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Monthly Archives: October 2016
It’s Friday and I thought it would be nice to shake things up a little with another cocktail recipe. This time I’m sharing a simple cocktail that is quite flavorful that I think doesn’t get much appreciation. So let’s stir up a little fun and enjoy a Godfather… maybe while watching ‘The Godfather’! Save Print The Godfather, Part 1 Ingredients 2 parts scotch 1 part amaretto Smoked cherry (optional) Instructions Add the scotch and amaretto to a highball glass. Stir to combine. Add ice (and cherry, if desired) and serve. 3.5.3217 I used a blended scotch (Monkey Shoulder to be exact) and have tried the IBA recipe of 1 part a piece for the…
Alright everyone, say it with me… paaaaaahhhhhhhsta! To me, pasta is a wonderful comfort food and this dish is a delight to the eyes as well as to the tastebuds. Switching from a tomato based sauce to a roasted red pepper sauce adds a piquant vibrancy you won’t want to miss out on. I helped the sauce along with a spicy Italian sausage cooked in the casing, then sliced and added back in to gently simmer in the sauce. The bright and intense color of the sauce is a treat for the eyes, especially when fresh basil chiffonade and pale shredded Italian cheese is dancing on top. A simple recipe that is visually engaging and delicious, what else can you ask for? Save Print Farfalle…
Here is a quick, tasty lunch or snack, depending on when you want it and how hungry you are! The key to this slider, in my opinion, is the pretzel bun. There is something about roast beef, horseradish, and a pretzel bun that makes my mouth water. Add some cheese and sliced pepperoncini to kick it up a little – like all sandwiches, the sky is the limit. Let’s get to it! Save Print Roast Beef Sliders Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 4 mins Total time: 9 mins Serves: 1 Ingredients 2 pretzel slider buns 6 oz deli sliced roast beef 2 tsp horseradish 4 – 5 pepperoncini, sliced thinly 4 tbsp shredded Italian cheese (Mozzarella, Romano, Parmesan, Asiago) Instructions Preheat…
Remember when I made pizza with ricotta cheese last weekend? Well here is a great way to use the leftover ricotta! This recipe is super simple and can be augmented in many ways – either with fresh fruit (like lemon or blueberries) or with different syrups or flavored whipped creams. Simple and fast homemade pancakes for breakfast? Yes indeed and here is one way to do it! So let’s break away from the packaged pancake mix and make some ricotta pancakes from scratch! Save Print Ricotta Pancakes Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 5 mins Total time: 10 mins Serves: 1 Ingredients 3 tbsp all purpose flour 2 tsp granulated sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1 egg ½ cup ricotta cheese…
Here is a fast and easy meal, either for dinner or lunch. One of my favorite wursts to eat are knackwurst and there is a warm feeling of family when I have this dish. I ate these wurst all the time as a kid and it was one of the first meals I prepared for myself when learning to cook as a youngster. And you will see why it was easy and why I love to eat these distinctive wursts. Achtung baby, let’s get cooking! Save Print Knackwurst, Roasted Rosemary Garlic Potato Slices, and Braised Bacon Caraway Cabbage Ingredients 3 knackwurst 4 cups of hot water 1 tbsp bacon drippings (or vegetable oil) Instructions In a medium saucepan, add the hot water and heat over…
Here is my take on a roasted potato – simple and tasty and like a rustic potato chip. And who doesn’t like potato chips! I seasoned the potato with olive oil, pepper, and Spice Island’s Rosemary Garlic Grinder to make it even easier to prepare. Heat the oven up, it’s roasted potato slice time! Save Print Roasted Rosemary Garlic Potato Slices Ingredients 1 russet potato, sliced uniformly into ⅛ inch slices 4 cups of near boiling water 2 tbsp white vinegar 2 tbsp olive oil Spice Island Rosemary Garlic blend Fresh racked pepper Instructions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the potato slices into a medium glass bowl and ensure the potatoes are submerged. Add the hot water and vinegar…
Again, as part of the planning (remember, I used part of a cabbage head in the Drunken Noodles recipe a few days ago), here comes a tasty German inspired braised cabbage dish. A dish perfect for the meal I have planned (Knackwurst), but this dish is great with Schnitzel or Rouladen also. Well, it is not going to cook itself, so let’s get to it, OK? Save Print Bacon Caraway Braised Cabbage Ingredients ½ head small green cabbage, thinly sliced 3 slices bacon, cut in strips 2 tbsp bacon drippings 1 tbsp butter ¼ onion, thinly sliced 1 tbsp sugar ½ tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper ½ tsp garlic, minced ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar ½ tsp caraway seeds Instructions Heat a large skillet…
As part of the planning, I knew I would have Thai basil, ginger, and cilantro left over from the Drunken Noodles meal, so it was time for me to make one of my favorite dishes – fried rice. Fried rice is one of the ultimate dishes in that you can make it so many different ways with whatever ingredients you have on hand. But tonight, it is not just any fried rice, but yellow curry fried rice. I have had several different variations of this dish at restaurants; some with pineapple, some without, some with Thai basil, some without, etc. Tonight I am making the version without pineapple just because I have so many vegetables planned. Again, the key to this dish is prior preparation. I find my…
Back in August, I posted ‘Cheater, cheater… pizza eater!‘ on how to make a custom pizza quickly using Papa Murphy’s $5 Fave pizza. Today, this is the real deal – pizza from scratch. Yep, you read that correctly… homemade pizza dough for one. I apologize to my Chicago friends in advance as this recipe is more like a New York style pizza, but I will get to a Chicago style pizza eventually! This recipe takes a bit of planning to allow the dough to rise, but overall was simple to make when using a food processor. Since it takes time to make, let’s get cracking! Save Print Homemade Pizza Dough Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 24 hours…
Feeling like something spicy? Feeling like something incredibly satisfying? How about robust flavors? Well, if all this sounds great to you, may I suggest tonight’s meal – Drunken Noodles! I made this recipe with chicken, Thai basil, cilantro, fish sauce, ginger, shallot, scallions, cabbage, carrot and a host of other supporting ingredients. Yes, I used a chicken breast (of course) but thinly sliced beef, prawns, etc work equally well. The challenge of this dish is in the preparation. Have everything ready to go before you start because once you get started, it comes together quickly. I’m hungry, so let’s dive in! Save Print Drunken Noodles Cuisine: Thai Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 40…