Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce

Pasta is one of my major cheat meals. I hardly ever make it and usually when I do it's whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce, no fattening cream sauces even though they're my favorite. Every so often though I just have to have some and my go-to for the best cream sauce recipes is hands down The Pioneer Woman. I have all of her cookbooks and while perusing her second one found this recipe for pasta with pesto cream sauce. Drool.

This recipe is so incredibly easy with a really fresh taste from the homemade pesto. To make it you will need:

3/4 cups of fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons of pine nuts
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup of EVOO
1/2 cup of heavy cream
2 tablespoons of butter
12oz of pasta (choose whatever pasta you like, however I find this works best with bowties, fusilli, cavateppi, etc.)
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan
2 diced tomatoes

To start, cook your pasta until al dente. Easy enough. Next prepare the pesto.

Add basil leaves, 1/2 cup of Parmesan, pine nuts, salt and pepper, and garlic cloves to food processor and blend while slowly pouring in the olive oil. You want a consistency where everything is mixed bit it's not too runny or grainy. You can add in more olive oil if you need it.

Heat your cream and butter over medium heat, then pour in the pesto. Finally add in the remaining 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan.

Drain your pasta and place it in a serving bowl or wait until your finished making your cream sauce and add it in, which is what I did. Stir in the tomatoes and any protein you might want (I added in cooked chicken breast) and serve hot!

I ate every last bite of mine and there was a ton left. However, someone in my house is a bottomless pit and ate the rest before I could get any more :( But at least I knew it was good!

Kittiwatt Thai Kitchen

This year's flu season has been pretty heavy hitting. The ED has been packed to the brim with patients (one night there were 90 patients in our waiting room!) and our house hasn't escaped it either. What started as a cold for Justin unfortunately turned into the full-blown flu this week and I am just praying I don't get it too. Before he got really sick I thought it would be a good idea to take him for some spicy Thai food to clear his sinuses. There is a pretty new restaurant in Frederick, MD, called Kittiwatt Thai Kitchen, which I had stumbled across from a post on Facebook from one of Justin's favorite stores in the area, Citizen Frederick. A Friday night about 2 weeks ago we headed there after a day of vintage shopping to sample their fare.

We dined at the grandparent hour of 5 so Justin could get home to rest and we almost had the place to ourselves. It's very industrial with exposed duct work, but also has a really cool image on the back wall in Thai. The opposing wall contains a large rectangular box filled with real vegetation, bringing an earthy contrast to the modern feel of the building. Wooden shelves on the wall hold small artifacts from the nation.

Usually Justin goes for his beloved Thai iced tea, but because of his cold opted for jasmine tea. It comes in a cast iron tea pot and is authentic tea leaves. Perfect for opening up the airway and warming the throat.

Nothing tastes better when you're sick than a nice hot cup of soup. His pick: the Tom Yum Koong, spicy and sour lemongrass with shrimp, mushrooms, scallions and cilantro. Unfortunately I didn't get a bite of his soup before he dug in but I was assured that it was delicious with a little bit of a kick, allowing his nasal passages to clear up so he could really taste his food.

I chose the appetizer special, shrimp with tails and garlic chicken in a crispy wrapper, served with sweet Thai chili sauce with peanuts. Talk about yum. Shrimp are one of my many obsessions and the chicken was seasoned perfectly without being overly garlicky.

My favorite Thai dish is Pad Thai so I ordered the dish with shrimp of course. You can never have too much at one meal! This was thin rice noodles, egg, tofu, shallot, scallions, sweet radish, bean sprouts, and peanuts. I love how tender rice noodles are and they go so well with whatever you top them with. This combination of flavors is always fantastic.

Justin picked the Pad See Euw with beef, flat rice noodles, egg, and Chinese broccoli in homemade black bean soy sauce. This I was able to get a bite of first and it was really good. The beef was tender, the broccoli not too soggy, and I absolutely love flat rice noodles. They're very similar to drunken noodles and soak up broth and sauce so well.

Overall we really enjoyed this place and will more than likely be back in the future. It's located in a small strip mall and really easy to get to with parking lot spaces. Definitely my favorite Thai place I've been to so far!

Quesadillas de Camarones

There are few things I enjoy more than a quesadilla oozing cheese with a crispy yet chewy tortilla, dipped in sour cream, salsa, and guacamole. Take one of those and stuff it with shrimp and you have a match made in heaven. Naturally I was all about The Pioneer Woman's Quesadillas de Camarones. I also always have frozen shrimp in the freezer for whenever the occasion arises.

