Fresh Pasta Carbonara

Handmade pasta can’t be beat. Honestly, it is so worth the work. Truth be told, once you get the hang of it, making your own pasta is really not all that hard. It just takes some patience and a pasta roller. I got mine from a stoop sale in Brooklyn for $10 and it is one of the best kitchen tools I have. You can make a big batch of fresh pasta at once and freeze what you don’t need in smaller freezer bags. Toss the frozen pasta into boiling water and it not only separates easily in the water but also takes no more than 3 minutes to cook! Fresh pasta is simply the bees knees in my carb-loving opinion. And it was a strong desire for a heaping bowl of tender, delicate hand-cut pasta that led me to take a stab at tagliatelle and smother it in carbonara for this week’s pasta dream dinner. A creamy, indulgent and rich sauce, speckled with bit of cured meat that’s actually rather easy to make served over a pile of fresh pasta in all of its delicate glory. SWOON!

Roasted Lamb Shanks - a lamb love affair

I am having a full blown love affair with lamb. Seriously, someone needs to stage an intervention. It’s a tender and fantastically flavorful meat and no matter how cute and cuddly they are, lamb freaking taste goooooooood (sorry veggies, it’s true!) One of the best cuts of lamb is the shank and the easiest way to enjoy a lamb shank is to roast it. Roasting is like god’s gift to the lazy cook. I mean seriously, it works for everything. I mean it! Meat, veg, you name it…roasting it is bound to make it awesome. Wrap that lamb up with some herbs and spices, toss it in a low oven and leave it the heck alone. Go play cards, have a beer (or two), watch a movie….it’s the smartest way to kick back, enjoy a lazy afternoon and yet make people think you are a goddess in the kitchen. Not only will your home smell like heaven, but your dinner plates will be scraped clean by anyone you serve this to.

Creamed Chard and Breaded Pork Cutlets

SmittenKitchen might be one of my favorite food blogs. She’s hilarious, endearing and makes damn fine food. I found myself this week with a package of pork cutlets and a massive bunch of swiss chard without any bright ideas on what new take I could employ with seemingly standard ingredients. SmittenKitchen to the rescue! No only did I find an epic recipe for creamed swiss chard (seriously amazing discovery, which when pared with the spectacular fresh onions and garlic I found at the farmers market made one hell of a side dish) but she also was nice enough to share a delightful recipe for crunchy breaded cutlets!  I was in heaven (and so was husband when he came home to pipping big plate of creamy chard and tangy yet cheesey breaded pork). And so I bring to you my take on a SmittenKitchen classic.

White Bean and Turkey Sausage Pasta Bowl: A weeknight wonder!

I love pasta. I readily admit that my lust for pasta and all carbs basically drives my life in the kitchen. And I am shameless about it. I'll do anything to justify eating pasta. Case in point, my white bean and turkey sausage weeknight pasta. While rummaging around my frig I came upon the last remains of a bag of spinach that was nearing death. So I decided to dip into the pantry and riff on the whole sausage and peppers idea with a twist. This dish is a great way to use up some of those pantry items and frig staples like chicken broth, yogurt and lemon that make a tangy and tasty sauce for this dish. Coupled with turkey sausge I found in the freezer and a jar of roasted peppers, white beans and sundried tomatoes, I soon had myself a feast! Husband loved it. We will definitely be making this one again!

Taco Tuesday: Yogurt Spiced Chicken and Roasted Veg

Holy taco night Batman! All this traveling has made me a fiend in the kitchen. Tuesday is typically taco night at many of our local Mexican restaurants, but this past Tuesday we brought the tacos home. I was eyeing a package of guacamole in the frig and decided what better way to eat my favorite Mexican dip than with homemade chicken tacos! We went all out. Husband even invented a new pickle by repurposing the leftover juice from our pickled jalapeños to pickle some carrot sticks. I pulled out my magic jar of Crisco, which I use maybe once a year, and whipped up homemade tortillas (which are surprisingly simple to make) that we stuffed to the brim with tender chicken marinated in a seasoned yogurt, crisp pickled carrots, roasted peppers, chopped spinach, my favorite guacamole, cheese and a spicy creamy topping. A few coronas later and we were rubbing our satisfied bellies.