Bucatini Pasta with Bacon, Tomato and Green Onion

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/bucatini-bacon-cherry-tomato-and-spring-onion-sauce/

Ok so I didn't have Bucatini pasta....or spring vidalia onions....or white wine. :) But I substituted with what I did have and it still turned out pretty good! The bacon makes it a richer dish than I was originally thinking. A couple tips and what I did different:

• I used Leeks instead of spring vidalia onions. IF you don't normally cook with leeks (well, then...you should start) - they grow in the soil so they are normally very dirty. Best was to clean them is to cut them up first, put them in a bowl fill of cold water and do a good swish/wash that way. All the dirt and crud will sink to the bottom.
• Don't smash all the tomatoes - maybe do half and half. I loved having some soft tomatoes still whole that I could "pop" in my mouth. yum.
• Personally it was a bit salty for me. Just a heads up.
• Serve this dish with a nice, cold, crisp Caesar salad. It's a heavier dish - so something clean and refreshing goes well with it.
• If you don't have Bucatini pasta, serve any thicker pasta with it. I used linguine.
• I substituted the real pepper with some pepper flakes and the white wine with some veggie stock I had on hand.

Ingredients
Salt
1 pound bucatini
EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling, plus a tablespoon
8 slices smoky bacon, chopped
3-4 spring Vidalia onions with a few inches of green tops intact, very thinly sliced or 2 leeks, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced then washed and dried
4 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
1 red chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped or 1 jalapeno or red Fresno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 pints ripe cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes)

1/2 cup dry white wine
Black pepper

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls, chopped
A handful of basil leaves, torn or shredded
A generous handful of grated pecorino, plus some to pass at table
Yields: Serves 4

Preparation
Heat a large pot of water to a boil for bucatini, season water with salt then cook pasta to al dente.
In a deep skillet or Dutch oven with tight fitting lid heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat, add bacon and cook to crisp, remove with slotted spoon and reserve on a paper towel covered plate. Drain off some fat if pan has more than a couple of tablespoons of drippings. Add spring sliced Vidalia onions or leeks, garlic and hot pepper and sauté 2-3 minutes then add tomatoes and stir to combine, cover pan. Shake pan occasionally and cook until tomatoes begin to burst, 6-8 minutes. Uncover pot and mash up tomatoes with wooden spoon, add wine and stir a 1-2 minutes. Season the sauce with some salt and black pepper to taste, then reduce the heat to low.

When pasta is ready, add a ladle of starchy water to sauce along with parsley, bacon and bucatini, toss 1-2 minutes with an extra tablespoon EVOO. Turn off heat and toss in basil and cheese, serve immediately

Italian Roast Chicken with Orange and Oregano

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/italian-roast-chicken-orange-and-oregano/

This was on the RR show today and it just looks SO yummy. This picture didn't do the dish on TV justice. Hopefully, whenever I make this, it'll taste as good as it looks!

Ingredients
8 pieces of bone-in, skin-on chicken, your choice of cuts
Salt
4 heads of garlic
EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for liberal drizzling
Black pepper
4 navel or blood oranges
6 fresh bay leaves
3 medium red onions, peeled, root-end in tact and cut into wedges
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1/3 palmful
3 to 4 stems fresh oregano leaves, a couple of tablespoons, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine, just eyeball the amount
1/4 cup good quality orange blossom honey
Crusty bread, to pass at table

Yields: Serves 4

Preparation
Wash and dry chicken and season with salt, then refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 425˚F.

Cut ends off the garlic heads and dress with a little EVOO, salt and pepper. Wrap in foil and place in oven, roast 45 minutes until golden and soft.


Meanwhile, in a roasting pan or large casserole, toss 2 sliced or wedge-cut oranges with red onions, bay leaves and a liberal drizzle of EVOO – enough to thinly coat the oranges, bay leaves, and onions (a couple of tablespoons). Season with salt and pepper and scoot the oranges and onions off to the sides of the pan.

Arrange chicken in pan and rub with EVOO to coat the skin. Season chicken with black and red pepper then scatter the oregano over the chicken, onions and oranges. Add wine to the pan, along with the juice of 2 oranges. Drizzle honey around the pan and place in the oven. Toast 45 minutes or until juices run clear.

Serve chicken with oranges and onions, and with pan juices spooned over top and a whole head of roasted garlic along side. Pop cloves away from skins as you eat your chicken or spread on crusty bread.

5 Ingredient Meal: Tortellini Soup

From Rachael Ray
http://rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=3186


Easy, quick and good for a chilly winter day. FYI - if you don't cook wiht Spinach much, just know that it wilts down A LOT -- so put in more than you think you'll need. Or.... you can always add more in later, I suppose! Also, don't underestimate the power of lemon zest! The acidity adds just the perfect touch to this soup!

Ingredients:

•1 quart chicken stock
•1 bag tortellini (16 ounces), dried or fresh
•1 bunch spinach
•Zest of 1 lemon
•Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions
Place a medium pot over medium-high heat and bring the stock to a boil. Drop the tortellini into the pot and cook, according to the package directions. In the last 30 seconds of cooking, add the spinach and lemon zest into the pot. Season with salt and pepper and garnish each serving with some freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Rachael Ray's 15- Minute Meal: Chicken with BLT Gravy

The "BLT" stands for "Bacon, Leeks, and Tomato" :)

I made this today for lunch and we really enjoyed it! It took me a little bit longer than 15 minutes, but not too much (although I wasn't timing it or anything). Darrin even took seconds! :) Served with sourdough bread for "mopping". It would be great with rice too!

Oh and FYI -- I fixed everything as the recipe states... except that I only used boneless skinless thighs (they're so much cheaper) and could only fit 5 in my pan (so we only had 5 pieces of chicken, not 8 as the recipe calls for). I only used 1 leek, and not 2 (which was good since I had less chicken). Besides that though - stuck with everything else!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast, halved across
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed up
Salt and pepper
4 slices smoky bacon (chopped)
2 leeks
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken stock
2 small plum tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Crusty bread, to pass at table

Directions
Heat 2 skillets each with 1 tablespoon EVOO over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to first skillet, cook chicken 12 minutes, turning once.

Meanwhile, add bacon to second skillet. While bacon cooks, halve trimmed leeks lengthwise then slice 1/2 inch thick and vigorously wash in a colander then dry on kitchen towel. Add leeks to bacon and saute to soften 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the leeks 1 minute. Stir in stock and tomatoes and reduce heat to a simmer.

When chicken is done remove to platter and deglaze the pan drippings with wine, scraping up the bits and color 30 seconds, pour drippings into the gravy pan, stir to combine.
Finish gravy with cream, stir to combine and when sauce comes back up to a bubble, turn off heat and stir in Dijon mustard.

Finish gravy with cream, stir to combine and when sauce comes back up to a bubble, turn off heat and stir in Dijon mustard.

Spoon BLT gravy over chicken and serve with crusty bread torn into pieces for mopping.

Rachael Ray's Carmelized Onion Penne

http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=2874

Really good. Just be aware that it calls for a HALF pound (or half a bag) of penne. that would have been nice to notice as I made way too much pasta and the sauce wasn't very creamy since it was suppose to be for only half the pasta. :) But other than that - ooooo soo good! Made it with the Pork Chop Pizzaiola.

Ingredients
1/2 pound whole-wheat penne pasta
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 teaspoon anchovy paste or 4 flat fillets
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, (a couple of handfuls)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley


Preparation
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Salt the water and add the pasta. Cook to al dente and drain.

Heat the EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the anchovy paste and let it melt into the oil. Add the onions and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook the onions until very soft and light caramel in color, about 20 minutes. Stir in the cream, and cook until heated through. Remove the bay leaf, then add the pasta and cheese and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Racheal Ray's Pork Chop Pizzaiola

http://rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=2875

I made this the other night and it was OH so yummy. I used boneless pork chops, since that's what they had on sale. Turned out great. The only thing is that the "sauce" was a bit thin-- I thought that it was going to be thicker. Maybe next time, I'll cut down on the wine and chicken stock or just try to cook it down more before I throw in the chops.

Ingredients
4 bone-in pork chops (1 1/2-inch thick each)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup red wine
2 cups chicken stock

Preparation
Season chops with salt and pepper. Heat the EVOO in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crushed garlic and stir it around to flavor the oil. Add in the chops and caramelize on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the chops to a plate and reserve. Stir in the fennel seed, onions, red pepper flakes, and oregano. Reduce the heat and cook for 7-8 minutes.
Add the tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute, then add the wine, and cook for another minute. Stir in the stock and combine well. Slide the chops back into the pan, cover and simmer to finish cooking the chops, about 5-6 minutes. Arrange the chops and sauce on a serving platter and serve.

Rachael Ray's Spicy Thai Shrimp with Coconut Rice

Rachael Ray's "Thai it, You'll like it" Spicy Thai Shrimp with Coconut Rice

Click to watch the video on how to make it! You can also use chicken instead of shrimp.

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/thai-it-youll-it-spicy-thai-shrimp-coconut-rice/

Ingredients
1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
2 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
1 cup long grain white rice
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (or chicken if you prefer)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 fresh red chili, seeded and thinly sliced or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce or 2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cups (a couple of handfuls) basil, torn
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Yields: 4 servings

Preparation
Toast coconut in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns golden brown. Reserve 1/2 cup for garnish.

To the remaining coconut in the saucepan, add the chicken stock, rice and salt, and bring it to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, place a lid on top and cook for 15 minutes. Let the mixture stand for five minutes off the heat then fluff with a fork.

While the rice is cooking, preheat a large, nonstick skillet over high heat with the canola oil.

When the pan is hot, add the shrimp, red bell peppers, chili (or red pepper flakes) and garlic, stirring frequently for about 3-4 minutes.

Add the fish sauce (or soy sauce), basil and toss to combine. Serve the shrimp and some of the sauce over the coconut rice and squeeze some lime juice over everything. Garnish with the reserved toasted coconut and the lime zest.

Rachel Ray's 7 Layer Cassarole

Rachel Ray's Super-Sized 7 Layer Cassarole

To see the video and other pictures, go to the website:

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/super-sized-7-layer-casserole/

**FYI this recipe is for 12 servings! I haven't made it but it looks GREAT. But it also looks like a lot of work -- or at least time consuming. So I would, at least, go to the webiste, and print out the recipe so you can have it in front of you. I also wonder if you could make it and freeze the first 3 layers. hmmmm....

Ingredients
1 package corn tortillas or any color corn chips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or cooking spray
1 box elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, grated, divided
4 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped, divided
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon coriander
1 tablespoon cumin
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bottle of beer
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1 14.5-ounce can chopped tomatoes with chilies, drained
3 cups shredded yellow cheddar cheese, divided
2 cans vegetarian spicy refried beans
5 to 6 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Salt
2 limes, zest of 1 and juice of 2
2 avocados
1 cup sour cream
Juice of 1 lemon
Hot sauce to taste
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1/2 cup chopped olives with pimientos
1 bunch scallions, chopped
Yields: 12 servings

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400˚F.
If using corn tortillas, cut them into thin strips about 1/2 inch thick, and place them onto a baking sheet. Toss them with some vegetable oil or spray with cooking spray and season them with salt and ground pepper. Pop them into the oven and cook until crispy and golden, about 15 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water up to a boil over high heat. Salt the water then add the noodles and cook to package instructions.

Place a large skillet over medium high heat with a tablespoon EVOO. Brown the meat, then add in the onion, 4 cloves grated garlic and 2 jalapeños, and cook until tender.

Season the meat and veggies with chili powder, coriander, cumin and tomato paste. Let the meat mixture cook for a minute or two with the spices, then add the beer and let that cook down for about 4-5 minutes. Reserve.

While the meat is cooking, make the cheese sauce: In a saucepot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and give it a stir to combine with the butter. Cook for a minute or so then whisk in the milk. Cook until thickened.

Drain the can of tomatoes with chilies and add them to the thickened milk mixture. Fold in 2 1/2 cups cheese and the reserved noodles. Season with salt and pepper, and reserve.
In another saucepot, heat up the can of refried beans with a little bit of water.

To build the casserole, spread the beef mixture out in the bottom of a casserole dish. Top with the refried beans and finish it off with the mac and cheeses and the remaining cheese. Pop the casserole into the oven and bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
While the casserole is baking, make the salsa: Mix the plum tomatoes, remaining jalapeño peppers, red onion and cilantro in a small bowl. Season with salt, lime zest and juice, and reserve.
For the guacamole sour cream, scoop the flesh of the avocados into the bowl of a food processor and add the sour cream, lemon juice, remaining 2 cloves grated garlic and hot sauce. Process until creamy.

Once the casserole comes out of the oven, top it with the crispy corn strips and shredded iceberg lettuce. Top with the salsa, then the guacamole sour cream and finally the chopped olives with pimientos and scallions.

Caprese Lasagna

Otherwise known as Basil, Tomato and Mozzerella Lasagna! This was taken from Rachel Ray's show as part of her "Meals for a Steal" segment. It feeds 4 and came in for less than $9. I haven't made it yet, but I put it up here because I don't want to forget about it! :)

Check it out here and even watch her do the segment: http://rachelrayshow.com/food/recipes/caprese-lasagna/

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
A few grates fresh nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 box oven-ready lasagna noodles
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Half a bunch (about 30 leaves) basil, chopped
4 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

Preperation

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Place a large saucepot over medium-heat and melt the butter. Add garlic to pan and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and garlic, and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk the milk into the butter-flour mixture and bring up to a bubble. Add the nutmeg, season with salt and ground black pepper, and simmer until thickened, 3-4 minutes.

Assemble the lasagna by ladling a small amount (about 1/4 cup, just eyeball it) of the sauce into the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish and laying 3 lasagna noodles over the sauce. Top the noodles with a third of the sliced tomatoes, a third of the basil, 1/4 cup of sauce and a third of the shredded cheese. Repeat until all ingredients are used up, topping the lasagna off with a final layer of sauce and shredded cheese.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake the lasagna for 30 minutes. Remove the foil from the baking dish and bake another 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly. When ready to serve, top with remaining chopped basil leaves.