Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli

A crock pot is every busy person's best friend as it makes busy life so much easier.  There are so many recipes we can make in it, be it desserts or main dishes.  Although, I feel blessed being a stay-at-home mom but that does not mean I don't get busy.  As a matter of fact, being at home makes you work 24/7 for the family that you love dearly.  So, kudos to all the busy homemakers out there!  

In my world, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the busiest days since I have to drive around my little one to her "after school" activities.  Meaning, they are my crock pot days!  I think this pasta recipe fits the bill.  An Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli version made in a crock pot.  Who knew?  Serve some green salad and bread sticks on the side, you'll have a gourmet dinner ready in minutes for the family!  And did I say, they loved them?

I cut the recipe in half, perfect for my small family

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef

1 onion, chopped

3 carrots chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (16 oz) can red kidney beans, drained (I skipped this, to my preference)

1 (16 oz) can white kidney beans, drained

3 (10 oz) cans beef stock

3 teaspoons oregano

2 teaspoons pepper

5 teaspoons parsley

1 teaspoon tabasco sauce (optional)

1 (20 oz) jar spaghetti sauce

8 ounces pasta

Brown beef in a skillet.   Drain fat from beef and add to crock pot with everything except pasta.  Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.  During last 30 minutes on high or 1 hour on low, add pasta.

Yield:  12 servings

Recipe courtesy:  Food.com

Crock Pot BBQ Ribs

BBQ Ribs are one of my husband's favorite foods.  These sticky, sweet and tangy pork ribs are such a staple in our family, next to pizza!  This definitely is something that I was not familiar with growing up in the island of Philippines.  Yes, we have pork ribs but certainly not cooked this way.  With my husband being such a lover of it, I myself had grown into it over the years that I actually crave for'em every now and then.

It has been a while since we last had some.  The weather lately in the Midwest has been so rugged considering we're in the middle of winter.  With that said, there's no way I'd be grilling outside.  So, what's the solution?  Crock Pot!!!  I love crock pot recipes when the temperature outside drops, the aroma of food envelops the house and brings so much warmth and comfort.  And yes, this version is so easy and surprisingly finger-licking delicious that I can even multitask doing other chores... Or you could sit back, relax, grab a book and let the crock pot do the cooking!

Ingredients

1 rack pork ribs
1- 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce of your choice (I use our favorite brand, Sweet Baby Ray's)
1-2 tablespoons ground mustard
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder

Divide ribs into four.  This helps fit into the crock pot and for perfect serving sizes.  Mix all seasonings in a bowl.  Gently rub seasonings onto the ribs (mostly on meaty side).  Put ribs into the crock pot on high for 4-6 hours.  Scoop out juices from the crock pot before adding the barbecue sauce (this will help the sauce stick on the ribs).  Add barbecue sauce, making sure all ribs are covered.  Continue cooking for another 1-2 hours.  Right before serving, I place the ribs on a cookie sheet lined with foil and place under the broiler for few minutes to make the sauce a little brownish on the outside.  The end result is mouth-watering!  Enjoy!


Yield:  4 servings

Recipe adaptation:  Six Sisters Stuff with SFA's slight modification

Fluffy Pancake

Most weekends, we love to cook some good hearty breakfast in our family.  A lot of times, "Papa" does the cooking, giving "Mama" more time to sleep in and cuddle with little Sweetpea.  I have to say, I'm very blessed to have a husband who can tackle anything in the kitchen whom I know for sure would survive when I'm not available.

Hubby is out of town, so meaning I'll be the one making breakfast.  I planned of making Sweetpea one of her favorite breakfast, and that is pancake!!!  This girl loves pancake so much and I have to embarrassingly admit that I've been feeding her the ready made ones out of the box.  Finally, my motherly guilt kicked in and thought if I can make anything from scratch, why not pancakes?!?  So here it is.....the fluffiest, delicious pancake topped with her choice of fresh raspberries!  And I have to agree with my daughter saying, "Mama, this is the best pancake ever!" as she devours hers.

A beauty for my Sweetpea!

Incorporate together the dry and liquid mixture and leave for at least 5 minutes to marry the flavor while grill is heating up.

Make sure to spray the griddle evenly with non stick cooking spray.

Carefully flip each pancake as they turn golden brown...

This I call...the stackable!!! Yum!!!

Ingredients

3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
cooking spray


Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk.  Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until fully incorporated.  Note:  I try not to over mix them.  Make sure to let the mixture rest for at least 5 minutes before pouring onto the griddle. 

