cajun pasta

it started off as a jambalaya-inspired pasta sauce but detoured, and I’m ok with that. the spices are what makes this so try not to skip those. serves 6.

• olive oil for cooking

• 1 onion, diced

• 2 red bell peppers, diced

• 2 sausage links (about 1 lb.) - I would use andouille or cheddar but anything goes; sliced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 chicken breasts (about 1 lb.), diced, or 1 lb. raw peeled shrimp

• 1 lb. small textured pasta - penne, rotini, shells, bow ties, etc.

• 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

• 1 tsp each: oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper, onion powder, salt, parsley

• 2 tsp paprika

• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1/2 cup heavy cream or 1/2 cup milk + 1 tbs cornstarch

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

• 3 cups water

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil. Saute onion and peppers until soft, then add sausage and cook until just browned. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Add diced chicken/shrimp and all spices. Cook, stirring often, until chicken/shrimp is mostly cooked through.

Add pasta and stir. Add diced tomatoes, broth, and water. Simmer until pasta is al dente and almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently - roughly 20 minutes.

If using milk + cornstarch, whisk the cornstarch into the milk until smooth. Add milk/heavy cream and cheddar cheese, and stir until combined.

choose your own adventure guac

perfect whether you have fully stocked cabinets or things are looking desperate. at minimum, you need:

• 3 avocados (this is the perfect ratio to a bag of tortilla chips)

• juice of 1 lime

• 1/2 tsp salt/to taste

then, add however many of these things you have on hand:

• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

• 3 cloves minced garlic

• 1/2 tsp cumin

• 1 tbs dried cilantro

• 1/4 cup diced onion

• 1 small tomato, diced

• 1 tsp white vinegar

• 1 jalapeno, diced and seeded if you don’t want it too spicy

combine, mash, and enjoy!

no-bake cookies

seriously. you can also just eat the batter out of the bowl. who cares.

• 2 cups sugar

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1/2 cup (one stick) salted butter

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 cup peanut butter

• 3 cups instant oats

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cocoa, sugar, milk, and butter. Whisk and bring to a boil for one minute, then remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, peanut butter, and oats.

Drop by generous tablespoon onto baking sheets and flatten slightly. Refrigerate until firm and no longer shiny.

spinach souffle

my favorite holiday side dish. makes roughly 9 small side servings.

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 2 cloves minced garlic

• 1 tbsp melted butter

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese

• 8 ounces farmer cheese

• 1/8 tsp of: salt, pepper, nutmeg

• 2 eggs

• 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

• 1/4 tsp paprika

Preheat oven to 325º.

Cook onion and garlic in butter until tender. Combine cheeses, onion and garlic, salt, and pepper. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Blend in spinach.

Pour mixture into greased 9” square baking pan. Sprinkle with paprika and nutmeg. Cover with foil.

Bake for 30 minutes, uncover, and bake an additional 30 minutes.

pasta in squash sauce

you can serve this sauce over any pasta, but it pairs well with ricotta cheese, aka ravioli or tortellini. Serves 4.

• 12 ounces pasta, cooked according to package directions

• 12 ounces frozen butternut squash puree, thawed in the fridge - or 1/2 butternut squash roasted in the oven at 400º for one hour and scooped out

• 15 ounce can diced tomatoes

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 1 bell pepper, diced

• olive oil

• 1/2 tbsp oregano

• fresh basil, chopped

• salt and pepper to taste

• optional: 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

• optional: 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced

Saute onion and bell pepper, in olive oil until soft, in a large saucepan. Add squash, tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook until heated through. Add beans.

If using, cook chicken in additional olive oil in a separate pan. Drain and add to sauce. Optional: add two handfuls of baby spinach to the sauce. Serve over cooked pasta.