(Delicious) Three-Ring Circus Last Night

Two blog posts in two days, I can hardly believe it. Last night I had exactly 45 minutes to get to and from the store and buy food for two meals I'll be cooking for company on two different nights this weekend. Amidst my hurrying and scurrying around to find recipes, make a grocery list and get my butt to the store, I decided to try a new recipe for the three of us on a Thursday night. Why? Because we didn't have anything at home to eat, and I a) didn't want to eat out again, b) couldn't take another night of tacos, and c) have been wanting to try this recipe from The Pioneer Woman for quite awhile.

So I did. And it was fantastic! I will say that Emily whined the entire time I cooked and Jeremy and I were laughing (sort of) at the three-ring-circus that was our kitchen during my rushed cooking of this meal. But the only reason it was so rushed was because I had a hungry 16-month old who was clearly still dealing with the frustration that comes with her parents child-proofing the kitchen. The horror!

Otherwise, it's actually quite easy (and fun) to make. My hubby and I have been craving good Italian food, and we both agreed that this pasta was definitely restaurant quality. The only change we made to the recipe was adding pancetta for some protein. It was delicious.

And despite my husband assuring me that the alcohol was cooked off, I still felt uncomfortable serving it to Emily, so I didn't. Any pointers there are completely welcomed.

I'm also trying to improve my food photography skills, which is a bit difficult considering that my primary tool right now is my iphone. We're noodling around with the idea of getting the Nikon D3100, but until that happens, my iphotos will have to do. Not bad, I don't think ??

Curried Couscous Salad -- A Gift In Itself

I made a new recipe last week that I think I've talked about (or ate) every day since I made it. The recipe comes courtesy Giada De Laurentiis and it's a keeper! I actually think it is a wonderful holiday recipe because of the warm roasted cashews and tart dried cranberries. Add to that the curry powder, roasted cauliflower and lemony dressing, and you're transplanted to another planet -- one with the most perfect salad in the world! The curry powder really wakes up your taste buds, which is important because you don't want to miss any of the flavors and textures abundant in this dish. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to share the joy that is this salad with anyone yet because my hubby doesn't care for curry powder or dried cranberries (more for me!). So I'm sharing it with you right here. Please do yourself a favor and make this salad. Let me know what you think!

Recipe is here.

Video is here.

Enjoy!

If It's Thursday, It Must Be....

Chicken Noodle Casserole Night!

I like testing new recipes. Sometimes they're good and sometimes they're not. And sometimes they are tasty enough and easy enough to prepare that they make their way into our repertoire of weeknight family meals.

That's what happened with this Chicken Noodle Casserole, so I thought I'd share the recipe.

How this recipe came to be

I'd always wanted to make a tuna noodle casserole because, well, hasn't everyone eaten one at some point? Not me -- in 30+ years, I'd never eaten a tuna noodle casserole! So I finally looked up a recipe and made it. The dish was pretty good, but by night two (leftovers) I was sick of the fishy taste, so the next time around we used chicken instead and made some other adjustments to the recipe. Our version follows. Let me know if you try it and what you think!

Chicken Noodle Casserole
INGREDIENTS
1 (8-ounce) package wide egg noodles
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 can of chicken (we use the bigger, 12-ounce can), drained
1/2 bag of frozen peas
A few handfuls Planko or breadcrumbs

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Coat a casserole dish with cooking spray.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine flour, butter and salt. Stir until butter is melted and ingredients are combined evenly. Add milk, and whisk until the sauce thickens (no more than a few minutes). Add cheese to mixture, and whisk until cheese is melted and mixture is well-blended. Stir in tuna, peas and noodles. Spread evenly in prepared dish. Top with Planko or breadcrumbs.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.