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray.  Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface.  Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.  Serve warm with your favorite pancake syrup and some fresh fruits on the side.  Enjoy!


Yield: 8 pancakes

Recipe adaptation:  allrecipes.com (with SFA's own twist)

Tortang Talong (Eggplant Fritters)

Tortang Talong is also called Eggplant Fritters.  It's an inexpensive, simple and flavorful dish that can be eaten as a side dish or main entree' along with steamed rice.  This dish reminds me so much of my childhood.  Growing up, my mom and dad had a huge vegetable garden in our backyard.  They planted all kinds of veggies and one of them are eggplants.  My mom has different variations of recipes for eggplants but this particular one is my favorite that up to this day, I crave for it every now and then.

I am trying to recreate my mom's recipe here as close to the wonderful flavor as I can remember back then.  Making this recipe takes some patience but the end result is worth it...


Ingredients

4 eggplants
3 eggs
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup onions, finely chopped
olive oil for pan frying

 

 


First, you have to grill the eggplants:
Poke each side of the eggplant with fork and place on hot grill, turning it every now and then until skin blisters and separate from meat when pulled.  You can also put them under the broiler (for grilling option), making sure to keep an eye on them to prevent burning.

Once grilled and cooled, individually peel the skin off.  Place peeled eggplant in a flat platter and gently press it with fork until it flattens but not breaking it (keeping them intact is a key here).  In a shallow baking dish or bowl, beat eggs, onions, garlic powder, onion powder together.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper (you can adjust the flavor here).  Gently submerged an eggplant or two (if it fits) and soak into the liquid mixture. 

Heat olive oil (about 3 tablespoons) on a flat frying pan on a medium heat.  Gently place one or two soaked, flattened eggplant on the pan (depending on the size of your pan).  Drizzle some egg mixture on it (about 2-3 tablespoons) and let it cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until brown.  You may add a little bit more oil on the pan when it gets dry as the eggplant may tend to soak most of it.  Repeat the process with the remaining eggplants.  Best serve with steamed rice, enjoy!



Yield:  4 servings

La Galette des Rois!

Well, the French hubby is back in the kitchen, with another French inspired post...

January 6, the Feast of Epiphany or Little Christmas, is a holy festival honoring the wise men (aka the Three Kings) coming to the infant Jesus. 

This is one of the most popular eating traditions in France, and takes place in January every year. Since I am a huge fan of almond paste and marzipan, this is one pie I would look forward to every January growing up, because this is the only time bakeries offer this delicious treat.  Imagine a pie-sized almond croissant! So good!  And fun too!  A "feve" - a small china figurine - is hidden in the galette before baking.  The lucky guest who gets the feve is crowned king, or queen...  As you may imagine, many a drama have resulted from not getting the feve, so much so that mom often times would get 2 galettes, so both my sister and I could be crowned!  We even did it at school, truly fun memories...  Now it is my turn to introduce my family to this tradition, and it is my humble pleasure to share this with you also!

I recommend cutting the galette into 8 equal slices, away from the presentation table, so you can re-hide the feve, should you cut into it when dividing up the slices.  Kids get first pick of the slice, and you usually keep eating until someone finds the feve... It's even more fun if you have an actual cardboard crown (you can get cut-outs online easily these days).  Have fun and enjoy this unique French treat!

Legal disclaimer:  Be careful when biting into the galette, as you do not want to bite down hard on the feve; it may chip your tooth. Also be careful when giving to small children, as they may choke.


Recipe    (serves 8)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 lb frozen puff pastry
2 eggs
7 oz almond paste

Preparation:
Leave the puff pastry at room temperature for about 2 hours until defrosted but still cold.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or grease the pan and lightly sift flour on it. Shake off any excess flour.  Roll each sheet of pastry into a circle about 12 inches across.
Place one circle on the prepared pan.
Mix 1 egg with the almond paste until smooth (it is a lot easier if you shred the almond paste using a food processor) and spread the mixture, leaving a border 1 1/2 inches wide all around.  If you have a small china, insert it into the almond mixture (you may also use a bean as a feve.)

Using a small seashell for a feve

Place the second circle of pastry on top and press it down tightly around the rim.
Beat lightly the remaining egg and brush it liberally on top of the cake.  With a long bladed knife, press lightly but firmly through the egg glaze marking a crisscross pattern.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and puffed.  Very importantly, do not check for doneness for at least 15 minutes, as the pastry may collapse.
Serve slightly warm or cold.

Recipe courtesy of Embassade de France aux Etats-Unis, Janvier 2001.