Mushroom and Black Pepper Pasta ala ~DKBB~

Mushroom and Black Pepper Pasta ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from www.thepioneerwoman.com)

 

Photo from The Pioneer Woman

Kosher salt
8 oz. linguine (or similar type pasta)
3 Tbsp. salted butter
8 oz. each of two kinds of mushrooms (what’s available where you live will dictate this)
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 shallot, diced
1 Tbsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp. Trader Joe’s ground fermented black garlic (optional)
¾ c. heavy cream
¼ c. ground parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus additional for serving (or any other such cheese you may prefer)

Fresh parsley (optional)

• Bring pot of lightly salted (using kosher salt) water to a boil and add the pasta; cook for 2 minutes less than package directions.
• Using a glass measuring cup or heatproof pitcher, scoop 1½ cups of pasta water out, then drain the pasta and set aside.
• Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat; add mushrooms, garlic, and shallot and cook, stirring until the liquid cooks off and the mushrooms are golden (7 to 8 minutes).
• Add a pinch of kosher salt and the black pepper (it will look like too much pepper, but it’s not) and black garlic; stir and cook for another couple minutes.
• Pour in the cream, stir it in well, and let it boil gently and thicken (about 2 minutes).
• Reduce heat to low and add the cheese, stirring it in well, then the drained pasta; make sure to coat the pasta well with the sauce.
• Add in some of the reserved pasta water if the sauce gets too thick.
• Dish up the pasta with lots of mushrooms and sprinkle on more cheese and sprinkle on fresh parsley if desired.

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.

Herbed Baked Eggs ala ~DKBB~

Herbed Baked Eggs ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from Ina Garten)

1 clove garlic, minced

Pinch thyme

Pinch rosemary

Pinch parsley

1 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese

2 large eggs

2 Tbsp. heavy cream

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toasted bread (I prefer homemade or English muffin)

• Preheat broiler (at 450° F) for 5 minutes, placing oven rack 6 inches below broiler.
• Combine garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and cheese and set aside.
• Carefully crack each egg into a small bowl (do not break the yolks) and set aside.
• Place 2 individual ramekins on a cookie sheet; put 1 Tbsp. cream and ½ Tbsp. butter in each; place under broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
• Quickly but carefully, add an egg to each ramekin, sprinkle with the cheese mixture, and salt and pepper; place back under broiler for 3 to 5 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked.
• The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven; allow them to set for 60 seconds before serving.
• You can leave them in the ramekins and dip your toast into them, or if they are a little too done, you can remove them from the ramekins and place them on the toast.

The Best Chicken & Dumplings ala ~DKBB~

The Best Chicken & Dumplings ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe by Erika Monroe-Williams in Sept./Oct. 2015 Taste of Home magazine)

Soup, part 1

3 cans chicken in water

1 large onion, diced

6 medium to large carrots, chopped

6 celery ribs, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups chicken stock (I use 1 c. water to 1 tsp. Better Than Bouillon)

½ cup white cooking wine

2 tsp. sugar

¼ to ½ tsp. white pepper

5 whole peppercorns

Dumplings

1⅓ cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. salt

⅔ cup milk

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Soup, part 2

½ cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. dried parsley

1 tsp. thyme leaves

• Add all part 1 ingredients to a large soup pot; bring all to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 20 to 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the dry ingredients for the dumplings in one bowl; whisk milk and butter in another bowl; add liquid mixture to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened (do not overmix).
• Drop dumplings by forkful onto top of soup; cook, covered 15-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of dumplings comes out clean (NOTE: do not lift cover while dumplings are cooking).
• Gently stir in cream, parsley, and thyme.