Bugs Bunny's Carrot Cream Pasta Toss

     All I could I think about when I was making this pasta was Bugs Bunny in the carrot garden where the giant green tops are sticking out of the ground taller than he is. He would love this easy pasta recipe with roasted carrot cream sauce. I half expected him to come to the door while I was cooking.

   This is the perfect way to put those carrots languishing in your crisper drawer to good use. I know you have some. Roasted carrots are a delicious surprise. They lose their strong 'carrot' flavor and become mellow and sweet. They take on a butternut squash-ish flavor. If you put this in front of me claiming it was butternut cream I wouldn't doubt you. The carrots are oven-roasted with a few cloves of garlic, olive oil and thyme until soft and tender. Then their pureed with heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. At this point it could qualify as a soup - although you may want to add a little more liquid to it - or as a pasta sauce. A rich, dreamy pasta sauce. Next time I'm going to add some crumbled bacon or prosciutto to it, which I imagine would only make it dreamier. Then I wouldn't have to share with that rascally rabbit...their vegetarians, right?

Bugs Bunny's Pasta a.k.a. Roasted Carrot Cream Pasta Toss

(by Reeni)

1 pound of Organic Carrots, sliced in 1-inch rounds

5 cloves of garlic, whole, peeled

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

Sea or Kosher salt and fresh pepper

1 teaspoon Thyme

2/3 cup Heavy Cream

1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated, plus more for serving

1 pound of Pasta(like Barila Whole Grain)

1 and 1/2 cups of the Pasta Water

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl toss the carrot rounds and garlic with the Olive oil, using your hand to thoroughly coat the carrots and garlic with oil.

Season well with salt, pepper, and thyme.

2. Bake in a 9x13 inch baking pan about 45-50 minutes until carrots are tender. Take the pan out and toss halfway through the cooking time.

3. When carrots are tender, remove from oven. Cook the pasta in a generous amount of salted water to al dente according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking

make the carrot cream.

4. In a blender or food processor puree the carrots and garlic together with the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. When the pasta is done cooking reserve a cup and a half of the pasta water.

5. Drain pasta and add to a large mixing bowl. Toss with carrot cream, adding pasta water a little at a time until you get a nice consistency and the pasta is evenly coated.

6. Serve with Parmesan and crusty bread/garlic bread.

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Nutrition Information

Roasted Carrot Cream Pasta

Banana Maple Walnut Muffins

These scrumptious muffins are packed with natural sweetness, whole grains, and nuts. They are lightly  sweetened with pure maple syrup and ripened bananas. A lovely combination for a breakfast muffin.  The maple flavor is not very prominent but adds a nice flavor combined with the bananas and walnuts. (You could certainly use honey instead.) They are generously moist with a soft, dense crumb. The maple glaze just adds a little something that makes them extra special.

Mock Caesar Salad with Parmesan Chicken

 I call this recipe 'mock' Caesar salad because it doesn't have the classic ingredients that Caesar dressing is known for. I use mayonnaise in place of egg yolks and Worcestershire (good) or Fish sauce (better) in place of anchovies. I'm not 'really' replacing the anchovies, just using a different form since fish sauce is made from them. If you don't like/don't have fish sauce Worcestershire will work too. The reason being that it also has anchovies in it. I also like to add a little Dijon mustard for flavor. Through lots of (happy) trials and errors I finally came up with a recipe I'm happy with. It's every bit as rich and satisfying as the genuine recipe.

Lately I've been overcome by intense cravings for these! I confess, I'm obsessed. I almost always have the dressing ready to go in my refrigerator. Each batch makes 4-5 dinner sized salads depending on how much dressing and greens you use and keeps for a few days stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Just give it a serious shaking before using.

To turn Caesar salads into a 'main' dish I like to add chicken. Juicy, tender, oven-baked Parmesan Chicken to be precise. It's excellent straight out of the oven, still hot, thinly sliced or rough chopped and piled on top. The leftovers are just as good cold for lunch the next day.

Mock Caesar Salad Dressing

(by Reeni)

1 tablespoon Mayonnaise

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons Worcestershire or Fish Sauce

2 Garlic cloves, finely minced

1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

1/2 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for shaving/sprinkling over top

Sea/Kosher salt and fresh Pepper

Garlic Croutons

By Hand:

1. In a small mixing bowl whisk together the Mayonnaise, Lemon Juice, Worcestershire, Garlic, and Mustard until well combined.

