Great Garlicky Goodness Pasta!

 

Great Garlicky Goodness Pasta!!!

I love garlic. I love pasta. I think bacon should be a food group (I'm almost not kidding). I love fresh herbs.  Let's put them all together with some pasta, shall we? 

Technically, this pasta dish may take about twenty or so minutes of prep work. Longer if you peel the garlic yourself.  I bought the garlic pre-peeled, along with a bunch of small scallions - not the thick ones - and chopped them easily. You could buy scallions and red onions pre-chopped at your local grocer if you choose to. Just thought I'd throw in some tips for time savers. 

This is a fun pasta to make and the flavors will drive your senses mad with happiness. If you know someone who does not like garlic, this is not the dish for them! Well, unless you really do not like them.  Vampires might not enjoy it, either. But everyone else on the Earth-shaped planet will love it! Let's get on with it. 😋

Ingredients

1/2 cup finely chopped bacon or, pancetta

6-oz+ peeled garlic cloves

1 box pasta (your choice)

1/4 cup finely chopped Flat Leaf Italian Parsley

1/2 cup finely chopped thin scallions, whites and greens

4 tablespoons+ extra virgin olive oil + 1/4 cup

1 cup of butter (your favorite)*

3 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped red onions

2/3 cup grated Parmesan 

6 leaves fresh basil (for garnish)

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more, if you like)

*Pinches of dry spices:  thyme, oregano, basil

Preheat the oven to 425-degrees F

In a small pan or glass baking/roasting dish, add 6+ ounces of peeled garlic cloves.  Add a quarter cup of extra virgin olive oil (or a little less, if you choose), a good pinch of red pepper flakes, a pinch of dry thyme, oregano and basil to the garlic. Use a wooden spoon or a spatula or, your best kitchen tools, your hands, to coat the garlic and mix the spices thoroughly.  Place in the oven for 25 - 35 minutes. Check 20 minutes in and use the spatula to turn the garlic as the bottom will be turning golden.  Golden is perfect. When the timer goes off, remove the container and allow to it to cool. 

As you can see, I let my garlic sit inside the oven a little too long. Still, the flavor was incredible!

*You can buy garlic butter at the grocery store if you do not want to roast the garlic cloves. I have had it and without the roasted garlic and I have to say, I love the roasted garlic. IF time is a problem, though, the store bought garlic butter is an option.

Now, in a blender/food processor, add the garlic, half of the scallions, half of the flat leaf Italian parsley, a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and 1/3 cup of Parmesan, and the cup of butter, process until smooth. Place the "compound butter" in a bowl and cool until it is time to toss it with the pasta. 

This is a good time to get on with your day.  Certainly, this part of the dish can be done even a day or two ahead of time! It can be frozen and used whenever you want to use it again (if you make enough). Just thought I'd throw that in there. 😉        

If you are going to continue on and finish the dish, bring four quarts of water to a roiling boil over high heat in a pot.  Liberally salt the water. Add just enough pasta to feed the number of hungry eaters you will be serving. This recipe can easily feed four. Boil the pasta for about 12 minutes.  Note, however, Angel Hair pasta does not take that long!  Smaller pasta, such as bowtie (farfalle), penne and rigatoni and the like, take a full 12 (twelve) minutes. Do the taste test after eight minutes. 

Bacon and Garlic and Herb butter is under the pasta, melting. 

There are two ways you can finish this dish.  Use a separate skillet or pot, or, strain the pasta and us

e the same pot. That is up to you.  I chose to use a separate pot (a wok, actually, as it is easier for me to toss pasta and coat it all with whatever sauce I have made). In this case, as you can see, above, I used my wok. 

I added a two tablespoons of evoo and the finely chopped bacon to the wok over medium-high heat. I added a pinch of dried thyme, oregano and basil. When the fat had rendered and the bacon broken up into little bits, I added a couple of hefty large spoon fulls of the garlic and herb butter.  I allowed the butter to melt, stirring to incorporate the bacon rendering and the bacon itself before adding the pasta.  

Add all of the remaining ingredients: red onion, the remainder of the parsley and scallions either on top of the pasta, or under it. Add another hefty spoon full of the garlic herb butter and use tongs to toss the pasta and coat all it with the butter. This may take a few minutes and an arm workout. It'll be well worth it in the end.  The aroma right now has to be making you want to eat it all by yourself of out the wok or pan, its That delicious!!!

