RECIPE WED: Sun Dried Tomatoes, Crimini Mushrooms & Capers Carbonara w/ Capelini Pasta

During a "Pantry Challenge Menu Week", I  came up with this easy version of Pasta Carbonara. I built my sauce around 2 cans of diced tomatoes but I didn't have any bacon or any garlic cloves on hand but I always have bacon drippings & Garlic infused EVOO fridge so I went from there...

The family loved this so much my hubby had 3rds BOTH of my children had seconds and my hubby begged me to take the left-overs to work the next day. I knew this was a keeper and thought you might enjoy this quick and easy sauce that is super delicious!!!

SUNDRIED TOMATOES, CRIMINI MUSHROOMS 

AND CAPER PASTA CARBONARA

 

2- 15 oz cans diced tomatoes- Keep LIQUID!
1 oz capers
2T bacon Drippings (or 3 bacon slices crisped)
1T Garlic infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Or 2 garlic cloves, minced)
1 Small Onion, Diced
8 oz Crimini Mushrooms, Sliced
2-4 oz Sun Dried Tomatoes Packed in Olive Oil, Julienned
2 t dried Basil
Hickory Smoked Salt or Kosher Salt to taste
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper Corns to taste
Pinch of Baking Soda
Pinch of Brown Sugar
1 lb Capelini Pasta or other thin Spaghetti type pasta, cooked al` dente'
1/4 C Heavy Cream-Optional

 ---------------------------

1. Heat medium sauce pan over medium heat and add bacon drippings and Garlic Infused EVOO (I keep these in fridge so I add long enough to melt them and get it nice & hot but not smoking)
2. Add Diced Onions and Slice Mushrooms
3. Cook until Onions are translucent and Mushrooms are half their size. About 5-10 minutes
4. Open cans of diced tomatoes, add entire cans, liquid and all. 
5. Slightly "mash" up tomatoes with potato masher to break down tomatoes faster.
6. Add rest of ingredients up to heavy cream
7. Cook until slight sauce starts to slightly boil. Reduce to heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes until reduced nearly by half 
8. Right before serving add 1/4 C heavy Cream and stir to combine. 

 

Such an easy recipe that makes a quick and tasty meal that won't weigh you down.  






Pair it with a mixed green salad, & warm artisan hand shaped bread along with herb infused dipping grape seed oil and you have a dinner everyone will come to table for!!
 


 

TEACH ME TUESDAYS: What to do with extra garlic??

What to do with an abundance of garlic cloves or bulbs of garlic about to go bad? Make infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

I love the taste of garlic but often times we want an infusion of garlic in place of the strong "in your face" taste of garlic. So I take Extra Virgin Olive Oil, red pepper flakes for some spice, kosher salt and add some smashed cloves of garlic, & you have...

Garlic Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 Cup of EVOO
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 t kosher salt
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• Large frying pan

Take the cloves of garlic and smash with flat side of knife and palm of hand, this will release the garlic enzymes, no need to mince we will be tossing the cloves so they will be easier to discard once they have fulfilled their garlic destiny. Toss smashed garlic cloves into pan and add enough EVOO
to cover garlic about 1 C, add more if needed.

Bring heat to medium and cook until garlic is slightly browned and aromatic, stirring with wooden spoon occasionally.  Once browned, about 5 minutes, take off heat and add red pepper flakes to taste, we don't like things too hot so a pinch is nearly too much and kosher salt. 


Allow to cool and pour cooled oil into glass jars, I add more garlic coves to jars and cover with lid, store in refrigerator.  Use as you normally would evoo with a garlicy, slightly red peppery kick.


Notes:
I had 3 bulbs of garlic that were on the verge going bad, so I used a larger pan and used about 18 oz of EVOO. I stored in 3- 6 oz left over baby food jars. 

Ways to use Garlic Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Saute veggies or meat in the flavorful oil
• Add to french baguette bread along with some Italian herbs and Parmegano-Regginao Cheese and toast for a mild garlic bread
• Use as a finishing oil to soups like white bean soup,  to humus, to cooked fresh made pasta with shavings of Parmegano-Reggiano, steamed veggies, salad dressing/vinaigrette, as a dipping oil for crusty chibatta bread, any sauce especially good for pesto sauce...

Super Yummy Caprese Chicken with a few of my Tweeks!

This sounds soooooooo delish, kinda like a mix between my Chicken Scallopini and Chicken Parmesan...

