REALLY Rockin' and some No Recipe Cooking

After all this time, we have yet to have a story about music. Well friends..... we are going to change all that right now. Those of you who know me understand my crazy love of heavy metal, death metal, dark and looming lyrics of hellfire and damnation, gruesome topics, war and disease, the hardest of the hard stuff, and amazingly enough, Lady Gaga. Yes, I am a Little Monster, and I am proud of it. The obsession took hold when she first came on the music scene. I had not yet heard a single song but I saw article after article about her in the London Daily Mail. The more I read about her, the more the fascination grew. Her crazy clothing. Her hair bow made of hair. Shoes that are mile high. I was so curious about her and eventually heard the song Poker Face. My bestie Ronda and I fell in love with the catchy songs on her first album and played them daily, usually accompanied by a round or four of Jager bombs in the townhouse we shared. 

The first album, The Fame, was firmly committed to memory when The Fame Monster came out and a whole new round of songs had to be learned, and learn them we did. Mastered the Bad Romance dance. Slayed it, and slurred it. Born This Way came along next, and by that time Ronda had moved away and The Chef and I had moved to the Little Lake House. Born This Way was filled with songs I just couldn't get enough of. The title track was a favorite, and I'd often belt it out at the top of my voice driving to work. Scheibe- loved it. Bloody Mary- crazy obsessed. It was after this album that I had my first opportunity to see Mother Monster in concert. My daughter Laurie, her friend Jim and I made the drive to Minneapolis on a pilgrimage to see our Mother in the Born This Way Ball. My life was complete that day. I cried when Highway Unicorn began and she rode onto the stage riding upon a giant mechanical unicorn. I died. I truly died, and went to heaven.

Artpop was the next album and once again, became part of me. Every song on that album was fun to sing and I learned every word. This time around when she came to the midwest my other daughter Debbee and I made the drive to Minneapolis to experience ArtRave. The stage was incredible- acrylic floors and waves and Lady Gaga walked all over during the show, singing and dancing over the heads of her screaming Little Monsters. Amazing. The costumes, pure amazing. Again, the songs filled my heart, Venus, ArtPop, Mary Jane Holland, Gypsy, every one was great and made me want to dance and sing, and I did so right there in the arena, with full abandon and not a care in the world.

Lady Gaga's most recent album Joanne is a collection of a totally different kind of songs. These songs are very personal to Lady Gaga and tell the story of her life and different times of pain and happiness, of struggle and triumph. Joanne is named for her late aunt Joanne, who is also her namesake. While the album has a raw, funky almost country vibe, the World Tour lives up to everything her fans expect. This time Laurie, Debbee, Jim and I made the trip again to Minnesota to bask in the presence of our Mother Monster. This show featured no opening act, we were plunged right into the heart of Joanne from the opening notes of Diamond Heart to the classics Bad Romance, Telephone and Poker Face, Lady Gaga just astounds me with her energy and stage presence. Again I cried as she took the stage, and screamed and danced and raised my paws when she asked me to. The show was over in a flash, and I felt so sad walking out of the arena. I do know that I will be back to see her again.

Because the Twin Cities are just three hours away, we didn't grab a hotel for the night. We hit the road and headed home. With good weather, and only a couple stops along the way, we rolled back into Des Moines around 3 a.m. annnnnnd crashed. The next day was a lazy day for me, The Chef's day off, so we lazed around and did very little. I needed to recoup from all the walking, dancing, and driving. So we eventually got to the time of day when tummies are grumbling but neither one of us really wants to cook, and we certainly have no game plan for the meal- what we do have is a package of chicken tenders and a package of frozen gnocchi. These things need to become a meal!

The gnocchi is a no brainer. Trader Joe's has again made it easy, and delicious, for me to get a side on the table in just a few minutes, less than five minutes to be exact. Having already fallen in love with the sweet potato gnocchi, I still had a bag of Gorgonzola gnocchi in the freezer waiting for me to try. I thought this would be perfect with a juicy steak on the side but chicken is what's available today. Following the directions on the package, all you do is pour the contents into a bowl or saucepan and heat. You don't add anything, not even water. Frozen cubes of the creamy sauce and the delicate little potato dumplings heat up in a snap to creamy tender perfection. I wish I had thought ahead and grabbed some fresh parsley from the garden- while these were ridiculously delicious and I will absolutely buy them again, they were pretty rich and needed an herbal note to cut the richness a bit, and could have used a pop of color. Flavor-wise they were awesome, perfectly tender and the sauce was creamy and had the right amount of cheese so that it wasn't an overpowering Gorgonzola taste.

