Blue Cheese Tomato Spinach Pasta

This is so yummy.  It is great with a nice glass of a light white wine.

Here is what you need.
14 oz can of dices tomatoes (I like petite diced but normal is fine too.)
1/3 cup of cream
thin spaghetti (I used half the box because there is two of us but you can easily double it and use a whole pound of pasta)
1 cup of blue cheese (roughly more is always better)
baby spinach
3-4 cloves of garlic
red pepper flakes to taste
pinch of salt
a little oil

 Heat some oil in a large skillet and saute minced/pressed garlic for a min

Add tomatoes and a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes to taste.  Cook for about 5 min on medium heat to remove most of the liquid.

Once the liquid is gone add the blue cheese and melt into tomatoes

Add the cream and mix in.  Taste test and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.  You can add a little black pepper if you want.

When the pasta is hot and drained add the baby spinach about 2 cups(more or less depending on preference) and wilt for a min.

Add hot pasta to skillet and toss together.

Top with more blue cheese if you are like me. Chris says absolutely not.

Calzone

Simple and easy.  Basically just a folded pizza.

You can fill them with anything.  I am thinking of making some filled with my buffalo dip.  These are great with dipping sauce.

Here is what you need.
Pizza dough (homemade or store bought) I make a double batch and freeze part of it and then let it thaw and proof on the counter.
Mozzerella
tomato sauce (I used jar stuff or you can make your own
Whatever pizza toppings you like.  Iused mushrooms, olives, and salami

Pre heat oven to 425. Cut dough in half and roll out thin. 

Spread some sauce on half and then over with slices of mozzarella.

Add toppings one at a time

Fold over the other half and crimp the edges closed with a fork.

Bake at 425 until slightly golden for about 20 min depending on the size.

Serve with dipping sauce and enjoy.

Pots of Cream

These are super easy.  It took me maybe 10min if that.  They are rich and look impressive.

This is all you need. 12 oz of chocolate chips, 4 eggs, 8 oz of very hot strong coffee, and a 1 tablespoon of vanilla.

Place chocolate chips, eggs, vanilla and a pinch of salt.

Blend until smooth

Add in hot coffee and blend for another min until it is smooth.Put into small wine glasses, mason jars, ramekins, for what ever you want and chill for at least 3 hours so it can set.

Top with whipped cream.  You can also add some chocolate shavings, orange rind etc.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is easy and yummy. It is great for parties and you can dip bread, chips, or crackers.  The dip can be kept warm in a mini crock pot.

Here is what you need. 
2 large cans of canned chicken
1 package of cream cheese
blue cheese salad dressing (you can use ranch but I hate ranch so blue cheese is a must)
wing sauce
mozzerella

Place cream cheese in pan on medium heat

Drain and add two cans of chicken

Add about a 3/4 cup of dressing blue cheese or ranch

Add about a cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

Add wing sauce to taste.  I like about 1/2 cup

Heat until warm and serve

Tangy Chicken and Mushroom Pasta

 This is so yummy. It has a nice tangy flavor.  Chris picked out the mushrooms but I love them so it was right up my alley.

Here is what you need.
4-5 chicken tenders.
2ish tablespoons of capers
a bunch of mushrooms (like crimini but you can use white too)
2 lemons
parselt
3/4 cup of cream
1/2 cup of white wine
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound of pasta (I started off with linguini but then I decided to use Orcchiette)
flour for breading
Parmesan for tapping
olive oil

 Heat a large skillet with olive oil on medium heat

Mix salt and pepper into some flour together for breading

Saute in pan and flip after a few min when golden brown and remove from pan and keep warm in oven.

Thinly slice mushrooms and add to pan and cook over medium heat. Add oil as needed.  When most of the liquid has left the mushrooms add salt and pepper to taste.

 Add 1 cup of white wine and cook for a min and then add the juice from 1 lemon and cook for a min until it started to turn golden brown

Add capers and a tablespoon of parsley and simmer for a few min until it thickens

You can grate in some Parmesan if you want.  Place warm chicken on hot pasta and spoon on sauce and enjoy.

Egg Hasbrown Cups

These are super easy and go well with any breakfast food.  We had french toast but you can do anything.
This is all you need. 
1. A couple potatoes (I like red)
2. Oil
3. Salt and pepper
4. Seasoning salt (optional I like the flavor it adds)
5. Eggs (1 per cup)

Grate potatoes with a large grater and toss with oil and liberally season with salt and pepper (or seasoning salt)

Grease a muffin tin and place some of seasoned shredded potatoes in each cup and then press down a little and place in 450 oven for about  15ish min until they edges start to crisp.  You can check with a fork.

Remove from oven and decrease oven to 400 and crack and egg into each cup.  Return to oven and cook until eggs are set.  I like my eggs runny but you may want to cook longer if you like your yolks well done.  For me it was about 8 min but it just depends.

Use a fork to loosen from muffin tin and enjoy.

Soft Pretzel

These take a little while but are so yummy.  Its not constant work.  They are not harder than any other yeast recipe. They are great with mustard or any dipping sauce you like.

This is what you need:
3 1/2ish cups of flour
2 1/2 teaspoon of yeast
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 egg
salt

Now its time to proof the yeast.  Mix 1 1/2 cups of warm but not boiling water with sugar, yeast.  Let rest for about 5 min until bubbly.

Here is how you mix the dough.  But the proofed yeast in a mixer bowl.  Mix in flour until it comes together with a slightly sticky ball.  Switched in dough hook and knead for 3-4.  Knead for 3ish min by hand.

Place dough in a tightly covered bowl in a warm place.  Let rise for about 45 min or until doubled in size.

Cut into eight pretty equal pieces.

Roll into a rope to about 24 inches.  It works best if you roll from the center out.

Twist into a pretzel shape and place on a greased pan.  Let rest for 20 min uncovered. While you wait preheat oven to 425 and boil a large pot of water with a large mouth.

Boil for 3 min per side in batches and remove from water and place on greased baking sheet.

Whisk egg and brush egg on boiled pretzel and then grind on some course salt from a salt mill or you can use pretzel salt. Bake for 35 min at 425.  If you have tow pans rotate sheets half way through.

Remove and let cool for a couple of min.

Serve warm with dipping sauce.  You can use mustard, cheese sauce, BBQ sauce, ranch, marinara etc.