Why don't we try this?

The hubs likes to find recipes on Saturday mornings before we go out to meander and run errands. Then I think about this new recipe all day!

This weekend was no exception so I bring to you our little version of Bucatini All'Amatriciana with Spicy Smoked Mozzarella Meatballs. I love love love Giada but I very rarely try her recipes, I'm not sure why that is.

Here's what you'll need for our version:

Sauce:

2 tbsp evoo

1 small onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

crushed red pepper flakes (depending on your tongue, less than an 1/8 tsp)

2 cans diced tomatoes

1/2 grated Romano

1/4 cup parsley

cup mushrooms, chopped

s&p to taste

Meatballs:

1 shallot, grated

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/3  cup bread crumbs

1 tbsp dried basil

1 egg

2 tbsp ketchup

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 lbs ground meat, whatever you choose

2 ounces of cubed smoked gouda

Preheat to 400

Let's do the meatballs first.

Grate your shallot and you can go ahead and do the garlic too. The only reason that I didn't is that I forgot!

Chop and add the parsley

Here we have the garlic, egg, spices, ketchup, cheese and bread. Mix it all up into a delicious concoction!

Now, roll them out however you see fit. I rolled them all out. then washed the hands (of course)

and cubed up the gouda.

*Side note, Smoked Gouda is one of my favorite cheeses. It has substance so it can hold up to alot of recipes and it has that delightful smoked flavor. This was the hubs first encounter with smoked gouda and he liked it IN the recipe, but for just a cheese to eat he says that he's not that much of a fan.*

Then made an indent (like above) in each meatball and add the cube of cheese. Base your cube size on how big your meatball is. It's a preference. Then you just sort of re-shape the meatball around the cheese, like so:

We wanted to put these on the grill but it didn't really work out for us, so into the oven they went

For about 15 minutes or so. I might have done 17 on this batch because they were a little bigger than I usually roll out.

NOW, for the sauce:

Get your garlic and

onions chopped and going in the pan with some evoo.

*Side note, see that Dark Chocolate bar in the background? There is always, always one sitting right there by the cutting board. It's the hubs super secret powers. He picks at it as his after work snack.*

Get some lovely and tasty carmelization going on here.

Add in all your lovelies, the tomatoes, mushrooms, parsley and simmer for a bit. Then in the last 15ish minutes add in the Romano cheese. This will thicken it up quite a bit.

You can add in the meatballs and let them simmer for a while. I didn't do that because I had BIG BIG leftover plans for them. Serve over the pasta of your choice!

This was really great. It was spicy enough to be interesting but not so much that I had to stop eating it. The meatballs were rather delicious and the smoked gouda added something special. The Romano in the sauce was just right. I think next time I might work some basil into the sauce somehow. I just think that having tomato without basil is silly.
There are plenty of meatballs here to freeze them or use them in a leftover, or both.

This, I believe will be added to my pile of fall backs.





Let's Dutch Oven this thing

So I wanted to find a recipe that used as many new Christmas kitchen items as possible so I found this fantastic PW recipe for Beef Stew with Mushrooms.

This is my first time using a dutch oven. I've wanted one for a while but I never really thought about what I would make with this contraption. I was a bit skeptical because you cook on high (which the hubs loves but doesn't quite understand) and because I'm generally not a fan of anything that isn't dishwasher safe.

I've got to tell you, I believe I'm a fan of the dutch oven. I still want to try a few more recipes to get a better feel for it but so far, so good. It washes up quite brilliantly. The dutch oven that I have is enameled so I can use soap whereas I couldn't with a straight cast iron one.

OK, here's what you need:

2 lbs (ish) sirloin meat, cubed

2 tbsp flour

4 tbsp butter

2 tbsp evoo

2 shallots, grated

5 cloves garlic, grated

1 8 ounce package mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup red wine (I used Shiraz)

1 can beef consomme

2 sprigs thyme

cooked pasta

Try to get the meat all the same size. You can find "stew meat" in the grocery store already cubed. While your butter and evoo are heating in the dutch oven, add the flour to the meat and toss well.

Over high heat sear the meat. You'll want to do this in batches so that the meat has room to move around. Just a quick sear is all you want here, you'll finish the cooking process later.

I love shallots. If you haven't used them before, give them a try. They have a lovely onion flavor but it's different enough for them to have their own distinction. If you don't like them or maybe can't find one you can easily sub a small onion here.

