Andouille Pasta with Vodka Cream Sauce

May be a little too spicy for the little ones. Save it for a dinner with your husband or having friends over. Quick and delicious!

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. andouille sausage
1/2 cup white wine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 shallot, if you have one handy
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock
1 32 oz can crushed or whole tomatoes with juice
16 oz pasta, penne or bowtie preferably
1/3 cup half and half
handful of fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Slice sausage into bite size pieces. Heat 1 Tbs oil in skillet over medium-high heat and saute sausage until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. Add white wine to the pan and deglaze drippings from pan, stir about 3-5 minutes to loosen. Reserve sauce.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, garlic, onion and shallots. Gently saute for 5 minutes. Add vodka to the pan. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes and reserved sauce from andouille. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to a simmer. Add andouille. Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente.

Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Pass pasta with crusty bread and green salad.

Chicken Lombardy

A great weeknight dinner any time of year. Growing up, we ate this family favorite often! Serve with white or wild rice, green beans, and salad.

Boneless chicken breasts skinned

½ cup all purpose flour

1 Tbs. butter for browning chicken

1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms

¾ cup white wine

½ cup chicken stock

Mozzarella and parmesan cheese to melt on top

Dredge chicken lightly with flour. You may want to beat chicken with mallet to flatten. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place 4 pieces at a time in melted butter in large skillet; cook over low heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Place chicken in a 13´9´2 pyrex dish overlapping edges. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken. Reserve drippings in skillet. Sauté mushrooms in butter in same skillet used for chicken. Sprinkle evenly over chicken.

Stir wine and chicken stock into dripping in skillet. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in salt and pepper. Spread sauce over chicken. Bake 450°10-12 minutes. Sprinkle cheese and broil 1-2 minutes.

Favorite Cheese

A go to appetizer for any dinner party!

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. dill weed

1 tsp. caraway seed

1 tsp. chives

Spritz of lemon juice

Dash of Salt

Freshly Ground Pepper

Mix all together. Before serving sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Serve with melba rounds or toasties.

COUSCOUS SALAD FOR CANNIE

1 cup cooked couscous

1 cup tomatoes, diced

1 cup cucumber, peeled and diced

1 cup green onion, chopped

1 cup parsley, chopped

¼ tsp. Black pepper

½ cup olive oil

¾ cup lemon juice

3 cloves crushed garlic

1 tsp. salt

Cook couscous according to package directions and set aside to cool. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, green onion, and parsley. In separate bowl, mix black pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic, and salt.

GUACOMOLE WITH HOMEMADE CHIPS

I have to say this is just one of my favorites. Can not be beat for something fresh and tasty. Not to mention, its pretty!

4-5 ripe avocados
2 limes, juiced
1 small purple onion, diced
1/2 cup diced tomatoes, if desired
kosher salt to taste
cayenne pepper to taste

Cut avocados in large chunks in bowl large enough to mix all ingredients. Add onion, lime juice, and seasonings. Use a fork to loosely combine. Taste and adjust salt and cayenne. Add tomatoes if desired and serve with homemade chips or purchase chips from Las Delicias or Whole Foods in the deli area.

Homemade Chips

10 Corn Tortillas
1/4 Olive Oil
Kosher Salt

Preheat oven to 300. Place one tortilla on a work surface or cutting board. Using a brush, spread olive oil lightly over tortilla and sprinke with salt. Layer another tortilla on top and repeat process with remaining tortillas. Cut crosswise like pizza and lay on baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Bake for about 15 minutes or until crispy. Yummy!

This has actually been a year ago that I thought I would start blogging???? What have I been doing the last year!!! Oh my, I guess plenty has happenened. I have a new niece, a new baby on the way, a new sister in law to be, not to mention a busy almost two year old. I have got to get back into this! I am making a vow to post recipes, pictures, favorite things.....at least once a week. Hopefully I can figure out how all of this works. So here we go, again. :)

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.)SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE MORSELS
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

THIS IS A LIFESAVER. YOU ALWAYS CAN HAVE HOMEMADE COOKIES IN 20 MINUTES OR SO. JUST DOUBLE THE RECIPE AND FREEZE
SLICE AND BAKE COOKIE VARIATION:
PREPARE dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

* May be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks.