Chicken Pasta Carbonara

(adapted from http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/05/pasta-carbonara/)

The first time we had carbonara was in San Jose, and I. Loved. It. We tried to duplicate the recipe, and had something that worked for awhile, but it morphed in time (or I did. Don't judge.) and then I found it overly rich. And then I found this recipe, and fell in love with it all over again. Still rich (it's the cream, ya know). But not overpoweringly so. Also, for certain young ones in our lives, we've learned to mix in the chicken and peas and whatnot in after all the sauce, and serve them before that finally mixing. And then they get peas (frozen, because that's the only way to eat it when you are four) and chicken (cut tiny) separately. Thusly increasing odds for consumption. No guarantees, of course. We need to be kept on our toes.

And P.S. we found a local butcher that has bacon to die for. The ends are pretty cheap, too, which works nicely for this meal.

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces, weight Pasta, Any Variety
• 1 chicken breast, cut in strips
• 4 pieces Thick Cut Bacon (diced Small)
• 1/2 whole Medium Onion, Diced Small
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 3 whole Eggs
• 3/4 cups Finely Grated Parmesan
• 3/4 cups Heavy Cream
• Salt & Plenty Of Black Pepper
• 1/2 cup Peas

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, fry the bacon until just barely crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Pour off all of the bacon grease, but don't clean the pan. Return the pan to the stove over medium-low heat and throw in the onions and garlic and chicken. Cook until golden brown. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix together eggs, Parmesan, cream, and salt and pepper until smooth.

When the pasta is done, reserve a cup or two of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and place it in a bowl. While the pasta is still really hot, slowly drizzle in the egg mixture, stirring the pasta the whole time. The sauce will become thick and should coat the pasta. Splash in a little hot pasta water if needed for consistency.

Halfway through After serving the children, add the peas, chicken, bacon, and sauteed onion/garlic. Finish adding the sauce, stirring until it's all combined.

Keersten's Chili

Best chili ever. (It's the ground cloves.)

1 lb hamburger
1 small onion, diced
3 cans of beans
1 can diced, stewed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
2 cans diced green chilies
1/4 t cayenne pepper (or to taste—I use less)
1 t chili powder
1/2 t salt
2 t sugar
1 bay leaf
1/8-1/4 t ground cloves

1. In a large stock pot, brown hamburger and drain.

2. Add green chilies and onion and saute until onion is translucent.

3. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 45 min- 1 hour.

4. Top with grated cheese and sour cream.

Sausage & Basil Lasagna

This isn't the sausage lasagna that I got stuck in my nasal cavity, but it's still pretty awesome.

Sauce

2 T olive oil
1 lb spicy Italian sausage
1 C chopped onion
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 t dried oregano
1/4 t dried crushed red pepper
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
14-1/2 oz can diced tomatoes (do not drain)

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausages, onion, garlic, oregano, and crushed red pepper and saute until sausage is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes with juices. Bring sauce to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors. Season with salt and pepper.

Filling
1-1/2 C (packed) fresh basil leaves
15 oz + 1 C part-skim ricotta cheese
1-1/2 C (packed) grated mozzarella cheese (6 oz)
3/4 C grated parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
1 large egg
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper

Using on/off turns, chop fresh basil leave finely in processor. Add ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, egg 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper. Process filling until just blended and texture is still chunky.

Assembly
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
3 C (packed) grated mozzarella cheese (12 oz)
1 C grated parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread 1-1/4 C sauce in 9" x 13" glass baking dish. Arrange 3 noodles on sauce. Drop 1-1/2 C filling over noodles, then spread evenly to cover. Sprinkle with 3/4 C mozzarella cheese and 1/4 C parmesan cheese. Repeat layering of sauce, noodles, filling and cheeses 2 more times. Top with remaining 3 noodles. Spoon remaining sauce atop noodles. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Spray large piece of foil with nonstick olive oil spray. Cover lasagna with foil, sprayed side down.

Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, increase oven temperature to 400°F. Bake until noodles are tender and sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes.

Enchilada Casserole

6-8 corn or flour tortillas
1 large can refried beans
1 lb. ground beef, browned
1 can mild/medium enchilada sauce
1 1/2 C grated cheddar cheese


Mix hamburger meat with enchilada sauce. 
On the bottom of a round, deep casserole dish create a layer of torn up tortilla shells. Spread a layer of refried beans onto the layer of shells. Add a layer of meat and sauce mixture, followed by a layer of grated cheese. Repeat layers till dish is full or ingredients are gone. For the final (top) layer, use only tortilla shells, beans and cheese. 


Cover dish with lid or foil, and bake at 350 till heated through and all cheese is melted. 
*Other layers may be included as desired.

