adventures in cooking: penne with roasted asparagus and balsamic butter

I hate balsamic vinegar.

The taste, the smell...everything. However, I recently learned that it is much tastier once reduced, therefore, this recipe looked promising and I'm always looking to expand my pasta recipes.

This one turned out to be quite delicious! It was just as good as leftovers too! I originally pinned this recipe on Pinterest from Food & Wine. Other than being lazy with my measurements, I stayed pretty true to it.*

I have only two minor complaints. First, the pasta to asparagus ratio was extremely low. If this were intended as a side dish; that's one thing, but as a main (vegetarian) dish I think 2 lbs. of asparagus would have been more fulfilling. My second complaint is a little nit picky...this recipe produces an annoyingly large amount of dishes between the roasting of the asparagus, the simmering of the vinegar and then the pasta. It was a daunting pile.

Anyway, luckily it was worth it and it was delicious and I will be breaking this recipe out again!

The Recipe:

1 pound asparagus (or 2!)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 T. balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 pound penne
1/4 pound butter,** cut into pieces
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and then cut them into one inch pieces. Put them on a baking sheet and toss them with the oil then sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, simmer the vinegar in a small saucepan until about 2 tablespoons remain. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Remove from heat.

3. Cook the penne as directed. Drain the pasta then toss with the butter, vinegar, asparagus, Parmesan and the remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt. Serve topped with more Parmesan cheese.

*I lied. Keep reading...
**As I was copying this recipe I realized that I originally read this as 1/4 CUP of butter and freaked out for a moment. Luckily I faulted on the side of less instead of more AND I only ended up adding about 4 T of it anyway. Phew!

adventures in cooking: chocolate and peanut butter squares

I took a little weekend trip to Indianapolis to visit friends and wanted to come armed with lots of chocolate and candies. I find that everyone is excited to see you when you come bearing food!

My original plan was to make homemade caramels which I attempt to tackle each year, and each year I fail somewhat miserably. This year was semi-successful because I came away with one delicious batch and a second that never moved beyond the gooey stage. The back-up plan was chocolate and peanut butter squares that were a heck of a lot less time consuming and (maybe) better tasting.

The caramel catastrophe happened at about 10 p.m. so a late night run to the grocery store was in order because I was short just one ingredient. Luckily, making the chocolate and peanut butter squares took no time at all! These proved to be the perfect last minute dessert!

 The recipe:

1 pound white chocolate
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream

I first lined an 9x13" dish with wax paper to make removing the chocolate easy once it had set up. Next time I make this I think I'll use a slightly smaller pan so my squares come out a littler thicker. 

Next, melt the white chocolate in the microwave for about one minute and stir until creamy. Add the peanut butter and blend until smooth.

Spread mixture into the prepared pan and refrigerate for about an hour until firm.

In a saucepan over medium heat combine the chocolate chips and heavy cream. Stir constantly until smooth and creamy then layer it on top of the firm peanut butter layer. Refrigerate overnight (or about 3 hours if you're in a hurry) and then lift it out with the wax paper and cut into squares.

Enjoy!

I found the original recipe on Souffle Bombay and stayed pretty true to her instructions.

christmas baking

Maybe it's because I've been in a baking sort of mood (it's one of my favorite gifts to give), but I love the food and treats that go along with Christmas. I found They Draw and Cook through my sister's blog and love the combination of recipes and illustration. Sadly, I base a lot about the recipe on how much I like the illustration. Here are some of my favorites.

All recipes from They Draw and Cook.
(click on recipes to make them larger)

applesauce cake

I just made this wonderful cake for my book club girls and it was delicious. I see a whole lot more applesauce cake in my future this holiday season.

Picture and recipe from Smitten Kitchen.

ming makes cupcakes...and cookies and savouries

I stumbled upon the world's greatest (and most dangerous) site, Ming Makes Cupcakes. I want to try each and every cupcake but first are these two. She has everything, great photography, a fantastically simple but nice website design, and great recipes. This is my new favorite bookmark!

Click on images to view the full recipes or find tons more here.

SNEAK PEAK #3

My current state of mind? I'm not dwelling on how much I should be doing, instead excited for what I have done.

thin spaghetti with basil pasta

It is very likely that pasta makes up 90% of my diet. This is one of my go-to recipes for a quick dinner because you can put together the pesto while the pasta is cooking and the entire dish takes no more then 15 minutes start to finish. The original recipe called for a food processor in order to make the pesto but I just use my little chopping board and it turns out just as good!

Ingredients:
8 oz. of thin spaghetti
1 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 large garlic clove
3/4 t. salt
1/8 t. ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil

1. Chop basil leaves into fine pieces. Chop garlic, then add garlic, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese to basil.

2. Cook pasta until tender. Drain.

3. In a large bowl mix spaghetti and basil pesto.