Here's the pasta plated in bowls and garnished with fresh, finely chopped basil.  I think a couple of thinly sliced French or Sourdough bread would be well worth it to sop up any buttery sauce left over.  

With that, my gentle readers, this is my Great Garlicky Goodness Pasta.  I hope you have enjoyed this recipe.  Let me know what you think of it!

Now, Go Cook For Someone You Love and know that I am grateful for your visit and your time. 

~Martin

In-House Cook

The moon in the clouds last evening was truly beautiful. Not captured (though I really tried) was a bat circling the area. 

Sofrito Chicken and Potatoes

 

Sofrito Chicken and Potatoes

Happy rainy Sunday.  I know some places in the world and the US are sunny and warm and some places are still frozen, and here, in NC, we are getting a peaceful, lovely steady rain.  On a day like this a few weeks back, I was not feeling my best, but I wanted a dinner that was packed with striking flavors and as simple to make as breathing.  This seasoned chicken thighs roasted over potatoes turned out fantastic; a true comfort meal.  Let's get to it, shall we?  And honestly, this is not a long recipe.  It's mostly photos to make you want to make something, if not this, for yourself.  😊

Ingredients

1 package of 4 - 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs

*You could certainly use bone-in/skin on! I love that!

1 bag baby red or baby Yukon gold potatoes, washed and halved

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons grated garlic

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

3 rounded tablespoons Sofrito seasoning

*There are recipes for fresh sofrito and homemade dried sofrito online

4 tablespoons vegetable oil (or your favorite) halved

olive oil non-stick spray

Preheat the oven to 400-degrees. 

In a roasting pan (large or small, depending on how many chicken thighs you will be roasting), spray a good layer of non-stick spray, even up the sides. Drizzle two tablespoons of the oil and place the pan (glass or otherwise) into the oven at 400-degrees, for ten minutes. Set a timer. When timer goes off, take out the pan and add a tablespoon of grated garlic. It may sizzle, which is great, and stir it around with a wooden spoon or spatula. The aroma will be awesome!

Add the potatoes to the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for fifteen (15) minutes. Set a timer,

Meanwhile, remove the chicken from its packaging. Season to your liking with salt and pepper.  

Remove the potatoes and place the pan on the stove top or heat resistant surface. Sprinkle a good rounded tablespoon of sofrito seasoning over the potatoes. Place the cut side of the chicken thighs down.  Drizzle the remaining two tablespoons of oil atop the chicken thighs and generously add the onion, the remaining garlic and the remaining sofrito seasoning atop the chicken. Not to worry, the underside will pick up the seasoning on top of the potatoes.  I got you, not to worry. 

Place the roasting pan into the oven, reduce the heat to 375-degrees and let it be for 50 minutes. The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165-degrees. 

You may notice that some of the garlic and onion and sofrito may have charred while roasting.  You can either discard it or add it to the potatoes. 

The following is a photo essay of my chicken and potatoes. 

Plate with a vegetable or salad. I like to serve it with marinated tomatoes and red onion. Enjoy!

What are your favorite chicken seasonings?

That's it for now, gentle readers.  Thank You so much for your visit, time and consideration!

Now, Go Cook For Someone You Love!  Could be just yourself!  ❤

I truly appreciate your visit. 

~ Martin

In-House Cook

My 15 Bean Double Pork Soup

 

My 15 Bean Double Pork Soup

Mid-January was very cold here, in North Carolina.  As I'd mentioned in my previous recipe blog post, we'd had several days of ice almost everywhere and so I made soups and stews to last a few days just in case.  My spouse asked for 15 Bean Soup, which in itself is very simple and delicious, but leave it to me to put my own spin on it. Just a heads up, this soup may take three hours to cook properly. *Look for a tip at the end to maybe lighten your load. Let's get to it, shall we?

Pork is a vital ingredient in this soup, but I used a couple of different cuts of pork instead of a ham hock. I used smoked pork steaks and and thick cut smoked bacon. The base of my seasoning was Smoked Paprika and Chipotle powder. "Smokey" is the flavor base of this recipe.  If you prefer to lighten it up, refer to my spice blend for my previous blog post:  Chicken and Andouille Sausage Stew. 

