Cavatelli with Cream of Beans & Clams ala ~DKBB~

Cavatelli with Cream of Beans & Clams ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from www.cookingwithnonna.com)

The original recipe calls for fresh clams, but I don't live where that is much of an option, so I substituted canned clam pieces and it worked well.

1 lb. cavatelli pasta
1 15.5 oz. can Cannellini beans (do not drain)
2 cans clam pieces (drain, but save liquid)
1 shallot, finely diced
15 to 20 cherry tomatoes
½ cup white (cooking) wine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary (dried can be substituted, adjust amount)
Pepperoncino (hot pepper flakes) to taste
Salt (to taste)
Extra virgin olive oil (can use flavor infused if desired)

• Drain clams, saving liquid, and set aside.
• Cook pasta according to package instructions to an al dente consistency.
• In a large pan, add some olive oil and sauté the shallot, garlic, and pepperoncino; once the shallots are soft and garlic is turning gold, add the rosemary and sauté for another minute; add the cherry tomatoes and sauté for 4-6 minutes; add white wine and simmer until alcohol is completely evaporated.
• Put the beans (including liquid) in blender and make a cream out of them; add a bit of clam liquid if the bean blend is too thick to easily pour out of blender.
• Add blended beans, all remaining clam liquid, and salt to taste to pan; simmer all at a medium heat for 10 minutes.
• Add the clam meat to the pan, cooking all for another 5ish minutes, then add in the drained cooked pasta, stirring well to mix all together, and let cook for another 3ish minutes.
• Serve with a drizzle of the extra virgin olive oil of your choice.

Creamy Alfredo Lasagna Soup ala ~DKBB~

Creamy Alfredo Lasagna Soup ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from www.smalltownwoman.com)

 

½ lb. ground Italian sausage

photo from
www.smalltownwoman.com

1 small onion, chopped
8 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups baby spinach, stems removed
5 cups chicken broth
5 lasagna noodles, broken into smallish pieces
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. dried basil
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour (I use Wondra)
1 cup milk
½ to 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 piece rind from Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (optional)

• Brown sausage in large cooking pot over medium heat.
• Add onions and mushrooms, cooking another 5-6 minutes over medium-low heat.
• Add spinach and garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring.
• Add chicken broth and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add oregano and basil and broken lasagna noodles, stirring well, and bring to a low boil.
• Cook for 10-12 minutes or until noodles are tender.
• Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat melt butter; whisk flour into melted butter and continue cooking for 1 minute, whisking constantly until mixture is bubbling.
• Slowly whisk in milk until mixture is smooth and thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
• Turn off heat and slowly whisk in cheese; when cheese is fully incorporated and mixture is creamy, slowly whisk into soup mixture.

Serve with garlic bread or a hearty artisan bread.

Cajun Shrimp Pasta ala ~DKBB~

 Cajun Shrimp Pasta ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe from www.carlsbadcravings.com)

1 lb. medium frozen shrimp (tails on)
2 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning (divided)
2 Tbsp. lime juice (divided)
½ tsp. garlic powder
8 oz. uncooked fettuccine
2 Tbsp. olive oil (divided)
2 Tbsp. butter (divided)
½ large (red) onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
3 small bell peppers (any colors) OR 1 large bell pepper (any color), thinly sliced
½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper
⅛ to ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. flour
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
1½ cups chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
1 14 oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes, well drained
½ cup grated Parmigiana Reggiano cheese

• Thaw shrimp; add to medium bowl and toss well with 1 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning, 1 Tbsp. lime juice, and ½ tsp. garlic powder; set aside.
• Cook fettuccine in salted water according to package directions until al dente, reserving ½ cup pasta water, then drain well and set aside.
• Melt 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy bottom skillet; add shrimp and spread in even layer, cooking 3 to 4 minutes – just until shrimp are heated through – flipping shrimp half way through cooking; set aside. After shrimp has cooled, you can chop the tails off if you desire.
• To the now empty pan, melt 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat; add onions, bell peppers, 1 to 3 tsp. Cajun seasoning (your heat preference), salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper; cook for 2 to 4 minutes; add garlic, sprinkle in flour, and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
• Turn heat to low and whisk in chicken broth and heavy cream, stirring constantly until smooth; stir in diced tomatoes.
• Increase heat to medium high and bring sauce to a simmer; simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and stir in 1 Tbsp. lime juice and the cooked shrimp and pasta until well coated in sauce, adding additional reserved pasta water or heavy cream if needed to reach desired consistency.
• Taste and season with additional salt, pepper, and/or cayenne pepper as desired.
• Serve with a garnish of grated Parmigiana Reggiano cheese.

NOTE: Adding cooked, sliced andouille sausage knock this dish up a notch.

