Linguine with Chicken Ragu

For some reason this was the recipe that made me fall in love with cooking. I think it's also the meal that made my husband fall in love with me!  I was home sick from work, napping with Food Network on in the background. Something about Giada de Laurentiis' Everyday Italian that stopped me in my tracks, it looked so good and so easy that I could smell the woody smell of the rosemary through the TV.  I rushed to the store and got what I needed! 

Serves 6 as a main course.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped into chunks (sometimes I use chicken breast since that's what I have on hand and it's just as good, although less meaty in flavor)
1/2 Cup Shallots, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
2 tsp finely chopped fresh Rosemary
2/3 Cups dry white wine
4 Cups Quick Marinara Sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 lb dried linguine
1/2 shredded Parmesan Cheese

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chopped chicken and cook until juices evaporate and chicken is golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the shallots, garlic and rosemary.  Saute until tender, about 2 minutes.

3.  Add the wine (it's about to sound like a real kitchen now) and stir to scrape up any bits of browned stuff on the bottom of the skillet.

4. Add the marinara sauce and bring to a simmer. Salt and pepper to taste.

5. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the flavors blend.

Meanwhile...

Boil a large pot of salted water and add linguine.  Cook pasta until al dente, slightly chewy not cook all the way through. Drain pasta, reserving 1 Cup of cooking water.  Add pasta to sauce, adding cooking water a little at a time to moisten the pasta.

Transfer to a large serving bowl and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese!

Quick Marinara Sauce

Every cook needs a basic go to tomato based sauce.  This one is simple and is the foundation work for many great meals.  Jazz it up with extra garlic and dried red-pepper flakes for a spicy and bright sauce over penne, or use as is in a lasagna.  Make a big batch of it and freeze into smaller portions to have on hand for a quick dinner. This recipe makes about 6 cups.

2 (28 oz) cans whole tomatoes in juice
1 bunch of fresh basil, stems removed
1/2 Cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a blender, puree the tomatoes with their juice and the basil until almost smooth.  Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
3. Add onions and garlic, saute until very tender, about 10-12 minutes, you don't want the garlic and onions to brown as that may alter the taste of the sauce.
4. Add tomato puree, oregano and sugar, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
5.  Decrease the heat to medium and simmer until sauce begins to thicken, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.
6.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 


Recipe courtesy of Giada's Family Dinners by Giada de Laurentiis

Creamy Chicken Penne

At the holidays, someone gave me a cookbook from the amazing people at Philadelphia cream cheese! Could anything be better than an entire cookbook devoted to CREAM CHEESE? Well yes, there could be, while some of the recipes are a little off because cream cheese is slightly sweet and not always quite right. But quite a few of them are very tasty and very easy, like this one! 

It's sort of alfredo-ish but a little lighter, more suitable for a yummy Spring dinner!

2 Cups penne pasta
1 lbs boneless chicken breast, cut into chunks or strips
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Cups sugar snap peas (sugar snap peas are really hard to find in grocery stores where I live, so I used regular green peas))
1 small red pepper, chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 Cups milk
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
1/2 Cup shredded Romano cheese
1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley

1. Cook pasta as directed on package.  Meanwhile, cook chicken and onions in hot oil in large skillet on medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, or until chicken is done and lightly browned.
2.  Add peas, pepper and garlic, cook and stir 1-2 minutes until veggies are slightly softened. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
3.  Melt butter in medium saucepan on medium heat.  Stir in flour until well blended.  Gradually stir in milk and stir until dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. 
4.  Add cream cheese and Romano, cook 2-3 minutes, stirring vigorously until smooth.  It will look chunky for a bit and then all of a sudden become creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5.  Drain pasta, place in a large bowl, add chicken mixture, pour cheese sauce and toss lightly like a salad.

Recipe courtesy of Philadelphia's Spread a Little Joy, A Collection of Simple and Delicious Philadelphia Recipes to Inspire and Enjoy

Baked Eggs with Cheddar & Potatoes...

"No matter how experienced a cook you are, you eventually come to believe that simple is best." I have no clue who said that, but this recipe shows it's true. Simple, easy to throw together for a hearty and impressive breakfast. Oh and it's a one-pot meal!

I cut this in half since it was just two of us eating and eight eggs seemed excessive, but I'll include the full recipe for you.

