BBQ Buffalo Pasta

About a year ago, I heard about combining spaghetti and bbq’d meat. My initial reaction was, well, picture me wrinkling my nose and shrugging one shoulder as if to say "eh". Even so, I’ve never stopped thinking about it. Yesterday, as I stood at my kitchen counter praying for divine menu guidance as to what to do with the ground buffalo before me, the thought of making a quick bbq came to mind. The only problem was that a) I didn’t have any buns, and b) I only had a mere 1.25 lbs of meat. That’s when I thought of at long last giving the bbq pasta plan a green light.

Oh, why did I wait so long? This was ridiculously easy to prepare, was on the table in just over 30 minutes, and was really very good. Even my picky eaters ate it, including my son who won’t eat sauce on his pasta ... ever. I served mine over gluten free rotini (spiral) pasta, but use whatever floats your boat. This meaty, thick, smokey sauce will hold it’s own quite nicely with a hearty pasta like rigatoni as well as a delicate one like angel hair. (Mmm ... angel hair!)

I used ground buffalo, but use whatever ground meat you’ve got (preferably grass fed). There is minimal shrinkage with buffalo (and I mean zip, zilcho shrinkage), so plan accordingly if you use ground beef. This fed five people.

1.25 lbs ground buffalo
Salt, Pepper, Seasoned salt
1 teaspoon dried minced onion (can substitute fresh minced onions)
1 teaspoon worchestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
Scant ¼ cup smoked paprika (the smokey flavor is essential here)
Generous ½ cup ketchup
Heaping tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
3 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce (homemade if you’ve got it)
1 lb spiral pasta (I used gluten free. Use whatever you like best!)
Shredded cheddar cheese

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, season the ground buffalo with salt, pepper, seasoned salt, and dried onion. Brown in a nonstick dutch oven, breaking it up into small bits with a spoon as it cooks. There was no fat in the bottom to drain at all. If you use beef, drain the meat after browning and return to the pan. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and stir around to start carmelizing the meat, maybe 1-2 minutes at the most. Stir in the ketchup, mustard, and worchestershire sauce. Stir in the smoked paprika. Now add the spaghetti sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer until it thickens up a bit ... about 10 minutes. Note that this is a really thick sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Add the drained pasta to the meat mixture and stir to combine. Serve. Garnish each serving with a small handful of shredded cheddar cheese. Enjoy!

This was really very, very good. Quick and easy, too. The balance of meat to pasta was pleasing, and the smokey tanginess of the sauce held it’s own over the pasta without being overpowering. The cheese added a creamy component that I enjoyed. Ya know, this is a case where simple is best. While I wouldn’t balk at adding, let’s say, green pepper, it’s really not missed. You could, however, ramp up the spicy heat index according to your own tastes.

I imagine this would be incredible, too, if made with grilled BBQ pork that simmered all day. So ... do you think you’d give bbq pasta a try? You’ll be glad you did.

Slurpin' Good Blackened Chicken Fettucini! (It's gluten free, too!)

Mmmm ... here you go! Open wide and take a bite! My husband did his ravenous bear impression and chowed down on this recipe. CHOWED DOWN. I can tell when he really likes something because a) he sets a world record at speed consumption of the food, and b) he gets up and serves himself seconds. I suspect he likes to refill his own plate because he can pile on more food than his loving wife who doesn’t want him to overeat. I’ve been instructed to place this recipe on his repeat list.Do you maintain a “repeat” list? You know what I mean ... the lofty list of recipes that the family will actually eat again with gusto. The problem here is that although my husband all but licked his plate clean twice, the children in my life were not so enthusiastic. My girls did eat it without complaint and actually asked for seconds of the chicken. My son, well, he told me he wasn’t very hungry. Yeah, like I’m gonna buy that one. (eye roll) My son is not a fan of sauce. He’s not a fan of food groups that touch. This recipe does both. Despite his displeasure, I have absolutely no leftovers of any aspect of dinner. Therefore, this will get made again ... I’ll just keep the boy’s portion separate.

