The Sweet and Savory Kitchen

Friday, January 8, 2010

Status of Site

I did a really stupid thing yesterday. I deleted the file that was backing up all my pictures to the site. Currently no pictures are viewable. I do still have the pictures on my hard drive, so please bare with me for a few more days as I reload the pics. I guess this is what still makes me an amateur...I'm still learning what not to do. Have a good weekend everyone.

And because I can't resist....ROLL TIDE ROLL, GO BAMA!!!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Penne a la Betsy

I haven't really said much about all the Christmas gifts I got over the holidays. A lot of the things on my wish list were for the kitchen and I am super excited to start using all my new gadgets, dishes, and cookbooks. My sister-in-law Melinda got to go to one of Pioneer Woman's book signings (so jealous) and picked up a copy of her book as my Christmas present! This is one recipe featured in the book. There have been many in the blog world that have made this dish and I haven't found a single person that didn't enjoy it. It reminded me of a Penne Vodka sauce, only it seems much lighter. I'm always happy to have shrimp accompany my pasta so overall it was a delicious meal that I can't wait to make again!

Penne a la Betsy

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3/4 pounds Penne pasta

1 pound shrimp

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup white wine

1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce

1 cup heavy cream

Fresh parsley, to taste

Fresh basil, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the pasta according to package directions until tender and firm.

Peel,devein, and rinse the shrimp. Heat about 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple minutes until just opaque. Do not overcook. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Place on a cutting board, pull off tails, and chop into bite size pieces. Set aside.

Finely dice onion. Mince two cloves of garlic.

In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add in the white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. If you would rather not use wine, you can substitute low-sodium chicken broth instead (about 1/2 cup).

Add in the tomato sauce. Stir until combined. Add 1 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn heat down to low and let simmer. Add in the shrimp. Add salt and pepper to taste as well as the herbs and stir until combined. Finally add your cooked pasta and stir to combine.

Source: The Pioneer Woman.com

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Bananas Foster

Sometimes my mother-in-law likes to play with fire.

On occasion she likes to set alcohol on fire.

She claims it's all for us and serves us a nice bowl of caramelized bananas, but I think its all just front and we're really just encouraging her habits, but in the end who can resist a dessert like Bananas Foster?

Obviously, my mother-in-law is not suffering from any kind of illness,but she has been known to make Bananas Foster for us. I personally just like to watch because I'm mildly afraid of setting my hair or house on fire. For those that have more courage than me, this really is a quick and easy dessert. My favorite way to eat it is with a slice of pound cake, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a heaping pile of bananas, a generous drizzle of the rum sauce, and a dollop of whip cream on top. It is seriously good.

Bananas Foster

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1 stick butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 bananas peeled, halved, and cut lengthwise

1/4 cup dark rum

Ice cream, optional

Pound cake, optional

In a large skillet, melt butter. Using a wooden spoon, add brown sugar and stir together. Add the bananas and cook until caramelized on both sides, over medium-high heat. Move pan off heat, add the rum and return to the stove to catch a flame from the gas stove or a long lighter. Stand back when ignited and flambé the bananas. PLEASE be careful as the flame will shoot up above the pan. Let flame die down and the alcohol cook out. Serve bananas over vanilla ice cream and with a slice of pound cake, if desired.

Source: www.foodnetwork.com/Paula Deen, 2007

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Chicken and Mushroom Pockets

I have been waiting for the right occasion to try this recipe. On many weekends around our place, we snack around all day instead of cooking meals, especially during college football season. Since I now have class on Saturdays I haven't been able to indulge in our typical spread of food. A couple weeks ago I decided to make a snack and thought these would be the perfect little bite. Typically, I don't enjoy mushroom in things, but my Big Girl taste buds can now handle them, plus you can almost guarantee that I will like anything wrapped up in a croissant or other buttery roll and this recipe was no exception. The pocket is filled with the perfect amount of seasoning to compliment the chicken and mushrooms and every bite has the creaminess from the cream cheese mixture. Football season may be drawing to a close, but I will definitely be making these again.

Chicken and Mushroom Pockets

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2 tablespoons butter

1 (8oz) package sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup minced green onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken

1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 (5oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 (8oz) cans un-perforated crescent roll dough

In a large skillet, melt butter oven medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic; cook for 6 to 7 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender. Reduce heat to low; add chicken and cream cheese, stirring until cream cheese is melted and smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese and pepper. Let mixture cool for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a clean flat surface, unroll 1 can dough. Cut dough lengthwise into 3 equal parts; cut dough crosswise into 5 equal parts, making 15 squares. Spoon about 1 tablespoons filling onto center of each square. Pull up corners of dough over filling, pressing dough together gently to seal. Repeat procedure with remaining dough and filling. Place of prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Note: Be sure to use un-perforated crescent roll dough.

Source adapted from: Cooking with Paula Deen, May/June 2009

Friday, January 1, 2010

The Best of 09!

I can’t quite believe that today is the start of a brand new year. 2009 was a good year in many ways and a year of many first for me. I am happy that I finally started blogging about the many dishes that I try. I love that I can channel my passion and let so many others be a part of the experience. Hopefully 2010 will be another year of learning in the kitchen and in life. I am praying that I can balance both my MBA studies and all my hobbies, otherwise I might go insane. Even though I starting blogging halfway thru the year, I wanted to recap some of my favorites from 2009.