If you like the SpIcE then you will LoVe "Spicy Shrimp and Penne with Puttanesca Sauce!"Perfect meal to clear the sinuses... seriously.

Okay,

1 lb. penna pasta
1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil
8 Garlic cloves, finely chopped - No Kissing Tonight! :-/
3 TSP crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 C cracked, pitter, black olives
4 TBSP capers, drained and coarsely chopped
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp, tails removed
2 handfuls chopped fresh parsley

Cook the pasta according to directions on the box.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Add the olives, capers and tomatoes. Now I couldn't find a 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes, so I bought a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes and put half through the food processor, in case you happen to run into this problem. Bring the sauce to a bubble and add the shrimp. I bought cooked shrimp so I just through them in, stirred them into the bubbling sauce and then turned off the burner and let it all sit together for about 5-10 minutes to allow the shrimp to marinate a little and pick up the sauce.  Once the pasta is done add it to the shrimp marinade as well as the parsley.

Serve and enjoy.

This meal is also from the Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats book. It is a great meal with a kick. The spice really took Barton and I by surprise but it was very enjoyable. It served as a great comforting, winter meal. If I were to add anything to it, it would have been a class of Zinfandel and a piece of crusty baguette.

I must start by saying, Kudos to Erika Irish for being my first follower! Awesome!

So last night my boyfriend, Barton made us Spring Chicken with Leeks and Peas, Served with Lemon Rice. This is another great Rachel Ray recipe from her book 365: No Repeats. I swear this woman is a genius! This would make a delicious summer meal. It would be perfect to have hot or cold. We didn't add any salt or pepper. I think if we had, I would have omitted the salt and added about 1/2 TBSP pepper, but I like pepper.  Here it comes:

2 C chicken stock or broth
1 C white rice
     Zest and Juice of 1 lemon
3 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
1 TBSP unsalted butter, but into small pieces
1 1/2 -2 lbs Chicken Breast Tenders, but into small bite-size pieces
2 medium leeks, trimmed of tough tops and roots
1/2 C dry white wine
1 10 oz box frozen green peas


Now after typing these ingredients up, I just realized that in my last two blogs I didn't actually give any instructions...that would probably be helpful. So here are my instructions for this, even though Barton made it:

Sit at the kitchen table, work on your blog, while your boyfriend cooks.... okay okay..

-Bring the chicken stock to a boil. After it has come to a boil put in the rice, lemon zest, and 1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil. Return to boil and then simmer until all the stock is gone.

Heat a large nonstick skillet and add the remaining extra-virgin olive oil and the butter. Let the butter melt and then add the chicken. Cook thoroughly.

Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, rinse and cut into slices about the size of your pinky finger. Put leeks in a colander and rinse while seperating the layers.

Cook the leeks with the chicken. Add the white wine. Add the peas. Saute all together. Turn off heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add lemon juice.

Plate the rice with the chicken concoction and Enjoy.

Sesame Beef with Green Beans

I made this last night, but since I am just starting this blog I am trying to add some of the stuff that I have been taking pictures of. This is called Sesame Beef with Green Beans. It was featured in the Hannaford Fresh magazine that comes out every two months or so. If you love stir-fry, you will love this recipe! It is simple, quick and you do not need many for ingredients. They are as follows:

2 TSP toasted sesame oil
3 TBSP reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 TBSP rice vinegar
1 TBSP cornstarch
1 TBSP honey
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 TBSP sesame seeds
1 LB. boneless stir-fry beef
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 TBSP grated fresh ginger
3 TBSP water
1 pkg. trimmed fresh green beans
1 C precut matchstick carrots
4 C brown rice
2 scallions, thinly sliced

I made a few renditions to what they called for: I did not use reduced-sodium soy sauce. I used more than a pinch of red pepper flakes, probably about a TBSP. I did not use 2 TBSP of sesame seeds. I used less than a TBSP of ginger, but that's because I was merely grating it right into the pan.

I recommend cooking the rice on the stove, I did it in the microwave as they suggested and it took much longer than I had hoped for and, in my opinion it would have been easier just to do it on the stovetop.

This recipe was delightful. It's simplicity was recognized in the minimal amount of ingredients, yet it's taste was far from dull. The hint of honey in the thick sauce added a bit of lasting sweetness in your mouth and the scallions, although not very abrasive, somehow snuck into every bite giving you that great sensation and battle between sweet and zesty.

ENJOY!

Honey-Orange-Glazed Ham Steaks with Spicy Black Bean, Zucchini, and Corn Salsa



Zest and juice of 2 Oranges
1 TBSP ground coriander
1/2 C honey
1 TBSP chili powder
Salt and freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 1/2 C Chicken Stock or Broth
3 TBSP extra-virgin olive Oil
1 large red onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 small Zucchini, thinly sliced into disks
1 10-oz box frozen Corn Kernels
2 large Ham Steaks, cut in half
1 15 oz can Black Beans, grained and rinsed
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 C fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves.


This recipe is from Rachel Ray's cookbook 365: No Repeats.  This was a deliciously prepared meal. I was a bit skeptical of the jalapeno pepper, only because I am a bit hesitant when it comes to spicy foods. I only used one large ham steak and I felt as if that was in great proportion to the salsa. This meal had a great kick to it. I bit of spice in the salsa and then as I indulged in the ham expecting to be sweetly rewarded, the ham gave me a little kick with the chili powder I forgot that I had applied.  This meal would be great for a dinner party, it was easy to prepare and quick but the taste was long-lasting.