Will sooo be making this SOON! HERE IS the blog I got this from: Lisa's Diner Time Blog

Update: 1/21/2016 We have made this several times with these adjustments below...It is awesome try it exactly the way she presents it first it's pretty stellar!!

Easy and Delicious Caprese Chicken {with a few of my tweaks!}

Caprese Chicken

Lisa's Pic, looks crazy good, right??

• 12 lg boneless, skinless chicken breasts and use this for a freezer session

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1 1/2 to 2 cups panko bread crumbs- {I like use plain and add my own to omit any MSG addition into my family's diet.}

• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

• 1 tbsp agave nectar (or sugar)

• olive oil {I LOVE to use Garlic infused EVOO}

• 1 tomato, cut into 8 thin slices

• 8 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into 8 thin slices, {Smoked Mozzarella is DIVINE if you can find!}

• 1/3-1/2 C prepared Pesto Sauce, divided

• Kosher salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper

1. Put balsamic and agave or sugar in a small saucepan over medium low heat.  Let reduce down until it has thickened into a syrup.  This will take about 20 minutes.  

1. Cut each chicken breast in half, lengthwise & season the breasts liberally with kosher salt and pepper with a touch of cayenne {BC I like a touch of background heat.}
2. Put in a gallon size ziploc bag or between two sheets of plastic wrap, two at a time.  With a mallet or small fry pan, pound chicken out until it is a uniform thickness.
3. Take three shallow bowls or plates (I used disposable foam plates) and beat the eggs and put in one and *the flour and breadcrumbs in the other two.  
4.  * NOTE { I also am too cheap to waste flour, so I place 1/8 C at a time on a sifter and lightly dust both side of the chicken resting on paper plates}
5. Dip the chicken in the flour first, then the eggs {I will use tongs to dip breasts in all three plates bc I hate the gooping fingers thing} and finally the breadcrumbs, making sure each piece is well coated with the breadcrumbs.  Set aside on a plate.
6. Heat about 3 tbsp olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan) in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Saute the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.  It cooks up quickly because the chicken is so thin.
7. IF GOING TO FREEZE, STOP AT THIS POINT, FLASH FREEZE THEN PLACE SINGLE FILE IN GALLON SIZED FREEZER BAGS. WHEN READY TO EAT THAW OVERNIGHT AND CONTINUE WITH DIRECTIONS TO DELICIOUSNESS!!
8. Put cooked chicken on a cookie sheet.  Top each piece of chicken with 2 slices of tomato and 2 slices of cheese.  Put under a hot broiler until cheese is melted and starting to brown.  Watch carefully, it goes quickly!
9. Spoon the balsamic reduction onto the plate and place chicken breasts over it.  
10. Top breasts with Basil Pesto & salt and pepper- Not a fan of basil but like pesto, go figure?!
11.  Serve immediately.

Hints and Tips:

• If I were to make this a freezer dish I would sear the breasts lightly not cooking all the way through then flash freeze and place wax paper between breasts and place in gallon sized freezer bags. Then upon thawing I would place in oven to finish off with tomatoes and mozzarella and the rest of the ingredients.
• Lisa recommends serving with mashed potatoes, since we adore thin, "slurpy" pasta I like to serve this with angel hair pasta tossed with diced tomatoes, basil, grated garlic, EVOO, and kosher salt.

Fresh Pasta

Saturday Dinner:
Crock Pot Beef Braciole w/fresh hand made pasta
Flax Seed Baguette w/herbed Cheesy Butter
Yellow & Red Tomatoes & Cucumber Salad tossed with Cultured homemade ranch dressing

Hmm....homemade pasta....Really not as intimidating as you might think, I have made noodles & dumplings b4 and pasta is pretty much the same.

What I learned from what I should have done:

• I just didn't roll it thin enough, I learned to cut the dough into quarters, I thought cutting it in half was good enough, but still not thin enough. It plumps while cooking so needs to be thin enough to nearly see your hand through. 
• Roll it thin, a very thin rectangle shape as stated above, dust with flour and roll up jelly roll style long side. 
• Then cut roll into thin- very thin 1/8-1/4 " slices. Shake out roll and lay pasta strands on table while you cut the rest. 
• I also think I will follow some ppl's recipe and add a splash of EVOO and a pinch of kosher salt for more flavor.  
• Plus I will rinse slightly, not liking the starch on pasta and shake to remove excess water, if not cooking more pasta I would add back to HOT pan to get the excess water off, I also like Giada DeLarentas tip of adding shaved Parmegana Reginano to pasta b4 you add to sauce to create a nice coating to adhere to sauce.

