My Dad makes an especially fine haute cuisine dish of noodles and tomatoes. I used to think it was gross. Now I love it! There are just certain days when it is perfect- when the house has a slight chill because the wind is high and the wood burns up instead of out, when it is damp and rainy and the air has a spring time feel, I just know by feeling whether it is noodles and tomatoes weather. After I made it for Chubzie he shouted: "My tummy is so HAPPY!!"
Today is that day, and in the spirit of sharing, here is the highly sought after, often decorated by international diners of distinction, secret Balon noodles and tomatoes recipe.
Get a medium size pot of water boiling. Break up dry spaghetti into 2 inch lengths and throw into pot. Amount to be determined by you. When al dente, strain over the sink and return to pot. Open a can of plain diced tomatoes. Dump half (or all depending on your tastes) into pot and warm up. Sprinkle LOTS of salt and pepper into the pot.
Serve and eat.
Gustatorians everywhere: You are welcome.
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Monday, March 5, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Steak and Arugula
So, to say a lot has been going on in our lives would be an understatement. It's hard to know how much to share in such a public way. I know all five of my readers probably know what has been going on, but to put it succintly: We are in a different home and church, and are currently pursuing God about what is next for us as a family. We are living in a blessing of a house on a beautiful property in M-town. As soon as I find our camera I will definitely do a home tour, but for now I want to focus a bit on cooking.
This new kitchen is awesome! I LOVE cooking in such a light and airy space, filled with windows, counter space, and a giant pantry. Pair that with the new cook set I got from Ron for Christmas and we're talking FOOD!!
I was given two Rachel Ray magazines, and have been on a Rachel Ray kick ever since. She has great recipes for healthy eating, which I am hoping will help me to lose some of this baby weight. I have been walking in the afternoons while the boys nap, and I think I have already lost a LITTLE weight!
Last night we had grilled sirloin steak with avocado corn salsa on grilled corn tortillas. I just use my grill pan and it works great.
I had defrosted four steaks and only used two, so tonight I wanted to use up the steak and the leftover arugula I had in the fridge.
So tonight: Grilled steak strips with sauteed mushrooms, pasta with sauteed arugula parmesan cream sauce, and steamed peas. No. not exactly on the healthy menu, but goooooood.
I started my water boiling, then put 2 T of Extra virgin olive oil and butter into a pan and got it warmed on medium heat. While it was heating, I sliced the steak that had been marinating for two days in soy sauce into thick, one inch slices. Then I sliced a carton of baby portabello mushrooms and threw them into the pan. The baby portabellos are so good! So meaty and earthy and YUM! I let my mushrooms get soft and then spread them in a thick layer on the bottom of my pan. Then I layered the steak slices on top of the mushrooms and let it sit for a while. After the mushrooms had started to get browned, I stirred it all up together and turned the heat down just a bit.
Throw your futtucine into the boiling water.
Onto the cream sauce. First I put about 2 T of EVOO into a pan and let it warm up on med heat. I pressed two cloves of garlic into the pan. If you are even THINKING about using the precut stuff, FORGET ABOUT IT! Don't be lazy, use the real stuff and you will thank yourself. Let the garlic warm, but don't fry the little suckers. Dump in your arugula and stir softly til it has wilted down. Add cream, as much or as sinfully as you want. I just used a little bit. Add salt and pepper.
Salt and pepper your steak slices since you and I both forgot to do it earlier. I took the steak off the heat when it was nicely browned but still a tad pink inside. Do not cook the living daylights out of your meat. You will not die from strange germs and the flavor is the whole reason we eat animals!
When your pasta is al dente drain and mix into your cream sauce.
Howl because you forgot to steam the peas and then let it go. Look, a lot of this recipe isn't exact because cooking doesn't always have to be exact. I used about 3/4 a box of fettucine noodles and it was a bit too much. Whatever!
Serve the pasta alongside the steak and mushrooms for a really yum meal. Eat hunched over your laptop watching the latest episode of Downton Abbey.
