Langostino Mac & Cheese

A few years ago I tried a Barefoot Contessa recipe for Lobster Mac & Cheese.  My husband still talks about how good it was.  I've been meaning to re-make it for quite a while, but lobster is quite a big splurge, and not in everyone's budget.  Trader Joe's has langostino tails in their seafood freezer section and I got the idea to recreate the dish using these instead.  They are still a little pricey, so this would be a great "special occasion" dish.  Plus, it makes a ton, so it would also be fantastic if you were having company for dinner.  If you've never had langostino, it has a taste and flavor that is very similar to lobster, but they are the size of a small shrimp.  They worked perfectly in this dish!  I hope you give it a try!

Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup of all purpose flour
4 1/2 cups of whole milk, heated, but not boiling
1 tbs garlic powder
1 tsp salt
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 tsp of white pepper
1 lb. elbow macaroni
2 cups of shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups of shredded Gruyere cheese
1 12oz bag of frozen langostino tails
1 cup of panko (substitute regular) breadcrumbs

(Serves 8)

Directions:
Begin by heating your water to cook your pasta.  When it comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook for about 5 minutes, drain (but keep the pasta water, you'll need it to cook the langostino tails) and set aside.  The pasta will finish cooking in the oven and you don't want it to have a mushy consistency, so it only needs to partially cook for now.

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt your stick of butter.  Add your flour when the butter is melted and whisk until it is combined and has the texture of wet sand.  Add garlic powder, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook, whisking frequently for about 2 minutes, then slowly add the warm milk, whisking continually so no lumps form.  When the sauce is smooth, continue to cook for 3-5 minutes.  This helps to cook out the starchy taste from the flour.  After several minutes, reduce the heat to low and slowly stir in the cheese, one handful at a time, until melted completely.

Using the same water that you cooked the pasta in, add the langostino tails and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute then drain and set aside.

In a large bowl add the pasta, langostino tails, and sauce.  Stir until combined and transfer to a greased 9x13 baking dish (or two smaller dishes if you don't have one this big).  Top with the panko breadcrumbs and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Allow to cool about 15 minutes before serving. 

It looks amazing, doesn't it?  I promise it tastes amazing too!

Throwback Thursday

Apparently there is a new trend on Facebook where people are sharing photos of themselves from their past.  I'm not usually one to follow trends, but in this case I thought it would be fun to share a picture of myself as a baby next to a picture of my daughter, Ella Rose.  We're both about 9 months old in these photos.

I think we look a lot alike!  It's so funny, because my older daughter, Lily Claire looks nothing like me!  She has her daddy's coloring, beautiful hazel eyes, and gorgeous brown hair that I am envious of!  Ella, though, is definitely takes after her mama!

Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed these!  I'll be back tomorrow with my recipe for Langostino Mac & Cheese!

Happy Thursday!

Roasted Parmesan Asparagus

It's officially Asparagus season in Northern CA.  Trader Joe's had bundles on sale last week for $1.99 each! I stocked up, but I have to say, I think this is my all time favorite way to prepare it!  It only takes 10 minutes and is super easy and delicious!

Ingredients:
Fresh Asparagus (ends trimmed)
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
Drizzle of Olive Oil
Fresh Black Pepper

Directions:
Set oven to broil.  After trimming your asparagus stems, lay them out on a sheet pan and lightly drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and Parmesan cheese. I don't use salt, since the Parmesan is already salty, but you can add a little if you want.  Place sheet pan in the oven for about 10 minutes, checking every few minutes, as broil cooks fast!  Enjoy!

Chicken Taco Salad

I'm not sure what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, but around here, in Northern California, it's officially spring!  We've had 70 degree weather all week, and from the looks of the weather reports it's going to be close to 80 this weekend.  This Chicken Taco Salad is a great way to lighten things up after a long winter.  My favorite part about it is the salad dressing!  I promise, you won't be disappointed if you give this one a try!

Ingredients:
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg of taco seasoning
1 lime
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 hearts of romaine shredded
1 can of sliced black olives
1 can of black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup of roasted corn (I buy frozen from Trader Joe's)
1 large tomato diced
1 avocado diced
1 cup of shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 jalapeno seeded and diced (optional if you like spice)

 Directions:
Start by slicing your chicken breasts in half, turning them into 4 thin breast steaks, with a very sharp knife. Then place the chicken in a large ziptop bag and add the taco seasoning, juice of the lime and olive oil. Allow to marinade for at least 1/2 an hour.  Tip: If I know I'm making this the next day I do this step the night before and allow to marinade over night.

