Brittany's PantryLemon Spaghetti
Brittany wrote this on 20 March 2011
lemon, parmesan cheese, pasta
So my kitchen is done.
Do I hear angels singing…?
All the elements that make it functional are in place. Appliances, counters, sink-all finished. It will take me some time to reorganize it and have things in their correct places, but for the most part, it is done. We celebrated by christening the kitchen with one of our favorite meals. Chicken Piccata w/Lemon Spaghetti and Roasted Asparagus. Yeaaaaah baby!
I could eat this meal everyday! With a few breaks for mashed potatoes and chocolate…
And steak.
And roast chicken.
But anyway…
The roasted asparagus is done the same way I roast just about every vegetable. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and roast at 425 until just tender. Every time I find a fun new asparagus recipe to try, I hesitate and ultimately never make it because I just want to eat it this way. Why mess with perfection? And now is the time to enjoy it, people! For those of you farther north, you may have to wait a few weeks, but asparagus season is early spring and only lasts for a few months. Try to buy local (most of the asparagus you find off season is shipped from Peru or Mexico) and you will be rewarded with superior taste. Eat as much as you can before it is gone for another year!
The Chicken Piccata recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis and can be found here. It is simple, easy, and one of those dishes that feels special but can be put together on a Tuesday night with minimal effort. We make this all the time! At least once a month. I think it is from her first cookbook Everyday Italian, an indispensable volume that I pull out on a regular basis.
Speaking of Giada, she is the creator of Evelyn’s most favorite food in the entire world. Lemon Spaghetti. And we do not ever make chicken piccata without it. EVER. Even though it is a versatile pasta that could be paired with any number of dishes, we usually always make it with the chicken piccata. And take my word for it, and Giada’s for that matter, when I say that they go together perfectly. But you can discover that for yourself. Maybe even on a Tuesday.
Lemon Spaghetti
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
This pasta is simple, but has amazing flavor. It would be great with just about anything grilled and the leftovers are fantastic cold. Be sure to taste the dish just before serving. If it isn’t seasoned enough, it just tastes like sour noodles. You will know it has enough salt when it tastes wonderfully bright and nutty. Try it with whole wheat noodles too! This recipe serves 6 as a side dish.
1 lb thin spaghetti or vermicelli
1/2 c olive oil
3/4 c grated Parmesan
1/3 c fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
zest of one lemon
1/2 c chopped fresh basil
Cook the pasta according to package directions, reserving 1/2 c of the pasta water just before you drain it. Add the next four ingredients to a large serving bowl and stir to combine. Add the hot pasta to the serving bowl and toss well, adding the pasta water to moisten, if necessary. Top with lemon zest and basil, toss once more, taste for seasoning and serve.
Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars
Brittany wrote this on 19 March 2011 peanut butter, peanuts
Yesterday, I was in desperate need of these bars.
I don’t know why, but in the middle of researching different counter stools to go in my new kitchen, I read something that triggered the memory of these bars, and I suddenly said to myself, “I must eat these now.” I jumped up and ran across the house and started to hunt through my basement for the the cookbook I knew contained the recipe. It took a half an hour to find it, but I emerged victorious! And even though I had to mix them in my living room and clean up the dishes in my bathtub, it is completely worth it.
The first time I made these was for The Great American Bake Sale. I tested the recipe and loved them so much, I turned around and made another batch right away. Don’t let the name fool you! These are not just a treat for children! Although children do seem to like them… These are rich and sweet and a wonderfully nostalgic dessert to have in your recipe box. The flavor is classic but far from boring. Outrageous!
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Adapted from Ina Garten
Obviously you can use any kind of jam or jelly to make these. Even though I am not a huge raspberry fan, the tartness of the jam balances perfectly with the richness of the bar. We found that blueberry and strawberry tasted fantastic, but the overall flavor was too sweet.
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 c creamy peanut butter (we like JIF)
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c white whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c raspberry jam (1-18 oz jar)
1 c salted peanuts
Cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, peanut butter, and mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Press 2/3 of the peanut butter mixture into a sprayed, 9X13 pan. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop the remaining batter in small globs evenly over the jam and sprinkle with peanuts. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely! Cut into 24 bars.
Crockpot Chocolate Mess
Brittany wrote this on 15 March 2011 chocolate, cocoa, sour cream
My crock pot has again become my favorite appliance in the kitchen. Not because it is perfectly convenient during construction. Not because it happened to be one of the only kitchen items accessible in the piles of belongings temporarily stored in our basement. But because it has been the key element in providing me large amounts of chocolate for the last two weeks.
A sweet comment from a friend reminded me that I needed to dig out my tried and true crock pot recipes. Several years ago (actually 2 states, 2 houses, 2 babies, 2 jobs, and about 20 lbs ago) I experimented with this quite lovely recipe for a chocolate dessert that you make in the slow cooker. I only vaguely remembered the ingredients, but the richness stuck with me vividly. Well, the recipe is MIA so I started researching different versions of it. And let me tell you. It is tough testing chocolate dessert recipes. A special thanks to my small group at church for shouldering this burden with me.
It took several tries (I mean really! What I won’t go through for my readers!) but I think I have it down pat. The texture might vary a little bit depending on what mixes you use, but it will without a doubt taste wonderful. This will easily feed ten people for dessert. It is very rich so you may need to accessorize with vanilla ice cream. I am just saying…
Crock Pot Chocolate Mess
This dessert is like a really really moist chocolate spoon cake. Very little effort and a yummy result. Be careful not to over cook it or the edges will get a dry and tough. If that happens (it will still taste good) just leave the edges and eat the middle.
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix
1 c water
1/2 c canola oil
1 1/2 c sour cream
4 eggs
1 1/2 c chocolate chips
Spray the insert for your slow cooker with non-stick spray. Combine all ingredients except the chocolate chips. Mix until smooth and stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon into slow cooker and spread evenly. Cook on low for 5-6 hours, or until dessert is evenly puffed and set. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Note: If the dessert starts to pull away from the sides of the slow cooker, it has been in too long. If you think it might be done, turn it off and put a paper towel under the lid to catch the steam. It will cook a little longer with the residual heat and stay very warm for several hours.
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