Author Archives: amydeline

In Like a Lamb Shepherd’s Pie

Posted on March 2, 2011 by amydeline

They say that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. This year, March came in like a lamb…a very chilly lamb, but a lamb all the same. The thermometer may have registered a cool 23 degrees and the ground is still covered in white, but the sun was shining and the air was calm; a rare occurrence ’round here during the winter. I sense that spring is just around the corner. But that might just be wishful thinking!

In honor of our lamb of a first day of March, it seemed appropriate to make a nice shepherd’s pie for dinner; a perfect comfort meal for a sunny, late winter day. Traditionally, shepherd’s pie is made by layering ground lamb, in a seasoned sauce, with vegetables and a layer of mashed potatoes; a well-balanced meal in a baking dish! This Irish-inspired dish makes a perfect one-dish meal any night of the week or would make a fantastic substitute for corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day!

Many variations of shepherd’s pie call for ground beef as a substitute for lamb. Technically, that wouldn’t be a shepherd’s pie at all, but rather a cottage pie. Shepherd’s herd sheep; not cattle. And shepherd’s pie is made with lamb; not beef. If your grocery store does not regularly carry ground lamb, you have a few options. First, try asking at the butcher counter to see if they would grind a lamb shoulder for you. Many accommodating butchers would be happy to do this for you. If you’ve got a KitchenAid mixer with a food grinder attachment, another alternative is to grind your own lamb. Finally, I’ve read that you can grind meat by pulsing it in a standard food processor, though I’ve never actually tried this particular strategy. If all else fails, substitute ground beef and call it cottage pie instead! It will still be delicious!

Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup carrots, finely diced
1/2 cup onions, finely diced
1 pound ground lamb
3 Tablespoons flour
1 cup beef broth
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more, if desired)
Pepper
3/4 cup frozen peas, warmed
3/4 cup frozen corn, warmed
2 cups creamy mashed potatoes*
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Additional cheddar cheese and parsley, for garnish

*Prepared using your favorite mashed potatoes recipe or boil 4-5 Russet potatoes until fork-tender. Blend with butter and milk until creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add carrots and onions. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the ground lamb. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until fully cooked. Sprinkle the flour over the meat. Stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer. Cook for about 2 minutes, until a sauce thickens around the meat. Season with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, combine the mashed potatoes with the cheddar cheese.

To assemble the pie, spread the meat and sauce into a baking dish. Top with a layer of peas and corn. Spread a layer of mashed potatoes on the top. Garnish with a sprinkle of cheddar and fresh parsley. Bake for about 15 minutes, until it bubbles around the edges and the top is lightly browned.

9 Comments

Posted in Cheese, Food, Lamb, Main Course, Potato, Recipes, Vegetable and tagged cheese, Cooking, Food, holidays, Irish, lamb, potatoes, Recipes, St. Patrick's Day, vegetables. Bookmark the permalink.

Just What the Doctor Ordered – Chicken with Matzoh Ball Soup

Posted on February 25, 2011 by amydeline

This has been a rough winter for my family in the general health department. I blame it on my three year old starting nursery school. Up until this year, my family has been in our own personal germ bubble. The kids stay at home with me and my husband works in an office by himself. Our biggest exposure to germs occurred sitting at the doctor’s office for well-visits. But now, with my little guy in school, we’re exposed to the full spectrum of winter viruses. We’ve become regulars at the pediatrician and it seems like one of us is always on antibiotics for some condition or another. Even our labrosaurus rex has endured a winter full of vet visits and internist appointments! Add that to the ever-accelerating schedule of my normal third trimester prenatal appointments and I’m pretty sure my family is solely supporting the medical community of the Central New York area. You’re welcome doctors, nurses, and midwives.

This week, we’re in the midst of dealing with another virus, which has knocked each of down in succession like a family of dominoes; first one kid, then the next, then myself, and then my husband. Three out of the four of us are still wrapped in blankets and using tissues like they’re going out of style. The contractor, who’s currently remodeling our bathroom, hasn’t removed his face mask in days and it’s got nothing to do with drywall dust!

