Aren’t you glad it’s springtime?

Though we’ve had a mild winter…

And it’s a bit chillier here than it’s been all winter…

So I’m pretending it’s spring.

And this will make you feel like spring…

A delicious and quick pasta that the kids will adore!

Mom and Dad too!

Feel free to add grilled chicken or shrimp to make it a heartier dish.

Bow ties with spring veggies & pancetta

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 box bow tie pasta

4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped

1 1/4 pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces

1 scallions, thinly sliced

8 ounces crimini mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup heavy cream

3 T extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 T lemon zest

1/4 cup italian parsley, chopped

1/4 cup basil, torn

WHAT TO DO:

Heat a large pasta pot over high heat.  When boiling add salt and cook pasta until al dente. Drain, but reserve 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Set aside.

Pour off all but 1 teaspoon drippings from skillet. Add mushrooms to the drippings.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Add asparagus, scallions, and garlic to the mushrooms in skillet and cook for 3 more minutes minutes.  Remove from heat.

Add veggies, 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid, 1/2 cup Parmesan, cream, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, basil, and S&P to pasta.

Mix well.  Add more pasta water if necessary.  Sprinkle with bacon and more cheese if desired.

Tasty Tidbit – Kids not asparagus fans?  Try this dish with frozen peas!

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• Get Healthy Week – Salmon with sauteed veggies
• Macaroni with bacon, sausage, and cheese

By Melissa d’Arabian with some Fitz tweaks by me

Serves: 6   Prep Time: 45 minutes  Cook time:  1 hour 10 minutes

6 strips bacon

1 medium onion, chopped  

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 cup heavy cream

2 Pie Crusts, recipe follows

3 medium baking potatoes, peeled

S&P

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

1 egg yolk, whisked with a splash of water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until just crispy. Drain on paper towel lined plate and set aside. Crumble the bacon when cool to the touch.  Saute chopped onion in reserved bacon drippings over medium low heat until soft, 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the thyme and cream over low heat to a bare simmer. Turn off the heat and let steep for about 5 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs.

Remove the pie pan from the refrigerator. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and then finely slice the potatoes. Arrange the potato slices in the pie crust, stopping to season each layer with salt, pepper, and some  of your cheese and crumbled bacon. Continue layering until the pie pan is nearly full. Top with a layer of the cheese and gently pour cream around and over the entire pie, allowing it to seep down between the potato slices.

Roll out the remaining disk of refrigerated dough. Cover the pie with the dough and crimp the edges closed. Brush the top and edges of the crust with egg wash. Make a few slits in the center of the top crust, for the steam to escape, and put the pie pan on a baking sheet. Bake the torte until the crust is browned and crispy and the potatoes are cooked through, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. If the crust edges get too brown, cover them with some strips of aluminum foil. Remove the pie from the oven and let rest at least 15 minutes.  Serve with a side salad.

Pie Crust:

1 cup butter (2 sticks), cubed and chilled

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

8 to 10 tablespoons ice water

Put the butter, flour, and salt in the food processor, and pulse lightly just until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing briefly after each spoonful of water. Keep adding water until the dough just begins to gather into larger clumps. Transfer equal amounts of the dough into 2 resealable plastic bags and pat each into a disk. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Remove 1 of the disks from the bag to a flour coated surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 10-inch round. Gently fit the rolled dough into a 9-inch pie pan, and refrigerate while you prepare the torte ingredients.

Related posts:

• Potato Pizza Pizzaz
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• Macaroni with bacon, sausage, and cheese
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• Chicken Pot Pie

WHAT????

What kid in their right mind would not want mashed potatoes and all that yummy creamy goodness?

Then I stopped to think for a second and I realized that for quite some time my boys wouldn’t try mashed potatoes?

WHAT????

How dare you scoff at a potato! A mashed potato!

You are Fitzpatricks for the love of all that is holy.

Your people have survived against all odds with the help of the magical pratties!

WHAT????

So I tried to remember how I got them to eat them for the first time, and I realized it’s the magical practice that I have leaned on time and time again…

I called the boys into the kitchen when those little beauties came out of the water and asked them to make them with me and decide what goes in them.

