Spicy Thai Beef and Jasmine Rice

This is a great recipe that I found on found on Gina's site. I love her website and have gotten tons of great meal ideas from her. They always taste good enough so that Cancy doesn't ask if it's low fat, low calorie. :)

Spicy Thai Beef and Jasmine Rice

3/4 lb 95% lean ground beef

1/2 onion, chopped

6 green onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

3 carrots thinly sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup Jasmine Rice

2 tbsp soy sauce (plus more to taste)

1 tsp Asian fish sauce

1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Heat a heavy medium pot over high heat. Add beef and saute until browned. Add onion, scallions, garlic, crushed red pepper and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Saute another 2 minutes. Add carrots, red pepper, rice, 2 cups water, fish sauce and remaining soy sauce. Reduce to low heat, when the water is almost evaporated, cover. Simmer on low about 20 minutes. Add cilantro and mix well and keep covered for 10 more minutes.

Serving Size: Makes 4 large servings

Thai Basil Chicken

I love Joelen’s food blog. This girl can cook. When I came across this recipe on her site, I knew it was a must-try. I really like ground chicken so I was glad to be able to use it in a really tasty dish.  Cancy & I both really liked this.

 Thai Basil Chicken

2 cups basil leaves, packed (Thai preferred)

3 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tsp white vinegar

1 1/2 lbs ground chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

Place garlic, 1-cup fresh basil leaves and the chili garlic sauce in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, scraping bowl one time. Transfer 1 tablespoon of this mixture to a small bowl with the 1-tablespoon fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar. Stir and set aside.

Place the remaining garlic/basil mixture into a cold 12" skillet and set aside.

Place the ground chicken in a bowl with the remaining 1-tablespoon fish sauce and refrigerate for 5-10 minutes.

In the cold skillet with the garlic/basil mixture, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and onions to the pan. Sauté over medium low heat and allow herbs and onion to soften.

Once onion is softened, add the chilled ground chicken, and stirring constantly, brake chicken up as it cooks. Continue stirring until chicken is no longer pink.

Add garlic/basil sauce mixture that you made previously. Cook about 1 min.

Meanwhile, chiffonade the remaining cup of basil leaves and add to the pan to cook 1 additional minute or so, until the basil wilts. Serve over rice.

Stovetop Mac & Cheese

This is my very favorite mac & cheese recipe. I saw this on Alton Brown’s show, Good Eat ages ago and it’s our go-to recipe for mac & cheese.

We’ve also made a meal out of this on lazy nights by browning a pound of ground turkey and adding it to the finished mac & cheese. Try this one out, you won’t regret it.

Stovetop Mac & Cheese

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs ( We only use 1 egg )
6 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce ( We use about 2 Tbsp of Sriracha. We like it spicy )
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

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. Over low heat continue to stir for 3 minutes or until creamy.

Lemon Chicken & Sweet Pea Tortellini

I “heart” Rachael Ray. When her magazine comes in the mail each month, I dig through planning out new recipes. This one comes from the “$10 Spot” section. It’s really inexpensive and is a short list of ingredients for a Rachael recipe.

The chicken by itself is wonderful, but please try the tortellini with it. It takes a couple to get the hang of it, but then they are easy to put together. I hope you like it.



Lemon Chicken & Sweet Pea Tortellini

1 lemon, 1/2 thinly sliced crosswise, 1/2 squeezed into juice
4 chicken leg quarters
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
24 wonton wrappers

Preheat the oven to 425°. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer down the center of a roasting pan. Rub the chicken with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken skin side up on the lemon slices and bake for 35 minutes. Transfer to the broiler and cook until the skin is crisp, about 3 minutes. Drizzle the chicken with the lemon juice.