When all the medicine in the medicine cabinet fails to heal what ails you, there’s only one thing left to try; homemade chicken soup! A few months ago, I shared my step by step guide for preparing a delicious, flavorful chicken soup from a leftover chicken carcass. The process is the same, even if you’re starting with a whole, raw chicken.

Throw the chicken in the pot with a bunch of rough chopped vegetables. Use whatever you’ve got on hand; celery, carrots, garlic, onion, shallots, parsley, etc.
Cover the chicken and veggies with water.
Bring to a boil. Simmer, partially covered, for 3-4 hours.
Strain the broth into a pot and set the chicken aside to cool. Discard the veggies.
Simmer the broth uncovered, if desired, to reduce the liquid and produce a stronger flavored broth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull apart all of the meat and throw it in the broth.
Add the veggies of your choice to the broth. (I used sliced carrots and leeks.) Simmer, just until the veggies are tender.
Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, as desired.

Voila! Chicken Soup!

**Click here to see the full step-by-step guide to making chicken soup.

Typically, I serve my chicken soup over cooked orzo pasta. Other noodles, pasta, or rice work well too. I recommend keeping your pasta or rice separate from the soup. Otherwise, it will absorb the broth, leaving you with undesirable, mushy pasta or rice.

Another alternative to accompany your chicken soup are matzoh balls. To be honest, I have very minimal experience with matzoh balls. It is not something which my family ate often, if ever at all. I’ve ordered a bowl of matzoh ball soup from a deli at one point or another, but I honestly can’t recall the exact taste or texture of the balls. That being said, I’m clearly no expert in matzoh ball making, but I’m always up for a culinary adventure.

From what I gather, there are two schools of thought regarding the preferred matzoh ball texture; sinkers and floaters. Sinkers are more dense and require the edge of a fork to cut apart, whereas the floaters are lighter and more likely to fall apart on their own in your soup. As a matzoh ball novice, I have no strong personal preference. I pulled a few of the best sounding ideas from a variety of matzoh ball sources to develop my very own matzoh ball recipe. The result is a flavorful and tender ball, probably more in line with the sinker variety. Works for me!

Matzoh Balls for Chicken Soup

Ingredients

1 cup matzoh meal
4 eggs, separated
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Combine the matzoh meal with the salt, onion powder and garlic powder. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with the vegetable oil until smooth. Set aside. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture. Then, fold the egg mixture into the matzoh meal, just until combined. Do not over mix. Refrigerate for 30 minutes – 1 hour, until the mixture is firm. Form the mixture into 1 – 1 1/2″ balls. Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil. Carefully drop each ball into the water. Once the balls have risen to the surface, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not open the lid as it simmers.* Once cooked, remove the matzoh balls from the liquid with a slotted spoon. You can add the balls immediately to your soup or store separately and reheat with the soup, as desired.

*I’m not completely clear on why you’re not supposed to open the lid, but it seems to be common matzoh making advice, so I think we best obey!

Enjoy and stay well, my friends!

6 Comments

Posted in Food, Main Course, Poultry, Recipes, Vegetable and tagged central new york, chicken, comfort food, Cooking, family, Food, kids, life, pregnancy, Recipes, sick, soup, vegetables, winter. Bookmark the permalink.

Spiced Fruit Bread Pudding

Posted on February 23, 2011 by amydeline

I was well into adulthood before I tasted bread pudding for the first time. Quite honestly, I didn’t really understand what it was and the thought of it was completely unappealing to me. Soggy bread in some sort of puddingy mix? Eww. I certainly wasn’t about to choose the bread pudding option over the 15-layer chocolate ecstasy cake on any restaurant dessert menu!

It wasn’t until I attended a Sunday brunch, at a restaurant which was local to me during my DC days, that I finally had the opportunity to try bread pudding. There, amongst the dessert table of fruity pastries, chocolate croissants, and elegant petit fours, was a large dish of warm bread pudding. This, my friends, is exactly why buffet-style dining delights my heart. I could take a risk-free scoop of that bread pudding without chancing disappointment and without the opportunity cost of my chocolate selection.

Imagine my shock upon taking my first bite of that bread pudding! That bread pudding schooled me, for sure. It was not the soggy, unappealing concoction I’d imagined it would be, but rather a sweet, luscious treat for my palate. Think french toast, but sweeter and richer. I was reformed that day. I’d even consider passing up a heavenly slice of chocolate cake for a scoop of warm, homemade bread pudding. Now, that’s saying something!

Here is my spicy, fruity take on a bread pudding; chunks of day-old French bread, topped with a spiced mixture of dried apples, apricots, and raisins, then baked to perfection in a sweet custard. Served warm, with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and sprinkle of cinnamon, this treat would make a fantastic dessert or decadent brunch treat for any occasion or no occasion at all!

And if you’re ever in the DC/Silver Spring, MD area on a Sunday morning, check out the brunch at Mrs. K’s Toll House! Have a mimosa and a scoop of bread pudding for me while you’re there!

Spiced Fruit Bread Pudding

Ingredients

1 cup dried fruits, chopped (apricots, apples, raisins…)
1/2 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
6 cups stale French bread, cut into 1″ cubes
2 1/2 cups whole milk
4 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
Whipped cream and cinnamon, for garnish

Directions

Place chopped fruits in a bowl. Stir together the apple juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Pour the mixture over the fruits and allow to sit for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour the melted butter into a large (about 2-quart) baking dish and swirl to coat the bottom and edges. Arrange the chunks of bread in an even layer in the baking dish.

Scatter the soaked fruits in an even layer over the bread. Drizzle any remaining liquid over the bread.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt until well combined. Pour the mixture over the bread and fruit. Press down on the bread to ensure that all pieces have been moistened. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Remove the baking dish from the fridge and press down on the top again. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm, topped with fresh whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

8 Comments

Posted in Baking, Desserts, Eggs, Food, Recipes and tagged baking, bread pudding, brunch, Cooking, dessert, food photography, md, mrs. k's toll house, Recipes, silver spring, treat, washington dc. Bookmark the permalink.

The Kids Cook Monday – White Garlic Shrimp Pizza

Posted on February 21, 2011 by amydeline

Don’t get me wrong…I love a traditional slice of saucy, cheesy pizza as much as the next person (preferably dipped in a bit of bleu cheese dressing). But there’s something about a slice of white garlic pizza which makes my taste buds do a little happy dance. And last week, my happy-dancing taste buds decided that a homemade white garlic pizza, with a generous topping of tiny shrimp, was exactly what we needed.

Truth be told, I made this pizza twice last week. I had initially planned to post the recipe on Friday, but my first take on the pizza was less than ideal. It was garlicky and delicious, but the proportions of sauce and cheese to the dough were off kilter. On top of being too heavily sauced, the ricotta layer cooked up into a bit of a mess. I figured that all it needed was a little reduction on the toppings and a touch of egg white to bind the ricotta. I was about to post the recipe with my theorized improvements, but made a last minute decision to run another test. There were no complaints in our household about having this pizza twice in the same week! The second run-through was a definite winner!

As part of our Kids Cook Monday series, I invited my little helpers into the kitchen. Pizza making is ripe with opportunities for young children to get involved. Stretching dough, spreading sauces, arranging toppings, and scattering cheese are ideal tasks for little hands. Kids benefit in a number of ways while cooking. They develop math skills while measuring, fine motor skills while spreading and arranging pizza toppings, health and safety skills while washing up before cooking, and language skills while following directions. But, in my opinion, there’s no bigger reward than the proud smiles on their little faces as our family sits down to enjoy the meal they had a hand in creating.

White Garlic Shrimp Pizza

Ingredients

1 large pizza shell or pizza dough, prepared or homemade*
2 cups salad shrimp, cooked
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

For the Ricotta Layer

3/4 cup Ricotta cheese
1 egg white
1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the Garlic Sauce

2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 Tablespoon garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tablespoons flour
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup Asiago or Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp salt
Ground black pepper

*Click here to see my post on making homemade pizza dough.

