kitchen discoveries

I love one pot recipes. They are simple to prepare, and there is very little cleanup involved.  I especially love the pasta ones.  Maybe it's because I love pasta so much haha. This one is quite simple, and depending on what type of sausage you use, it's incredibly delicious.  This recipe is an adaptation of Laura in the Kitchen's "One Pot Single Step Spaghetti."  I didn't make many changes, but I definitely used a different sausage for mine.  I love the simplicity of this recipe. I also LOVE how flavorful it is. If you wish to see the original recipe, click the link provided at the bottom of this post! Without further adieu...here's the recipe!

Ingredient List
12 oz cooked sausage, sliced  (any kind you want!)
1 yellow onion, sliced into half moon slices
1/4 cup basil pesto (homemade or store bought)
1 cup tomato sauce
3 1/2 cups water
3 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb spaghetti
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt, to taste

1.  Put the sausage, onion, pesto, tomato sauce, water, and garlic into a large pan with very high sides or a large pot.  If you were wondering what sausage I used, I ended up using a chicken, artichoke, and mozzarella sausage I found at Costco. This is sooo good. I suggest getting it if you see it available at any Costco or grocery store near you.


I also used Kirkland brand pesto; I didn't have any homemade pesto. If you have homemade pesto, use that! Give the ingredients a light mix. Then, place the spaghetti into the pot.  DO NOT BREAK UP THE SPAGHETTI.  About 1/3 -1/2 of the spaghetti should be dry and should not be touching the wet mixture, as shown below.



2.  Once the mixture comes to a rapid boil, work the spaghetti slowly into the "sauce."


Turn down the heat to medium and allow it to cook for about 8-10 minutes (or until the spaghetti is al dente).  If it seems like your pasta needs more water, pour some into the pot a little at a time as needed.  While the pasta cooks, stir it frequently so as not to burn the pasta; this dish can easily burn if you don't keep an eye on it. The pasta should look like the photo below when it's just about done. There should be no excess liquid and the noodles should be al dente.


3.  Once the pasta is done cooking, take the pot/pan off the heat and mix in the parmesan cheese. If you have Parmigiano-Reggiano, use that instead! :) Serve it right away!


I loved the taste of this pasta. It is very thick and very filling.  I found that the pasta was a little high maintenance to make, seeing that it needed constant supervision.  The pasta takes so little time to make, though, and it is so worth it.  I had leftovers for days!! Hope you all get a chance to try out this recipe, and happy cooking!

Original Written Recipe by Laura Vitale: click here!
Video Recipe by Laura Vitale: click here!

I just want to preface this post with the following: this recipe is in NO WAY meant to be authentic.  In fact, this particular recipe was done with a Japanese "twist."  The original recipe was created by Ochikeron, a Japanese YouTube food blogger.  Check her out by clicking here! Her recipes are fun and often incorporate "cute" elements; she even makes a Totoro bento in one of her videos. If you don't know who Totoro is, look him up! He's so adorable! 

Anyway, I digress. If you decide to recreate this wonderful dish, just be aware that the ingredients are NOT traditional.  However, I think her take on chicken tikka masala is delicious.  Without further adieu, here's the recipe! I made a few adaptations to the recipe for my personal taste and doubled the serving size, so if you wish to see the original recipe by Ochikeron (unaltered), please check out the link at the end of the post!

INGREDIENTS
4 pieces (31.7g) House Vermont Curry Mix (Med. Hot)
1 lb 12 oz chicken breast
1 medium onion, sliced
1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
13.5 oz water
3 tbsp butter
2 tsp soy sauce
5.6 oz plain yogurt
4 tbsp ketchup
cooked rice (however much you want to eat!)
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1.  Chop your chicken breast into bite-sized pieces.  Once chopped, add the plain yogurt and ketchup to the chopped chicken and mix well.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Let the chicken sit in the seasonings until needed.



2.  Heat the butter in a large frying pan over medium. After the butter has melted, add the onions to the hot pan.  Cook the onions until softened and lightly browned.



3.  Once the onions have softened, add the chicken breast to the hot pan.  Make sure to separate the chicken pieces so that each individual bite is cooked evenly! Stir the chicken constantly in the pan and cook this way for about 2 minutes.  Once the chicken has just started to change color (it does not have to be browned!), add in the tomato sauce and water.  Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes.



4.  After simmering it down for 5 minutes, turn off the heat.  Then, add the curry roux pieces to the pot and mix them in until they are completely melted. It should look thicker and the color should change slightly.



5.  Turn on the heat again after the curry roux is completely mixed in. Simmer for another 3 minutes. Add in the heavy cream and soy sauce and stir thoroughly.  Heat for a few seconds, sprinkle some parsley flakes on top, and serve!





I served mine on top of some Japanese rice! I thought it was really delicious.  It didn't taste like chicken tikka masala (or at least the dishes that I've tasted here in the US), but it was a tasty twist on the dish! If you wanna give this a go, I totally recommend it. Just don't think you will be getting a traditional, authentic recipe.

ORIGINAL RECIPE VIDEO: click here!

So, I know I mentioned that I would be featuring some Laura in the Kitchen recipes and recipe adaptations for a little while...

HOWEVER, I decided to change my mind and try something new! This recipe is actually something I made up on my own. I recently was introduced to this amazing book, The Flavor Bible.  It basically gives you an extensive list of ingredient pairings and combos! I had bought some gorgeous salmon steaks from Marukai Supermarket, one of my local grocery stores, and I thought I would feature them in a savory, bold dish.  The book provided me with a list of ingredients that would go particularly well with salmon, and I decided to create this meal. Hope you enjoy! Also, if you want to check the book out, click here.

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp olive oil
4 slices bacon, diced
5-6 grape or cherry tomatoes, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 salmon steaks

I started out with three gorgeous salmon steaks.  They were medium-sized and were very fresh.  I always recommend using fresh fish when possible; there is an enormous difference in taste.  I simply gave the steaks a quick rinse and patted them dry.  Then, I seasoned them with a little salt and pepper.  After seasoning, I heated the olive oil in large non-stick pan over medium heat; once the oil was hot, I placed the salmon steaks in the pan.



I cooked the fish steaks under they were golden brown on both sides, flipping every 2 minutes. My salmon took 10-12 minutes to fully cook.  Please make sure NOT to overcook your fish.  Once they are done, plate the fish and let the steaks rest.

 While the salmon was cooking, I began the process of cooking the saute. I decided to cook the bacon first, placing the diced bacon in a medium-sized non-stick pan over medium-high heat.  I did not add any oil, since the bacon I used had more than enough fat to cook itself.  Once the bacon was crispy and browned (this took about 10 minutes), I took the bits out of the pan with a slotted spoon, leaving the bacon fat in the pan. I lowered the heat to medium then added in the onions and tomatoes to the pan.


If you feel uncomfortable using bacon fat, you can totally wipe the pan clean and use some olive oil or whatever oil you prefer to saute the veggies (I suggest either olive, canola, or vegetable). Although you can do whatever you like, I think that frying the vegetables in the bacon fat gives them SO much gorgeous flavor.  I didn't need to add any extra oil to my veggies, but if your bacon did not have as much fat as mine, feel free to add a bit more oil so that the veggies don't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn (no good).  Once the veggies start to wilt and caramelize, add the bacon back into the pan for about 1 minute.



After about 1 minute, take the pan off the heat.  Spoon the saute over your fish (which should already be done and resting).  Then, you are done!

The first thing that I noticed was that this dish was not particularly photogenic (as shown by the above photo).  However, despite this fact, this dish was incredibly tasty and filling.  I loved the punch of the bacon and the sweetness of the tomatoes.  I especially loved the salmon steaks with this dish; you can use fillets as well, but I always prefer the steaks. The steaks are delightfully fatty and so flavorful! Anyway, I suggest eating this with some steamed veggies, edamame, or steamed rice. Enjoy, and hope you like it!

I decided that the next couple of recipes on my blog would be from my newest cookbook, Laura Vitale's Laura in the Kitchen.  To buy the cookbook, click here or visit your nearest bookstore to see if they have it in stock! My Barnes and Noble had it, and I was happy to see it featured!  I am loving the recipes so far; I really really recommend getting this cookbook, especially if you are looking for one that has simple Italian recipes.

This particular recipe is an incredibly simple one, perfect for another weeknight sort of meal.  The beans are a great substitute for a starchy side dish, such as rice or pasta.  I did modify this dish, so if you want to see the original recipe, you definitely should check her cookbook out.  Anyway, without further adieu, I give you Cannellini Beans with Bacon and Greens (recipe adapted from Laura Vitale's Cannellini Beans with Pancetta and Spinach).

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp olive oil

4 oz bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 (15-oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

6 cups mixed spring greens, including spinach

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

First, I heated up the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Once the the oil was heated through, I added the bacon.  The original recipe called for either bacon or pancetta, but I was on a budget this week and decided to use bacon, the cheaper alternative.  

Once the bacon got crispy, which took about 5 minutes, I added in the garlic.  I cooked the garlic for about one minute; be careful not to burn your garlic!  

Once the garlic is lightly browned, I added in all of the beans.  MAKE SURE TO DRAIN AND RINSE THEM.  I cooked them for a few minutes until they were heated through.


Once the beans were heated through, I added in the greens, salt, and black pepper.  I used a mixture of spinach and spring greens that I found at my supermarket.  Use whatever fresh greens you like!  I think the mixture of greens went really well with the saltiness of the bacon.


Once the greens are wilted, your dish is done!


This recipe was so surprisingly flavorful and was a great side dish to my pan-fried swai (a type of mild white fish)! The light fish paired really well with the tasty beans and the crunch of the bacon.  I also loved the freshness of the wilted greens; when making this dish, I think I'll continue to use the mixture of greens rather than just all spinach.  This dish really goes with anything, from beef to seafood.  I totally recommend trying this out! If you love garlic and bacon, these beans will hit the spot!

Stay tuned for my next kitchen discovery:  SALMON WITH BACON SAUTE!

I don't know about you, but I am exhausted at the end of the work day.  Although I love cooking, I sometimes just feel like whipping up a quick meal and will not be bothered.  Instead of warming up a frozen dinner or canned whatever, I recently decided to try Laura Vitale's Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe! I got the recipe from Laura's newly released cookbook! It is full of simple, delicious recipes, and I can't wait to dig into it.  To purchase her wonderful cookbook, click here!

Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe is basically spaghetti with cheese and pepper.  It's super easy and simple to make; think of it as a less creamy version of mac and cheese! It goes great as a side dish; I personally think this would pair well with chicken.  I really recommend taking a look at the original recipe in the book since I may take shortcuts or make adaptations to the original recipe.

INGREDIENTS
12 oz dried spaghetti
4 tbs (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino romano
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

When cooking pasta dishes, I always get a pot of water boiling first; it's usually the thing that takes the longest.  I did exactly that for this recipe.  I also decided to put my butter in a heatproof bowl next to the stove to soften while I prepped the rest of my ingredients.  Note: I always use real, good-quality butter;  it makes a huge difference in the taste.  I would not recommend substituting the butter for margarine or "fake butter" in the tub! It will not taste the same.  I used my Challenge Unsalted Butter this time.


While the pasta water was boiling, I decided to prep my cheeses.  This recipe calls for both Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano.  In the below photo, the Pecorino is to the right and the two chunks of Parmigiano are to the left. The Pecorino is a really sharp and salty cheese and is often used with pasta dishes, like this one. Parmigiano is a little grittier in texture than Pecorino.  It is also sharp and has a little more savory/nutty flavor to it.  I love both, but I actually prefer Pecorino! Anyway, make sure to use good quality cheeses in this dish. They are the STARS of this dish (well, also the black pepper, but I'll get to that).  Do NOT use that parmesan in the canned aisle; I beg of you.


I then grated the cheeses using my handy grater/measuring cup. It's pretty awesome. You snap on the "grating" lid and you can grate whatever you want directly into a measuring cup.  I forgot where I got this; it may have even been a gift!


By the time I grated my cheeses, my water was boiling and ready for the pasta.  For this recipe, I used a corn, quinoa, rice, and fiber pasta by Garofalo that I found at Costco; it's gluten-free as well.  This is my first time trying this gluten-free pasta, and it did not taste bad at all! The consistency was a bit different, but I would buy it again! I still prefer regular pasta, but I would give this a try if you want gluten-free. To buy it, click here or visit your local Costco (not sure if they still have it in stock).


This recipe called for the pasta to be cooked 2 minutes less than the designated cooking time, so I boiled the pasta for 8 minutes.  I also reserved 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water before draining the pasta.  While the pasta was draining, I placed the same empty pot on the stovetop over medium heat.  In the pot, I added the drained noodles and the reserved cooking water.  Then I tossed in my Challenge butter, the grated cheeses, and loads of black pepper.  To be honest, I think I added wayyyyy more than 1 tsp of pepper.  I just kept grinding my pepper mill until I couldn't grind NO' MO'! Also make sure to use freshly ground black pepper for this dish; the flavor is just a million times better. I cooked this mixture for 3 minutes, stirring constantly so that it wouldn't burn and the cheese wouldn't stick.


After the 3 minutes, I turned off the heat, covered the pot, and let the pasta sit for 1 minute.  After the minute, I quickly plated the dish! Here it is in its glory:


I loved this dish. It was milder than I was expecting but satisfying nonetheless. I added a bit more salt to it after making myself a full plate. If you make this dish, make sure to thoroughly salt your pasta water. OR, alternatively, add more grated cheese on top of your personal serving.  I recommend this for a quick, easy dinner on a weeknight or a side dish to a grilled marinated chicken breast or even some leftover chicken parm!

Stay tuned for my next kitchen discovery: CANNELLINI BEANS WITH BACON & SPINACH!

I haven't baked in a while, and when I saw this wonderful recipe on YouTube, I felt the need to get my hands (and my apron) dirtied with some gorgeous flour. I found this recipe on my favorite YouTube cooking channel, Laura in the Kitchen.  Her recipes usually never fail me and are super simple and easy. Although I live in Hawaii, I love to get into the spirit of fall, and I thought this recipe was a perfect way to do it! FYI, this recipe will be a little longer since it is a bit more involved.

As always, the link to the full recipe and YouTube video will be found at the end of this post.  I really recommend taking a look at both since I may take shortcuts or make adaptations to the original recipe.

INGREDIENT LIST for MUFFINS  

2 cups all purpose flour                     

2 tsp baking powder                           

1/2 tsp baking soda                   

1/2 tsp salt                       

3/4 cup granulated sugar                             

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice                                

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup of milk

4 chai tea bags

2 eggs

3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

I first preheated my oven to 350 degrees. I also lined one medium-sized muffin pan with cupcake/muffin liners; I chose the pastel ones I found at the grocery store because they were 1) cheap and 2) cute.

I then poured my milk into a saucepan and heated it on low on the stove. It took about 3 minutes to get to a simmer. While the milk was heating up, I combined the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a big bowl.

By the time I had measured and mixed the dry ingredients, the milk was ready.  I took it off the heat and then added the tea bags to the hot milk.  I steeped the tea bags for 5 minutes.

While the tea was steeping, I placed the chopped walnuts in a small bowl and mixed it with about 1/2 cup of the dry flour mixture. I didn't toast my walnuts (GASP); I bought a bag of chopped walnuts and felt too lazy to toast them. I was baking late at night; forgive me.



In another bowl, I whisked (by hand) the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla extract together.  It was pretty easy to do by hand, so an electric mixer wasn't necessary.



Then, I poured in the wet ingredients into the dry flour mixture.



 By the time I was done with mixing the wet and dry ingredients, the milk was ready. I removed the tea bags and squeezed them to get all the wonderful chai tea flavor before discarding them.  I then added the milk little by little to the mixture until the milk was fully incorporated.




I used my ice-cream scoop to evenly divide the mixture into the 12 muffin tins, doing my best to be as neat as possible.The recipe is supposed to make 18 muffins, but I decided to fill the muffin tins more generously and simply discard the rest of the mixture.  I don't have two regular-sized muffin baking dishes, and there really wasn't much left over due to my generous fillings (maybe just enough for one muffin).  I placed the muffin pan into the oven and set my timer for 20 minutes.



After exactly 20 minutes, I took my muffins out of the oven and let them cool on my countertop for about 30 minutes.



On to the frosting:

INGREDIENT LIST for FROSTING
3 oz cream cheese, softened at room temp
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened at room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/4 cup confectioner sugar
3 or so tbsp milk

This frosting is incredibly simple to make, and I made it while the muffins were baking. I mixed together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice until everything was incorporated.  (TIP: while you are making the muffins, leave the cream cheese and butter on your counter to soften!) Then, I added all the sugar and mixed.  Next, I added the milk a splash at a time, mixing well after every splash.  In total, I added about 2 1/2 tbsp of milk; I wanted my glaze a little thicker rather than runny.  Once mixed, I kept it in the fridge until the muffins were cooled. Then, I spread the glaze on each muffin with a butter knife and VOILA:



I loved this recipe so so so so much. I think I may have overmixed the batter for the muffins just a tad, but they still tasted so delicious and warm and comforting. Also, despite my generous pouring of the batter, the muffin was definitely fully cooked through. The muffins have a hint of chai tea flavor, enough to make you take notice but not too overpowering.  The frosting/glaze, though, was my absolute favorite part! You could really taste that cream cheese and pumpkin pie spice. It's so good and soooo pretty on top of the muffin; the frosting is translucent and has specs of spice running throughout! I ate these for breakfast and gave some to my co-workers for an afternoon nibble; they loved them! I have also commented that I could swim in a tub of that frosting. Laura Vitale, you are genius.

For the video recipe, click here. For the full online recipe instructions, click here.

Stay tuned for my next kitchen discovery: SPAGHETTI CACIO E PEPE!

I came across this recipe on Pinterest. It looked quite delicious and perfect for a weekday night! There are a few ingredients, and it is quite inexpensive, especially if you get the value pack of chicken legs.  I usually stray away from value packs, BUT the recipe called for a lot of chicken; I didn't feel like spending too much $$$.  To see my take on the recipe, my thoughts, and the cooking process... keep reading! As always, the original recipe will be linked at the bottom of the post.

Ingredient List

2 1/2 lbs chicken legs

1 2/3 tbs olive oil

1/2 cup soy sauce 

1 2/3 tbs ketchup 

3/4 cup honey

2-3 garlic cloves

salt and pepper

I first preheated my oven to 350 degrees (Fahrenheit).  I always preheat my oven first so that it's alllll ready when my dish is arranged and ready for baking.  Next, I placed my chicken legs in a single layer in a 9x13 baking dish.

Then, I mixed the olive oil, soy sauce, ketchup, and honey in a small bowl.  To make things easier, I usually put a little oil in my measuring cup before measuring out my honey; it's a little trick I learned from Laura Vitale that makes the honey easier to pour out and measure.  Also, I used low-sodium soy sauce & Japanese ketchup.  I find Japanese ketchup to be less overpowering in flavor, so I prefer it over American ketchup.  

Next, I minced the garlic cloves.  I used THREE medium-sized cloves. The more garlic, the better!

After mincing the garlic, I mixed it into the sauce mixture and poured the sauce over the chicken.  I then salt & pepper-ed the chicken and placed the pan in the preheated oven.

I let the chicken cook at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes.  After 35-40 minutes, I took the pan out of the oven and basted the chicken in that gorgeous sauce.  Then, I turned the oven up to 375 and cooked them for a remaining 25 minutes.  After the 25 minutes was up, I took the pan out of the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes. This is the end result (as shown above):

I found the sauce to be amazingly tasty. HOWEVER, the chicken was not brown enough for me and not at all crispy.  The skin was strangely soft (no crunch), despite being cooked through and baked for so long.  It may turn out better if I turn the heat up higher for the remaining 15-20 minutes of cooking time or if I used chicken wings instead.  I don't recommend using the chicken legs.  Overall, I'm glad I made this dish, but it wasn't my favorite. That sauce though...YUM!

TIP: soak your pan immediately after serving! The honey can make cleanup really difficult if it sticks to the pan and hardens. After soaking the pan overnight, clean-up became a LOT easier. 

For the original recipe, click here! Stay tuned for my next kitchen discovery: CHAI TEA MUFFINS!