Now they are “their” mashed potatoes.

Now they take ownership and pride in their potatoes.

Now they will actually try them and realize that mashed potatoes are nothing but GOOD.

Here is Keegan’s recipe. Keep in mind that these measurements are an estimate. He got a little crazy with the parmesan cheese.

1 lb baby red potatoes, mashed (You could use any kind of potato, I just don’t like to peel them.)
2 T chicken stock
2 T cream
2 T sour cream
2 T unsalted butter
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (though something tells me Keegan threw in closer to a 1/2 cup, he kept saying, I think it needs more cheese, mommy.)
S&P

Toss all ingredients into a large bowl. Let the kids have fun mashing those potatoes! Mix well, let the kids get creative about what they’d like to add. Dish it out and let them enjoy trying their delicious masterpiece!

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Serves 6  Prep Time: 5 minutes  Cook time: 20 minutes

1 1/2 lbs baby red potatoes

3 cloves garlic, peeled

S&P

splash of cream

1/4 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 T butter

Cut your potatoes into quarters and toss them in a medium sized pot with the garlic cloves.  Fill with cold water.  Set over high heat and bring to a boil.  Once the water is boiling season the water with salt.  Cook until fork tender about 8-10 minutes.  Drain well and transfer to a bowl.  Toss in remaining ingredients and mix with hand mixer or smash with a potato smasher.  Serve with a bit of sauce from chicken marsala.

Oh oh oh, guess what? I’m guest posting today over at my girl Katie’s at Sassy Silly Spunky Momma She is just awesome and you should go on over and check her out.

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Well to say that I was disappointed is an understatement.  I know it’s not a huge town but it apparantly boasts quite a number of farms here and to see three tiny little stalls was, well, heartbreaking.  So I picked up some rhubarb to couple with my berries and some dandelion leaves that you’ll be seeing in a yummy recipe or two upcoming and went home dejected.

Welcome to the small town I guess.  Not like back in LA.  Apparantly there are a boat load of bigger ones around.  We’ll have to check those out…soon!  I did make a yummy pie though.  Check it out.

For the pie crust:

1 cup butter (2 sticks), cubed and chilled + 2 T cut into small pieces

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting

1 t salt

3 T sugar

8 to 12 tablespoons ice water

2 T cream

1 T sugar in the raw

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Put 2 sticks of butter, flour, salt and sugar in the food processor, and pulse lightly just until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing briefly after each spoonful of water. Keep adding water until the dough just begins to gather into larger clumps. Transfer dough onto counter and split into two equal portions. Wrap each of them separately in plastic wrap and allow to chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes.  You can do this the day before if you want.

Remove 1 portion from the fridge to a flour coated surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 10-inch round. Gently fit the rolled dough into a 9-inch pie pan, and refrigerate while you prepare the pie ingredients.  

For the filling:

3 1/2 cups rhubarb sliced

1 16 oz container strawberries hulled &  halved

1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 t ground cinnamon

1 t vanilla extract

1/2 t nutmeg

1/4 t salt

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to coat well.  Set aside.

Pull the first crust in the pie plate out of the fridge and fill with berry mixture.  Top with remaining cut up butter.  Top with rolled out second pie crust and crimp edges decoratively.  Cut a few slits into the top of your pie to allow the steam to escape.  Brush top dough with cream and sprinkle with sugar in the raw.  Place pie on a baking sheet and slide into your 400 degree oven.  Cook for 15 minutes then turn oven down to 350.  Cook for an additional 45-55 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve warm with whip cream or ice cream.  So so good!!

Hey there Tuesday pals.  If you’re here from FMBT and TTA please leave me a note and let me know where I can find you and return the love!

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4 c                                    blueberries

4                                     peaches, peeled and sliced

2 sticks                        unsalted butter, divided

1 c                                    sugar, divided

2 T                                    corn starch

1 T                                    lemon juice

1 t                                    ground cinnamon

¾ t                                    salt, divided

1 ½ c                                    all purpose flour

2 T                                    baking powder

¾ c                                    heavy cream

1 whole                        egg

1 T                                    water

2 T                                    sugar in the raw

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  In a large pot melt 4 T butter.  Cut remaining butter into cubes and place in freezer.  Add blueberries, peaches, and ½ cup sugar to the melted butter.  Stir in corn starch, lemon juice, cinnamon, and ¼ t salt.  Mix well, and turn off heat.

