March 2013 – The Pajama Chef

Baked Pizza Pasta

March 29, 2013March 29, 2013 Sarah

So, when I made this awesome Baked Pizza Pasta on Sunday, this was my view outside:

So, so gross. I don’t like this second winter thing. But it certainly was a great backdrop for this comfy, cozy baked pasta dish, don’t ya think? And even now, when the forecast for today is in the 50s, I’d still eat this. It just might even be my lunch!

I know there are a million recipes out there for pizza pastas, but since I really think it’s the sauce that makes a pizza, I decided to concentrate on the sauce and let the rest come to me. Instead of using a bottled spaghetti sauce, I whipped up a quick and easy pantry pasta sauce out of canned crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and load of herbs and seasonings. Feel free to add and subtract from my choices as you see fit–this is very adaptable. I’ve made many homemade pasta and pizza sauces, and find that we like using dried herbs instead of fresh here, but again, do what suits you. Then, I tossed in some hot Italian sausage, salty pepperoni [Ben’s fav!], some bell peppers [that I LOVE!], and a little onion. Add in curly rotini pasta and lots of mozzarella cheese, and you have yourself one heck of a pasta dinner! Very adaptable, very forgiving, very delicious.

We’ve been eating this all week long, so I can testify to the fact that it heats up beautifully and even tastes better the next [and the next next next next] day. Yum-o! Next time I make this, I might increase the amount of sauce [or use a little less pasta], so keep that in mind if you wanna make this saucier, but really, we thought this was perfect as is. Fresh and flavorful like pizza, just in a more comfort food friendly form. Enjoy!

P.S. You have my permission to serve this at Easter dinner. I totally think that would be great. 🙂

Baked Pizza Pasta [TPC original]
click to print

Ingredients:

28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
6 ounce can tomato paste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried garlic
1 teaspoon dried onion
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound rotini
8 ounces hot Italian sausage
1 medium onion, diced
4 ounces pepperoni [reserve 5-10 slices for topping]
1 cup diced bell peppers [I used red, yellow, and orange]
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded [reserve about 2 ounces for topping]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then begin by bringing a large pot of water to boil to cook the pasta.

In a saucepan set over medium heat, combine crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, and oil with all dried herbs and seasonings. Stir sauce occasionally and heat thoroughly.

Meanwhile, begin browning the sausage in a small skillet, breaking up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. When sausage is fully cooked, remove to a plate and use a paper towel to blot up some of the grease from the pan. Add onions to the hot skillet and cook over medium-low heat about 7 minutes or until soft.

When pasta water is boiling, add rotini and cook to al dente. Drain and return to pan, then add sauce, sausage, onion, pepperoni [minus reserved pepperoni], peppers, and about 6 ounces shredded cheese. Stir together then transfer to a 9×13 baking dish. Top with reserved cheese and pepperoni.

Bake for 20 minutes or until hot.

Time: 50 minutes.

Yield: 10-12 servings.

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck.

Breakfast, Granola, Recipes

Cinnamon Applesauce Granola

March 27, 2013March 26, 2013 Sarah

There’s nothing better than a good granola. I love having some around on a regular basis as topping for yogurt or to enjoy as a quick snack. Truthfully, half the time I make granola I don’t even bother to photograph and share it here because I think it’s not good enough. Not crunchy enough. Missing those chunks. Too plain. Blah, blah, blah.

In fact, I’ve made several batches of this basic granola without sharing it. But recently as I was eating it I just decided enough was enough. This granola may not be fancy–it doesn’t even have any dried fruit in it, and the walnuts were a last minute [fabulous!!] addition–but it is what we like, and so gosh darn it I’m gonna share it!! 🙂 So I ran outside after I got home, photographed the granola, and am sharing the recipe the very next day. Who am I??!

Well, truthfully, I don’t know, but what I do know is this: I love this granola! It is perfect and pretty much incapable of being screwed up. It’s fairly lowfat and is just sweet enough for my tastes, which means it’s healthy, right? 🙂 The use of the applesauce not only keeps the fat down while still allowing for a crunchy texture, but it also adds a subtle apple flavor. Paired with its classic cinnamon counterpart, this is one flavorful granola! Add in a couple kinds of nuts and some chewy coconut and you won’t even miss the extra sugar or dried fruit [though you can certainly add either if that’s your thing]. I’ve pretty much decided that this is now my go-to granola. It’s crunchy, flavorful, and interesting–and as long as you refrain from stirring too much, those much loved chunks of granola remain after baking. Winner in my book. I know it will be in yours too!

Cinnamon Applesauce Granola [adapted from Macaroni and Cheesecake]
click to print

Ingredients:

3/4 cup natural, no sugar added applesauce
6 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.

In a small saucepan set over low, combine applesauce, brown sugar, honey, and oil. Stir together until sugar melts and mixture is warm. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, toss together oats, walnuts, wheat germ, coconut, sunflower seeds, and cinnamon. Gradually pour applesauce mixture over oats, stirring to fully coat. Transfer mixture onto prepared baking sheet, then press down firmly with the back of a spatula.

Bake for 45 minutes, stirring once or twice. [If granola starts to burn or get too dark, especially after 30 minutes, cover loosely with foil].

Time: 60 minutes.

Yield: 6 cups.