Credit for this recipe goes to Guy Fierri from Food Network. It’s full flavored, creamy, and delicious. If you like creamy, delicious food, this one’s will make your repeat list, too! Like most of us do, I did modify it just a bit.Plus, I made mine gluten free by using Tinkyada brand rice fettucini. See how lovely the rice pasta cooks up? Of course, if gluten is your friend, you can always use regular fettucini. This recipe is easy to make, comes together really fast (so have everything ready first!), and would also qualify to serve company. YUM!

The ingredients call for Blackening Seasoning. Have you "blackened" anything before? I’ve never made anything blackened before. Truth be told, I don’t even know if this qualifies as blackened because I ended up grilling it. Uh oh, I can hear the sirens from the the seasoning police now. Hey, officer, it was hot inside and outside, so I opted for cooking outside. Perhaps I could bribe them with a bite of this. Back to the seasoning ... I decided to make my own rub! I’m so glad I did; it’s "money" as Guy says.

Ingredients
• 4 (5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I brined mine first)
• 1 tablespoon of canola oil
• 1 cup blackening spice (I made my own and used less than called for)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 cup roughly chopped marinated sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 2 baby zucchini, halved, grilled and sliced (my garden addition)
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound cooked fettuccine (I used gluten free fettuccine – awesome!)
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions

Directions
Before you begin, make sure all the ingredients are chopped and ready to go as this recipe comes together rather quickly. Also note that I grilled the zucchini at the same time as the chicken. While preparing your chicken, cook your pasta according to package directions. I used gluten free rice fettuccine and loved it. It needs to boil for about 10 minutes.

Pat the breast dry and dredge them in the blackening spice. Drizzle with most of the canola oil, saving some for the zucchini, and rub it in. Set aside while you heat up the grill. Fire up your grill to medium high heat. Grill chicken for about 4 minutes on each side, place on a plate and cover with foil while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Halve your baby zucchini, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with the remaining canola oil, and grill about 5 minutes per side. Remove and let sit while the chicken is sitting. Slice into bite sized pieces. I grilled these at the same time as the chicken.

In a saute pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Add garlic and lightly caramelize. Then add the sun-dried tomatoes. Slice your chicken on the bias into medallion sized slices, and add them along with the zucchini to the pan. Deglaze the pan with the white wine.Add the heavy cream, increase the heat to a simmer, and reduce the cream sauce by half. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, salt, pepper, and pasta. Garnish with scallions and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
Here is the recipe for the Blackening Seasoning. I LOVE this spice. It’s not too hot in the heat department, and it smells terrific. This would go great on fish, too. YUM. I found this recipe on About.com and I’m so pleased with it.

Ingredients:
• 2 teaspoons ground paprika (I used smoked paprika)
• 4 teaspoons dried leaf thyme
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to your taste
• 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preparation:
Combine ingredients. Put in a jar and store in a cool dark place. Shake jar well before each use.I just made a paper cone and spooned it into a recently empty spice jar. I love re-using jars in this way.Do you date your spices? I do. That way if something gets shoved to the back of the drawer, I know at a glance if it’s still palatable!

This mixture was, in my opinion, the star of this recipe. The aroma was so enticing, and the texture just blended right in ... no bits of unwanted texture anywhere. I really enjoyed concocting my own mixture. What’s your favorite spice mixture?

Ragin' Ragu & Rigatoni - Pasta with Paula Night

Do any of you remember the old, old, old pasta commercial from the early 70’s where an Italian mama opens a window, leans out, and hollers her son’s name, “Anthony” (pronounced just as my relatives would do it: An-toe-knee)? Then the narrator tells us that Anthony lives in the Italian section of Boston, home of Prince spaghetti, and that Wednesday’s are Prince Spaghetti Days. All the while, we see a young boy racing warp speed through crowded streets to get home in time for dinner. The advertising campaign was enormously successful for the makers of Prince spaghetti; obviously so as I still remember it and I was just a little kid myself at the time!

Growing up in an Italian influenced home, spaghetti often graced my plate in my formative years. We feasted on all different types and shapes of that semolina wonder food, and I particularly enjoyed every bite. I still do. It’s humble, economical, tasty, and downright easy to make. To be honest, we don’t eat fancy feasts in my house. I try to go for healthy and wholesome. And although there are as many recipes for “spaghetti” as there are Italian grandmas, I tend to default my preparations to be like that of my mom, and her mom before her, and so on. In fact, I bet if we compared recipes, all of you visiting this post probably have different sauce recipes. On the chance that there’s someone who hasn’t made their own sauce, I thought I’d share today’s recipe. When I first met my husband, he had NEVER once had pasta at home ... not spaghetti, not lasagna, nothing! Luckily for him (and me!) he loves Italian food. Hmmm ... perhaps those professions of love early on in the relationship were really based on food! Now that I think about it, he did eat over at our house often. Especially on pasta nights. Hmmm.

