red wine and garlic mushrooms

This is not the original recipe I had planned to post today, but a friend of mine just reminded me that exactly a year ago today, we left to spend a semester abroad in Madrid, Spain. So, in honor of that journey, I decided to switch it up a bit and let you all enjoy a taste of Spain with these red wine and garlic mushrooms.

Versions of these mushrooms make an appearance on many of the menus in tapas bars around Madrid. Red wine and garlic represent two of the three food products that are so prevalent in Spanish life and cooking (the third being olive oil). These mushroom embody that garlicky flare that is common in Spanish food, but they won’t make you break a sweat in the kitchen (and that is always a plus in my book).

I know it sounds like an overused cliché, but I cannot believe how fast time has flown by. It seems like just a month ago that I left for my adventure in Spain and postponed my life here. And although I was freaking out (to put it lightly) the night before I was set to leave, I am so happy that I took a leap of faith and decided to go.

Even though I was happy to come home and resume my life here, there will always be a part of me that longs to go back to my home in Madrid.

Palacio de Cibeles, Madrid, Spain

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup red wine
16 oz. mushrooms (I used cremini, but you can use whatever kind you want)
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Heat butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once butter is melted and begins to bubble, add in garlic, stirring frequently, until it turns just golden, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in red wine and return mixture simmer.

Add in mushrooms and toss to coat with sauce. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Remove lid, season with salt and pepper, and continue cooking on medium-low heat for an additional 5-8 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked through and the bottoms are golden.

Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle parsley over the top.

Source: Slightly adapted from Bev Cooks

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creamy chicken gnocchi soup

It has gotten pretty darn cold here in St. Louis for the region. Now, if this were Chicago or any part of Northern United States (or Canada), I would be telling a different story. But, at least for me, it’s the perfect weather for a warm bowl of soup… perhaps some creamy chicken gnocchi soup? I would definitely be all in for that.

It snowed all day here on Monday (that was New Year’s Eve). So, I was trapped in the house since my little car can’t get up and down the hills in my subdivision with the slightest covering of snow. And my parent’s big four-wheel drive SUV was down at the Lake of the Ozarks with the two of them.

So, it was just the dogs and me here all by ourselves. And all the things that go bump in the night.

I do surprisingly well by myself when I am alone in my apartment at school. Well, besides the incident when I swore there was someone going door-to-door murdering people in their sleep.

But, being alone here? It wouldn’t have been so bad if both of the dogs hadn’t started growling at absolutely nothing. And then started doing their freaking-out barking. At 2:00 am.

And that’s when every single creak and crack turned into someone trying to break into the house.

Turns out the dogs were just growling at the deer in the backyard. I checked the next morning and there were deer tracks all over the place.

But, no worries. I survived. And now all I want is a bowl of this chicken soup… or any soup for that matter.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free half and half
1 cup milk
1 10.75-oz. can chicken broth (plus one can water)
1 lb. gnocchi
2 poached chicken breasts, chopped (or you can just buy prepared rotisserie chicken)

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in onions, carrots, and thyme and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5-10 minutes (depending on how thick your carrot slices are). Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant, stirring frequently.

Add flour and cook for about 1-2 minutes, until the flour just turns golden. Slowly whisk in half and half, milk, chicken broth, and a can of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Continue simmering for about 5 minutes, until mixture is thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in gnocchi and continue to simmer for about 3-4 minutes, until gnocchi is cooked through. Add chicken and cook for about 2 minutes, until warmed through. Serve.

Source: Slightly adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Café

campanelle with green beans and bacon

Seeing as though it’s officially the New Year, I have one very important question.

How long is it going to take me to remember to write “2013” on the date line for papers and homework instead of “2012”?

Oh, yeah… and how much do I have to beg you to try this pasta?

Not like “eat your Brussels sprouts” begging. More like I have about 1,000 pins of recipes on Pinterest and have only tried a handful begging.

But seriously, try this pasta. It’s super easy and it’s super yummy. Pasta with green beans? It may sound a bit strange (it did to me at first, too). But they’re all sweet and the bacon is doing its savory thing and the pasta is, well… carb-y (and if you know me, you know I have a mild obsession with carbohydrates).

And the leftovers? Yeah, they’re even better.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb. campanelle (or any other pasta you prefer)
6 slices bacon, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 lb. green beans, ends trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature and cut up into pieces
3/4 cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving

Drop pasta into boiling, salted water. Cook to al dente according to package directions, about 11 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, add bacon to a cold skillet. Turn heat to medium. Once bacon begins to sizzle, add in garlic cloves. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until bacon is slightly chewy and browned around the edges. Add in green beans. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender, about 4-6 more minutes. Remove garlic cloves. Reduce heat to low. Stir in butter and parmesan. Toss with drained pasta and sprinkle additional grated parmesan, if desired. If needed, add in some of the water the pasta cooked in to loosen up the sauce a bit.

Source: Fine Cooking