Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil

I love, love, love this recipe from Giada De Laurentis. It is VERY lemony, though. If you do not LOVE lemon, either cut the lemon in half, or walk away from this recipe. I cut the entire recipe in half since there are only two of us, and it was the perfect amount. This also gave me a chance to use my new pasta bowls. :)

Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil

For the lemon oil:

• 1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, zested

1. Combine the olive oil and lemon zest in a small bowl and reserve.

For the pasta:

• 1 pound linguine pasta (I used whole-wheat linguine)
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 shallots, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 16 oz frozen shrimp
• 1/4 C lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 3 oz arugula (about 3 packed cups)
• 1/4 C chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes (whole-wheat pasta takes a few extra minutes -- about 11 to 12). Drain pasta, reserving 1 C of the cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, warm the 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked linguine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Turn off the heat and add the arugula. Using a mesh sieve, strain the lemon zest out of the reserved lemon olive oil and add the oil to the pasta. The zest can be discarded. Add the chopped parsley to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.
   

Brownie Challenge Recipe #1 -- Hershey's Best Brownies

Confession: I love boxed brownies. I am ashamed to admit it, but I have yet to find a from-scratch recipe that, in my opinion, compares to boxed brownies. And oh, how I've tried! So, I've set out to complete the Brownie Challenge -- I WILL find the perfect fudgy brownie recipe. Thanks to the ladies on The Nest WC Board, I have my first five recipes. I let DH choose the first one to try, and of course he chose the only one with frosting, Hershey's Best Brownies.



These brownies were good, but they are not "it." They had the texture of a crumbly chocolate cake, not a dense fudgy brownie. They would be fantastic with ice cream, but not exactly what I'm looking for. I will say that they were quick and easy to make and used ingredients I always have on hand. I give them 3 out of 5 stars.

Hershey's Best Brownies

• 1/2 C (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
• 1 C sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• 1/3 C Hershey's Cocoa
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 C chopped nuts (optional) (I left these out)
• Creamy Brownie Frosting (recipe follows)

1. Heat oven to 350. Grease 9-inch square baking pan.
2. Stir together butter, sugar, and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in nuts, if desired. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Prepare Creamy Brownie Frosting; spread over brownies. Cut into squares. About 16 brownies (Umm, the way we cut them, this made six brownies. If you cut them into sixteenths, they would be TINY).

Creamy Brownie Frosting

• 3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, softened
• 3 Tbsp. Hershey's Cocoa
• 1 Tbsp. light corn syrup or honey
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 C powdered milk
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. milk

1. Beat butter, cocoa, corn syrup (or honey), and vanilla in small bowl until blended. Add powdered sugar and milk; beat to spreading consistency. About 1 C frosting.
   

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

I saw this recipe on Foodie Melissa's blog and I knew I had to try it. I believe she got the recipe from AllRecipes.com. This was very good, and very easy for a weeknight meal. Next time I will try to use my own spices, instead of buying packaged taco seasoning.

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (16 oz) can chili beans (I assumed this meant red kidney beans)
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans
• 1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (12 fluid oz) can or bottle of beer
• 2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
• 1 (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning
• 3 whole, skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I used 2 breast halves, and it was more than enough chicken)
• I also added 2 cloves crushed garlic

1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes (and garlic) in slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.
2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired. (I returned the chicken to the crock pot and just let it heat through -- the chicken was done).
   

Beef & Bean Chimichangas

This is my husband's favorite dinner. He would eat this every day for lunch and dinner if he could. And, since these chimis are baked (not fried), they are quite a bit healthier than the restaurant version. The small amount of butter brushed over the top makes them crispy. The picture is not great, but it was the best I could do -- my food photography skills leave something to be desired. ;)



Beef & Bean Chimichangas
Source: Allrecipes.com

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 3/4 C chopped onion
• 3/4 C diced green pepper
• 1 1/2 C whole kernel corn (I use a whole can)
• 2 C taco sauce
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 (16 0z) can refried beans (I use fat-free, and don't notice a difference in taste)
• 8 (12-inch) flour tortillas
• 1 (16 oz) package shredded monterey jack cheese
• 1 Tbsp. butter, melted
• shredded lettuce
• 1 tomato, diced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drain excess grease, and add the onion, bell pepper, and corn. Cook for about 5 more minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the taco sauce, and season with chili powder, garlic salt and cumin, stirring until blended. Cook until heated through, then remove from heat, and set aside.
3. Open the can of beans, and spread a thin layer of beans onto each of the tortillas. Spoon the beef mixture down the center, and then top with as much shredded cheese as you like. Roll up the tortillas, and place them seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Brush the tortillas with melted butter.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Serve with lettuce and tomato.

