Velvet Slippers Pasta

Ok, so the name is a bit funny, but this is what Shawn's brother Joel thought....he said this pasta was like wearing "Velvet Slippers"..... This recipe use to be called Crap-Shoot Pasta becuase Nana called this dinner a crap-shoot and I think it stuck in my head as the perfect name since we basically (mostly Nana) made it up as we went. Which by the way is one of my favorite ways to cook. I love pasta main dishes and this one works well for that. It all started because we had some leftover Jalapeno Popper filling (Cream Cheese and Hot Sausage) that we needed to use. Anyway we looked through the cupboard and 'Ta-Da' here is dinner.....

Serves 4-6

1 lb (16oz) of Your Favorite Pasta (we use Mini Penne the girls love the size)
2 C (1 pint) Heavy Cream
1/2-1lb of Meat, cooked (Italian Sausage, Sliced Flavored Sausage Links, Sliced Chicken)
3-4 oz Cream Cheese, Cubed
1 C Havarti Cheese, shredded (any mild cheese would be good, Munster, etc)
1/3-1/2 C Sundried Tomatoes, chopped (I prefer them packed in Oil)
1/2 C Fire Roasted Peppers, chopped (I use the jarred Yellow/Red ones)
1 Small can Sliced Black Olives
Zest of 1 Lemon
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 4-5oz Bag of Arugula or Baby Spinach
Salt & Pepper
Fresh Sliced Tomato, Garnish
Parmesan Cheese, Garnish
Green Onions, Garnish

Boil water and add in salt & pasta, cook according to the box and drain (Do not rinse). Start the sauce while cooking boiling the water for the Pasta and it should all come together around the same time. Pour the cream into a sauce pan and heat over Medium or Medium/Low to warm and heat the cream but not scald. When heated melt in Cream Cheese and stir. Add in the meat to heat it through. Then add some of the zest of lemon (if you like a more punch lemon taste you could as some of the juice of the lemon) reserving some zest for the top of the finished dish. Stir and season with a little pepper. Add in the Havarti and stir in to combine. When melted add in Sundried tomatoes, Peppers, Olives heat until warm, probably a few min or so. After noodles are done and still hot put back in the pan you cooked them in and pour sauce over. Add in Spinach and toss together and season with Salt and Pepper if it needs it. Place in a serving dish, garnish with sliced tomatoes, green onions, and Parmesan.

Cous Cous Summer Salad

A recipe straight out of Nana Anna's creative mind. So good on a hot day! As you can see I love to eat Cous Cous during the summer its so light and perfect for all kinds of meals. For this recipe you can throw in just about any kind of Chicken from Roasted, to Marinated/Grilled, whatever you got. We had chopped up Grilled Teriyaki Chicken which worked well for this dish too. Leave out the meat and you got a good side salad. Summertime is perfect for this salad as you can usually get most of the fresh ingredients at a Farmers Market!.....

Serves 4

3 C Cooked Chicken (Grilled, Roasted, Marinated), chopped

1 5.8 oz box Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil Cous Cous

1 1/2-2 C Fresh String Beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 1/2 C Corn kernels (if cut from ear about 3)

1 Orange or Red Bell Pepper, chopped

1 1/2 C Cherry/Grape Tomatoes, whole

1/2 C Fresh Basil (Chiffonade)

1-2 Garlic Cloves, crushed/minced

1/3 C Olive Oil (Flavored w/Garlic or Basil works great)

1/4 C Balsamic Vinegar

Salt & Pepper, to taste

2-3 Green Onions, chopped for Garnish

Cook Green Beans and corn until crisp (Quick Blanch or Steam). I like my green beans and corn with some crunch. Cook Cous Cous according to the package. Toss together Chicken, Cous Cous, Green Beans, Corn, Bell Pepper, Tomatoes, and Basil in a large bowl. Whisk together Garlic, Oil, Vinegar, Salt & Pepper in a bowl; pour over salad and toss gently. You don't have to use all the dressing if you don't want or you could use more....all depends on taste. Garnish with Green Onions if you like or Fresh Chives would be good too.

