Pasta Arrabbiata with Arugula

This is one of my favorite pasta recipes. It is great for a cold winter night or anytime. I add a little more spice than the recipe says. I have to give a shout out to Ms. Rachael Ray for this recipe.

Ingredients:

Salt
1 pound whole wheat penne rigate or gemelli pasta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
One 28-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
Black pepper
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 cups arugula, coarsely chopped


1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a ladleful of the cooking water.
2. While the pasta is working, in a deep skillet, heat the oil, 4 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, then the tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
3. Add the pasta and reserved pasta cooking water to the skillet and toss for 1 minute. Add the cheese, then toss in the arugula and cook until wilted, 1 minute longer

Cinnamon-Roasted Almonds

This is a great recipe for the holidays to keep out for guests. It is always a hit with my friends and family and tastes just like the almonds you buy from the mall or those carts in Chicago.

INGREDIENTS
1 egg white
1 teaspoon cold water

1/4 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups whole almonds
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Lightly grease a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan.
Lightly beat the egg white; add water and vanilla, and beat until frothy but not stiff. Add the nuts, and stir until well coated. Mix the sugar, salt, and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the nuts. Toss to coat, and spread evenly on the prepared pan.
Bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until golden. Allow to cool, then store in airtight container

Chocolate Covered Bacon

Okay, I know, you are thinking "Bacon and Chocolate? Sick!" That's what I thought. But then I thought more about it, I figured why not put two great foods together. Then I saw it on Dinner Impossible and I had to try it. What I ended up with is pure heaven.

Ingredients
1 pound thickly sliced slab bacon
1/2 pound dark chocolate
1/4 pound toasted almonds

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place bacon on a sheet tray and cook until crisp, about 25 minutes. Melt chocolate in double boiler over low heat. Dip crisp bacon in chocolate and place back on sheet tray.
Sprinkle with almonds and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I love pumpkin, had some leftover, and wanted to make something easy and tasty. I also love chocolate so I decided to mix the two together in a muffin. I got the recipe from allrecipes.com and just changed things up a little bit.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.
Mix sugar, oil, eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In separate bowl mix together the baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt.. Add wet mixture and stir in chocolate chips.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes

Green Olive Dip

This recipe has to be the easiest appetizer dip to make. My mom made it for family parties all the time and it has always been a hit. People always ask for the recipe and laugh when they see how simple it is. This may have come from someone else, so I apologize if I am not giving "props" where due. I usually serve this with tortilla chips or pretzels.

Green Olive Dip

1 package cream cheese (no low fat)
1 jar green olives
garlic salt to taste.

Drain green olives and use chopper to blend into fine pieces. Mix with cream cheese until well blended. Add garlic salt to taste.

TaDA!!!!

Sloppy Joes with Cripsy Butternut Squash Chip

I haven't had Sloppy Joe's in ages. But watching Tyler Florence make his "Ultimate Sloppy Joe's", I had to have them. I kept the recipe the same but used ground beef instead of ground turkey. The squash chips are a great addition to the meal.

Ingredients
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
12 rolls

Directions
Set a heavy-based pot over medium-high heat and add a 3-count of olive oil. Add onions and saute for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Add ground turkey, season well with salt and pepper and brown well all over, breaking it up with a wooden spoon - about 7 to 10 minutes. Add ketchup, mustard, cayenne, brown sugar and tomato paste. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Finish with a splash of red wine vinegar and season it once more before serving.

Crispy Butternut Squash Chips

Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs sage
Kosher salt
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Special equipment: deep-fry thermometer, mandoline
Directions
Remove the top cylinder portion of the butternut squash and peel with a vegetable peeler. Discard or use the bulb portion for something else. Using a mandoline, finely slice round chips from the peeled cylinder and hold in ice water for 30 minutes to chill. Preheat 2 to 3 inches of oil in a heavy-based pot to 320 degrees F add the fresh herbs and fry until they stop sizzling. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Dry chips between paper towels then fry in small batches for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and crispy. Season with salt and shower with fresh grated Parmesan and crumbled herbs.

The BEST Pumpkin Bars EVER!

I must say I love pumpkin. I made these for a work breakfast and I had many people say they were the best thing they have ever eaten. I found this recipe on Food Network courtesy of Paula Deen.

Ingredients
Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup veg oil
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon bakind soda
photo courtesy of food network
Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.
To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars