Buttermilk Alfredo Pasta with Chicken and Spinach

I really like this one.  Aside from being delicious, it goes together quickly.

8 oz. uncooked rigatoni pasta

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup buttermilk

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 oz. parmesan cheese, finely shredded - divided

1 5 oz. package fresh baby spinach

4 cups shredded cooked chicken

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Whisk in flour until smooth.  Cook, whisking constantly for 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in the milk.  Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Whisk buttermilk, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of the cheese into flour mixture, whisking until cheese is melted.  Stir in spinach, 1 cup at a time until wilted before adding more.

Add chicken and pasta, stir until coated and warmed through.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

House Brine

This one comes from my Buttermilk & Bourbon cookbook, a wonderful book filled with recipes from a restaurant by the same name.  The chef/owner is quite a personality!  I enjoyed reading it as a book, as much as the recipes. 

With warm weather not too far off, my thoughts are turning to firing up the grill and smoker.  So this particular recipe caught my eye and I am anxious to try it this Spring, Summer, and Fall - prime smoking season!  I have always used a basic brine for chicken going in the smoker, consisting only of water, salt, and brown sugar.  This brine is good for pork or chicken.

3/4 cup salt

3/4 cup honey

4 cups boiling water

1/2 Granny Smith apple, quartered

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

1/2 carrot, roughly chopped

1 stalk celery, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

2 fresh sage leaves

2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

2 cups ice

In a large bowl, mix the salt, honey and hot water.  Add the apple, onion, carrot, celery, thyme, sage, and peppercorns.  Add the ice to cool the brine.  Add the meat (pork or chicken) and let it sit, refrigerated for 12 to 24 hours.  Remove from the brine and pat dry before cooking.  Be sure the brine cover the meat entirely while it is in the refrigerator.

Makes 8 cups.

Fried Eggplant Rounds

I have enough eggplant recipes that I could probably write a cookbook and title it "Eggplant Heaven!"  This one is especially good.

2 medium eggplants

2 eggs

1/2 to 3/4 cup sour cream

1/4 to 1/2 cup flour

salt

cooking oil for frying

Peel and slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch rounds.  Place in a bowl and liberally sprinkle with salt.  Combine well.  Let this sit while you prepare the batter.

In a bowl, combine the eggs and sour cream, mixing well.  Add flour and a teaspoon or so of salt.  If needed, add extra sour cream to get the right consistency for the batter.

Pour cooking oil into a skillet and heat over medium heat.  Dip eggplant pieces in the batter and place in the hot oil.  Fry on one side until well browned, then turn over.  With both sides browned, transfer to a plate covered with a paper towel.

That's it!  My favorite way of serving these is with brown rice and sliced tomatoes.  I should go through my sauce cookbooks and find a good sauce to serve with these but truthfully, they are so good all by themself.