Recipe:
3-3 & 1/2 C Flour
5-6 eggs
splash of EVOO
pinch of salt
(Basically 2 eggs for every c of flour and 1 egg per person to figure out how much to make for a meal. I made extra so we would have pasta for lunch 2mrrw and if anyone wanted seconds.)

Pour flour on flat surface and make a well in center break eggs one at time in center and beat with fork. Bring sides of flour "mound" into eggs and mix with one hand until well incorperated with eggs. Using both hands kneed flour until smooth and elastic (about 10 min), only slightly tacky but smooth not too wet. Wrap in damp towel and sit at room temp for 20 min for gluten to rest will improve flavor and texture.

In a large pot add cold water and bring to boil while you work on dough, salt after bringing water to boil. Cut Flour into quarters, keep remaining dough covered to prevent drying out and flour surface, keep flour handy in case dough sticks. Roll until very thin and into a long rectangle, a very thin rectangle- nearly thin enough to see your hand will plump when u cook them, dust with flour and roll up jelly roll style long side. Cut roll into thin very thin 1/8-1/4 " slices. Shake out roll and lay pasta strands on table while you cut the rest.

Add EVOO to water and add pasta once boils, stir to bring back boil and allow to cook for 2-3 min do not over or under cook will get hard and gummy/chewy or limp & mushy. Will float nicely when done, taste test to be sure.

Rinse and return to HOT pot, shave some Parmesano Reggiano to pasta and a splash of EVOO and some herbs if desired, serve as is add to fresh Marinara sauce. 


 Served with Crock Pot Beef Braciole

For Sauce:
2 (26 ounce) jars San Marzano Roma Tomato Puree
2 T of homemade Italian Herb Mix (posted yesterday)
1 T sugar
pinch baking soda
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
3/4 C Red dry red wine, I like Lambrusco
1/2 C Beef Stock
4-8 oz crimini mushrooms sliced & sauteed
1med onion, diced finely
3-5 cloves garlic, grated
Grated parmesano reggiano cheese to taste to sauce
Mix up in bowl leaving broth and wine out and add to crock after you add Beef

Beef and Filling
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs- (used bread crumbs from freezer storage of homemade bread scraps)
2 (2 1/2-pound) flank steak, pounded to 1/4 inch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
fresh cracked black pepper
1 cup shredded/grated  Italian cheese blend (I LOVE asiago, parmigiano reggiano, & Pecerino Romano)
2 tablespoons EVOO
5 slices smoked turkey bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled-cook the remaining veg in the drippings:
4 oz sliced crimini mushrooms
3 gloves garlic, crushed and minced or grated
1 small onion diced, finely

1. Combine the eggs and the breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of the meat with salt and pepper. Pat the breadcrumb mixture over one side of the flank steak, leaving about a one inch border around edges. Top breadcrumbs with the bacon, onion, garlic, mushroom crumble mixture; sprinkle with shredded/grated cheese. Starting from one long side, tightly roll flank steak into a log. Use string or toothpicks to secure the log in 4 or 5 places.
2. Heat EVOO in a heavy skillet. Saute mushrooms, onions in EVOO, when onions are translucent add grated garlic. Cook for a minute or two or until garlic is fragrant. Remove from oil and set aside.
3. Sear the stuffed flank steak in the hot oil until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker.
4. Add wine and broth to pan to pick up the brown bits and add vegetables
5. Spoon veggies and sauce over meat to cover.
6. Turn slow cooker to Low; cook meat until very tender, 6 to 8 hours. Remove string/toothpicks before slicing. Serve with fresh pasta.

Also Served Homemade Flax Seed Baguette w/herbed cheesy bread-used master dough from Artisan Bread in 5min/day book with added ground flax seed. Baked on stone and shaped as baguette then smeared with Italian Butter from Flavored Butter post yesterday with added Italian Cheeses from Braciole filling and toasted under broiler:

Along with Sunburst Cherry & Grape tomatoes, cucumbers in homemade cultured ranch dressing as side salad w/crispy and bacon bits, hard boiled egg slices, and crunchy garlic herbed croutons made from left over bits of bread and homemade garlic oi sprinkled on top!!.... DELISH!!!!!

Very Yummy Saturday night dinner!