For my chicken, I just went on a whim with a few ingredients from the fridge and pantry. I used a 1 to 1 1/2 lb package boneless skinless chicken tenders, but you could use breasts if you had them, or even cut breasts into strips or nuggets. Drain them well, place in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, then add 2 tablespoons mustard to the bowl. Use Dijon or a spicy deli style mustard- grainy, I don't recommend regular yellow mustard but hey, if that's your thing, go for it. Use your hand to distribute the mustard evenly over all the chicken pieces and  set aside. In a shallow bowl, combine half a cup or so of flour with salt, pepper, your favorite herbs and seasonings. I used a good tablespoon of Penzey's Bouquet Garni and a generous tablespoon of Emeril's Essence. Mix those together well. 

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add a tablespoon or two of oil. Dip the chicken into the flour, coating lightly and add the the hot skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked through and golden brown. Don't crowd the skillet or you will have soggy nasty chicken goo. After I had browned all the chicken, I added a tablespoon f butter to the skillet and a couple glugs of Riesling- I had an open bottle I needed to use up. A quick sprinkle of bouquet garni in the sauce and dinner was served, drizzle the sauce over the chicken if you like. The mustard added a nice flavor to the chicken and the flour brought that crispy texture. Quick, easy, and on the table in under 20 minutes.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Roasted Meatballs and Polenta

I love going through piles of old photos. Seeing pics of the family over the years is hilarious. The fashions, the hairstyles, the eye glasses. So many laughs. Of all the pictures in the box, baby pictures have to be the best. I don't mean just the pretty posed Olan Mills photo package snaps, I mean the photos of my kids in their daily lives. Playing in the yard. Running on the beach. Sitting on someones lap. Opening presents on their birthday or Christmas. Digging in the sand and dirt. Fighting. Laughing. Crying.

Eating.

Who doesn't love a pic of a little kiddo who hasn't quite mastered the art of self-feeding struggling with a spoon filled with something bright and colorful, guaranteed to stain everything it comes in contact with? Everyone has them. We take a ton of pics of our kids on their first birthday as they are digging into that first birthday cake, stuffing cake in their mouth, packing frosting up their nose and creating amazing new hairstyles with the sticky combination or cake, ice cream and frosting. So. Much. Fun. I have loads of those fun pics. One of my very favorites is a pic of my son Nick sitting on a neighbors lap manhandling a chicken wing drummette that's been grilled and is coated in sticky barbeque sauce. He was such a teeny tiny guy, the chicken drummy looks like a big chicken leg in his tiny hand.

Pupcake, aka Patryk, before and after spaghetti

Dig through your own photos. I'm willing to bet you have a pic or two or twelve of your own kids indulging in one of the favorite foods of young kids all over the country- spaghetti. You're experiencing mental time travel as we speak aren't you? Remember the first time you placed a bowl of carefully cut up spaghetti noodles and red sauce, cooled down to lukewarm, with or without a spoon, on your child's highchair tray for them to eat? Never mind the mess or the stains or the scrubbing you had to do afterwards to return the kitchen, the highchair and your child to their pre-dinner state, I'd be willing to bet my paycheck you grabbed a camera at least once and snapped a pic or two. I know I did!

My kiddos really loved spaghetti. They loved meat sauce and meat balls and even sauce with no meat at all. They loved to twirl the long noodles with a spoon and fork, and of course they would slurp up the long wiggly sauce-coated noodles with as much sloppy noise as possible and giggle insanely after. They loved spaghetti with the traditional marinara sauce and they also loved spaghetti when I made with a brown gravy instead. That was a big favorite around our house back then, and it still is with me today, even though the kiddos are long grown and on their own.