This new kitchen is awesome! I LOVE cooking in such a light and airy space, filled with windows, counter space, and a giant pantry. Pair that with the new cook set I got from Ron for Christmas and we're talking FOOD!!
I was given two Rachel Ray magazines, and have been on a Rachel Ray kick ever since. She has great recipes for healthy eating, which I am hoping will help me to lose some of this baby weight. I have been walking in the afternoons while the boys nap, and I think I have already lost a LITTLE weight!
Last night we had grilled sirloin steak with avocado corn salsa on grilled corn tortillas. I just use my grill pan and it works great.
I had defrosted four steaks and only used two, so tonight I wanted to use up the steak and the leftover arugula I had in the fridge.
So tonight: Grilled steak strips with sauteed mushrooms, pasta with sauteed arugula parmesan cream sauce, and steamed peas. No. not exactly on the healthy menu, but goooooood.
I started my water boiling, then put 2 T of Extra virgin olive oil and butter into a pan and got it warmed on medium heat. While it was heating, I sliced the steak that had been marinating for two days in soy sauce into thick, one inch slices. Then I sliced a carton of baby portabello mushrooms and threw them into the pan. The baby portabellos are so good! So meaty and earthy and YUM! I let my mushrooms get soft and then spread them in a thick layer on the bottom of my pan. Then I layered the steak slices on top of the mushrooms and let it sit for a while. After the mushrooms had started to get browned, I stirred it all up together and turned the heat down just a bit.
Throw your futtucine into the boiling water.
Onto the cream sauce. First I put about 2 T of EVOO into a pan and let it warm up on med heat. I pressed two cloves of garlic into the pan. If you are even THINKING about using the precut stuff, FORGET ABOUT IT! Don't be lazy, use the real stuff and you will thank yourself. Let the garlic warm, but don't fry the little suckers. Dump in your arugula and stir softly til it has wilted down. Add cream, as much or as sinfully as you want. I just used a little bit. Add salt and pepper.
Salt and pepper your steak slices since you and I both forgot to do it earlier. I took the steak off the heat when it was nicely browned but still a tad pink inside. Do not cook the living daylights out of your meat. You will not die from strange germs and the flavor is the whole reason we eat animals!
When your pasta is al dente drain and mix into your cream sauce.
Howl because you forgot to steam the peas and then let it go. Look, a lot of this recipe isn't exact because cooking doesn't always have to be exact. I used about 3/4 a box of fettucine noodles and it was a bit too much. Whatever!
Serve the pasta alongside the steak and mushrooms for a really yum meal. Eat hunched over your laptop watching the latest episode of Downton Abbey.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Apple Butter Days....
Well, the day didn't start out with Granny out back scrubbing out the big copper kettle- we are modern day canning over here at Casa McNasty. I bought two bags of apples from WalMart- one Fuji, one Granny Smith. Then I got out my handy dandy peeler/slicer/corer thing. I LOVE this little piece of twenty dollar equipment. The boys wanted to try, so I thought I'd give them a go. I fully expected them to get bored after a few apples, but LB did both bags! Chubzie cranked a few apples and then got interested in eating the looooong peely strips.
I finally got to try the crockpot apple butter recipe a friend gave me last year- it worked SO well, compared to last year's endless cooking on the stovetop only to have it stay runny experience.
Here's the super simple recipe:
Fill your crockpot full of peeled, sliced and cored apples. (two grocery store bags yielded almost enough. My crockpot was 3/4 full.)
4 c. sugar (this was WAY too much for my taste. I used 2 cups and was happy with the sweetness.)
4 T cinnamon
2 T ground cloves
Cook on high for 1 hour, then turn on low and cook all night. Transfer apples to a blender and blend until smooth. Ladle into prepared jars and process in a hot water bath for 20 mins.
Done!
For me, this made 8 1/2 pint jars. My apple mixture in the crockpot had a LOT of water. Next time I am going to use a slotted spoon to transfer the apples and just a little juice so that my apple butter isn't so runny. The flavor is really great though!
I'd like to can some applesauce and apple pie filling at some point this season. Really wish I could find an orchard around here. I think Meeteetse is just slightly too cold and too high for apples.
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