Rigatoni with Mushroom Sauce

MMMMM so freaking good. Next time I will try adding 2 T. of the cooking water to help thicken the sauce.

Link to original recipe: https://themodernproper.com/rigatoni-with-mushroom-sauce

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

1 lb. (uncooked) rigatoni

4 T. butter

2 T. olive oil

1 lb. button mushrooms (cremini would also work), sliced 1/4" thick

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 c. Sauvignon Blanc wine

1 c. chicken stock

1/2 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

10 leaves fresh basil, chopped

Directions:

1. Cook rigatoni according to package directions.

2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and olive oil together. Add the mushrooms and sauté until golden brown (around 5-7 min.)

3. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 min, then stir in the wine. Bring to simmer and continue simmering until wine has reduced to slightly over half.

4. Stir in the chicken stock, bring back to simmer and keep simmering until reduced by half.

5. Slowly stir in the cream, followed by the Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer sauce for 2-3 minutes.

6. Remove from heat. Stir in the basil leaves. Toss sauce with pasta, serve, and enjoy!

Balsamic Boneless Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms

YUM. This was super tasty and easy, 10/10!

Link to original recipe: https://www.budgetbytes.com/balsamic-chicken-and-mushrooms/

Ingredients:

4 T. balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 T. soy sauce

1 T. brown sugar (packed)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (around 1.25 lbs total)

salt and pepper, to taste

1 T. olive oil

8 oz. mushrooms, halved

2 T. butter

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, and thyme. Set aside.

2. Season chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium. Once hot, add olive oil, swirl to coat surface. Add the chicken thighs and cook 8 min. on first side, then 5 min. on second side (or until cooked through). Transfer chicken to a clean plate and cover to keep warm.

4. Add mushrooms to skillet and cook until slightly tender and browned (around 5-7 min.)

5. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the reserved sauce mixture to skillet and stir, scraping bottom to release any accumulated fond. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has reduced by half (around 5 minutes).

6. Add the butter to skillet and stir to combine into the sauce. Return the chicken to the skillet, turning to coat in the sauce. Cook for 2 minutes to reheat the chicken. Serve and enjoy!

Panang Curry with Mushrooms

Yet another from the drafts archive with no photos. So many recipes now that I'll have to revisit to get pix!

Very yummy recipe, will go 9.5/10 (I really like it, but can't rank it same as my fave curry!) Original recipe has asparagus in it...which I was going to use, but by the time I got around to trying this, the asparagus I'd bought was no longer good when I pulled it out of the fridge :( Thankfully, I'd bought extra mushrooms and subbed those instead, and will keep it that way for next time, too--so very good!  I don't think the asparagus would have improved it anyway.

Link to original recipe: https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/panang-curry-with-chicken-asparagus-and-mushrooms

Ingredients:

~2 T. peanut oil, divided

1 can (13.5-14 oz) coconut milk, stirred/shaken

1/4 c. Panang curry paste (yes, this is the correct amount; use less if you don't like it medium spicy)

1 c. homemade chicken stock

heaping 2 T. light brown sugar (or palm sugar)

2 tsp. fish sauce

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in bite-size pieces

1 tsp. fresh lime zest

6 oz. (package weight) oyster mushrooms, trimmed of bottoms and cut into large bite-size pieces

8 oz. thick sliced button mushrooms

6 fresh basil leaves (optional)

chopped peanuts for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook the chicken in the wok with 1 T of the peanut oil, set aside on a plate.

2. Add in rest of peanut oil, cook mushrooms. Add them to the chicken on plate (do not leave any oil in pot).

3. Add 1/2 c. of the coconut milk to the wok. Boil down for 2-3 min, then add rest of coconut milk, along with chicken stock, fish sauce, lime zest.  Stir and cook for 1 min.

4. Add the chicken mushroom mix back to wok, along with the basil leaves.  Cook for additional 2 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

Grilled Steak Fajitas

Another recipe from my drafts archive for which I do not have pix. As with the others, will update with pix when I remake.

Easy-peasy and quite tasty, a 10/10! 

Link to original recipe: https://www.isabeleats.com/steak-fajita-marinade/

Ingredients:

1/4 c. olive oil

1/4 c. orange juice

2 T. fresh lime juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1 1/4 lb. skirt steak (weight after trimmed of excess fat)

1 yellow (or other color) bell pepper, sliced in thin strips

1 large red onion, sliced in half and then in thin half-rounds

flour tortillas, for serving

optional: Gordo's Mexican cheese dip, melted (to add as topping in fajitas)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients from olive oil through smoked paprika in a large, non-reactive bowl.  Add skirt steak and turn in the marinade to coat all over.  Push down into marinade, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (up to 8; I went around 3).  

2. Prepare the grill.  Meanwhile, transfer steak to a plate, leaving marinade in bowl.  Add the bell pepper and red onion to the marinade and stir/toss until combined.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Pour all bowl contents into the skillet.  Cook, stirring frequently, until veggies have softened to desired doneness.