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. If using pizza dough, stretch the dough into a large round and arrange on a pizza stone or large baking sheet, lightly greased with olive oil.

Prepare the ricotta by combining the ricotta, egg white, garlic, parsley, and salt.

Prepare the garlic sauce. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic to the butter. Cook for about two minutes. Add the flour to the mixture and stir. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes, until the milk begins to thicken. Turn down the heat. Add the cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

To assemble the pizza, spread a thin, even layer of the ricotta mixture over the pizza dough. Then, spread a thin, even layer of the garlic sauce over the ricotta. Scatter the salad shrimp over the sauce. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and parsley. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Chocolate Banana Monkey Bars

Posted on February 16, 2011 by amydeline

Children are filled with genius ideas if you listen closely. A few weeks ago, my son was staring longingly into our snow-filled, icicle-rimmed backyard, dreaming of warmer days. And then he exclaimed, Mommy, we should make some monkey bars! In retrospect, he was probably referring to building his own personal playground in our backyard. But, in the moment, as I moved about our kitchen preparing dinner, my mind interpreted his request into a recipe idea. Monkey Bars. Genius!

We paused for a moment to consider the foods which monkeys enjoy. Clearly, bananas were on the top of the list. Chocolate and peanuts decided to tag along for the ride. Our plan came together easily after that. We’d start with a peanut butter cookie crust, topped with our favorite, simple fudgey brownie, mixed with chunks of fresh banana and garnished with crunchy peanuts.

Your monkeys will go bananas for these tasty little treats! Mine sure did!

Chocolate Banana Monkey Bars

Ingredients

15 peanut butter sandwich cookies, crushed
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 stick butter
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup bananas, chopped
1/4 cup shelled peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray.

Combine the cookie crumbs with the melted butter, until well blended. Press the mixture into the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the chocolate chips and butter until smooth, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat. Stir in the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt until dissolved. Stir in the flour. Add the eggs and stir until well blended. Stir in the chopped bananas. Spread the mixture over the peanut butter cookie crust. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts on top. Bake for about 35-45 minutes, until the brownies appear set and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean. Cool before cutting into small squares.

2 Comments

Posted in Baking, Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts, Food, Fruit, Recipes and tagged baking, chocolate, cookies, cooking with kids, Food, kids, Recipes, winter. Bookmark the permalink.

A Sweet for your Sweetie: Chocolate Raspberry Torte

Posted on February 14, 2011 by amydeline

Years and years ago, I received a free sample pack of Make It Italian recipe cards in the mail. I never ordered the complete recipe card collection and most of those sample cards have long since disappeared, but one of those recipe cards has been well-loved and well-worn over the years; a recipe for a rich, delicious Chocolate Raspberry Torte.

I’ve made this torte many times over the years for guests and for our own enjoyment, with a few little adaptations. It’s always a treat; dense chocolatey cake, with a sweet raspberry filling and and rich, dark chocolate ganache. And when the time came to decide on a sweet, chocolatey treat to make for my sweeties on this Valentine’s Day, this torte came first and foremost to my mind.

So, whip out your baking supplies and whip up this sweet treat for the sweeties in your life!

P.S. I won’t tell a soul if you make it just for yourself instead! You deserve it!

Chocolate Raspberry Torte

Adapted from a Make It Italian recipe card

Ingredients

For the Cake

6 Eggs, divided
3/4 cup (plus 1 teaspoon) Sugar
4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) Butter, softened
4 (1-ounce) squares Semisweet Baker’s Chocolate, melted
3/4 cup Flour
1/8 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/8 cup Raspberry Liqueur (optional)

For the Filling

1/2 cup Raspberry Jam

For the Ganache

4 (1-ounce) squares Semisweet Baker’s Chocolate
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream

Fresh Raspberries and Chopped Walnuts, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a 9 or 10″ round cake pan.

In a medium sized bowl, beat the egg whites with the teaspoon of sugar for several minutes until firm peaks form. Set aside.

Rinse the beaters. Then, in a separate bowl, beat together the sugar and softened butter until creamy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, until well blended. Gradually beat in the melted chocolate, flour, cocoa powder, and liqueur until well blended.

