Mexican Bow Tie Pasta

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When we got married, Dylan’s aunt gave him a cookbook called Recipes to the Rescue. We were intrigued by one of the recipes called Mexican Bow Ties, and we’ve been making it ever since. It’s a pretty quick meal, which works great for weeknights.

Mexican Bow Ties

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins (and olive oil for cooking)

  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 12 oz box of bow tie pasta

  • 1 - 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained

  • 1 - 15 oz can of sweet corn, drained

  • 1 cup frozen peas

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

  • 1 - 16 oz jar of salsa

  • For serving:

    • Sour Cream

    • Fresh Cilantro

    • Avocado or Guacamole (optional)

Directions

  • Brown chicken in a skillet with a guzzle of oil. Halfway through cooking, sprinkle the chicken with the onion powder and garlic powder and continue cooking.

  • Cook pasta according to package directions. Add the peas and corn during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain well and return to pan.

  • Toss pasta mixture with the butter. Then add in the cheese and stir well until it’s melted. Add the salsa and black beans and mix well again.

  • Serve with dollops of sour cream and top with cilantro. I also like to add fresh avocado or guacamole on top.


Recipe adapted from the book Recipes to the Rescue.

Cocktail Hour: Sweet Orange Sangria

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My sister shared this recipe with me a long time ago, and I’ve been thinking about it with the hot summer days we’ve had around here. I’m hoping to mix up a batch soon!

Hello again! It's Roni, your trusty cocktail making friend. Today's cocktail is all about sharing the citrus, and it would be perfect for your next social gathering (helloooooo Labor Day festivities!). This recipe was easy to prep and very invigorating to sip while relaxing with friends and family.

Sweet Orange Sangria

Ingredients

  • 6 Valencia oranges

  • 2 bottles (750 ml) of Pinot Grigio

  • 1 cup club soda

  • 1/2 cup brandy

  • 12 ounces of strawberries

  • 1 pint of raspberries

  • 1 apple

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • Tools: juicer, pitcher, stir stick

Directions

  • Zest one orange and combine it with the sugar in a small bowl. Rub sugar and zest together with your fingers until fragrant.

  • Juice 4 of the oranges, making sure to remove any seeds or pith.

  • Slice the remaining two oranges, strawberries, and apple.

  • In a pitcher, combine wine, orange juice, club soda, brandy, apple, strawberries, raspberries, and sliced oranges. Stir well. Place the pitcher in the refrigerator for 1–3 hours to chill.

  • Put the orange-sugar mixture on a plate. Using a wine glass or short glass, run a piece of orange along the rim of each glass. Then, place each glass rim in sugar until fully coated.

  • Serve with ice and fruit.

Note: Make sure to chill the sangria in the refrigerator for 1–3 hours to give the liquor and juices a chance to fuse together. It's hard to believe, but this sangria will get even better as it sits longer...

Well there you have it. I hope you enjoy this drink for your next summer party or evening on the porch.

XO -  Roni

(Recipe via How Sweet It Is)



Rosemary & Cinnamon Braised Pork with Mashed Potatoes

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This is one of our favorite recipes! It is pretty easy to put together, always turns out well, can be easily doubled to accommodate more people, and it elevates any meal into a special occasion.

It might seem complicated, but I assure you that it is well worth it. The pork comes out so tender and flavorful. I think the cinnamon is the secret ingredient. And the mashed potatoes are integral to make the meal, so don’t skip those!

Rosemary & Cinnamon Braised Pork with Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients for the Pork

  • 2.5–3 lbs pork loin

  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of a knife

  • 2 cups dry white wine

  • 2 sprigs rosemary

  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes with juices

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Ingredients for the Mashed Potatoes

  • 6 potatoes

  • 1/3 cup milk

  • 1/4 cup sour cream

  • 1 tablespoon butter

Directions for the Pork

  • Season the meat with the salt. Cover and refrigerate overnight in your baking pan. (If you forget to salt the pork overnight, don’t fret. Just salt it and set it aside in the fridge while you prepare the other ingredients. It will be fine.)

  • Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

  • In a pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until it softens and starts to turn golden. Add the wine and rosemary and boil for about 8 minutes, or until the wine has almost fully evaporated.

  • Meanwhile, place the tomatoes and their juices in a bowl and crush with your hands or the back of a wooden spoon. Once the wine has reduced, stir in the tomatoes with their juices and the cinnamon. Bring the sauce to a boil, then remove from the heat.

  • Remove your baking pan with the pork from the refrigerator; make sure the meat is evenly distributed in the pan. Carefully pour the sauce over the meat. Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven.

  • Braise the meat in the oven for 3.5 hours. (It will pull apart easily when done.)

  • Remove the pan from the oven and let the meat cool slightly in the braising liquid while you finish the mashed potatoes.

Directions for the Mashed Potatoes

  • When there is about 45 minutes left on the meat, get your potatoes prepped by washing and roughly peeling them. Chop the potatoes into quarters.

  • Fill a large pot with water, add the potatoes, and then heat over high heat until boiling.

  • Let boil for 20–30 minutes. Use a fork to test if the potatoes are done. They should be soft and the fork should easily pierce them.

