Meaty Red Sauce for Italian Recipes

This meaty pasta sauce recipe has come to be my husband's FAVORITE red sauce.  It's become my favorite as well.  Each time I make it, I innocently think I've made enough to make two full meals.  The flavors that come out of this sauce reach down to our inner child and make us ask "Please sir, may I have some more?"  Sadly, we will eat up so much at dinner that there is just enough for a light lunch the next day. But oh what a lunch it is.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES
Makes about 4 cups of red sauce, enough for a pasta dinner for four friends.

• 2 tablespoons bacon drippings
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 10 whole garlic cloves
• 2 heaping teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage

• 1 pound fresh ground pork

• 1- 28 ounce can of San Marzano Whole Tomatoes
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

In a dutch oven over medium heat, melt bacon drippings.  Add onions, garlic cloves, oregano and sage.  Cook until the onions begin to soften, stirring constantly about 5 minutes.

Add in ground pork and continue to cook until meat has browned and there's no sign of pink.

Using a hand blender, puree the whole tomatoes until smooth.  Pour sauce over cooked pork.  Add salt and pepper.  When tomato sauce begins to boil, REDUCE heat to medium low, cover with lid and simmer for 30 minutes.  Stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and use with any pasta.

This sauce keeps very well in the freezer.  It would be very handy to double this recipe and put up half the sauce in the freezer for a future meal.

Creamy Carrot Soup

This Creamy Carrot Soup is a completely different experience from the Curried Carrot and Apple Soup I cooked up last week.  This Creamy Carrot Soup is satisfying much in the same way as the Homemade Creamy Tomato Soup I enjoy so much.  It's simple.  There's just enough potato in it to mellow that earthy carrot flavor that can be off putting at times.  Even though I love carrots, I have to admit that carrots are not always delicious cooked just any old way.  And because carrots come with different levels of sweetness and earthiness, they are often lumped into one "I don't care for carrots" category from those that are indifferent to eating them.  Some carrots are not all that great. And if you've purchased a bag that doesn't possess you favorite flavor, well then, what can you do?
Make this soup.

I genuinely like this soup. Period.  The first time I tasted it, before adding the cream, I knew I could have eaten it just like it was, anytime, anywhere.  With a crusty slice of buttered toast, maybe Parmesan toast or garlic toast, on the side.  It could be spiced up or left alone.  Yea, this one is a natural, comfort soup that could stand the test of time.

HERE'S ALL THERE'S TO IT

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 medium-large potato, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds carrots, chopped
• 2 teaspoons crushed fresh ginger root
• 4 cups chicken stock, warmed
• 1 cup water, warmed
• 7 tablespoon whipping cream or whole milk (see my Cook's Notes)
• 1/8 teaspoon dried nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Chop the potatoes and carrots to be the same size so they will cook evenly.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a dutch oven, add onion and celery, then cook for 5 minutes until soften.

Stir in the potato, carrots, ginger, chicken stock, and water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover with lid. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender.  Remove from heat.

Using either a blender, food processor or immersion blender, carefully puree mixture until smooth.  Return soup to the pan.  Stir in the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir in cream or milk.  Reheat gently, but do not allow the soup to boil or the cream will curdle. (not attractive)  Feeds 6 hungry folks with healthy 1 cup servings.

COOK'S NOTES

The ginger root adds a bright note to this soup, but if you don't have any on hand, don't sweat it.  This soup could please a crowd without it.

I planned to use this soup recipe for my make ahead lunches.  I figured the 7 tablespoons of whipping cream would not hold up to reheating and possible boiling in the microwave.  I didn't want to ruin the soup, SO... I divided it.  I measured out the soup and came up with roughly 6 cups.  Three cups received 3 1/2 tablespoons whipping cream - this half was the soup I would eat right away.  The remaining three cups of soup received 3 1/2 tablespoons whole milk- this half went into 1 cup portions and into the freezer for my made ahead lunches.  Milk can handle coming to a boil better than heavy cream.  I'll let you know later in the comment section how the soup held up through reheating.

This recipe was stirred from a new inspiring cookbook, Soups; Includes Delicious Recipes for Appetizers and Salads.

Support SDR and grab your copy from Amazon.

