017: sundried tomato alfredo pasta with italian sausage

wahoo!!!! it has been many MANY moons since i made something original--going on 5 months now! but today i got back in my kitchen and feel better than i thought possible after creating this new recipe. i hope you enjoy it! prep time was about 5-10 minutes, and cook time is about 15-20. i made this for 2 and we had about a serving of leftovers, but it could reasonably be expanded to serve more. buon appetito!





equipment:
1 12" skillet
spatula (heat proof)
paring knife
2 quart sauce pan


ingredients:
3 T. olive oil
2 italian sausage with spinach and mozzarella (i used something similar to this, though really any italian sausage will do)
1/2 c. sliced red bell pepper
1/2 c. sliced red onion
1 t. minced garlic
1 t. crushed red pepper
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. basil
1 and 1/2 cups sundried tomato alfredo sauce (i used this)
1/4 c. sun dried tomatoes (i use the jarred ones in olive oil and herbs)
6 c. water
2 c. pasta (i used radiatore)
2 T. olive oil that the sun dried tomatoes were packed in


steps:
1.) heat 2 full sausages in olive oil in the skillet until warm. cut the full sausages into bite-sized pieces.

2.) while the sausages are cooking, slice your red pepper and red onion. add 1/2 c. of each to the sausage pieces. and garlic, crushed red pepper, oregano, and basil.

3.) begin boiling the water for the pasta. pour in some of the oil and herbs that were in the sun dried tomatoes so that the pasta itself picks up some flavor.

4.) when the water boils, add the pasta and cook according to instructions.

5.) cut your sun-dried tomatoes into bite-sized pieces.

6.) add alfredo over the top of the sausage mixture when onions are translucent. add sun-dried tomato pieces.

7.) drain pasta when it's done. add it to sausage and alfredo mixture and stir it all together.


time: 5-10 minutes prep time, 15-20 minutes cook time
difficulty: 2 (1 being easiest, 5 being hardest)
rating: ♦♦♦♦♦ (5 stars out of 5)
suggestions for variation: garlic, crushed red pepper, oregano, and basil to taste. try with mozzarella sprinkled on top?, vary types of sausage used


enjoy!
-kl

016: chili cheddar jalapeño bread

goodness, it's been a long time! my apologies about that! this semester has been craaaazy busy, and i just haven't had any time to make anything new in the kitchen. thus, this recipe is an amendment of another one, the jalapeño cheddar bread from last spring. this time i added chilies to the mix, and i like this outcome MUCH better than before. so i highly recommend this one!

equipment:
medium and large mixing bowls
measuring cups and spoons
3 small loaf pans or one standard loaf pan


ingredients:
2 and 1/2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 and 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1 c. cheddar cheese, then some for sprinkling over the top
1/2 c. cubed red onion
1 diced jalapeño
1/4 c. diced red pepper
1 small can green chilies, drained
2 T. parsley
1 t. cilantro
1 t. crushed red pepper
1/2 t. black pepper
2 T. olive oil
2 T. shortening
2 T. sugar
2 cloves minced garlic
2 beaten eggs
3/4 c. plain yogurt
3/4 c. milk


steps:
1.) preheat oven to 350 degrees. fold together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cheese, onion, jalapeño, red pepper, green chilies, and herbs (if you've never worked with hot peppers like chilies and jalapeños before, check out my tips for handling them).

2.) in separate bowl, whisk together oil, shortening, and sugar until smooth. add garlic, eggs, yogurt, and milk. blend until combined well.

3.) add wet ingredients to dry and pour into greased loaf pans.

4.) sprinkle a handful of cheddar over the top of the loaf(ves).

5.) bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.


time: 30 minuets prep, 45 minutes bake
difficulty: 2.5 (1 being easiest, 5 being hardest)
rating: ♦♦♦♦1/2◊ (4.5 out of 5 stars)

enjoy!
-kl

015: i'm baaack! the tale of my summer

hello there! well, i'm finally back on campus, in my apartment, and BACK TO MY KITCHEN! goodness how i missed it. see, i was living and working all summer at a hotel in florida, and needless to say, i had an excellent time. however, given that it was a hotel, i did not ever have access to making my own food :( and i haven't exactly been back in mine yet this year--only got back to campus a few days ago and have been training for and/or working one of my 3 jobs since i got back. BUT. the good news is that i have a few pictures of projects that i undertook this summer. nothing original. nothing fancy. but just a little fun and creativity en la cocina.

this was way back in may before i left, and if you're not aware of it already, i am a HUGE minnesota twins fan! however, one of my friends is a huge milwaukee brewers fan. now this is not normally an issue between us, given that the two teams are in different leagues, but they play each other for two series a year, and the border battle gets quite intense. so, just because it was his birthday, i had some fun making some baseball themed cookies.



these are the ones i made for mr. brewers fan.



and these are the ones i made for the twins :o)

it was fun. it was fast. and it brought joy to everyone that went to the game. for the record, the twins ended up SWEEPING the brew crew, and then won 2/3 in milwaukee later in the summer. what up TWINS!!! (also, i am going to the last ever game in the metrodome in october, and i absolutely cannot wait!).

anyway, i promise i will get back to cooking soon. this was just a litte something to whet the appetite, because as i always say: life is uncertain, eat dessert first :o)
-kl

014: cinnamon apple streusel muffins

well, this is my last post for a while, given that i am moving to florida for the summer and will be without a kitchen. so i am leaving you with a delectable muffin recipe. yum! prep time is about 20 minutes, and bake time is about 25 mins. happy summer, everyone :o)




equipment:
2 mixing bowls
measuring cups and spoons
muffin tin


ingredients:
2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
2 t. cinnamon
2 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1/4 c. melted butter
1 and 1/2 c. applesauce (i used chunky applesauce with cinnamon)

streusel topping:
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
2 T. margerine


steps:
1.) preheat oven to 375 degrees. combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

2.) combine all wet ingredients in 2nd mixing bowl.

