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.

Old Fashioned Bread Pudding

 A favorite of mine that I don't make too often due to its high calorie content!  But oh, so delicious.

1 16 oz. day old French bread loaf, cubed

1 12 oz. cans evaporated milk

1 cup water

6 large eggs, beaten

1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained

1 large Red Delicious apple, grated (I use Granny Smith)

1 cup raisins

1 1/2 cups sugar

5 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup butter, cut up and softened

Bourbon Sauce (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine first 3 ingredients; stir in eggs, blending well.  Stir in pineapple and next 4 ingredients.  Stir in butter, blending well.  Pour mixture into a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until set.  Serve with Bourbon Sauce.

Bourbon Sauce

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Melt butter in a small saucepan; whisk in flour, and cook 5 minutes.  Stir in whipping cream; cook 3 minutes.  Stir in bourbon, vanilla, and nutmeg and simmer 5 minutes.

Cabbage Steaks

A nice lunch or side dish.  Easy prep and surprisingly delicious taste.

Remove the larger leaves around a head of green cabbage.  Wash well under running water.  Cut into one inch slices crosswise.  On each side, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic salt.

Bake in 400 degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on your preference.  I leave them in for 40 minutes in a preheated oven.

Sweet Potato Muffins

I love sweet potatoes and this is an especially good recipe.

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cups brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup baking soda

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup vegetable oil 

1 cup mashed roasted sweet potato

1 egg

1/2 cup yogurt or buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375.  Prepare muffin tins (I use cup liners).

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.  In another bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients and fold into dry ingredients just until combined.

The batter will be thick and you may need to add additional yogurt or buttermilk.

Fill muffin tins 3/4 of the way full and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.  Allow to cool in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then remove.

Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake

 A delicious start to the day!

Cake batter

2 13/ cups flour, plus extra for baking dish

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup fresh blueberries

Cheese filling

1 cup ricotta

1 egg

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Topping

1 cup reserved crumb mixture (instructions below)

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 and grease and flour a 9x13x2 inch baking dish.

To make cake batter:  Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl.  Cut in butter until crumbly.  Measure and set aside 1 cup of crumb mixture for topping.  To remaining crumb mixture, add baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Pour batter into pan and sprinkle blueberries over top.

To make cheese filling:  Combine ricotta, egg, sugar, and lemon zest in a mixing bowl.  Beat until smooth.  Spoon over blueberries.

To make topping:  Place reserved crumb mixture, walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl.  Toss to combine.  Sprinkle over cheese layer.

Bake 45 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Baked Eggplant with Tomatoes and Chickpeas

This makes a nice change of pace dinner with high nutritional value.

1/4 cup olive oil

2 medium eggplants, peeled and cut into 2 inch cubes

3 onions, cut in thin slices

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed under cold water

1 16 oz. can tomatoes, drained and chopped

1 1/2 cups hot water

In a large skillet, heat the oil to just before the smoking point.  Saute the eggplant cubes, stirring frequently, until they are browned on all sides.  Remove from pan.

Add the onions and garlic to pan and saute for 5 minutes.  Place eggplant in a 9 x 13 baking pan.  Add onions, garlic, salt and pepper.  Combine the water with the tomatoes.  Scatter the chickpeas on top and cover with tomatoes.

Bake in 400-degree oven for 45 minutes.

Artichoke Pie

This is a very good pie with little effort to bake.  Try it!

1 pie pastry

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 (8 oz) cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (divided)

3 eggs beaten

1 (8 oz) package mozzarella cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Saute garlic garlic until it begins to brown.  Stir in the artichoke hearts and cook 10 minutes before adding the bread crumbs and half of the parmesan cheese.  When heated through, transfer half of artichoke mixture to pie crust.

Pour eggs over artichoke mixture and sprinkle in the rest of the parmesan cheese.  Spoon the rest of the artichoke mixture into the pie and top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until crust begins to brown.

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

 Here is one that's an old favorite.

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs beaten

1/4 cup oil

Sweet and Sour Sauce

3/4 cup sugar

4 tablespoons ketchup

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Preheat oven to 325.  Rinse the chicken breasts, then cut into cubes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place the cornstarch in a gallon sized ziploc bag.  Put the chicken in the bag, seal, and shake to coat.

Next, dip the chicken into the egg.  Heat oil in a large skillet and cook the chicken pieces till browned but not cooked through.  Place chicken in a 9 x 13 greased baking dish.  Combine all ingredients of the sweet and sour sauce then pour evenly over the chicken.

Bake for one hour, turning the chicken once or twice.