Reviews

Book Review: A Change of Fortune

March 25, 2013March 24, 2013 Sarah

Happy Book Review Day! Okay, that’s not really a holiday but I have a fun book to review today–A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano. This is a title received from the blogging review program offered by Bethany House Publishers.

Here is a description of the book from the publisher:

Lady Eliza Sumner has lost everything—her father, her fiancé, her faith, and now her fortune. Masquerading as Miss Eliza Sumner, governess-at-large, she’s on a mission to find the man who ran off with her inheritance and reclaim what’s rightfully hers.

When Eliza’s hapless attempts at her fortune’s recovery unexpectedly put her right in the path of New York society’s most eligible bachelor, Mr. Hamilton Beckett, sparks instantly begin to fly. But when their best-laid plans fall by the wayside, it will take a riot of complications for them to realize that God may have had a better plan in mind all along.

As usual… my five point review! 🙂

First of all–Jen Turano is hilarious! The style of this book [and I don’t know if this is a legit writing category or not, but it’s the best reference I found online] is historical romantic comedy. I guess it’s a style because rom coms are a type of movies, so it only makes sense that they could be books too. Seriously though, the antics that Eliza and her friend Agatha get into as the mystery of the story progresses are absolutely laugh out loud hilarious. I loved this book! It was just so light and fun.
This book is set in 1880, and reading about this time period is so fun. I’ve never been to NYC, but love seeing the city’s growth of this time through the eyes of a feisty British woman. I can’t imagine the sheer amount of culture shock a woman of her stature would actually have gone through if this story was real!
The story’s point of view switches mainly between Eliza and Hamilton, and this makes for a good balance for the fast paced storyline. There is never much confusion over where you are and the knowledge that each character has at a moment in time is appropriate. I appreciate this attention to detail by the author.
Though this is a Christian novel, its tone is not at all preachy. It’s clean and there are themes of faith [especially, and predictably, Eliza exploring what faith in God is], but overall, it is a fun tale of intrigue, mystery, and romance. It’s definitely a Christian novel for those who are looking for it, but if you aren’t, I still think you’d appreciate it.
To sum it up, this was pretty much the perfect book for me. The last page of the book had one of those… if you like this book, you’ll also like… pages. Guess what the three books were? None other than Against the Tide, Unending Devotion, and Love in Disguise. Fitting, huh? 🙂 Perfect, I think. You can’t go wrong with this book! The next book in the series comes out in June. #cantwait

P.S. You can download a free novella written by Jen Turano online from Amazon here. Gentleman of Her Dreams is a companion novella to this book.

What are you reading lately?

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed above are entirely my own. Thanks to Bethany House for the chance to read this great book!

Menu Plans

Menu Plan

March 24, 2013March 23, 2014 Sarah

Week of March 25

Monday: chicken burgers
Tuesday: Korean Black Beans & Rice [didn’t make last week]
Wednesday: pizza pasta bake
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: breakfast for dinner
Saturday: Mexican Cornbread Pot Pie – but with carnitas not chicken
Sunday: Easter dinner! 🙂

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Sweet and Sour Chicken {Repost}

March 20, 2013March 17, 2013 Sarah

So, I used to post once a month on a blog called Today’s Housewife. Last fall, the group decided together to stop posting due the busyness of life and families and such. Though sad, I enjoyed being part of the group. As of early January, the blog was officially taken down. But I don’t want to lose my recipes, so periodically I will be reposting them on here. Enjoy!

this post is originally from October 13, 2011

Chinese is Ben’s favorite ethnic food, so I’m constantly on the look out for ways I can surprise him with some special dinners at home. First it was Healthy Fried Rice, next it was Sweet and Sour Chicken. Before I tried any of these recipes, I expected them to be really difficult. But you know what? Making Chinese food at home really isn’t that hard. It’s actually pretty simple; all it takes is a bit of effort.

In almost no active preparation time at all, you can have restaurant-quality Sweet and Sour Chicken on your table for everyone to enjoy. We loved how sweet and tangy this dish was, as well as the freshness and healthiness factors. Because nothing beats the impressiveness of homemade!

Sweet and Sour Chicken [from Mrs. Schwartz’s Kitchen]
click to print

Ingredients:

1-2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup pineapple chunks or tidbits
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
brown rice, for serving
stir fry vegetables, for serving
sesame seeds, for topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.

Put cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Crack eggs into another shallow bowl, and beat slightly with a fork. Season chicken with salt and pepper then dip in cornstarch and egg.

Working in two batches, brown the chicken, tossing every so often so that all sides crisp. Remove chicken to a large baking dish and arrange in a single layer, using a paper towel to degrease if necessary.

In a medium bowl, stir the sugar, pineapple, ketchup, vinegars, soy sauce, garlic, and red pepper together until sugar dissolves and sauce is fully mixed. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Then pour half of the sauce over the chicken and toss to fully coat.

Bake the chicken for 60 minutes, turning every 15 minutes. [This would be a good time to start your brown rice, if you haven’t already.]

Meanwhile, pour remaining sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn heat to low and simmer to reduce, about 20 minutes.

Serve chicken over rice and vegetables and top with additional sauce and sesame seeds.

Yield: 5-6 servings.

Time: 90 minutes [30 minutes active].