Easy and Lighter Penne a la Vodka

If you're like us, on a chilly night, sometimes you just crave a bowl of pasta.  Quite a few months back, Mr. S and I were contemplating ordering take-out....we were craving something Italian.  It had been a VERY long time since I had had Penne Vodka and when I googled it, I was shocked at how simple it was.  Knowing that it would probably take at least 30-40 minutes for Italian take-out to be delivered, and that sauces are usually ladened with tons of butter, heavy cream, and cheese, we decided to try it ourselves.  Thirty minutes later, we were snuggled up on the couch with a bowl of pasta and a glass of wine.

Since then, we have made this recipe quite a few times.  We usually top it with either grilled chicken on shrimp to add some protein and/or some grilled veggies on the side.

Recipe adapted from Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis

Penne a la Vodka

32oz simple tomato sauce (we always use Don Peppino's pizza sauce), another jarred sauce, or Make it!
1 cup vodka
1/2 cup fat-free half and half (light or heavy cream could be used instead)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 pound penne (or other pasta)

Grilled chicken or shrimp (optional)
Freshly grated Parmesan for topping

Simmer the tomato sauce and vodka in a large skillet over low heat for about 20 minutes until the mixture reduces. Stir frequently so it doesn't burn or stick to the sides.  When reduced, stir in the half-and-half. Simmer over low heat until the sauce is heated through, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and well blended.

While the sauce is cooking, cook pasta according to the package instructions.  Cook until desired doneness is reached.  Drain the pasta.  Toss the pasta with the sauce to coat, or put the sauce on top, whichever you desire!  We have done both.  

Top with grilled shrimp or chicken if desired.

**Don't mind the crazy mixture of pasta on our plates!  We ran out of penne and had to improvise!!**

Spoonbread : A little bit corn bread, a little bit bread pudding!

The best way to describe spoonbread is "the perfect combination between cornbread and savory bread pudding".  It's like an extra moist cornbread that you eat with a spoon, hence the name, I guess.  It's a staple side dish in the south.

I first had spoonbread, while living in the South for grad school.  I was reintroduced to it again last summer while visiting my aunt in North Carolina.  Since then, I've been looking for a great recipe, and I think I've finally found one!  It's from Boone Tavern, Kentucky.

Spoonbread Recipe

2 tbsp. unsalted butter (plus some to grease the casserole dish)
3 cups milk
1¼ cups finely ground white cornmeal
1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. fine salt
3 eggs, well beaten

Grease a casserole dish with softened butter.  (We used a 9 inch corning wear casserole). 

In a 2-quart saucepan, bring the milk to a boil, whisking occasionally, over high heat. While whisking, pour in the cornmeal in a steady stream. Whisk vigorously to incorporate the cornmeal, for about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to let the cornmeal mixture cool to room temperature.  (I emptied into a bowl and put the bowl in the freezer because I was short on time).

Heat oven to 375°. Transfer the cornmeal mixture to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the remaining butter, baking powder, salt, and eggs and mix on medium speed until uniform and aerated, about 15 minutes.  (This is VERY important, so make sure you whip it for the whole 15 minutes).

Pour cornmeal batter into the prepared casserole dish and bake until golden brown and puffy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

We made grilled chuck-eye steaks with McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning and blanched green beans to complete a delicious dinner!  Let's be real, any meal with spoon bread as a centerpiece is particularly delicious!!

Best Waffles Yet!

Mr. S and I love weekend brunch and brunch in general.  A few weeks ago, we went to brunch with our Koumbaro at a Baltimore brunch institution, Miss Shirley's.  The restaurant puts a southern twist on all their dishes, and although sometimes a little pricy, it's delicious.  When we went recently, I ordered chicken and waffles and experienced one of the best waffles of my life!  It was super crispy on the outside, but still soft in the inside, and incredibly tasty.  Since then, and even way before (since Mr. S is a huge lover of waffles), we have been on the quest for the perfect waffle recipe.  I think we have found our best one yet!

