Comfort Food For the weekdays: Itlain Sausage in Angle Hair Pasta

Pasta is one of those dishes that can be quick and pretty good, or slow and Mama Mia good.   I offer a weeknight compromise: Quick pasta, slow rest-of-the-ingredients, and dinner is served on time!

Ingredients:

1lb Italian sausage
1 red onion
4tbs olive oil
1 jar red sauce
2tbs basil
1tbs oregano
1tsp black pepper
1/2 package angle hair pasta

Serves: 4+

Time: 35min

Directions:

1) Start boiling the water.  You will need about 4 cups.  Feel free to add a little salt and olive oil as well, as discussed in prior posts :)

2)Add the olive oil to the pan and turn onto medium heat.  Give extra time to warm up if using an electric oven.

3) Add all the sausage, pre-chopped or separated in the pan.  I prefer to separate in the pan, personally.  Also add your sliced onions at this time.

4) If you choose to use all the spices listed, add them now, so they have time to soften and mellow.  If you are using less spices than listed above, you may want to add them later on so they will taste more potent. Yes, spices are always optional.  Well... usually.

5) While you are cooking the meat thoroughly, and keeping a close eye on it, add the pasta to the boiling water.

6) Add most of the the jar of red sauce to the pan.*

*The reason for "most of the jar" is you may want to save a little out for making pizza!  Its super easy to do with pasta left overs.  Just save a little of the sliced onion, and a little of the meat too-- all in separate baggies of course.  We will come back to this at a later post ;)

7) Angle hair pasta cooks quickly, making it both elegant and time efficient.  After about 5 to 7 minutes, you should be prepared to drain the pasta and add it directly to the pan of yummy stuff.

8) Mix everything well and serve hot!

Cost:

Italian sausage    $3.56
red onion            $0.50
olive oil              $0.20
red sauce            $2.00
spices                 $0.35
pasta                   $0.50      
Total                  $7.11
Per serving         $1.77

Rosemary Skewered Grilled Shrimp and Pasta

I think the title says it all, but if that wasn't enough to sell you how about, "It's Seafood Sale Season!"  Which is where the inspiration for this dish came from, in case you couldn't guess.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did-- And everyone I served it too!

Ingredients:                                                                                                               12 jumbo shrimp,     1 jar pasta sauce,     1 bag pasta,    4 rosemary springs,    seasonings to taste: I strongly recommend basil, black pepper, and garlic salt

Time: 35 min

Serves: 4, (With left over pasta and sauce...)

Directions: 

1) Shell and rinse the raw shrimp.  For the pretty final effect, leave just the tail on the shrimp, although this isn't necessary.

2) As pictured in series above, once you have shelled and washed your shrimpies, you must devain them.  Please actually do this step!  Turns out the toxins from eating shrimp are almost exclusively in their shit-- Literally.  By devaining the shrimp you get rid of any possible DDT contamination.  ALL shrimp are at risk of DDT contamination, no matter where you buy them or how much you pay.  Shrimp just like to grow in DDT dump sites ;P The "vain" is on the back side, so the opposite of where the legs were.  You will have to cut along the back of the shrimp to find the vain.

3) Skewer the shrimp onto the rosemary springs.  Season as desired-- and pop them in the oiled pan!  If you are grilling, you should oil the shrimp themselves before putting them on the fire. :)

4) Turn the shrimp over after 5-10 minutes.  During this time you should also be boiling your water for the pasta!  You will know when the shrimp are thoroughly cooked because the split you cut into the shrimp to devain them will become very apparent as the meat seems to expand!  Cooked shrimp will look opaque and the outside will have the classic pink look.

5)  Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add the pasta sauce directly to the pot with the pasta in it.  I am a fan of less dishes.  This will heat the pasta sauce quickly too!  Then just plate up, and serve hot!  Bon Appetite!!

Cost:
Shrimp            $6
pasta sauce     $2
pasta               $1
rosemary         hopefully free :)
Total               $9
Per serving    $2.25

Marsala Chicken

This is one of those (many) Italian dishes that is so much better to make yourself.  And more affordable too!