I’m of Southern Italian decent, so this sauce may be different than the bolognese sauces that grace many restaurant menus. First of all, in my household, pasta was always served with the sauce already tossed in, with an additional dollop of sauce on top. Additional sauce was passed around at the table. Meatballs prepared in the sauce were always served on the side. In addition, it was common to prepare the sauce not only with ground beef, but to also include chuck steak cut up as you would for stew. The cooked steak pieces would be spooned out and served on the side. Ground beef was ALWAYS part of the sauce, and we never added sausage. The sauce cooked for a long time, a couple hours at least. Contrary to what you might hear, you cook sauce a long time not only to thicken the tomato products, but also because the beef breaks down after a couple hours providing great texture as well as flavor. Otherwise, it just tastes like hamburger plopped in tomato sauce.See how the meat has broken down? My point in all of this is that if you prepare your sauce with ground beef, next time, allow it cook to for at least 2 hours. I promise you’ll love how the meat transforms. The longer you cook it, the thicker it becomes, so feel free to add a bit more water around the 1 hour mark if you don't want a thick sauce. I like it just medium thick, so 2 hours works great (I do add more water around the 1 hour mark). Oh, and if you make it a day in advance, all the better. The sauce improves with age.

Tonight was pasta night, specifically Rigatoni night. I love how the sauce gets trapped on the inside of the tube.See that meat tucked away in there? Hello Mr. Meat. You belong to me! Paired with a lovely plain salad and some garlic cheese toasts, it was a completely satisfying experience. Fancy? No. Wonderful? You bet! It’s ragin’ good. Again, nothing fancy here. Mostly it’s comprised of common pantry ingredients. Just a typical Pasta with Paula night. We always call the sauce, “spaghetti sauce” not ragu, no matter what type of pasta it’s served on. It’s really, really good. Hmmm. Hubbyman came home from work, ate his pasta dinner, and then went back to work. It must be love.

Here is the recipe for my all purpose sauce. As my go-to sauce, I use it for pasta as well as lasagna, polenta, and other recipes.

Spaghetti Sauce (aka Ragin’ Ragu)

2 lbs ground beef, 15% fat
generous amounts of onion salt, garlic salt, and black pepper
scant teaspoon of fennel seeds
1 mild onion – diced
1 garlic clove – minced (my cloves are large)
1 green pepper, cut into very large pieces. (It completely disintegrates in the sauce)
2 cans diced tomatoes (now behave; don’t judge me ... I like canned toms! If you can your own, use a quart of the red beauties.)
1 small can tomato paste
8 oz tomato sauce
3 tomato cans worth of water
1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 generous teaspoon dried oregano
healthy dash of fennel (again)
Olive Oil – lots
Cooked pasta of your choice*

In a large skillet, season the ground beef with the onion salt, garlic salt, black pepper, and fennel seeds. Cook the ground beef, all the while breaking up the beef with a spoon, until just done. In a large dutch oven or large pot, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic, and sauté for about 2 minutes or until just getting soft. Add the ground beef mixture, and stir. Add all the remaining ingredients, including another couple tablespoons of olive oil. Bring to a low boil, turn heat to simmer, cover, and simmer for at least 2 hours, stirring often. Add more water, about a cup, around the 1 hour mark if your sauce is too thick. Cool and refrigerate, or toss immediately with your favorite pasta.This is enough sauce for 1 lb. of pasta or a tray of lasagna. I’m sure it freezes great, but I never freeze it. I should embrace my freezer more. Do you freeze a lot?See the ridges in the pasta? Mmm, mmm, mmm! This sauce is gluten free, all the way, baby. *(Oh, in case you were wondering, I made a separate serving of gluten free rice pasta for my gluten free girl. Results: Awesome!)Here, you go. Have a bite. So, how do you make your sauce? Do you mix it in or ladle it on top? Either way, it’s all gouda!