**A small plug about the equipment....for one of our wedding showers, we were gifted a waring profession double waffle iron.  We would DEFINITELY recommend getting one if you like waffles as much as we do....allows you to make twice as many waffles in the same time....LIFE CHANGING!**

Crispy and Tender Waffles
(Makes 6 Belgian Waffles)

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon McCormick Saigon cinnamon (optional)

1 teaspoon salt
2 cup buttermilk (we used fat-free)

2/3 cup canola oil
2 egg
3 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Butter and syrup, for serving

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well. Add the milk, vegetable oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and mix well. Let the batter sit for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the waffle iron and set to your desired setting.  No need to put non-stick spray on the waffle iron (the oil in the batter will allow the waffle to easily release).  Follow the directions on your waffle iron to cook the waffles. 

Serve immediately with butter and syrup and your favorite toppings!   The waffle at the top of this entry is a combo of my favorites - maple syrup, whipped cream, bananas, walnuts, and McCormick roasted Saigon cinnamon.

*** Crispiness:  The waffles come off the waffle iron quite crispy, so if you like them crispy, serve directly off the iron.  If you'd rather them be soft, let them sit in a pile for a few minutes.  We like them crispy, so we eat the last ones of the waffle iron and toast the other ones on other mornings)***

 **** We may not have kids yet, but our waffles are ready :-)  ******

Thai, it's what's for dinner! : Pad Thai and Tom Yum Soup

Mr. S and I are big fans of Asian food, especially Thai food.  This week, I was battling a terrible cold/sinus infection.  As a lifetime allergy sufferer, I have a personal remedy for allergy flair up -- SPICY food.  So, I decided to tackle two of our Thai favorites:  Pad Thai and Tom Yum Soup.

Over the past 6 months, we have perfected our favorite version of Pad Thai based on an America's Test Kitchen recipe, with a few additions.  The major change is the noodles!  We have always loved Drunken Noodles....particularly the noodle part....they are thicker than normal rice noddles. After much searching, we finally found them at an Asian Specialty store around the corner from our house, called the A-Mart.  They noodles are fresh, refrigerated and only last about a week.  They come cooked and in large sheets and you cut them to the desired size.   The other difficult ingredient to find was tamarind paste/soup base.  We also found this at the A-Mart.

Shrimp Pad Thai Recipe

1 package fresh rice noodles (or 8 oz 1/4 inch wide rides noodles)
1 Tbsp tamarind concentrate/soup base dissolved in 2/3c hot water
3 Tbsp fish sauce
3 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 Tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1-2 Tbsp of Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
12 ounces shrimp (we used 16-20 count shrimp), peeled, tails removed
1 shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2-3 cups of bean sprouts
4 scallions, sliced thin on a bias
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp roasted, unsalted peanuts
Lime wedges

Dissolve tamarind concentrate in water.  Wisk fish sauce, sugar, 1 Tbsp oil, vinegar, cayenne pepper (if desired) and sweet thai chili sauce into the tamarind mixture.

Add 1 1/2 tsp of oil to a non-stick pan and cook the shrimp until pink,  on medium-high heat, about 3-4 minutes (flip to cook on both sides).  Place shrimp in bowl and set aside. Add remaining 1 1/2 tsp of oil to pan.  Add shallot, garlic and cook for about one minute, until browned.  Add egg to pan and cook, stirring constantly for about 20 seconds.

Add noodles and sauce mix to the pan, toss until coated, about 1 minute.  Stir in shrimp, sprouts, and scallions.  Cook until noodles and shrimp are warmed.  Sprinkle with cilantro and peanuts.  Squeeze with lime juice and add additional sweet thai chili sauce if desired.


Tom Yum Soup
This recipe is loosely based on the combined recipes from America's Test Kitchen, Cooking Light, and The Food Network.

WARNING:  This soup is REALLY spicy!  If you're not a lover of spicy food, this is probably not a good recipe to try!  It was definitely too spicy for Mr. S but did the job on my congestion :)

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons panang (red) curry paste (you can use green curry paste if you want less spicy)
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 15 -ounce can coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce, plus more to taste

1/2 cup small mushrooms, cut in half
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced (optional)
2 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts, very thinly sliced on a bias
1-2  tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and curry paste and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk and fish sauce; cover and bring to a boil.

