Hard Cider Mac & Cheese

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Hard Cider Mac & Cheese

I wish I had known about cooking with hard cider sooner. I got my first dose of it’s culinary awesomeness at Thanksgiving 2011, when I added it to my pan gravy. We have about a case of of our local, homebrew cider left from that same year – that I’ve kind of been hoarding. But, when I saw this recipe I couldn’t resist going down to the basement to pull a bottle out.

I’d made a beer macaroni & cheese before, and I’d deemed it my favorite. But this version definitely gives it a run for it’s money. The hard cider lends a wonderful flavor, without being overpowering. And the addition of finely chopped Granny Smith apples and onions? Brilliant.

Spring is on the horizon, and I’m looking forward to it – but I’m trying to get my fill of winter warming favorites while I still can. And, nothing tops a big bowl of creamy, cheesy pasta. Especially when you bring booze to the party too!

Hard Cider Macaroni & Cheese

2.5 cups elbow macaroni (or another pasta shape)
1 cup hard cider
1 cup half & half
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 small onion, diced
16 ounces white Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (I like Cabot)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 6 minutes. Drain, and place in 2 quart baking dish. Set aside.

For the sauce; melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add diced onions and apples. Saute for approximately 5-10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Sprinkle flour over them and cook for about 2 minutes, mixing continuously until the flour has coated all of the onions and apples. Slowly pour in cider and half & half. Whisk constantly until mixture starts to bubble and thicken. Turn off heat, and stir in 12 oz of shredded cheese. Mix until smooth.

Pour cheese sauce over the cooked and strained pasta in the baking dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until the sides are bubbly and cheese is browned.

Source: adapted from Bakeaholic Mama

Cajun Shrimp Pasta

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Cajun Shrimp Pasta

Shrimp. Pasta. Spicy cream sauce. What’s not to love here? This Cajun chicken pasta has long been one of our weeknight favorites. Comes together so quickly and easily, it’s a dish I know I can always turn to on those nights where I want something good and comforting – but I don’t feel like putting that much effort into dinner.

So, it was only a matter of time before I swapped out chicken for other proteins. Like, shrimp. All truths being told, I think I love this dish with shrimp, even more than the chicken. Think shrimp alfredo, but kicked up with the addition of cayenne pepper, sliced bell peppers, and onions that have been sauteed for a bit of a crunch amidst the tender pasta. Rich and decadent, with a bit of heat – it would be a perfect dinner for Fat Tuesday. Or, for Valentine’s Day for that matter. Dinner is ready in under 30 minutes, leaving you plenty of time to do “other” things with your Valentine 🙂

Cajun Shrimp Pasta

1 pound medium or large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 tablespoon Cajun spice mix
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
½ onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cream
1/2 cup white wine (I use dry Vermouth)
1/2 cup chicken broth
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 pound cooked fettuccine
2 scallions, chopped (for garnish)

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons Cajun spice over the shrimp, toss to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp to skillet, and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip shrimp over and cook for 1 minute more. Remove to plate and set aside. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over medium high heat until peppers and onions are tender. Remove all vegetables from the pan to a plate, and set aside.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium low and pour in cream, whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Add cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Add the vegetables to the sauce. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine. Serve spicy shrimp on top of pasta. Sprinkle with scallions for garnish.

Source: adapted from this Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe

BLT Carbonara

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BLT CarbonaraI feel like we’ve been crazy busy lately – it’s always something on our schedules one weekend or another. Poor Jon just got to brew beer for the first time in two months last week! Plus, we’d all been sick for pretty much the entire month of January. Stomach bugs? Check. Coughing up lungs? Check. Faucets for noses? Check.

This has been the first week this month where we’ve all felt good, and I’ve been playing catch-up with house chores that kind of got put by the way-side while I was sick myself, or playing nurse maid. Seriously, where does all this laundry come from? I’d swear I live in a house with 5 teenage girls the way these boys go through clothes! Anyways, with all the housework, I wasn’t feeling cooking dinner the other night. But, I wasn’t feeling anything out either. So, I mustered up some energy and went to the kitchen to make this quick pasta. A few ingredients, and a little bit of time – and you’ve got yourself one terrific and satisfying meal.

