Abbreviated Penne Bolognese

 Bolognese...mmm.  It seems like such a simple little dish and you would be right to think that.  I found myself craving it the other night.  In my recipe I decided to use grass fed beef.  It certainly has a different texture to it than grain-fed beef.  It doesn't fall apart when cooking as easily as grain-fed beef does and it has a different aroma.  Grass fed beef can be almost 1/3 the calories of grain-fed and it contains more omega 3's.  It also has significantly less fat with only slightly more than skinless chicken breasts.     

Here's what I used:

• 1 pound of grass fed beef
• one small onion
• 3 small carrots shredded
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 jar arrabiata sauce
• dried penne noodles
• Parmigiano-Reggiano
• shredded zucchini noodles(optional)

1. Brown meat in dutch oven or skillet
2. Chop onions and garlic, salt and pepper
3. When meat is thoroughly cooked set aside in separate dish
4. Cook onions and garlic with olive oil on medium heat until translucent
5. Shred carrots

 6. Add the jar of arrabiata sauce(or any marinara)
7. Add carrots and beef to pot and simmer
8. While sauce is cooking, boil salted water
9. When water is boiling add desired penne noodles and cook until al dente
10. Take 1/2 to 1 cup of the starchy pasta water and add to sauce
11. Drain noodles
12. You can either add noodles to the sauce so the sauce can adhere to the noodles or place in bowl and pour sauce over top.

 If you want a lighter pasta dish, use shredded zucchini instead of noodles.

• Wash zucchini
• shred using a peeler
• boil water
• add shredded zucchini noodle to boiling water for 30-60 seconds. 
• Drain and place in dish
• Pour bolognese immediately over zucchini noodles and serve

 Finish the dish with grated cheese and enjoy. 

I added penne noodles and zucchini noodles in the same dish.  This way I get starch and veggies! 

This was so simple and absolutely delicious.  Have a go...

Enjoy

Soft Pumpkin Pecan Cookies oh my!

As many of you who visit Starbucks will know, Pumpkin spice lattes are on the seasonal menu.   I don't drink coffee anymore as I cannot have caffeine for baby's sake.  But I do love those lattes, decaf of course.  After a very frustrating morning of finding out my hospital was closed indefinitely due to super storm sandy and finding myself in a women's center in a part of town I was not happy about, I decided to treat myself to the previously mentioned latte.  In line I noticed a pumpkin glazed scone calling my name.  At 480 calories I decided to pass on the sugary treat as I was already there for a decaf latte.  But it got me thinking.  I have canned pumpkin at home.  I bet I can make some pumpkin cookies just as delicious and without the calorie content staring me in the face. 

So home I went to search some recipes and scour through my cupboard.  Here's what I needed:

  
Soft Pumpkin Pecan Cookies
 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree(I didn't want to waste the rest of the can so I used 1 15oz can)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup crushed pecans


(optional) 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Here's what I did:
 
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.   Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; and set aside.  I added more pumpkin then was called for so I added 1/2 cup oatmeal to thicken the batter.  It is not necessary. 
2. In a bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients.  Add pecans.  Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
3.Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the oven.  (Check on your cookies periodically.  My stove can take longer than recipes call for.)

 

I experimented a little.  To some of the cookies I added the pecans and to some I did not.  Both were delicious but the pecans really send these cookies over the top.  

Now all I need is to make myself a decaf pumpkin latte at home and I'm all set.  

Happy Fall, 

KIM

The vote is in and Beef Stroganoff wins!

I've had to up my protein intake since I got pregnant so we've been trying different cuts of meat from our local butcher.  I used to be afraid of cooking meat.  I didn't want to over cook it and I certainly didn't want to under cook it.  But like anything in life, if you want to overcome a fear, you have to stare it in the face and conquer it.  This isn't an irrational fear, like clowns or getting your hair cut, but it still prevented me from trying something new.  And that was just straight up unexceptionable. 
After all, this blog is all about food adventures.   Letting anything as silly as an aversion to cooking meat stand in my way would just be counterproductive.  That being said, my husband, Rob, has asked me many, many, times to make his favorite meal, Beef Stroganoff.  After many years of marriage, I finally relented.  I found a rather easy recipe that seemed straightforward enough.  So, I set out to the butcher to get the sirloin and the other ingredients and set to work.  This is what I used:

• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1 pound of top sirloin or tenderloin, (have the butcher cut thinly)
  
• 1/3 cup chopped shallots (you can substitute onions)
• 1/2 pound mushrooms(I used baby portobello), sliced
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon of dry tarragon or 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 cup of sour cream at room temperature
• 2 cups egg noodles

1.   Melt 3 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Increase the heat to high/med-high and add the strips of beef.  While cooking the beef, sprinkle with some salt and pepper to taste.  Brown the meat at a high temperature but not too high to burn the butter. When both sides are browned, remove the beef to a bowl and set aside.
2. While the meat is cooking, wash and slice the mushrooms.  Dice the shallots and chop the fresh tarragon.

3. In the same pan used for the meat. reduce the heat to medium and add the shallots. Cook the shallots for a minute or two, allowing them to soak up any meat drippings. Remove the shallots to the same bowl as the meat and set aside.

4. Fill a pot with 4 cups water and bring to a boil with salt.  Add desired amount of egg noodle and let boil for 10-12 min.  Remove from the stove and strain. 

 

5. In the same pan that cooked the meat and shallots, add 3 tablespoons of butter and cook mushrooms.  Add the nutmeg and fresh or dried tarragon.  Cook until nicely browned.  

 6. Reduce heat or turn off completely.  Add 1 cup of sour cream and stir evenly.  To thin out the sauce, add a tablespoon of water. It's important not to cook the sour cream or it will curdle. 

 7.  Add the other ingredients you set aside and mix together. 

 8.  Enjoy.



I will say that lots of pepper does help this dish.  We used a lemon pepper mix we got from Trader Joes.  It really adds a nice zing to the meal.  I don't know what fresh lemon would do with the sour cream.  But Mexican cooking uses lime to really enhance the flavor and often a soft cheese is used.  So, experiment if you wish.  I'm wondering if some red pepper flakes might heat up the dish just a notch.  Perhaps that's for next time. 
I spent $17.39 on my ingredients but I had the noodles already. We got 3 meals out of this recipe making it cost $5.79 per serving.  Not bad.


I hope this recipe helps heal your election hangover.  

   Happy Noshing,

Kim