Meanwhile, using a food processor, mix together the peas, ricotta, 1/2 teaspoon tarragon and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

On a work surface, working with 2 wonton wrappers at a time, spoon a teaspoon of the pea mixture onto the center of each wrapper. Moisten the edges with water and fold the wrapper in half diagonally to form a triangle, pushing out any air pockets and pressing the edges firmly to seal. With the long side of the triangle facing you, fold the top point back toward you, then fold the right and left points to meet it and press all 3 points firmly together, securing with more water.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the tortellini until they float to the top, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tortellini to 4 plates. Divide the chicken and roasted lemon slices among the plates and top with the pan juices. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons tarragon.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

This is one of my favorites to get whenever we go out for Italian. Cancy & I both love a little heat to our food. This recipe from Cassie is a super fast way to get a really tasty dinner on the table. You can be frugal with the red pepper flakes or go a little crazy. We probably did about a Tablespoon of pepper flakes. I think next time we’ll also just do both cans of tomatoes as the fire roasted. It added a nice depth of flavor.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo


2 tbsp olive oil

6 cloves garlic

2 cans diced tomatoes, 14.5 oz each (I used one plain and one fire roasted)

½ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried basil

¼ tsp black pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 lb 31-40 shrimp, thawed, peeled, and deveined
1 lb pasta of your choice

Boil salted water for the pasta. Add the pasta to the water when it reaches a boil. Cook as directed on the package.

As the pasta boils, press the cloves of garlic into the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the garlic is just starting to turn golden and is fragrant, add the shrimp and saute for 1-2 minutes on each side or until pink and opaque. Remove the shrimp to a bowl, leaving as much of the garlic and olive oil as possible. Add the tomatoes, oregano, basil, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Bring to a gentle boil then turn the heat down to simmer.

Drain the pasta and set aside. Stir the shrimp into the sauce.

Serve hot!

Banana Pumpkin Bread

You can’t have Fall and not make something with pumpkin. This was first recipe of the season using this Fall Favorite. I can never seem to use bananas up fast enough so this was a great way to use them and get the flavor of Fall.

Banana Pumpkin Bread
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, stir together the mashed banana, eggs, oil, pumpkin, honey and sugar. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pie spice and cinnamon, stir into the banana mixture until just combined. Fold in the raisins and walnuts if desired. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool loaf in the pan for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pioneer Woman’s Baked Lemon Pasta

I adore Ree of ThePioneerWoman.com. I also happen to love anything of hers that I’ve made. This lemon pasta was no exception. Now, Cancy thinks all meals need to be served with meat so I made lemon pepper pasta. I would have been perfectly content with just the pasta. I hope you try this. While you’re at it, you should check out the rest of Ree’s site. :)

Pioneer Woman’s Baked Lemon Pasta

1 pound thin spaghetti

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

Juice of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 lemon

2 cups sour cream

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste if desired

Plenty of grated Parmesan cheese

Flat leaf parsley, chopped

Extra lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente.


In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic.
Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.


Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary.

Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.


Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)


When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top.
Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley.
Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

Mexican Sour Cream Rice

The nights have been getting chillier so I made this with rice, along with some chicken in the oven to warm us up a bit. This makes no less than a TON of rice. Be prepared for leftovers. This recipe comes originally from Allrecipes.com, but I found it in my Google Reader from Melissa.
I substituted the can of green chiles for a can of Rotel, drained & it turned out wonderfully! Enjoy!

Mexican Sour Cream Rice

1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
4 ounces cream cheese
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies (I used a can of Rotel, drained)
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
1 (8.75 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
12.5 ounces chicken, cooked and shredded
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

In a large pot, bring the rice and chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X9 baking dish.

In the pot with the cooked rice, mix the sour cream, cream cheese, green chilies, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, corn, and parsley . Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Transfer to the prepared dish, and top with remaining cheese.

Bake uncovered 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

Spicy Shrimp, Sausage, & Spinach Fettuccine

This recipe popped up in my Google Reader and I knew I had to make it. We already had everything on hand so it was really convenient. We didn’t really feel like the corn would be a good fit in here so we left it out. We may try it next time. All in all, this dish was easy to put together, Cancy loved it, & it made for good leftovers too. I hope you like it.