Soups; Includes Delicious Recipes for Appetizers and Salads

Homemade Creamy Tomato Soup

Oh the joy of discovering excellent recipes!  My heart is full with happiness and my stomach cannot wait to taste this nurturing soup again.  I wish I could claim full credit, but I cannot.  This is the fine work of Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen.  The original recipe is called Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup.

It serves 6 to 8, easy.  I enjoyed it twice in one day last weekend, it's so smooth and satisfying. It's called creamless AND creamy because the recipe does not call for heavy cream or half-n-half.  The creamy texture comes from using 3 slices of sandwich bread.  I kid you not, it's the secret ingredient to its success.  My family didn't have a clue; they didn't even ask.  They just slurped it down as they groaned over their bowls.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 medium onion , chopped medium (about 1 cup)
• 3 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
• Pinch hot red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 large slices good-quality sandwich bread , crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes (if using), and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Using potato masher, mash until no pieces bigger than 2 inches remain. Stir in sugar and bread; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.

Transfer half of soup to blender. Add 1 tablespoon oil and process until soup is smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and repeat with remaining soup and oil. Rinse out dutch oven and return soup to pot. Stir in chicken broth and brandy (if using). Return soup to boil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve soup in individual bowls. Sprinkle each portion with pepper and chives and drizzle with olive oil.

If half of the soup fills your blender by more than two-thirds, process the soup in three batches. You can also use an immersion blender to process the soup directly in the pot. For an even smoother soup, pass the pureed mixture through a fine-mesh strainer before stirring in the chicken broth in step.

The original recipe is called Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup, published September 1, 2008, from Cook's Illustrated.com.

MY COOKING NOTES:

• I wanted to use my very favorite canned tomatoes, San Marzano whole plum tomatoes.  They're sweet with the right level of acidity for soups and sauces.  They cost more than the average can of whole tomatoes, but they're worth it when I need a tomato sauce to stand alone.  I use the other brand tomatoes for chilis and salsas.  Taste them for yourself and you'll know where I'm coming from.
• I saved the pinch of red pepper flakes as the last seasoning before serving the grown ups.  I was afraid the heat would be noticeable to the kiddos.  I wanted them to love this soup and didn't need reasons for them not to like it.
• I skipped the brandy.  No one in my family has ever tasted it.  I don't keep it on hand.  So, I figured no one would know it was missing. Right?
• I didn't have onion chives, but I did have garlic chives from the herb garden.  They were perfect.
• I used my immersion blender to puree the tomato-bread mixture.  Then I passed it through a mesh strainer before adding the broth.  This removed the seeds and stray bits of tomato skins, along with taking the soup to the next smoothest texture.  It makes all the big difference in making the soup feel creamy in the mouth.  It's worth it when I take the extra 3 minutes to strain the soup.
• Next time, I'm doubling the recipe so I can freeze servings for make-ahead-lunches.  Since there's no dairy involved, this recipe is sure to hold up for future meals.

White Bean Burritos

White Bean Burritos are super easy to whip up.  Cooked Great Northern beans or Navy beans are quickly mashed, seasoned with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, then heated up like refried beans.  I could totally see this as a healthy snack dip or eaten as a filling for tacos, chalupas and, yes, burritos.

For folks accustomed to eating Pinto beans or red beans in your Tex-Mex treats, you may think the Northern or Navy beans don't have enough "bean" flavor.  That's what I thought the first time I attempted to make tacos using them.  The second time, I cooked them up like I would a pan of traditional refried beans.  Mixed with a topping of cooked red bell pepper, onions and a few spicy jalapenos, they turn into a tasty alternative.

I ran this recipe through the Kid Approval Process, using my two plus a kid from the hood.  EVERY ONE gave a thumbs up and Max went back for seconds.  He claimed he liked them MORE than the regular kind.  I, personally, wouldn't go that far, as I am a die hard pinto bean refried bean eater.  However, as I said before, using the Northern bean shakes it up a bit.  I want to play around some more with this recipe.  I feel it could be more exciting.  Today's version is purely for the kiddos, picky eaters, and mild spice consumers.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

this makes 4 to 5 small burritos

• 1 small onion, sliced into rings
• 1 small bell pepper, sliced the same thickness as the onion
• 1 tablespoon bacon drippings (essential seasoning in refried beans)
• 3 cups cooked Great Northern or Navy beans
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• salt & fresh pepper to taste
• flour tortillas, fajitas size
• jalapenos, sliced (totally optional)
• cheddar cheese, grated

In a medium fry pan over medium heat, heat a little canola oil and cook the onion and bell pepper until soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from pan, set aside and keep warm.