2. Stream in the oil while whisking and continue whisking for a minute or two.

3. Stir in Parmesan. Taste and adjust to suit your own taste by adding more Garlic, Lemon Juice, Worcestershire, or Mayonnaise for a creamier finish. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Toss with Romaine hearts, additional Parmesan, Croutons, and slices of Parmesan Chicken.

In a Food Processor:

1. To the bowl of a food processor add the Mayonnaise, Lemon Juice, Worcestershire, Garlic, and Mustard. Pulse until well creamy and well combined.

2. Stream in the oil while pulsing. Pulse until well emulsified.

3. Taste and adjust to your own tastes by adding more Lemon Juice, Worcestershire or Mayonnaise for a creamier finish.

4. Stir in Parmesan cheese, taste and season with salt and pepper.

5. Toss with Romaine hearts, additional Parmesan, croutons, and slices of Parmesan Chicken.

Oven-Baked Parmesan Chicken

(by Reeni)

1 and 1/2 pounds boneless Chicken Breast

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup Cornflake Crumbs, Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs or Panko

1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese, finely grated

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a 9x13-inch baking pan by lining it with foil and spraying it with non-stick spray.

2. Pound out the Chicken Breasts between two pieces of Saran Wrap using a meat mallet or a small skillet.

3. In a medium-sized shallow bowl beat the egg. In another shallow bowl mix the Bread Crumbs and Parmesan Cheese.

4. Dunk the Chicken Breasts one at a time into the egg and then into the bread crumbs covering all sides and patting the crumbs on

with your hands if necessary.

5. Place the Chicken Breasts in the prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes or until juices run clear and center is no longer pink.

Garlic Croutons
(by Reeni)

2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 - 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
Butter
a few slices of baguette or Italian bread, or a hard roll

1. Butter both sides of the bread, and then cube as big or as little as you want.

2. To a small skillet add the olive oil, another pat of butter, the garlic and the crumbs.

3. Toast over medium-low heat turning until all sides are golden.

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Caesar Chicken Salad

White Chicken Chili

What? You might be thinking after reading the title and seeing the picture "This doesn't look like White Chicken Chili!" My thoughts exactly. But it is. Really. After seeing them all over the Internet I caved to their temptation and threw together my own version. This one has Chipotle peppers instead of the green Chiles/jalapenos I've seen in most other recipes, hence the color. I prefer their flavor over jalapenos, and green Chiles don't pack the same heat. Plus I was serving it with the Cheddar & Green Chile Beer Bread from my last post. There can be too much of a good thing.

Instead of the tomatoes that chili is known for chicken broth and evaporated milk make up the broth. I used leftover roasted chicken, meaty cannelini beans, crispy corn, and generous amounts of onion, green pepper, garlic, Chipotle peppers and spices. I like my chili spicy, but you can adjust it to suit your own taste. You can also double the beans if you want a thicker chili - it has a lot of broth to it. The flavor is almost indescribable; largely in part from the cinnamon and nutmeg. It adds a delicious note to the flavor, not quite sweet, and it might be that you can smell it more so than you can taste it. Either way it was incredibly warming, hearty, and satisfying. And different. In a good way.

White Chicken Chili

(by Reeni)

1 yellow onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

Vegetable oil, for sauteing

4 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo, deseeded, minced*

1 tablespoon Chile Powder

1 teaspoon Cumin

1 teaspoon Oregano

1 teaspoon Sea or Kosher Salt

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg

2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

4 cups Chicken**, cooked, rough-chopped

1 - 14 and 1/2 ounce can White Beans, like Cannelini (can be doubled)

1 cup Corn, frozen or canned, drained

1 - 14 and 1/2 ounce can Chicken Broth

1 - 14 and 1/2 ounce can Evaporated Milk

Toppings:

Sour Cream

Extra Sharp Cheddar, shredded

Avocado/Guacamole

Shredded Lettuce

Soft Bread Croutons

Tortilla Chips

Diced Tomato

Diced Green or Yellow Onion

Salsa

1. In a large soup pot or heavy bottomed sauce pan saute the onion and green pepper in two tablespoon of oil over medium-low heat until soft and tender. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the Chipotles and all of the dry spices along with little more oil if the pan is dry. Mix well and continue sauteing for 4-5 minutes.

