"One Pot Wonder" Pasta with Rainbow Linguine, Baby Heirloom Tomatoes, Sun Dried Red Peppers, Fresh Basil, Artichokes, + Creamy Goat Cheese

"One Pot Wonder" with Rainbow Linguine, Baby Heirloom Tomatoes, Sun Dried Red Peppers,
Fresh Basil, Artichokes, + Creamy Goat Cheese

I liked to call myself a "snooty foodie". And by no means, do I mean that positively. All the time, I get requests from my mountain man, family members, and friends asking for something that I just completely turn my nose up too. Casseroles, pot roast, pasta, & slow cooker meals to name a few. I don't know, I guess I'm a complicated girl, who likes complicated food. However, there is a certain recipe that has been floating around the internet and has taken the world by store. And it's all because of Martha. Martha, martha, marthaaaaaaaa. I was certainly skeptical of course, it seemed too easy, too simple, and down right impossible. It literally requires you to throw pasta, vegetables, aromatics, liquid, and herbs into one pot and boil it all together to form one luscious, creamy dish... without the fuss of dirtying up a million pas & utensils. I stored this recipe away for a day that I was scrambling to find something quick to cook for dinner. And well, tonight was the night that I would pull it out for examination. Her original recipe isn't as "fully loaded" as mine, but I'm sure they are equally tasty. I started off with a tomato basil theme, but it kinda grew + expanded from there when I added artichokes, white wine, chicken stock, sun dried red peppers, roasted garlic paste, pesto, and goat cheese. Hands down, our favorite component was the sun dried red peppers. We swear by the brand, DeLallo. So if you can get your hands on those, you won't regret it! They are sweet, slightly smokey, and plump beautifully during the cooking process. And lemme tell y'all, these peppers are amazing on a homemade pizza! As for the pasta, any kind will do, but we loved the idea of using gourmet rainbow linguine because, well, it's gorgeous and tasty. Once everything has cooked through and the pasta has soaked up all of the liquid and achieved the perfect al dente texture, toss in some softened goat cheese (or even some brie would be a great substitute as well) and stir until an extra creamy sauce is formed. For this dish, it calls for two bunches of fresh basil... one is added in at the beginning to "perfume" all of the components and the other is thinly shaved and lightly folded in just a minute before serving. I think that it's a really important step because it creates a wonderful balance between the rich sauce and herby basil. But you know what's best about this recipe? It would be great all year long, no matter what season it is! I can't even imagine how much better the pasta would be with fresh summery basil and juicy heirloom tomatoes... it's practically what my dreams are made of here, people. So give this recipe a try because it literally will become your "one pot wonder" and a weekly go-to!! Enjoy :)

ingredients: fresh basil, baby heirloom tomatoes, fresh garlic, roasted garlic paste,
artichokes, rainbow linguine, sun dried red peppers, onion, + creamy goat cheese

is that food for the eyes or what??

toss it all in and call it a day!

luscious, creamy, hearty, but fresh. it literally as it all. 

For the One Pot Wonder Pasta:

16oz Gourmet Rainbow Linguine Pasta

1 Sweet Vidalia Onion, Sliced

16oz Baby Rainbow Heirloom Tomatoes, Sliced in Half

14oz Artichokes, Drained + Quartered

½C Sun Dried Roasted Red Peppers, Julienned (we love the brand, Delallo)

4 Cloves of Fresh Garlic, Thinly Sliced

2T Roasted Garlic Paste + 2T Homemade Pesto

2 Bunches of Fresh Basil (one for the cooking process & one for finshing)

4C Chicken Stock + 1C White Wine

2t Dried Oregano

½t Red Pepper Flakes

Fleur de Sel, Fresh Cracked Pepper, & Olive Oil (to your preference)

4oz Creamy Goat Cheese, Room Temperature (although brie could be substituted here)

Directions:

1. For the Pasta: Combine the linguine, baby tomato halves, sliced onion, quartered artichokes, sun dried red peppers, garlic, roasted garlic paste, pesto, 1 bunch of basil, red-pepper flakes, olive oil (I used about two big glugs), fleur de sel, and fresh cracked pepper in a pot. Pour the chicken stock and white wine all over the pasta components in the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil mixture, stirring and turning pasta frequently with tongs, until pasta is al dente and water has nearly evaporated, about 15-20 minutes.