Pork Tomo Tacos

So Sindy introduced me to this dish. Green Pork tacos made with tomatillos. You know me I love anything that I can stuff into a corn tortilla. This recipe is pretty easy since you throw it all into a crock pot and let it go for the day. Good food for a crowd or game day. Love it....

Serves: 8-12

1-2 Large Sweet Onions, chopped

1 28oz can Tomatillos, drained

1/2-3/4 C Pickled Jalapenos w/juice, chopped

4-5 Cloves Garlic, chopped

4-5 lbs of Pork Carnita Meat or Pork Shoulder

Salt & Pepper

Corn Tortillas

My Favorite Garnishes:

1 box Zataran's Dirty Rice Mix (Cooked according to box minus the meat)

Pepper Jack/Cheddar Cheese

Cilantro

Fresh Salsa

Green Onions

Tapatio' Hot Sauce

Throw all ingredients into a crock pot. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours until meat is tender and shreds when you fork it. When done skim some of the fat/grease off the top and then shred meat in the crock pot with a fork and all the juice. If you don't like it too juicy feel free to skim more of the juice out. Just remember the pork will continue to absorb the juice as it sits. Server with heated corn tortillas and your favorite garnishes...

Pullman Pound Cake

So Nana Anna bought a huge box of peaches at the farmers' market to make a pie and we had to figure out what to do with all the rest of the peaches...I came across a peach pound cake recipe...and man was it good and I am not big on fruit desserts. I decided that the pound cake was good enough to stand on its own with maybe some flavored icing on top (lemon, orange, almond, etc).....This cake is so good...the peaches mixed in the cake were good too (See Picture)....So feel free to make it plain with some icing or mix in just about any fruit....serve with whip cream or pudding cream or dip in melted chocolate. You know me I love chocolate...

10 inch Tube Pan

1 C Butter, room temp/softened

2 C Sugar + extra for pan coating

4 Eggs

1 t Vanilla Extract

3 C Flour

1 t Baking Powder

1/2 t Salt

Optional: 2 C Fresh Fruit, Chopped (Peaches, Blueberries, Apples, etc)

Optional: Icing Recipe or Glaze Recipe (Flavored with Lemon, Almond or Vanilla)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 10 inch tube pan and coat with white sugar. In a large bowl or mixer cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs 1 at a time beating well after each one. Then stir in vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in separate bowl and then gradually stir into creamed butter mixture. Spread evenly into pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick come out clean. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 min before inverting it onto a wire cooling rack. Cool completely.

***If adding Fresh Fruit****
Follow same directions except, reserve 1/4 cup of the flour for coating fresh fruit, coat fruit and then fold into batter, pour into pan and bake.

Top with your favorite icing, glaze, powder sugar, fresh fruit, pudding, whip cream...you name it anything is possible!!

Carne Asada Tacos

We have been feeling Mexican over here as you can see......Here is a recipe I made up after having Carne Asada at my friend Melissa's house. I basically threw together a marinate and it came out pretty good....I love anything that can go into a flour or corn tortilla......my husband likes it when we make spanish or mexican rice with this meal, one more thing for him to stuff into his tortilla.

Serves 4-6

Marinate:

1/4 Canola/Veg Oil

1 T Vinegar (Red or White)

2 T Pickled Jalapenos, Chopped

1 T Pickled Jalapeno Juice

1 Lime, Juiced

4-5 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

2 T Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

1/3 C Roasted Chipotle Salsa

1 tsp Cumin

Kosher Salt & Pepper

2-3 Dashes of Tapatio (Hot Sauce)

1.5 lbs Carne Asada Meat (Thin Sliced Beef Round)

Toppings:

Tortillas, warmed (Flour or Corn)

2 Bell Peppers, sliced (any combo of Red, Green, Orange or Yellow)

1 Sweet Onion, sliced

Mexican Cheese Mix (I use Cheddar and Pepper Jack)

Salsa

Sour Cream

Green Onions, optional garnish

Mix up all ingredients for the marinate and marinate the meat for 6-8 hours. Since the meat is sliced thin it doesn't need too long to marinate. Heat a pan over med/med high heat add a little bit of olive oil and then the peppers and onions, season with salt and pepper. Fry to your liking, I don't like my veggies too soft, I probably fry them for 5 or so minutes. Meanwhile, preheat a grill on High Heat. Grill meat 2-3 min per side. Cook it longer if you like really done meat. Remove from grill and let rest a few min. Then slice up and serve with toppings in warm tortillas.