4. Grill steak to desired doneness.  Slice up, serve and enjoy!

Spaghetti with Parmesan-Asiago Chicken Sauce

I'm still working on getting all my older drafts published. This one is from July of 2020, and I cannot find the pix to go with it, so that will have to wait for a remake at some point.

I was craving pasta and had some chicken to cook, couldn't find a recipe that appealed to me, so once again, I tried creating one.  And it turned out great! I'll go 9.5/10...I'll try tweaking it slightly next time I make it and see if I can get it to perfection level :) It's pretty darn tasty as I made it, though!

Ingredients:

~8 oz. thin spaghetti

1 1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (probably closer to 1 lb. after trimming fat), cut into to small/bite-size pieces

1 T. herbes de Provence

1 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

2 T. butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c. Chardonnay

~2/3 c. chicken stock (or broth; I used a combo, but will use only stock next time)

~2 T. pasta cooking water (I will up this amount next time)

3 T. heavy cream

1/3 c. shredded Parmesan

~3 T. shredded Asiago

Directions:

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.  When draining, reserve some of the pasta water for use later in the sauce making.

2. In a large bowl, combine chicken, herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper.  

3. In a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat, melt the butter.  Once butter has melted, add chicken to the pan.  Cook, stirring occasionally.  When chicken has cooked for a few minutes, add the minced garlic to the pan.  Continue cooking until chicken is starting to brown a bit.

4. Deglaze pan with Chardonnay and let cook for 1-2 minutes, then stir in the chicken stock and reserved pasta cooking water.  Cook for additional 2 minutes, then stir in heavy cream.  Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan and Asiago.  Add the cooked spaghetti to pan and stir to combine/coat pasta.  Serve up and enjoy!

Italian Stuffed Flank Steak

Ooooooh yummm. This is another excellent dish I prepared with my mom during last visit. Absolute 10/10 all the way! Again, I forgot to take pix, so we'll just have to make it again lol.

Original recipe credit: https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/italian-stuffed-flank-steak/

Recipe below contains our modifications.

Ingredients:

for the marinade--

1/4 c. olive oil

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1/4 c. fresh Italian parsley, chopped

for the pesto--

1/2 c. walnuts (we used black walnuts, highly recommend)

2 cloves garlic

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

2 oz. fresh basil leaves

1/4 c. olive oil

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

for the flank steak--

1 to 1 1/2 lb. flank steak (we used 1 lb)

6 slices prosciutto

2 roasted red bell peppers

6 slices mozzarella cheese (or provolone)

salt and pepper, to taste

2 T. olive oil

Directions:

1. If the flank steak is thick enough, butterfly it. Otherwise, pound it with a meat mallet until it reaches a uniform thickness of around 1/2" or thinner. (As ours was only 1 lb, it was not thick enough to butterfly.)

2. In a large bowl, combine all marinade ingredients. Add the steak to the bowl and coat it in the marinade. Cover and chill for 2 hours.

3. Add all pesto ingredients to a food processor. Pulse a few times, until a coarse pesto forms (NOT smooth).

4. Heat oven to 350°F. Remove steak from marinade and place on a work surface. Spread the pesto evenly over the steak, leaving a border of around 1/2" on all sides.

5. Cover pesto layer with prosciutto. Cover prosciutto laver with the roasted peppers. Cover the roasted peppers with mozzarella cheese, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

6. Roll up the steak jellyroll style with the grain of the steak running the length of the roll. Tie roll with kitchen twine around every 2".

7. In an oven-safe skillet (we used cast iron), heat oil over medium-high heat. Sear steak quickly until browned all over. Transfer skillet to oven and roast for 30-40 minutes, or until registers 130°F on thermometer inserted in center of roll.

8. After removing from oven, let roll rest for 10 minutes. Remove twine, cut into slices, serve and enjoy!

Pasta Shells with Portobello Mushrooms, Asparagus, and Boursin Sauce

Deliciously different! 9.5/10, would definitely make again. Made this with my mom...forgot to get any pix, though, oops! Will be sure to post pix next time, though. The recipe says you can use the herbs version of Boursin instead; we found that the pepper in the Boursin balances the dish, so we recommend getting the pepper version if at all possible.

Original recipe credit: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pasta-shells-portobello-mushrooms-asparagus-and-boursin-sauce

Ingredients:

1 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

12 oz. Portobello mushroom caps (stems already cut off), caps halved, then cut crosswise into 1/4" slices

1/2 tsp, salt

1 1/4 c. chicken stock

1 pkg. (5 1/2oz.) pepper Boursin cheese

1 lb. asparagus

12 oz. (uncooked weight) medium pasta shells

Directions:

1. In a large frying pan over slightly higher than medium heat, melt the butter and combine with the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender (around 8 min.)

2. Add the chicken stock and Boursin cheese and bring to a simmer.

3. Meanwhile, snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the remaining pieces into 1/2" pieces.

4. Bring a large, salted pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 min. Add the asparagus to the water and continue cooking until pasta is al dente (for ours, this was 4 additional minutes). 

5. Drain the pasta and asparagus, toss with sauce, and serve. Enjoy!