Spicy Shrimp, Sausage, & Spinach Fettuccine

1 pound fettuccine
olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped, about 1 cup

3 links of hot Italian sausage, removed from casing, about 1/4 pound

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/4 pounds of large shrimp (21 - 25/pound), peeled and deveined

4 large handfuls of baby spinach, about 4 cups loosely packed

1 cup corn ( i left this out )

1/2 cup pasta water

1/2 - 1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated and not packed, plus more for serving

salt & 
pepper



Cook fettuccine in a large pot of water according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Set aside.



While the pasta cooks, heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and onions and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the sausage in small pieces and the garlic and cook until until the sausage is cooked and browned.

Add shrimp to pan and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Add spinach and cook for 3 - 4 minutes or until it is slightly wilted. Add corn and pasta water to saute pan and scrape up any bits cooked on to the bottom of the pan.

Add pasta and toss to mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place in a serving bowl and top with Parmesan cheese. Serve with extra cheese.

Gnocchi with Summer vegetables

I’m a big Martha Stewart fan. I usually end up on her site looking for recipes. I found this one just in time. Cancy’s parents had a bunch of zucchini & squash from their garden this summer so they brought some down last time they were here. And by some, I mean a whole bunch. This was a delicious way to use both the zucchini & the squash. Enjoy.

Gnocchi with Summer vegetables
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 zucchini or summer squash, or one of each (about 2 pounds total), quartered and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved (I left this out)
1 package (15 to 16 ounces) shelf stable gnocchi
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add squash and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until juicy, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook gnocchi according to package instructions. Reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid, drain gnocchi and transfer to skillet. Toss gnocchi, adding enough cooking liquid to create a sauce. Remove from heat and stir in basil, cheese, butter, and lemon juice.

Italian Chicken & Marinara

This something I’ve been making for awhile. It’s super easy for those nights when you don’t feel like spending forever in the kitchen. If you can find the fat free croutons, it’s also a fairly healthy italian dish. I hope you like it.

Italian Chicken & Marinara

Chicken
2 Chicken Breasts
1 egg, whisked
1 pkg of croutons, I used fat free seasoned croutons, crushed

Marinara
1 16oz can of tomato sauce
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp each basil & oregeno
4 Tbsp of fat free 1/2 & 1/2

Prepare chicken breasts by dipping in whisked egg, then dredging in crushed croutons.
heat abut 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a medium pan and use this to pan fry breaded chicken.

Saute garlic in the butter until the edges of the garlic begin to brown. Add tomato sauce, salt & herbs. Simmer until ready to serve. Add the 1/2 & 1/2 and heat through just before serving.

Boil 2 servings of pasta until al dente

Lay pasta on plate, set chicken breast on top and pour marinara over top.

Roasted Red Pepper, Beef & Goat Cheese tossed with Pasta

Yeah pretty original on the name, right? Couldn’t come up with anything creative so here you have it. I was inspired by a flank steak roll that Elly made, but not a fan of sundried tomatoes and not enough patience last night to make the actual rolls. So why not just toss it all together. :)

Roasted Red Pepper, Beef & Goat Cheese tossed with pasta

1/2 lb flank steak, cut into bite sized pieces
1 8 oz jar of roasted red peppers, drained, diced
1 4 oz log of goat cheese (we used 4 pepper goat cheese)
a splash of red wine
1/2 Cup Beef Broth
2 servings of cooked and drained pasta.

In a large pan, brown beef and add red peppers about 1/2 way through. Cook until beef is medium. deglaze the pan by adding about 1/8 - 1/4 Cup of red wine. Let that cooke down. Add the beef broth, let that reduce by about 1/2.

Add the goat cheese by breaking into small pieces and adding a little at a time, stirring to combine as it melts. Add your seasonings at this point. We just used a little garlic salt and some fresh ground black pepper.

Toss with cooked pasta. Enjoy!

Greek Pasta Salad

This really shouldn’t even be called a recipe. I threw this together for Girl’s Night and it went over pretty well. I love all the flavors used in Greek cooking so I tried to pull them all together in this pasta salad.