Ingredients:
1c         white mushrooms, washed and sliced
1c         Marsala wine
4           chicken breasts, or equivalent tenders in weight
1 tsp     oregano
1tbs      basil
1/2 tsp  salt
4 tbs     olive oil
7oz       pasta
1/4c      all purpose flour

Time: 
10 min prep
20 min cooking
30 min total

Serves: 4 people +

There is a lot of flexibility in this dish. Any pasta works-- So just pick your favorite!  I chose "star" pasta for this dish because it's an easy way to give the dish a "thick, hardy taste," which my husband prefers.  Were I making this for just me, I would use whole wheat spiral pasta, as that is my personal favorite. Along those lines, feel free to add more or less seasonings depending on taste. Pepper is very commonly in this dish.  Most of all-- Have fun!!

Direction:

1) Wash and slice the mushrooms-- Never trust that they are "pre-washed" unless you like the idea of literally eating shit.

2) Start the water boiling for the pasta.

3) In a high lipped plate, mix together the flower, salt, oregano, and basil.

4) Coat the thawed chicken in the flour mixture.

5) Place the chicken into a large skillet with the hot olive oil. (Aka, the stove is already on.)

5) Brown the chicken on both sides. This will take a few minutes for each side.

6) Add the mushrooms and cover the skillet.  This will help the mushrooms 'sweat.' This is only to get them started, so don't exceed 5 minutes.

7) Add the pasta to the now boiling water.

8) Add the sherry and cover again. This time cover for 10 minutes.  Interrupt the 10 minutes to turn the chicken over.

9) Uncover the chicken for the final few minutes to thicken the sauce. Add a sprinkling of flour if necessary.

10) Drain the pasta and mix in well with the Chicken Marsala.  Serve warm!

Cost:
white mushrooms     $1.50
Marsala wine            $2.00
chicken                     $2.00
oregano                    $0.10
basil                         $0.35
salt                            $0.02
olive oil                    $0.50
flour                          $0.20
pasta                         $0.25
Total                         $6.92
Per person                $1.73

Smokey Chicken Alfredo

Without the smoke!

This is a quick and easy meal that has never failed to trick every person I have ever served it to-- People assume either various (much more expensive) ingredients are in it that are not, or they assume I spent hours making it (which I definitely did not).  So if you are looking for a really easy and fast way to make a fantastic meal: This is it!!

Ingredients:

2         Chicken breasts

7 oz    Shell pasta

3/4 jar Alfredo sauce

2/3 c   Frozen peas

1 tbs   Fresh rosemary

1/2     of a white onion 

Time:

30 min to table!

I would like to add that you can do this "trick" to most pasta dishes (see #  from the directions.)  Also, the way you present this meal does make a difference.  If you slop it in a bowl and say "I'm tired and done..." Everyone will assume it's a box mix.  Is you plate-it-proper and serve it with a small side of red wine-- People will assume you spent hours getting meal prepared.  It's just one of those tricks that are part of the meal-- After all, the meal starting with the eyes.  :)

Directions:

1) Set up the kitchen.  Start the water boiling for the pasta, oil or butter the pan for the chicken, and get the plates heating for the finish!

2) After the oil is hot in the pan, place the chicken breasts, frozen or fresh directly into the pan.  This is one of those meals that no one will ever know the difference. 

3) Add the chopped onions to the pan.  Note: Usually you cook onions first as they take a long time to "sweat-out."  Part of the smokey is that the onions are more done on the outside than the inside.  You want them to be slightly crunchy by the end of the meal.  If you are concerned about the chicken, especially if you are using fresh chicken, just wait to add the onions but you will want to microwave them a few minutes first...

4)  After about ten minutes of watching the pan, flip the chicken and add the frozen peas.  The peas can be clumped.  You do not want to over cook the peas, so the later you add them the better.  (No English food here!!)       

5) Once the chicken is close to fully cooked, add the Alfredo sauce.  People are scared, rightly so, of chicken, but consequently they WAY overcook it. The pan is still hot, the chicken is still cooking, just relax and enjoy the cooking experience! If you are someone who knows you are paranoid about chicken, add the sauce about 3 min. before you want to.  If you are someone who does not know what I'm talking about right now, add the Alfredo sauce when you normally would.