If you’re worried about using raw eggs in your pasta – hear me out. It’s not really raw eggs, because the eggs cook (more or less) in the pan with the hot pasta. It transforms into a thick and luxurious sauce that can’t be achieved with any substitutions. If you’re that worried about it, let it cook on the heat for a little bit longer than 2 minutes. But, there really isn’t anything to worry about – you don’t think anything about licking brownie batter off the spatula when you’re done baking, do you?

The original recipe just calls for bacon and tomatoes, but I happened to have a half a bag of baby spinach hanging out in the fridge that I needed to use – and thought that a green leafy component would make it a BLT, which is always a fun twist. I served it with simple green salads and focaccia bread.

BLT Carbonara

2 whole eggs
1/3 cup heavy creamy
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
12 ounces bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 small onion, chopped
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup white wine
Fresh parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups baby spinach leaves
16 ounces spaghetti

Whisk together the eggs, cream and Parmesan together in a bowl. In a large non stick pan, fry the bacon until crisp and set aside on a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Remove all but one tablespoon of the bacon grease; add the onion, tomatoes, and garlic and sauté over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine; stir in the parsley, salt and black pepper.

Meanwhile, prepare the pasta according to the instructions on the box. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and while still warm, add to the onions and tomatoes. Add the baby spinach. Pour cream mixture into the spaghetti, and toss over low heat for one to two minutes using tongs. If it seems a little dry, add a splash of the reserved cooking water from the pasta. Serve in warm bowls, top with bacon and serve with additional Parmesan.

Source: adapted from So Tasty, So Yummy

Indonesian Pork Tenderloin

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Indonesian Pork Tenderloin

Last week it was in the 60’s here, all week long (albeit raining). Then, on Thursday it got cold enough to get a little bit of snow. Enough for Andrew to have a little bit of fun in at least! And now, it’s REALLY cold. So, when I came across a recipe for this pork tenderloin I thought it looked great, something to transport me to a warm tropical beach – and away from the freezing tundras of coastal Maryland.

Super duper easy too. I just threw together a marinade, let the pork do it’s thing – and then used the method that I’ve used for pork tenderloins in the past; seared it off on the stove first, then finished cooking in the oven. Since I didn’t want to let all that delicious flavor in the marinade go to waste, I went ahead and brought it to a boil on the stove then served it as a sauce alongside the sliced tenderloin.

I love the flavor that the peanut butter and soy sauce lend, as well as the little kick of heat from the crushed red pepper. The original recipe called for mango chutney, which I didn’t have, so I just used some peach-hot pepper jelly that I’d gotten from TS Smith & Sons last year – and it turned out beautifully. But, orange marmalade or apricot preserves would be good too; just something that’s sweet, with a little bit of chunkiness to it.

I served it with garlic rice pilaf (recipe coming tomorrow) and sauteed snow peas – and everyone cleaned their plates. If you’re looking for a change of pace, or to bring some exotic new flavors to the dinner table – definitely mark this one down on your menu soon!

Indonesian Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine preserves, garlic, coriander, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, peanut butter, lime juice, orange juice, crushed red pepper and black pepper in a small bowl. Whisk well to combine, paying attention to break up the peanut butter.  Place pork tenderloin in gallon sized Ziploc bag and pour the marinade on top. Squeeze out the air, and seal, using your hands to squish bag and distribute marinade evenly. Place in refrigerator and let marinade for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 425. Heat  the vegetable oil in large oven-proof skillet (I like cast iron) over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the pork tenderloin, and sear on all sides, until it’s nicely browned – about 7 minutes or so. Place the entire skillet into the preheated oven, and cook until a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees – about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

While the pork is in the oven, pour the marinade into a small saucepan. If it seems too thick, add a splash or orange juice or water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute, then turn off heat. Pour sauce over the sliced tenderloin and sprinkle with chopped cilantro for garnish.

Source: adapted from Kitchen Confidante