Meatloaf is one of my favorite comfort foods. I have such wonderful memories of my mom's meatloaf and the gooey sticky ketchup baked on top. It would get a little burned and caramelized on the edges, just so so insanely good. I often crave that comfort after a crummy day in the office but who has time to waste on something that needs to bake for an hour or more? Not most busy families. The answer is easy- meatballs! Meatballs go from raw burger to plate in a snap, just mix it up, roll into balls, bake and bam-done. No waiting for an hour or two for the meat to cook through, it's done in 30 minutes. All you have to worry about is getting your sauce together and how you want to serve them. We have shared meatball recipes here before. It's not that complicated really, any meatloaf recipe works just as well in meatball size. Sauce or not, make meatball subs, cut up and use for pizza topping or drizzle with barbeque sauce and serve as a football snack, meatballs are easy and awesome.

Tonight we are roasting the meatballs in the oven, like I always do. No more turning meatballs in a skillet for me- that's too messy and labor intensive. Roll and roast. Easy peasy. After roasting they will get a short simmer in a quick brown gravy made with beef broth and thickened. You can add mushrooms if you like, I didn't have any on hand so we went without. I made a pot of pasta for the Chef and a pot of polenta for myself. I love the combination of hearty polenta and sharp cheddar cheese and a rich brown gravy. I had plenty of leftovers too which was great for workday lunches.

Roasted Meatballs with Polenta

2 lbs ground beef

2 eggs

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, minced

1 teaspoon Sinful Food Signature Seasoning, plus more

small handful parsley, chopped, plus more for serving

2 cups rich beef broth

cornstarch slurry for thickening

2 cups cold water

1/2 cup cornmeal

2 tbs butter

3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Set oven to 350 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Crumble the ground beef into a large bowl. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over and the seasoning. 

Add the minced garlic, onion, chopped parsley and the egg. Mix everything together using your hands to make it easier. Roll into ping pong ball sized meatballs and place on parchment lined pan. Sprinkle with additional Signature Seasoning.

Bake at 350 degrees until completely cooked. This takes about 30 minutes. 

In a Dutch oven or braiser, heat the broth. Add enough cornstarch slurry to thicken to a thin gravy. Add the meatballs and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

While meatballs are simmering, place the cold water in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the corn meal and a half teaspoon of Signature Seasoning. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and cornmeal is cooked, usually about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the butter and the cheese.

Serve the meatballs and gravy over the polenta. Sprinkle with additional chopped fresh parsley.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free as part of a random drawing. There was no requirement of using the products and then providing written promotion. This post is entirely of my own writing. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe are of good quality and safe. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Chicken Schnitzel with Riesling

I've shared stories about my mom many times. Funny stories about board games gone wrong, wonderful memories of some of my favorite foods she made. My mother was a one of a kind. Just an itty bitty woman with a personality larger than life, she had a mouth that would shame a sailor. I always say it's because she learned to speak English on an army base. True story.

My mother is the one thing that connects me so closely to Europe. Born and raised in Wiesbaden my mother was a late in life baby born to older parents. Her brother and sister were grown and married with kids of their own by the time Mom came along. Her life was very simple. Her father was a tailor, her mother a homemaker, living in a small apartment when World War II erupted and changed Germany forever. Her father served in the German military when she was a little girl and was taken as a prisoner of war in Russia. 

My grandfather, Karl Betz

Mom told stories about the air raids conducted by the Allies, sleeping with your shoes and clothes on in case the alarm sounded and you had to flee to a bomb shelter. Mom had to flee several times as Wiesbaden came under attack. Nearly a quarter of the city was destroyed and nearly 2000 people killed. During and after the war food was pretty scarce around Mom's house. Mom said after Wiesbaden was liberated by the Allies the American GIs brought them big bags of food. Dehydrated vegetables mostly, and her family received a huge bag of dehydrated sweet potatoes and another of corn. I can honestly say I never saw my mother eat sweet potatoes ever, and while she always made corn for the rest of the Iowa corn-loving family, she did not eat it herself.

