No Sauce...No Problem!

A few days ago, my boyfriend wanted spaghetti after a long day's work. I immedietly told him that I would make it without a problem, but then I realized something...we didn't have any sauce!!! Instead of panic or send his tired butt to the store, I decided to make do with what I had in the fridge.

This is what I ended up with: A Mushroom Garlic Butter Sauce.

I finely diced fresh garlic cloves and roughly chopped some leftover mushrooms into small pieces. I put a non-stick pan on the stove and heated it on medium heat. First I added in the garlic and stirred it until fragrant followed by the mushrooms. I then added in butter and asiago cheese until I got the consistency that I wanted and...voila! ^-^

My boyfriend was so impressed by this sauce that was made on the fly that he wanted me to make it for him again!!! It was so yummy! :D

My Homemade Mac & Cheese with Recipe!!!

This is a very special recipe that my grandmother has handed down to me! It's easy and so delicious! Especially if you're a cheese lover like me ;)

Here is what you will need:

-1 package of elbow noodles

-1 can of diced tomatoes

-Sharp cheddar cheese (I like to use Cabot's Seriously Sharp)

-Milk

-Salt & Pepper

-Spray oil 

Okay! First, boil the noodles until they are al dente, rinse, drain, and set aside. Also set the oven to pre-heat at 350º or set to broil.

Next, spray the pan with some cooking spray and wipe it all around the sides and bottom of an oven safe casserole dish. Add in all of the pasta.

Start slicing the cheese into the dish over the noodles. You can add as much cheese as desired. After that, mix the cheese around so everything is mixed well!

Because my uncle and boyfriend do not like tomatoes, I usually leave 1/4 of the dish without the tomatoes. Carefully mix the tomatoes in with the cheese and noodles.

Add in a little milk and generously sprinkle on some salt and pepper!

Next place the mac & cheese into the pre-heated oven and allow the cheese to melt and brown for about 10 minutes or until it's the way you want it. ALMOST THERE...

AND....DRUMROLL PLEASE..

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IT'S DONE!!! :D

See how easy that was? I make this quite often at my house and everyone loves it! It's also a great lunch to bring to work :)

Enjoy! ^-^

Pasta Alla Carbonara with Recipe!

Pasta Alla Carbonara is one of my all time favorite dishes and I just had to share the recipe that I used. I got it from the YouTube channel stevescooking! Be sure to check his channel out for some amazing recipes that are simple, but make you feel like a michelin chef! :)

What you will need:

-2 eggs (1 egg per person)

-Pancetta (or bacon)

-Finely grated pecorino remano cheese

-Fresh chopped parsley

-Spaghetti

-Sea salt

-Ground black pepper

-Olive oil

With this type of recipe, there really isn't a set amount of ingredients. You just have to add as mush as you think is needed or to taste. I think that's what really makes this Italian dish so authentic <3

Okay! I also wanted to mention that this is my first time ever using pancetta! I bought it at a deli at a nearby Wegmans. It smells like a beautifully seasoned salami and I just knew it would taste fantastic! 

First, you cube the pancetta like in the above picture.

Next, bring a pot of water to a boil, add the salt, and then add in the pasta. Cook the pasta for as long as it says on the package or until it is al dente (firm, but not hard).

Now, add a little olive oil into a non-stick pan and make sure the pan is on medium heat, because you don't want the pancetta to burn! You want it to be nice and crispy so keep stirring it until it is done! 

After the pancetta becomes nice and crispy, sprinkle in the ground black pepper and stir! Turn heat to low.

Once the pasta is done, using tongs, place it into the pan with the pancetta. Ladle in a little of the pasta water and stir well until it gets a bit creamy. SAVE THE PASTA WATER! Adding in the pasta water makes it creamy without having to add in any cream! :)

Next, generously add in parsley and stir some more! 

Now mix the eggs with a good amount of pecorino romano cheese, a little pepper and lightly whisk it until thoroughly mixed. 

Be sure to turn the heat off at this point. Now add in the egg mixture and be sure to continuously stir because you don't want the eggs to scramble! Add pasta water until you get the desired creamy consistency! Next, turn the heat on low just to cook the eggs through and keep stirring until they are cooked! IT'S DONE! :D

Add on some more grated cheese and if you're feeling fancy, place some parsley on top! Honestly, I couldn't wait to eat this so I didn't bother! xD

This is such a delicious pasta dish and it is one of my favorites to make...and to eat! ^-^

Homemade French Onion Soup!

I got the recipe from GoodHousekeepingMag! This soup is perfect for those chilly nights or for any other day or occasion!!! :)


What you are going to need:

- 4 Tbsp. Butter
- 6 Medium Onions
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 1 Can Beef Broth
- 4 Cups Water
- 1 Sprig of Fresh Thyme
- Mini French Bread Slices or Baguettes
- Grated Gruyere Cheese
- Red Wine (Optional)

After all of the necessary ingredients are prepared, we first have to deal with caramelizing these onions! 

First, turn the stove on medium-low heat. In a non-stick and good sized skillet, add in the butter and allow it to melt. 

Next, add in all of the chopped onions and salt. I know it looks like A LOT, but they begin to shrink when the caramelization process begins. Keep stirring them for about 45 minutes to an hour until they have been caramelized! 

After 45 minutes, turn the stove down to low and keep stirring for about 15 more minutes! Be sure to keep on stirring because the onions can begin to burn otherwise and we don't want that! This is a process and you must be patient if you want the best results! YOU CAN DO IT! :D

After stirring the onions for over an hour on my uneven stove surface, I decided to stop before they were completely caramelized, but they will still be very tasty! You want them to be a very dark brown color. 

From this...

To this! :)

Next, transfer the onions to a deep pot and add the water, beef broth, and the thyme. At this point, I also added a little red wine to taste, but that is completely optional. Bring it to a boil it on high heat and stir. Then, reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. 

When the soup is almost ready, pre-heat your oven to 450ºF and place the mini french bread slices onto a tray and toast them. That usually takes around 5 minutes. 

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Now, in three steps, ladle the soup into an oven-safe bowl, add the toasted bread, and cover with a liberal amount of gruyere cheese! Almost done!

Put the soup into the oven and bake until the cheese starts to brown: about 15 minutes and...

Voila! It's done! This soup may take a little time to make, but it is so flavorful...it is well worth the wait!!! Enjoy and please try this recipe out for yourself! :)

My Version of RunnyRunny999's Zosui Recipe!

I have to mention that one of my favorite channels on YouTube is RunnyRunny999. He makes such amazing Japanese food and I love to try his recipes! Please check out his channel here!

Zosui is a Japanese rice soup made from pre-cooked rice and water. They are delicious and guarantee that none of your leftovers go to waste. This recipe is absolutely perfect for the fall or winter or for any other occasion. I decided to add chicken to it because I had some leftover and it was a great addition to this recipe!

Here is what you will need:

-1/2 sliced onion

-1 or 2 julienned carrots

-1/2 pack enoki mushrooms

-1/2 pack shimeji mushrooms

-Leftover rice (1 1/2 cups or more)

-About 2 cups bouillon stock

-About 3 1/2 Tbsp. heavy cream or milk

-Olive oil for frying

-Salt and pepper

-Leftover chicken (or cut chicken breast into small pieces and stir-fry)

First, turn the stove on medium hugh and then add some olive oil to a (preferably) non-stick pan and throw in the onions and stir-fry them until they become tender. 

Next, you add in the rest of the vegetables and stir-fry until they are all cooked through. In this case, I also added in some leftover chicken that I had in the fridge. 

I didn't take a picture of it (these photos are about a year old), but next you add in the bouillon stock and mix it well. Then you add in the leftover rice and simmer it for about a minute. 

Now you add in the heavy cream or milk and mix it well until it has thickened enough. You can add some salt and pepper to taste. It's DONE!!! :D

This is so delicious! Especially on a cold winter day or when you're sick! 

One thing that I like to do with the leftovers is put it into a oven safe bowl, sprinkle on some sharp cheddar cheese, and broil it in the oven until the cheese melts. This tastes fantastic! Especially if you're a cheese lover like me! :)

I hope you enjoyed the recipe! Please give it a try!

You can check out runnyrunny999's original recipe here!

Thank you for reading!!! ^-^