Pasta Carbonara with Bacon

One of the easiest recipes I know, and also one of the best. Always a crowd pleaser, with little to no work. I've eaten double portions of this more often than I should probably admit. That Martha sure knows what she's talking about.

Spaghetti Carbonara - Martha Stewart
1 pound spaghetti
8 ounces (8 slices) bacon, cut 1 inch thick crosswise
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 large eggs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 cup half-and-half, or cream

Set a large pot of water to boil (for pasta). In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 12 minutes; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
Salt boiling water generously; add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan, and half-and-half. Set aside.
Drain pasta, leaving some water clinging to it. Working quickly, add hot pasta to egg mixture. Add bacon; season with salt and pepper, and toss all to combine (heat from pasta will cook eggs). Serve immediately, sprinkled with additional Parmesan cheese.



Bacon

Eggs, creme, parmesan.

All ready to eat.

Penne Pasta with Tuna

Do you ever get tired of tomato sauce? I do. Don't get me wrong, I adore marinara, bolognese, and all things containing tomatoes. Sometimes however, I feel like every time I make pasta I end up with tomato sauce. Lately I've been eating more pasta, because I have it in my pantry and it's fairly inexpensive. Well I discovered when I was ready to make this meal, I had no meat in the freezer to defrost, and no time to hit the store to purchase some. This was born. I'm a big lover of tuna. My very favorite meal (other than pot roast) is my Moms Tuna Casserole. It is creamy and cheesy and full of tuna, it's also not very good for you. I could eat an entire container by myself. Not that I ever have.

*cough*

Back to the matter at hand. This is... different to be sure. The first bite has that moment of.... wait, I'm eating this? (I think it's the briny flavor of the capers and olives that gives me pause.) And then the flavors melt onto your tongue and it's creamy and tangy and satisfying.



Olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
2 cans tuna, with juices
1 Tbsp capers, drained and chopped
1/4 c Kalamata olives, drained and chopped
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
Salt
Pepper
1/4 c cream cheese
Penne pasta

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a medium pan heat olive oil, add onions. Saute until softened slightly. Add garlic, saute about a minute. Add in your tuna, with the juices. Add in capers, olives, and spices. Stir together well. Dollop cream cheese on top of mixture. Let heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Add a bit of pasta water if you need to thin it. Add your pasta and toss.

I added a bit of parsley on top but you don't need to.

Enjoy!



Onions and garlic

Add the tuna.

Add olives and capers.

Cream cheese and spices.

Serve over warm pasta.

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients
3-4 potatoes mashed with cheddar cheese and bacon inside
olive oil
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
3 carrots
1/4 lb frozen peas
2 lbs beef roast, cubed
1/4 c flour
Salt and Pepper
2 Tbsp ketchup
3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 box of beef stock
Rosemary
Thyme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large pot sautee onion and carrot until softened, then add your garlic. Push to outer edge of pan. Dredge your meat in the flour and salt and pepper mixture. Brown in batches. Add all meat back to pan then add in ketchup, broth, worcestershire, and all spices. Simmer 10 to 12 minutes until thickened. Then spoon into ramekins of a large serving dish. Cover the top with your mashed potato mixture making sure to get it all the way to the edges. Sprinkle the top with more cheese. Bake your dish 25 minutes at 400 degrees.

Enjoy!


Vegetables.

Saute.

Deliciously softened.

Add your meat.

And flour.

Now the spices.

Look good yet?

Stock in.

Peas!


Cover it in mashed potatoes loaded with bacon and cheese.



Eat!

Beef Stroganoff

Everyone has their own version of this dish. Mine is... the best. Just teasing. Mine is a bit different, it's fresher and a bit lighter than some of the others I've tried. It has less sour cream and cream cheese as well. Be prepared to be hooked. The amount of meat is subjective to how much meat you want to give each individual. I tend to stay in the three pound range and that will feed 4 people very well.

Ingredients
2-4 lbs steak or chuck roast cubed (I prefer steak but that's just me)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 box of beef stock
1-2 c water (if you need to thin your sauce)
1 tsp yellow mustard
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
16 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/3 c Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 c white wine (optional)
Juice of 1 lemon (or half based on your taste)
Chopped parsley

In a large skillet (with lid) over medium heat melt butter and oil. Season meat with salt and pepper and brown in batches. After all meat is done and add in onion and garlic saute until tender. Add flour to pan stir in well, and cook about two minutes. Add in your thyme, bay leaf and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and stir in mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer covered for about an hour. A few minutes before serving add in mushrooms, wine, and Greek yogurt. Remove from heat and add in your lemon juice. Stir well. TASTE. Salt and pepper if necessary. Serve over noodles or rice. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley.


Browning the meat

Onions and garlic.

Flour

Spices and liquids in.

Almost done

Enjoy!

Biscuits and Gravy

A VERY basic recipe today. Biscuits and gravy is one of my favorite comfort foods. I'll make it for breakfast, or dinner if I'm eating alone (which happens far more often than I would like). The key to REALLY good biscuits and gravy is good sausage. You want to get really nice and flavorful sausage, or make your own if you've the time. I happened to have linked sausages for this go-around, but I usually use the log that you can just break off what you want. :D I also LOVE my sausage gravy to be loaded with sausage bits. So, good sausage, and good biscuits. If you want to use store bought that's fine... but stay away from the "flaky" ones, and anything that says "butter flavoring" on it. It will compete too much with your gravy. Here we go! Ingredients: 1-2 lb sausage 1/4 c flour 2 cups milk (or 1 c milk, 1 c cream) 1 shallot, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 8 oz mushrooms, half sliced, half diced Salt and Pepper Cook off your sausage until it's done. Remove from pan. Add your shallot, garlic, and mushrooms to the sausage drippings, sautee for about two minutes. Sprinkle your flour over the top, and then stir in well. You want to cook this gently to remove some of the floury taste. Slowly add in your milk, stirring as you go. If your gravy is going to have lumps... this is where it happens. Take your time! Add back in your cooked sausage and cook for a minute or so until everything is well combined and your sausage is warmed through. TASTE! Add salt and pepper as needed. Cover your biscuit of choice with your gravy and nosh away! Cook the sausage. Sautee the veg. Add your flour. Combine well. Slowly add your milk. Add your sausage back in. Nosh! Do you like biscuits and gravy?

Pizza - Sauce and Toppings

Easiest pizza sauce ever - made with things you already have on hand! I know... can you believe it?

1 6 oz can tomato paste (enough for two pizzas)
6 oz water to thin (use your tomato paste can
1 Tbsp sugar (optional, sometimes I add it, sometimes I don't)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp marjoram
pinch of salt

Adjust the spices to taste, I tend to add more garlic powder and basil, but it's up to you!

You can also use my marinara recipe, just pulse in the food processor or blender to puree it up and you have delicious pizza sauce.


Pizza Sauce #2
Ingredients

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
6 fluid ounces warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
salt to taste

Mix everything together, you've got sauce! It's a very similar taste to the above, but the anchovies add a little something extra. Taste everything before you add the salt. ;D


My favorite topping are:
Green and red bell peppers
Onion
Canadian Bacon
Pepperoni
Sausage
Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Spinach
And of course... mozzarella cheese!!!!!


You can also get crazy with it and use alfredo sauce instead of red sauce, or barbeque sauce. As you can see, we do both sometimes.


Mmmmm......


Waiting for toppings....


Mmmmm.... toppings.....


Oh yeah....It is sooo good.