Gemelli with Creamy Gruyère Sauce

Soooooo freaking aaaaaamazing! Not diet food, that's for sure, but it's rich enough that you won't need to eat too much to be sated anyway. I made only half of the original recipe amount, which was enough to have 2 dinner and 2 lunch servings, plenty for me and hubby. 10+/10!

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/3w8-1gMLmkw

Link to original recipe: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/creamy-baked-pasta-gruyere-and-prosciutto

Recipe below reflects my modifications.

Ingredients:

8 oz. gemelli (or similar) pasta

8 oz. Gruyère cheese, finely shredded

1 1/2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely shredded

1 1/2 c. heavy cream

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly grated whole nutmeg

thinly sliced prosciutto, for serving (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, except stop the cooking 1 min. before reaching al dente time. Drain and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, toss Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano together. Set aside.

3. Heat broiler on hi with rack in middle of oven.

4. Add the heavy cream and kosher salt to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir together and bring to simmer. 

5. Stir in nutmeg and reduce temperature to keep at simmer. Keep simmering for 2 minutes, stirring often.

6. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 1/2 c. of the shredded cheeses mixture in small amounts (I went 1/2 c. at a time). Once the cheeses are stirred in and fully melted/combined, stir in the cooked pasta.

7. Pour pasta mixture into broiler-safe baking dish. Top mixture with remaining shredded cheese mixture, then transfer to oven.

8. Broil 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and starting to brown. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with (or without) the prosciutto on side and enjoy!!

Frozen Margaritas

These are simple and easy to make, have made numerous times, 10/10!

Original recipe link: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/32649/margaritas/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

ice (enough to nearly fill blender)

8 oz. (2/3 of 12oz. can) frozen limeade

6 oz. tequila

3 oz. triple sec

Directions:

1. Fill blender nearly to top with ice.

2. Add remaining ingredients. 

3. Use "chop" setting or "frozen drinks" (if you have one like mine does). Blend until desired consistency is achieved. Pour into glasses and enjoy!

Braised Chicken with Shallots & Tarragon

Outstandingly delicious, 10/10 for sure! I made this with my mom; everyone (including us, of course) loved it. The tarragon is really what makes this dish different and special. We served it with egg noodles--perfect pairing!

Link to original recipe: https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/braised-chicken-with-shallots-and-mushrooms.html

Recipe below contains our modifications.

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs (skin-on, bone-in) and 4 chicken drumsticks

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

olive oil (enough to coat the chicken pieces)

6 medium shallots, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 bottle (750mL) Barefoot Chardonnay (or other full bodied white wine)

3 T. dried porcini mushrooms (in small pieces)

1 can (14.5 oz.) chicken broth

2 T. fresh tarragon, finely chopped, divided

3/4 c. heavy cream

~1 T. fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on each piece of chicken, then rub to coat all over. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a large, heavy skillet (we used cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken pieces and brown on both sides (we went about 4 min. per side). Transfer to a plate and repeat for remaining half of chicken pieces.

3. Check amount of oil remaining in pan; if it is less than 1 T., add some olive oil to reach that amount. If there is more than 1 T., pour off excess to leave about 1 T. in pan (we did not have to pour any off). Leave pan off burner for a minute (to cool a little), then return to burner on medium heat. Add shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until shallots/garlic have softened (around 3-4 min). 

4. Heat oven to 350°F.

5. Add the wine to pan. Increase heat to level needed to bring to a boil. Let boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half (around 12 min.).

6. Turn off heat. Stir in the porcini and 1 T. of the tarragon. Pour mixture into a roasting pan deep enough to hold all the sauce plus the chicken (we used a 13"x9"x3"). Place chicken pieces in the sauce skin-side up and transfer to oven. Roast for 35-40 min, or until chicken has reached internal temperature of 165°F.

7. Increase oven temperature to 400°F and roast for additional 5 minutes (to crisp skin). Remove from oven and transfer chicken pieces to plate, then cover to keep warm.

8. Skim any excess fat from top of sauce (we didn't have much, so we skipped this). Place pan on burner (or transfer sauce to a pan that fits your burner) and heat sauce to boiling. Keep it at boiling, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 min, or until reduced by about half.

9. Stir in the cream, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.  Return chicken to pan, along with any accumulated juices. Turn chicken pieces to coat fully in sauce. 

10. Sprinkle with remaining 1 T. of tarragon and the Italian parsley. Serve with desired side and enjoy!

Teriyaki Salmon

Easy, quick, delicious! 10/10. As you can see in the video, my salmon filets were no longer filets by the end of cooking lol, but they were still tasty anyhow :) Rice noodles are a perfect pairing. Try it tonight!

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/9fZn9-tbF3E

Original recipe: https://www.eatwell101.com/teriyaki-salmon-recipe

Amounts below reflect my modifications.

Ingredients:

3 T. honey

1 T. brown sugar

2 T. Tamari soy sauce (or regular soy sauce)

1 T. sesame oil

1/2 T. bottled minced garlic

1/2 T. bottled minced ginger

1 T. Sriracha

~1 T. canola oil

~1 lb. salmon filets/cut in individual portions

optional: chopped green onion

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together honey, brown sugar, Tamari, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and Sriracha.

2. Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add salmon filets and cook until done to your liking, turning as needed (at least once).

3. Drain off excess oil from skillet, then return to stove and lower heat to medium-low. Add the sauce mixture to pan. Stir to coat the salmon and let cook for 1-2 minutes.

4. If desired, add the green onions to the sauce mixture and let cook 1 minute.

5. Remove from heat and serve with desired side, enjoy!