Pasta with Beet Greens and Raisins

This was inspired by a Sunset Magazine recipe. I made a few changes (of course) and I think there is lots of room for variation, but the basics are unusual and yummy. After I convinced Kate and Mariah that the "lettuce" wasn't gross, they actually ate it. The raisins really helped encourage them to try.

* 1 package uncooked pennette (or penne, or whatever you've got)
* 1/2 cup raisins
* 3 tablespoons oil (not olive - something like safflower*)
* 4 cups coarsely chopped trimmed beet greens (the tops from about 3 nice sized beets)
* 4 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
* 2/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
* 1 teaspoon salt (or 1/2 tsp fancy french sea salt because its really strong)
* a few grinds of black pepper

Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain. I used whole wheat penne and it was really great in this (I have used whole wheat pasta before and not liked it, but this time it really worked).

While pasta cooks, place raisins in a small bowl; cover with hot water. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain. (or let stand until you realize that it's time to add them and then drain them. Its not an exact science)

While pasta cooks and raisins soak, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add greens and garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until greens are tender. Stir in pasta, raisins, almonds, salt, and black pepper; toss to combine. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired.

VARIATION IDEAS:
You could also add some apple chicken sausage to meat it up, or maybe some sauteed chicken. Or, if you wanted to get fancy and serve it at room temp, you could add some chevre once it has cooled a bit. That would be yummy with the raisins and almonds.

*A NOTE ABOUT OLIVE OIL:
Ken recently found out that you should not use olive oil for sauteing. The reason? Olive oil becomes carcinogenic at high temperatures. Reason enough for me to switch to something more heat tolerant. The suggested substitute is grape seed oil, but that was super expensive at the grocer store. I went for safflower, and aside from smelling a little like popcorn when I started to heat the pan, it was not so different from what I am used to. I think I'm going to save my olive oil for salads and dipping. Seems a shame to waste it on sauteing anyway.

Super Blue Cheese Dressing

This is destined for fame. I finally figured out how to make LaRocca's restaurant style blue cheese dip/dressing.

Here's what you need:

• Costco Blue Cheese Crumbles
• Light sour cream
• Mayonaise (olive oil)
• Garlic, crushed
• Salt to taste

Add a mass of blue cheese to a Cuisinart.

Dump in about half a container of sour cream.

Throw in a few dollops of mayonnaise

Crush and dice and add the garlic, as much as you dare!

Salt to taste

Whip into frenzy. Add more sour cream to make more liquid or less for thicker dips.

Eat with blackened chicken, as dip for chicken wings, serve with all salads. Devour. Lick the bowl. Make more.

Enjoy!

Experimental Saag Aloo

We had a jar of masala simmer sauce from Trader Joes and a package of chicken breasts that had to be used. Of course, we'll just make some saag aloo to go with it right?

The web is woefully lacking in quality saag aloo recipes. This is my experiment with what seemed to be the simplest, and most intelligent version:

First make garam masala - not as challenging as it sounds:

* 1 tablespoon ground cumin
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground pepper
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice or cloves
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Surprisingly, I had all of these ingredients in my pantry. I felt a little like a cooking rock star.

oil
butter
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 large onion chopped
1 large potato peeled and diced
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp garam masala
1 400 gram bag of frozen chopped spinach
1 tsp chopped honey pickled ginger (or you could use fresh ginger or dry ginger and some kind of acid like lemon juice or a splash of vinegar)

First saute 1/4 tsp of cumin seeds in about a tablespoon of oil and a tablespoon of butter until starting to brown. Then before the butter and seeds burn (that's what happened with my first attempt - whatever you do, don't go looking for ginger at this point) add the chopped onion and saute until it is translucent and just starting to brown. Next add the potato, garlic, tumeric and garam masala. Saute until the potatoes start to brown and revel at the amazing Indian food smell you have just created on your kitchen stove.

Once the potatoes have started to brown, add the spinach. Once it has melted, add more water in small batches and keep stirring until the potatoes are soft. At the very end, because I felt like something was missing I added in a tsp of chopped honey pickled ginger and a half teaspoon of salt. I stirred and mixed and mixed and stirred until it looked just right.

It was fantastic!

However, the girls did not even touch it. Of course they hardly touched their gnocchi either and that is their favorite dinner. Instead, they wrestled on the banquet bench until I yelled at them. That was not fantastic.

Once I finished dinner, I had a few more ideas about what I might have done to round out the flavor a little. Definitely one to keep experimenting with.

Delectable Blackened Chicken

Oh, my goodness. Where do I begin?

I had this at a party and dreamed about it ever since.

Here's what you need (and pay attention! because the sugar, salt, and pepper get divided between the rub & the sauce...):

1 Tablespoon paprika

4 teaspoons sugar, divided

1-1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used a chipotle red pepper as a substitute, which was FANTASTIC)

1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons pepper, divided

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1-1/3 cups mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons water

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

________________________________________________________________________

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine paprika, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, thyme, lemon-pepper, cayenne and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon pepper. Stir together until combined.

Take your chicken and give it a good pat with some paper towels to make sure it's totally dry. THEN, take handfuls of the rub, and massage into breasts, BOTH SIDES, until well covered. set aside.

In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, water, vinegar and remaining sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk together until mixed well. Taste, because it's delicious. Taste it again. Cover and chill 1 cup for serving. the remaining sauce is for basting while cooking.

Grill chicken, covered, over indirect medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until juices run clear, basting frequently with remaining sauce.