Greek Pasta Salad

1 lb of small shaped pasta (I used rainbow Rotini)

1 bottle of Fat Free Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 container of reduced fat Feta cheese

1/2 Cup chopped Kalamata Olives

handful of grape tomatoes, quartered

1/2 of a cucumber, seeded & diced

1 bag of baby spinach, chopped

handful of banana peppers, chopped

1 can of chickpeas, drained & rinsed

juice of 1/2 a lemon

Cook and drain pasta while you chop vegetables

In a large bowl, combine cooled drained pasta, vegetables, lemon juice, cheese, and dressing

Let sit for at least an hour for the flavors to come together.

Chicken & Artichokes with Angel Hair

Every so often, my sweet husband will decide to cook for me. This recipe took him out of his comfort zone, for sure. He’s never cooked with artichoke hearts before and really isn’t a huge fan of capers. When we sat down to eat this, it was wonderful. Cancy even said he liked the taste of the artichokes and capers together with the chicken. We had a winner with this one.



Chicken & Artichokes with Angel Hair

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

8 thin chicken cutlets (about 1 1/2 pounds total)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts packed in water, rinsed, drained, and quartered

2 tablespoons rinsed and drained capers

2 tablespoons butter

8 ounces angel-hair pasta

1/2 cup parsley leaves

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Place flour in a shallow dish, and season with salt and pepper. Dredge cutlets, shaking off excess. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Cook chicken in batches, adding remaining oil as needed, until light golden, 1 to 3 minutes per side; transfer to a dish.

Add broth to skillet, and bring to a boil; cook until reduced by half. Add artichokes, capers, and the chicken with any juices. Gently swirl to combine, and bring just to a boil. Remove skillet from heat. Swirl in butter, and cover to keep warm.

Add pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente; drain. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta, topped with parsley.

Pioneer Woman’s Mac & Cheese

Oh Pioneer Woman... You have yet to steer me wrong. When I saw this recipe for her Mac & Cheese pop up last week, I knew I had to try it. All I can say is Yum! This turned out great. We opted to bake ours just to give it a little different texture and I’m glad we did. This was such an old school, delicious version of Mac & Cheese. I “heart” Pioneer Woman.



Pioneer Woman’s Mac & Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

4 cups dried macaroni
1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 4 tablespoons) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 heaping teaspoons dry mustard (more if desired)
1 egg, beaten
1 pound cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (more to taste)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
*Optional spices: cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.
In a small bowl, beat egg.
In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.
Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.
Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.
Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.
Add in cheese and stir to melt.
Add salts and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.
Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.

Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top

Pasta with Meat Sauce (The Greek Way)

I found this in my Google Reader one day and starred it so that when the craving for lamb struck again, I’d have a great plan for it. This was a very flavorful meal that both Cancy & I really liked. It looks like a lot of ingredients, but it all comes together super easy. I think you’ll like it.



Pasta with Meat Sauce (The Greek Way)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

2 bay leaves

1 pound ground lamb

1 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon oregano

1 28 oz. can tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup red wine, or more if the sauce gets a little thick

2 red bell peppers, roasted, skinned and chopped

1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/2 cup feta cheese

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Saute garlic, chilies and bay leaves in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add lamb and onion and cook until onion is translucent and meat is slightly browned. Add tomatoes, oregano and wine and simmer for 20 minutes. Add peppers and olives and simmer another 20 minutes. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Serve over pasta and garnish with pine nuts, crumbled feta cheese and additional chopped parsley. Add crusty garlic bread because you won't want to leave a single drop of the sauce on your plate.

Fancy Manchego Mac with Chorizo

I found so many great recipes in the Every Day with Rachael Ray March Issue. This is another one. If you would like an easy to print version, you can click here to go to the magazine’s site.