Breakfast Casserole

My sister-in-law gave this recipe to my mother-in-law, who gave it to me after I insisted that I MUST have it. This is so easy and versatile. And, since you can make it the night before, it is perfect for when you have company. I made it last night before company arrived and popped it in the oven this morning. Next time I will try it with asparagus, green pepper, ham, and maybe some frozen shredded potatoes thrown in -- yum!

Chrissy's Breakfast Casserole

• 3 C chopped vegetables (I used zucchini and red bell pepper)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3/4 C EACH shedded cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 C olive oil
• 1 C baking mix (such as Bisquick)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 fully cooked ham steak, diced

1. Spray and flour a 9X13 inch glass baking dish.
2. Combine all ingredients and spread in pan. Refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Fudge, Fudge, Fudge!

I made fudge for Christmas gifts this year. I usually stick to just plain fudge with and without nuts, but this year I switched it up a bit. I made three types -- chocolate with nuts, chocolate with peanut butter, and a twist on peppermint bark (white chocolate peppermint/semi-sweet chocolate). They were all incredibly easy and turned out so well. The basic recipe as well as my modifications are below.

Never Fail Fudge (from the back of the Fluff jar)

• 5 C sugar
• 1 large (12 oz) can evaporated milk
• 1/4 lb butter or margarine
• 12 oz marshmallow fluff
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 C walnut meats (I used chopped pecans)
• 2 large (12 oz) packages semi-sweet chocolate pieces

1. Combine first five ingredients in large sauce pan. Stir over low heat until blended.
2. Bring to boil over moderate heat, being careful not to mistake escaping air bubbles for boiling. Then boil slowly, stirring constantly for five minutes (use soft ball test).
3. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate and vanilla (and nuts if used) until chocolate is melted. Pour into 2 buttered 9X9 inch pans (I used one 9X13 inch pan) and cool. Yield: approximately 5 pounds.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge

I made a half-batch of the chocolate fudge above (without nuts) and spread it in a 9X13 pan. While that cooled, I made another batch, substituting 2 bags of peanut butter chips for the chocolate chips, and again excluding the nuts. I spread this on top of the chocolate fudge.

White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

I again made a half batch of the chocolate fudge and spread it in a 9X13 pan. While that cooled, I made another batch, substituting 2 bags white chocolate chips for the chocolate chips, and 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract for the vanilla, again excluding the nuts. I spread this on top of the chocolate fudge and topped with crushed candy canes. This one was by far my favorite.

Notes

With all three batches combined, I had a ridiculous amount of fudge. I filled ten containers with fudge and still had a TON leftover. One thing I would change for next time -- for the peanut butter and white chocolate peppermint batches, I would halve both recipes because the fudge was waaaaay too thick.

Sage Brown-Butter Balsamic Ravioli

There hasn't been much noteworthy cooking going on in my house lately, with the end-of-the-semester grind as well as the craziness associated with our first IVF cycle (see my other blog). I finally made something blogworthy today.

It is interesting that this is a recipe from the Rachael Ray show, since I am not really a huge Rachael Ray fan (I know -- I'm like the ONE person in America!). After tasting this, however, my husband told me I have to take back anything mean I've ever said about her. ;) This meal was so quick and easy -- came together in about 20 minutes, which includes boiling water for the ravioli. Perfect weeknight meal.

Sage Brown-Butter Balsamic Ravioli

Source: Rachael Ray Show

1 package (about 24 to 30 small ravioli) fresh wild mushroom ravioli (I used four-cheese, as my husband hates mushrooms)

3 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. sliced fresh sage

2 Tbsp. aged balsamic vinegar

1/4 C (about a palmful) chopped parsley

A dash freshly grated nutmeg

Grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese

Salt & freshly-grated black pepper, to taste

1. Bring water for ravioli to a boil. Once water comes up to a boil, add some salt and drop in the ravioli. Cook according to package directions.
2. While the ravioli are boiling, melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sage and cook until browned but not burnt.
3. Drain the ravioli and toss them in the brown butter mixture along with the balsamic vinegar, parsley, and nutmeg. Season with salt and freshly-ground black pepper, and sprinkle with cheese.