Shrimp and Brie Linguine

Mmmm, this recipe was very tasty and very fast. My mom gave it to me last weekend after she had tried it and told me is was very good. She was right (as usual)! The creamy brie melts in the hot pasta and the shrimp picks up the garlic and olive oil and melds right with the tangy sundried tomatoes. Yum!

I made several changes to this recipe based on what I had on hand, but I have copied it for you exactly below. Chuck does not like olives so I omitted those as well as the fresh tomatoes. I had a jar of roasted red peppers in the fridge so those got tossed in instead. Since the brie mixture doesn't really get cooked at all, be sure to use your good olive oil, as well as fresh basil (I used dried and the flavor was way too strong). This recipe is easily halved, but keep the amount of pasta at 8 ounces, which was enough for Chuck and I to have very big servings!

Shrimp and Brie Linguine
from Coastal Living
Makes 4 to 6 servings

8 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed, if desired
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, coarsely chopped
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces uncooked linguine (I would highly suggest using 1 pound)
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cube Brie and combine with next 7 ingredients in a bowl. Cover and let stand about 1 hour.

Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions. Two minutes before pasta is al dente, add shrimp. Cook 2 minutes or until shrimp are done.

Drain pasta and shrimp, and immediately toss with Brie mixture. Serve immediately with fresh Parmesan.

Another award!

Many, many thanks to Maria and Josh of Two Peas and Their Pod for this fantastic award. I am so honored and thank you for the many comments you leave on my blog! I love visiting your blog and you are on my list of blogs I check all the time!

I would like to pass this along to three people who really helped me start my blog and have shared their own experiences blogging with me so that my road has been a little easier. I am passing this along to Katie of Good Things Catered and The Hyper Homemaker, Mollie of Reading, 'Riting, and Recipes, and Sarah of A Taste of Home Cooking. I have been able to come to all of you with questions and problems in this lovely blogosphere and have them answered! Thank you so much!

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

Oftentimes when I want to bake something, I will save a little bit to keep at home and send the rest into work with Chuck. Everyone is always very appreciative there and this allows me to try out all sorts of recipes without gaining 10 pounds a week!

Last time Chuck brought something in, he told me that someone mentioned 'peanut butter' as a flavor they would enjoy in a dessert. So of course I turned to one of my favorite little brownie bite recipes and whipped up some of these over the weekend for the office.

I prefer to make these as mini-muffins since the peanut butter makes them very rich, but you can also make them in regular muffin tins, just bake several minutes longer. Since I only have one mini-muffin tin I make 24 minis and then 2 regular sized!

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites
from Bake or Break via ...and a cookie for dessert
Makes 28 bites

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup + 1/3 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup + 1/3 cup chocolate chips
1 cup creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease mini muffin pan with baking cooking spray or butter.

Combine sugar, butter, and water and microwave on high 1 minute or until butter is melted. Stir in 3/4 cup chocolate chips until melted. Stir in egg and vanilla.

Add flour and baking soda and stir until blended. Cool to room temperature.

Stir in 1/2 cup each peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. Spoon batter into muffin cups.

Bake 13-15 minutes until top is set and a toothpick comes out slightly wet. The centers of the brownies should fall while cooling. If not, tap with the back of a teaspoon.

Microwave peanut butter on high for 45 seconds, then stir. While brownies are still hot, fill the wells with peanut butter. Garnish with extra 1/3 cup each of chips.

Cool completely in the pan.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Pan Sauce

This pork tenderloin is easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner and fancy and flavorful enough to make for company. I quickly put the marinade together in the morning before work, leaving almost 12 hours for the meat to sit. Browning the meat before roasting really seals in the flavor as well, and adds a lot to the terrific pan sauce that you make while the pork is in the oven.

Most recipes call for pork to register an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, which is super easy to monitor with an instant read thermometer. Mine goes right into the piece of meat and connects to the actual thermometer outside of the oven so I can keep a constant watch over it.

I served this with roasted asparagus and white beans and tomatoes. Yum!

Roasted Pork Tenderloin
from For the Love of Cooking
Makes 3-4 servings

1⁄2 cup olive oil
1⁄3 cup soy sauce
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 teaspoon dry mustard
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 pound pork tenderloin

Combine all ingredients and marinate for at least 3-4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a hot oven-safe skillet over medium heat, sear each side of tenderloin for 2-3 minutes.