Let It Snow Primavera Alfredo with Grilled Smoked Sausage

Do you have a passion for primavera? Does parmesan cheese make your heart go pitter patter? Do you feel the pull of perfectly prepared pasta, veggies, and sausage? If you’ve answered yes to any of those questions, please read on. Today’s post could quite possibly be positively the most palate pleasing primavera known to man. Yes, it’s that good. And my version is gluten free, too!

The thing that’s so positively priceless about this recipe is that I stumbled upon it without much forethought. In the days prior to and just after Christmas, my neck of the woods in Oregon got pummeled by Mother Nature and Jack Frost. When the skies finally cleared, my yard had 14 inches of snow topped with an inch thick ice crust. This was the most snow I’ve seen since moving here, and the most snow the area has seen since the last freak snow storm 30 years ago. My town is not accustomed to nor prepared to handle snow, so ... it shut down. No stores were open. No schools were open. No restaurants were open. Even churches cancelled Christmas services. To be honest, I loved it. The snow was beautiful, and being homebound enabled us to enjoy the Christmas season without rushing around everywhere. We played board games and cards, sang songs at the piano, toasted our tootsies at the fire place, and just enjoyed each other. I didn’t miss all the rush and running that I usually succumb to this time of year.

There would be no running to the store for ingredients, so by the time snowbound day number eight rolled around, I was getting creative with our food stock. Hmmm ... do you ever do that? Open the fridge and cupboard and piece together a meal? Picture me opening bins and cabinets ... Broccoli – check. Red pepper – check. Smoked sausage – check. Cream, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts – check, check, check. Pasta (gluten free for us) – check. Twenty minutes later came the best meal ever! And it was gluten free, all the way baby!

Here’s what you need:

1 package pasta – I used gluten free spirals, but you can use whatever you like
1 head broccoli – cut into bite sized florets, steamed
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 red pepper – sliced in medium sized strips
Smoked sausage – sliced thin on the bias (for those following gluten free diets, but sure to read the labels to make sure you get one made without wheat. Who wants wheat in their sausage anyway?)
3 T pine nuts – toasted
4 T butter
1 Cup cream
1 clove garlic – minced
1 ½ Cups fresh grated parmesan cheese
Green onions – for garnish

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Steam the broccoli, by which ever method you prefer, until it is just tender. (I steam my broccoli right over the pasta water by putting it in a colander that fits right on top of the pot. You could even dump it into the pasta water for the last couple minutes of boiling if you waned to.) In a large sauté pan, over low heat, toast the pine nuts until they just start to turn golden. Remove from the pan, turn the heat to med/high, add the olive oil and fry “grill” the sausage until nicely browned. Add the peppers and quickly sauté until crisp tender. Remove the pan from the burner, but keep sausage and pepper in pan to stay warm.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the garlic, and let it very lightly sauté for a minute or two to get rid of the raw garlic taste. Add the cream, and heat just until boiling. Remove from the heat, and whisk in the parmesan cheese. Drain the pasta, and immediately add it and the broccoli to the large sauté pan. Pour the sauce over everything and toss gently. Add the pine nuts and gently toss again. Season with black pepper if you want it. There is no need for salt as the parma cheese is salty as is the sausage. Plate the servings and garnish with green onions.Ta-da! Doesn’t it look pretty on the plate! The flavors were terrific. The smoked sausage was a surprising perfect compliment to the pasta and veggies. The pine nuts added wonderful flavor and texture to each bite.Just look at that sausage and broccoli! Hello beautiful. Take a bite. Make yummy noises. Sing let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Let the weather outside be frightful; this pasta is delightful! (Okay, OKAY – I’ll stop. Sheesh!)

Oh, sorry, one more thing ... As I mentioned, we consume gluten free pasta because my littlest snow bunny can’t eat wheat. For those of you who may be interested in alternatives to wheat pasta, I encourage you to try rice pasta.Here’s the brand that my kids like best. It comes in various shapes and cooks just like regular pasta.
See? It really does cook just like regular pasta. The texture is great, and it performs wonderfully. I never cook it as long as the package says (which I didn’t do with regular pasta either). YUM. The taste is like mild pasta ... they do not taste like rice. Rice pastas can be found in the “natural” section at the grocery store, as well as specialty stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes. They are more expensive compared to regular pasta, but are a welcome alternative for gluten free eaters.

