Chicken Sausage and Mushroom Penne

This is from delish.com and the comment "this is what dreams are made of"; is not too far from the truth. This dish takes a bit to prep, but would be a "wow" dish to serve to guests. Since I am gluten-free and all; you all, I used Tinkyada brand penne. When I serve this again; I will slightly undercook the pasta; as thought mine was a tad overdone. I had made a bit ahead due to the Broncos/Chiefs game. I will not bore you with that outcome... I always keep heavy cream frozen to have on had for dishes like this and instead of parmesan; I used pecorino cheese to slather on top. It is a bit more tangy and did not have fresh grated parm on hand. This is the brand of chicken sausage I used. Whole Foods had samples and it is fabulous. No added sugar and pretty clean ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried gluten-free penne pasta (Tinkyada brand) or other of choice
• 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 12 ounce package chicken sausage, sliced (I only used 1/2 of the package for 2 servings)
• 8 cremini mushrooms, washed, stem removed and sliced
• 1/3 cup onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
• salt, pepper and red pepper flakes
• fresh grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
• fresh parsley

Directions:

In a large saute pan over medium heat add olive oil and spread out mushrooms and let brown on one side for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add onions and garlic and saute till softened; another 3-4 minutes. Add wine, broth and heavy cream. Simmer 5-7 minutes. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions (slightly undercook gluten-free). Drain and add the cream sauce and the chopped spinach. Set aside leaving the lid off.

Over medium high heat add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to saute pan and add the sliced chicken sausage. Cook till heated through and slightly browned on one side.

If making ahead; at this point I covered both the pasta and the meat until time to serve.

To serve: place pasta in a microwaveable bowl and add chicken sausage on top. Heat slightly in the microwave. Garnish with cheese, fresh parsley and red pepper flakes is desired.

Breakfast Bars

This is my adaptation from elana's pantry. This makes two 13x9-inch pans. I freeze extras and is what I eat for breakfast. I slice in 2 halves and toast lightly. The picture has chocolate chips added. Best if thawed and stored in refrigerator.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups blanched almond flour
• 1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1cup maple syrup
• 8 eggs, beaten
• 1 tablepoon vanilla
• 4 cups cashew pieces, dry roasted, lightly whirled in a food processor
• 3 cups walnuts, toasted & lightly whirled in food processor

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt and baking soda. Add the processed nuts and combine.

Combine wet ingredients into dry ingredients.

Line two 13x9-inch baking pans with parchment paper.

Divide the dough evenly among the 2 pans.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes until golden brown and set.

Cool in pan on wire rack for 2 hours. Cut into bars.

Printed

Spaghetti Squash Pie

This recipe is from Elana's Pantry. Easy, grain-free and will make a hearty dinner entree. I changed the recipe up a bit; using half mild and half hot Italian sausage and one large shallot. The recipe calls for ground round. The recipe will make two 10-inch round pie pans. Of course this will make it's way into my freezer for a ready made meal. I love spaghetti squash and had bought a rather large one at the farmer's market for my Lasagna recipe (blog: 2/18/2019 label: lasagna) and had leftover squash enough to make half of the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage and 1/2 hot Italian sausage (original recipe calls for ground round)
• 1-large shallot, chopped
• 4 cups cooked spaghetti squash
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon celtic sea salt (I used a little less)
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper (I used less because of using Italian sausage)
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan
• 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

Direction:

In a skillet combine Italian sausage and shallot and cook until sausage is no longer pink.

Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk eggs and cream until smooth.

Mix in paprika, salt and pepper.

Stir in spaghetti squash, parmesan and 1 cup Cheddar cheese.

Stir in Italian sausage mixture.

Divided equally between two 10-inch lightly greased pie pans and top equally with remaining Cheddar cheese.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 40 minutes.

Cool and serve.

