Gnocchi with Pancetta and Beans

Tuesday is turning into "pasta night" at my house and I've been on a quest to make it more than just a red sauce kind of thing.  I found some beautiful green beans and diced pancetta at the market today and thought the saltiness would pair well with a potato, so we ended up with gnocchi.  This is quick and easy and oh, so, delicious.

Here's what you'll need:

5 oz diced pancetta
1 pint green beans
17 oz pkg of gnocchi
2 TBSP butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Bring 4 quarts of salted water to boil in a large saucepan.  Trim the ends off the beans and cut into 1" pieces.

Cook the beans for 2 minutes.  Remove from the water with a spider or slotted spoon and immerse in ice water.  This stops the cooking and keeps the beans' green color.  Set aside.

Bring the water back to a boil.

Cook the pancetta in a large skillet, over low heat, until it's crisp.

Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.  Set aside.

Add the butter to the skillet.  Over low heat cook the garlic just until fragrant.

Add the beans a saute lightly.

Meanwhile, add the gnocchi to the boiling water.  Cook 2-3 minutes or until they float.  Remove with a slotted spoon or a spider, and put into the skillet with the beans.

Add the pancetta and toss.

Add the Parmesan cheese and the pepper, stirring to coat all the gnocchi, adding 1-2  spoons of the pasta water, if needed, to form a sauce.

Serves 3-4.

Enjoy!

Rigatoni with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Bacon Alfredo

Pasta night has become a weekly occurrence at our house.  Even with all the variations available, it can still become a little old, so I'm always looking for new ways to freshen it up.  Tonight I settled on rigatoni with a creamy Alfredo sauce.  You can make your own Alfredo from scratch, but to make it quick and easy on a work night I used a jarred variety.  I had dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.

Here's what you'll need:

1/2 pkg Rigatoni pasta
5 strips of bacon
4-5 slices of sun-dried tomato, in oil
1 jar garlic Alfredo
1/4 tsp black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions.  While it cooks, dice the bacon and brown it in a large saute pan.

Coarsely chop the tomatoes and set aside.

When the bacon is crispy, place on paper towels to dry. Drain the grease, leaving about 1 TBSP in the pan.

Add 1 TBSP butter, olive oil or oil from the tomatoes to the bacon drippings.  Add the tomatoes and cook until they soften a little.  Stir in the pepper and jarred Alfredo sauce.  I used the garlic kind to give it an extra kick of flavor.

Warm gently, but don't boil.

When the pasta is cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer it into the skilled with the sauce.

Gently stir until the pasta is all coated with the sauce.

Fold in the bacon and serve.

Serves 4.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Stuffed Poblano Peppers

I had an abundance of Poblano peppers this summer.  Most of them were fire-roasted and made into salsa.  I like chiles rellenos, but they seem more like an appetizer than an entree.  I was talking to a friend at work about it one night and she told me her mom stuffs the peppers with potatoes and ground meat.  Sounded like an entree to me!  This is what came out.

Here's what you'll need:
6 large poblano peppers
1 TBSP olive oil (or bacon grease)
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 c onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 potatoes, peeled & cut into small dice
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp Ancho chile powder
2 c shredded cheddar or cheddar-jack cheese

Lightly roast the peppers over a burner or grill, just until a little charred.  Remove from heat.

Use a sharp knife to cut off the stem end and remove the seeds from each pepper.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet.  Add the ground meat and the onion.  Cook until the meat is browned and the onion softens.

Add the garlic, potatoes and seasonings.  Cook 3-5 minutes or until the potatoes begin to soften.
Remove from the heat and cool slightly.  Stir in the cheese.  Spread a shallow layer of the meat mixture in the bottom of the baking dish.  Use the remaining meat mixture to fill the peppers. Arrange the peppers in the dish.  Lay the remaining tops around the peppers.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, until the peppers are fork-tender and the potatoes are thoroughly cooked.  Serve with sour cream.

Enjoy!

Pork Chops with Peach Pan Sauce

Peaches are in full swing right now.  They're sweet, juicy and (finally!) the free stone variety in in season. That means I am experimenting with all sorts of peachy combinations. Since I love to pair sweet and savory, this combo was a no-brain er.  I figured if apples and pork go so well together, peaches would have to be a suitable substitution.  And I was right!