Using the same pan, warm the bacon drippings, add in the chili powder and cumin, then add in the beans.  If you're using canned beans, pour in the whole can, liquid and all. Carefully use a potato masher to mash about 3/4 of the beans into a thick consistency.  If you need to,  add a little water if the bean mixture is still too thick.   Salt and pepper to taste.  Cook the beans on medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes until they have thicken back up, stir often to keep from sticking to pan.  Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.  The refried beans will thicken the more they cool down.

Meanwhile, prep your burrito building station. Warm the tortillas, either in the microwave on medium power for 20 to 40 seconds, or in the oven set to 250ºF degrees for a minute or two.  You pick. Grate the cheese, get out the jar of jalapenos...

Allow everyone to build their own burritos and you're ready to eat!

Simple White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

In all the twelve years Charlie and I have been married, I've NEVER baked his all time favorite cookie from scratch.  (I can hear the air being sucked out of the room.)  Of course, I love my husband!

While I'm confessing,  I guess it's high time I let you know where I get all my cookie recipes.  The book that is my absolute favorite cookie slash sweet craving cookbook.  I turn to it EVERY TIME I want to bake something sweet for family and friends and it has never let me down.

HERE IT IS, MY SECRET BOOK TO BAKING SWEETS

No, it's not hoity toity.  It's probably not even fashionable to mention in the least little bit, but I don't really care.  This book works for me! I've laughed to myself, many times, when folks have eaten the treats I make from this book and think, I'M the BEST cook ever.  HA! I was only following the directions.

Although I love listening and gathering bits of information about the science behind cooking, the science of baking makes my brain go numb, and my mind's eye glazes over at the thought of experimental baking.  I don't have the time & resources to set myself up for such failures.  When my family wants something to sweet to eat, I go for the traditional favorites first and grab my gal, Betty.

So when Charlie sent me the text message that he was having a rough day at work, I knew I needed to have something comforting for him to come home to, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies.  I turned to Betty and she came through for me in the most delicious way.

HERE'S ALL IT TOOK

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 package (6 ounces) white baking bars, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch chunks
• 1 jar (3 1/2 ounces) or 2 bags (2.25 ounces) macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Heat oven to 350º F degrees. Beat sugars, butter & shortening in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Mix in vanilla and egg.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt, chopped white chocolate and nuts.  With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture a third at a time until all is flour is moistened or absorbed.  Do not over stir.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls (use a 1 inch scooper) about 2 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake 9 to 11 minutes, until LIGHT, light brown on the edges.  Cool 1 to 2 minutes BEFORE removing from the cookie sheet.  Continue cooling on wire rack.

NOTE: It's important to bake these cookies on the light side.  They should look under cooked in the center and light brown on the edges.  They will finish setting as they cool on the cookie sheet and have a smoother finish.  I didn't learn this until I baked the last batch of cookies.  As you can see from the photo above, the cookies have cracks.  This does NOT affect their flavor at all.  But I noticed that the last batch of cookies baked for 9 minutes had a creamier texture than the cookies baked for 12 minutes. The smooth 9 minute cookies are shown below, they were eaten immediately after the photo was taken.

By now, all the cookies are gone.  No one cared about or even mentioned the cracks, they just kept going back for more cookies.  The extra chopped nuts really make these cookies hard to put down.  They weren't so rich that one cookie was enough.  Unfortunately.

Full On Chicken Dinner STILL SIMPLE

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Total Comfort Food Here! A full on meal, made as quickly and as easily as possible.  Every where I could, I trimmed down the fat calorie intake as best as I could.  It's not "fat-free" but "low-fat" and STILL SATISFIES a hungry family.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

For the Chicken

• 1 (3 to 3 1/2 pound) whole chicken
• salt & fresh ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 small lemon, halved
• 5 to 7 garlic cloves, whole
• 1 small onion, thickly sliced

For the Noodles

• 1 1/2 cups dry egg noodles
• 1 cup chicken stock/broth from drippings
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup No Fat Half and Half (Land O'Lakes)
• salt & pepper
• ground red pepper flakes (for the grown ups' plates)

Blanched Broccoli

• 1 large broccoli crown, cut into large bite size pieces

Starting with the chicken. Preheat the oven to 425ºF degrees.