Serve with reserved sauce....

I also served this with Zatarans (sp?) black beans & rice and a nice mixed veggie, some corn muffins. Let's just say, the whole family sat down to eat together, talked about our day, everyone had generous helpings of everything and there was only enough left overs for Daddy to take a blackened chicken sandwich and rice to work for tomorrow. I was most disappointed about that, after looking quite forward to a blackened chicken Caesar salad. NEXT time I double the recipe.

Happy eating, everyone!

4 servings

Enjoy :)

Sumptuous Banana Milk Smoothies

What's a mom to do when there is NOTHING that sounds good for breakfast?

Seriously, my oldest would eat only bacon if I let her. Then, SOMEONE discussed with her where bacon comes from, and guess what? Suddenly, no more interest in bacon. I can't really feel bad about this. Not really. The child needs to have something healthy to start the day.

So, after a round of "do you want this?" or "What about this?" and, just when I was about to command: "You're eating the oatmeal and liking it!" We came around to a solution that was both healthy and filling.

Banana Milk Smoothies - or, Mama is tired and the girls need protein.

* 2 cups milk
* 2 bananas
* 1 pkg Vanilla Instant Breakfast

Blend, serve in Princess Straw Cups
Goes wonderfully well with heaping handfuls of dry cereal.
Seconds, please! :)

Traditional Holiday Roast Beef

No holiday gathering is complete without the traditional Roast Beef. Just think about it for a second. Mmmm.

The distinct scents of succulent, flavorful roast greets your guests as they walk through the door. Hugs and back slaps precede the trek to the kitchen to peek into the oven to see what's cooking.

"What's in the oven?" They'll ask...

"Oh, just a roast," you'll blink back with an easy smile.

"Mmm."

Have them bring side dishes and desserts. Toss a quick salad and top with a balsamic vinaigrette you've prepared from the Temecula Olive Oil company's compliment of infused oils & vinegars.

Grab a loaf of bread from the local bakery--I suggest Great Harvest Grains "Cheddar Garlic Loaf. All dressed and perfectly coiffed, as you pour a glass of wine for all, take jackets, and know that not only does the house look great but you do, too. Why? How is this possible?

Because you've prepared the most easy holiday feast in the universe.

You’ll need:

• Your butcher’s cut of Prime Rib Roast - Approximately ½ pound beef per guest
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 clove crushed garlic

· Seasoning rub made from of: 1 tsp each: Thyme, Montreal’s Steak Seasoning, Lemon Pepper, Parsley

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Rub your roast first with olive oil, and then pat all over with the seasoning blend until crusted with herbs. Sear all sides of your roast in EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil), crushed garlic, and butter until golden brown, turning every few minutes.

Place the rubbed, seared roast in roasting pan--fat side up. Drizzle with EVOO, and cook approximately ½ hour per pound, inserting meat thermometer to ensure proper temperature is reached.

Serve with Mashed or Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Root Vegetables, tossed salad, and pair with a peppery bottle of Ruby Syrah.

Christmas is Coming Brittle!

Cuz, baby, it's cold outside!

The Chargers are losing. The kids--after helping "clean out" their toys to find donations for those less fortunate than us--have rediscovered a slew of toys. One ZuZu pet. One remote control car. One pair of fuzzy Duck Puppets (which they are currently tormenting their father with).

And, while there are many creatures stirring inside, I have had time to make a batch of Spritz Cookies (recipe coming) and this fantastic "Christmas is Coming Brittle!" Some call it Saltine Brittle. There are about a million recipes online already. But, this is what I'm making with found ingredients as we have yet to descend on the local grocery store for our annual baking break the bank trip.

Here's what you need:

• Enough Saltine crackers to cover the bottom of one cookie sheet.
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 bag Toll House Milk Chocolate Chips

Here's what you do:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. Line a baking sheet first with Parchment Paper.
2. Cover baking sheet with tight little rows of saltines.
3. Then, in a pan, melt your butter over med-high heat.
4. Add in the brown sugar to the melted butter, and stir until boiling.
5. Keep stirring for about 3 minutes until everything's all nice and bubbly.
6. Add your vanilla at the end, give a few more good stirs.
7. Next, pour bubbly mixture over top of the crackers. Make sure it's all nice and evenly covered to the edges. Best if no part of the crackers are showing.
8. Shove the tray into the oven, and let it bubble there for about 5 minutes. This gives you about enough time to wash the pan, and pretend you can't hear the Chargers throw ANOTHER interception or miss another 50+ yard kick.
9. Drag bubbling tray out of oven, and liberally sprinkle chocolate chips over mixture. Using a paddle knife or spatula, spread melting chocolates evenly over top of the goop covered crackers. Make sure it's all covered up good.
10. Cool.
11. Defend the tray of cooling candy. This is the tricky part because the kitchen smells so good. The little ones wander over in search of "good deeds to do" or other ways in which they can "help." But, it's really, really hot--so shoo them away.
12. Ideally, this creation should cool for 2-4 hours. 6 is better. 12 would be best.
13. Crack apart into sections, and hide some for after it's been devoured.

Seriously, one recipe I saw for this said that it was impossible to determine shelf-life of this candy, and I can't agree more. It's THAT good.

So, happy holiday season, moms! readers! and author friends!

~Ashley
His Darling, now available...

Don't forget to pop on over to download a copy of Tessa Takes a Chance... a free read, on me, in case you haven't already! If you have, let me know and I'll point you to a copy of Sparks Still Fly!