Add the chicken and simmer until just cooked through, about 3 more minutes. Add the mushrooms and bell peppers if desired minutes. Cook for 2-3 minutes (you want them to still be someone crispy). Stir in the lime juice and cilantro.  Serve immediately.

We added more lime juice, fish sauce, and cilantro to individual servings.

****Mr. S and I are taking a Thai Noodle Cooking class at the end of April with some friends....perhaps our favorite Pad Thai recipe will be replaced!  Stay tuned!****

Pizza + Salad = Arugula Pizza

Almost two years ago, Mr. S and I took an amazing trip to Bermuda.  One afternoon, we met on old college friend of mine (who lives her in Bermuda), wonderful her husband, and beautiful kids for lunch at Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Restaurant.   I ordered "The Dining Room Pizza", a grilled pizza with ricotta cheese and topped with arugula salad, prosciutto, and shaved parmesan.  I have been dreaming of recreating it ever since!

So after a trip to Trader Joe's, I was ready to give it a try.   Now, I wonder why we waited so long!

Ingredients

• Pizza dough (you can make your own or buy it) - we used trader joe's dough
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried rosemary
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup ricotta (we used part-skim)
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese3 cups baby arugula
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
• Shaved parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions

Heat pizza stone in the oven at 425 for about 15-20 minutes.  Roll out pizza dough on floured surface.  We did about 13 inch round, but square works too!  Don't forget to use a fork to make tiny holes all over  crust so that it doesn't puff up.  Use pizza peel to transfer the crust to hot pizza stone and bake for 6-7 minutes (we did 8 because we wanted crispy crust).

Combine two tablespoons of olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Remove pizza from oven and brush with olive oil mixture.  Add spoonfuls of ricotta, scattered around the pizza.  Top with some mozzerella (if desired; we actually used very little).  Return pizza to the oven and bake until cheese is bubbly (5-6 minutes, or move if you want it crispier).

Make the arugula salad.   Mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Toss arugula and shallot with lemon dressing. 

 When pizza is finished, top with arugula salad, shave parmesan and prosciutto. 

***NOTE:  The original pizza we had in Bermuda had a little marinara sauce on the pizza crust instead of the the garlic olive oil.  So, if you are partial to tomato sauce, skip the garlic olive oil and use marinara.  We definitely are partial to the olive oil! ***

Something old, something new, something MAPLE!

Tonight for dinner we had one of our tried and true favorite salads and a new chicken recipe....which is now a favorite: Maple Balsamic Grilled Chicken and a salad with greens, pears, gorgonzola, and maple balsamic dressing.

I knew I wanted to make the salad, but had trouble finding a recipe for a maple balsamic chicken that didn't require me to have marinated the night before or for 5 or 6 hours!  Since I couldn't find anything that worked, I decided to create my own.  One of the best parts of Mr. S. working for a spice company is that our cabinets are always full of a plethora of spices and dry seasoning mixes.

Chicken breast can be rubbery and dry if not cooked or prepared well.  In order to combat this, we always pound chicken breasts with a meat tenderizer before marinating or cooking them.  Take each chicken breast and put it in a plastic bag.  Pound it with the meat tenderizer until it's about a half of three quarters of an inch in thickness.

Maple Balsamic Chicken:
1 packet McCormick garlic wine herb marinade
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp real maple syrup
3-4 chicken breasts, pounded as described above.

Mix the spice packet, vinegar, water, and maple syrup together to create the marinade.  Add chicken breasts and marinate for at least 30 minutes (we left it for about 90 minutes).  Heat grill pan to medium high.  Grill chicken about 4-5 minutes on either side.  Because of the maple, the chicken might start to get back.  This happened with ours after about 8 minutes, so I finished it off in the toaster over, on bake for 7 minutes.

Let chicken rest for 2-3 minutes.  Cut chicken breasts on a bias, arrange on plat and serve.


