Category: Entree

No. 563Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Spaghetti alla Vodka

Spaghetti alla Vodka | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Food & memories, memories & food. Years ago when the world was steady, I met a fantastic chef/fellow blogger. She shared her take on her Grandmother’s “all vodka” recipe. Spaghetti alla Vodka a memory Little Jewel.

ALLA VODKA

Vodka sauce is a pink sauce with a splash of booze that is somewhere between a tomato sauce and an Alfredo sauce. The sauce was surely created in Italy way before it became popular in America. Not to worry, the alcohol inherent in vodka is cooked out completely during the cooking process.

Spaghetti alla Vodka | Bijouxs Little Jewels

TOMATO INFUSED VODKA

Key to the recipe are the vodka soaked tomatoes. Do not skip these, they are easy to make. Just place ripe, large peeled garden tomatoes in a glass jar (with a lid) and cover them with vodka. Cover and put tomatoes away in the refrigerator for at least 5 days to do their magic. Make sure to fill the jar to cover the tomatoes with vodka, if they float up use a wooden skewer to anchor the tomatoes.

Spaghetti alla Vodka | Bijouxs Little Jewels

ITALIAN SPAGHETTI ALLA VODKA

This recipe originated from my friend’s Grandmother in Italy. I will vouch, this is a real Italian family. I enjoyed our days cooking with this fellow chef, always something to learn.

Prepare a large pot of boiling salted water, hold a low boil.

The sauce is so easy to prepare. Lightly sauté onions and garlic together in olive oil, just until translucent. Next add the pureed tomatoes and tomato vodka. Simmer about 10-15 minutes. Add the sliced basil*, red pepper flakes, and heavy cream, stir and allow sauce to heat through.

Add the spaghetti to boiling salted water and cook to package instructions. Reserve some of the pasta water to use if the sauce seems too thick.

Stir in the drained spaghetti to the sauce. Toss lightly to coat the spaghetti. Serve the spaghetti in a large shallow bowls with additional grated Parmesan, drizzle of olive oil and more red pepper flakes if you like spicy.

Spaghetti alla Vodka | Bijouxs Little Jewels

CHIFFONADE

This a French cooking term which is the culinary preparation of herbs or leafy vegetables sliced into long, thin ribbons. Simply tighly roll 2-3 basil leaves together then slice crosswise in thin strips.

PASTA BOWLS

A collection of plain white pasta bowls are a worthwhile kitchen investment. I have two types, the shallow bowls you see here and deeper large bowls for ragus and larger pastas.

Spaghetti alla Vodka | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Spaghetti alla Vodka | Bijouxs Little Jewels

No. 563 Spaghetti alla Vodka, a shared Little Jewel from the Kithen Recipe Collection.

 

No. 560Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Tomato & Bread Salad

Tomato & Bread Salad | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Bread & Tomato salad is a great way to use all those random tomatoes at the end of the season. A salad of juicy tomatoes, olive oil & vinegar are aborbed by the rustic toasted bread. Bellisimo!

SUMMER’S END TOMATOES

One of greatest way to use all those random tomatoes at the end of the season. A salad of juicy tomatoes, olive oil & vinegar are aborbed by the rustic toasted bread. Bellisimo! SUMMER'S END TOMATOES BREAD AND TOMATO SALAD Bijouxs Little Jewels

All the odds and ends tomatoes are perfect candidates for Bread & Tomato Salad.

BREAD & TOMATO SALAD

This salad comes together in an instant with basic pantry ingredients along with day old rustic bread, torn and toasted lightly just perfect to soak up all the juices and dressing.  This salad is a light dinner or lunch to serve along with some fresh fruit and a glass of ice cold rose.

One of greatest way to use all those random tomatoes at the end of the season. A salad of juicy tomatoes, olive oil & vinegar are aborbed by the rustic toasted bread. Bellisimo! SUMMER'S END TOMATOES BREAD AND TOMATO SALAD | Bijouxs Little Jewels

One of greatest way to use all those random tomatoes at the end of the season. A salad of juicy tomatoes, olive oil & vinegar are aborbed by the rustic toasted bread. Bellisimo! SUMMER'S END TOMATOES BREAD AND TOMATO SALAD |Bijouxs Little Jewels

Savor the end of Summer season with Bijouxs Little Jewels from the Kitchen.