L to R- Mom, her brother Hienz, cousin Gisele,
my Oma Elsa and Opa Karl Betz

Fast forward to the late 1950s, when a skinny young kid from Minnesota enlisted in the U.S. Army and shipped out to Germany. Times were still tough in Germany and my mother took cleaning jobs from the "rich Americans" on the base and by some stroke of luck, met that skinny Minnesota boy, and the rest is history. They married, they moved to Minnesota, she became a U.S. Citizen and life fell into place. Mom's family still lived in Germany and with visits from my Oma to the United States and one fabulous summer spent traveling eleven different countries in Europe, my love for Europe was born. I learned to enjoy foods many adults would not eat, and while many kids were dining on hot dogs and mac and cheese, my sister and I were eating steak tartare, sauerbraten, trout cooked within minutes of being in the water in Italy, bread still warm from the boulangerie, and pasta on a shady terrace in the shadows of the Alps. And yes, we often had that small glass of wine.

Mom and Dad

Maybe it's my German heritage, or maybe it's just my taste buds, but as I grew to love wines I found myself really gravitating towards German Rieslings more than any other white wine. As a kid, I was able to try lots of different wines as is common in European families. By the time most of my friends were just starting to chug from beer bongs, I already had a pretty well experienced wine palate. The older I became, the more experience with wines I enjoyed, the one thing that never changed was my love of Riesling. As a wine tasting guide, Riesling class was one of my favorite classes to have. This wine is amazing and varied and so influenced by its terroir. German Rieslings are less sweet than Oregon and Washington State wines, not as acidic as versions from the Southern Hemisphere. Wines from the New York Finger Lakes Region are completely different still. Which brings me to this recipe. Choose a German or other European Riesling to make this easy take on chicken schnitzel. It won't overpower the dish with sweetness and it won't be too acidic for the lemon notes.

My Dad

Chicken Schnitzel with Riesling Sauce

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

salt and pepper

all purpose flour

6-8 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup butter

1 cup Riesling

one lemon

1 cup heavy cream
snipped fresh chives or thyme for garnish

Place the chicken breasts between sheets of waxed paper and gently pound out to even thickness. Season with salt and pepper; dredge in flour and set aside. Cut the lemon in half crosswise. Juice one half and thinly slice the other half.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove to a plate and keep warm.

Add the mushrooms to the skillet. Cook and stir for several minutes until tender and starting to brown. Add the garlic for the last one to two minutes. Don't let the garlic get brown.

Add the lemon juice and wine to the skillet. Raise the heat and let mixture reduce slightly. Add the heavy cream and heat to bubbling. Add the chicken breasts and lemon slices to the sauce.

California Rieslings are very similar to German.

Delicious served over fluffy mashed potatoes or freshly made spaetzle, sprinkled with snipped chives or fresh thyme, with fresh green beans or asparagus on the side. This is very much like something my mother would have made. 

Speaking of spaetzle, I have discovered, just by chance, that Aldi carries a nice selection of dried spaetzle. I'm surprised every time I go in there- they have so many European grocery items, organic products and healthy options. Check it out if you're lucky enough to have an Aldi store nearby.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Housewife Food- Cheesy Chicken Black Bean Enchiladas

Wait....housewife food? What the heck is housewife food? I actually made this term up but I'm sure it will be a trending topic before long- once the internet sees how ingenious of a term it really is. That's my hope anyway. So back to what I'm talking about. You all know The Chef and I cook all the time. He in the restaurant kitchen, myself for competition and recipe development. This usually doesn't include a lot of homestyle food and casseroles and the types of things a busy homemaker might make to feed her 4 kids and hungry hubby. THAT is what I call housewife food- the simple, easy to make, but filling and homey meals that reminds us of an era in the past. Maybe we remember our own moms being at home when we got home from school with a big pot of spaghetti sauce simmering away or just searing off that pot roast, or maybe we remember the television moms that never seemed to leave the kitchen......

Sometimes even The Chef and I crave those comforting foods. We both are absolutely nuts over a pan of tator tot casserole, and who wouldn't be? Beefy, creamy mushroomy goodness topped with crunchy tots. Yum. We even sometimes get a serious craving for tuna noodle casserole. Imagine that, with all the gorgeous produce and interesting foods we have to cook with, we sometimes just want something that starts with a can of cream of something soup.

The Chef, of course, cooks for a living. Myself, my career field is far less glamorous-insurance. My day can be a little on the dull side, or it can be stressful as heck with angry insureds calling about one reason or another. It's not unusual to be yelled at several times a day by a person in a bad circumstance who just wants to blow off some steam and raise a little hell and I'm the person on the other end of the line. It's all good. We've all been there.  I also spend a lot of hours in front of dual monitors typing. Typing a lot. Notate every conversation. Document every specific. Make notes, check notes and make more notes. While not physically demanding, it can be mentally demanding and many days I get home and regret planning on making an elaborate pounded, stuffed and rolled steak dish with a potato side that includes numerous steps, a specific baking dish and a countertop full of ingredients. Plus a salad- always a salad, right?