Perfect Potato Soup ala ~DKBB~

 Perfect Potato Soup ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from The Pioneer Woman)

 
4 to 6 slices bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces)
1 large onion, diced
3 to 4 whole carrots, peeled and diced into small pieces
3 stalks celery, diced into small pieces
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into small pieces
4 cups chicken broth
3 Tbsp. flour
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
½ tsp. salt (more to taste)
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. garlic salt
½ tsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. dried parsley

• Cook bacon in soup pot over medium-low heat; cook until just under crisp; remove bacon for now, but leave grease.
• Add onions, carrots, and celery to bacon grease and cook on medium, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes; add potatoes, salt, and pepper and cook for a few more minutes.
• Pour in broth and bring all to gentle boil; cook for about 15 minutes or until potatoes start to get tender.
• Mix the flour and milk in a jar with a lid, shaking until well blended; pour into the soup and cook all 5 minutes.
• Add in the seasonings, cooked bacon, and cream; let all simmer for about 30 minutes.
• You can use an automatic pan stirring device (like a Uutensil StirrTime) to get everything well blended and keep things from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Just Peachy Pork Tenderloin ala ~DKBB~

 Just Peachy Pork Tenderloin ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from tasteofhome.com)

 

1 lb. pork tenderloin
4 medium peaches, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
¼ to ½ c. peach preserves (I prefer Peach Habanero preserves)
1 to 2 Thai chilies, chopped very small
 
·       Combine peaches, lemon juice, preserves, and chilies; mash all together with potato masher.
·       Fill the pork tenderloin with some of the peach mixture and tie the two pieces together; place tied tenderloin in roasting pan and add more of the mixture on top of the pork.
·       Cook unused portion of mixture on stove at low temperature and use at least once to baste the pork while it is cooking.
·       Cook tenderloin in Traeger pellet grill, smoking the pork for 1 to 1½ hours, then turn temperature to 275° F until meat approaches temperature, then turn down the heat and allow to smoke until full temperature (of 165° F) is reached.
·       Serve with leftover basting sauce.

Peaches, Basil, and Red Onion Salad ala ~DKBB~

Peaches, Basil, and Red Onion Salad ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe from delish.com)

3 peaches, chopped
½ red onion, chopped
½ c. fresh basil, chopped
Juice of ½ lemon
½ tsp. Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Toss all together and enjoy!

Japanese Curry ala ~CHB~

Japanese Curry ala ~CHB~

(original recipe from norecipes.com)

Curry

Photo from norecipes.com

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
⅓ c. canola oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp. or inch fresh ginger
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2½ tsp. to 3 Tbsp. curry powder (depending on taste and tolerance)
3 c. chicken stock
2 carrots, cut into chunks
½ medium apple, peeled, cored, and grated
2 Tbsp. chunou sauce (2 parts ketchup to 1 part Worcestershire sauce in a pinch)
1½ tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. salt

¾ tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. Szechuan peppercorns

½ tsp. cumin

1 bay leaf
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
¾ to 1 c. frozen peas

Roux
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. flour 

• Clean any large bits of fat or tendon from the chicken and cut into large chunks; sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix to distribute evenly.
• Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat until hot and shimmering, then add the chicken in a single layer; let chicken brown undisturbed about 5 minutes; flip chicken and let it brown on the other side.
• Turn down the heat to medium-low and transfer chicken to a bowl using tongs, making sure to leave as much oil in the pan as possible.
• Add the garlic and ginger and fry in the oil until it’s not sizzling as much and it reaches a rich caramel brown color.
• Add the onions, stirring to coat with oil; cover with a lid and let the onions steam until translucent and limp (about 10-15 minutes).
• Remove the lid, turn up the heat to medium, and continue frying the onions, stirring constantly until pan contents are reduced to about 1/8 of original volume and it forms a shiny caramel brown paste (20-30 minutes); if the onion starts to stick to the pan before fully caramelized, try scrubbing off the stuck bits with a spatula, and if that doesn’t work, add a tiny bit of water to the area where things are sticking and use spatula to scrape.
• When the onions are fully caramelized, add the curry powder and sauté briefly until very fragrant.
• Return chicken to pot and add chicken stock, carrots, grated apple, chunou sauce, tomato paste, cocoa powder, salt, turmeric, peppercorns, cumin, and bay leaf; bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
• In the meantime, make the roux by adding the butter and flour to a small saucepan over medium heat; use spatula to stir constantly until bubbling subsides and roux is light brown in color.
• When potatoes are tender, taste and adjust salt to taste; if you like your curry sweeter, you can add some honey to taste.
• Finish the curry by stirring in the roux and green peas; bring to a boil to thicken.
• Serve with hot rice or on top of a bowl of udon noodles.