Experiencing flavor you can savor!
Click here for the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnfo6Hik28c
Sometimes we have an off day.
We are tired.
We are surrounded by BIG emotions.
We don’t see eye to eye on everything.
We get in the weeds of the wilderness of our own thoughts.
I feel compelled to encourage you today: Don’t let the MESS hinder your performance. Don’t let the stress keep you from moving forward.
… Read More »Frittatas are all about a technique that’s hard to screw up and are easily customizable. I like to follow this simple formula to make the perfect frittata. Eggs plus meat plus veg plus cream plus cheese. You can substitute as you see fit but this is literally all you need. I have prepared a special gift for you, a free printable/wallpaper featuring the Frittata Formula. Now the power is in your hands whenever you crave this eggy goodness! CHEERS!
Frittata Formula Phone Wallpaper
Frittata Formula Desktop/Printable
If you’re curious about the 12 Things I learned in 2020, you can check it out here in our “Fearless Living” thoughts for this month! I would love to hear what you have learned this year in the comment section!
Ingredients:
8 to 10 small waxy potatoes (about 1 ounce each), scrubbed and quartered
1 cup vegetable or another broth or use salted water if you don’t have on hand
1/4 cup olive oil
4 slices of bacon, cooked till crisp and crumbled or finely chopped
8 ounces (usually 1 bundle) broccoli, trimmed and sliced into thin florets
1 small red or white onion, thinly sliced
8 large eggs
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
1.) In a medium size bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream. Salt and pepper to taste. If you need some guidance I would start with a big pinch or about ½ a tsp of salt. Same with the pepper. You want to make sure that you pepper the eggs till you can visibly see the pepper grinds in the egg cream mix when whisked together. Add in about half of the grated parmesan cheese and mix until incorporated.
2) First step is to prepare veggies. Turn the heat on to medium in a 12 inch, oven proof frying pan. Once the pan is warm pour in your cooking liquid (chicken or veg broth…or salted water) and add in your potatoes, cut side down. Bring the liquid to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer. Let the potatoes simmer for about 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has absorbed and potatoes are tender.
3) Add olive oil, broccoli and onions to the pan and saute over medium heat. You want to make sure everything gets tossed in the oil. Then cover your pan with a lid or a piece of aluminum foil, turn the stove down to medium low and let the vegetables cook for 4 minutes till the broccoli gets crisp (or fork) tender.
4) If you’re using bacon, now is the time to evenly sprinkle bacon bits into the mix of vegetables. Then you’re going to take your egg mix and pour over the vegetables. Go ahead and use your spatula to move things around gently so that everything is evenly distributed. Make sure your heat is medium low. Now we are going to recover the mix with our foil and allow the egg mixture to bake on the stove top till it is mostly set. WHat do I mean by “mostly set?” I would monitor every 5 minutes or so and take a peak. Give your pan a jiggle and watch the center. If it looks liquidy then I would let sit covered a little longer, but if if only wobbles slightly then we’re ready for the broiler. (**See the video for a visual**) While you’re eggs bake on the stove, pre heat your broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches away from the top of the stove.
5) Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top and place in the broiler. Keep a sharp eye on it. If you don’t, things could go south real fast. This will take about 5 minutes, but what you are looking for is a beautifully golden brown top and the eggs to be set all the way through. Once you’ve achieved this, it’s time to take the pan out of the oven, turn off the broiler and set on a cooling rack or trivet to cool for a bit. Once cool you can use your spatula to remove the frittata from the pan onto a serving plate and cut into quarters or eighths like a pizza. Enjoy immediately or at room temperature, Chef’s choice!
This is the recipe that jump started my love of cooking. It’s a simple recipe, but it introduced me to new ingredients that I was afraid to use and opened my mind to the possibilities of experimenting in the kitchen. If you’re looking to grow, it’s ok to start small. When we start small, we grow in grace! If you want to read more thoughts on small beginnings, click here! Otherwise…
Fire up the griddle…we’re making quesadillas!
BBQ CHICKEN QUESADILLAS
Ingredients:
1 Burrito size flour tortilla
1 Boneless, skinless chicken breast- cooked and sliced into 1/4″ slices or shredded
1 Jalapeno pepper- veined, seeded and finely diced
1/4 cup BBQ sauce – your choice, we like “Sweet Baby Ray’s”
1/2 cup Shredded cheese- I used half a block each pepperjack and extra sharp cheese. You could also use a Mexican cheese mix that is pre-shredded or whatever meets your taste preference.
