ABC Pasta

Arugula, Bacon-Carbonara! 

With a dish like carbonara, you can be as creative as you like while still using the classic sauce/technique.

This time, I used savory bacon, spicy arugula & sweet roasted garlic to really bump up the flavor. 

What You Will Need: Pasta, parmesan cheese, egg yolks, minced onion, roasted garlic, crispy bacon, arugula & basil.

Bring a pot of water to a boil.

Press the garlic cloves out of the bulb and mash against the cutting board to turn into a paste. Set aside.

Heat a large, high sided sauté pan with olive oil & butter. Saute your onions.

Add in the cooked bacon pieces.

Place in your pasta.

Use tongs or a large spoon, move the pasta around once its in the pot so it doesn't stick together.

Add in the mashed roasted garlic. 

Turn the heat to low.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks.

I cook the egg whites and treat my puppy dog to a special dinner.

Sprinkle in a good amount of parmesan cheese into the yolks & mix.

Reserve at least 2 mugs of the starchy cooking liquid.

Once your pasta is cooked to al dente, place into the sauté pan.

With one of the reserved mugs, whisk the liquid into the egg mixture. 

Pour slowly, whisk quickly!

Pour the liquid over the pasta & toss.

While mixing the pasta with the bacon...onions....roasted garlic goodness, add in the fresh arugula.

Remove the pasta from the heat and give a couple more tosses, the sauce should thicken up. If it gets to thick, use the extra reserved mug of cooking liquid to get the desired saucy constancy.

Garnich with fresh basil & of course.....extra parmesan cheese!!!!

I know that in this picture all you can see is the noodles & garnish....but underneath those creamy noodles is wonderfully wilted arugula, glorious roasted garlic & salty, thick bacon!

Once you learn the basic components of a dish, its at that moment that you can bring in all the flavors you love to make your own! 

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Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!

Roasted Garlic

If you're a garlic lover like me, then whole roasted garlic bulbs need to be a staple in your kitchen too! When you roast garlic they get soft, creamy, sweet & out of this world delicious!

And as a bonus; they couldn't be easier to make!

What You Will Need: Whole bulbs of garlic, olive oil & foil.

Preheat your oven to 400

Using a sharp knife, cut the top off of the bulbs.

Give a generous drizzle of olive oil.

Wrap tightly in the foil. If you like, double warp them to insure that you won't have an oil drip in your oven & smoke out your entire house....**im guilty of this one**.

Let them roast for 30 minutes, then shut off the oven and keep them in there for 10 more minutes.

Remove and unwrap. The whole bulb should be soft and you should be able to push the roasted cloves right out.

Using your knife, smash and scrap the garlic against your cutting board to create a paste.

Now the possibilities of this are endless! 

Mix with soften butter & smear over crusty pieces of bread.

Add to soups, pasta dishes or hardy casseroles like Shepherds Pie.

Combine with oil & your favorite vinegar for a roasted garlic vinaigrette.

Add into any vegetable side dish for an extra burst of flavor.

Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!

Pizza Salad or Salad Pizza?!?!?!?

My father orders a side salad whenever we have pizza. I remember as a child always wondering why he would take a bite of pizza, then a bite of salad. He loved the combination of hot, cheesy, spicy pizza followed by the cold, crunchy freshness of the salad.

In 2011, my father & I took a trip to the Big Apple..NYC!! On our last day there, we ordered a pizza that was topped with arugula & thick slices of fresh tomatoes. Garnished with fresh parmesan cheese & a thick drizzle of olive oil. This pizza was quite simply...wonderful! I remember taking this photo, before I even took a bite. Until this point in my life, I had never seen such a beautiful pizza presented to me before. 

After this trip I had a whole new appreciation for this type of pizza. If you have never had a pizza topped with cool, crisp greens then you are missing out! 

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What You Will Need: Pizza dough, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, garlic, onions, fresh basil, parmesan cheese, corn meal, vinaigrette dressing, tomatoes & mixed greens or fresh arugula.  

If you choose to use fresh mozzarella, it should come packaged in some milky liquid. I like to remove the cheese and drain the extra liquid onto a paper towel so it doesn't get too wet on the pizza.