Pear and Gorgonzola Salad

Salad
5 cups torn lettuce-romaine, red leaf, or green leaf
4 ounces crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1 pear, sliced
1/2 c. walnuts (we didn't have any this time)
1/2 c. dried cranberries (optional)

Balsamic-Maple Vinaigrette
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 teaspoons maple syrup
1 ½ teaspoons cold water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1 clove garlic minced




We love this salad and the dressing so much that we asked our wedding venue chefs to create a similar salad for our wedding reception.  It will definitely be part of our dinners for many years to come!

Shrimp and Grits! : Bringing a little southern goodness to Batltimore

In the past year or so, Mr. S. and I have developed a love of grits, mostly because of frequent brunch visits to a favorite local farm-to-table restaurant.  We have also been trying to eat healthier.  Often, grits and "eat healthier" don't really go together.   In comes one of our favorite cook books these days:  America's Test Kitchen: Comfort Food Makeovers.  We are definitely fans on ATK and this cookbook is one of their best....every recipe has been fantastic AND healthy!  I took the Shrimp and Grits recipe and changed it a little bit....it was AMAZING!

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3-4 scallions sliced thin (keep whites and green parts separate)
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tsp minced chipotle chile in adobo ( I used a little less, as Mr. S is not a fan of really spicy food!)
• 4 cups of water
• 1/2 cup fat free half and half (you can also use whole milk....or light cream)
• 1 cup old fashioned grits (DO NOT USE INSTANT)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar (we used reduced fat)
• 1 pound shrimp (we used pretty big ones...16-20 per pound

Directions:

Heat oven to 450 degrees and put the rack in the middle position
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.  Add scallion whites and cook about 2 minutes.  Add garlic and chipotle pepper and cook about 30 seconds.
Stir in water and milk and bring to a boil.  Slowly whisk in grits.  Reduce heat the low and cook, about 15 minutes, stirring often until grits are thick and creamy. 
Take the grits off the heat, add in 1/2 c cheese and salt and pepper.  Transfer to a baking dish (we used a dutch oven).  Nestle shrimp into the grits.  Sprinkle top with remaining cheese.
Bake until shrimp are cooked, about 15 minutes.
Allow grits to cool and set for 5-10 minutes.  Sprinkle with green scallions.

We served the shrimp and grits over some blanched asparagus to add some green! It was delicious and we will definitely be making it again.

Magnificent Chicken Marsala

After two long 12-hour days for Mr. S, yesterday night we decided to open a bottle of wine and take a stab an Italian classic, Chicken Marsala!  So, we opened up a bottle of our favorite Boody Vineyards wine and got to work, combining a few of the recipes we found.  Below is what we came up with, and it was DELICIOUS!!!

Ingredients

•  1/2 c. all purpose flour
• 4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of visible fat
• salt and pepper
• 6 teaspoons canola oil
• 12-16 ounces mushrooms (depending on how many you want)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh marjoram 
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup sweet marsala wine
• 1 Tbsp water
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter

Directions

1. Spread flour into a shallow dish.  Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour.  Heat 3-4 tsp of oil in a pan at medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add chicken and cook until gold brown, about 6-8 minutes.  Flip chicken and cook an additional 6-8 minutes.    Remove chicken from pan and cover on a plate with foil.
2. Add mushrooms to the pan with a tsp of oil. cool until reduced and browned, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and spices and cook for 30 seconds. 
3. Add Marsala wine to deglaze the pan.  Then add chicken broth and simmer.  Add the water to the cornstarch and whisk.  Add this constarch mixture to the pan. Allow to simmer about one minute while stirring. Add the butter into the pan, allow it to melt, and stir it into the sauce.  Allow to thicken.
4. Add the chicken back to the pan.  Spoon the sauce over the chicken constantly while the chicken simmers in the sauce.  Continue to cook 5-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

We blanched some asparagus and put the chicken and sauce on top.  Mr. S always says, "you eat with your eyes first".  So, as always, we tried to make it look pretty!