When you are ready to cook your chicken, either on an outdoor grill, or a grill pan, cook on high heat for about 4 minutes on each side.  I like to get those charred grill marks on the meat, as I feel it really gives it great flavor.  When your chicken is done, set aside and allow to cool slightly while you assemble the rest of the salad.

In a large bowl add your shredded romaine lettuce, drained black beans, corn, tomato and cheese, then toss. Slice your grilled chicken breast into bite sized pieces and top the salad with the chicken and avocado. Serve with your favorite dressing, or try my recipe for Salsa Ranch below!

Ingredients for Salsa Ranch:
1 cup of buttermilk
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
2 tbs of ranch seasoning

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a jar or large measuring cup.  Depending on how thick you like your dressing you can add more buttermilk to thin or sour cream to thicken.  Enjoy!

Can you say yumm???

Bed Time for Baby

This is just a little snippet of a post I wrote on my personal Facebook page this week.  We've had a rough time over the last month with sick kiddos around here and bedtime has been particularly hard.  As many of you with little kids know, when your kids are sick, it's a powerless feeling and you wish you could take it all away and make it better.  You  find yourself doing desperate things when you've only slept for two hours...

I sat by the side of my two year olds toddler bed tonight, her hands tightly clasped around mine, waiting and hoping for that miracle of sleep... Slowly her breathing deepening, her grip lightening...Slowly, slowly inching my hand out from between hers, only to find that my pants were making a rustling noise that was waking her from her slumber. So I did what any self respecting parent would do and shed the pants, slowly crawling across the floor, praying to make it to the door... Only to hear "Mommy, you come back? I love you."

I know many of you can relate...

Kitchen Storage, Gadgets & Tools

happy Monday everyone!  So by now you all know I love to cook.  I mean, this is primarily a culinary blog, with a few of my other loves thrown in.  However, this self proclaimed lover of food and cooking, does not have her dream kitchen. I've made do and have dreams of what I would like someday (see my Pinterest page!) but for now I'm stuck with what I've got.  What this means, is that I am very, very limited on cabinet space.  I actually do pretty well with counter space thanks to an awkward layout and a huge island that my mom found at Ikea that fit the room perfectly.  The challenge I really face is storage.  I don't really have enough space for a huge collection of gadgets, pots, pans, baking sheets, ect.  I basically cram everything in and slap a baby lock on the door in hopes of keeping stuff from crashing out! For a normally very organized person, this can be quite stressful. I'm actually writing this post in hopes of finding out my readers favorite tips for kitchen storage, what your favorite gadgets are, and your must have tools.  I'm thinking an organization overhaul in my space is past due... Any suggestions?  Leave a comment below! :)

Have a great week!

Shrimp Scampi with Lemon Orzo

Shrimp Scampi is a dish I have always loved.  There's something indulgent about shrimp in general and pairing it with a garlic wine sauce just puts it right over the top for me.  Traditionally seafood and Parmesan cheese don't mix, but since this is my blog, and Parm happens to be a staple for me (really isn't cheese one of the major food groups?) I'm adding some cheese!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 lbs of raw shrimp cleaned, tails on
2 lemons, zested & juiced (plus one more for garnishing)
1/2 cup of white wine
2 tbs of butter
1 tbs olive oil
2 cloves of minced garlic
salt & pepper
1/2 a pkg of orzo pasta (about 4 oz.)
handfull of fresh parsley

Directions:
Start by preparing your orzo according to pkg instructions.  When orzo is 2 minutes shy of being done, drain and set aside.  While pasta is being prepared, begin your shrimp!  Place a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add butter, olive oil and garlic.  Season your shrimp lightly with salt and pepper and add to the skillet in an even layer. (Depending on the size of your shrimp & pan you may need to do this in two batches.) As soon as your shrimp start to turn pink, turn them over to the other side using tongs.  They only take about 2 minutes on each side.  Once they are all pink, about 4 minutes, remove with tongs and set on a plate or bowl.  Add your wine to the skillet and the juice and zest of your lemons. Bring your sauce to a boil, then add the cooked orzo.  Add the shrimp back to the orzo and sauce, remove from the heat and transfer to a serving dish.  Top with fresh parsley, a little more lemon zest and juice and, if desired, Parmesan cheese.

Looks amazing, huh?!!

 

Toasted Ravioli with Sun Dried Tomato Dipping Sauce

These ravioli's are perfect served as a meal along side a salad or as an appetizer.  They are super easy to make and they are delicious.  I use my favorite brand of store bought ravioli and pair them with my homemade Sun Dried Tomato Alfredo (click on the link for that recipe), which I use as a dipping sauce.  I hope you love these as much as we do!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 pkg of your favorite store bought ravioli (I love the Sun Dried Tomato & Goat Cheese variety from Trader Joe's
1/2 cup of Canola Oil
Sea Salt
2 Cups of Sun Dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce (for dipping)

Directions:
In a shallow frying pan add about 1/2 an inch of canola oil.  Turn heat to medium high.  You know the oil is the right temp for frying when you stick a wooden spoon into the oil and small bubbles begin to rise from the spoon.  Add 5-6 ravioli at a time and brown, about 1-2 minutes on each side.  Remove from oil and place on a plate lined with a paper towel. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and repeat process until all the ravioli are cooked.  Voila!

A Recipe for Lent: Salmon with Capellini & Asparagus in Lemon Cream Sauce

If you are Catholic and sticking to the meatless tradition on Fridays during Lent, than this is definitely a recipe you'll want to make.  I used Capellini, but if I was going to make this again {and I definitely will!} I would use a wider noodle next time, like Linguine.  The Capellini just sticks together too much for my liking.  None the less, it was delicious, so I decided to share!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 Salmon Filet per person (This was dinner for two, but there was enough pasta for 4-6 so I would just stick to the suggestion of one filet per person.)
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
Juice and zest of 2 lemons plus 1 lemon sliced into rings for garnish
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tbs olive oil
salt & pepper
fresh basil for garnish
1lb of pasta such as linguine or spaghetti
1 bunch of asparagus, bottoms cut off, and cut into 1" pieces

Directions:
Prepare pasta according to package instructions.  While making pasta, you can make the sauce and the salmon, as they only take a few minutes.  In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat add cream, lemon juice and zest and garlic.  Whisk until it begins to bubble, reduce heat and allow to thicken slightly.  In another non-stick skillet over high heat add olive oil.  When the pan is very hot add the salmon, seasoned with salt and pepper, skin side down.  Allow to cook for about 3-5 minutes until the skin turns brown and crisp.  Turn and remove from heat.  The hot pan will continue to cook the other side without over cooking and drying out the fish.  When pasta is 2 minutes away from being done, add the asparagus and cook with the pasta for the last 2 minutes, then drain and add to the lemon cream sauce.  Toss well with tongs and transfer to a serving dish.  Top with the salmon filets, lemon and basil for garnish.  Serve immediately.

Update on Ella's Toddler Bedding

Last week I shared some photos of my two year old, Ella Rose's, new toddler bed. At the time I had already ordered the quilt and sham, which are from the Pottery Barn Kids Daisy Garden Collection, but they hadn't arrived yet.  In the pictures from last week I had the bedding from my niece's bedroom when she lived with us almost 5 years ago.  The blue bedding was very sweet and had a nice vintage feel, but it didn't match her valances or rug very well.  I was able to find the exact same quilt and sham in the pattern she already had on Ebay for much less than retail at Pottery Barn Kids.  They were gently used, but honestly, you can't tell at all. I washed them up, put them on, and finally got her bed completed yesterday.

Now I'm just on the lookout for a new chair for her room.  She doesn't need the glider anymore and I have a feeling that someone I know will be needing a glider fairly soon!  I have my eye on a magnificent fuchsia velvet tufted chair at World Market, but it is way out of my price range.  Possibly, if I get a 50% off coupon I could swing it, but in the mean time I'm scouring Craig's List in search of a vintage chair that looks similar to the World Market version.

It's a never ending cycle of decorating around here, but I do love it!

Planting a Garden & Planning a Menu

My family and I spent the day yesterday doing some serious spring cleaning in our yard.  Boy did it need it... Between the broken plastic toys, leaves, weeds, and overgrown bushes it was a full day's work.  We also tilled up the soil in our garden bed and got our garden planted.  I took some pictures of how the garden turned out. 

Last year I planted a tomato in one of my big pots because I ran out of room in my garden bed.  It did the best out of all four plant,s (I think it had the most sun) so this year I planted one in each of my pots.  

Yes, there is a lot of empty space between the herbs & strawberries.  That's where the lettuce, carrots, beets and kale were planted.  I'll take some more pics when I have some sprouts.

Lily Claire loves strawberries, so we're giving them a try this year.

For some reason my parsley made it through the winter and looks great.  I had to replant rosemary, basil and thyme though.  I love to use fresh herbs in my recipes!

This little saying made me smile, and the tutorial I found on Ella Claire Inspired was fun to try.

Now on to more fun stuff, like planning my weekly menu.  I'm trying a new recipe for Shrimp Scampi and I'm in the mood for this favorite of mine - Chicken Tortilla Soup.

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend!  I'm looking forward to starting a new week and sharing new recipes and ideas with you!