1/4 cup Cilantro, roughly chopped (optional: ok, I know this ingredient has a polarizing taste depending on your genetics. If you like it, definitely use it. If you don’t like it, don’t use it. If you’re not sure you like it, try it!)
Butter or spray oil for pan greasing
Directions:
1) Preheat pan over medium low heat. Lay one flour tortilla flat on a clean work surface.
2) ASSEMBLE: On the lower half of the burrito lay out 5-6 slices of chicken leaving a one inch border to the edge of the burrito. Sprinkle the diced jalapeno over the surface of the chicken to your taste preference. Drizzle your favorite BBQ sauce over the chicken and pepper evenly and then sprinkle your cheese on top. *If you’re using cilantro you would sprinkle on top of the cheese. Fold the empty top half of the burrito on top of the layers you just built and lightly smoosh down.
3) GRILL: Melt a tablespoon of butter OR lightly spray a 12″ pan with oil. Once melted place assembled quesadilla into the pan. Allow to toast over medium heat till golden brown (about 5 minutes). Using a spatula or tongs, gently flip quesadilla to the other side and toast until the bottom is golden brown (about 5 minutes) and the cheese is melted all the way through. Keep your eye on this so it doesn’t burn.
4) EAT: Once toasted, remove from the heat and place on a cutting board. Allow it to cool til you can touch the surface of the tortilla with your fingers. Slice the quesadilla into wedges (about 3-4). Serve immediately alongside sour cream and salsa for dipping. And if you’re feeling extra saucy- try it with guacamole and a couple dashes of hot sauce! Enjoy!
Can you believe it’s June already?! And you know what that means….FATHER’S DAY IS ALMOST HERE!
Do you know what you’re getting Dad?
If that question causes you to panic, grab a paper bag and hear me out…you are not alone!
I mean how many ugly ties or decorated mugs does your Dad really need? (News flash- NONE!)
Ok breathe, because Janie-Jean did a little research on what Dad’s really want for Father’s Day and it is something YOU can totally pull off…a delicious day of eating!
Now before you go calling all around town to order food for Dad stop and think to yourself “Is it possible I could create a meal or meals that satiate Dad’s appetite?!”
I am hear to say YES, YES YOU CAN! So I have took it upon myself to come up with some delightful recipes that are approachable, decadent, and oh so delicious! Today we are going to start off with breakfast! You have got to start the day off right and there is no better way to start the day than with Quiche.
I know what you’re thinking…”Girl please, quiche is more a Mother’s Day thing!”
Well watch and learn my friends because I believe that yes, Quiche can be manly and worthy of a masculine day such as Father’s Day. Especially when it’s stuffed with layers of Pulled Pork BBQ.
Think you can handle that? Let’s begin our journey with a delicately, flaky crust.
Have you heard of the book “Art of the Pie” by Kate McDermott? If you have not, go to the store and buy a copy…or if you’re cheap like me, borrow it from your local library. Seriously, this book is life changing and quite possibly the best Christmas gift I’ve ever received (and that includes the puppy I got in high school…it’s that good folks!)
If you want to up your pie making game with practical skills for several different pie doughs and fillings along with successful recipes that allow wiggle room to let your freak flag fly GET THIS BOOK! Ok, now I am going to show you how to make one of her pie doughs using my handy food processor.
The first key component in making pie dough is CONFIDENCE! If you approach your kitchen with any sort of anxiety, that emotion will transfer to our ingredients. Pie dough may seem intimidating but girlfriend let me assure you that NOTHING is impossible…YOU GOT THIS!
OK all you need to make pie dough is flour, salt, butter, water and leaf lard. If your first thought is “what the heck is leaf lard?”…let me clue ya, it’s an amazing animal fat that works wonders to develop a delicately, flaky crust. It’s awesome! I bought mine here but I have been told that butcher shops may have some to spare if you ask nicely…
Now where were we? Ah yes, now that we have our ingredients we need to get them ice cold… even your tools (the colder the better).. colder = flakier so I let my ingredients hang out in the fridge or freezer for about 30 minutes to an hour including my food processor bowl and blade.
Once everyone is frigidly cold, dump flour, salt, butter, and leaf lard into the bowl of your food processor. Pulse 15 times till it looks like little pea sized flakes of sand.
Add 4 tablespoons of ice water pulse 10 more times. Add 4 more tablespoons of water and pulse until the dough just begins to come together.
