AwesomeBites

Tag: Garlic

  • Spaghetti Carbonara

    Spaghetti Carbonara

    Your family is going to lick their plates clean! This is so very good and rich that after eating it I racked my brain on ways to make it healthier.
    My big decisions? Add vegetables to it! I am thinking one of my favorites like peas, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, mushrooms, or califlower!

    In a pot of hot salted water boil your spaghetti. Get it started, then dice your ham or bacon, I like ham for this dish. Set it aside. Finely dice garlic or if you have roasted garlic like I do in my refrigerator, use that. Set it aside. If you are going to use vegetables that are fresh, then you should blanch them or steam in the microwave until fork tender. Careful not to turn them into mush. Then grate the cheese. I used 1/2 parmesan and 1/2 white cheddar.

    When you add the spaghetti to the boiling water, get your frying pan out and through in the diced ham. You want it to look like it has been fried and it will release some of its water. Remove from the heat and wait for the spaghetti to be ready.

    Wisk the eggs, grated cheese and sour cream together with the spice you have choosen.
    Drain the spaghetti when it is al dente and pour into a large enough pan that you can stir additional ingredients into. I use a casserole pan.
    Add ham, and your while the spaghetti is still hot, pour the eggs and cheese mixture into the spaghetti. You want it hot because it will cook the eggs in your sauce. You need to stir it to avoid scrambling the eggs – not what you want! Add a little of the hot water from the cooked spaghetti if you need more moisture. Stir and then add your veggies.
    If dinner time is a few minutes away, put the casserole pan in the oven at 200 degrees to keep warm.
    You can easily double this recipe for a large gathering!

    2 eggs
    1 cup cheese
    1 cup sour cream

    1 pkg spaghetti
    1 cup diced ham fried
    2 tsp fresh basil or oregano
    Salt and pepper
    Roasted garlic or 4 cloves diced
    Optional: Veggies
    My favorite combinations: peas and carrots, zucchini and yellow squash, broccoli and califlower, mushrooms and green beans
    If you want to spice this dish up, you can either add a tsp of red pepper flakes, or sliced jalapeno peppers!

    Serve with freshly grated cheese.

  • Coq Au Vin

    Coq Au Vin

    My sister-in-law once said she loved Coq Au Vin. I had never made it, but the thought was stored until the other day. The time was now. So, I put this together. Husband Dennis loved, loved, loved it!

    Since all my kids have flown the coup, my office is the lucky group that get my leftovers. I think they are goin’ like it!

    4 pieces of bacon or ham slices, coarsely chopped
    2 chickens
    2 chopped onions
    3 tablespoons chopped fresh Thyme
    Salt and Pepper
    16 ounces large crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, halved
    8-12 carrots, chopped into 1 inch chunks
    1 fennel bulb chopped into quarters
    4 whole garlic cloves
    2 bottles red wine. Merlot, Cabernet, Syrah all work.)
    1 small can tomato paste
    1/4 cup beef gravy mix

    Instructions
    Preheat oven to 300°F. Sauté bacon or ham in large cast iron pan that will hold two chickens. Add all ingredients except the gravy mix.

    Bake for 4 hours at 300 degrees. Move the pot from the oven to the stovetop.
    Add Gravy mix to 1/2 cup water, stir to mix and then add to drippings.
    Let simmer 5 minutes and serve over mashed potatoes.

    If you do not have gravy mix, use flour. Place flour in small cup.
    Add 1/4 cup water, stirring until smooth. Add flour mixture to sauce. Cook until sauce thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken on platter; stir juices from dish into sauce and spoon over chicken. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon fresh thyme.

    I started this at lunch time, and finished it off by making mashed potatoes when I got home from work. This is a keeper.

  • Garlic Parmesan Monkey Bread

    Garlic Parmesan Monkey Bread


    •2 containers (7.5 Oz. Container) Pillsbury Country Style Biscuits (20 Biscuits)
    •5 Tablespoons Johnny’s Great Caesar Garlic Spread And Seasoning
    •½ cups Italian Cheese Blend, Finely Shredded
    •5 Tablespoons Butter, Melted

    Preparation Instructions
    Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a pan with a light coating of cooking spray.

    Take individual biscuits and slice each in half, making half disks. In a small bowl, add garlic seasoning. Roll biscuit pieces in garlic seasoning until evenly coated.

    Place coated biscuits into the baking pan to form a bottom layer. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese, working the cheese in between the biscuits. Repeat for the 2nd layer of biscuits, using half of the remaining cheese.

    In a microwave safe bowl or cup, melt butter for 20-30 seconds on high. Top monkey bread with remaining cheese. Pour butter over all of the biscuits, being sure to cover each one.

    Place in the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes (depending on your oven). The biscuits should be firm when they have finished baking. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a serving dish.

    Pull apart to enjoy!

  • Brushetta – Old Fashion Garlic Bread

    Brushetta – Old Fashion Garlic Bread

    Garlic Toast – Bruschetta

    Toasted  bread with garlic and olive oil.

    12 slices of good rustic bread, baguette preferred  – cut 1/2 inch thick

    1-2 garlic cloves – cut in half

    1/3 to 1/2 cup virgin olive oil, a fruity olive oil is best

    Toast the bread in the broiler or over hot coals until golden brown, quckly rub the bread with the garlic haves – place the slices on a platter ina single layer.

    Drizzle olive oil over the bread. You don’t need to drown the bread – but drizzle enough so you can taste it. Serve immediately.

  • Garlic Confit

    Garlic Confit

    One of the items in my pantry I cannot live without.  If you want to put good food on the table, you must get a kick start by making a few items and having them on hand. 

    Garlic Confit is used to make garlic bread, as a spread on a roast beef sandwich, and this makes everyone think you have been cooking for hours!  I will always have this in my pantry. I love it. The taste is roasted garlic. Sweet.

    Doing it the hard way. Peel the garlic yourself. I used to do this until
    I found the large peeled fresh garlic at Costco.

    Garlic – like it!But from time to time, I do have heads ofgarlic that need to be used. So, peel garlic easily like little onions and other fruits like peaches. For garlic and onions, cut off the root end, then drop into boiling water. Leave for 1 minute, purge into ice coldwater. When cool pop them from their wraps.         Place the peeled cloves in a pan, cover with olive oil. Low simmer until they aretender. This simmer is so low, you should barely see little air bubbles rising to the surface. They should stay white. When you put the garlic in the jar, oil needs to cover the garlic to keep it preserved.Place in a jar and keep in refrigerator. I am going to try to process them in a water bath for longer term storage.Yes, this is make a lot, but I usually give a couple of jars away. My friends love me!

    Use the garlic oil for sauted spinach or salad dressing or ,
    garlic bread, anything you want garlic for.
    I used them also as condiment for sandwiches. Just spread onto
    your bread then add your mayo. Excellent.

    Another great use, you can add them into the center of your meatballs or a thick steak you bbq. Remember, it has been cooked, so the flavor is sweet.

    FYI: 1 T is about 3 cloves of garlic.

    Yes, this is make a lot, but I usually give a couple of jars away. My friends love me!

  • Spinach Salad

    Baby Spinach

    Finely diced onioins

    Bacon crumbled

    Mandarin orange slices or Strawberry slices

    Lightly toss with Vadalia onion dressing.

    Optional – Top with Broiled duck breast glazed with orange marmalade

  • Green Pasta – al verde pasta

    Green Pasta – al verde pasta

    Fresh Spinach works great in this recipe.

    My mom didn’t have a food processor when I was kid, so all this would have been hand chopped.  I loved green spaghetti night.  I didn’t have the original recipe, so I kept trying to find a recipe that came close.  This is the grown up version, my mom would not have used hot pepper flakes, feeding so many kids, but it does make it good.  Speaking to many different cooks, they assumed that green spaghetti would be pesto.  Maybe, but my mom had limited ingredients.  She would use basil and parsley fresh from the garden, and she  may have walnuts and almonds, but certainly no pine nuts. 

    Ingredients:

    • 5 cloves garlic
    • 1 bunch green onions
    • 3 cups packed fresh basil, stems removed
    • 3 cups packed fresh italian parsley or spinach or swiss chard, stems removed
    • 1 lemon; remove zest and squeeze juice
    • 1 (10oz) jar stuffed olives, drained
    • 1 (3 oz) jar capers, drained
    • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    • 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
    • good quality olive oil

    Preparation:

    In food processor, with the motor running, drop in garlic, green onions, and lemon zest. Process until finely minced. Add olives, capers, & hot pepper flakes and process until finely minced. Add as much parsley and basil as will fit and process with pulse turns. Repeat until all ingredients are processed. With motor running, add lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. Slowly add enough olive oil to make a “pesto” consistency. Separate into 1 cup containers. Each cup coats about a pound pasta.  I like it on fettuccini or spaghetti. Mix sauce with hot pasta and toss well. Garnish with cherry tomato quarters and fresh basil leaf slivers. Sauce freezes well.
    Fettuccini noodles

    I made this green pasta into a pasta salad, served cold and added chopped olives and tomatoes. Add a bite Lite Champagne Vinegarette or Dill Ranch so it is moist. Everyone loves it!