Winter Warmth

Posted on by

I know what you are thinking. We just love our alliterations so much we will title a post anything. FALSE! Although this one IS a fun title, it actually represents the feeling you get when you eat this dish. This dish is stick-to-your-bones-good & will warm your insides up…that’s the heartiness of the squash and let’s face it any pasta dish reads comfort food as well.

  • 11 oz. (4 links) spicy chicken Italian sausage (sounds easy, except I had a blonde moment-yes brunettes can have them too! And I accidentally bought cooked spicy sausage. Wasn’t an epic fail but doesn’t come out of the casing or crumble like this recipe entails. Plus I was stressed out I was going to burn it since it’s already cooked. So ya don’t rush at the store and make sure you actually buy the spicy, chicken or turkey, uncooked sausage. Also don’t be freaked at the thought of spicy. The dish is not spicy at all. I believe from my very important palate (haha) that it’s because of the spices that are in Italian/spicy sausage-fennel seeds, etc. so that’s why the recipe calls for sausage that would already have those flavors in it and makes you have to think even less when making this dish! Score!)
  • 1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and diced (trader Joes plug again, I wonder if they read this slash we could strike a deal with them? But anyway, they carry cheap, already diced & peeled butternut squash to save your fingers from cuts!)
  • 1 tbsp. light butter
  • 10 oz. casarecce, or pasta of your choice (I don’t even know what that kind is, I know I used fusilli, but legit penne works too).
  • 1/4 cup shallots, minced (I made mine a half a cup vs. the ¼ because I heart shallots but to each his own).
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (Again I used the jarred minced stuff, so sue me).
  • 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped (not gunna lie, I am lazy and didn’t chop…why should you have to? Spinach wilts down to nothing-ness anyway, why waste the time…don’t chop, whatevs).
  • 2 tbsp. fresh shaved parmesan cheese (I grated my finger doing this, because not only was I feeling lazy and stupid when making this I apparently was dying to eat it that I may have gotten over zealous with my grater. Anyway I lived to tell about it all thanks to my Cinderella band-aid).
  • 4 sage leaves, sliced thin (lay the 4 leaves on top of ea other, roll ‘em up and chop…it’s called something fancy like chefinade but bottom line is, its takes ½ the time than doing them individually, you’re welcome).
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (umm so I forgot this part, and I definitely noticed. Pretty bummed because I loved this dish. I would suggest doing this part when you sauté the shallots & garlic in the pan. I know it tells you that too but I didn’t have this out like a play book at the time, nerds!)

Bring a large pot of salted water (I substituted with chicken broth because I love the stuff & thinks it sneaks in flavor when you don’t even know it) to a boil. Add butternut squash and cook until soft. Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender, blend until smooth. Add pasta to that same boiling water (or broth) and cook according to package directions for al dente, reserving at least 1 cup of the pasta water before draining. (you will need this to thin out the sauce to your liking).

Meanwhile, in a large deep non-stick skillet, sauté sausage over medium heat until browned, breaking up with a spoon as it cooks. When cooked through, set aside on a plate. Reduce heat to medium-low and melt the butter, sauté the shallots and garlic until soft and golden, about 5 – 6 minutes. Add puree butternut squash, season with salt and fresh cracked pepper and add a little of the reserved pasta water to get the thickness you desire.  Add baby spinach and stir in parmesan cheese & sage.

Happy Eating, XO

photo

Jess’s Not So Secret Sauce

Posted on by

Being from Pittsburgh you would think that I would always have at least one bottle of Heinz ketchup in my fridge at all times. Not so. My husband hates ketchup. So instead of buying it and letting it go bad, I’ve resorted to stashing the little squeeze packets from restaurants. (I’m really not kidding). One day over the summer while grilling burgers, the unthinkable happened – I had no more squeeze packets! Just use mustard you say? There were three of us and only enough mustard for half a burger. I began rummaging frantically through my fridge to see what I could conjure up. Here’s what came out of it:

  • Equal parts mustard (yellow or dijon) and worcestershire sauce
  • The tiniest pinch of salt and pepper

That’s it.

