Chicken and Fettuccine with Tomato Cream Sauce

This recipe seems complicated, but I promise it's not very hard to make and it is totally worth it!
From the Williams Sonoma Complete Pasta Cookbook
Serves 8

1 1/2 lb Fettuccine
Tomato cream sauce (recipe to follow)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 chicken breasts cubed
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
6 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and cut into strips
Fresh thyme sprigs

Prepare tomato cream sauce. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and saute until cooked through (about 7-8 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and keep warm. Cook fettuccine and combine with tomato cream sauce. Top with chicken and sun-dried tomato strips. Garnish with a thyme sprig.

Tomato Cream Sauce
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 fresh thyme sprig
1 cup chicken stock (I used chicken broth)
10 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, pureed
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream and thyme sprig to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until cream is reduced by one-third, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the thyme sprig. Return the cream to the heat, add the chicken broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tomato puree and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat, stir in the thyme leaves and keep warm until ready to use.

Thai Green Chicken Curry

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 to 2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
1 fresh hot red chile thinly sliced crosswise
1 3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 14oz can unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons asian fish sauce
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 scallions thinly sliced

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the curry paste and chile and saute, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Add the chicken and saute until just cooked through.
Add coconut milk, broth, brown sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice to skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and scallions and simmer for about 1 minute more. Serve with rice. Makes 4 servings. Recipe from foodnetwork.com
*I ommitted the chile because I didn't have one on hand but this was still very yummy! Sorry, I didn't take a picture.

Lemon cupcakes with whipped cream cheese frosting

Cupcakes (recipe from allrecipes.com)
1 cup butter softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sour cream

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add lemon peel and vanilla; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 30 cupcakes.

Frosting (from allrecipes.com)
8 oz cream cheese room temperature
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form (I beat mine for 5 minutes on high in a bowl that had been in the freezer for 30 minutes. You want the cream to be very thick). In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then fold in whipped cream. I made this the night before and kept it in the fridge. It piped very well and seemed to hold it's shape well. Makes enough for 12 cupcakes.

Beef with Rosemary Mushroom Sauce

The picture isn't very appetizing, but this sauce is AMAZING! So good over mashed potatoes as well.
Recipe from The Best of Cooking Light cookbook
Serves 4

1 8oz package presliced mushrooms
1 cup red cooking wine
1 lb boneless top sirloin steak
1 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 10 1/2oz can beef consomme
1 8oz can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons butter

Combine mushrooms, wine, and steak in a large zip-top plastic bag. Marinate in fridge for 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove steak from bag, reserving marinade. Melt 2 tablespoons butter (cookbook called for the skillet to be sprayed with cooking spray instead of using butter but I chose to live dangerously!) in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak and cook until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan.
Combine onions, 2 tablespoons parsley, rosemary, and remaining ingredients. Add onion mixture and reserved marinade to pan. Bring to a boil, cook until reduced to 2 cups (about 15 minutes), stirring frequently.
Cut beef diagonally across grain into thin slices. Place beef on plates and cover with mushroom sauce. Sprinkle with parsley.

Tomato Soup

This is one of our favorite soups. We found it in Fine Cooking magazine.
I've never tried canned tomato soup, because I can't imagine really liking it. I love this soup. We usually make the Southwest version of this, because I like the spice. It's good both ways.

2 Tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
1 Large white onion, finely chopped
1 Clove garlic, smashed and peeled
2 Tbps. All-purpose flour
3 c. Chicken broth
28 oz. Can while peeled tomatoes, pureed (include the juice)
1 ½ tsp. Sugar
Salt
Pepper

In a 5- to 6-quart pot, heat the oil and butter over medium-low heat until the butter melts. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add the flour and stir to coat the onion and garlic.

Add the broth, tomatoes, sugar, and a little salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat while stirring the mixture to make sure that the flour is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes.

Let cool briefly and then puree in two or three batches in a blender or food processor (start slowly and cover the blender lid with a dishtowel). Rinse the pot and return the soup to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reheat if necessary and serve warm, but not hot.

(Southwest variation: Omit sugar and add 1 tsp. chili powder and 1 tsp. cumin at the same time as the tomatoes. You may also add a roasted red bell pepper, at the same time. Garnish completed soup with a dollop of sour cream and cilantro.)

Walnut Blondie with Maple Butter Sauce

We also made these in California. Again, I've never been a big fan of blondies previous to this recipe, and I thought they were great. We found the recipe on Bakerella, but I think she found it from another site.

This blondie is baked with nuts, topped with both ice cream and chopped walnuts, and served warm covered with a rich, sizzling maple butter sauce. Everyone has a sweet tooth! Nothing is better than a warm brownie or blondie with ice cream. This recipe takes it to another level.

Serves: 4 (or 1 if your really hungry!)
Ready In: Under 60 minutes

Ingredients:
Dough
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour, sifted
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or more if desired)
1/3 cup butter or margarine (melted)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Maple Butter Sauce
3/4 cup maple syrup ( I highly recommend using REAL maple syrup )
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Dough
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add baking powder, baking soda and salt to the already sifted flour. Then sift dry ingredients again.
Add chopped nuts and mix well. Set aside.

Add brown sugar to melted butter and mix well. Then add egg and vanilla extract. Mix well.
Add flour mixture, a little at a time, until mixed well.
Stir in white chocolate chips. Spread out dough in a 9-inch pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Use a toothpick or fork to test if it is cooked in the center.
Serve warm with ice cream and Maple Butter Sauce.

Maple Butter Sauce

In a pan, add real maple syrup and butter, cook over low heat until butter is melted. Next, stir in brown sugar until completely dissolved. If you desire, add walnuts.

Enjoy !

Salmon seared on Bacon, with Honey, Rosemary, and Balsamic Vinegar

We made this in California when we were visiting family...it was very yummy. Especially considering the fact that I don't typically eat fish. We got the recipe off of fine cooking.

For this dish, you want the skin on the salmon to crisp up like the bacon on the other side. The fish should be scaled—if it’s not, ask your seafood seller to do it for you.Serves four.

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1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. honey
1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 slices bacon
Four 6-oz. skin-on, scaled, center-cut salmon fillets
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

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In a liquid measuring cup, combine the vinegar, honey, rosemary, and 2 Tbs. water.

Cut the bacon slices in half crosswise. Lay a slice on the flesh side of each piece of salmon and arrange the salmon, bacon side down, in a 12-inch heavy-duty nonstick skillet. Sprinkle the salmon skin with salt and pepper.

Set the skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the bacon is golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes from when it begins to sizzle. Turn the salmon and continue to cook until the skin is crisp and the salmon is just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes more.

Take the skillet off the heat and transfer the salmon to a platter. Pour off the fat and return the skillet to medium-high heat. Stir the vinegar mixture well and add it to the skillet. Simmer until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour over the salmon and serve.