NOTE: For a LOVELY baked version similar to this, check out Maria’s recipe titled Broccoli Pasta at Organically Cooked. Have you visited her blog yet? Maria is awesome! She lives in Hania, Crete, Greece, and her blog is a wonderful journey through both the culinary wonders of Greek food as well as a history and travel blog for her lovely country. I'm hooked on her stories, and have learned tons about food, food production, and beautiful Greece.

Easy Peasey Mac and Cheesy

Do you have funny names for everyday things? Perhaps you mispronounced something, and then henceforth and forever the item was known by the mispronounced version? For example, when I was a wee newborn baby myself, my mom called me “dumpling” a time or two, and my late sister, a mere two years older than myself thus making her only two years old, mispronounced my nickname as “dumpy”. Can you see where I’m going with this? You guessed it, that LOVELY moniker stuck with me forever. I picked up a couple more along the way, but “dumpy” was the leader of the pack. Yep, I can just hear my witty sister laughing her head off in Heaven. Somehow, even though she was only two when she branded me with it, I suspect she had a plan all along ... little stinker.

Now a days with my own kids, I’m quite careful that their nicknames are something they wouldn’t mind me calling out through the neighborhood or from the sidelines during a game. We do, though, have some quirky names for food that we eat. For example, Macaroni and Cheese is never called, well, macaroni and cheese. Instead, it’s usually called “Easy Peasey Mac and Cheesy”. That catchy phrase is something special shared between my oldest daughter and myself, as she’s the mac and cheesy lover in the family.

Just check out this gorgeous version of mac and cheesy. I’m on a comfort food kick lately. Surprisingly, my daughter absolutely LOVES this. I say surprisingly because it has “stuff” in it. She is a serious food separatist, except for a couple things ... mac and cheesy being one of them.

Look at how creeeeaaaammmy this is! Ooooh, I want to snatch that big bacon piece right off of there and eat it! This version is based on a dish we had ordered eons ago at Red Robin Restaurants. They no longer have this on the menu, but it was a hit with my daughter and sooooo easy to recreate at home. Basically, just make your favorite homemade mac and cheese, and jazz it up with a couple of ingredients: Cooked diced chicken, crisp smoky bacon, creamy luscious goat cheese, and savory crunchy bread crumbs. C.O.M.F.O.R.T. Yum!


Couple things before we begin ... When making this, feel free to substitute your favorite basic mac and cheese recipe. Be sure, though, to make ample cheese sauce. Elbow shaped macaroni, as well as other shapes such as rotini, really need a LOT of sauce. Don’t skimp on the sauce quantity. Next, since my daughter’s palate has yet to fully appreciate highly seasoned foods, this dish is really quiet in the spice department. It could take more heat if you like spice. I’d stick to adding spices though, and not actually add chopped onions or green peppers, etc. This dish already has a lot going on in the three c texture department ... creamy, chewy, and crunchy. Adding more texture might actually take away from the dish. Of course, though, that’s just my humble opinion ... if you crave more stuff inside, by all means please your palate! There's that bacon piece again. I want it! To experience this comfort food for yourself, here’s what you do:

Easy Peasey Mac and Cheesy

½ lb Cooked Macaroni (or your favorite shape)
1 T olive oil
4T butter
2 T flour
2 ¼ cups 2% milk
1 cup cream
3 cups shredded co-jack cheese
Couple shakes of garlic salt and onion powder
Quick small shake of red pepper and white pepper
½ cup diced cooked chicken (I used left over roasted chicken)
5 slices bacon – cooked crisp and crumbed
2 Tablespoons goat cheese – crumbled in large chunks