You can use frozen or fresh shrimp that's peeled, deveined, and make sure the tail is off. Cook 2 pounds of large shrimp in one tablespoon of olive oil over high heat. Once cooked through sprinkle with salt, then douse with one 7oz can of red enchilada sauce.

Coat the shrimp with the sauce and let it simmer for a few minutes. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set aside in a bowl. 

Rinse your skillet or get a new one, then cook 1 sliced red bell pepper, 1 sliced green bell pepper, and 1 large sliced onion in one tablespoon of olive oil over high heat until browned or slightly blackened in spots. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Sizzle 1 tablespoon of butter in the skillet over medium heat, then lay down a large tortilla. Top with your favorite grated taco cheese, cover with the peppers, then the shrimp. This is the part that threw me for a loop.

The Pioneer Woman wants you to place another tortilla on top once the edges of the first are golden, and simultaneously flip the whole thing and drop in another tablespoon of butter. Yeah nuh uh. I tried this and the whole thing was partially stuck so I destroyed the bottom tortilla and everything fell out. Major fail. For the second quesadilla I followed her instructions but then folded the tortilla over itself instead and did not top with a second one. Less calories anyway and it turned out so much better!

Note the remnants of the first tortilla stuck to the bottom of the pan. 

Yum! 

Sirloin Steak with Whiskey Cream Sauce

When done well, steak doesn't often need any adornment for it to taste great. However it's a lot of fun to try different sauces on top to heighten the flavor even more. We all know A1 steak sauce, garlic butter, and bearnaise, but have you ever thought of a whiskey cream sauce? Me neither, but I knew I just had to try it.

This recipe comes courtesy of Ree Drummond (aka the Pioneer Woman) and her first cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl. I love her books because they're easy to follow and there's a picture to correlate with each step so you have some idea of what your food should look like instead of cooking blind.

You will need:

5 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of diced onion
Sliced baby bella mushrooms (these were my addition because I really love them)
1/4 cup of whiskey (I used Jameson)
1/4 cup of beef stock or broth
Dash of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup of light cream
2 sirloin steaks

To start, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a small skillet. Throw in the onions and mushrooms and cook until they're brown, approximately 4 minutes.

Once the onion is browned turn off the heat, wait a minute or two, then dump in the whiskey. She stresses the importance of turning off the burner so you don't set yourself or your kitchen on fire.

Immediately after the whiskey has evaporated, turn the burner on medium and pour in the beef broth. Add salt and pepper, then whisk in another tablespoon of butter (this is definitely not a clean-eating recipe if you hadn't guessed already). Let the mixture simmer for 30 seconds, then reduce the heat to low.

Pour in the cream, whisk, and add more if the mixture doesn't seem thick enough. Let it simmer on low heat while you cook your steaks.

I used sirloin but you can use any steak you like. Season well with salt and pepper and sear on the stovetop until desired doneness. Then drench in the delicious creamy sauce!

When I put this in front of the fiance while I finished dishing up mine, I heard a "babe this is damn good" from the living room. Success! The sauce has a hint of whiskey without being overpowering and would be just as good over chicken as it was over the steak.

Naturally when you think of sides dishes you think steak and potatoes so that's what I opted to serve it with. I used golden fingerling potatoes, available at any grocery store.

Simply whisk together 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 5 minced cloves of garlic, 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of dried or fresh flat-leaf parsley, and salt and pepper. Mix in the potatoes, then spread on a large baking sheet and roast at 450 for approximately 30-35 minutes.

These came out fork tender and were delicious! The skin had gotten slightly crispy and I really liked the seasoning. 

Korean Beef

Looking for a use for that frozen ground beef you have stored in your fridge besides the basics like hamburgers, tacos, meatloaf, etc? Try Korean beef! We've been making this for a while now and it never fails to be delicious and satisfying.

Start by browning a pound of lean ground beef in one tablespoon of sesame oil and three cloves of minced garlic.

Drain most of the fat and add one half cup of brown sugar, one quarter cup of low sodium soy sauce, one half teaspoon of ground ginger, one half teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, and a few dashes of salt and pepper. Stir to combine and simmer for a few minutes so the flavors mix together. Serve over brown rice and top with sliced green onions.

As the Barefoot Contessa would say, how easy it that?! 

Crockpot Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

I don't know about you, but we have at least 3 inches of snow on the ground here and it's absolutely beautiful. While fall stills hold the top place in my heart, there's something about a fresh coating of snow on the ground, pristine and white with a certain stillness in the atmosphere. This type of weather is the best for crockpot meals and today I thought I'd share with you one of my favorite recipes, chicken caesar sandwiches.