Pour the dough onto a floured surface and split in half. Gently press both halves into chubby discs, wrap in saran and pop in the fridge for a little rest… it’s so hard to be pie dough (insert heavy sigh)!
After an hour roll out one disc of pie dough on a lightly floured surface to about 12 inches in diameter for a 9 inch pie. Place the rolled dough into the pie plate, gently press it in and crimp the edges. Allow the pie shell to hang out in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Just enough time to prep the oven and filling.
The star of today’s quiche is pulled pork. It’s a great leftover recipe for those moments in your life when you have ample amounts of pulled pork in the fridge. This happens more often than not so I am always looking for ways to use it up. For a great pulled pork recipe the Pioneer Woman has a fantastic one.
Take about 2 cups of leftover pulled pork and dress it to your taste with your favorite barbecue sauce. Being a Cincinnati girl myself I had to use our staple, Montgomery Inn Sauce…. So good!
The other key ingredient to this quiche is the super rich sour cream custard which is the perfect companion to the pulled pork. All you need is eggs, sour cream, heavy cream, whole grain mustard and a dash of nutmeg. Hallelujah!
This custard is rich, velvety smooth with a little zing from the mustard… it’s knee buckling good.
Now that we have the two main components and a preheated oven we are ready to assemble and bake!
The layers go pulled pork, sliced scallions, extra sharp cheddar cheese, custard Bake!
The quiche will bake for about 40-45minutes in a 350 degree oven. You really want the final product to get golden brown and set in the middle. If you have to let it go longer, allow to bake in 5 minute increments till you achieve the final result you desire!
The rich custard is the perfect vehicle for the zing of the BBQ dressed pork flecked with the subtle hints of onion and sharp cheese. If brunch were a father’s day tradition, this would be a show stopping main course… heck you could eat it all day long!
But in all honesty dad deserves more doesn’t he? So be sure to tune in later this week for a smoking’ hot dish dad will give rave reviews… Loaded, Smoked Twice Baked Potatoes.
Yes, you read that right….and I’ll see you Wednesday!
Love ya!
JJ
Welcome to Day TWO of the Janie-Jean Flavor Savor! I can’t wait to get this ravioli train rolling!
Now I know what you’re thinking…
“Janie-Jean, you must be out of your freakin’ mind if you think I have time to make homemade ravioli! Isn’t it faster to just buy it at the grocery store?”
Yes, friend it is EASIER to buy your pre-packaged “Ravs” at the grocery store to prep for your family dinner, but might I offer the argument that the ravioli is the PERFECT vehicle for reinventing leftovers?
It’s as easy as taking last night’s meat and potatoes, whirring them briefly in the food processor with a few staples in your pantry and VOILA! They’ve transformed into a delightfully, oozy filling ready to be disguised in an envelope package. Your family won’t believe their eyes…or tastebuds!
You don’t even have to make the pasta dough from scratch. The won ton wrappers found in the refrigerated area of the produce section would work great as well. Done and done…out of excuses.
Put the kiddos down for a nap, roll up your sleeves and let’s get to work! Mama’s making ravioli!
In this scenario we have leftover roasted butternut squash plus a few pantry staples- cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic and thyme. Pulse the ingredients till it forms a smooth filling.
*TIP- You don’t want a stiff filling, but rather one that will slightly ooze when you cut into your ravioli. If you’re filling seems a bit stiff, or starchy add in some Extra virgin olive oil to get that consistency.
Ok, so the filling is ready to go and you’re like…”Ok girl, but I don’t want to spend hours tediously filling these dang raviolis”…AH I hear you and I see you, so here’s my favorite “life hack” for filling raviolis as well as stuffing any other pastas- use a piping bag or a large zip top bag.
Just fill the bag, zip the top, cut the tip off of the bag so the filling can easily transfer onto the pasta sheet. Filling pasta has never been easier. This seriously, has changed my pasta stuffing game!
I would pipe about 1-2 teaspoons per ravioli, wet around the edges of the pasta sheet, then place a second pasta sheet on top and press to seal the filling between the sheets making sure to get rid of as many air pockets as possible. Use a pasta cutter o give a nice finished edge if you want to get fancy!
Repeat until all the filling has been used. What I like to do is place the ravioli in a single layer on rimmed baking sheets then place in the freezer. Once frozen, I can store the frozen ravioli in a freezer storage bag to save for later and use only what I need for tonight’s dinner.