 

 

 

 

 

No. 554Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Sorghum Kale Chickpea & Olive Salad

Sorghum Kale Chickpea & Olive Salad

Do we really need another kale salad? Yes, another kale salad only lighter and with complex flavors. This is a great simple weekday lunch salad that will serve you well all during your work week. Sorghum Kale Chickpea and Olive Salad – No. 554 new in the Recipe Membership Collection.

KALE SALADS

It seems that Kale had its moment. Kale salads were everywhere. Now a softer, less kale assertive version emerges in this recipe. The strong green aspect of kale is softened by a fine chop, creamy chickpeas, Castelvetrano olives and salty feta. Other kale favorites include Dr. Weil’s Kale Salad from Tru Foods Kitchen and of course my Winter Caesar Salad.

Sorghum Kale Chickpea and Olive Salad | Bijouxs Little Jewels

SORGHUM

This salad goes grain and gluten-free with Sorghum, a great substitute for couscous. You cook sorghum much like any grain, and it can be made quickly in the Instant Pot. It is an ancient grain also packed with fiber and protein. You see it many times in American Southern recipes often used as Sorghum Molasses.

EXTRAS

The pickled onions are worth the effort to top the salad. Buy ready to go or make your own, it is very easy, there are many recipes out there.
Using a sheep’s milk feta adds the salty bite to the salad.

Sorghum Kale Chickpea and Olive Salad | Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

 

No. 552Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Paley’s Place Sausage & Mushroom Ragú

Paley’s Place Sausage & Mushroom Ragú | Bijouxs Little Jewels

The Pacific Northwest Paley’s Place , a recipe and cookbook that are both little jewels- Paley’s Place Sausage & Mushroom Ragú-No.552 The Recipe Collection

PALEY’S PLACE

After 26 years the Portland iconic restaurant closed in 2021. Left behind is a classic cookbook filled with recipes from Vitaly and Kimberly Paley. I have a million cookbooks but this one is special and filled with recipes and stores from the beautiful Pacific Northwest. It looks like a happy place no doubt. I found  my copy on Amazon.

Paley’s Place Sausage & Mushroom Ragú | Bijouxs Little Jewels

PALEY’S PLACE PORK RAGU

This recipe caught my eye. The spices in the sauce as very similar to my Baked Ziti with Sausage. A very memorable recipe from my No. 1 Family and Friends Cookbook.  Cinnamon is the spice that adds the ‘can’t put my finger on it” it’s delicious but what is it? 

The thinking comes from chef Vitaly Paley and unexpected flavors from his visit to Istanbul with his Turkish wife. He was able to infuse things from eastern Mediterranean, and Ottoman Empire flavors. There is so much to learn from the world cuisines, which is what keeps me cooking, always learning.

In his book, he shares his spice blend for making the pork sausage, which is quite simple and worth taking a look at. This recipe via 177MilkStreet uses bulk Italian Sweet Sausage as a short cut. I used the short cut however, I included a dash of paprika, ground fennel and ground star anise, which are the spices he used for his sausage recipe. The sauce is light but packed with flavor the perfect pair with a wide pasta such as Pappardelle.

Paley’s Place Sausage & Mushroom Ragú | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Cookbooks become the vessel to store all our food memories Little Jewels from the Kitchen.

No. 548Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Poached Chicken and Mushroom Bowl

Poached Chicken and Mushroom Bowl | Bijouxs Little Jewels

A recipe of simple comfort for trying times. Poached Chicken and Mushroom Bowl is a fresh and healthy bowl, another Little Jewel from the Bijouxs Kitchen Recipe Collection.

POACHED CHICKEN SOUP

Soups feel both cleansing and comforting. A warm bowl that makes the meal, with perhaps a glass of wine?
This soup starts with a chicken in a pot, nothing fancy. Added to flavor the broth are fresh ginger, onion, garlic and carrot –all are left unpeeled and cooked along with the chicken. In about an hour you have delicately poached chicken and a clear and flavorful broth for the soup and more.

COMFORT BOWL

After removing and shredding the chicken, add it back briefly in the stock, in which you have cooked the mushrooms and scallions. The soup is now created. Prepare your serving bowl by placing a scoop of cooked brown rice, top with shredded chicken. Next add the hot stock along with the mushrooms and green onions.

oached Chicken and Mushrooms Bowl | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Add a tablespoon or so of Bragg Liquid Aminos if you want a bit more umami flavor to the soup. Voilà, Poached Chicken and Mushroom Bowl is served.

 

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