I wanted the flavor to float around all lovely and evenly so I choose to grate the shallot and garlic. It only takes a second more. If you have someone that doesn't like the idea of garlic or onion you can slip it by them this way!

Reduce the heat to medium highish.

Leave all those beautiful brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add your grated mixture. It comes out to this paste consistency. Stir those around for a couple of minutes then add the mushrooms.

I choose to use sliced mushrooms, small whole mushrooms would be good too. I am using baby bella's here.

Add your consomme and wine. I added a half can of water too. Bring to boil then add salt and pepper to taste.

Add your meat back in along with all those lovely juices that have collected in the plate.

Reduce to simmer and add thyme.

Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Add 2 tbsp of flour and let thicken.

I served this over whole wheat pasta I made. (I haven't perfected the pasta making yet, when I do I'll show you).

This was fantastic. The meat was so tender. The gravy/sauce was so tasty. If you're feeling a bit skeptical about adding the wine, you can't taste it at all. It helps break down the meat and helps it to be so tender.

This would be good served over rice, but I think next time I make this I'll put it over mashed potatoes. That would be really good. The potatoes would soak up all the goodness.

This goes in the good stack!





Deborah's mushrooms

So in Research and Development's family we get together for everyone's bday. We either go to the place of the birthday person's choosing OR someone prepares lots of goodies that the birthday person loves.

Usually part of my goodies for my birthday are Deborah's mushrooms. I do truly love them!

So for Deborah's birthday she had Deborah's mushrooms.

These are delightful apps. They are super easy and extra delicious. These are so delicious that they converted a self proclaimed mushroom hater. In fact, he asked for extra.

Here's what you need:

1 lb sausage

1 package of cream cheese

1 tbsp minced onions

1 tsp garlic powder

1 package of mushrooms, washed and capped

Preheat to broil

Wash and cap your mushrooms how you see fit. I do not rinse mine, some do. It's all about preference.

Start with delicious sausage. This was brought in from Spring Hope, NC. It is only the absolute best sausage ever. So very tasty. I miss it...ho hum

Brown your beautiful sausage and then drain.

Combine your cream cheese, minced onions and garlic powder. Then add your sausage and mix well.

This is so good that Research and Development threatened to eat it with a spoon.

But I suggest you wait until the end.

Spoon the mixture into your mushroom caps and broil until browned. That takes about 20 minutes or so.

Eat, eat them ALL!

I lucked out and got a beautiful batch of mushrooms that were huge. Not the ideal size for apps, but at home with the hubs they were perfectly fine. The flavor of the delightful sausage is so important so pick a sausage that you love. So creamy and delicious. It's one of my favorites!



MERRY Christmas!

My kitchen is weeping (Like a little girl) after looking at all the fantastic goodies that Santa brought for it to play with.

Holy McMoley! Do you know how many things that I have made in my head? Countless, I tell you!

We also got some organization cabinets to organize his Army stuff and my kitchen stuff. And so you know how it goes. When you are cleaning is when your house is at the absolute worst! Add into that unpacking from a 11 day vacation and Christmas. That makes for my house looking like your scariest nightmare! It's insane!

BUT, whenever we get it all together I will be cooking up a STORM!

Folks, I hope that your Christmas was full of the Spirit and lots of good eats!

It's like a chocolate milk shake

only it's hot! ~Nicole

This hot chocolate recipe is insanely good. It's super easy and should be added to your Christmas traditions. It would be a great Christmas Eve/Morning family thing.

This recipe is also just one more in a LONG list of reasons why I love my crockpot!

Here's what you need:

I always think that there is one special thing in a recipe that is the secret ingredient. Every part of this recipe is the secret ingredient. Seriously don't leave anything out!

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups milk chocolate chips (the whole bag)

6 cups of milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

I used whole milk and the second go round I used semi sweet chocolate chips. I think that you could change up the milk you use and the chips. The hubs LOVES dark chocolate so I want to try that!

Anywho, dump everything in the crockpot and put on low for about two hours. I like to give it a stir about half way through to see how the chocolate is coming along. If it's still a ways away from being a lovely melty state then put it up to high.

It's going to need a little bit of whisking to get everything incorporated.

Add your marshmellows or whipped cream and you have heaven in a cup.

The little bits of chocolate are sooo delicious!

Seriously, if you take this to your Christmas party or family gathering you will get hugs and presents. It is so easy but so delicious. People rarely take the time to make hot chocolate that doesn't involve an envelope anymore. It's simple and fool proof and is so much better than the Swiss Miss.