Prep the lemon, garlic and onion.  Have your spices measured out in small bowls, so you don't contaminate your spice rack.

Remove the chicken parts from the inside that they always give us.  Rinse out the inside of the chicken and remove any excessively fatty pieces.  Pat the outside dry with a paper towel.  Place the chicken in a roasting pan.

Generously salt and pepper the inside of the chicken.  Sprinkle in the dried thyme, stuff with the lemon, garlic.  Give the outside of the chicken a spritz of canola oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Tie the legs together with kitchen string, or not, and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.  Scatter the onion slices around the chicken.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh.  Move to a serving dish and cover with foil.

BEFORE YOU START THE NOODLES

Scoop out 1 cup of broth from the drippings, try to get as much as you can.  If you can't make a cup, you can fill in with water or canned chicken broth.  Put the drippings in the freezer, so the fat can separate and solidify quickly.  Skim off all the fat.

NOW start a large pot of boiling water for blanching the broccoli, then cooking the noodles as directed on the package.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the 1 cup of drippings/broth to a boil.  Pour in No Fat Half and Half, and reduce heat to low just to keep warm.  Do not allow cream sauce to simmer. Think low and slow.

At the same time, blanch the broccoli florets in the boiling water for 2 minutes, scoop out with a slotted spoon and keep warm until noodles are cooked.

Drain off cooked noodles, pour creamy chicken sauce over the noodles and toss.  Allow noodles a few minutes to absorb cream sauce and thicken. Separate chicken while you wait.

Serve it all up family style!

Swirly Peanut Butter Brownies

An OUTSTANDING recipe for peanut butter and chocolate to come together in a dense, cakey delight.

Naturally, as with most dense breads, these brownies are WAY BETTER the next day.  Unfortunately, there weren't many leftover to enjoy.  So, if you're planning to make these ahead of time, HIDE THEM!!!

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 2 tablespoon milk
• 2 eggs

• 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup peanut butter chips
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted OR 1/3 cup cocoa powder

Heat oven to 350ºF. Line a square 8X8 inch brownie pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Be sure to leave enough paper overlapping on the sides to be able to lift out cooled brownies.

Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave on 70% power for 1 minute. Stir until practically smooth.  If it's very lumpy, go another 20 seconds at 70% power.  A few lumps won't hurt anything.

(IF YOU DON'T HAVE CHOCOLATE CHIPS, stir in 1/3 cup cocoa powder after you divide the batter in half.)

Beat sugars, butter, milk and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed.  Stir in flour, baking powder and salt.

Divide batter in half, a little over a cup each half.  Stir in peanut butter and peanut butter chips into one half.  Stir in melted chocolate chips or 1/3 cup cocoa powder into the remaining half.

Use a 2 inch scooper to scoop chocolate batter into pan in a checkerboard pattern.  Scoop peanut butter batter between the mounds of chocolate batter.

Swirl through batters with a knife or spreader for marbled design. Don't worry about the top of the batter being uneven, it will level off when the brownies bake.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool completely.  Cut them as big or small as you like.

FOR THE VISUAL LEARNERS

Don't forget a glass of milk or a cup of hot tea to wash these down.
Mmm MMM! They are good!

Simple Fruit Pastry Bites

So Maggie walks into the kitchen and says,

"Mom, can I have one of those things to eat with the jelly on the inside?"

I knew what she was talking about, but I wasn't about to say yes to those.  I did, however, have a lone sheet of phyllo pastry in the freezer that needed a purpose and plenty of fruit preserves and a little Nutella left in a jar to whip up something fun for her.

HERE'S WHAT I DID

After the pastry sheet thawed out. I heated up the oven to 400F degrees.

I dusted my work area with powdered sugar and cut up the pastry into thirds then in half.  I added about 2 teaspoons of fruit preserves to one side of the pastry.  Lightly wet the edges with water, using my finger, then sealed edges around the filling, carefully removing trapped air as I went along.

