a wonderful birthday.

I had a great birthday yesterday! Many thanks to the warm wishes from family and friends. I felt very spoiled and loved. Here are a few pics from the day!

If any of my colleagues didn't know that I like vampires...they all know now.

Birthday cocktails at F.Scott's in Greenhills.

Mrs. Albaugh's personalized birthday menu.

A rose from our waiter.

A dish of pan seared red snapper over carrot polenta and grilled zucchini with white wine scallion butter was just what I wanted to celebrate the night with my fantastic husband! Thank for making it so special, Vance!

Hello fall.

Although the high this week is about 82 degrees, I am still excited about fall recipes. Butternut squash and goat cheese pasta, courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis, truly took our breath away.

It is fall in the House of Clarbaugh.

Ingredients (6 servings):

·     Vegetable oil cooking spray

·     1 (2-pound) butternut or kombucha squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

·     1 onion, diced into 1/2-inch pieces

·     Olive oil, for drizzling

·     Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

·     1 pound penne pasta

·     1 cup (8 ounces) goat cheese, crumbled

·     1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted *see note

·     1 packed cup chopped fresh basil leaves

·     1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan

·     chopped asparagus

Directions:

Put an oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Spray a baking sheet, liberally, with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.

Mix the squash and onion together and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

While the squash mixture is cooling, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water. Put the pasta, goat cheese and 1 cup of pasta water in a large serving bowl. Toss until the cheese has melted and forms a creamy sauce. Add the squash and onion mixture, the walnuts and the basil. Toss well and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with Parmesan and serve. 

This pic really doesn't do this dish justice. Served with some fresh asparagus and a chilled Honey Brown Ale.

*To toast the walnuts, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until lightly toasted, about 6 to 8 minutes Cool completely before using.

This entree is a fantastic hearty vegetarian meal, give it a try!

I feel a chill in the air...

and down here, that is hard to detect. The changing of the seasons is best felt as I move from being excited about True Blood on Sunday nights with vodka 'n tonics to Grey's Anatomy on Thursdays with Dewers & soda. September is this fun transitional season (that can sometimes be a challenge on the wardrobe - espadrilles or booties, white jeans or thin wale corduroy, you get the idea). What is great about this time of year is that you can catch the last few crops of fresh fruit and vegetables like nectarines and zucchini and begin to find fall veggies like beautiful squash.
This week I am sporting two early fall recipes, a tortellini and white bean soup and butternut squash and goat cheese pasta.

Tortellini soup topped with grated Parmesan.

Jen Grimes-Inspired Tortellini Soup

-medium onion
-2 tablespoons olive oil (EVOO)
-14.5 oz can of fire roasted chopped tomatoes
-can of white beans, rinsed and drained
-1 zucchini
-4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
-2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
-1-2 tablespoons thyme (any herbs you enjoy will do!)
-6-8 oz package of cheese tortellini
-3 cups of fresh spinach
-2 cloves minced garlic
-2 to 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan

In a large stock pot, saute garlic and chopped onion in EVOO. Peel and cube the zucchini - add and saute for about 5 mins. Add the tomatoes (with liquid), stock, white beans, herbs and bring to a light boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add tortellini and spinach. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, top with grated Parmesan and serve!

New season, new appliances.

As a newly-minted wife, my kitchen is full of lovely new Kitchenaid and Cuisinart tools and gadgets. As we roll into fall, I took this weekend to break-in some of these exciting culinary items.

First up, white bean dip with bagel chips.

Using the food processor, I mixed a can of drained and rinsed white beans, about a tablespoon of basil (well pureed), teaspoon of garlic (yes - jarred), and drizzled in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil while mixing. Add salt and pepper to taste. After all the ingredients were well-mixed, I stirred in a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice (about a wedge's worth). Serve with bagel chips, vegetables or any other tasty base.

Next on the list is Maple Dijon Chicken with sweet potatoes and carrots in the slow cooker.
Ingredients:

Not pictured: skinless boneless chicken tatas and bay leaves.

--1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
--1 cup chicken broth (or vegetable)
--2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
--1 onion, chopped
--2 T dijon mustard
--3 T maple syrup 
--3 cloves garlic, chopped
--2 bay leaves
--1 tsp thyme (I had fresh thyme so I used about 3-4 sprigs
--3 carrots, peeled and chopped
Note: I like a lot of flavor in my dishes, so I used pretty heavy pours of maple syrup and dijon mustard!


Directions:
In a 4 quart slow cooker, put the chicken into the bottom of your crockpot and toss it with the thyme, maple syrup, and dijon mustard. Mix in the onion, carrots, and garlic.

Peel and cube the sweet potato, and add to the pot. 

Pour in the broth. Add the bay leaves. 

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5. This is done when the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables reach desired tenderness. 

I am cooking on low for 6 hours and will check to see if the chicken is done.

Outcome: quite good! I probably could have put the chicken in later (after giving the sweet potatoes and carrots about 2 hours) as skinless boneless chicken tatas cook rather quickly. The dish has a lot of good sauce/stock to spoon over the meat and veggies. Paired with a salad, this is a great Sunday night dinner. We also have at least 2 left over servings for lunches this week. Eat up!

