli. Place a layer of noodles in and 8x8 pan, cover with half of the filling mixture, add a layer of noodles, cover with remaining filling. Top with remaining noodles and the rest of the white sauce, sprinkle with mozzarella. I also sprinkled some sliced olives on top, but that is optional. Bake at 350 for 30 - 40 minutes.

Mom's Recipes: American Goulash

This is in no way an authentic goulash recipe, it doesn't contain a speck of paprika. I didn't know that until I was a teenager. It is, however, delicious, comforting, quick, easy, and economical. My Mom makes this quite often, it feeds a crowd, and our family loves it. A few weeks ago, my husband requested that I make it.  He and our son devoured it, so it looks like another generation will be enjoying it.

You will need:

1 lb box of macaroni or shells pasta
1 lb ground beef
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce OR a can of diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1 (15 oz)  can sweet corn
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Brown the beef with the onions. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, and corn. Heat through. Add to pasta, stir in salt and pepper to taste. Growing up we ate this with a salad and buttered bread.

Pasta Carbonara

So delicious. Salty pancetta, savory onion and garlic, with a rich and cheesy sauce. Indulgent, but very simple to make.

Pancetta - 6 oz, diced

Onion - 1/4 cup, diced

Garlic - 1 clove, chopped

Eggs - 2

Pepper

Parmesan Cheese

Linguini - 1/2 lb. You can use spaghetti or angel hair if you like.

This makes enough for 4 adults if you are serving a soup or salad and bread sticks as well.

Boil noodles in well-salted water for one minute less than the package says to. While noodles are boiling. Put a large skillet over medium low heat, add pancetta and onions. After about 3 minutes, add garlic. Allow to cook until pancetta has rendered its fat and the onions are softened. When noodles are done, drain them but reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Place noodles in the pan with the pancetta, toss to coat. Remove from heat. Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk lightly. Add to pasta, stirring constantly. You don't want the eggs to scramble, so keep them moving. You'll end up with a creamy looking sauce. Sprinkle with pepper and parmesan. Stir a little more, if the sauce is too thick, add some pasta water, a splash at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

Whole Wheat Linguini with Chicken and Greens

I have a confession: This is the first time I have eaten "greens" in my life. As they aren't served many places in Southern California, I don't think I had even seen them before I moved to Alabama. I always wanted to try them, but to be honest, I'm not too big on the idea of  vegetables boiled with bacon, which seems to be how most people cook anything remotely healthy out here. I had seen Rachael Ray prepare pasta with broccoli rabe a long time ago, and thought it looked good. Serving with pasta and a light sauce certainly sounded more appetizing to this Italian girl.

So, when I did my grocery shopping on Saturday, I thought I'd try it. However, my grocery store doesn't carry broccoli rabe. I've heard Daphne Oz praise the health benefits and deliciousness of kale, but the store was out of kale. Same goes for escarole. They did have mustard greens and turnip greens. A lot of them. So I picked up a bundle of turnip greens.

Ingredients:

1 large or 2 small chicken breasts

1/2 an onion

1 clove of garlic

zest of 1 lemon

2 TBS olive oil

1 bunch of turnip greens, rinsed. Leaves pulled off, stems discarded.

Salt & Pepper

Parmesan cheese, just a sprinkle on top

1/2 box of whole wheat linguini noodles

Pinch of chrushed red pepper, optional

fresh basil leaves, for garnish

I made this for dinner. That morning I put the chicken in a bag to marinade with a little olive oil, the zest of half a lemon, and some pepper.

As for the onion and garlic in this recipe, you can saute them as you prepare the meal, but something I like to do if I have a little time each week is finely dice a few onions and an equal number of cloves of garlic and let them caramelize over low heat. I store this in the fridge to use throughout the week, as it lends a wonderful flavor to so many meals.

First, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta just a minute shy of the directions on the box. While the water is heating, get out a large skillet and heat a tablespoon or so of oil. Brown the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pan. If cooking onions and garlic now, add them to the pan and saute until fragrant, add the greens and a 1/4 cup of water, sprinkle with salt. Allow greens to wilt. Return Chicken to pan, add previously carmelized onions and garlic, if using. Add drained noodles to the pan, toss to coat. Season. Serve with a sprinkle or two of parmesan and garnish with basil, if desired.

I really liked this dish, and I think I'll try it with a few different types of greens. I've done similar dishes with spinach, which has a less pungent taste.

Macaroni with Homemade Cheese Sauce

Delicious and creamy, in my opinion home-made cheese sauce tastes way better and is a lot simpler to prepare than you might think. This sauce can be used in mac n cheese, over vegetables, or any other way you like cheese sauce! I like preparing simple convenience foods myself because I can often make them taste better and I know exactly what I'm feeding my family. The nutmeg is my secret ingredient, it really does wonders for savory dishes. My little sister adores my Macaroni and Cheese, and even learned to make it herself, which is a lot for a girl who hates cooking.

1 1/2 cups dry macaroni noodles.

2 TBS butter
2 TBS Flour
3 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheese. I like 1/2 sharp cheddar 1/2 mild cheddar. But customize it by using whatever you like.
Salt and Pepper to taste
Nutmeg, a dash or two

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare macaroni as directed on package.

For Cheese Sauce:


In a sauce pan melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and whisk until it becomes a tad pasty (you just made a roux) Place milk in microwavable container and heat for 1 minute to take the chill off. This will help the milk blend with the roux and thicken nicely without clumping. Slowly whisk in warmed milk. Continue to whisk until thickened. Remove from heat, add cheese, stir until melted. Add seasonings. If sauce is too thick, add more milk until it is the consistency you like. Lately, I've been adding more milk for a creamier sauce.


If you like baked macaroni and cheese, mix it all together, place in a casserole dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs, dot with butter,  and bake at 350 for 15-20 mins until the top is browned.

 

Fideo (Mexican Spaghetti)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 (8 ounce) package fideo pasta (I usually just use thin spaghetti noodles and break them prior to cooking)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 clove garlic, smashed or 1 tsp garlic powder

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon chili powder (starting point, I usually add more)

1 1/2 cups chicken broth (I usually use Better Than Boullion)

Optional: 2 cups chopped chicken

In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat, add noodles and garlic and allow them to gently brown for a couple minutes. Add tomato sauce and broth, bring to a simmer, add spices and chicken if using, cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until noodles are tender.