Lemon Garlic Angel Hair Pasta

I've made this several times and I really enjoy it. It's very light and it is meatless (warning to Joey...).

1 t EVOO
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine (yes, I'm evil... I use cooking wine I find next to the vinegars in the grocery store)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup chopped fresh tomato (maybe this recipe isn't for Emily either...)
8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (do NOT use anything but fresh!)
2 T grated parmesan cheese
ground pepper to taste

Bring large pot of water to boil over high heat.

As water is coming to a boil, place olive oil and garlic in a saute pan and cook over medium heat just until garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat and pour in wine. Return to heat and cook on high for another 1-2 minutes until reduced by half. Stir in lemon juice and tomatoes, remove from heat.

Place pasta in boiling water and cook to desired doneness (usually 1-4 minutes). Drain pasta and place in warmed serving dish. Add wine, garlic, tomato mixture. Add basil, parmesan and pepper. Toss and serve immediately. Goes quite well with crusty warm bread and a green salad.

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

I stole this recipe from Emily's Relief Society newsletter (the March edition) and I made it tonight. Super easy and super fast. Super yummy with some ice cream!

4 T flour
4 T sugar
2 T cocoa
1 egg
3 T milk
3 T oil
3 T chocolate chips (optional...but who are we kidding, they're absolutely essential!)
1 small splash vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in milk and oil and mix well. Add chocolate chips and vanilla and mix again.
Put mug in microwave and cook for 3 minutes on high. The cake might rise over the top of the mug but don't be alarmed. Allow to cool a little and tip out onto plate if desired.
This can serve two, if you are feeling in a generous sort of mood.

Pesto Bruschetta on Toasted Garlic Crostini

Make these for your next party. Or for your midnight indulgence. Don't be afraid. You will thank me. Your guests will thank me....err...you. And when you invite me over, I'll give you a hug and a kiss. Really I will. Just make sure everyone eats one (or inevitably several of them!) so that you can all have garlic breath together. Stephanie, I will forever be grateful to you for introducing me to such divine yumminess! Mmmmmmmm.....

Pesto Bruschetta on Toasted Garlic Crostini

Pesto Ingredients:

2 cups fresh basil leaves

2 large minced garlic cloves

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 T freshly grated Pecorio Romano Cheese (Or I just used the Kraft Parmesan/Romano mix in the green container for both of these....so sue me. It was still delish!)

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

Additional Ingredients

1-2 baguette sliced at a 45-degree angle about 1/2 inch thick (I'd say 2...there's enough pesto and once your guests figure out how fabulous they are, you'll be glad you did!)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, sliced lengthwise

1 basket grape tomatoes

Preparation:

Combine basil, garlic, Parmesan, Pecorio, and pine nuts in food processor or blender. Slowly drizzle in extra virgin olive oil until fully incorporated. Season with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Prepartion:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange bread on rimmed baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and rub with cut side of garlic. Bake until beginning to crisp, about 8 minutes.

While bread crisps, make pesto and half cherry tomatoes lengthwise.

Top crostini with pesto spread and cherry tomato slice.

Extra Special Honey Butter

I know, I know... it seems pretty obvious. Honey and butter, right? Every once in awhile, it's nice to have the exact amounts handy and the powdered sugar in this one makes it extra yummy. I found it on On Our Best Bites. Paired with the delicious cornbread, it's almost like dessert. (I also got the pictures from their site... I can't take a decent food picture to save my life...)

2 sticks real butter, (close to room temp- works best when slightly chilled still.)

2/3 C honey

¾ C powdered sugar

Just place it all in a bowl and beat with an electric hand-mixer for about 30 seconds. Serve at room temperature. (Be sure your butter isn't too soft, or your honey butter will be too runny. You want it softened... but not soupy.)

Delicious Cornbread

I'm not a big fan of cornbread. I rarely eat it, so at our family reunion a couple weeks ago, I never tried my Aunt Kathie's cornbread, even though everyone raved it was the most delicious cornbread you'd ever eat. Then I heard a cousin say that she adds a box of cake mix to her cornbread to keep it from getting too crumbly and make it extra delicious. Then I wished I had tried it. I needed a side dish for dinner group last week and cornbread was appropriate so I went looking for a cornbread recipe that included a box of cake mix... and lo and behold, I found one on one of my favorite food sites, Our Best Bites.

So, I tried it, and it was indeed delicious. I think just my family alone ate an entire pan of it... including me! It was sooo good. Part of it may have been the extra yummy honey butter we tried with it, also from best bites. Try this stuff... it just may make a cornbread fan out of you, too! Just be forewarned, it makes a TON... I made 1 muffin tray, one 9x13 pan, and some mini-muffins to boot. Just freeze the extra, though, if you don't need all of it. Oh, and our cornbread barely lasted through dinner so I didn't get a picture... I borrowed these from the best bites site.

1 box yellow cake mix

2 boxes Jiffy Cornbread mix

oil, eggs, and milk according to package instructions (replace all water with milk)

Preheat oven according to directions on cake mix box. Combine cake mix and cornbread mixes in a large bowl. Add eggs, oil, and milk according to package directions (remember to replace all water with milk). Mix together according to cake mix directions.

Distribute batter however makes you happiest... muffin tins, square pans, etc. Then bake according to the cake directions. Be sure and try it with the honey butter recipe!