2 sliced white bread, crumbed
1 Tablespoon butter
Season salt

2 Additional Tablespoons goat cheese for garnish
Additional bacon for garnish
Snipped parsley

Start off by buttering a 2 quart casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and toss with olive oil. Keep warm. While pasta is cooking, in a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over med high heat. Wisk in flour and cook for a couple of minutes to get rid of the flour taste. Gradually wisk in the milk and cream, a little at a time. Cook for a couple minutes, then wisk in the cheese. The mixture should thicken up, but remain very creamy. Season with the garlic salt, onion salt, and peppers. Combine with the cooked macaroni. Stir in the chicken and bacon. Gently fold in the goat cheese. Pour into prepared casserole. In a skillet, melt the remaining butter on med high heat. Add the breadcrumbs and season salt, and toast the breadcrumbs until golden and crispy. Sprinkle on top of the casserole. Put the casserole into the oven, and bake for about 15 minutes. Let sit for just a couple more minutes, then serve. Sprinkle each serving with additional goat cheese crumbles, crispy bacon, and snipped parsley.

At last, the bacon piece is mine! Take a bite. Sigh. Make yummy noises. Henceforth and forever, refer to mac and cheese as Easy Peasey Mac and Cheesy.

Garlic Groove Goin' On

My doorbell rings multiple times during the day, and usually immediately afterward, I hear the familiar thud of boxes being dropped at my door. If the doorbell rings twice, that's my cue that I need to stop what I'm doing and sign for said packages. Packages that aren't to me. For you see, my hubbyman receives almost daily deliveries to our home, and it's an inside joke between myself, the mailman, UPS man, DHL man, and FedEx guy that once again no one has sent ME anything in the mail.

Of course, I do occasionally receive something via Amazon, but certainly not on a daily basis. So yesterday, as I was teaching my brilliant son the thrills of mastering the distributive property in math, I stopped what I was doing to go sign for yet more packages. (Um, I'm not being sarcastic regarding the math ... I do find algebraic formulas enjoyable. My son, though, would most likely perform an exaggerated eye roll right about now. Anyway ... back to the package delivery ...) It wasn't the usual delivery guy, so there was no jovial banter. I signed, juggled the packages inside, and with an eye roll of my own, placed them in the "stuff for hubbyman spot". After brushing off my arms, I returned to my teacher chair and continued on without any more thought regarding packages that are never to me!

Fast forward to last evening, hubbyman was cheerfully going through his packages, when he comes into the other room where I was and tosses a package on the counter stating, "This one isn't for me." Wha??? Is it something for the kids? Nope. Is it, could it be, perhaps, do I dare hope ... Is is something for moi???

Oh happy day! It is something for me, something that I ordered weeks ago, and although I knew it would be arriving soon, it's pending delivery had slipped my overtaxed brain. It was ... are you ready ... a package full of garlic that I ordered.

I hope you don't feel let down! I was thrilled! The garlic in the stores this summer have been woefully awful. I grew some garlic in my garden, but it's been long gone. Even the farmers market this year has not had its usual plethora of garlic, plus the lone garlic vendor hasn't had a booth for a couple years now.

Do you like garlic? I fear I'm a garlic snob. It's just that garlic is a well-loved part of my cuisine, and I appreciate good garlic much like I appreciate good quality cheese. Good garlic can make a dish; whereas bad garlic can make waste of your culinary efforts. In my quest to find at least decent garlic, I contacted local farmers and vendors who could supply me with my favorite bulb. I heard the same thing over and over as I hopefully begged, "Please kind sir or madam, (*sniffle*) won't you sell an Italian girl some of your delicious garden grown garlic?" But alas, all my inquiries were met with, "Sorry, we're sold out already." "Sorry, we don't grow it anymore." "Sorry it's been a bad year for garlic." UGH! SOB! I turned to the internet and found more local sources, but alas I heard "We're completely sold out." over and over. DOUBLE UGH! By now I've dug my heels in and have quite stubbornly decided that I'm going to get my garlic if I have to drive all the way to Gilroy, California to get it! (Insert deep heaving breaths and envision me emphasizing that last statement with waving arms!)

There is an end to this long saga. I found some sources in Arizona and Texas who although they didn't have any in stock at the time of my order, they could commit to mailing me some at their next harvest and not charge me an arm and a leg. The harvest occurred last week, and I rec'd my garlic yesterday.

Just look at my beauties! I ordered a variety pack consisting of mild through very spicy. Here's a synopsis:

Mild: Georgia Crystal: a lovely, mellow garlic that would be great in salsa.