Turn your crockpot to low and cook 3 pounds of chicken breast in one can of chicken broth for 4-6 hours. It won't look like much at this point. 

Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the crockpot into a large bowl, shred, and then mix it well with one cup of your favorite caesar dressing, two tablespoons of dried parsley (you can use fresh if you like), one half cup of shredded parmesan cheese, and one half teaspoon of pepper. Add it back to the crockpot and cook for an additional 30 minutes, then it's ready to serve! 

Place on hamburger buns (we use whole wheat), spread a thin layer of caesar dressing on the bun, then top with romaine lettuce. I leave off the lettuce because I don't care for it on sandwiches and add red onion rings instead. They add a little sweetness and the crunch to it that the lettuce would have. I served these with frozen sweet potato tater tots but you can pick any sandwich side you like! 

This was the third time I have made these sandwiches, without any incidents, and I was surprised that when I was emptying the heavy bowl of shredded chicken back into the crockpot I cocked my arm at a weird angle and sprained my shoulder. Yes you read that right. Apparently the most mundane cooking task can be dangerous. But for novice chefs don't let it deter you! The shoulder is better today after some ice and ibuprofen but I'll be taking it easy both in and out of the kitchen for the next few days! 

Chicken Tikka Masala

I hear tell it's supposed to snow tomorrow so today I thought I'd post a warm and fragrant Indian dish that's very easy to whip up with lots of spices that you probably already have in your pantry. I really like Indian food and it's something I wish I ate more of. I've only ever been out to an Indian restaurant once, in high school no less! One day I'll make curry and homemade garlic naan, but today's focus is on chicken tikka masala.

In a large bowl mix one cup of plain Greek yogurt, one tablespoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice, one tablespoon of ground ginger (or fresh if you have it), one teaspoon of salt, one teaspoon of ground black pepper, one clove of minced garlic, two teaspoons of cumin, one teaspoon of cinnamon, and a quarter teaspoon of cayenne. Stir in 6-12 chicken tenders, being sure to coat thoroughly, then refrigerate for at least an hour. The longer you marinate the longer those delicious flavors set in!

Once your chicken is finished marinating set your oven to high broil. Place a wire cooling rack on top of a baking sheet, then place the chicken on top, discarding the remaining marinade. Broil on each side for a few minutes until the chicken is cooked through. I estimated about 3-4 minutes per side which worked pretty well. The broiler terrifies me a little bit. I can't tell you how many times I've overcooked or burned things so now I check it constantly!

To make the sauce heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Saute one minced clove of garlic and a quarter cup of chopped onion until tender. If you like your Indian food spicy you can add in one quarter of a seeded, finely chopped jalapeno but we have a low heat tolerance so I left that out. It doesn't make any difference if you opt to skip it, the recipe lists it as optional.

Add in two teaspoons of cumin and paprika and one half teaspoon of salt. Stir for one minute, then stir in one 8 ounce can of tomato sauce and one cup of half and half. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add in the chicken and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Once done serve over jasmine rice and top with cilantro or crushed almonds. I don't particularly care for the taste of cilantro in large amounts and I had a bag of sliced almonds I wasn't sure what to do with so I topped the chicken with those. They add a nice crunch to the dish!

The chicken turned out so tender this time, you didn't even need a knife to slice it. The sauce was creamy and you could taste the spices peeking through the tomato flavor. This is definitely one of my favorite dishes to make!

Milton Inn

I love Groupon and LivingSocial. They are the perfect places to search for deals on more expensive restaurants that would be a lot further down on the list of places to try had it not been for the coupon. One of these such restaurants is The Milton Inn in Sparks, MD, set in a historic 274-year-old building that has been serving food since 1947.

Photo courtesy of Google Images 

The Groupon deal offers $65 worth of food for $30 Sunday-Friday, an incredible deal for a place where the cheapest entree is $32. It only leaves you responsible for appetizers and drinks which is fantastic! It's still available but states limited time remaining so if you want one after reading this go do it now!

We went on a Friday night and I recommend calling ahead to make a reservation. When we showed up at 1830 the parking lot was almost full. It's a pretty popular place, not only for the main restaurant but they also have a bar called c. 1740 which was packed already when we arrived.

Before I start getting into the meal, I will mention that I do not have any personal pictures from this visit. Like Volt, this place is too fancy to be whipping out the cell phone. Any place that highly suggests gentlemen wear a sport coat gets nixed pretty quickly for pictures. The pictures shown are from a Google search.

The inn is extremely inviting when you first walk in. The lighting is low and there was a lovely toasty warmth from the fires being stoked in the various dining rooms. The hostess immediately offered to check our coats and we were whisked into a small, cozy dining room with original wood paneling the walls and bricks covering the floor. The fireplace was immediately behind us and twinkle lights graced the ceiling. The Milton Inn is often mentioned as one of the most romantic places to eat in the area and it's easy to see why.

Photo courtesy of Google Images 

Decor is themed largely off of the hunt, a Maryland tradition especially in the area of the inn. Waitstaff are dressed in white buttondowns, black slacks, and black vests. It's all very old-school, just like the menu, but it is done so well.

We started off with the beef tenderloin tartare, served with anchovy aioli, sriracha, capers, shallot, cornichons, quail egg yolk, smoked sea salt, and toasted baguette. I know a lot of people are turned off by raw meat but think of it as sushi-grade fish only in the form of ground beef. It essentially melts in your mouth and between the seasonings mixed in and the sauces that you lightly spread on the baguette before popping it in your mouth, you really can't tell that you're eating raw beef. To me this is a must-order if you visit.

Photo courtesy of Google Images 

For my entree I chose the Seafood Andor, lobster, orange roughy, jumbo lumps of crabmeat, mussels and shrimp in a creamy dill sauce, served with a vegetable and wild mushroom risotto. This looked so beautiful when it came out. The mussels were arranged in a ring around the outer edge of the plate, with the remaining seafood grouped in the center. Everything sat in a delicious pool of the cream sauce with the risotto underneath. Rich doesn't even begin to describe this flavorful, creamy dish, of which I ate almost every last bite.

Photo courtesy of Google Images 

Justin had the Vension Short Loin with butternut squash grits, sauteed Brussels sprouts, baby carrots, king mushroom with pepper, bacon and shallot, finished with Cumberland reduction chive puree. If this seems like a lot it completely was but in the best way possible. Justin ordered the meat to be rare in the center and the chef honored his request. The sprouts were arranged in two piles on either side of the plate and the loin was served over the grits. He raved about the meat stating how tender and well seasoned it was and also said that the sprouts were some of the best he had ever had. They were just barely cooked so they still had a ton of crunch along with the crunchiness of the bacon. The grits were buttery with a very smooth texture.

This meal was extremely traditional American food that's been served for decades. It's done in the most fantastic way with some modern twists and I wold love to go back for an anniversary or birthday dinner!

Chicken Breast with Goat Cheese

I love love love goat cheese and even more so when it's served warm and melty. It has this great creamy texture and a little bit of tang, and you'll often find it as a salad topper, spread on crostini, sprinkled over mussels, etc. For Christmas I received several cookbooks (of course) and one of them had a recipe for "Legit Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with Shallot Sauce." Um yum. When I read that the chicken was stuffed with an 8oz log of goat cheese, I could feel my mouth watering.

To start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Let the goat cheese sit out on the counter for at least 30 minutes to come to room temperature. Take 4 large chicken breasts and create a pocket down the center of each one, spreading it open with your fingers. Then stuff with that goat cheese!

Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme leaves, then wrap with a slice or two of prosciutto. My prosciutto wouldn't cooperate with me and kept peeling off in weird uneven strips when I was trying to remove it from the package so it's okay if you have to get a little artistic! Make sure you wrap it around the opening with the goat cheese as much as possible to keep it contained. You don't want to lose a drop of that beautiful cheese!

Lay your chicken breasts in a greased baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. Depending on the thickness of your chicken you may need to adjust this! Let me tell you a story. I baked mine for the time listed in the recipe, made it all pretty and photographed it, then proceeded to eat it for dinner before heading to work. After two bites I noticed the texture seemed a bit off. Lo and behold the whole top layer was still pink! Ack! So gross! I immediately threw it all back in the oven at 400 for another 20 minutes, so be aware you may need to adjust your cook time!

Once your chicken is done baking, top with a dollop of shallot sauce, which you will make while the chicken is baking.

To start, warm two tablespoons of olive oil over low heat in a skillet. Whisk one tablespoon of flour with 1/2 cup of low-fat milk in a small bowl. Once the olive oil is heated, add two to three thinly sliced shallots to the skillet and saute until soft. Then add in 1/2 cup of dry white wine and 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Add in the milk-flour mixture and stir. Let the sauce simmer for a minute or two to become thick. Garnish with cracked black pepper.

I loved this dish and hope to make it part of our dinner rotation. The tang from the goat cheese goes well with the saltiness from the prosciutto and the creamy, sweet shallot sauce. It was a very good dish for a cold winter day!