Ingredients

2 smoked pork steaks, chopped

5 pieces smoked thick cut bacon, coarsely chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 rounded tablespoons minced or finely grated garlic

1 bag of 15 bean soup beans, washed

4 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

2 boxes chicken stock in a box (I chose unsalted due to the sodium in the pork steak and bacon)

Spice Blend

3 tablespoons smoked paprika

1 tablespoon Chipotle powder

2 rounded tablespoons granulated garlic

1 rounded tablespoon granulated onion

1 rounded teaspoon thyme

2 tablespoons oregano 

1 rounded tablespoon Old Bay, spicy

1 rounded teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

pinch of salt for the onions

2 tablespoons rosemary

2 bay leaves

 

Now that prep is finished, let's get cooking!

Add bacon to a large pot over medium-high heat. Fry the bacon well till most of the fat has rendered and it becomes a dark caramel color. Add the chopped pork steaks and stir to coat the small pork pieces with the bacon grease. Continue to stir so as to prevent too much sticking to the bottom of the pot. Once the pork steaks begin caramelizing, add the onions and garlic.  Season with a pinch of salt and good pinch of pepper. Let cook, stirring, for five minutes. The onions will start to become a bit translucent.  Add the washed beans, a tablespoon of the spice blend and the four tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. 

Goodness, the aroma this is filling your kitchen with will be incredible!  The family and friends will flock to the kitchen to see what you are cooking!

Add one box of chicken stock in a box and stir vigorously to scrape up any burnt bits at the bottom of the pot. That's flavor! 

Add the second box of stock in box with two tablespoons of the seasoning and stir to incorporate everything in that pot together. Bring it the liquid to a boil.  Add water to bring the liquid about half an inch above the solid ingredients. During cooking time, you may need to add a little more water based on the calibration of your stove top. The beans will absorb a part of the liquid during cooking time, so do not worry about the liquid level reducing.  Just add another cup or so, as needed.  You will need to stir every so often.  

Now is the time to relax, a little bit.  Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to a low simmer. My stove top is supposed to have several settings, but really, it is either on fire or just sitting there, which is why I mentioned adding water or more stock, if needed.  😟

Watch tv, read books, play games, take a walk, stir your soup pot about every thirty minutes for 2 - 3 hours.  Three hours is optimum, but two can work. That said, however, check the soup by tasting a bean after the second hour.  If it is done, ready to serve!  If not, please let it go another hour. 

*Tip:  Yes, my ears were burning about 'Why can't we use a crock pot?'  Of Course you can!  You'd want to fry up the bacon and pork as mentioned above, but most importantly, you'll want to soak your beans in water about one-to-two hours before using the crock pot. Add the ingredients to the crock pot in the order above to prevent the beans from sticking. Set the cook time and  heat on low for six-to-eight hours or high for four-to-six hours.  If you are home or in-and-out that day, check in and stir the crock pot a couple of times, if possible. The world will not end if you do not stir. 😉

I do not have serving photos as we will all serve it our own way.  Are there any toppings you would put on it? I like to serve with buttered biscuits to sop up the soup, or toasted bread. I'd love to hear how you would serve it and with what toppings, if any. 

As always, gentle readers, I am beyond grateful for your visit, your time and consideration!

Now, Go Cook For Someone You Love! Maybe make them a stew or soup, or stoup!  ❤

This snow and ice is why I went on a soup and stew making spree.  Hope you enjoy making one of these or your own favorite!

~Martin

In-House Cook

Chicken and Andouille Sausage Stew

 

Chicken & Sausage Stew

Hello Friends!  Between Christmas through a little after New Year's, it was very cold, here, in North Carolina. We had gotten snow that began to thaw but turned to solid ice due to temperatures that plummeted below freezing and stayed there for several days before we received a few inches of snow.  That was so much fun!  It remained below freezing for several more days, so I decided it was soup and stew time.  I was a little smart and learned from locals to go stock up at the grocery store before the storms hit because the roads may be too icy for a few days, so I figured, if I was going to be stuck at home, I'd make a soup and stew.  Below is the recipe for my Chicken and Andouille Sausage Stew, with potatoes, corn and more.  It is hearty, full of textures and flavors familiar with winter stews.  Let's get to it, shall we? 