When it comes time to make the ravioli all you have to do is boil in salty water until they float. Once the ravioli floats cook it for one more minute.
While they cook, make a quick brown butter sauce with walnuts, zest and juice of an orange plus 2 sprigs of rosemary. Toss in your cooked ravioli so that each one is covered in the prepared sauce.
Would you look at that, Leftover night will never be the same again!
High five! And Bon Appetit!
Love,
JJ
Hello dear friends! Today marks the beginning of a new mini-series I like to call Janie-Jean’s Flavor Savor!
This series will highlight one ingredient or flavor in three separate posts featuring different ways to cook them. Some recipes will be traditional. Some will be a little outside of the box. And then there will be some featuring my favorite ways to eat!
My hope for this series is for you to find new ways to shine in your kitchen. We all get stuck in a rut sometimes, so let’s brainstorm and come up with new ideas and share them with our community of home cooks. Are you up for the challenge?
This week’s featured ingredient is…BUTTERNUT SQUASH!
Why? You may wonder…well it’s in season. This particular squash is so versatile. And as you will witness this week, this particular squash can be savory and sweet.
Today we are going to start with my favorite way to eat Butternut squash…or in this case sip. We are making Butternut Squash soup with apples and homemade, herby, cheesy croutons!
Butternut Squash soup, for me, is that quintessential fall flavor. It’s delicately sweet with notes of savory depending on how you like to season it. Today’s soup is made even sweeter with apples and balanced with the saltiness of the homemade croutons. Let’s begin!
First we are going to create the base of the soup’s flavor by sweating some onions in a large dutch oven over medium heat until the onions are very tender. Then we’ll add diced butternut squash, diced apples and some chicken stock to the mix.
When it comes to chicken stock, I would typically buy it from the grocery store; however, this time around I decided to go wild and make my own stock from a simple recipe thanks to smitten kitchen. After experiencing how simple and delicious it was I don’t think I can go back to store bought. Home made stock and store bought stock have a different consistency and while both finished products will taste fine, I found I enjoyed the consistency of the home made stock way more.
Regardless, “you do you”…choose your own adventure. If you want to stay with what you know right now that is totally fine. Now where were we…OH YEA! Cook the squash, apples and stock covered in the dutch oven until very soft.
Meanwhile, let’s make the croutons. Cube some crusty artisanal bread and lay out in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sage and salt then toss to coat evenly. Then go ahead and bake in the oven until lightly golden and crisp. Shred some parmesan on top of the hot croutons. Toss to coat evenly then set aside for later….BOOM! Croutons!
When the squash and apples are tender, it’s time to puree them using an immersion blender. If you’re like me, and you broke your immersion blender from too many soup purees….or just don’t have one at all. Never fear, just use a blender or food processor and puree in batches.
The point is we want our soup to be smooth and creamy. Do whatever you got to do to make that happen!
Return the puree back to the pot as well as another cup or two of your chicken stock to reach your desired consistency. Finish the soup by seasoning with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne pepper.
Pour into bowls garnish with croutons and enjoy sipping (or slurping) your new favorite taste of fall!
The Butternut Squash is velvety smooth and the sweetness is heightened by the apples. Plus the croutons you readily made make the soup feel special and comforting! SWOON!
A recipe like this is a great reminder of the deliciousness of simplicity. No fancy bells and whistles here…just seasonally, good food!
Tune in next time for a more challenging take on BUTTERNUT SQUASH…the Ravioli!
I already can’t wait! See you Wednesday!
Love,
Janie-Jean
I watch a lot of cooking shows. Like a LOT of cooking shows. If we still had cable you would see me Saturday morning curled up on the couch with my favorite cereal, eye guzzling as many food network show as I can like they were Saturday morning cartoons- old habits die hard!
Thank goodness for Netflix. And if you’re in the market for a binge-worthy food show you MUST watch “Worst Cooks in America!” Seriously, I think out of all the food shows I have watched, I have learned the most from this show. I may go on a limb and say this show has inspired me the most as well.
Now before you start questioning my abilities let me explain. Two chefs (one usually is Anne Burrell) go head to head training the worst cooks in America they can find through a series of cooking boot camp. They go over knife skills and basic cooking techniques. They really drive home the importance of creativity as well as organization in the kitchen. Plus you get a few laughs in on the way because these people are freaking hilarious!