I was so thankful today when I got home from just such a day that I had the foresight to buy a couple convenience products. Especially that can of soup. Tonight's dinner took some of the simplest ingredients and turned them into something really good, really filling and definitely housewife food. What did I use? A bottle of store-bought salsa, a jar of queso dip, a can of black beans, a couple chicken breasts and a can of nacho cheese condensed soup. Amazing results from everyday ingredients, let's make some enchiladas!

Cheesy Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

1 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 bunch scallions, sliced

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 small bags shredded cheese

10 flour tortillas

1 jar queso cheese dip

1 jar salsa

1 can condensed nacho cheese soup

1/2 cup water

Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper and cook until done. I poached them in just a small amount of water until cooked through. Let cool slightly, then shred or cube and place in a large bowl. Toss with one bag of the cheese, the black beans and half of the sliced scallions. Set aside.

In another bowl combine the queso dip, 1 cup of the salsa, the nacho cheese soup and water. Mix well. Add about 3/4 cup of this mixture to the chicken mixture and mix. Divide the mixture among the 10 tortillas and roll up.

Spread a few tablespoons of the sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan or two square pans. Arrange the enchiladas in the pan and spoon remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the other bag of cheese.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 35-45 minutes until hot and bubbly. 

Serve with additional salsa and the remaining sliced scallions. They are delicious with a dollops of sour cream or even some guacamole, but guess who forgot to buy sour cream when she was at the grocery store?

This recipe absolutely goes against our rule about fresh cooking and real foods and not buying stuff in cans and bottles but every once in a while you just have to. It doesn't make us bad people, or lazy, or unhealthy. Let's face it, sometimes life is hectic and cutting the occasional corner isn't a bad thing at all. 

No Recipe Cooking - Pepper Steak

A few nights ago I was struggling to come up with an idea for dinner. My checkbook laughed at me when I considered take out and the fridge was looking a little pathetic. As I stood there with the door wide open, basically refrigerating the rest of the kitchen, I thought surely I can come up with something, right? I had a few different salad veggies, although no lettuce or spinach, a small piece of sirloin steak, some seasonings and sauces, and a pantry full of staples. Now I could have just cooked the steak, thrown a potato in the micro and called it a day, but I was hoping for something a little better, and a way to stretch that piece of steak into a meal for two.

Standing in the kitchen, feeling completely uninspired, my mind wandered off into memories, laughing to myself at some of the dishes my mom used to make. We have talked about Erika before. Don't get me wrong, my mom made some really incredible dinners. She made that chicken paprika, as she called it, that is one of the best things I have ever eaten. Her lentil soup and potato pancakes were always a family favorite, and still are when my family begs me to make it. Pot roast was perfection in our house growing up. Mom's gravy was awesome, and the roasted potatoes would get beefy and browned in a way I have been able to replicate in my own kitchen. She surely had her secrets.

And then........she had some things that were total bombs. Dad prided himself on his yearly garden and would pick whatever fresh vegetable of the day for Mom to make for dinner. Mom cooked vegetables to death. Fresh green beans no longer resembled fresh green beans, they were more like canned beans. Same with broccoli. Gone was the bright green and slight crunch and in it's place, a bowl of dull, brown, limp looking florets that even cheese sauce couldn't salvage. It was during these memories that I finally got an idea- with 4 or 5 bell peppers in the drawer, why not make pepper steak! I always have Asian style spices and sauces around, and a big container of rice to cook- yes, pepper steak it is. What does this have to do with my mom? Guys.......her pepper steak, though delicious, was one of those dishes that would end up being stripped of all texture and color and end up looking like something I cannot even describe.

