Last-Minute Pasta

Last night was a crazy night at our house, so my initial dinner plan went out the window.  After dropping and picking up kids from lacrosse practice, helping with math homework (I am a math tutor and geek at heart), and finding that I had an additional 4 teenage boys, besides my own family, to feed………I went to the pantry to explore.  This is what I threw together in a hurry.  It received rave reviews, as well as fed everyone!

Spicy “Rosa” Sauce

2 1/2 pounds rigatoni pasta (any pasta with ridges will work)

2 cans store-bought marinara sauce

1 (34 oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can fire roasted tomatoes

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup Chablis (use a good kind that you would drink)

2 to 4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (break up the flakes with your fingers as you put in the pot)

1/4 Pesto Sauce (I keep a jar in the freezer to add to sauces and stews)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Meanwhile, heat the marinara sauce, crushed tomatoes, fire roasted tomatoes, sugar, Chablis, red pepper flakes, and pesto sauce in a large soup pot on the stove.  Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add heavy cream, stirring constantly to combine, and sprinkle in the cheese; again stirring to combine. Drain pasta and add to the sauce, tossing gently to coat the noodles.  Serve with some chopped parsley on top.

Spring Salad

As Spring approaches, I get very excited about the flavors of the season.  This warm chicken piccata salad is perfect for a quick meal, yet very satisfying.  I love the acidity of the dressing combined with the warmth of the breaded chicken; as well as the way the robust lettuce wilts gently.  Combine with some crusty bread for a yummy meal!

Warm Chicken Piccata Salad

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons capers, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 lemon, zested and juiced

kosher salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

3 to 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, pounded thin

1/4 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons white wine

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

4 oz Parmesan cheese, shaved

Whisk olive oil, capers, garlic, parsley, zest and juice of the lemon, and salt together.  Set aside.  Beat the eggs in one dish, and put the flour in a separate dish.  Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil in a skillet.  Dredge the chicken in flour, then dip in the egg; allowing the excess to drip off, then coat with flour again, shaking off excess.  Place in the skillet; continue with the other three chicken breasts.  Cook until golden brown, turning only once. (About 4 to 5 minutes on each side).  Remove to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil.  Meanwhile, add the chicken broth and wine to the skillet that the chicken was cooked in and deglaze; scooping up any yummy browned bits from the pan.  Pour over the chicken and then slice it.  Spread lettuce out on a platter, laying the chicken on top of the lettuce.  Pour the dressing of oil, capers, garlic, parsley and lemon over the chicken and lettuce and toss gently to combine.  Top with shaved parmesan cheese.

St. Patty's Day Dinner

I have a confession about Corned Beef.  I have never really liked the consistency of the meat, or the blandness of the dish.  I tried a different technique last night and the outcome was fantastic!  Juicy, tender meat that was very flavorful!  I always roast cabbage, as I like the taste of roasted cabbage, so I did not cook it with the other vegetables. Instead I cooked it above them, on a different rack.  It worked very well!  If you are opposed to using alcohol in a recipe, please substitute a different sort of acid that will tenderize the meat as it cooks.  (But the alcohol cooks out of this recipe, making it a kid friendly dinner!)

Corned Beef and Cabbage

5 lb corned beef brisket, reserve the seasoning packet that comes with the brisket

15 black peppercorns

3 bay leaves

5 garlic cloves, smashed

2 teaspoons thyme

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed

2 bottles of beer (I used Bud Light - this is kid friendly as the alcohol cooks out)

2 cups beef stock

Water to cover meat

6 carrots, peeled and cut on diagonal

8 red potatoes, cut into large chunks

4 onions, cut into large chunks

1 head of cabbage, core removed, cut into thick slices

olive oil

kosher salt

Place corned beef into a large oven proof Dutch oven or pan, fat side down.  Make a bouquet garni with the peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes, and the reserved seasoning packet.  (Be sure to cut the string long enough to be able to use it to remove bouquet garni at the end of the cooking.)  Add the beer, beef stock, and enough water to cover the meat, cover and bring to a boil.  Meanwhile preheat oven to 300*.  When the meat is at a full boil, place the pan in the oven and cook at 300* for 4 hours.

After the 4 hours, add the carrots, red potatoes, and onions to the pan and continue cooking for 30 more minutes.  Meanwhile, place the cabbage on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and salt.  Add to the oven, (I usually put it on a rack ABOVE the meat), and roast for the 30 minutes.  Remove cabbage and cover to keep warm.  Remove meat from the pan and cover with aluminum foil to rest.  Put the pot with the vegetables back onto the stovetop and bring back to a boil, cooking until the vegetables are just tender.

Slice the meat against the grain and place on a platter, surrounded by the vegetables and cabbage.  You can pour some of the broth over the vegetables and meat if desired.  Yum!!

Leora's Bacon Pasta

Bacon Pasta – a family favorite!

1 lb penne pasta

1 lb bacon, chopped and cooked through, reserve 2 T bacon grease

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 t salt

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 t red pepper flakes

5 15 oz cans, tomato sauce

1/4 red wine

1/2 - 1 cup of freshly ground parmesan cheese

fresh basil, chiffonade

fresh parsley, chopped

Cook the bacon until almost crispy.  Drain, reserving 2 T of the grease, and set bacon aside.  Add onion to the bacon grease, sprinkle with salt and cook until translucent. Toss garlic in with onion, and cook just until fragrant.  Be careful, it burns quickly.  Sprinkle red pepper flakes over onion and garlic and pour in the tomato sauce, stirring gently.  Add red wine and stir to combine.  Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the bacon and parmesan cheese and simmer again for 10 minutes.  Prepare pasta according to directions on box.  When it is al dente, drain and add to the sauce, stirring gently so the sauce coats the pasta.  Just before serving, sprinkle with basil and parsley to taste.

A Little About Me

Hello, and welcome to my blog, Pass the Plate!

My name is Leora Ellingson, but I'm more commonly known as "mom." I am the wife of a handsome firefighter and we have six children; one of which is married, one is on a mission, and the rest are at home with us.

If you were to ask any of my children what unites our family they would probably tell you about our kitchen table. Over the years I have gone from "can barely throw together lasagne" to "tonight I made you all stuffed mushrooms, shrimp scampi, and I even created a new lemon-garlic vinaigrette to dress the salad." My family has eaten every creation of mine, whether it was a success or....not so successful. They have seen a variety of my experiments and are always willing to offer their opinions. "Too much salt! Not enough salt! Is that rosemary? I think this sauce should be sweeter." And so on and so forth. Our table has been the place where we share the stories of our day, laugh together, play together, eat together, and create fond memories.

It has been my goal since my husband and I got married twenty three years ago to never feed my family frozen TV dinners, no matter how tempting they may be after a long day at work.  Throughout our marriage my husband has always been my “taster”, “opinion giver”, and overall “critique”; as I have learned and grown as a home cook.  He has also taught me some of his own tricks; as firefighters are known for being great cooks themselves.  And, of course, my journey began when I discovered Food Network and started watching their fabulous shows!! 

This blog is my way of compiling all my creations and sharing them with people who have a passion for cooking, like me. Not all the recipes are one hundred percent my own- sometimes I'll modify a popular recipe to better fit my taste buds. I will be sure to give the proper credit to the people who came up with the original recipe.

Someday (soon!) I hope to turn this blog into a real book! Until then, please enjoy trying out my recipes. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.