Chicken Tinga Tacos

Spicy, saucy, simple is the description by pinch of yum. This can be either a freezer meal or cooked directly into the crock pot and then frozen (which I prefer). With the addition of avocado, cheese, lettuce and roasted onions (on the grill),  all wrapped up into a fresh corn tortilla; this is one spectacular meal.


Ingredients:

• one tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup roughly chopped sweet onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1- 14 ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Directions:

Blend in a food processor all the ingredients except chicken thighs.

Place in crock pot for 4 hours on high. Shred chicken in the sauce.

Honey Mustard Dressing

Simple and delicious! I love mustard so very much a hit for me! Thank you Elena's Pantry. Check out her blog; great recipes...

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:

Combine vinegar, mustard and honey in a glass measuring cup. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.

Store in the refrigerator.

Chewy, Gooey Golden Rice Krispie Treats

Another once upon a chef recipe. Who does not like Rice Krispie Treats! Yum! "A few tweaks to the back of the box recipe make these Rice Krispie Treats the best ever." Highly recommend reading through her blog on the recipe...

Ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
• Two 10-oz bags mini marshmallows, divided
• 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8-1/2 cups Rice Krispies

Directions:

Line a 9 x 13-in pan with heavy duty aluminum foil and lightly grease with softened butter. Set aside 2 cups of the marshmallows.

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium high heat (save one of the butter wrappers to press the mixture in the pan). Swirl the  pan occasionally to be sure the butter is cooking evenly.

As the butter melts, it will begin to bubble and foam, and the color will progress from bright yellow to golden to finally a toasty-brown. Once you smell that nutty brown butter aroma, take the pan off the heat. Add the remaining marshmallows, vanilla and salt.

Place the pot back over medium heat and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the marshmallows are completely melted.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the cereal. Stir until evenly combined.

Add the reserved marshmallows and stir until they are softened and partially melted. Do not overmix.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and using the butter wrapper, press mixture gently into an even layer in the prepared baking pan. Let cool at room temperature for at least an hour.

Use the foil overhang to lift the treats onto a cutting board, then use a serrated bread knife to cut into squares. Store in an airtight containers at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Freezer-Friendly: wrap in wax paper and freeze up to 6 months. Let stand at room temperature for about an hour before serving.

Fettucini Bolognese

This recipe is wonderful. Jennifer Segal from once upon a chef; maybe thanked. She says it serves four; so I doubled the recipe.  I had our good friends; Jim & Karen, over for dinner, took over a bowl for two who had surgery and put one more meal in the freezer! I did change up the recipe by using one cup of light cream and one cup 2% milk instead of the whole milk. I only bought one can of crushed tomatoes, so added 1/4 cup of paste and watered it down. I did not end up adding any pasta water to the sauce, as it was not needed and used gluten-free fettucini (Tinkyada). Below is the original recipe. Highly recommend reading through Jennifer's blog on the bolognese, plus she has other great recipes.


Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef (85% lean)
• 3 ounces pancetta, chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 pound fresh fettucini
• Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Handful chopped parsley or basil

Direction:

Place onions in food processor fitted with metal blade. Pulse until very finely chopped but not pureed. Transfer to a separate bowl.

Add carrots and celery to food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

Transfer vegetables to bowl with onions.

Heat olive oil in large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and vegetalve mixture and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 10 minutes.  Lower the heat if vegetables start to brown.

Add ground beef, pancetta, salt and pepper and cook over medium-high heat, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until meat is no longer pink, 5-10 minutes.

Add red wine and cook until liquid is almost dissolved, 1-2 minutes.

Add beef stock, crushed tomatoes and oregano. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover with lid slightly ajar and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir, then cover completely with lid and simmer 45 minutes more.

Add milk to sauce. Cover with lid slightly ajar and simmer until milk is absorbed, about 35 minutes.
If sauce looks greasy, use soup spoon to skim off no more than 1/4 cup. Taste and adjust seasonings.

When preparing the fettucini; reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, in case the sauce becomes too thick.

Serve with grated Parmesan and fresh herbs if desired.

Freezer Friendly Sauce!