6) Add the pasta to the now boiling water to start cooking.  This means you are 12 minutes from serving to the table!

7) This is the important step! Work the pan with a spatula to get the slightly brown bits of the pan from the onions etc into the sauce. You need a good spatula for this-- But by the time you are done, this should be the easiest pan in the world to clean because EVERYTHING is in the sauce!  For this reason you must add the Alfredo sauce cold to the hot pan.  

8) Work the pan for about 5 minutes.  This just means to continually move all of the contents of the pan around, making sure to scrap the bottom of the pan each time.

9) Add your now cooked and drained pasta to the pan of sauce and chicken directly!

10) Mix well and plate up!  Don't forget the beverage (Wine or otherwise :) )

 Cost:

$2         Chicken breasts

$0.25    Shell pasta  

(Seriously, if you are paying more, you should look into making your own!)

$2         Alfredo sauce

$1         Frozen peas

$0.10    Fresh rosemary

$0.50    White onion           

$5.85 total (serves 2)

Bacon (and Sausage) Carbonara!!

Because who doesn't love food topped with a bacon heart <3

Thick cut bacon is the best!

Total time: 45 min
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 package of pasta

1/2 lb of a hard cheese (recommend Jalsberg, as it's very affordable)

5 eggs
1 package of bacon

6 sausages (breakfast sausage works great!)

seasonings to taste: pepper, basil, rosemary, and thyme all work great

Directions:

This dish requires you move fluidly, partially regarding the egg mixture!  For that reason the steps aren't numbered.  Please read though the full recipe before you jump into the kitchen-- It will be worth it I promise!

Cook desired quantity of bacon.  A good rule of thumb is 4 slices.  (That way you have enough for the bacon heart and one to snack on while cooking the rest of the meal.)

While cooking the bacon, boil a pot of water with a dash of salt to get ready to cook the pasta.  Slice the cheese up, the thinner the better.  Combine the cheese with the 5 eggs and seasoning desired. Set aside for the very end.  Timing is crucial at the last step!

Well mixed cheese and egg mixture.
This will be cooked by heat of the pasta and bacon grease at the very end!

Cook the sausage in the bacon grease.  You can substitute in olive oil here, but considering the meal, I usual go with the classic bacon grease. 

Cook the pasta desired.  Drain the cooked pasta well before adding directly to the cooked sausage in bacon grease.  This works best in a large bowl.

Work quickly to mix the pasta and bacon grease and then IMMEDIATELY add the cheese and egg mixture.  Stirr quickly to cook the eggs.  The egg will cook directly onto the pasta, giving it an added texture with the cooked egg on it.  You will know when the eggs are cooked.  For the faint of heart- you can also always mic the mixture at the end, but this should not be necessary.

 Prep time: 50 min.  (Bacon just takes time.)
 Serves: 6 people.

 Cost:

 pasta          $2.00

 cheese       $1.50

 eggs           $1.20

 sausages   $2.99

 seasoning $0.20

 bacon        $3.00         

 total          $10.90

 So per meal: About $1.80

 I love this meal, so have I obviously ordered it in restaurants-- Never for less than $12 a plate, and it is SOOOO much better fresh.  Home cooked is the way to go on this one!

Costco Cooking: The Sour Cream

Buying in bulk saves you money... But only if it doesn't spoil before you eat it...

So how to keep life interested, and buy at discount while only feeding two people at a time?  Point and case, the sour cream container from Costco is THREE pounds.  Additionally, keeping life interesting means not having tacos every night.  As we are currently in the Olympics--I thought a sampling of cuisine was in order. And once the container is open, the clock is ticking, so:

1) White Beef Stroganoff  (Russian)

2) Fajitas!  (Mexican-ish... apparently it's more Tex-Mex)

3) Pumpkin Bolani (Afghan)

Image complements of Google

4) Panini with dipping sauce (Italian, mostly)

5) Red Beef Stroganoff!

...And with that, the THREE pounds of sour cream were actually gone... Incase you prefer a different variety of cultures, below are the remainder of the list as was planned:

6) Meatballs in Sour Cream Sauce (Swedish)

7) Corn Chowder (US, and because I love corn chowder)