2. Finishing the Pasta: Once the liquid has reduced and thickened, add in the softened goat cheese and stir to melt and form a creamy sauce. Season the dish with more salt and pepper if needed (we actually added a touch of honey to round out all of the flavors). If the pasta has an al dente texture, then it is ready to serve! Chiffonade the remaining bunch of basil and toss that in just before serving. This will give the pasta a wonderful, aromatic taste and balance the creaminess with its’ herbed flavor.

Slow Cooker Honey-Sesame Chicken

Slow Cooker Honey-Sesame Chicken

I never do this... cook simple things. Right? I make everything too complicated, too many steps, too many gourmet ingredients. Just too everything. But ya know, every now and then, I like to slow it down and do things simple (I promise). Well, I came across this recipe and decided to make it on a lazy Sunday afternoon and it was just swell. I changed up the recipe just a little by making the sauce sweeter because I like stuff really sweet. It's slightly spicier and thicker because I like it like that. I mean, can't you tell from the bright red drizzle of Sriracha? That's optional, don't worry. This is especially perfect when you have cooked a lot the past weekend and you want to take it easy!! Enjoy :)

An Easy-Peasy Dinner

For the Chicken:

2lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs (that’s all I could fit in my slow cooker)

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

16oz Honey

½C Soy Sauce

¼C Ketchup & Teriyaki Sauce

1t Sriracha

2T Sesame Oil

1 Small Onion, Diced

8 Cloves of Garlic, Roughly Chopped

¼-½t Red Pepper Flakes   

3T Cornstarch

6T Chicken Stock

Sesame Seeds, For Garnishing

Sliced Green Onions, For Garnishing

Cooked Jasmine Rice, For Serving

Directions:

1. Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt & pepper and place them into the slow cooker.   

2. In a bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, ketchup, teriyaki sauce, Sriracha, sesame oil, diced onions, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes until smooth and incorporated.   

3. Pour the sauce over the seasoned chicken breasts and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until the chicken is just cooked through. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot, leaving the sauce. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch into the chicken stock and pour it into crock pot sauce. Whisk to combine. Return the lid on top and cook the sauce on high for 15-20 minutes or until thickened. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces, and then return the chicken to the pot and toss with the sauce before serving.   

4. Serve the chicken on top of jasmine rice with sesame seeds and green onions for garnish.   

source: slow cooker honey-sesame chicken.

Short Rib Chili with Creamy Pimento Cheese Polenta & Crispy Onion Strings

The weather has been sort of erratic here in Savannah. It's hot one second, and in the next it's freezing cold. Unfortunately this weekend it has been miserably cold. So, I had to switch from fresh summery ingredients back to winter food. This hearty stew is inspired from one of my favorite recipes, Turkey Chili, which is unique in that it has dark cocoa powder and peanut butter as secret ingredients. Instead of using ground turkey, I braised short ribs in the mixture until fall-off-the-bone tender, and then I shredded the meat and returned it to the gravy. I also added in some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for a richer, spicier flavor. Serve this chili on top of one of my favorites, creamy pimento cheese polenta, and top with some crispy onion strings and fresh chives. This meal is so satisfying and warming to the soul on a cold day. Even though I do love this meal, I really hope the weather improves, so I can survive outside. It's just truly yucky here. Oh well, at least there is an excuse to eat delicious food like this!! Enjoy :)

Short Rib Chili with Creamy Pimento Cheese Polenta & Crispy Onion Strings

For the Short Rib Chili:

3lbs Meaty Short Ribs (with bone)

2T Olive Oil

2T Unsalted Butter

1 Medium Onion, Chopped

1T Garlic, Chopped

2 28oz Can of Crushed Tomatoes

1C Water or Beef Stock

1 Can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo

2T Chili Powder

1t Paprika

½t Dried Oregano

½t Pumpkin Pie Spice

1t Cumin

1t Onion Powder

1t Garlic Salt

1T Brown Sugar

¼C Creamy Peanut Butter

2T Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1t Hot Sauce

1t Worcestershire

For the Creamy Pimento Cheese Grits:

3C Chicken Stock

1 ½C Heavy Cream

1C Stone Ground Grits

2T Butter

1C Pimento Cheese

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. For the Short Rib Chili: Heat the olive oil in a big pot on medium-high heat. Brown the short ribs in batches and brown all sides, about 5-6 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned ribs to a plate while you make the liquid base. Melt the butter in the same pot that you had browned the short ribs in over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until tender, and then add in the garlic cook for about 2 minutes. Add in the water, crushed tomatoes, and chipotle peppers. Let this mixture cook for about 10 minutes, then stir in chili powder, paprika, oregano, cayenne, cumin, salt, onion powder, garlic salt, and brown sugar. After it has simmered, stir in the creamy peanut butter, cocoa powder, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and cinnamon. Return the browned short ribs to the pot; stir to coat. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 2-3 hours or until the meat is fall apart tender and the liquid is thick like a chili. Tilt the pot and spoon off any fat that rises to the surface. Using tons, transfer the ribs and any loose bones to a cutting board. Carefully cut the meat off from the bones and membranes. Roughly cut the meat into small cubes. Return the chopped meat into pot. Season to your tastes and let it simmer while you make the grits.
2. For the Creamy Pimento Cheese Grits: Bring the chicken stock and heavy cream to a boil. Add in the stone ground grits in a thin stream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes (adding salt & extra liquid if needed). When the polenta is done, whisk in the butter and pimento cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve the chili hot and on top of a pile of the grits. Garnish it with crispy onion strings and sliced green onion or chives. 

Soup Sunday: Truffled French Onion Soup

I have never loved French Onion Soup. I'm not quite sure why though. I really like all of the ingredients that go into it. But, I though perhaps it was because I had never had it homemade before... and I was right. French Onion Soup is da-bomb. The caramelized onions, rich beef broth, thick bread, and ooey gooey-melty-delicious cheese topping are all just amazing. I took a classic recipe and pretty much kept it the same, however, I doubled the amount of caramelized onions and added truffle to it. What's not to love about truffles? Nothin'. So, there's some truffle butter, truffle oil, & bread slices fried in more truffle oil (for the topping). The soup was super easy and so delicious that we slurped it all up!! Enjoy :)

Truffled French Onion Soup

For the Soup:

3lbs Yellow Onions, Thinly Sliced

6T Truffle Butter

2T Truffle Oil

2t Salt

½t Sugar

3T AP Flour

2Q Beef Stock

½C Dry White Wine

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Cheesy Bread Topping:

Thick Crusty Bread, Grilled or Fried in Truffle Oil

Gruyere Cheese, Grated  

Parmesan Cheese, Grated

Fresh Minced Parsley, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. Cook the onions slowly with the butter and oil in the covered saucepan for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise the heat to medium, and stir in the salt and sugar. Cook for 60-90 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions have turned an even, deep, golden brown.
2. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 3 minutes. Take the pot off the heat, and blend in the beef stock and white wine. Simmer partially covered for 30-45 minutes or more. Season with the salt & pepper.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pour the soup into bowls and top with a slice of truffle bread and a handful of grated gruyere cheese and parmesan. Place the soup on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and brown.
4. Garnish with parsley and enjoy with the soup is hot.

source: french onion soup.

Soup Sunday: Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup with Meatballs & Parmesan Rinds

Vegetable Beef soup is one of my absolute favorite soups that my mom made us when I was growing up. I'm kind of a veggie junkie, so I love that fact that this soup has so many different components to it, which makes you feel like you're eating a huge meal. I decided to add ground beed and mini meatballs to make it extra-hearty. But the very best part of this soup, are the cubes of parmesan rind that are cooked until slightly soft & chewy. We always had this in our recipe, and people always think we are crazy for eating it, but it really is delicious! My family and I would fight over these little nuggets, no lie. So, so just give it a try, it gives it a nice salty flavor. Enjoy :)

Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup with Meatballs & Parmesan Rinds

Yummy Vegetables & Meatballs :)

For the Soup:

