Pasta with Vodka and Tomato Cream Sauce

I did it! I conquered the dreaded vodka sauce! Yes... it was only a few days ago I had attempted this recipe and had a horrible experience. Yes... I was nervous and I'm pretty sure my boyfriend was too when he heard what was for dinner. And YES... it was delicious this go around!!!

There were a few key differences on this attempt. The first one was making the recipe for two people with a bit leftover, not enough for a small army. Also, adding a protein on the side to break up the heavy feel of a full plate of pasta. And, the biggest difference... not using a whole cup of vodka!

I was very happy with this recipe and my boyfriend was too. Let me just say that there might not be anything quite as satisfying as a conquering something that once defeated you... well, maybe not... this meal was pretty darn satisfying too!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 medium onion finely chopped
1 14.5 oz can Italian diced tomatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbps. vodka
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 lb. pasta
parmesan cheese

First heat the olive oil and melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Once warm add the chopped onion and cook until they are translucent, about 5-6 minutes.

Add the can of Italian diced tomatoes. Stir to combine and let cook over medium for about 20 minutes, until the liquid has cooked down to a little less than half. This is also a good point to cook your pasta, because after the tomatoes cook down you only will be at the stove a few more minutes!

Once the tomato sauce has reduced add the 1/2 cup of cream, 2 Tbsp. of vodka and a generous sprinkling of red pepper flakes. Stir and turn up heat to medium high. Bring to a soft boil and let the sauce cook about 2 minutes to thicken up. Then add the cooked, drained pasta and mix together to coat the pasta.

Plate the pasta and sprinkle on the parmesan cheese. Enjoy on its own... or if you would like to add a little protein I would recommend a few nice slices of chicken breast that were seasoned with Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and a little olive oil then cooked for 20 minutes in a 425 degree oven, flipping half way through.

Serve with a nice side salad and garlic bread! Delicious!

Meatloaf

Meatloaf seems like a staple, a staple with so many variations that you can really make it your own. I have been making meatloaf for awhile now and let me just say that no two recipes are ever the same for me... because I NEVER measure any of the ingredients I add. The proportions listed are usually eyeballed and adjusted depending on the texture when I'm mixing. You can add a 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of any herb or seasoning you feel like and you can see how this easily turns into something a little different every time. Also, I have used ground turkey in this recipe and that is a great alternative.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1/4 lb. Jimmy Dean Sausage
1/2 onion chopped
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp. mustard
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, roll up your sleeves and mash it together. Cover a baking sheet in tin foil and move the meat mixture to the sheet. Form in to the shape of a loaf.

Cook for 45 minutes. Spoon the glaze over the meatloaf and return to the oven for 10 minutes.

Ketchup Glaze Ingredients:

1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Combine in a bowl and stir until smooth.

Remove from oven and let set for about 5 minutes. (This picture is only half the meatloaf... I forgot to take a picture before serving!)

Enjoy with your favorite sides... mash potatoes and green beans are always good!

"Better than a restaurant" Crispy Carnitas

This weekend was one filled with serendipitous success as well as an unexpected epic fail. The fail happened first.

It all started last Thursday when I was flipping through a Barefoot Contessa cookbook looking for inspiration for the weekend menu. My boyfriend passed by and saw a picture of penne in a vodka cream sauce and got very excited. I was a little intimidated by this particular recipe so I did a little research and found a recipe that looked a little more sure fire. I had planned for Saturday to be somewhat themed, all Italian, maybe a little romantic. As I prepped the meal I was feeling confident in the fairly basic ingredients and prep work. However, as I started adding ingredients and the cooking process was coming to an end I wasn't feeling so sure. The color looked nice, the texture... questionable, the taste... burned with the taste of vodka. I thought a cup seemed like a lot and it was. A pound of perfectly cooked pasta went in the garbage and two tummy's had more wine than food in them. I'm not sure who was more disappointed, me or my boyfriend, but I am now on the hunt for a recipe that contains much less vodka and will change my mind about this sauce.

Well, after this horrible fail comes Sunday morning, my time to start prepping for another recipe I have never tried before and my confidence was in the balance. My inspiration for this one came from a local Mexican restaurant my boyfriend and I have been to and have found our go to dish to always be "carnitas tradicionales." I have always felt like it was something I could conquer at home and now I wasn't so sure. I didn't want 7PM to roll around and have three pounds of pork shoulder finding the same fate as the pasta, but, I figured as long as I have a back up plan (you can always order pizza) in my back pocket, why not give this a whirl! That's how you learn and the only way to find out a way to make it better next time, or to never have a next time.

This time I reminded myself of two things that I somehow pushed from my conscience Saturday night. 1. ALWAYS trust your instincts and 2. To quote Julia Childs "No matter what happens in the kitchen, never apologize." It is definitely a learning process and trial and error is inevitable when trying new recipes, so don't get discouraged.

The initial preparation of the crispy carnitas made me start to question it a little and the smell in the first few hours of the crockpot had my boyfriend asking my "what was in it" because he thought it smelt a bit questionable. I guess I can't blame him after serving him inedible vodka covered pasta. Some of the doubt was pushed from my mind when I sampled the almost cooked meat and once I got to shredding it, I realized it was going to be fantastic.

