A wicked strong wind in the valley and a neighborly state football game is a good time to stay indoors and watch tv with a fun snack. Today's snack is a tasty combination of marshmallows, honey & cinnamon to dip sweet potato fries in. The fries today are plain but you can easily spice them up with a little cumin, paprika and garlic powder. The dip only takes a few minutes to create so you have plenty of time while the fries are baking.
Sweet Potato Marshmallow Dip
3/4 cup mini marshmallows
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon
a pinch of salt
Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir frequently over a low heat until the marshmallows melt and the dip is warm.
There's a first time for everything and mine was grating garlic. I've crushed it, minced it, baked it...but I had never grated it with the same cheese grater that I used with the Romano cheese. It's a fast way to get the garlic into small pieces perfect for sauces.
Romano Noodles
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp parsley
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, grated
3/4 cup Romano cheese, grated
1/2 cup pasta water
Combine the cream cheese and butter in a large saucepan. Add in garlic, red pepper flakes, parsley and Romano cheese. Cook 8 oz of pasta. I used linguine. When it's cooked al dente, remove 1/2 cup of the water for the sauce and drain the remainder. Stir the sauce and add in the pasta. Toss until coated and turn into a large serving bowl. Top with a tablespoon or two of additional grated Romano cheese.
Some freshly grated Parmesan adds a little cheese flavor and a bit of saltiness to these easy to make meatballs. A dash of crushed red pepper flakes adds a little heat.
Parmesan Meatballs
1# extra lean ground beef
1 large egg
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp parsley
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Place all the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Hand mix until all the ingredients are combined. Form into 1 1/2" meatballs. Bake on a baking sheet for 25 minutes at 350°.
My Sunday dinner was leaning towards Italian this week. I found some nice looking prosciutto and I had chicken breasts so I combined the two with a creamy, Fontina cheese sauce that works to serve with potatoes or pasta on the side.
Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken with Fontina Sauce
2 - 4 chicken breasts, butterflied
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated for each chicken breast
2 - 4 slices prosciutto
Carefully butterfly the chicken breasts. Season and top with the Parmesan.
Roll up and wrap the prosciutto around and place in a greased pan, seam side down.
Bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Serve with the Fontina sauce.
Fontina Sauce
8 oz grated Fontina cheese
1/2 cup whipping cream
Salt & pepper to taste
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Heat over a low heat and cook until the cheese melts.
One of my favorite sides to a grilled steak is a sweet potato topped with cinnamon, butter and brown sugar. I made this ice cream to taste just like that but without the butter. I added in the toffee bits for a little crunch factor but they are optional. This is a perfect dessert on Thanksgiving for any pie haters you may have.
Sweet Potato & Toffee Ice Cream
2 cups cooked and chilled sweet potatoes (2 medium sized worked perfect)
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 cup whole milk3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup Heath Toffee Bits (optional)
Place chilled sweet potatoes in a large bowl and beat using a hand mixer until smooth. Add in brown sugar, spices and vanilla. Gradually stir in cream and milk and then transfer to your ice cream maker.
A perfect weeknight meal with lots of flavor and it doesn't take much time to make. I chose only pepperoni as a topping but you can add mushrooms, green pepper slices...whatever your favorites are on a pizza. Luckily, I did have pizza sauce in my freezer that I had made earlier but store bought is fine to use too.
Pizza Chicken
2-4 chicken breasts
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
pizza sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
oregano
your favorite toppings
Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-ready frying pan. Lightly brown seasoned (with salt and pepper) chicken breasts. Place in a pre-heated oven to 350°. Bake for 20 minutes. You can use this time to make a side or two. Remove from oven and top each chicken breast with a tbsp of pizza sauce. Add in your favorite toppings and top with the shredded mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the cheese with oregano and return to the oven for another 5 minutes.
The fall leaves come in a variety of colors and your nice, warming bowl of chili should also. I used three types of beans in this easy to make chili. I made it in my dutch oven but you and also put it in the crock pot for a game day meal.
Calico Chili
1 - 15 oz can Light Red Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
1- 15 oz can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 15 oz can Cannellini White Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 - 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 pound extra lean ground beef, cooked
1/2 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup ketchup
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
chili powder to taste
1 tsp oregano
In your dutch oven or a large skillet, brown ground beef with onions and garlic. Add all the remaining ingredients to the dutch oven or crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or longer in the crock pot.