Moved the pastry to a greased cookie sheet and baked for 10 to 12 minutes.

While the pastry was baking, I mixed up 1/4 cup powdered sugar with approximately 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of milk to make a glaze.  When the pastry was still hot, I drizzled them with glaze.

These sweet treats are better after they've had time to cool.  Eating them still warm from the oven, the dough is very soft, the filling is messy and they are very rich.

The ones we enjoyed that evening after dinner held up better.   The fruit preserves had time to firm up.  They didn't taste SO SWEET, which was sort of a bad thing, because then we wanted to keep eating them.  Thank goodness, I didn't have that much leftover pastry dough.

Chocolate Dipped Bananas

Max put in a request for chocolate dipped bananas the other day.  I've never actually made them and thought it would be fun to try it out.  I didn't Google how to make them.  I didn't research to see if any of my food blogging friends had made them before.  I just dove in head first and worked from common sense.

Well, twice during the process I yelled out, "DOH!!" Like when I didn't remove the peels BEFORE I put them in the freezer.  Yea, that was very aggravating; shaving off the peels with a sharp knife.

THEN, I didn't work fast enough to roll the dipped bananas in the chopped peanuts.  Talk about pressure & the need for speed.

And you can forget photographing the process, chocolate dipped bananas look, they look... well, it's not the kind of food porn we need here at SDR.  That's all I'm sayin'.

But they are absolutely delicious when eaten soon after dipping.  I don't recommend storing them in the frig, they turn mushy and watery, it's not appetizing.  I guess you can refreeze them.  I don't know.  We ate all of ours, so I can't tell ya.

I can tell you what I did.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• ripe bananas
• semi-sweet chocolate chips
• almond bark
• chopped unsalted peanuts
• popsicle sticks or lollipop sticks

I cut the bananas in half for smaller portions and for easier dipping in a shallow bowl of melted chocolate.

Skewer the bananas with the sticks, THEN PEEL THEM! Place them on a sheet or tray lined with wax paper, then put them in the freezer for oh, let's say 15 to 30 minutes. (I actually forgot about them for 2 days.)

Anyhoo. Put the chopped peanuts in a plate so it's easy to roll the banana across the nuts.  Melt the almond bark with a handful of chocolate chips, either with the double boiler method or in the microwave.  As soon as the chocolate has melted, take out the bananas are start dipping and QUICKLY move to the chopped nuts.  Those frozen bananas work fast to harden up the chocolate.  There's no time to dilly dally.

Return the coated treats to the waxed paper until you're finished.

Yell out, "Come and GET IT!" and they're gone.  They will vanish before your eyes.  You'll have nothing but the dirty dishes to contend with.  Sigh.

Spaghetti with Eggs and Bacon

I MADE ANOTHER PASTA MEAL MY PICKY EATER LIKES - WaaaaaHOOOOO!

Teresa! Are you readin' this post? I've been thinking of you all afternoon.
As soon as Maggie figured out that Mom wasn't trying to pull a fast one on her.  She quietly, without trying to bring attention to herself, CHOWED DOWN!  I don't know what was up with her today?  She just didn't want to let me know that she liked it, BUT SHE ATE THE WHOLE THING!

Sometimes the empty plates are all I need to see. Ya' know what I'm sayin'?

As for Max & I, we needed plenty of fresh ground pepper and a pinch of salt sprinkled on top, then we were very pleased.  Even Max (8 years old) said, "fresh ground pepper really makes it taste good!"  I believe he's discovering the spicy limits of his tastebuds, right now.  Anyhoo, let me tell you how to put this together.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Romano
• salt & freshly ground pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  In a medium fry pan, heat the oil and saute the bacon and the garlic until the bacon is brown.  Remove & discard the garlic.  Keep the bacon and it's drippings hot until needed.

Add salt and the spaghetti to the boiling water, and cook until it is al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, warm a large serving bowl and break the eggs into it.  Beat in the the Romano cheese with a fork, and season with salt & pepper.

As soon as the pasta is done, drain it quickly, and mix it into the egg mixture.  Pour on the hot bacon and ALL it's drippings.  Yeah you read that right!  Pour it on!  Stir well.  The heat from the pasta and bacon drippings will cook the eggs.  Serve immediately.