Taco Soup

Brown:

1 lb ground beef

½ C Chopped onion

Add:

3 C Water

3, 14oz cans stewed tomatoes

2, 16oz cans kidney beans or small red beans

1, 16oz can tomatoes sauce

1 packet taco seasoning

Simmer 15 min, then on top add 2 small avocados, grated cheese, sour cream, Fritos

Clam Chowder

1 C potatoes, diced

1 C celery, diced

1 C green pepper, diced

¾ C clams (fresh or canned), chopped

1 ½ t salt

¾ T fresh thyme

6 bay leaves

1 t tabasco

¾ C sherry wine (or other liquid if desired)

2 C water

¾ C clam juce (drain from can)

¾ C melted butter

1 C flour

2 Quarts half and half

In large pan combine all ingredients except  butter, flour, and half and half. Simmer until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile cook butter and flour in baking dish at 325 degrees for 30 min. Stir flour mixture into soup and cook, stirring frequently until almost the consistency of cookie dough. Remove from heat and add half and half. Warm and serve.

Hamburger Goulash

1 lb hamburger

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can stewed tomatoes

2-3 beef bullion cubes

1/2 T oregano

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp basil

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can green beans

1 can peas

1/2 pkg cream cheese

12 oz pkg of macaroni noodles

Fry hamburger in a large, deep frying pan. Rinse, drain and return to pan. Add remainder of ingredients (except for the cream cheese and macaroni noodles) and slowly simmer to allow flavors to mix. Boil noodles in large soup pan till tender but not overdone (al dente) drain, and return to soup pan. Stir in hamburger sauce and cream cheese till blended and serve. Makes great leftovers!

Hamburger Stroganoff

1 lb hamburger

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 of a 16 oz sour cream

1 beef bullion cube

Dried onion to taste

Salt to taste

Water/milk

12 oz pkg wide egg noodles, boiled and drained

Fry hamburger in a large deep frying pan. Drain, rinse and return to pan. Add  remainder of ingredients except for noodles. Simmer together for 1/2 an hour to an hour adding milk or water to keep at desired consistency before mixing with noodles.

Tom Ka Gai

I learned this recipe while I was living in Guam way back a long time ago, and have loved it ever since. It is still my favorite of all Thai dishes - and being able to make it at home is awesome.

1 small onion diced and sautéed in oil 
2-3 chicken breast chopped and sautéed in oil with onions.
2 cans chicken broth
2 cans coconut milk
~2 Tbs tamarind soup base (to taste)
~2 Tbs hot and sour paste (to taste)
1 stock of lemon grass chopped
2-3 kiefer/lime leaves

4-5 slices of galangal 

Cherry/Grape tomatoes, cut in half, as desired (optional)

Let simmer ~1/2 hour

Add 2 cans straw mushrooms, drained Let simmer five more minutes. Remove lemon grass, galangal and kiefer leaves, and serve with/over sticky rice.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

2 lbs chicken, cut as desired

1 ½ C rice

3 ¼ C water

2-3 lbs broccoli

1 can cream of chicken soup

¼ C miracle whip/mayonnaise

¼ C water

Lots of grated cheese

Combine rice and water in a 9x13 casserole dish. Cut broccoli florets from main stalk and fill casserole dish. Add chicken, push chunks in among the broccoli. In separate bowl, combine cream of chicken soup, miracle whip and water. Pour over chicken and broccoli, spread to make sure it covers everything, spread cheese over top, as much as you want. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 for an hour or so, or till rice is cooked, water is completely gone, and chicken is fully cooked. Uncover, and bake for another 5-10 min till cheese is a little brown around the edges. 

Honey Goat Cheese Pizza

Angela seems to like this pizza, and with good reason - it looks delicious!

- Honey goat cheese from Trader Joe’s (If you don’t have a TJ’s, then I would recommend using regular goat cheese and drizzling some honey over the pizza before baking – you gotta get that sweetness in there)

- Caramelized onions

- Fresh Mozzarella cheese (or shredded if that’s what you have in the fridge, but the fresh is just so yummy)

- Fresh parmesan cheese (sorry, this one has to be fresh, folks)

- Olive oil

- Salt & pepper

- Pizza crust (Obviously!)

Make your crust. When it is ready to be topped, drizzle some olive oil on the crust and spread around with your fingers. Sprinkle salt all over the crust, and a bit of pepper. Top with the caramelized onions, honey goat cheese, mozzarella cheese and fresh parmesan cheese. Like I mentioned in the ingredients list, if you can't get your hands on the Trader Joe’s honey goat cheese, I would just drizzle a bit of honey over the pizza before topping with the cheeses and onions.

Bake on a pizza stone at the highest heat your oven can put out until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is browned (or just bake your pizza how you normally bake it.)

Originally found here.

Stuffed Peppers

2 large peppers (red, orange, yellow, or green)

12 oz ground lamb, turkey, or pork

1 oz chopped onion

8 oz canned Italian style tomatoes, chopped

2 oz orzo

1 T fresh basil

½ t ground allspice

½ C water

¼ t salt

¼ t pepper

½ C grated parmesan cheese

Cut peppers in half lengthwise, removing stem ends, seeds, and membranes. Boil 3 minutes. Sprinkle insides with salt and invert on paper towels to drain. Cook meat and drain fat. Stir in tomatoes, uncooked pasta, basil, water, salt and pepper. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 7-8 minutes. Stir in ½ parmesan. Fill peppers with meat mixture and place in baking dish with any remaining meat. Sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese over dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 min. Let stand 1-2 min. Serves 4.