In your food processor sift in flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, and remaining salt.  Pulse quickly to combine.  Add in butter from the freezer and pulse until the flour mixture looks like sand.  Pour in cream and pulse again quickly just until the dough comes together and is slightly sticky.

Beat your egg in a small bowl and add water.  Set aside.

Pour your fruit mixture into a 9×13 baking dish.  Drop the dough by spoonfuls onto the fruit mixture, spread it out as it will all cook together in the oven.  Brush the top of the batter with egg wash then sprinkle on sugar.

Place the pan on a baking sheet to catch “bubble over” and bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve with ice cream or whip cream.  You kids are sure to love this fruit!

Meaty Morsel:  Switch up your fillings with this cobbler.  Try raspberry/nectarine or peach/apple, or mixed berry!  It’s always delicious and a big crowd pleaser.

I’m linking up today to meet some new Thursday friends.  If you’re new here, welcome.  Pull up a chair.  Can I get you a cup of coffee with your cobbler?

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Serves 6 Prep Time:  20 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes

1/2 cup butter

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1 garlic clove, diced

1 small onion, diced

S&P

1 can condensed cream of mushroom and garlic soup

1 8 oz package cream cheese, cubed

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup chicken stock

1 T italian seasoning

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded swiss cheese

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

3 cooked boneless chicken breasts, cubed

1 lb fettucine pasta

Topping:

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

3 T butter melted

2 T parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Heat a large pot of water over high heat and cook fettucine to al dente, about 12 minutes.  Drain.

While the pasta cooks, heat butter over medium high heat.  Add in mushrooms and onions and cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes.  Add in garlic and cook for an additional minute.  Season well with S&P.  Stir in cream cheese, soup, cream, and italian seasoning.  Allow cream cheese to melt and add in chicken stock. Stir in remaining cheeses and turn the heat down to medium low.  Season to taste with S&P.  Fold in chicken and allow to heat through.  Pour in pasta and mix well.  Pour into a greased 13×9 baking dish.

Combine the ingredients for the topping and sprinkle over dish.  Cover and cook at 375 for 25 minutes.  Uncover and bake and additional 5 minutes until topping is golden brown.

This was inspired by a dish I saw in Taste of Home magazine by Rochelle Brownlee .  I thought her use of cream cheese was a stroke of genius!  Thanks Rochelle.

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Serves 6  Prep Time: 25 minutes  Cook Time:  1 hour

Pastry Crust:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

For the Filling:

4 large chicken breasts

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 chicken bouillon cube

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups medium-diced carrots

1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

S&P

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Cut the chicken into large dice.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium low heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Toss in carrots and  cook for two more minutes.  Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add S&P and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, peas and parsley. Mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Divide the dough in half and wrap the halves separately in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Turn  the oven up to 375 degrees F.

Roll out each half of dough on a floured surface.  Roll the dough until it is about a 1/4 inch thick circle.  Set the first circle into the pie plate.  Pour the filling into the crust lined pie plate.  Top with remaining crust.  Trim the edges and crimp the two crusts together.  Make 2-3 slits in top of the crust.  Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

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Serves: 4    Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cook time: 40 minutes

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 ½ pounds skinless chicken legs and thighs

8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons minced shallot

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 rounded tablespoon curry powder

¼ cup white wine

2 cups heavy cream

2 1/2 cups seedless green grapes

5 ounces egg noodles

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

S&P

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and sear on both sides until golden. Remove from pan.

In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, if needed, and saute shallots, mushrooms, garlic and curry until soft. Pour in white wine to deglaze your pan being sure to scrape up brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add chicken back to pan and stir in heavy cream. Cover and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes add the grapes and noodles, return to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken juices run clear when poked with a fork. Stir in mustard and thyme. Season with additional salt & pepper if desired.

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