Today’s dish is inspired by one of the episodes where they taught the recruits to make a Roulade with a pan sauce and mashed potatoes. I have had some Pork loin chops in my freezer for a while and have been eagerly waiting for the opportunity to use them. I confess, pork chops are not my favorite piece of meat, but there was a sale and well you know how it goes. I kept wracking my brain for ideas of what to do with these beauties and then it was like a light bulb of inspiration came on in my head while watching Anne Burrell pound the dickens out of a pork loin, prepping to roll around her filling.
I followed suit and decided to base my filling on what we had in our fridge. Today’s main players are zucchini, peaches and goat cheese. I added some herbs for flair, and a pinch of cinnamon to add to the “wow factor” of the dish. You could totally substitute any of these ingredients to adapt to what you have in the kitchen. My suggestion is to just think- what’s in season? What do I have? Will it taste good together?…and also, less is more!
Once the roulades were assembled I gave them a good sear on all sides to lock in the juices, develop the flavor and make them pleasing to the eye. Anne always says “Brown food, is good food!” Who am I to disagree? (Because it’s true!)
The roulades finish off in the oven to cook all the way through, then they need to take a rest on the cutting board while we use the brown bits in the pan to make a sauce. I used chicken broth to deglaze the pan. I always thought deglazing was a good way to get a jump start on the dishes. Allow the broth to reduce by half and then add a squeeze of lemon plus the zest because you paid for that lemon so use it all girl!
Roulades are sliced into four equal sized medallions, served up right so you can see that beautiful filling and nestled in a delightfully fluffy, cloud of garlic mashed potatoes. Drizzle some of the pan sauce on top to add that final splash of flavor. And voila! Dinner is served!
I think Chef Anne would have been proud of this dish. The juicy, seasoned pork against the warm, slightly sweet filling, followed by the tang of the goat cheese and the zing of lemon in our sauce definitely would have earned me a red apron to stay another week.
Ok recruits, it’s time for you to put your spin on this dish! Let your creativity sing and let me know what you would fill your roulades with in the comments below!
Let’s get cooking!
Love
JJ
Sausage and Pea Manicotti
I can’t believe I actually made these. The mere fact that I was able to accomplish a double batch…nothing short of a miracle. Let’s just say, life happens…let me explain…
You see at the time that I made these I was 8 months pregnant and in my attempt to be a good little planner I decided to make a double batch to freeze for a future meal after our new addition arrived.
Yay me!
The not so good planner side of me thought I could accomplish the assembly during nap time right before a set appointment…approximate time to accomplish- 90 minutes. Now this seems like a reasonable amount of time right? YES- as long as everything goes according to plan without a hitch…let me just say, life was out to get me today.
I started to prep my ingredients, which included a lot of chopping, defrosting, decasing, and par cooking. Marinara sauce was created and a delightful, cheesy béchamel sauce was whipped together with ease, no worries…and then things got crazy!
When making a double batch make sure the pans you use are big enough to get the job done. Sauces were a go but I may have underestimated the size pan needed to create the filling. Sausage and peas flung everywhere as I carefully stir fried the meat and peas to get a nice, even caramelization. It was a hot mess- a delicious, mouth-watering mess scattered across the stove top, and then we had to stir in half of the béchamel sauce…oh boy!
The next kitchen faux pas was boiling enough water to par cook the manicotti noodles appropriately. Let’s just say that I had masticated noodles due to the fact they stuck together as they waited to be filled in the strainer. I had to get creative because I was in too deep…these babies were going to be made one way or another, even if it killed me- which it almost did because wait till you read what happens next.
As I am frantically trying to stuff the manicotti, time is slipping through my fingers and then I notice something is not right. You know that feeling you get before something is about to go horribly wrong, well the hairs on my neck went up as I felt the subtle breeze of a wasp dive bomb me from out of nowhere. HOW DID HE GET IN HERE?!
I dodged left, I dodged right- my hands covered in sauce and sausage filling oozing out of my broken manicotti rubble, my heart beating a thousand beats per second because have I mentioned I am TERRIFIED of wasps!? Now call it pregnancy brain or irrational fear I reached for the only weapon I felt comfortable using to fight my foe…Wasp and hornet spray…you know the kind a pregnant woman is NOT supposed to handle due to the fact it could cause birth defects, let alone spray in the house at all…yea I sprayed all over the window and may have ruined my son’s favorite Thomas the train puzzle…sorry honey!