Santa will thank you!

Gingerbread Bites

I haven't been able to do much baking lately much to my disapointment.
I was pretty happy to make some dough today. This is my first gingerbread dough and I'm pretty happy with it.
The idea for this came from Pinterest via this website. The premise for these are Gingerbread Cheesecake Bites. I don't think that title is quite right. It doesn't have the feel of cheesecake to me. It's for sure cream cheesy, just not cheesecake-like. I will play around a bit with the cheesecake part and try it again. So for now this is just Gingerbread Bites!

Here's what you'll need:

Gingerbread Bites

Gingerbread Dough

*Can be used for a gingerbread cookie, this dough will hold up nicely to those lovely cookie cutters you have!*

3 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup molasses

1 stick butter, softened

2 eggs

2 tsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

Cheesecake Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese

4 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat to 350

Let's Bake!

  

Cream brown sugar and butter until combined.

It's important that the butter be softened. It will incorporate and look like this.

Add eggs and molasses. Mix well!

As I have said before I am sort of a molasses snob, so I should let you know that I used blackstrap molasses. Feel free to use the kind that you like!

Add your spices and then slowly add in flour. The dough will become stiff and pull away from the bowl. Put the dough in the fridge for at least 20 minutes that will help it stiffen up a little more.

Now roll the dough into teaspoon sized balls.

Make a well in your cookie dough. Pampered Chef makes a nifty little thing just for this purpose but I don't have one. I just used a small spoon!

For the filling

Combine powdered sugar, cream cheese and vanilla extract

I would suggest putting this in the fridge for a little while too. Otherwise you will (like I did) make a mess all over the kitchen.

Put the cream cheese mixture into a ziploc back and snip off a corner for a throw away pastry bag. Pipe mixture into each.

Bake for 10 minutes and let cool!

These are great little bites! The cookie is delicious and surprisingly moist for a gingerbread.

Make sure to let them cool or else they will make a mess!

These are great little Christmas cookies!

Thanksgiving snafu

So, I cooked and cooked and cooked stuff for Thanksgiving.

I took all the pictures of the prep work and did so good of doing each step. THEN I forgot to take the finished product. UGGG.

Good news is that I need to make it all over again!

Research and Development and I have been working on this recipe for a while. He is not a fan of nuts in anything. He'll eat a peanut or an almond and such but he doesn't like it in his food. Sweet Potato Souffle usually has nuts in it.

It was a bright awakening finding a sweet potato around here. I'm from eastern NC. North Carolina is the leading state for sweet potato growing. At home you can get beautiful sweet potatoes anytime you want them and they are CHEAP. Never, ever ever have I ever before paid $.68 a pound for sweet potatoes. That.was.insane! At home there are times when you can get them for $.08 a pound back home.
Anyway! Since we're Tarheels at heart we LOVE sweet potatoes.

Here's what you need:

Sweet Potato Souffle (or casserole is you prefer)

4 cups cubed sweet potato

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp salt

4 tbsp butter, softened

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup all purpose flour

3 tbsp butter, softened

1/2 cup chopped pecans (if you like, we do not)

Preheat to 325

Your cooking time will depend on the size of your cubes.

My cubes usually take about 20 minutes of boiling!

Boil your lovely cubes.

Take your lovely masher and mash your potatoes. How much you mash with your masher is up to you. You can have chunky potatoes if you like, or smooth. Decide for yourself.

Add sugar,

Eggs,

 salt, butter, milk and vanilla. Mix well!

Spray your dish and add the mixture! (Yes, yes that is marshmellows in the background!)

Now for the topping!

Brown sugar, flour and butter.

I tried this once with melted butter, I will not let you make this mistake.

Just sort of mix together.

Incorporate. Then you will sprinkle this mixture over the potatoes.

This turns into a crispy surprise. It's like a candy shell, you won't regret it.

Cook for about 25 minutes or so.

Now, if you aren't a marshmellow person just cook it for another 10 minutes or so.

Add the marshmellows! Cook another 10 minutes.

Sorry about this picture. It's like a mug shot for souffle. Normally I would have left for another 2 or 3 minutes for the golden browness, but I was feeling rather impatient.

I need you to make this so you can taste it.

The sweet potatoes are delicious. That little bit of vanilla makes all the difference in the world. The little crispy layer adds just that crunch and it's hidden beneath the marshmellows and that makes it a sneaky little crunch!

When we make this I warm it up for breakfast in the mornings!