3.) add dry mix to wet mix bit by bit and mix thoroughly. pour batter into greased muffin tins.

4.) make streusel topping by creaming ingredients together, and sprinkle over top of muffins in tin.

5.) bake at 375 for 20-25 mins, or until toothpick comes out clean.


time: prep time = 20 mins, bake time = 20-25 mins
difficulty: 2 (1 being easiest, 5 being hardest)
rating: 4.5 stars out of 5


enjoy!
-kl

013: dijon tarragon chicken

probably one of the fastest and easiest standby meals that i make. as always, this recipe is per chicken breast, given that i typically cook for one. the recipe can be expanded indefinitely to compensate for however many you are cooking for. cook time is about 15 minutes.





equipment:
frying pan
sauce pot (optional)
bowl
spoon
spatula


ingredients:
olive oil
1 [boneless, skinless] chicken breast, cut into strips
1/4 c. dijon mustard
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1 T. tarragon
couscous (optional)


steps:
1.) heat olive oil in frying pan. cut chicken breast into strips for more even cooking, and cook thoroughly.

2.) meanwhile, mix mustard, mayonnaise, and tarragon in a separate bowl. i like to serve this dish over couscous, so if you want, prepare couscous according to directions. otherwise i'm sure rice or pasta would be good as well, or even plain.

3.) when chicken is cooked, pour dijon mixture over it and only keep it on the burner until sauce is thoroughly heated.

4.) serve (as i said, i do it over couscous, and that is how it is pictured).


time: 15 minutes
difficulty: 1 (1 being easiest, 5 being hardest)
rating: ♦♦♦♦◊ (4 stars out of 5)
suggestions for variation: perhaps experiment with serving it over different things--couscous, pasta, rice, etc.


enjoy!
-kl

012: blueberry lemon bread with glaze

here's another bread recipe that was just a fun mix of flavors. yum! prep time was about half an hour and bake time is an hour.




equipment:
medium and large mixing bowl
standing mixer (though you can probably use a hand mixer or do it by hand)
measuring cups and spoons
cheese grater


ingredients:
3/4 c. softened butter (or margarine)
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. lemon juice (i found that it is better to actually squeeze the lemon for at least half of the juice rather than something like realemon for the whole thing. i don't know why this makes a difference, but for some reason it seemed to...)
1/2 c. sour cream
1 T. lemon zest
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 T. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 and 1/2 c. dried blueberries (you can probably use frozen as well, but be sure that they are frozen when you fold them into the dough--don't let them thaw!)


steps:
1.) preheat the oven to 350 degrees. in a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a standing mixer until it is fluffy.

2.) add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each one.

3.) add lemon juice, sour cream, zest, and vanilla until blended.

4.) in a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. add this to the wet ingredients a bit at a time until just mixed. fold in blueberries.

5.) put in greased loaf pan(s) and bake for 60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.


glaze:
1 c. powdered sugar
1-2 T. lemon juice


mix together these two until it has the consistency of melted wax. poke holes in the top of the bread, and when loaf(ves) is/are cool, spoon the glaze over the top.


time: 30 mins prep time, 60 mins bake time
difficulty: 2 (1 being easiest, 5 being hardest)
rating: ♦♦♦♦1/2◊ (4.5 stars out of 5)


enjoy!
-kl

011: pineapple salsa

here is another salsa recipe for you, just in time for... i dunno what. spring parties, easter gatherings, baseball season openers, or just yummy eating. a sweeter version than your typical spicy salsa, this recipe is fantastic as a dip or filling. prep time was about 30 minutes, and sit time is at least 2 hours.




equipment:
cutting board
knife
gloves
medium bowl
measuring cups and spoons


ingredients:
1 and 1/2 c. cubed pineapple
1 jalapeño, seeded and cubed
1/2 c. red pepper, cubed
1/2 c. red onion, cubed
2-3 t. cilantro
2 t. lemon juice


steps:
1.) cube pineapple, jalapeño, pepper, and onion. if you've never cut a pineapple before, here are my suggestions for doing so. if you've never worked with jalapeños before, i have some tips for that, as well.

2.) combine all ingredients into a medium bowl and mix together.

3.) for best results, let it sit for at least 2 hours. serve.


time: 30 min prep time, 2 hour sit time
difficulty: 2 (1 being easiest, 5 being hardest)
rating: ♦♦♦1/2◊◊ (3.5 stars out of 5)
suggestions for serving: mess around with your pepper choices for different flavors.


enjoy!
-kl