Bowtie Chicken Alfredo

This is a recipe from The Pioneer Woman. The interesting thing about it is that my son made it. He did it almost completely on his own. I just cleaned up. According to everyone, it was delicious! Not just because we want to encourage him to continue to cook, either. He did a great job. It might be a foolproof recipe, or not. Try it and find out.

Bowtie Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces, weight Bowtie Pasta (farfalle)
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup dry white wine (may substitute low sodium chicken broth)
• 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• low sodium chicken broth, as needed for thinning
• 1/4 cup Parmesan shavings or grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

Preparation:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook until deep golden brown on both sides and done in the middle. Remove from the skillet, slice into thin strips and set aside.

3. Add additional 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet, followed by the minced garlic. Stir the garlic around the pan to avoid burning, and cook for 1 minute. Pour in wine (or broth), then let it bubble up and reduce for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Add half-and-half, cream, and extra salt and pepper, whisking constantly until it's all combined. Allow liquid to heat up and thicken for a few minutes. If it gets too thick, you may thin it with a little chicken broth.

4. When the sauce looks good, remove it from the heat. Add Parmesan to the pan, then throw the hot pasta right on top of it. Toss it a bit. Add the chicken and continue tossing until it's all combined. Again, if it gets too gloppy, splash in a little broth (you may return the pan to low heat if it needs it.)

5. Taste it, adjust seasonings, and top with minced parsley and extra Parmesan. Serve immediately!

Enjoy!

Nectarine Cobbler

My son loves nectarines so I bought a box of "organic" nectarines at BJs.  Unfortunately, they were very sour. My mother thinks that these nectarines had been frozen at one time.  I didn't want to throw them all out so I found a recipe for Nectarine Cobbler that my son absolutely loved. It comes from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook via The Food Network.

Nectarine Cobbler

Ingredients:

Filling:

4 cups sliced nectarines
1/2 cup cold water
1/3 cup unpacked light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 cup milk
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Garnish:

Cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

To prepare the topping: In a medium-size bowl, stir together the flour, the sugar, and the baking powder.  Add the milk and the butter and beat until smooth.

To prepare the filling: In a large saucepan, combine all the ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is thickened and bubbly, about 5-10 minutes. Pour into an ungreased 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Spoon the topping over the filling and spread carefully and evenly with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake 30-40 minutes or until topping is lightly golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of topping comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Sangria - Emeril Lagasse Recipe

I attended a cookout with my family last night. I brought a double batch of Sangria (recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse) with a few changes made by me. I enjoyed it. Some of the other guests told me that it was refreshing and tasty. I will share the recipe with my tweaks below. Enjoy!

Sangria
Recipe Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients:

1 (750-ml) bottle red wine (I used Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon)
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup orange flavored liqueur (I used triple sec)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/4 cup sugar (I used blue agave nectar)
1/2 orange, thinly sliced
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
1 unwaxed apple, cored, and cut into thin wedges
1 (750-ml) bottle sparkling water, chilled (I used San Pellegrino)

Directions:

Combine everything but the sparkling water in a large plastic container or glass pitchers. Cover and chill completely, 1 to 2 hours or over night.  When ready to serve, add the sparkling water.

Note: The changes I made are noted about but I also did not have an apple or an orange so I used strawberries and blueberries instead. I chilled the wine and fruit mix for 2 days.

Enjoy!