Here's what you'll need:
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP olive oil
1 sprig fresh rosemary
4 pork loin chops
salt and pepper
1 peach, diced
1 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP flour
1/2 c chicken broth

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine the peaches with the sugar and flour in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Melt the butter with the oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over med-high heat.  Add the rosemary.

Sprinkle the pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides.

Add the pork chops to the skillet.

When they release from the pan (2-3 minutes), turn over.

Transfer the skillet to the hot oven.  Bake until the juices run clear, about 12 minutes.  Remove from the oven.  Remove the rosemary sprig and discard.

Remove the pork chops from the skillet.  Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the peach mixture, stirring well.

Return to a boil; them simmer until the sauce is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.  Pour the sauce over the chop and serve.

Enjoy!

Garlic Shrimp Tacos

Looking for an easy, quick dinner?  This one takes less than 15 minutes, start to finish.  It features shrimp, which cook in mere minutes.  That being said, make sure all your prep is ready before you put them in the pan.

Here's what you'll need:
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP olive oil
1 lb large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt and pepper
2 TBSP minced garlic, about 6 cloves
juice of 2 limes
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
flour tortillas, to serve
salsa, sour cream and minced jalapenos, to serve

Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the shrimp to the hot skillet.  Turn when they begin to turn pink, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the lime juice and garlic.  Cook until shrimp are completely pink, about 2 minutes more.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.

Serve immediately on flour tortillas with sour cream, salsa and jalapenos.  Makes 4 tacos.

Enjoy!

Carnitas Redo: Quesadillas al Pastor

I made carnitas the other day and, oddly, had some left over.  I didn't want to have the exact same meal again, so I decided quesadillas would be a great way to reshape that dinner.  It was fast. It was easy.  It was delicious!

Here's what you'll need:
8 taco-sized flour tortillas
about 2 cups shredded carnitas, or roast pork
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese (mine was smoked)
1 c diced pineapple (I used fresh)

Divide meat among 4 of the tortillas.

Top with the pineapple.

Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top.

Transfer to a preheated griddle.  Top with remaining 4 tortillas.

Cook 2-3 minutes over medium heat, until the tortilla begins to brown.  Turn.

Cook another 3-4 minutes, until browned and the cheese is melted.

Cut into wedges.  Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Basil-glazed Chicken Salad

During the summer heat, my hubby lights to eat lighter.  That means more salads.  So, I'm forever on the hunt to make new and interesting salads.  I found some strawberries and basil in the fridge, both needing to be used in the near future.  I thought they'd make a light, refreshing salad dressing.  After a little tweaking-- and puckered faces from the hubby-- I got it right.

Here's what you'll need:

2 c strawberries, stems removed
1/4 c fresh basil leaves
juice of 2 limes
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 head mild lettuce, like butter or bibb, torn
4 asparagus spears, shaved
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped or sliced
2 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 TBSP roasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 c shaved smoked mozzarella cheese

Make the dressing first.  I used some of it to marinade the meat, so it needed some time.

Combine the strawberries, basil, lime juice, salt and olive oil in a blender or food processor.

Pulse until smooth.

If using for a marinade, place 1 cup of the dressing in a bowl.  Put the rest of the dressing in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Put the chicken in the bowl with the marinading part of the dressing, turning to coat.

Cover with plastic wrap.  Keep in the fridge up to 8 hours.  Longer than that and the lime juice with start to turn to the chicken into mush, and no one wants to eat that.

Preheat a grill or grill pan.  Cook the chicken until the juices run clear, about 10 minutes depending on size. Allow the chicken to rest a few minutes while you assemble the salad.

Arrange the lettuce on 2 dishes.  Use a vegetable peeler to shave the asparagus spears.

Put the asparagus on top of the lettuce, then add the eggs, cheese and pumpkin seeds.

Slice the chicken on the bias and arrange on the salad.  Serve with extra dressing.  Any remaining dressing can be kept in the fridge for up to one week.

Enjoy!