Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

Occasionally, when I ask Joe if he has any suggestions for dinners for the weekly plan, he does, and because I do spend most of the time making the healthy, well-balanced pescetarian fare that I enjoy, I usually try to indulge him when he has a specific request. This particular dinner was born out of the meal we ate for dinner the night before our half marathon. I ordered spinach and cheese ravioli with a light tomato cream sauce, and ever since then, Joe has been declaring his love for similar sauces.

Cream and massive amounts of carbs for dinner aren’t my usual, so I turned to someone who appears to have an obsession with creamy sauces and carbs: The Pioneer Woman. Even though I removed her from my Google Reader many moons ago, I still return to her site for certain purposes, and she did not disappoint. The sauce came together quickly and easily, though I cut the amount of butter and oil in half. Every little bit helps! And if you stick to the appropriate portion size, there’s only a couple tablespoons of cream per serving. Not bad for the occasional splurge or craving. Not bad at all.

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce
adapted slightly from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Yields 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 cans (15 Ounce Each) Tomato Sauce
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Dash Of Sugar (more To Taste)
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Grated Parmesan Or Romano Cheese, To Taste
• Fresh Basil, Chopped
• 1 pound long dried pasta like angel hair or spaghetti

Preparation

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for a minute or so. Pour in tomato sauce and add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Stir and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and stir in cream. Add cheese to taste, then check seasonings. Stir in pasta and chopped basil and serve immediately. (Thin with pasta water before adding basil if needed.)

Christmas Rum Cake

This is my last Christmas dinner post, and I saved the best for last. This cake took the cake. Everyone took a bite and started moaning. My mom was talking about it for days afterward. It's a winner. And there should be no worries about it being too soggy or dry. It's the exact perfect amount of moistness for a rum cake.

Just a few warnings: I made this cake a day ahead of time, and I think that was the perfect amount of time for the glaze to get soaked into the cake. You may risk it being a little on the soggy side if you make it right before serving.
Also, I don't think the rum in the glaze gets hot enough for the alcohol to evaporate, so you might want to check everyone's IDs before serving.
Grease the pan really well. I had a few issues with the pecan topping sticking to the bottom of the bundt pan.

Other than that, this cake is really worth your time and will be enjoyed by all at your next adult gathering!

Pioneer Woman’s Mother-in-Law’s Christmas Rum Cake

source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 small package INSTANT vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup rum (dark or light is fine)
1 cup chopped pecans
Brown sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.
Grease and flour Bundt cake pan. Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan. If desired, sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar over the nuts.
Mix all cake ingredients together.
Pour batter over nuts. Smooth out ’til the top is even.
Bake 1 hour, or a little less if the pan is black. Do not overbake!

Glaze:
While cake has ten minutes to go, make the glaze.

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup rum

Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off flame and pour in rum. Stir to combine and reheat for 30 seconds.

Remove cake from oven. Immediately drizzle 1/3 of the glaze on the bottom (top) of the cake. Allow to sit for five minutes.

Invert the cake onto a serving plate. Prick surface a hundred times with a fork (gently, please.) Slowly drizzle remaining rum glaze all over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Cool to room temperature before serving to ensure glaze has soaked in.

Eat. Enjoy. And don’t feel guilty. It’s Christmastime!

No-Knead Dinner Rolls

This was my first successful yeast recipe without using the bread machine to mix the dough. I had told my dad that I was going to try and make the rolls this year, but if I was unsuccessful, he might have to buy some. Lo and behold, I managed to do it. I've realized that if I am patient and don't get myself worked up into a frenzy, dealing with the consistency of the dough is not that difficult. However, I'm more apt to get myself worked up into a frenzy, so we'll see how long this streak of dough success will last.

These rolls were good, though a little on the dense side for my taste. They were delicious just out of the oven with some butter. I took mine out a little early than the cooking time recommended because they were already golden brown. I halved this recipe as well and ended up with 12 rolls plus a little extra dough.

Pioneer Woman's Dinner Rolls
source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients

9 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 cups milk
1 heaping tsp baking powder
1 scant tsp baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp salt
2 packages (4 1/2 tsp) active dry yeast

Preparation

Pour 4 cups of milk into a stock pot or Dutch oven. Add 1 cup sugar and 1 cup vegetable oil. Stir to combine. Now, turn the burner on medium to medium-low and "scald" the mixture. Before the mixture boils, turn off the heat. Allow the mixture to cool to warm/lukewarm (90-110 degrees).

When the mixture is the right temperature, add 4 cups flour and 2 packages yeast. Stir together until incorporated. Add another 4 cups of flour. Stir together and allow to sit, covered with a tea towel or lid, for an hour. After about an hour, it should've almost doubled in size. When it has risen sufficiently, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir (or knead) to combine.

Butter 1 or 2 muffin pans. Form the rolls by pinching off a walnut-sized piece of dough and rolling it into a little ball. Repeat and tuck 3 balls into each muffin cup. Continue until the pan is full. Cover and allow to rise for 1 or 2 hours.

Bake in a 400-degree oven until golden brown, about 17-20 minutes.

Whiskey-Glazed Carrots

We needed some sort of vegetable for Christmas dinner, and I wanted to do something different from the green beans we had for Thanksgiving. I love carrots, and Joe loves whiskey, so I thought this would be a nice touch of color and flavor to our dinner. I halved the recipe, but I wish I had made the whole thing. The carrots nearly disappeared on the first trip around the table!

Pioneer Woman’s Whiskey-Glazed Carrots

source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

2 - 3 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into thick circles
1 stick (1/2 cup…1/4 lb) butter
1/2 cup Jack Daniels or other whiskey
3/4 to 1 cup brown sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper

Melt 1 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add carrots in two batches, cooking for 60 to 90 seconds each batch. Remove from skillet.
Pour in whiskey and allow to evaporate 30 seconds.
Reduce heat to medium, and add remaining butter.
When butter melts, sprinkle brown sugar over the top.
Stir together, then add carrots to skillet.
Cover, and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
Remove lid and add salt and pepper. Continue cooking until carrots are done and glaze is thick, about 5 more minutes.
Pour onto a platter and serve immediately. Sprinkle with chopped chives if desired