2. Add the Worcestershire and chicken mixing well with the onion/spice mixture. Add the beans, corn, chicken broth, and milk. Simmer for 25 minutes. Taste halfway through and re-season with salt/spices if desired, and again before serving.

3. Serve with toppings of your choice.

*The Chipotles can be omitted or substituted with another type of pepper or with cayenne pepper.

**To use raw chicken breasts, trim of fat and rough chop, add them in after all the vegetables are sauteed and pan-fry on all sides.

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Look at those delicious beer bread croutons soaking up all that flavor...



Chicken and White Bean Chili

Cheddar Chile Beer Bread

If the weather outside is frightful stay inside and bake this superb bread! In an hour or so you can be munching on a steaming hot slice slathered with melting butter or cream cheese. It's a quick bread - in every sense of the word - no yeast - no kneading - no waiting! You'll be grateful for that later when the aroma wafting from the oven drives you mad with wanton desire.

The bread has a chewy crust and a soft, tender, incredibly moist but dense crumb. So much so that it required three go-arounds in the toaster for it to get just a bit of golden color to it. The flavor is lightly reminiscent of beer, with little melted pockets of Cheddar and Green Chiles dotted throughout. I loaded up the crust like an 'everything' bagel with poppy, caraway and sesame seeds, along with a light sprinkle of sea salt. It added an extra dimension of flavor and enhanced the already delicious crust even further. I'm quite sure it would be just fine without the topping and a light scatter of cheese instead. And without the Green Chiles or with Jalapenos in their place.

If your 'afraid' of yeast, have had disappointing experiences working with it, or just find yourself wishing for the time to cook up some fresh, hot bread to go with that soup, chili or stew you planned on making then this is just the thing for you. Pop this in the oven first and it will be ready when your soup is. Then come back and thank me. Sounds like a plan.

Cheddar Chile Beer Bread

(by Reeni)

1 and 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour(run a fork through it before measuring)

1 and 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour(run a fork through it before measuring)

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Salt

1 and 1/2 teaspoon Dry Mustard

12 ounces Beer(any kind will work)

2 cups shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (I used White)

2 - 4.5 ounce cans Green Chiles, chopped, with juices

Optional Topping:

1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds

1 teaspoon Poppy Seeds

1 teaspoon Caraway Seeds

1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.

3. Add the green chiles, cheddar, and beer. Stir until combined. Batter will be very thick.

4. Scrape it out into the loaf and spread it out evenly.

5. Sprinkle the seeds and salt over the top. Gently press them into the batter using your fingers.

6. Turn oven down to 400 degrees. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from center.

7. Cool on wire rack 15 minutes, turn out from pan and continue cooling while you sample!

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Cheddar Chile Beer Bread

Italian Meatloaf Rollatini

Meatloaf is one of the most hearty, comforting meals I can think of. I love it. Quick, versatile, and leftovers are even better. I have a million and one ideas for meatloaf floating around in my head. Some day I'll get to them all...

Chocri Chocolate Relay Race & Magic Microwave Cake in a Mug

My day has been filled with dreamy thoughts of chocolate bars brimming with all kinds of decadent toppings. Blame it on Thanks to Chocri, the genius behind the concept of designing and naming your own chocolate bar. Chocri kicked off their U.S. launch today with a Chocolate relay race: Female vs. Male bloggers. To kickstart the race Chocri designed a 'Cinnamon Girl' chocolate bar for me. In turn I designed one each for two of my favorite bloggers; Brandi of Nutmeg Nanny and Joanne of Eats Well With Others. They will do the same and it will go on and on until one of the teams(go girls!) reaches one hundred bars. So don't be surprised if you get tagged before it's all said and done!

The Cinnamon Girl Bar is a mouth-watering concoction of milk chocolate with cinnamon, pecans, rice krispies, bourbon vanilla, and apple bits. I'm so proud of it. I had to pinch myself a few times and go look at my bar. For sale. On the Chocri website. Pinch. I wonder what I did to get so lucky. Pinch. And how do you truly say thank-you for something like that? Pinch. Thanks again Carmen and Chocri!