Medium: Chesnok Red: This guy often wins "best of taste" garlic competitions. It's considered a rich flavored mild to medium heat garlic.

Hot: German White: This guy can pack a punch. It has loads of flavor, and is considered rather hot when raw. (I don't eat it raw; it's awesome cooked.)

Very Hot: Villarney Red. These cloves are very strong and spicy flavored, and is very hot raw. (I don't eat this raw either. It's terrific cooked.)


What better way to test my new lovelies than to make a quick pasta dish with a garlic butter sauce for lunch? Check this out:


Paula's Got Her Garlic Groove Goin' On Pasta

Angel Hair Pasta - enough for two servings
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small zucchini sliced in half rounds (you know I love my half-rounds)
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used the German White)
1 small jalapeno pepper, sliced thin (or other hot pepper - my jalapenos are sadly VERY MILD. Great flavor, but no zip in the heat department this year.)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly ground salt
Freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
Fresh basil, chiffonade sliced.

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, in a small nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. As soon as it is very hot, add the zucchini and "grill" until nicely seared yet still crunchy. Remove from pan, leaving as much olive oil as possible. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. As soon as it melts and starts to sizzle, remove from heat and stir in the garlic and jalapeno. They should sizzle nicely off the heat. Let the mixture sit and sizzle off heat for about 3 minutes. Drain the pasta, and immediately add the zucchini and olive oil/butter/garlic/pepper mixture. Toss. Season liberally with red chili flakes, black pepper, and salt. Top with fresh basil and pecorino romano. Serve. Sigh. Smile.

This was soooo good. The garlic flavor held up to the pasta, but didn't overpower it. Surprisingly, it was not too spicy. The pasta really mutes heat, and pairs beautifully with all the flavors. I was tempted to add some capers or sliced olives to the mixture, but my goal was to taste/test the garlic, so I left it out.

I'm looking forward to testing out the other garlic bulbs. I'm sitting here with a dreamy smile just thinking about it. Guess the ghouls and vampires will have to look elsewhere for their fix now that I've got my garlic groove goin' on!

PS: Favor to ask: Please send me an email if you have any problems accessing this post. Just click on my profile; it will take you to my email. Of course, that assumes that you can access my profile. Thanks!

Pool Party Pasta Salad

The dad of one of my daughter's basketball teammates invited the girls and their parents to his country "house" for a summer potluck BBQ Pool Party. I put "house" in quotes because zowie!, it's a dreamy country estate. He lives on top of one of several rolling hills that overlook tranquil wine vineyards, and has a view of not only Mt. Hood, but also Mt. Jefferson, Mt. St. Helens, and even Mt. Adams in the distance. My hubby was raised in the country, and I could tell he was in heaven as he soaked in the view. I've been there before, but each time I visit, I'm completely mesmerized by the gorgeous vistas as well as how quiet it is away from suburbia. Quiet is a relative term though, because the pool was filled with seven squealing, beautiful 12-13 year old girls ... and one 14 year old boy. I suspect that young man was enjoying his version of heaven!

Usually, I have potluck dishes planned out days in advance. Not this time, though. I had a very busy morning and was running short on time prior to the party, so I thought I'd just grab something pre-made from the deli. But ... I just couldn't do it; I couldn't get myself to purchase something. When invited to someones home, I was always taught to bring something homemade ... something from the heart. So, with a quick glance at the clock, I affirmed to the universe that, yes, I could create a killer pasta salad in the hour and 15 minutes I had. Did I mention that I'm REALLY good under pressure? No kidding ... I'm the go-to guy when the pressure is on. Of course, it helped that I had a stocked kitchen. Here's what I came up with:

Ingredients:
1 1b bow tie pasta, cooked, drained, and rinsed in ice cold water, drained again
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 diced red bell pepper
1 peeled and seeded cucumber, diced
1/2 cup pitted calamata olives, rough chopped in big pieces
1 cup smoked salmon broken into chunk pieces
2 Tbsp Feta cheese
2 tsp capers
3 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
chopped herbs from garden: sweet basil, greek oregano, chives, parsley, and dill
Sea Salt to taste
Lots of fresh ground pepper
Simple vinaigrette made with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic salt* and seasoned salt (like Spike or Lawrey's) - I just eyeballed this as 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar to equal about 1/3 cup total.