This recipe starts in a crockpot and needs time to cook and meld and then ends crisping up under the broiler. I served it with tortillas and a few simple sides (recipes included too!) My boyfriend said it was "as good as the restaurants" and I had to agree. It was a very satisfying meal that I will for sure make again.

Confidence reclaimed and my boyfriends taste buds happy!

Crispy Carnitas Recipe:

Ingredients:

Pork Roast/Shoulder - about 3 to 4 pounds
1 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
1 large onion diced
3-4 garlic cloves minced
8 oz. beer
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. chipotle Tobasco sauce
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

First step, dice the onion and garlic, put them to the side and have them ready to go.

Next, prep the pork shoulder. I had a bone in pork shoulder and cut the meat off the bone, trying to discard any excess fat along the way. My goals was to cut chunks that were about three inches long and about and inch and a half thick. Once you have your chunks of pork cut heat about a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. Once sizzling place the pork in and sear the two larger sides. Once the pork is seared remove and put on a plate. Then, grab the prepped onion and garlic and put about half of them on the bottom of the crockpot. Layer the pork on top of that and then sprinkle on the remaining onion and garlic.

In a bowl combine the seasonings and beer and give it a little stir. Pour the mixture evenly over the pork and onions. Turn the crockpot to low and heat until the pork is easy to shred. Between 6-7 hours.

Once the pork is cooked and easy to shred prep a large cookie sheet by covering with tin foil. Turn the oven broiler on high and move the rack to the second from the top row. Now, remove the pork from the crock pot with a slotted spoon and place on the cookie sheet. Use a fork to shred the pork. *Note, don't shred it too small. Larger chunks will get crispy on the outside but won't lose the moisture on the inside. Once it is ready to go pop it in the oven for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes take it out and toss with a tongs and then take about a quarter cup of the liquid still in the crockpot and drizzle over the pork. return back to the oven for about another 5 minutes. Remove and serve with warm tortillas, super easy pico (recipe below) and refried refried beans (recipe below too).


Super Easy Pico Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 tomato diced
1/2 onion diced
2 Tbsp. cilantro finely chopped

I don't even know if this is a recipe, but this fresh mix of a few key ingredients really adds something extra to this meal.

Dice the tomato, and half an onion and combine in a bowl. Take a chunk of cilantro and try to paper towel off excess moisture and chop it small. *Here is a great tip... use a pizza slicer to chop the cilantro. A few quick flicks of the wrist and you will have finely chopped cilantro. Combine about 2 tablespoons of the cilantro to the onions and tomato and allow them to sit and meld for about a half an hour before serving.


Refried Refried Beans

Ingredients:

1 can refried beans
1/2 onion diced
3/4 cup shredded cheese
3 Tbsp. sour cream
Olive oil

First preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then warm a bit of olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add half an onion, diced, and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Just until they start to get translucent. Add the can of refried beans, stir together and warm through, about another 5 minutes. Then remove from heat and add the sour cream and about a 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. Put the refried bean mixture in a small baking dish (about 1 to 1.5 quarts will work) and then top with the remaining half cup of cheese. Put in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes.

 

Crispy Carnitas, Refried Refried Beans and Super Easy Pico.

I like to layer mine on a nice warm tortilla as follows.... beans, pork and then veggies... yummy!

 

Enjoy!

Tater Tot Hotdish

I feel like it would only be appropriate to start off with a recipe that was one of the first meals I probably ever made. Slightly different now then the 13 year old very picky version I made though. Hotdish (a.k.a. casserole for anyone outside the Minnesota border) was a staple when I was growing up. This one being a mixture of hamburger, veggies, cream of mushroom soup, tater tots and cheese and probably seen in several versions.

My version has been perfected over my time back, primarily because the first time I made it for my boyfriend he was confused what I had made for him... because my original version wasn't like the kind he grew up with. After a few alterations and trial and errors we have now both found just the right balance of what we like.

So let's get started with what I consider a Minnesota classic!

Ingredients:

1 lb. hamburger
1 medium onion diced
salt and pepper
1 can of corn (I like green giant sweet niblets)
1 - 1 1/2 cups frozen green beans (I like the French cut)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 bag tater tots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

First step is to combine the hamburger and diced onion in a large skillet and brown over medium heat. While cooking season with salt and pepper. Cook through and then drain.

Next, return the drained meat mixture to the skillet. Drain the can of corn and add it to the meat, also add the frozen beans and warm up, no more than two minutes. Then add the two cans of cream of mushroom soup and mix thoroughly and warm up for about another minute or two.

Transport the meat and veggie mix to a baking dish.

Top with almost all the cheese, about 1 1/2 cups. Then top with a single layer of tater tots (I get a little bit neurotic when I put mine on and try to make it pretty!) Finish off with sprinkling the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese on top of the tater tots. Put the hot dish in the preheated oven for one hour.

Remove and let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

 

 

 

 

Finally, plate up and enjoy!

 

 

I hope you enjoy this version as much as we do!

 

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