Penne with a Creamy Sausage Mushroom Fennel Ragu

Not much of a story for this recipe.  Basically I just wanted a pasta dish with sausage and I had some fennel and mushrooms to use up.  This is the result.  SO good.  Really easy to make and doesn't take much time at all!

Ingredients:

1 pound pasta (I used whole wheat)
1 fennel bulb diced
2 pints of baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 pound package of italian sausage, casing removed
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk (can add more if you like a thinner sauce)
1/8 cup parmesan plus more for sprinkling
green onion or parsley for garnish

Directions:

Put of pot of water on for the pasta

Sneaky Logan trying to steal my pasta. lol. 

 In a large pan, brown the sausage until fully cooked.  Remove and set aside.

Add the chopped fennel and saute until soft and the edges begin to brown.  

Add the mushrooms and continue to cook until tender but not mushy!

Start cooking your pasta...

Add sausage back to pan and make a well in the middle.  Add garlic in the middle and cook for a minute.  Then place the butter in the well and melt.  

Add the flour and cook until flour is slightly browned.

Add milk and 1/8 cup parmesan and stir all together until creamy.  If you want a thinner sauce, you can keep adding more milk until your preferred thickness/thinness is reached.  Add to cooked and drained pasta!!!!  Top with garnish of choice plus a little extra cheese and enjoy! 

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toasted Pecans

I can never eat enough chocolate chip cookies.  Finding new recipes is the perfect excuse to make a batch.  This recipe is awesome.  The cookies come out with a slightly crispy edge and the rest is soft and chewy.  Also, if you notice, no eggs!!!!  Which means worry free dough eating.  Best part in my opinion.

Ingredients:
6 ounce softened cream cheese
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups plus 3 tablespoons flour (I used Trader Joes White Whole Wheat Flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup toasted chopped pecans (feel free to omit if you don't like them)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Take out cream cheese a while before you want to make them in order for it to soften.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees and cover your cookie sheet in parchment paper.

Toast your pecans.  I prefer the stove top method when in a rush.  Place in an ungreased stainless steal pan over medium low heat and stir frequently.  They are ready when fragrant and appear a bit darker.  I added just a little honey to mine to make them sweet. 

Melt your butter in the microwave making sure not to make it too hot and set aside. Combine your flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.

Cream together the softened cream cheese, sugar, butter and vanilla.  

Add flour mixture while mixer is on low.  Scrape down and mix for a few more seconds.  Add pecans and chocolate chips and mix until just combined. 

Roll into balls and then flatten slightly.  Place on cookies sheet and cook for 9 -12 minutes.  All ovens vary so keep an eye out.  

Let cool completely on cookie sheet and then eat!  If you can wait.  

Maple Honey Granola

Just a quick easy recipe for granola.  I've been wanting to make my own for some time now and finally had a little time to throw some together.  I honestly don't know why I never did this before!  This recipe is perfect for modifying as well.  You can adjust the sweetness, saltiness, and also choose the kind of nuts, oil, dried fruit (if any) and spices!  You no longer have to spend lots of money on small little bags of granola at the supermarket.   Just make your own!

addicting 

Ingredients:
4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup oil (I mixed vegetable and olive oil 50/50.  I have heard coconut oil is great too)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup whole almonds
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
dried fruit (however much you prefer, to add after baking)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Take 2 large baking sheets with a lip and cover with some parchment paper and set aside.  Combine the oats, pecans, almonds, salt and spices in a large bowl and stir to combine.  Fold in the wet ingredients. 

Spread evenly over the 2 baking sheets.  Bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway during cooking process.  

The longer you bake, the more crunchy and caramelized it becomes.  Cool completely.  Add the dried fruit before serving.  Store in an airtight container and eat at you hearts content!!!

next time maybe a few minutes less...

Simple Crock-Pot Beef Brisket

I have been itching to use my slow cooker but was not sure what to make.  When we went shopping yesterday the beef brisket was mistakenly placed over the chicken I was looking for.  It must have been destiny.  This recipe couldn't be easier and the best part is it tastes like you slaved all day when in reality it takes 5 minutes to throw together.  Cooks for 8 hours or so and is ready to be devoured.  yum.

Simple Crock-Pot Beef Brisket

Ingredients:

1 2 lb beef brisket
2 cups good dry red wine
1 cup water
1 red onion, chopped into 8 chunks
5 cloves garlic, smashed
1 heaping teaspoon smoked paprika
1 heaping teaspoon McCormicks Mediterranean sea salt (or just a pinch of red pepper flakes and a teaspoon of koser salt will do)
2 bay leaves
a few dashes of soy sauce
a few swirls of honey

Directions:

So easy..

Take your brisket and place in slow cooker.

Throw in seasonings, onion and garlic.

Drizzle honey in pot.  I did about three times around.

Pour in wine and water and soy sauce (be sure not to overdo soy sauce.  Don't want overly salted meat)!

Gravy:

Take three tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of flour and cook over medium low heat until flour takes on a blondish color.  Add sauce from crock pot slowly while whisking.  Once it reaches your preferred thickness, it's done!   Awesome gravy!

  

just falls apart...

Cook on low for 8 hours then check for doneness.  Should easily pull apart with fork when ready.  Eat!!!  Goes well with mashed potatoes or garlic breaded cauliflower as shown.  

Spicy Arugula and Pecan Pesto

I had an urge for some pasta with pesto the other night but was out of my usual standby ingredients.  I had to improvise and I was pleasantly surprised by the result.  Spicy arugula and sweet mellow pecans strike a balance and make the perfect pesto for pasta, sandwiches or whatever you would normally use pesto for.  You can vary the amount of any of these ingredients to custom tailor this pesto.  For instance, I love garlic so I used five cloves but you may think that's over the top.  Three would work just fine too!  Same thing goes for everything in this "recipe".  Taste as you go and make it work for you.

Spicy Arugula Pecan Pesto
This makes enough for leftovers.  Pesto freezes well, if it lasts that long...

Ingredients:
5 cloves garlic
1 cup whole raw pecans
1 1/4 cups parmesan cheese (a better cheese will improve the quality of your pesto)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
5 to 8 large handfuls of arugula
olive oil or extra virgin olive oil, whichever you prefer

Directions:

Place the garlic in your food processor and pulse until chopped.  Add pecans, parmesan cheese and salt.  Pulse until combined.  

Yep. That is a cup of dunkin donuts coffee in the background. 

Add your first bunch of arugula and pulse until you can add your next fistful.  Keep doing this until your content with the amount of arugula you have.  You can taste it at this point to see what, if anything, you would like to add. 

Add olive oil in a drizzle fashion while food processor is running and keep going until it reaches the desired consistency.  

Add to hot pasta with grilled chicken or meatballs or to a grilled flatbread portobello and roasted red pepper sandwich.  Endless possibilities!