Penne with Vodka Sauce

Penne with Vodka Sauce

Looking for an easy romantic dinner?  If yes, just add salad, bread, red wine and Italian music!

Ingredients:

Kosher salt
Penne pasta (12-ounce)
1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced
2 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup  vodka
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn, plus more for topping

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta. Empty the tomatoes into a bowl and crush with your hands.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about three minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the vodka, tomatoes and salt to taste. Return the skillet to medium heat and simmer, stirring often, until the alcohol cooks off, about seven minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, about three minutes. Stir in the Parmesan and basil.

Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine, adding some of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if needed. Season with salt. Serve topped with more Parmesan and basil.

Serve with salad and bread.

4 servings

Orange Salad

Orange Salad

Ingredients:

4 oranges
2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced, fronds reserved
1/2 cup pitted black olives

Dressing:

5 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon, strained
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Fennel fronds (see above)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
Salt and pepper

Directions:

First make the dressing.  Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, fennel fronds, and fennel seeds, if using, in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut off peel from oranges, removing all traces of bitter white pith. Cut the flesh into rounds, put them into a large salad bowl, and add the fennel and olives. Mix well. Drizzle the dressing over the salad to taste, and serve.

Serves 4 - 6

Carnitas

Carnitas

Ingredients:

3 1/2 - 4 pound boneless pork butt / shoulder, cut into six equal pieces
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon cumin
8 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, quartered
3 bay leaves
1 lime, juiced
1 large orange, juiced (save the spent halves)

Optional Toppings:

Tortillas / taco shells
Rice
Black beans
Salsa
Guacamole
Sour cream
Cilantro
Cheese

Directions:

In a slow cooker, add cut pork, salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, garlic, onion, bay leaves, and lime juice. Juice the orange and add the spent halves to the cooker as well. Mix together until the meat is well-coated.

Cover and cook on low for 8 - 10 hours, or until the meat pulls apart easily.

Remove the pork and transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet. Shred the pork and spread across the baking sheet in a single layer.

Pour about 1 cup of the liquid remaining in the slow cooker over shredded pork. Broil for 5 - 10 minutes until the meat browns and crisps along the edges.

Serve immediately. Great as a filling in tacos, burritos, salads, or nachos!

4 - 6 servings

Limoncello

Limoncello
Original recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/limoncello-recipe.html#!

Limoncello is an Italian liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy. It is very expensive to buy, so make it yourself at home. Limoncello is usually enjoyed at the end of a meal.

I have made the 40-day version of limoncello. Even though it is easy and great tasting, this 4-day version is just as good. I have included the foodnetwork.com link above. Click on Giada's limoncello video.

Ingredients:

10 Lemons
1 (750-mil) bottle vodka
3 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups sugar

Directions:

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemons in long strips (reserve the lemons for another use). Using a small sharp knife, trim away the white pith from the lemon peels; discard the pith. Place the lemon peels in a 2-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over the peels and cover with plastic wrap. Steep the lemon peels in the vodka for 4 days at room temperature.

Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pour the sugar syrup over the vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month.

Don't throw away your lemons.  Here's a homemade lemonade recipe that is delicious and easy to make!
http://crowdedkitchen509.blogspot.com/2015/05/homemade-lemonade.html

Peach Iced Tea

Peach Iced Tea
Recipe submitted by Isabella Rossellini

Isabella says to try this refreshing, great tasting peach iced tea on a hot summer day!

Ingredients:

Peach simple syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
3 peaches, sliced

Tea
3 organic black tea bags
6 cups water

Directions:

Make peach simple syrup by stirring the following together in a medium saucepan and bringing to a boil: one cup sugar, one cup water, and three fresh peaches, sliced. Reduce to medium heat and let simmer, crushing the peaches into the sugar as they cook.

Turn off heat, cover pan, and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, brew the tea using six cups of boiling water and three organic black tea bags.

Let the tea steep for five minutes, remove the bags, and refrigerate the tea.

Strain the syrup mixture into the tea using a strainer to remove fruit pieces. Discard once all the liquid has been strained from the syrup mixture.

Stir, and serve over ice. Enjoy!

Recipe submitted by Isabella Rossellini

Barbecued Beef Brisket

Barbecued Beef Brisket
Recipe submitted by Thomas M Shields

Ingredients:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 garlic clove, minced

Brisket

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 fresh beef brisket (2 to 2 1/2 pounds), trimmed

Directions:

In a small saucepan, combine the first nine ingredients; cook and stir over medium heat 3 - 4 minutes or until brown sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a disposable foil pan.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Brown brisket on both sides. Place in foil pan, turning to coat with sauce. Cover pan tightly with foil.

Place pan on grill rack over indirect medium heat. Grill, covered, 2 to 2 1/4 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove from heat. Remove brisket from pan; tent with foil and let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, skim fat from sauce in pan. Cut brisket diagonally across the grain into slices; serve with sauce.

6 servings

Classic Beef Stroganoff

Classic Beef Stroganoff
Recipe by bettycrocker.com

This recipe is simple to make and the dish is great tasting.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin steak, 1/2 inch thick
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (2 1/2 cups)
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 cups hot cooked egg noodles

Directions:

Cut beef across grain into 1 1/2 x 1/2-inch strips.

Cook mushrooms, onions and garlic in butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender; remove from skillet.

Cook beef in same skillet until brown, Stir in 1 cup of the broth, the salt and Worcestershire sauce. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Stir remaining 1/2 cup broth into flour; stir into beef mixture. Add onion mixture; heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in sour cream; heat until hot (do not boil). Serve over noodles.