The Brightside, my food was left unscathed and by the grace of God I was able to crawl across the finish line with a delightful assembly of Italian comfort food. Believe me, after the time I had putting this dish together, I needed all the comfort I could get.
The sausage is rich, the peas taste fresh and the duo of marinara and béchamel sauces hug you inside and out like an Italian Grandma. This dish does take time to assemble, but the results are well worth the effort.
We ALL have our days in the kitchen, and this dish was one of them. But if I could pull myself together and get dinner on the table despite my disadvantages – you can too!
Just be sure to use a fly swatter instead of the spray…way less hazardous!
Cheers!
Janie-Jean
50 Pastas – Vodka Sauce 
Pasta in VODKA Sauce…need I say more?! Well if you insist, I will elaborate… Imagine a sauce, a rich, creamy sauce spiked with a little “somethin’- somethin’” to crank any dinner party into high gear…this is THAT SAUCE! 
The taste is soulful… smooth, like your favorite song just came on the radio during the “Friday Free For All” hour where ANYTHING can happen…and it’s about to get a little rowdy up in here! So get ready to get down with this saucy dish…special equipment includes- a glass of wine, a boombox, and a CD loaded with the music that gets you groovin’…cuz we’re gonna turn it up to 11… This sauce is akin to my Marinara sauce, which is awesome! Think of it as a base that we’re about to jack up with some cream and vodka…this is how we do! In a large skillet over medium heat, cook garlic slices in olive oil until golden brown. Sprinkle the toasted garlic with red pepper flakes to your liking. This will add a nice kick of heat to the infused oil which will penetrate the sauce as we add ingredients. 
Stir in some vodka and hear your pan come alive. The party has arrived and it’s ready to get down with some crushed tomatoes! “Er’body in the pan get tipsy!” Now the beat is about to drop as we bring this party home with some crushed tomatoes and a little basil for some… FLAVAH! Stir in some cream to smooth things out and simmer this mix for a couple of rounds! 
When the mood feels right, toss in some cooked penne or spaghetti and let the good vibes flow through this dish you’ve created you CRAZY DJ of FOOD! 
Phew…what a rush?! Time to take things “Nice n’ easy” and enjoy the fruits of our labor…Cheers to you! By the way…I’m always looking to expand my kitchen play list….what’s your favorite song that gets you grooving? Let me know in the comments below!
50 Pastas – Red Pepper Sauce
In case you were curious….yes, I live with an opinionated toddler. Daily I am intrigued by the logic he juggles in that massive brain of his determining what he likes and dislikes…mom’s do you feel me?
I seriously think he spends half of his nap time thinking up mind games he can play on Mommy to make his evening more “eventful”….there’s not enough wine in the world some nights…OY!
Recently, my son has decided he does not like the taste of Red Bell Peppers….WHAT?!
What’s not to like?…they’re crunchy, they’re sweet, they’re juicy…need I go on?
Luckily there is a sauce for that. A light, savory brightly flavored pasta sauce to win over any opinionated patrons at your dinner table…
Mom’s unite…let’s prove their taste buds wrong with this delightful pasta sauce, shall we?
The red bell peppers and garlic are broken down into bite sized pieces…all the better to cook you with my dears!
Toss them into a pan over medium-low heat with some butter and thyme. Cover and cook until nice and tender. This is when the synapses in your brain begin to fire as you realize this intoxicating smell is about to fill your belly with comfort and love…it’s divine!
Now it’s time to puree the heck out of these tenderized vegetables….almost like a red pepper smoothie, but we won’t slurp this down just yet. We need to add a few extra ingredients to enhance the flavors being created at the moment.
Return the pepper puree back into the skillet used before, turn up the heat to medium and stir in a squeeze of lemon juice. Never underestimate the power of a good lemon squeeze…it has a way of awakening the flavors you are blending and making them happy to please your palate. Don’t be stingy…just do it!
Simmer the pepper sauce until it is thickened then toss in some cooked noodles…like tagliatelle or fettuccine. I would say any long, string-like noodle would go great with this sauce. I especially liked the long flatter noodles with this allowing more surface area for the sauce to grab on to.
Season with some salt to taste and garnish with a dollop of sour cream when ready to serve.
All I am going to say is, my son’s plate…EMPTY! Yea that’s right Little Lew…who’s yo momma now?!
Time to tackle the next challenge…how to rekindle his love for eggs…If you’ve got a suggestion, let me know in the comments below! Or if you want to say “Hi There!” that would be cool too!
Take Care!
Janie-Jean