The sauce is a tangy and subtly sweet mixture that works great on burgers, hot dogs, and even steak. Feel free to experiment with additions to the recipe or on different foods. It’s really versatile!

XO, Happy eating.

Spiffy Spinach Cups

Posted on by

Ever need a quick and filling side for dinner or have you ever wanted to do homemade appetizers for happy hour? Well, your search can stop here. I have an easy and (drum roll please) LOW CALORIE recipe. These spinach cups are not only yum, but I literally keep the ingredients on hand at all times because they can be whipped up for any occasion. This dish is so versatile, I am thinking of serving under a fried egg this weekend. Obviously easy enough to recite, that is the theme here folks.

  • 1 10 oz. bag or block of frozen spinach (no sub’s: the can stuff is a) gross b) too much liquid packing)
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese (Kraft works, but better quality ingredients like freshly grated do yield better tasting food. I didn’t make the rule, I’m simply sharing it).
  • 1 cup low fat, skim milk ricotta cheese (hint hint, this is where the low cal comes into play).
  • 1 egg (acts as the binder so no need for breadcrumbs aka evil carbs).
  • 1 pinch of red chili flakes and black pepper (Adjust according to your spice tolerance, but definitely use both, they bring different palate pleasers to your taste buds).
  • 1 tbsp. of minced/crushed garlic (use the store bought, pre-crushed kind. No one needs to ruin a manicure with your fingers smelling like garlic. Oh and also up the qty. to 2 tbsp. if you have vampire repelling taste buds like myself, but yeah for the general public stick to just 1).

Ok so now sh*t is about to get crazy hard. Take everything listed above, mix well in a bowl and pour into a muffin pan and bake. Yup that’s all of the “cooking instructions”.

As usual, spray the pan so they don’t stick. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees and leave it in there for 13-15 minutes. Wait till you see the tops getting golden brown. Makes for killer leftovers and each cup is only 160 calories.

Happy eating, XO.

Frank’s Red Hot Wings

Posted on by

Seeing that we’re deep in to football season, what kind of blog (or fan) would we be if we didn’t make some wings?! Now, I don’t always make wings, but when I do…I use Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (and yes, I do drink Dos Equis with them). This is a quick and easy recipe to throw together during half time.

  • 1 lb of chicken wings (I use the little winglets)
  • 1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce – Buffalo (If you want super spicy, use the Original flavor)
  • 1/3 cup butter

Cook wings at 500 degrees for 20-25 minutes. While those are cooking, nuke the sauce and butter together until the butter is melted. When the wings are done, smother them with the sauce, grab a cold one and you’re all set for the 3rd quarter. Go Steelers or [insert your teams’ name here] !

Happy eating, XO.

Franks Red Hot Wings

No Cookin’, Good Lookin’

Posted on by

These Italian horns = no cooking AND fancy looking. No long winded speech here on how good, easy, or quick they are.

In a bowl mix together:

  • 1 cup of Ricotta cheese (feel free to use the full fat one vs. the skim milk one since it will be a creamier texture & better tasting)
  • 1 jar of store bought olive tapenade (This is my short cut to the original recipe. They actually had you buying and chopping all those ingredients. Um no, open and pour. You’re welcome. Oh and shameless plug, but Trader Joe’s has the tastiest & cheapest. Feel free to use green or black, although the original recipe does call for the black olive)
  • Pinch of red chili flakes & black pepper (NO more salt because the olives & prosciutto are salty enough)
  • 1 tsp of minced garlic (I won’t suggest more than this because the tapenade already has a slight garlicky flavor)
  • Pinch of dried parsley flakes (this is strictly for presentation, so don’t be scared to leave it out)

Then spread a thin (I’m not kidding when I say thin layer, the 1st few times these got to be so messy because I over did it on the cheese mixture) layer of the mixture on a slice of prosciutto and lay a breadstick & celery stick next to each other and roll. Repeat and serve cold. (For a carb friendly version, replace the breadstick with roasted asparagus spears-just note not to roast for longer than 5 minutes so it doesn’t lose its crunch).

Happy eating, XO.

Italian Horns