Olive Oil

1C Onion, Chopped

½C Celery, Chopped

½C Green Bell Pepper, Chopped

1 ½lbs Ground Beef

1T Garlic, Minced

1 14.5oz Can of Beef Stock

1 14.5oz Can of Vegetable Stock

1Q Water

1-2T Chicken Base

28oz Can of Diced or Crushed Tomatoes

1lb Frozen Peas & Carrots

2C Corn, Okra, Roasted Mushrooms, & Chopped Haricot Verts

1-2C Parmesan Rinds, Cut into Small Cubes

16oz Mini Pasta, Cooked

15-20 Mini Meatballs, Cooked

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Hot Sauce & Worcestershire Sauce, To Taste

Fresh Parsley, Chopped

Directions: 

1. In a large pot, heat some olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, and pepper and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the ground beef and brown the meat until cooked through. Add in the garlic and cook another minute. Stir in the beef stock, vegetable stock, water, chicken base, and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, and reduce the heat, so that the liquid simmers. Add in the peas & carrots, corn okra, mushrooms, haricot verts, and Parmesan rinds. Simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked, but still have some bite, and the Parmesan rinds are slightly soft and chewy. Lastly, stir in the cooked mini pasta and meatballs. Cook on medium heat for another 10-15 minutes. Just before serving season with salt, pepper, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and parsley to taste.

Date Night : Angry Mussels with Grilled Truffle Bread

My Mountain Man and I have decided to start a new tradition of having a date night once a week. I know that sounds bizarre because we're still quite young, and this kinda sounds like an old married couple who doesn't have time for one another, but it's quite the opposite. We've been dating now for about four and a half years and when you get to being with someone that long, you have to keep the "zsa-zsa-zsu" alive (as Carrie Bradshaw would say). Well, this new tradition is a lot of fun, and we really look forward to it every week now. I either cook us a special meal or he takes us out to dinner, and there are always some beautiful flowers involved (or some delicious chocolates, yum). So, for one of our date nights, I decided to recreate one of his favorite dishes from JCT Kitchen called "Angry Mussels". I have probably described this meal before because it is his go-to order whenever we go to lunch. But the mussels are perfectly cooked in a serrano-bacon-onion-garlic white wine broth, and then served with the best bread in the entire world. Along side of our mussels, I made a fried goat cheese salad & an easy chocolate mousse (which I will post in the next couple days). But, honestly this meal was just so perfect. It was easy to prep and didn't require a lot of hassle because you just throw everything into the pot and wait until the mussels pop open. The most satisfying part of the meal is dipping the delicious grilled truffle bread into the leftover spicy broth... my mouth is just watering thinking about that. I really encourage any couple out there to try and keep a romantic date night once a week, just for some fun!! Enjoy :)

Our Romantic Date Night in the Garden by Candlelight 

Angry Mussels, Grilled Truffle Bread, & Fried Goat Cheese Salads

Angry Mussels with Grilled Truffle Bread

Spicy Serranos, Thick-Cut Bacon, Sweet Onion & Garlic, & White Wine  

The Most Perfect Meal... Ever

For the Mussels:

3lb Mussels, Scrubbed & Debearded

1 ½C Dry White Wine

1 ½C Seafood Stock

8-10 Strips of Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cut into Thick Cubes

1T Coarse Black Pepper

3 Green Onions, Sliced

1 Large Sweet Onion, Thinly Sliced

4-5 Cloves of Garlic, Thinly Sliced

4-5 Serrano Chiles, Thinly Sliced

6T Butter

3T Parsley

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Thick Crusty Bread, Grilled or Fried in Truffle Oil

Directions:

1. Place the mussels in a large bowl with cold water to cover. Let them soak for about 20-30 minutes to remove any dirt or sand. Drain the mussels, and then remove the “beard” from each. If they are dirty, scrub the shells with a brush under running water. Discard any mussels whose shells aren’t tightly shut.
2. In a large stockpot over medium heat, cook the peppered bacon cubes to render down that fat. Once the bacon has rendered, remove the cubes, leaving the bacon fat to sauté the aromatics. Add the green onion and sliced onion. Cook these until they become fragrant, but do not brown. Add in the sliced garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Next, add in the thinly sliced Serrano chiles. Let them sauté and become slightly tender. Add in the white wine, butter, and parsley. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and cook for about 10 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
3. Add the mussels into the pot. Cover and allow to cook until the shells are opened, about 10 minutes (discard any mussels that did not open in the cooking process). Once they have opened, add in the cooked bacon and cubes of butter, stirring to coat and melt the butter. Transfer the mussels and sauce to a large serving bowl. Garnish with the green onions & chopped parsley and with the fried bread slices for dipping.