3 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 lbs red-skinned potatoes, diced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp kosher or sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper, to taste
8 large eggs
1 cup shredded good quality medium or sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Melt butter in a cast-iron skillet or other oven-proof pan.
3. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender.
4. Add onions, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook until potatoes brown and onions are soft. Remove from heat.
5. Push potatoes aside, creating 4 little spaces or nests.  Crack 2 eggs into each nest.
6.  Bake until egg whites are cooked and the yolks are still runny, about 10 minutes.
7. Sprinkle cheese over eggs and potatoes and bake until cheese melts, 2-4 minutes.

*Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchens Cookbook.

Banana-Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies

When the weather gets cold, you  need to warm the house up by baking cookies.  These are a smash hit.

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 large)

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped into 1/4-inch chunks

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (about 2 ounces), toasted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flours, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add egg and vanilla; mix until combined. Mix in banana. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate chunks, and walnuts.

2. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and just set, 12 to 13 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers up to 2 days.

*Thanks Martha Stewart!

Chicken Marsala with Garlic Butter Noodles

This isn't your typical Italian-American restaurant Marsala, where the meat cutlet is pounded flat and fried first and there's so much mushroom wine sauce that you aren't really sure what kind of meat it is.  No, this was far more amazing.  This traditional dish is extremely versatile, so if you have veal or pork on hand, then use those. We happened to have Chicken breast in the fridge.  You can also use whatever kind of mushrooms you like or can find at the store.  I used dried porcini mushrooms because I really enjoy their taste, but for a milder flavor you can even use fresh button mushrooms. 

Makes 4 Main Course servings
2 lbs chicken breast, trimmed and pounded flat
1 1/4 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp ground black pepper
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 oz dried porcini mushrooms, reconstituted in boiling water for 5 minutes
1 large shallot finely chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 C sweet cooking Marsala wine
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3/4 C low-sodium chicken broth

1. Sprinkle the meat with 3/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. 
2.  In a large skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat.
3.  Add chicken breasts and cook until golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side, remove to a plate and set aside.
4.  In same skillet melt 1 tbsp butter, add shallots and garlic until fragrant and soft.  Add mushrooms. 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Saute until mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes. 
5.  Using a spatula, scrape up all the brown bits and work them into the onion, garlic, mushroom mixture.
6.  Add Marsala and rosemary spring, simmer until the Marsala reduces by half, about 2-4 minutes. 
7.  Add chicken broth and simmer until reduced by half, 4-5 minutes. 
8. Add chicken back to the mixture and turn to coat the meat on each side, cover and simmer until cooked through.

Meanwhile....The Garlic Butter Noodles

Spaghetti, egg noodles or fettuccine
2 Tbsp butter
1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1. Boil noodles in salted water until cooked al dente.
2. Melt butter in a small saute pan over medium heat.
3. Add garlic and stir until garlic and butter just barely turn brown. 

Serve a side of garlic noodles with a piece of chicken and drizzle sauce over noodles and meat.  Sprinkle with a little fresh parsley if you happen to have it.

Fresh Pasta Dough - Cheese Ravioli

Easy, peasy.  Seriously, it was so easy I was a little embarrassed. I made a cheese filling, but you could use ground beef or sausage, just make sure the meat is cooked first. Get sassy, puree some butternut squash and nutmeg, whatever floats your boat!

1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs, 2 for dough, 1 for sealing the ravioli
1/4 tsp salt
1 to 2 tablespoons water

Filling:
1 Cup ricotta cheese
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
salt & pepper to taste

1. In a food processor combine flour, 2 eggs lightly beaten and salt until smooth.  If it looks a little grainy and isn't forming a big ball, drizzle the water in while the machine is running.

2. Remove dough and form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.

3. While dough is resting, make your filling. I just stirred the cheeses and seasonings together until well combined.

4.  Divide dough into 4 small balls.  On a well floured surface, roll out the first ball until nice and thin.  This is where it would help to have a pasta machine, but I don't so I did it with a rolling pin.

5.  Press dough into a ravioli tray and fill each well with a small dab of cheese.  Roll out another ball and lay across the tray.  Using a rolling pin, carefully press each row so that they seal and cut. 

****If you don't have a ravioli tray*****
5.  Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water.  Brush across your first rolled out sheet of dough. Place filling at 1 inch intervals.  Roll out 2nd sheet of dough and lay over the top of your filling. Using a knife, cut into strips, then into squares.  Use a fork to create crimped edges along each ravioli. This will help the edges seal and prevent leakage during cooking.

6.  Gently place ravioli in salted boiling water.  When the float to the top, they're done, about 2-4 minutes depending on how thin you rolled out your dough.

7. Top with your choice of sauce and serve!