Jerry's Famous Margaritas

My two favorite hard alcohols are Vodka and Tequila. This is my favorite margarita! So convenient for me that it is made by my father in law. I am a margarita on the rocks kind of gal and this is that kind of recipe. Man do they go down fast.

1 Drink

1 Part Tequila, we use Sauza Hornitos

1 Part Orange Liquor, we use Cointreau

1/2 Lime, Juiced

1-2 Parts Jose Cuervo Margarita Mix

Ice

Lime slices, garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker 3/4 way full with ice. Add in Tequila, Orange Liquor and Lime juice. Top off with 1-2 parts Margarita Mix. Shake for 30 seconds. Pour w/ice and serve with a lime slice.

Fresh Salsa

Ok....So I love Tortilla Chips and Salsa! I have enjoyed making salsa from scratch for a few years and I learned how buy reading the ingredients of one of my favorite fresh salsas. So here is a base recipe and no I don't have exact amounts because I believe that salsa making lies in the taste of the maker.......Nana Anna, Sindy and I made this particular recipe today and boy was it tasty......Roasted Corn would be a good addition to this base....Like I always say get creative as I know we all have different tastes....

Assorted Tomatoes, Diced and slightly drained (I usually use a combo of regular vine ripened, roma's, romanitas, cherry, grape, pear....so use your favorites)

Assorted Peppers, Finely Diced and ranging in heat (Jalapenos, Anaheim, Banana, and so many more, we get them at the Farmers Market and there are at least 30 or so varieties, have fun!)

Walla Walla Sweet Onion, Finely Diced

Cilantro, Finely Chopped

Fresh Lime Juice, to taste

Apple Cider Vinegar, small amount to taste

Cumin, to taste

Tomato Paste, to taste and slightly thicken

Hot Sauce, to taste (I use Tapatio)

Chipotle Tabasco, to taste

Salt & Pepper

Mix Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions, and Cilantro in a bowl. Season to taste with Lime Juice, Vinegar, Cumin, Tomato Paste , Salt & Pepper, taste by using a tortilla chip....for us its usually not hot enough and that is when we add the Tapatio Hot Sauce and Chipotle Tabasco....Mix and taste, re season until you get your salsa to your liking.....Serve with Chips or use in your Mexican Recipes.....

Lemony Spinach Cous Cous

This is becoming a summertime favorite as it can be served hot, at room temperature or I suppose even cold....We just had this as a side dish with some grilled pork chops.....but I have been known to buy a roasted chicken from the store, shred it, and toss it in too for a complete meal....I just love how versatile cous cous is.....I get mine at Trader Joe's...love that it doesn't come with the season packets, but you could use those too....as you know I am all about being creative......

Serves 6

2 C Dry Plain Cous Cous

2 T Olive Oil

2 C Veggie Broth or Chicken Broth/Stock

1 6oz bag of Baby Spinach

2 Lemons, juiced

Olive Oil (I like using Garlic Olive Oil, or a Basil Garlic Olive Oil), poured in to taste

1/2-1 C Shredded Parmesan Cheese (We love cheese and usually add 1 cup!!)

Salt/Pepper, to taste

Green Onions, optional garnish

In Sauce Pan add the Veggie Broth and 2 T of olive oil, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add in the dry Cous Cous, stir and cover with lid. Let set for 5 min. Then remove lid and fluff with a fork. Transfer to serving bowl and add in the olive oil of your choice, I eyeball it...couple times around the bowl, add in the lemon juice, Spinach and toss well. Then add in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper....garnish with green onions if you like...