Ingredients 

1 package Andouille sausage, or your favorite

1 package boneless/skinless chicken thighs

8 halved baby Yukon gold potatoes

1 can red kidney beans, drained

 1 can of corn, drained

1 peeled carrot, diced

1 white onion, diced

2 stems celery, diced

*The carrot, onion and celery are often sold in packages at stores

two rounded tablespoons diced garlic

2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 boxes chicken stock or broth 

Spices and Herbs

2 rounded tablespoons Smoked Paprika

1 rounded tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon granulated onion

1 tablespoon thyme

1 tablespoon rosemary

1 rounded tablespoon sage

Sofrito Seasoning

1 teaspoon Cumin

Sorry for the repeated photo, but i wanted to show the fresh herbs I used:  sage, rosemary and thyme.  You can buy these, from Thanksgiving through New Year's as a package for poultry roasting. 

To be perfectly honest, preparation is the longest, most difficult part of this amazing stew.  If you have the time and willpower to peel and dice everything, fantastic!  However, I wanted to offer some time and effort-saving tips along the way.  I find that the preparation for this was great therapy, as I'd had a couple of tough days prior to making this.  I had slipped on the ice trying to clean ice off of my windshield and I hit my head on the left fender. Very much a funniest home video, but it did hurt. Then, taking my big dog, Banjo, out to do his biz, he yanked the leash out of my hand and I slipped on the ice and banged my head.  That also hurt...one injury per day.  Then, I just stayed inside and made this tasty, aromatic, hearty stew.  Despite all of the sharp knives and graters in my kitchen, I was much safer in there than outside. 😀

Now, in a skillet or, in my case this time, a wok, bring three or four drizzles of evoo or, your favorite cooking oil, to a ripple over medium-high heat. Add salt and pepper to the thighs and place them in the skillet. I seared the boneless skinless chicken thighs whole rather than chop them up before cubing them. I seared them about five minutes per side, just in time for a light golden crust to form.  Flip and repeat. The idea is not to cook the chicken all the way through, as the simmering for two hours part will finish it off nicely. I removed the thighs, let them rest a few minutes, then cubed them as best as possible. Some chicken thighs when de-boned are odd in shape. 

Next, in a stew pot, I added three tablespoons vegetable oil and three pads of butter with some of the diced garlic over medium heat. What an amazing aroma! And folks, here is where it gets really easy!  Saute the sausage till a deep crust forms, and move them out to the side.  Next...

Add the holy trinity of cooking: onion, carrot and celery and stir thoroughly. I chopped up one extra onion to add to it. Salt and pepper liberally and stir to combine the rendering from the sausage and the seasoning thoroughly, about three or four minutes. Next, add the potatoes. Stir again.  

Now go to your seasoning bowl or cup, and add a hefty  tablespoon to the potatoes and mix it in completely. Now, add everything remaining:  chicken, beans and corn and start with one box or can of chicken broth or stock.  Add another tablespoon of the seasoning and stir vigorously.  Things are getting heavy in there so you might get an arm workout! Repeat with the second container of stock, stir, season, and stir. 

Now, allow this to come to a boil.  While waiting, as it will take a few minutes, add a bundle or bag of the fresh herbs:  sage, thyme and rosemary (I just threw mine in) and two bay leaves.  When the liquid comes to a boil, add one final sprinkle of seasoning, reduce the heat to a low simmer and put a lid on it, so-to-speak. 

Allow the stew to simmer for two hours, minimum.  

I pushed the sage and bay leaves down and added a little more thyme and rosemary atop the ingredients. I learned that I needed a bit more liquid, so I added two cups of water to the pot and that brought the liquid solid ingredients ratio to perfection. 

Allow to simmer, covered, as I mentioned above, for two solid hours on low. The aroma will fill your place with insanely wonderful aromas. 

When finished (no photos, sorry) add the stew to a bowl, try to pick out the fresh herb stalks, and enjoy.  I toasted some rosemary bread to sop up the soup part o the stew. So delectable!  I topped stew in the bowl with a little Parmesan cheese, which is my topping of choice.  What would yours be?  I'd love to know!

With that, gentle readers, I want to Thank You for visiting my humble blog.  I appreciate you.  Now, Go Cook For Someone You Love!

With much gratitude....

~Martin

In-House Cook

My number one, Foley, out enjoying the new fallen snow. 

Meanwhile, my number two, Banjo, preferred napping all wrapped up in a poofy blanket.