Penne ala Vodka

Vodka sauce is something that I always thought of as being ridiculously heavy, but a little cream goes a long way, to make this delicious sauce smooth and creamy without feeling like you are eating a stick of butter. The spiciness of the red pepper and the sausage go so perfectly with the creamy texture, on bite made me forget I was ever afraid of this sauce. This is a perfect way to "winter" up pasta night, something about the cream and spice just warms you inside out. Enjoy.

Penne ala Vodka:
1/2 lb of penne pasta
1 tbsp of olive oil
3 links of Hot Italian Sausage (optional)
1 small onion
1 29 oz can of tomato sauce
1 tomato
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp of oregano
1 tsp of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup of vodka
1/2 cup of heavy cream
salt, pepper

Make pasta according to package directions. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown sausage on all sides then remove from pan, and slice, add back to the pan. Dice onions and add to oil, cook stirring occasionally until onions soften about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Dice tomato and garlic and add to sauce, and oregano and red pepper and cook and bring to a boil. Add vodka and stir, then reduce to a low simmer. Simmer sauce until pasta is cooked, then turn off heat and stir in heavy cream. Pour cooked pasta into the pan, and stir until pasta is coated. Enjoy.

Happy Eating.

Papas con Chorizo

This was a delicious meal. It was hearty and satisfying, yet unmistakably summer. And the best part? Almost all of the vegetables came from my small garden! Beautiful and plump orange cherry tomatoes, a delicious and gigantic zucchini, a few small, but tasty peppers, and they were all grown right in my back yard. It's summer time and local eating at it's best! There is something immensely satisfying about eating something you grew. It's like using chopsticks for Chinese food, it just makes it taste better. Even if your backyard isn't overflowing with tomatoes, this delicious concoction is still worth whipping up, for a fast and delicious summer dinner.

Papas con Chorizo
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 large russet potato (about 2 cups diced)
1 medium yellow onion
1 zucchini
1 bell pepper
1 small jalapeno
2 chorizo style sausages
1/2 cup of chicken stock
1/2 tsp of pepper
1/2 tsp of paprika
1/4 tsp of chili powder
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 clove of garlic
Salt
Avocado and cheddar cheese for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat. Chop the potato into small pieces, about 1/2 inch. Add to the oil and stir. Let potatoes brown slightly, while you chop the other vegetables, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Chop the onion, zucchini, and bell pepper into roughly the same size pieces as the potatoes. Add to the pan and stir. Dice the jalapeno and add. Squeeze the Chorizo from it's casings into the pan and break up with a wooden spoon, while the chorizo is browning. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender. Add the stock, pepper, paprika, and chili powder. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until all the liquid is gone. Chop the tomatoes into halves or quaters and mince the garlic, stir into the pan and cook 1-2 minutes more until tomatoes are warm. Add salt to taste. Serve topped with chopped avocado and cheese.

Happy Eating.

Almond Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

One of my favorite things about the weekend is breakfast. Time to cook and enjoy a delicious, healthy meal to start your day. During the week, it's all oatmeal and yogurt, but on the weekends I can expand my breakfast horizons. I am usually an eggs kind-of gal, but every once and awhile I get a crazy pancake craving and will except no substitutions. I adapted this recipe from my latest cook book obsession Whole Living's Power Foods, which is full of amazing information and wonderful recipes that I can't wait to try. Just reading it makes you want to eat your veggies. But anyway, back to the pancakes. They are absolutely delicious, the boyfriend could not tell that they were "healthy" (and I waited until he had scarfed down several pancakes to let him know), and they are served with a delectable blueberry sauce. The yogurt and almond flour pack in some delicious extra protein, and makes these much more filling than your average pancake. So whip up a delicious and guilt free batch this weekend!

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Almond Pancakes:
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1/4 cup of whole wheat flour
1/4 cup of almond flour or almond meal
2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of salt
2 tbsp of butter, melted
1 tbsp of maple syrup
1 egg
3/4 cup of Greek yogurt, nonfat
Any optional mix-ins you want (almonds, chocolate chips, bananas,etc)

In a large bowl mix together the flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Pour in the melted butter, maple syrup, egg, and yogurt. Mix until well combined, and smooth. Stir in any mix-ins or leave plain (I choose plain). Heat a griddle pan over medium heat, and grease or Pam. Spoon batter into small circles and use the back of the spoon to smooth them down and shape them a bit (the batter is slightly thicker than regular pancake batter). Repeat until pan is full. Cook until bubbles form in the center and bottoms are golden. Flip pancakes and cook until done all the way through. I had enough batter to make 13 small pancakes. To serve all the pancakes hot (if your pan isn't that big, like mine), leave them in a 200 degree oven while you are cooking the others. To be 100% guilt free, this recipe serves 4, about 3 pancakes each. (adapted from Power Foods)



Blueberry Sauce:
2 cups of blueberries
1/4 cup of maple syrup
1 tsp of corn starch
zest of half a lemon, plus one light squeeze of juice

Heat a small sauce pan to high heat with blueberries and maple syrup. Bring to a boil, then cook covered until all the blueberries have burst, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and whisk in corn starch, lemon juice, and starch. Stir until sauce thickens slightly. Serve warm with pancakes. (adapted from Power Foods)

Happy Eating

French Toast Bread Pudding

This, I am sad to say, is the last of my brunch posts. You might be sick of my breakfast items, but breakfast is my favorite meal and I could read (and write) about it all day long! You might say, I saved the best for last, the sweet star of the day (although I'm not sure all my party goers would agree) but this is my blog and this was my favorite of the day. Combining a few of my favorite things (Challah, maple syrup, and pudding) into one opulent, decadent, ridiculously easy to make, breakfast sensation. French toast bread pudding. Need I say more.



French Toast Bread Pudding:
1 Raisin Challah or brioche (about 16 oz of bread)
7 eggs
2 cups of 2% milk
1/2 cup of half and half
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 tbsp of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of raisins
2 bananas, sliced
1 tsp of nutmeg
1 cup of pecans
1/4 cup of maple syrup, plus more for serving

Grease a large baking dish. Rip or cut challah into bite size chunks and place into dish, sprinkle in raisins and bananas. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, half and half, sugar and vanilla until well combined and creamy. Pour over bread and push down on bread so that everything gets covered in the egg mixture. Cover with tinfoil and refrigerate OVERNIGHT. In the morning, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, cook covered for 30 minutes, then remove foil and cook uncovered until puffed and golden and slightly crusty, about 30 minutes. In a large pan, over medium heat, heat pecans and maple syrup, stirring so all the nuts are coated. Cook until nuts are toasted and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle nuts on top of the bread pudding. Serve warm, with maple syrup on the side. (adapted from Epicurious)



Happy Eating.