Moms favorite cut of meat was round steak. The big whole slab of round steak with the little round bone in the middle. She would pull out the built in sliding cutting board and slap that big slab on there and cut it into strips. Mom had a special pan just for making her pepper steak, a big black enameled metal roaster and she would heat that thing until it was screeching hot and then add some oil and brown that steak. If you have ever coked anything with round steak you know this is not a tender cut of meat. So mom browned it, then added a bunch of water and beef bouillon cubes (she looooved those bouillon cubes) and some soy sauce. That's it. Simple. Then she would slice up a couple onions and several green bell peppers and add them to the pot. Cover goes on, and that pot would simmer for along long long time. Long enough to make that steak tender as can be, but also cooked those peppers and onions until they were very very very soft and faded. Like me, Mom always made rice to go with it, and it was one of our favorite dinners, in spite of the soft peppers. 

Years later my mom would discover the wonders of an electric wok and her pepper steak cooking would be revolutionized. No more cooking in the roaster, she would, as she would say in her terrible English, "steer fry" the steak and vegetables before popping on the lid and going through the same long simmer in that bright red electric appliance. Good times folks, good times. I'd give anything to have that pepper steak just one more time.

Fast forward to today, and me standing in the kitchen. I grab my little sirloin and season liberally with steak seasoning- I keep it in a small crock right on the stove top because I use it for literally everything. Slice it up and throw it in a bowl. Add a few cloves chopped garlic, several good splashes of soy sauce, a couple tablespoons of oyster sauce, and a dash of red pepper flakes for just a hint of heat.

Next I cut a great big sweet Vidalia onion into thin wedges and tossed that in the bowl as well, One red bell pepper, one green bell pepper and half of an orange bell pepper that was leftover from a salad went next, sliced into strips. Instead of a roasting pan or fancy electric wok, I grabbed my handy IKEA Skanka pan, basically a handled wok, and preheated over high heat. Once the pan was very hot I swirled a couple tablespoons of oil in the pan and added the steak strips and vegetables. Cook over very high heat, tossing and stirring until the meat is cooked an the veggies are still crisp tender. Don't cover, don't simmer and don't cook the vegetables to death.

Serve over hot cooked rice with additional soy sauce for a quick No Recipe Needed dinner.

Roundup of Recipe-free Cooking

Cooking success includes a good repertoire of recipe-free cooking- a few classic, easy to alter dishes that you can whip up with little effort, using ingredients you have on hand, and can switch up based on what you like and what's in the fridge. Especially on busy weeknights, a couple super easy side dishes and a fast chicken saute are just what you need to get food on the table pronto.

Let's start with the chicken. One of my favorite dishes, a Des Moines classic, rarely if ever seen outside Iowa, is Steak De Burgo- tender steak, usually filet, pan seared with garlic and herb butter sauce. Simple, decadent and so delicious. Filet mignon is not in the budget this week, so we're going with chicken- same cooking method, same ingredients, delicious results. 

Start with a package of boneless, skinless chicken breast- either chicken breast halved or tenderloins- both work great in this dish. Add some Italian seasoning (heavy on the basil if you're making your own), butter and a bit of roasted garlic (more on that later) and a touch of olive oil. Super. Easy. Delicious. 

Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and a good sprinkling of the Italian seasoning. I used Graziano Brothers'  hand-blended seasoning which is heavy on the basil, and that's important for a really good De Burgo. 

Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet. Add a couple cloves of roasted garlic, breaking it up and mixing into the butter. Add the chicken and saute until golden, Turn and cook on the second side. Serve with the butter sauce drizzled over.

Now what should we serve with the chicken? Are you a Pinterest follower? Something called a Hasselback Potato is making the recipe rounds on social media, so let's make some. 

Plan on one potato per person. Scrub them well and leave the peel on. The thing that sets the Hasselback potato apart from a plain baked potato is the slicing. You want to carefully cut the potato into slices but DO NOT cut all the way through. You want it to stay together. 

Place the potatoes in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Add a pat or two of butter to the top and place in a 400 degree oven. Bake for about 40 minutes, then baste the potatoes with the melted butter in the pan. 

Return to the oven and bake about 20 more minutes until tender and browned. You can sprinkle the finished potatoes with cheese, seasonings, top with sour cream, herbs, whatever you like.

Kalettes are a cross between kale and Brussels sprouts. If
you find them in the store try them! Delicious!

We need a veggie to go with all this deliciousness. Might as well roast some since the oven is on, right? Grab what you've got hanging out in the vegetable drawer and cut into bite sized pieces. Toss with some olive oil and a seasoning mixture of your choice- I used Montreal Steak Seasoning with this batch.