HERE'S THE VISUAL AIDS

In Italian, this meal is called, Spaghetti alla carbonara.

Small Confession: I chickened out and put the egg mixture in the microwave for 40 seconds at 80% power.  I just thought I would nuke any bacteria that may be present.  It didn't cook the eggs by much.  I just wanted to bring up the temperature without scrambling them.  Like we do when we're working with any raw egg base.  I don't know for sure, if that was quite enough time, but it made me feel better anyway.  If someone knows exactly how long it takes to destroy bacteria in eggs using a microwave as I attempted, please speak up.

Boo! Chocolate Covered Ghost Pretzels for little monsters

You know how you see these holiday specials that show how to make treats for Halloween but they show it to you the DAY before Halloween (I'm not mentioning names...MARTHA!).

Well, how is THAT supposed to help me?  Unlike you (MARTHA!) I don't have 30 yards of muslin, 2 pounds of fresh truffles and a container of edible gold dust in my closet unlike some insanely rich entertaining guru who has a full time staff, show and a magazine but shall remain nameless.

I found these skinnier pretzels. The thick pretzel logs would work fine though.

.
Ok, ok, parchment or wax paper is technically four things you need.

Yeah, I know we all buy a type of that gel stuff once a year and use only 1/100th of the tube.  So you could totally use chocolate chips, M&M’s, raisins or whatever you have in your cupboard here.  (What UP, Martha!)

Which we totally did.

Kitchen, I mean Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore is super simple to put together and absolutely delicious to eat!

Denise's husband asked Denise to ask me if I had a Chicken Cacciatore recipe. I told her that I had never made it before but after researching how to put it together, I would make it and post about it. So here we are folks. Take a look at that delicious red sauce loaded with garlic, bell peppers, onions, celery, mushroom and capers. It spells over that moist chicken breast that just lays beautifully over macaroni coated in basil olive oil.

I ate this for leftovers, two nights later and it STILL ROCKS!

I made a big batch and now I seriously cannot decide whether to put the extra in the freezer or just keep chowing on it. You just wait. You're gonna make this and be right where I am and you'll know where I'm coming from. This stuff is GREAT!

OH! I almost forgot. It only takes one pan and one pot to pull this meal together. How's that for easy clean up?

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES TO MAKE A BIG BATCH (To Eat Now & Later)

• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup flour for dredging
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• enough oil for lightly frying, 3 to 4 tablespoons

• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 large celery stalks, chopped
• 1 pint mushrooms, cleaned & quartered

• 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 (15oz) can petite diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 (15oz) can Italian-style tomatoes with juice
• 4 tablespoon capers, drained
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

• 2 cups elbow macaroni or your favorite pasta, cooked, drained & drizzled with your favorite olive oil

Get all the vegetables chopped first.

.
Dredge the chicken boobs in flour, salt & pepper, then set aside.

.
Heat a large nonstick pan with oil over medium high heat. Add chicken to pan and saute for 2 minutes on each side or until chicken is lightly browned.

Remove chicken and set aside on a plate. Add all the chopped vegetables EXCEPT the mushrooms. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, saute until softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

Add in the red wine vinegar and cook for 3 minutes. (This helps remove the strong vinegar aroma.) Take this time to scrap the tasty crispy bits from the pan with your spatula. Then, it's time to add in the chicken broth, both cans of tomatoes WITH their juices, capers and oregano.

Return the chicken boobs, too. Make sure they are practically submerged. Now you see them...

.Now you don't.

Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue to simmer over MEDIUM LOW heat, UNCOVERED until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. In the last 10 minutes, add the mushrooms.

TIME IT JUST RIGHT
15-20 minutes before the chicken cacciatore is finished, preheat the oven for baking a loaf of garlic bread. And start the water for boiling the pasta.

In the last 10 minutes, pop the garlic bread in the oven and pour the uncooked pasta in the boiling water. Everything will finish at the same time. So, turn off the heat from the Chicken Cacciatore, turn off the oven, then drain the pasta and drizzle with your favorite olive oil. Remove the bread from the oven and carefully cut into serving slices.

YOU ARE READY TO EAT!!!

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