Shrimp and Chourico Linguine

I did a good job not wasting food this week. I decided to use the rest of the chourico I didn't use for the stuffed chicken. This was a super easy and super quick recipe, but I would definitely change it next time.

This recipe calls for 3 large tomatoes to be chopped and added to some garlic and chourico and sauteed and simmered to make a sauce....it doesn't really make a sauce. I recommend using some canned crushed tomatoes to add to the chourico and garlic so you have an actual sauce. Nonetheless, it was yummy, but we added a lot of olive oil to make it not as dry.

Shrimp and Chourico Linguine
from Cooking in Sens

1/2 lb chourico, coarsely chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
3 large tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped (Use canned crushed tomatoes here)
Salt and pepper
Crushed red pepper
1 lb shrimp
1/2 lb fresh linguini, cooked and drained
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped chives

1. Saute the chourico in the oil for 3 minutes, add the garlic and saute for a further minute or two.
2. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and crushed red, bring to a boil, then simmer for 8 minutes.
3. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the linguini and toss to coat with the sauce.  Add the parsley and chives, then serve immediately.

Serve over pasta.

S'mores Bars

This vacation is going by wayyyy faster than I expected. I've been productive, but not as productive as I wanted to be. Oh well.

I did manage to get some baking in yesterday. I wanted to make something somewhat quick, so cupcakes were out. So were some other projects I had planned on doing since I had so much time due to vacation. Once again, oh well.


S'mores Bars
from What's Cookin Chicago

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallow
2 cups bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Thoroughly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until light, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs until well combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly beat flour mixture into butter mixture.
4. Reserve 1/4 of the dough and set aside. Press the remaining dough into greased pan until dough is uniform and flat. Top with chocolate chips and sprinkle with marshmallows.  Scatter the reserved dough over in clumps. Don't worry about covering the top; marshmallow and chocolate chips should peek through.
5. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into bars and remove from pan.

Cheese and Chourico Stuffed Chicken

I'm on vacation. I'm on vacation. I'm on vacation.

Did I mention I'm on vacation?

I got a couple of pretty sweet baking cookbooks for Christmas, so perhaps tomorrow I'll start using some of those recipes. I also got some pretty sweet kitchen gear too, like a roasting pan, a cupcake batter dispenser (yesssss), a strainer spoon, a garlic crusher, a cake carrier, and.....a waffle maker!

Tonight I actually made something without a recipe. I know, I'm moving on up in the cooking world. It was pretty good too, but I would definitely add more cheese next time...most of it melted and leaked out of the chicken.

Cheese & Chourico Stuffed Chicken


4 chicken breasts, pounded out to about 1/2 or 1/4 inch
1 chourico sausage, casing removed and chopped into small pieces
1/2 block of Velveeta cheese, diced (there will be leftovers)
6 slices of bacon, uncooked

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Place some diced chourico and diced cheese in the middle of the flattened chicken. Roll up and place seem side down in a greased baking dish.
3. Repeat with the rest of the chicken, sausage and cheese.
4. Cut bacon strips in half and place 3 pieces over each chicken breast.
5. Bake for 45-50 minutes until juices run clear and chicken is cooked through.

Place chicken between saran wrap when pounding

Spiced Rum Eggnog Cupcakes with Eggnog Latte Frosting

I tried eggnog for the first time on Friday. I probably never would have, but Dan and I had a playful spat a couple of weeks ago about how I was ridiculous to not like eggnog, and even more ridiculous for saying I didn't like it when I had never actually tried it.

He may have been right.

It was okay...a little too thick and sweet. I only had a couple of sips and can't really imagine drinking an entire cup of it, rum or no rum. I could, however, see myself trying it in some coffee.

Yesterday was the Franco's annual member's yankee swap. I (Dan) decided that eggnog cupcakes was the choice to make. The first batch was a disaster, a batter that never fully baked and came out tacky. Not Lady GaGa tacky (we get it GaGa, you're weird), sticky and gooey tacky. I attempted a different recipe, only to find out it made 12 cupcakes.

Who brings 12 cupcakes to a party of 60 people? I had to rush to make a quick appetizer to bring as well. Yesterday was a stressful day. Not too mention I'm doing this all with a cold.