  • Once the potatoes are soft, drain the water using a colander. Return the potatoes to the pot.

  • Add milk, sour cream, and butter. Mash thoroughly until the potatoes are creamy with minimal lumps. If they seem too dry, add a little extra milk and butter.

Serve the pork in a bowl over the mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter M&M Cookies

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This recipe has been a long time coming, and I am excited to share it with you today. These Peanut Butter M&M Cookies are delicious! I love a good chocolate chip cookie, but there is something irresistible to me about these cookies; they are a bit salty with a crunch of chocolatey goodness from the M&Ms.

The original recipe is from the cookbook Organic and Chic by Sarah Magid. I made a few modifications, particularly to the baking time, as well as adding the M&Ms. We have made quite a few batches of these to get the baking time right because I think they turn out way too crunchy with the time from the original recipe…like break your teeth crunchy. These are not a challenging cookie recipe, but the bake time is very finicky. I’ve included all my notes below to help you get them right.

So, without further ado, here are my beloved Peanut Butter M&M Cookies.

Peanut Butter M&M Cookies

Ingredients

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

1/2 cup cane sugar

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 - 11 ounce bag of M&Ms (approximately 2 cups)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Spray baking sheet(s) with non-stick spray, or line with parchment paper. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, peanut butter, salt, and sugars together on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes, until light and fluffy. SET THE TIMER AND LET IT MIX THE WHOLE 4 MINUTES. I realized that this is absolutely crucial to getting the cookies to be the right texture. It feels like an eternity so just set the timer and let it mix.

Add the egg and vanilla and mix on medium speed until well combined.

Add the flour and baking soda to the butter mixture and beat on low just to combine. (You can sift it together in a separate mixing bowl and then add it to the butter mixture, but I usually skip that extra step. Don’t tell!)

Add the M&Ms and beat on low just to combine.

Scoop out the dough with a tablespoon and shape into medium-large size balls. Place them about 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Use the tines of a fork and press the dough balls down slightly to flatten. You may need to reshape into circles a bit depending on how the M&Ms ended up being distributed in the cookie. (If the fork is sticking a lot, dip the tines in warm water before flattening the cookies. For reference, I’ve never had to do that.)

Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown. SEE ‘BAKING TIME NOTES’ BELOW.

Let cool on the baking sheets for 4 minutes or so and then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling. If they are still quite soft and break as you are trying to transfer them, give them another minute or two on the cookie sheet to firm up.

BAKING TIME NOTES:

The baking time on these cookies is a bit finicky, and they are hard to tell when they are done. I like to bake them for 10 minutes, check them, and then add 2 minutes and check again. I check them for a golden brown color starting to show around the edges and the middles looking more firm than when I put them in but not fully firmed up.

For my oven and our desired crunchiness level, I like to leave them for 12 minutes. If you want them a little more crunchy, check them at 12 minutes and consider adding 2 more minutes.

For your very first batch, it might be worth just putting 2 cookies on the cookie sheet to test and get a feel for how they bake up in your oven. Set them for 10 minutes and see how they look. Is a golden brown color starting to show around the edges? How do the middles look? Add 2 minutes and check again. If need be, add another 2 minutes until they look done to you. Keep in mind that they will firm up more as they cool.

These would be great for any gathering, but you can also switch up the color of the M&Ms depending on the occasion—red and green for Christmas, pastel for a baby shower or Easter. Especially around the holidays, Target usually has a few different M&M color options available.

I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as I do!

Spinach, Bacon, Gouda Quiche

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Quiche, if done right, is very satisfying and flavorful whether for breakfast, brunch, or dinner. This recipe for Spinach, Bacon, Gouda Quiche is one of those that does it right. It is packed with flavor and is hearty enough to keep you feeling full. It doesn't taste overly eggy like some quiches I have had. It also reheats well, should you end up with leftovers. We have it for dinner typically, but it is also a great option for a weekend breakfast or as part of a brunch spread. I highly recommend it to you.

Spinach, Bacon, Gouda Quiche

Ingredients

1 pie crust

6 bacon strips

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 of a yellow onion, diced

1 package frozen spinach

1 cup shredded gouda cheese

4 eggs

2 cups half-and-half

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lay out the crust in a deep dish pie pan*. Trim and flute the edges as desired.

*Note: The deep dish pan is very important, otherwise you won't have enough room for all of the contents of the quiche.

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crispy. Set aside on a plate with a paper towel until cool enough to touch.

Drain off the bacon grease from your skillet, and sauté the onion in butter for 2-3 minutes. Add the frozen spinach and cook until spinach is hot and well combined with the onion. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. 

Meanwhile, crumble the bacon into a medium or large bowl. Add the gouda cheese and mix well. Once the spinach-onion mixture has cooled a bit, add it to the bowl and mix well again. Spoon into the pie crust and distribute evenly. 

In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper. Carefully pour into the pie crust.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes or so before serving.

These photos were taken by Emilie Szabo back in 2014 in our previous house. I had made this quiche as part of a spring brunch tabletop that she photographed for me. I love these images so much that I had to share them with this recipe, even though they are a bit old.