Preheat your oven to 425.

Sprinkle the corn meal over the baking dish & roll out your pizza dough. 

Mince the garlic & press it right into the dough.

**apologize for not taking a better photo**

Thinly slice the onion and like the garlic, press it into the dough. Place in the oven to par bake.

While the pizza is in the oven, place your mixed greens into a bowl.

Add in sliced tomatoes or any salad additions that you like. Onions, olives, beets, cucumbers, etc..

Sprinkle with salt/pepper and a light coating of vinaigrette. Use store bought or make your own. I take the short cut. Toss & set aside.

Once the dough has color, remove from the oven.

Place pieces of mozzarella over the top.

Then lots of pepperonis & parmesan cheese. Place it back in the oven till all the cheese is melted and the crust is to your liking.

Sprinkle with plenty of fresh basil.

If you have friends or family that are not into the whole idea of the salad part, go ahead and slice the pizza.

Then....take your slice

pile it high with the greens &

give an extra, lovely sprinkle of parmesan cheese

Talk about pizza with some extra class!!

Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!

Cilantro Lime Chicken Taco's

What You Will Need: Chicken breast, cilantro, lime, onion, bell pepper, shredded cheese, chili powder, cumin, oregano & taco shells of your choice.

In a bowl, season your chicken with chili powder, cumin, oregano & salt. Drizzle with a little olive oil, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Once you have let it marinate, take out for about 15 minutes to take the chill off the meat for more even cooking. In a large skillet, heat some olive oil and place in the chicken breast. 

Once you have a good sear, flip to cook the other side. After it is cooked through, place in a bowl, cover with foil and let sit for a couple minutes. 

While the chicken is resting, turn the heat to medium-low & squeeze in the juice to 1-1 1/2 limes. 

Add in your sliced onions & bell peppers. Season with salt/pepper.

The pepper & onions should pick up a rich color from being cooked in the same pan as the chicken.

Meanwhile, use two forks & shred your chicken

Add the chicken back into the skillet & toss in a big handful of freshly chopped cilantro!

Serving style is entirely up to you! 

I went with corn shells, guacamole & sour cream.

My husband wanted cheese, sour cream & extra diced onions!

Skip the shells & put the meat mixture onto a large pile of lettuce. Top with salsa & some sliced avocado for a Fiesta Chicken Salad!

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Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!

Crispy Caprese Chicken

What do you get when you mix the flavors of a Caprese Salad & the technique of Chicken Parmesan?? 

A deliciously winning combination!!!

What You Will Need: Chicken breast, flour, eggs, mozzarella cheese, panko bread crumbs, basil, parmesan cheese & balsamic vinegar. 

Extra Ingredients: Parsley, mixed greens, onions, tomatoes & a vinaigrette of your choice.

**Turn your broiler to high**

Trim the fat off the chicken breast and if the pieces are thick, cut them butterfly style.

Place the chicken in-between a large piece of plastic wrap.

Using the meat mallet (the flat side), pound the chicken out to a large, thin piece. 

Get your classic breading station together. Flour, egg wash, bread crumbs.

Mix some parmesan cheese, parsley, salt & pepper into the panko bread crumbs.

Get a large skillet over medium high heat & add in a good layer of olive oil.

Place the chicken into the flour.

Dip into the egg wash.

Coat in the bread crumbs.

Then place the piece of chicken into the hot pan.

Once your get a nice golden brown color, flip & sauté the over side.

Place the chicken cutlets onto a rake over a baking sheet.

The lifted rake will keep the crunchy texture all the way around the chicken breast. But if you don't have one, just place the pieces onto the baking sheet.

Top with pieces of mozzarella cheese & place under the broiler.

Remove once the cheese has melted.

Drizzle some balsamic vinegar, then garnish with chopped basil.

Now......you can leave the chicken as is or add an extra flare by topping the chicken with a pile of mixed greens that have been dressed with a simple vinaigrette & an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

The combination of hot, crunchy chicken with the cool, crisp salad is absolutely superb!

This dish would be wonderful for a date night or a special Valentines dinner!

But its also fantastic for just a plan 'ol Monday!

Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!