I tossed together sliced carrots, green onions cut into one inch chunks, a bag of kalettes, and a bunch of asparagus- trim off the tough ends then halve the spears crosswise. Toss with olive oil and seasoning and spread out onto a sheet pan. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until veggies are crisp tender. 

I mentioned roasted garlic earlier, and I'll tell you, that is one thing you really should keep on hand. It makes delicious pasta sauces, adds kick to salad dressings and is super easy to blend into butter for speedy garlic toast.

I'm weird because I love peeling garlic. Everyone tries to give me secrets to peeling garlic in 30 seconds but I ignore it all- I love sitting in front of the television peeling the cloves of 10 or 15 heads of garlic. It's therapeutic for me I suppose.

To roast a bunch of garlic, peel a bunch of heads of garlic. Place the cloves in a baking pan, like a 9x9 pan and toss with some olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast, uncovered, at 300 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, checking frequently until the cloves are golden brown and tender. Don't let it burn!! Cool, then pop in the fridge. You can also freeze portions for longer storage.

This is just a TEENY example of easy to whip together meals and shortcuts to make life a lot easier when you're rushed. I'd love to hear some of your shortcuts and easy meal ideas- let's get a convo started!

Super easy weeknight pasta

It's no secret, we eat a lot of pasta at the Little Lake House. Pasta of all kinds. The Chef favors pastas like spaghetti and linguine with big bold Italian style red sauces, and I like lighter sauces, delicate pasta, or at the other end of the spectrum, big hearty pastas and creamy sauces. I'm not a big fan of Alfredo sauce, I think it gets overused on menus and reminds me of ranch dressing- overused. But toss the pasta with a scoop of ricotta or creamy mascarpone cheese and now we're talkin'. 

You definitely need a hearty pasta to hold up with a creamy sauce. Of course gnocchi is a great option, but so are bigger pastas such as orecchiete or "little ears." I love orcchiette because it's cute cup shape holds sauce and bits of garlic, onions, vegetables, whatever your sauce contains. Rigatoni is another big bold pasta shape that I love and also works wonderfully in the recipe we are making today.

Coming up with this dish was out of necessity. I had some prosciutto left over from a previous recipe and didn't want to see it go to waste, and some baby spinach left over from another recipe. Just enough of a few ingredients to make a quick pasta toss that's creamy and delicious. Like many pasta dishes, this one is very flexible. Swap the spinach for a cup or so of leftover peas. Add the last few mushrooms hiding in the veggie drawer. Have some unused fresh herbs? Toss them in! If you can't find mascarpone cheese, or say you have about half a cup of cream cheese to use up, go ahead and swap it. Now let's get cooking.

To make my Creamy Pasta with Prosciutto and Spinach, you will need-

• 1 pkg orecchiette or rigatoni
• 8 oz package mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tb olive oil, divided
• 2 tb butter
• couple big handful baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 or 5 slices prosciutto, cut up
• juice and zest of one-half lemon
• salt and pepper

Bring a large stockpot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook til al dente. Meanwhile, in small pan heat 2 tb of the olive oil and the butter. Add the mushrooms and saute until tender and browned. If needed, add the remaining olive oil and saute the garlic over medium low heat until softened and not browned. Add the prosciutto and cook for a minute or two until slightly crisped but not like bacon.

When the pasta is done, drain well, reserving a cup or so of the cooking liquid. I like to use one of those bamboo-handled skimming tools from the Asian store- I can scoop the pasta right out of the water. Immediately toss the hot pasta with all the ingredients, adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup cooking liquid if needed (I did not need it) to make a creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. 

I love the freshness of the spinach in this dish. Barely wilted from the heat of the pasta, the flavor and nutrients are retained, and so is the texture. The Mascarpone cheese melts into a smooth and creamy sauce with the starchy pasta water and the garlic and Parmesan cheese bring a savory tone. The biggest bonus? A luxe ingredient like prosciutto goes a long way in this dish without robbing your wallet and it's much more subtle than bacon. It's so creamy and flavorful with the savory mushrooms and garlic and the fresh pop of lemon I hope you give it a try sometime.