I did end up having 1 bite of a cupcake and gave the rest to Dan. They are really good, and have a pretty good kick of spiced rum flavor, which is why I couldn't eat a whole one. Spiced rum and I don't exactly get along.

If you make these, be aware that the frosting recipe makes enough for at least 2 dozen cupcakes, so you may want to make 2 batches of cupcakes. Also, this cupcake recipe tends to be a bit stickier than a nice soft cake, and the middles sink a bit.

Spiced Rum Eggnog Cupcakes
from Annie's Eats

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
¼ cup dark rum or bourbon (optional)
1 cup eggnog
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sugar

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; whisk to combine.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the rum, eggnog, vegetable oil, vinegar, and sugar.  Beat on medium-low speed until well blended.  Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until incorporated.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling the cups 2/3 full.  Bake 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Coffee Frosting

adapted from The Doctor's Dishes, Desserts & Decor

1 cup chilled whipping cream
8 oz mascarpone
1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 to 3 cups confectioner's sugar (depending upon how thick you prefer frosting - I used about 2 1/2 cups)

1 tbsp. spiced rum

Whip up whipping cream in mixer until soft peaks begin to form. Fold in mascarpone. While mixing over low speed, slowly add the coffee granules and confectioner's sugar, one cup at a time, being careful not to over whip frosting.

Tomato & Garlic Pesto Shrimp Scampi

Dan and I have returned from our weekend trip to New Jersey. One of my college roommates got married yesterday to his high school sweetheart. Their wedding was pretty stellar. They had a phenomenal spread for their cocktail hour and a three course dinner. The dinner was a starter of a sort of deconstructed gazpacho, followed by a dinner of a quarter chicken, beef roast, and sauteed veggies. The dessert was a 3-tiered sampler of mini apple pie, a mini chocolate cake topped with berries and a mini chocolate cup filled with fruit sorbet. I know, I know, the food isn't the most important thing of the day, but this is a food blog. Their wedding was a very traditional Jewish wedding at a beautiful country club...I can't even imagine what was shelled out for that wedding.

Congrats Eric and Jacky!

The ride home from Jersey was....how do I say this nicely.....effing miserable. My GPS didn't take us back the way we came (which was a breeze), then we literally stopped for 30-40 minutes in one spot before hitting I-95, and paid over $12 in tolls. Thankfully, Dan was driving...he has yet to witness my passive-aggressive road rage.

We got home at 2....and I was supposed to be at cheerleading tryouts before 2, so I ran in, changed, conducted tryouts, then came home...forgetting to go to the grocery store on the way home. I did come home to Dan re-organizing the kitchen (awesome) and him being okay with me being lazy and throwing together what we had at home.

Tomato & Garlic Pesto Shrimp Scampi
from me :)

1 lb. linguine, fettucini, or spaghetti
1/2 lb shrimp, tails removed (I used frozen pre-cooked shrimp)
5 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil (I used garlic & parsley infused oil)
2 tbsp. minced garlic
2-3 tbsp. Tastefully Simple's Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto seasoning


1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and garlic.
3. Add in butter and mix til melted.
4. Sprinkle pesto seasoning on top and cook until heated through.
5. Serve shrimp over pasta.

Taco Pasta

Dan says I have to finish this post before we go out.

Why is Dan dictating what I do? Because I can't make up my mind...though I did decide what to make for dinner...no input from Dan.

I was doing pretty good on making dinner that contain lots of meat, but I always come back to pasta at some point. Damn carbs. I've had this recipe for quite some time, and have always wanted to make it, but I spent a decent amount of time debating between this and empanadas. Stay tuned for those.

I also made some jalapeno corn bread with this. Just take a basic cornbread muffin mix, prepare as directed and add 1/2 a cup of corn kernels (I used canned) and 1 diced jalapeno.

Taco Pasta 
from Lauren's Latest

1lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. rotini
1 packet taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups salsa
1/2 cup water
2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup cream

1. Cook pasta as directed until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, brown beef in a deep skillet. Drain and rinse under hot water to remove the fat. Wipe down the pan.
3. Return beef to pan and mix in the taco seasoning, salsa and water. Stir to combine and reduce heat to simmer.
4. When pasta is done, drain it and add it to the skillet. Mix it in with the meat and salsa.
5. Stir in the cheese and cream and mix until cheese is melted.