Eggs are good all the time.

I am trying to use a variety of protein for our evening meal and last night a quick egg dish did the trick. I snapped an instagram of the dish mid-way, and then Vance and I were so excited to eat it that I forgot to take another pic!

Ingredients are nestled in a ramekin after being sauteed in garlic and olive oil.

Ingredients

·     2 Tbsp olive oil

·     2 garlic cloves, crushed

·     10 oz. fresh spinach

·     1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

·     2 Tbsp minced onion

·     2 eggs

·     Salt and pepper

·     Paprika or Shredded Parmesan, sprinkle as garnish

Directions

·     Preheat oven to 360.

·     To a large skillet or saucepan, add the olive oil and saute the garlic for a minute, before adding the spinach.  Toss the spinach around for a minute, then add the diced tomatoes.  Toss together and then add the minced onion.  Let simmer until most of the liquid has cooked off, about 5-7 minutes.

·     Place the sauteed spinach into an ovenproof, creating divets for the eggs.  Crack 1 egg into each hole.

·     Bake the spinach and eggs for about 12-15 minutes, or until egg whites have turned white.

·     Once cooked, remove from the oven and sprinkle with salt and pepper and paprika or Parmesan. I used Parmesan cheese and it was delicious!

 Courtesy of 5 dollar dinners.

Served with a small scoop orzo with parsley and a slice of whole grain bread.

My fun guy

The summer that Vance and I started dating, we took a day trip to Rehoboth beach. We were young and falling in love and both burn rather quickly - so needless to say the day was full of giggles, waves crashing and the slathering of suntan lotion over freckles (people, please, let's keep this clean). Anyways, as we were driving home, I said to Vance, "I have so much with you - you are a fun guy!" and he replied, "I am a fun guy, I'm ike a big mushroom!" Get it - fun guy, fungi? From that moment, I knew it would be love to last a lifetime.

Speaking of mushrooms, I made a delicious mushroom bourguignon the other night. I am becoming anxious for chilly weather so I can make big hearty dishes like this! Vegan-alert, for my leaf-eating friends like the Murphys, I believe this fits the vegan bill! You would have to use egg free noodles though - no biggie!

Serves 4
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds portabello mushrooms, sliced into ¼ inch slices
½ carrot, finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup full-bodied red wine
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon butter
1 ½ tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup pearl onions, peeled and thawed if frozen (I used fresh and just followed the directions to quickly boil and peel)
Egg noodles, cooked

Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a medium dutch oven or large sauce pan over high heat. Sear the mushrooms for about three or four minutes or until they start to darken. Before they begin to release much liquid remove from heat and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium and add in another tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the carrots, onion, thyme, salt and pepper for about 10 minutes until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the wine to the vegetables and turn the heat back up. Reduce it by half, scraping the bottom of the pot to remove any bits that are stuck. Add in the tomato paste and the broth. Remove the thyme sprigs (if using fresh) and add back in the mushrooms (and any juices that have collected) and simmer the mixture for 20 minutes, or until the mushrooms are very tender. Add in the pearl onions (if using).

Combine the tablespoons of butter and flour and stir it into the stew. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and has a nice consistency. Spoon the mixture over egg noodles.

I served this with some lightly sauteed spinach and french bread, yum!

Sandwich season

As I am preparing for travel, I am incorporating easier meals into our weekly menu. Although, I sometimes give people hell for a plain boring lunch sandwich, I do like the idea of having a snazzy sandwich with salad or soup at dinner. Last week, before heading out to Chicago, I made croque monsieur. I jazzed it up a bit with some fresh tomato and it was delicious and a perfect meal with a small salad.

Ingredients (for 2 sandwiches)
1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano (grated)
3/4 cup gruyere (grated)
1/2 cup Bechamel Sauce* below
4 slices bread
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
5-6 slices ham

1 ripe tomato

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Melt half of the Gruyère and all of the parmigiano-reggiano into the Bechamel sauce.
3. Toast bread in oven.
4. Spread Dijon mustard on one slice of bread.
5. Add the ham slices and about half of the remaining Gruyère cheese. Add slice of tomato and top with the other toasted bread slice.
6. Spoon the Bechamel sauce onto the top of the sandwich.
7. Sprinkle with the remaining Gruyère cheese.
8. Place on a broiling pan and bake in the oven for 5 minutes.
9. Turn on the broiler and broil for an additional 5 minutes. (Until the cheese topping is bubbly and lightly browned.)

 

Bechamel*

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour*
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat the butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat until melted.
2. Add the flour and stir until smooth.
3. Add the milk and stir until smooth.
4. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper.
5. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.

For a thin sauce use 1 tablespoon of flour and butter.
For a thick sauce use 3 tablespoons of flour and butter.

I used a hearty grain bread, but any firm bread would do.

Caution - this sandwich will be hot and you will want to eat it fast. Slow down.

Now that is dinner.