Fancy Manchego Mac with Chorizo

Salt & Pepper

1 pound cavatappi (hollow corkscrew) or other short-cut pasta

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (For drizzling)

1/2 pound raw chorizo sausage, casings discard, chopped

3 Tbsp Butter

2 Shallots, chopped

3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

3 Tbsp flour

1/3 Cup Dry Sherry

1 Cup chicken broth

1 Cup whole milk

2 Cups shredded Manchego cheese

2 Cups frozen peas, thawed

1/4 Cup jarred pimento peppers

1/2 Cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.

While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.



In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour, then whisk in the sherry. Stir in the chicken broth and milk and cook until thickened; season with pepper. Stir in the cheese. Fold in the peas and pimientos.

Drain the pasta, toss with the sauce and top with the chorizo and parsley.

Sausage and Zucchini Rice

And another recipe from Rachael Ray. We tried this Sausage & Zucchini Rice after seeing it in the March issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray. This is a good recipe to throw into any weeknight rotation. It's also a nice way to clean out your refrigerator's vegetable drawer. We always seem to have onion & zucchini in there. Oh, and really try to use the pine nuts in this recipe. Their flavor, once roasted, really stood out in the dish.



Sausage and Zucchini Rice

4 tablespoons butter

1 onion, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 cups rice

One 32-ounce container (4 cups) chicken broth

1/2 pound hot Italian sausage, casings discarded

2 zucchini, cut into small cubes

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and 3 cups chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sausage, breaking it up, over medium heat until no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate. Add the zucchini to the skillet and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Return the sausage to the skillet; add the remaining 1 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup water and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the rice along with 1/2 cup parmesan, the parsley and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan and the pine nuts.

Pappardelle with Caramelized Onions and Parmesan

I recently subscribed to Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food magazine and have come across some great recipes from that. Cancy & I both love onions, so how can you go wrong with caramelized onions & Parmesan? We had this with an onion & garlic pork roast & it was a nice pairing. I hope you like it.
 

Pappardelle with Caramelized Onions and Parmesan

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 package (8.8 ounces) pappardelle pasta or 8 ounces fettuccine

2 tablespoons butter

2 ounces Parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onions and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook, without stirring, until onions have released their liquid, about 5 minutes. Uncover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes more. When bottom of skillet darkens, add a few tablespoons water, and scrape up browned bits with a wooden spoon (you may need to do this 2 or 3 times).

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When onions have about 10 minutes left to cook, add pasta to water in pot, and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot.

Add onions and butter to pasta in pot; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Gradually add enough pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats pasta. Serve pasta topped with Parmesan.

Mary’s Mango Chicken

Mary sent this recipe to me almost 6 months ago. I’ve had it filed away in my Outlook folders and just recently was able to remind myself to try it. We’ve been having a very warm February so far, so why not bust out the grill.

It was a great little bit of tropical flavor with the mango & pine nuts. The cumin seemed like a lot when first making the herb mixture but it turned out to be just perfect when everything came together at the end. The chicken was cooked & seasoned perfectly & the rice had just the right amount of spice to it. Cancy & I both really liked this recipe. Thanks Mary!!

 

Mary’s Mango Chicken

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 (2 1/2-pound) chickens, quartered
2 large ripe mangoes, peeled; 1 cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices, 1 cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups jasmine rice
3 cups water
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
6 fresh cilantro sprigs

Purée first 7 ingredients in processor. With machine running, gradually add oil through feed tube and process until blended. Transfer 1/4 cup herb mixture to small bowl; reserve. Add yogurt and lemon juice to remaining mixture in processor and blend.

Place chicken in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Pour yogurt mixture over chicken; turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Place chicken, skin side down, on grill. Cover and grill until chicken is cooked through, turning every 5 minutes, about 30 minutes total. Grill mango slices 2 minutes per side; set aside. Meanwhile, combine rice, 3 cups water, and reserved 1/4 cup herb mixture. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fold in mango cubes and pine nuts.

Arrange chicken on large platter; garnish with grilled mango slices and cilantro sprigs. Serve mango jasmine rice alongside.