Gently stir in 1/3 of the beaten egg whites, until well combined. Then, fold in the remaining beaten egg whites.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for about an hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool completely. Then, halve the cake and spread the raspberry jam between the two layers.

To prepare the ganache, heat the cream just until boiling. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Spread the ganache along the top and sides of the cake. Garnish with fresh raspberries and chopped walnuts. Chill in the refrigerator to set the ganache.

Happy Valentine’s Day, my friends!!

11 Comments

Posted in Baking, Cakes, Chocolate, Desserts, Food, Fruit, Recipes and tagged baking, cake, chocolate, Cooking, Food, holidays, love, Recipes, valentine's day. Bookmark the permalink.

Heavenly Beef and Peas

Posted on February 12, 2011 by amydeline

This idea was inspired by a slow-cooker recipe I’ve been told of, called Butter Beef. Butter Beef is apparently no more than stew beef combined with a stick of butter and a packet of onion soup mix, slow-cooked until fall-apart tender. I’ve yet to try this Butter Beef idea, but it’s the sort of simple dish you can practically taste just by thinking of. Slow-cooked beef in butter? Seriously tempting.

So, I began with visions of beef and butter in mind. Hey, I never claimed this was a low-fat, diet-friendly recipe blog! A fresh, chopped onion for flavor, along with a touch of tomato sauce and luscious cream blend together to form a rich, heavenly sauce which perfectly envelops the tender chunks of slow-cooked beef.

Slow-cooked, creamy, comforting, melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. Heavenly Beef.

Heavenly Beef and Peas

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Stew Beef
1 small Onion, chopped
6 Tablespoons Butter, divided
1 cup Tomato Sauce
1 cup Light Cream
1 cup Frozen Peas
Salt and Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large dutch oven or oven-safe pan with a tight fitting lid, melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Season the beef with a bit of salt and pepper. Add the beef to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes until lightly browned on all sides. Add the remaining butter and tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Cover and place on the middle rack of the oven. Cook for 2 1/2 hours. Remove the cover and stir in the peas and cream. Turn the heat up to 375 degrees. Cook for 15 minutes uncovered, until the peas are cooked and the sauce has slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. About 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of salt should do the trick.

Serve over rice or hot, buttered noodles.

8 Comments

Posted in Beef, Food, Main Course, Recipes and tagged beef, comfort food, Cooking, easy dinner, food photography, Recipes, vegetables. Bookmark the permalink.

‘Thunder Bowl’ Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins

Posted on February 10, 2011 by amydeline

Just when you thought I’d covered every possible incarnation of Buffalo chicken themed food, I’ve got another one for you! We’ve already enjoyed luscious Chicken Wing Dip, a decadent Buffalo Chicken Pizza, a tasty Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, and mouthwatering Chicken Wing Lasagna. And today, we’ve got Mini Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins; the perfect bite-sized way to enjoy all the flavor of Buffalo chicken wings, without the bones!

This recipe is inspired by a recipe I ran across on another food blog, Sprinkles of Parsley. I’d originally intended to make them as part of our Super Bowl party menu. But at the last minute, our planned party turned into a quiet night on the couch.

News of the party cancellation was easily the most distressing to our three year old, who’d spent weeks telling everyone he encountered about our planned ‘Thunder Bowl’ party. We’re still not quite sure how he dreamed up this ‘Thunder Bowl’ idea or what exactly he expected to happen during this grand event…Two men enter, one man leaves. Perhaps he’d imagined that we’d harness his little brother to his shoulders in Master-Blaster style and engage in some sort of rough and tumble mischief.

Whatever he’d been thinking, he was devastated to learn of the cancellation. He couldn’t be consoled without the promise of special Thunder Bowl treats. Bust the deal, face the wheel, Mommy!! And so, Super (or Thunder) Bowl party aside, I still had to try my hand at these tempting little appetizers!

I wonder what other ways we can come up with to get our chicken wing fix…perhaps Buffalo chicken eggrolls, ravioli, or maybe even quesadillas?

Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins

Ingredients

5 pounds Baby Red Potatoes
1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (or other hot sauce)
2 Tablespoons Butter, melted
2 cups Chicken, cooked and finely chopped
1/2 cup Gorgonzola, crumbled
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
3-4 Green Onions, sliced
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry the potatoes. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, until fork-tender, but firm. Once they are cool enough to handle, cut each potato in half and scoop out most of the insides using a spoon or melon baller. (You can reserve the scooped potato insides for another purpose.) Brush both sides of the potato skins with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the potatoes cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Turn the potatoes over and bake for 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Combine the melted butter and hot sauce. Toss the chicken in the sauce until well coated. When the potato skins have finished baking, fill each skin with the sauced chicken. Top each potato skin with a sprinkle of gorgonzola, cheddar and green onions. Bake for 5 minutes, until hot and melty.

5 Comments

Posted in Appetizers, Cheese, Food, Poultry, Recipes and tagged appetizers, cheese, chicken, Cooking, Food, food photography, hors d'oeuvres, Recipes. Bookmark the permalink.

Kids Cook Monday – Brought to you by the letter P!

Posted on February 7, 2011 by amydeline

Today’s recipe is brought to you by the letter P. This meal started out with a general plan for Pasta in a Parmesan cream sauce with Prosciutto. Inspired by the natural alliteration in this simple dinner idea, I figured we may as well make it Penne Pasta and throw in a few Portabella mushrooms and Peas for good measure. Dinner by the letter P.

This easy weeknight meal comes together in a Pinch! But, it’s not without opportunities for getting kids involved. Young children may not be ready to participate with the stovetop cooking involved in making this dish, but they make fantastic prep chefs, measuring level cups of cheese and peas, pouring the cream, and taste-testing the mushrooms and prosciutto.

And while the sauce simmered on the stove, the kids set to work artfully decorating large cutouts of the letter P, while giggling their ways through chanting Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers… Even when the meal preparation is simple, there are easy ways to get everyone involved and build authentic, memorable learning experiences into the process!

Penne Pasta in Parmesan Cream Sauce with Prosciutto, Portabellas, and Peas

Ingredients

1 pound Penne Pasta, cooked according to package directions
1 1/2 cups Light Cream
3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 1/2 cups Baby Portabella Mushrooms (Cremini mushrooms), sliced
1/2 cup Prosciutto, chopped
1 cup Frozen Peas, defrosted
Salt and Pepper

Directions

Prepare pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Combine cream and 1/2 of the parmesan cheese in a saucepan. Add the mushrooms. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the cream has thickened and the mushrooms are tender. Add the remaining cheese, prosciutto, and peas. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce and serve immediately.

5 Comments

Posted in Cheese, Cooking with Kids, Food, Main Course, Pork, Recipes, Vegetable and tagged cheese, Cooking, cooking with kids, easy dinner, family, Food, kids, Kids Cook Monday, life, pasta, Recipes. Bookmark the permalink.

Game Day Menu Ideas

Posted on February 3, 2011 by amydeline

Growing up, my family never watched football. We were more of a hockey and baseball kind of clan. But every year we had a big ole Super Bowl Sunday party. I was infinitely envious of my younger sister, whose birthday happens to fall right around the Super Bowl, for she had a guaranteed birthday party each year, long after the rest of us had been weaned off of annual birthday celebrations.

In college, I briefly and half-heartedly tried to get into the whole football thing. I watched games on TV with my new college friends and looked to them to explain the ins and outs of the activity I was so hopelessly clueless about. But, my interest in football was short-lived. Not long after that, I met my husband, who’s more of a guitar and drum kind of guy than a sports fan. So, football remains largely absent from my life.

But in true, inherited non-football-fan fashion, my husband and I are throwing a Super Bowl party this year. Our game day menu is still under construction, but will almost certainly include some adaptation of these Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins and a decadent German Chocolate Cake in honor of my sister’s birthday. (Those recipes to follow after the Superbowl!)

In the meantime, if you’re in search of a few new ideas for your game day celebrations, check out these previously posted Gourmand Mom recipes:

Spicy Beef Chili