Place in the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes or until the meat has reached 160 degrees. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Pan Sauce:

Pan scrapings from pork tenderloin
1/2 cup of chicken broth
2-3 tablespoons of pork marinade (thoroughly mixed)
1-2 teaspoons butter

Meanwhile, place the skillet back on the stove over medium heat. Add the chicken broth and scrape up all the browned pieces from the bottom of the pan. Add the marinade and let it boil down for 2-3 minutes.

Add the butter and remove from heat stirring until butter has melted. Pour over the pork tenderloin. Enjoy.

Molten Lava Cakes with Pumpkin Whipped Cream

When Chuck and I were in Hawaii for our honeymoon, he literally ordered a variation of this dessert every single night we went out to dinner. Needless to say, it is one of his favorites, so of course I made it for his birthday dinner! You can't go wrong with a chocolate cake that still has a gooey, warm middle once you break it open.

You do have to be very careful about overbaking these little guys; but if you bake it for the minimum recommended time, and then test with a toothpick, you will be fine. And since it has to be baked right before serving, I always make this in advance. The recipe says to bake for longer if you refrigerate first, but I suggest bringing the prepped ramekins to room temperature first, and then start with the 10 minute baking time anyway. I left out the espresso powder since I was serving this with the pumpkin whipped cream. Get ready for a restaurant-worthy dessert!

Molten Lava Cakes
from Everyday Food
Makes 2 servings

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for ramekins
1/3 cup confectioners sugar, plus more for ramekins and serving
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
Pinch salt
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter two 6-ounce ramekins, then dust with sugar. Place butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 20-second increments, stirring after each, until melted. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolk, sugar, espresso powder, and salt. Add chocolate mixture; whisk to combine. Add flour, and whisk just until combined (do not overmix). Pour batter into prepared ramekins. (Recipe can be made ahead up to this point.)

Bake until a toothpick inserted 1/2 inch from edge of ramekins comes out clean, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out wet, 10 to 12 minutes (do not overbake). Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around inside of ramekins to loosen. Invert cakes onto serving plates. Dust with sugar; serve immediately.

My lame attempt at a pumpkin stencil.

Pumpkin Whipped Cream
from Colleen's Kitchen
Makes about 2 cups

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Put a metal bowl in the freezer for several hours.

Take bowl out of freezer and add very cold cream. Use an electric mixer and beat until soft peaks form.

Add confectioners sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice and beat until firm peaks form. Be careful or you will end up with butter instead!

Bats and Cobwebs

Here it is! A little late since Halloween is over, but save the recipe for next year! The little pasta "bats" and the mozzarella "cobwebs" make this a perfect dish for trick-or-treating night. You can't really go wrong with the ingredients in this: pasta, cheese, tomatoes, and sausage; all baked in a delicious casserole with a crusty top.

I use regular hot Italian sausage instead of the chicken sausage the original recipe calls for. We like the taste of it better, and cooking the sausage in the saute pan first allows you to cook the tomato sauce with the delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Serve with a green salad and some buttery garlic bread and make sure to listen for the doorbell!

Bats and Cobwebs
adapted from Everyday Food
Makes 4 servings

1/2 pound bow-tie pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes in puree
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon sugar
Coarse salt
8 ounces hot Italian sausage links
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes (1 3/4 cups)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain; set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium. Add sausage links and heat until cooked through. Remove sausage from pan and drain on paper towel. Cool slightly then slice thinly.

Meanwhile add remaining teaspoon oil to same pan. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, oregano, and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer; cook, stirring and breaking up tomatoes until slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt.

Add pasta, sausage, and half the mozzarella to tomato sauce; toss to combine. Transfer to a 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until bubbly and top is lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

If you are looking for a crowd pleasing dip that's easy to make, this is it. This is perfect for a Friday night in, a football tailgate, or any other casual get-together with friends.

If you are making this for only a few people, the recipe is easily halved. Just put it in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish instead. And please only use the Swanson brand of canned chicken - anything else is really not worth it. Serve with any sort of cracker and some cut veggies and you're all set!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

adapted from the What's Cooking board

Makes about 12 appetizer servings

2 (10 ounce) can chunk chicken, drained

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup blue cheese or ranch dressing

3/4 cup hot pepper sauce (I like the Frank's Buffalo sauce)

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and blue cheese dressing. Cook, stirring until blended and warm. Mix in the cheddar cheese and transfer to a 2 1/2 quart baking dish.

Cook for 20 minutes or until bubbly.