*Note: I opted not to use real minced garlic because the garlic I have on hand right now is VERY strong, otherwise, I'd have added it, too.

Instructions: In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, onion, pepper, and cucumber with the simple vinaigrette. Then, add the olives, salmon, Feta, capers, toasted pine nuts, and herbs, and gently combine. Taste and season with sea salt and lots of freshly ground pepper. I don't like my pasta salads dripping with dressing, so I don't use too much. Of course, add as much as you want. You could even cheat and use a bottled dressing, if you wanted. I bet this would taste great with grilled or roasted left over chicken, too.

As with all potlucks, there was tons of food and drink at the party. Even though I brought this salad for the grown ups to consume, my Pool Party Pasta Salad was a hit with both the adults and the kids. I think the pine nuts really solidified this puppy as a keeper. I saw lots of eaters make yummy faces as they purposefully picked up pine nuts here and there on their plate and ate them. The Pool Party Pasta Salad was the only dish to be completely devoured. Not a pine nut or red pepper piece was left in the bowl. I knew the adults would enjoy it, but was shocked to see these girls, all of whom I know to harbor some variation of picky eater syndrome, chow down on the pasta. I have to admit, it felt pretty good seeing people enjoy my food. Of course, my own daughter didn't touch my salad. Grrr. The picky eater syndrome lives.

I lost my poor meatball ....

I know meatballs. I'm Italian. I've rolled more meatballs than a Cuban cigar roller has rolled stogies. Well, ok, maybe not that many, but I've made a lot. Of meatballs. A lot.

In the household of my youth, meatballs were served separately from the pasta itself. Actually, most meat was passed around on a separate platter no matter what the pasta type. The meatballs themselves were giant and were slowly simmered in a thin tomato sauce and stacked high in a serving bowl. I can still picture the steam swirling above the bowl. But that's a story for another day.

Now a days, I make the meatballs much smaller and tend to make more of them. I love leftover meatballs sliced and served on a hearty roll with tomato sauce. Again, a story for another time. Today's story is about a new meatball recipe that I tried tonight courtesy of of Karina's Kitchen - Gluten Free Goddess. Since my littlest peanut can't eat wheat, I'm on the prowl for recipes that give a new twist on some of our old favorites. My meatball recipe called for breadcrumbs; a no-no for my wee babe. So, thanks to the internet, I've got access to gluten free recipes. Karina's blog is a godsend for folks trekking the gluten-free path, and I'm certain I'll frequent her blog regularly for ideas.

On 6/12/08, Karina posted an intriguing recipe for Meatballs. Her recipe beautifully blended typical and not-so-typical ingredients. The incorporation of both cinnamon (a secret ingredient my grandma used in her ravioli) as well as balsamic vinegar snared my attention. Her meatballs also included some pulverized veggies, and I always enjoy the mad scientist thrill I get when I turn on the food processor. Double click on the meatball photo above and check out the great texture up close. See those orange bits? Shhh ... carrots! I did use a different pasta than Karina as we've found a gluten free/wheat free one that my offspring enjoy. Mrs. Leepers corn spaghetti is our pasta of choice at the present time. It has a great al dente bite to it and doesn't turn to mush. It's less starchy that regular semolina pasta, yet sauces cling to it just fine. It's particularly good with browned butter and freshly grated mizithra cheese. Anyway ... back to tonight's meal ....

Hubby man was running late getting home from work this evening, so I fed the kids first and held off eating myself so he wouldn't have to dine solo. I was working on something nearby the offspring while they ate, and so when they asked if they could have seconds, I absently gave approval on the condition that they just take a little bit because their dad and I still needed to eat. Mistake. Until very recently, I usually spooned out seconds. In my quest to let the kids grow up and be more responsible, I lost a few brain cells myself. Hungry children + available food they like = portion control issues. Needless to say, I had to quickly boil up some more pasta (the first time I've ever had to do that) ... and we won't be having meatball hoagies tomorrow.

So while I outwardly had on my harumph face, inwardly I had to smile. I love it when everybody eats everything. Tonights recipe goes on the repeat list. Moist and tender meatballs that boasted both familiar and new flavors. Karina -- your meatballs were a hit! And I need to rethink portions for my children who insist on growing!