Zesty Cranberry-Cherry Sauce

I know there are people out there that slap the store-bought cranberry sauce out of the can and just love it. I'm sorry, but I just can't get on board with that. I never liked that congealed cranberry jello... I always wanted the homemade, chunky stuff that sticks to your ribs. I love the spiced, zesty flavor that you can add to it, and I just love love love the texture. So, when I decided to come up with my own recipe, I knew that I wanted one that had a sweet little kick, and a great chunkiness to boot. But, how do you achieve that when you are cooking down the cranberries until they lose all substance whatsoever? You add dried fruit that can re-plump in the sauce. And while at the grocery store, I reached for some dried cranberries, and saw dried cherries, and I thought that cherries would add an amazing sweetness to the sauce to help with the depth of flavor. The mixture of cranberries & cherries is awesome, and I still can't get over this compote-like sauce that develops. As the sauce cooks down, your house starts to smell like a big ole' batch of mulled red wine, and what's not amazing about that? I really love this stuff. It stole my heart on Thanksgiving, and I can't wait to make it again next year!! Enjoy :)

Zesty Cranberry-Cherry Sauce

For the Sauce:

1C Orange Juice, Freshly Squeezed

1C Water

1C Sugar

2 Oranges, Zested

2 Cinnamon Sticks

½t Ground Cloves

Freshly Grated Ginger

4C Fresh Cranberries

1C Dried Cherries

1C Dried Cranberries

¼C Honey

Directions:

1. Wash and Pick over the cranberries. In a saucepan, bring the orange juice, orange zest, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger to boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the cranberries and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the cranberries burst.
2. Add the dried cherries and dried cranberries to the cranberries and simmer for about 5 minutes or just until the cherries begin to plump, but still remain chewy. Add honey to sweeten slightly. Remove the cinnamon stick.
3. Remove from heat and cool completely at room temperature, and then chill in the refrigerator overnight. The cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

Classic Low Country Boil

I'm sorry I didn't post much this weekend, one of my best friends came to visit me in Savannah this weekend! This was her second time coming to visit, so we just hung out, went to lunch, and explored downtown. And whenever I have a visitor, I always try to cook them a dinner that they would love! Well, she loves seafood and Savannah is known for our wild Georgia shrimp, so I knew I had to use them in a recipe. We finally decided on a classic Low Country Boil with shrimp, red potatoes, corn, and sausage. I had never made a Low Country Boil before, but I heard that it was super easy & also super tasty! Well it definitely was, and I'm so glad we made it. I honestly can't believe how we ate all that food, but it was truly delicious. We will certainly be making this again soon, it was just perfect! Enjoy :)

Classic Low Country Boil 

For the Boil:

1 Bag of Seafood Boil Seasoning

4Q Water

4 Lemons, Cut into Quarters

1 Onion, Cut into Quarters

28oz Baby Red Potatoes

1 Package of Conecuh Smoked Sausage, Cut into Bite-Size Pieces

6 Ears of Corn, Cut into Small Rounds

3lbs Fresh Shrimp, Unpeeled

Tartar Sauce

Cocktail Sauce

Hot Sauce

Cajun Seasoning

Soy Sauce

Directions:

1. Fill large pot with enough water to cover all the ingredients. Add in the seafood boil seasoning, cajun seasoning, hot sauce, and soy sauce, and bring to a boil (do this to taste, make it as salty/spicy as you want). Add in the quartered lemon and onions. When the water boils, add the potatoes and sausage, and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Add the corn and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain and sprinkle the ingredients with Cajun seasoning. 
2. Serve with tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, and hot sauce for dipping.