Snowday = Kontosouvli

On Tuesday, we had the most recent of our MANY snowstorms this winter.  Mr. S was working from home, so we decided to cook something that would cook all day and make the house smell delicious. When we go to Zorbas, one of our favorite Greek restaurants in Baltimore, we always order kontosouvli.

Kontosouvli is usually made on a spit.  Last Easter, we attempted to make kontosouvli at home for the first time.  We bought a electric rotisserie for our grill, marinated the meat and put it on....and left it to cook.  There were flames coming out the sides at times, we were afraid to leave it overnight, and had to wake up early in the morning to turn it back on.  Long story short, it was very time intensive, somewhat dangerous, and not all that fun.  It was tasty, yes, but maybe not worth the cost!

So, our mission, with snow falling from the sky, and the grill buried under the snow, was to find a way to make kontosouvli INSIDE!

So, we did.....and it was DELICIOUS....rivaling our favorite restaurant's dishes!

For the Marinade

• 2 clove of garlic
• 2 tsp dry oregano
• 1-2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 or 2 Roma tomatoes
• 4 Tbsp of olive oil
• 6 Tbsp water
• 1/2 c white wine
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Kontosouvli

• 3 1/2 - 4lb pork shoulder, cut into large pieces (it's ok to trim some fat if you want)
• 4 Tbsp Canola Oil or Olive Oil
• 1Tbsp of fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt

Put the ingredients for the marinade in a blender until smooth.  Cut pork shoulder into approximately 2 inch pieces.  Put pork chunks in a bowl or large ziploc back and pour the marinade over.  Marinate the pork for 3 hours (or much longer if you want).

Pre-heat the oven to 265F.   Line a baking sheet with foil and put a baking rack .  Place the marinated pork pieces on the baking sheet, cover tightly with foil and place in the oven.  Bake for 2-3 hours.  Add pieces to a dutch oven, cover and return to the oven at 275F and cook for another 1.5 hours.

Mix the oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Remove the pork from the dutch oven and put on the baking rack again. Turn on the broiler.  Using a pastry brush, brush the mixture onto the chunks of pork.  Cook the born for 10 minutes, brushing the pork with the lemon mixture every 2-3 minutes.  Turn over and repeat this process on the other side.  Continue until both sides are at their desired crispiness.

Serve immediately with a village salad (Horatiki Salata) - a traditional Greek salad with no lettuce.

Salad:
Chop up cucumbers, peppers, onions, and tomatoes.  Crumble feta on top.  Serve with your favorite Greek dressing.  Ours is Lemon Dill.

Shrimp Athenian

I'd say Shrimp Athenian is very much a Greek version of "comfort food".  It's a delicious mixture of shrimp, tomatoes, feta and orzo, and is perfect for a chilly night, or a Sunday afternoon (or really any day!)

On February 4th, I made this for Mr. S to celebrate our first month of marriage, with a nod to our Greek culture.  He loved it!

Makes: 4 servings
Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
• 1 tablespoon drained capers
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• 1 pound shrimp,  peeled and deveined (we used colossal
  since it was a special occasion)
• 1 cup orzo
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, water, 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley, capers, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Cook for 20 min. Continue to add water as necessary to keep enough liquid.
2. Drop in shrimp and cook, stirring, until barely pink, about 2 1/2 minutes.
3. Cook orzo in the boiling water until tender but still firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to the prepared baking dish. Toss with the tomato-shrimp sauce. Sprinkle with feta and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley.
4. Bake, uncovered, until the feta is bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Here we Go!

Since the very beginning of our relationship in 2011, Mr. S and I have loved cooking together.  Some of our happiest times are spent in the kitchen creating a delicious meal over a bottle of wine.   I'm pretty sure our shared Greek Heritage is responsible for this love of good food and wine.

We are newlyweds and got married on 1.4.14!  Now that our wedding planning and home renovations are over (yippee), and we are finally husband and wife, we can return to one of our favorite things to do together - COOKING!

We often post pictures of our creations and after receiving so much positive feedback and countless requests for recipes, we thought we would start this blog to share all those recipes (and keep track of them for ourselves too).  The truth is, when we are cooking, we usually end up combining 2 or 3 recipes!