Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

It's a big day, folks. I made my first pie EVER. We had picked up some rhubarb on our way back from Ohio, and the only thing I know how to make with rhubarb is pie.

Making the dough

I used a combination of dough and pie filling recipes. I didn't have any shortening, so went for a pie dough recipe that used butter. I'm sure it's horrible for you -- but it was delicious and easy to make, following the directions.

I used a strawberry and rhubarb filling, using the recipe I found here. 
 

The dough worked great -- and like the pie recipe said, it only took about an hour to cook in the oven. The filling was a little watery, but I also cut pieces when it was still warm because I couldn't wait any longer!

Looking forward to some dessert leftovers tonight!!

Artichoke, Asparagus and Sausage Pasta with Homemade Caesar Salad

This meal is from a while back,  but thought I'd revisit it -- as this Giada recipe for sausage, artichoke, and asparagus pasta is one we go to a lot. We found it in her Everyday Pasta cookbook, and it's easy and delicious. 


And since it's been so long, I can't find the recipe I used for the homemade Caesar dressing. I remember using real anchovies (I was so brave!) and raw egg. I'll try to track it down and add it to the post, though I think I already scared everyone off with those two ingredients.
 

Chicken Marsala

I found an easy recipe on Epicurious for chicken marsala. We didn't have any mushrooms, which I typically like to include with chicken marsala, but this recipe worked out just fine without the mushrooms. 

I ended up cooking the recipe a little differently, as I missed the part of the recipe where it asks for "chicken breast halves, each halved horizontally." I just halved full-sized chicken breasts instead. As I started to move through the recipe, I realized that the cooking times for the chicken seemed awfully short (hello, food illness). 

In order to adjust for this, I ended up browning the chicken breast halves for about 6 to 7 minutes (for each batch), and then put them back all in the pan when the sauce was reducing. That helped greatly -- ensuring that the chicken was cooked through, and helping the sauce to infuse.

I also added a little more sage when browning the chicken, but I really love the flavors of sage.

Our New Best Pal: The Smoker

Our special little buddy

Who knew that another appliance would add so much variety into our life? Just two short weeks ago, this little guy came into our life. We've used it twice since, with amazing results. We smoked ribs on the 4th of July, and then a pork shoulder yesterday. 


It has two grates, so you can cook more than one thing at once. Paul was able to smoke the 7 lb. pork shoulder yesterday, as well as a 4 lb. chicken. I was impressed. I think Paul is getting a kick out of trying new recipes for rubs and sauces to accompany the meat. Our neighbors don't seem to mind the smoke or smells, and we have lots of leftovers for the week. 

Paul also doesn't seem too upset at having to sit outside with a cold beer on a hot day, manning the grill.

Veal Scaloppine with Mushrooms, Marsala and Thyme

I have something to admit. I love veal. But I have never been brave enough to make it myself. I'll usually just stare lovingly at it on a menu. 

We saw it available, and decided to be brave. We used this easy veal scaloppine recipe. I would make it again, no question. We used regular button mushrooms instead of oyster mushrooms, and veal cutlets instead of medallions. We had Marsala cooking wine in the house, so we used that over sherry (which is our usual go-to). 

Easy, fast and tasty. Made for a yummy dinner (plus a couple lunches) alongside a big salad. You could easily pair potatoes or roasted vegetables with this as well.

Mushroom Risotto

It's an oldie, but a goodie in our household. Now that I'm back "on" with mushrooms, Paul gets really excited about making this mushroom risotto.

We usually use a bag of mixed dried mushrooms or dried porcinis. For the fresh mushrooms, we used shiitakes, which were looking lovely.  I also had absolutely no idea that Mario suggests using red onion instead of a white or yellow onion. We have never used a red -- I guess my brain just glossed over the part while we read the ingredients. We also use sherry instead of vin santo, but I think that works just as well.

Paul is perfecting (he's pretty close) his risotto-making, and has it down from start (oil in the pan, cooking the mushrooms) to finish (mixing in the butter and cheese) in about 30 minutes. Top with a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese, alongside a leafy green salad and you're good to go!


*Also makes for good lunchtime leftovers.

Shiitakes!

Serving 1 (there may have been a second helping).

Sweet Potato Hash Quiche

I'm playing catch-up this week, so thought I'd post a long-forgotten quiche recipe. I use the same basic ingredients for making the egg/milk mixture, but change up the vegetables and cheese choices. This one included (already-cooked) grated sweet potato, softened spinach and Gruyere. 

P.S. Having some frozen pastry shells around helps a ton! While the quiche can take 45 minutes (or more) to bake, depending on how watery the vegetables are, having the pre-made crust at least makes that part simple.