Go play around on Chocri and see what kind of delicious combinations you can conjure up. Bet you can't resist. There are over 80 toppings to chose from and 10 billion possible combinations. The toppings include a wide assortment of nuts, fruits, spices, grains, and even Valentine's Day decor. There's something for everyone. They are excellent Valentine's Day gifts - you can name one after your sweetie!


Onto the food.





You know when you get those cravings for something sweet or for chocolate that won't leave you be? And you don't have anything in the house to take the edge off. Or it's too late to bake. Or maybe you don't want a whole cake around tempting you. Or you ran out of Chocri bars. Let me re-introduce cake in a mug. I say re-introduce because last year for a short time it was a craze. Even I gave it a go. Many times. I even experimented on fed it to family members. So in case you've forgotten here it is. Three-minute cake. Blink. And you have cake. Like magic. For desperate times.

 Magic Chocolate Chip Cake in a Mug
(semi-adapted from origins unknown by Reeni)

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
3 and 1/2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chocolate chips

1. In a medium measuring bowl combine all of the dry ingredients.

2. Add the egg and mix well.
 
3. Add the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and oil. Whisk until smooth. Stir in Chocolate chips.
 
4. Spray an over-sized coffee mug with baking spray and add the batter. Microwave for 2 minutes 50 seconds. Let cool in cup for a few minutes. Turn out onto a plate and let it cool further. Can be refrigerated to speed up the process.

Chocolate or Peanut Butter Frosting

1 tablespoon of softened butter
1 teaspoon cocoa powder or 1 teaspoon peanut butter
Vanilla extract, a splash
Cinnamon, a dash or two
1 teaspoon of very hot water
Confectioners' sugar

Mix the butter, cocoa or peanut butter, vanilla, and cinnamon together well. Add the hot water and confectioners’ sugar a little at a time whisking until you have a nice consistency and enough to frost the cake.

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Tips:

-Don't overcook or you'll get a rubbery, dried out cake. All microwaves are different so it may take some experimenting.

-A wider mug works better than a taller one.

-Don't let it sit in the mug too long - it will continue to cook and dry out/get rubbery.

Customize your own chocolate bar.

Stop by and check out the relay fun!


What would you name your Chocri bar?

Taco Soup

I wish I could cook up clever and creative names for my recipes. I'm going to make that my foodie resolution for the new year. My names are so boring. I mean Taco Soup? Really? Does that pique your interest? It feels plain and uninspired. I could name it Reeni Soup; it worked for Ceaser and his salad! But that's too easy. I need a system for invention. I guess the best place to start is at the beginning. It was a snowy, blustery day that woke up my craving for this hearty, stick-to-your ribs soup. I had a roasted chicken carcass destined for the soup pot and a taste for something on the spicy side. Hmmm. How about Snowy Day Soup? See it's easier than I thought. All it takes is getting to the heart of it. Snowy Day Taco Soup. There. That's a little better. Yes?

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

I baked cinnamon rolls from scratch for the very first time over the holidays, something I have been wanting to do for a very long time. I used Alton Brown's 'overnight' recipe that calls for preparing them the day before and baking them off in the morning. I loved the comforting feeling upon waking up and having them there waiting for me to pop into the oven. Such convenience. And then to have the entire house fill with that welcoming smell of cinnamon dough was blissful.

Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing

When I found out my Mom wasn't making her much beloved stuffing for Christmas I knew it was a perfect opportunity for me to attempt a corn bread stuffing. I say attempt because I'm not the designated stuffing maker in the family and I've never made it before. But after watching my Mom make hers every year(sans recipe) my own recipe had already been devised in my mind. I made my own corn bread, a very plain and simple recipe that I don't recommend for eating on its own. It's a little on the dry side but exactly the texture I was looking for. Here is thee best corn bread recipe for eating. You can buy the corn bread crumbs in a bag if you prefer - or buy cornbread and let it get stale. I used the same flavor profiles throughout the cornbread itself and the stuffing: lots of onion, thyme and sage. The real secret to adding lots of flavor lies in the crumbled sausage. That and baking it in the oven until the bottom as well as the top crisps up to a nice golden brown. The crusty parts are my favorite - watch out because I'll fight you for them!

 Ready for the Oven.

Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing

(by Reeni)

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

Olive oil, for sauting

Sea salt and pepper

2 teaspoons Thyme

2 teaspoons Sage

1 pound Sausage roll (like Jones, usually found in the freezer section by breakfast items)

4 tablespoons Butter

1/3 cup fresh Parsley, chopped

7 cups stale Corn Bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (recipe follows, make 2 days in advance or use packaged corn bread crumbs)

4-5 cups Chicken Broth

1. In a large skillet saute the onion and celery in a two tablespoon of Olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper, when they begin to soften add the thyme and sage.

2. When the onion is soft and translucent add the sausage, crumble it as it cooks. While the sausage is cooking preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease or spray a 9x13 inch baking pan.

3. When the sausage is cooked through add the butter and parsley. Mix the butter throughout the sausage. Add the crumbs. Add about 3 cups of chicken broth to start carefully mixing to soak the crumbs and distribute the sausage. Taste a crumb. Add more broth if needed a 1/2 cup at a time. The crumbs should be soaked through. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed and more herbs if desired.

4. Spread in pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes and take off foil to brown the top. Continue cooking for 15-20 more minutes until top is golden brown.

Cornbread for making Stuffing(make 2 days in advance)

(by Reeni)

1 Yellow Onion, finely chopped

Vegetable oil for sauting

1 cup All-Purpose White Flour

1 cup Corn Meal

1 tablespoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Thyme

1 teaspoon Sage

1/2 teaspoon Sea salt

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup Whole milk

3 tablespoons melted Butter

1. Saute the onion in oil until soft and tender. Set aside to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8-pan and set aside.

3. In a large bowl combine the flour, corn meal, baking powder, thyme, sage, and salt.

4. In a separate bowl beat the eggs and then beat in the milk.

5. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture beating until just moistened.

6. Mix in the onions and butter. Pour into pan and bake 20-25 minutes until top is browned.

7. Cool and turn out from pan. Cut into slices and then into 1-inch cubes. Spread out on baking sheet and loosely cover with wax paper. Store in a cool, dry place for at least two days. They should be crunchy all the way through when making the stuffing or it can get crumbly. If pressed for time or if they still seem soft in some places bake slowly in a 250 or 300 degree oven until crispy all the way through.

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Cinnamon Butterscotch Bars

I had a bag of butterscotch chips kicking around for a while and baking that needed to be done for Christmas. The only problem - I wasn't feeling it. 'It' being the holiday spirit that pushes you to bake more cookies than can possibly be eaten in a day or two by your entire extended family. Or even in a week.

It was weird because I love to bake. And here I was without any motivation to roll, cut, fill, or even decorate cookies, the part I love the most. I joked that someone must have put a baking curse on me. But I wasn't laughing when the first three things I did make turned out to be total bombs. A dark cloud came over me. I was tempted to turn into Scrooge and fore go my holiday baking.

Instead, I got down to business. Time was running short and there was no way I could leave Santa's plate empty. I wanted to be on the 'nice' list. I turned to easy, one-bowl cookies without a lot of ingredients. Cookies that would still taste divine but didn't require a lot of time. These were the best of them. I prefer this soft, rich bar cookie-cake over a drop cookie any day. I was really happy with the way these turned out. I used lots of cinnamon and vanilla to bring out the buttery brown sugar-like flavors of the butterscotch chips.

They were better on the second day then the first, and even better than that on the third - the flavor developed over time. These quick, easy, and simple little treats were my favorite out of all the cookies brought to our table. The fact that their really sweet and rich doesn't make it any easier to stop with just one. Especially frosted with this irresistible cream cheese icing.


 

Cinnamon Butterscotch Bars

(by Reeni)

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
1 package butterscotch chips, 11 ounces
1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 - 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

a dash of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9x2 baking pan. Line with parchment if desired and lightly grease again.

2. In a large bowl beat the butter, both sugars, and cinnamon together until creamy. Add the vanilla and eggs; beat well.

3. In a medium bowl stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the wet mixture 1/3 at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Stir in butterscotch chips and nuts. Spread in pan.

5. Bake for 30 minutes until center is set and top is golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack.

6. In a large bowl beat all the ingredients for the cream cheese frosting until light and fluffy about 6-7 minutes.

7. Frost bars and refrigerate an hour or two before slicing. Slice into 1 or 2-inch squares, wiping the knife after each cut if needed. Store in fridge or in a very cool place.

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P.S. Santa LOVED them! He left me the best gifts!

Wishing you peace, love, health, wealth & happiness in the New Year! XOXO