With any hectic schedule, whether you are a working mom, or a stay at home mom, dinner is the nail in your coffin at the end of the day. Sometimes I get home, and I just can't think of standing on my feet for another hour, to cook my husband (and daughter) a delicious meal. BUT, I quickly realize that making this meal makes me feel a certain way, like I'm doing something for my family after a long day of work, so I suck it up, and I do it. In the end I feel accomplished, and it's a good (yet exhausting) feeling for the end of the day.
So, after many years, I feel like I've mastered the 15-20 minute dinner, and most of my meals can be started when I get home, and on the table in 20 minutes.
Anyways, I recently went to a farmers market in Delaware while on vacation, and stumbled across a tent for Pappardelles Pasta- http://www.pappardellespasta.com/
This stand had over 20 different pastas in many different flavors, ranging from sweet potato noodles, to chocolate noodles (they REALLY tasted like chocolate). I was in heaven. I love pasta, and after the water boils, it's a 7 minute cook time (which fits into my desired time frame of dinner cooking). I snatched up a couple different flavors to try. My choices of the day were
1. Sweet Potato (these were the thicker noodles)
2. Lime Cilantro Fettuccine
I was so excited to get home and try it. for $5 for a half pound, it was a little splurge from the budget pasta my husband picks up when he's grocery shopping, but a very good price for a good quality pasta. The man at the tent said a half pound feeds 2 people. When I cooked it up, it seemed to be enough for 3 (unless your meal was ONLY pasta, then I could see how it would be for 2). So, for me it was enough for dinner for my husband and I (a couple noodles for the 2 year old), and then a lunch for someone the next day.
Here is what I did for the Sweet Potato Noodles:
1. Pork Loin (sliced and marinated overnight in a random concoction of orange juice, soy sauce, Worcester sauce, shallot pepper spice from Penzy's spices-my husbands favorite, and garlic salt)
2. Rosemary Potatoes-
4 redskin potatoes diced and put into a pot of water to boil for 10-15 minutes. Once they are fork tender, I drain the water, then I toss in a tablespoon of butter/margarine, and dried rosemary spices from Penzy's (I really need to do a post on how much I love Penzy's later), and shallot pepper from Penzy's. This recipe tastes DELICIOUS!! You can cut back the butter, and it will still taste good, I'm sure.
3. Sweet Potato Noodles
Boiled the water and tossed in the noodles for about 7 minutes, then drained.
4. Gorgonzola Sauce
The man at the Papperdelle tent recommended this to me. I sauteed shallots for a minute in a saucepan, added crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, and eyeballed about a 1/2 cup of whipping cream (you can probably use half and half). I let simmer (stirring occasionally) for 10 minutes.
(man, this post makes me seem like I eat loads of butter and cream, it's so delicious though.... )
I'm a huge multi tasker, so I had all of this going on the stove at one time. It took me 20 minutes to prep and cook. And that my friends is how I feel like super mom, after a long day of work!
Review:
I thought everything turned out great. The noodles had a subtle sweet potato flavor, not too potato-ey, but just a hint. The Gorgonzola sauce the man recommended went great with the noodles and meal, all in all this was a delicious quick hearty meal for the night.
My husband devoured the Gorgonzola sauce (and poured even more on his pork). He liked the taste of the noodles, but thought the noodles were too "noodley." He is a texture guy, so it was probably just an odd type of noodle for him, being so thick.
I went on their site, and wish they had a location near me in Richmond. You can order from them online, so I think I will be placing another order really soon! They also have fresh/frozen stuffed pasta which I SO INCREDIBLY want to try. But, there is a minimum order requirement, as they come shipped with dry ice or something to stay cool. So, I may need to wait on that, or see if anyone in the Richmond area wants to go in on an order.
Now, for the dishes and clean up. My husband is in charge of that! Sorry for all the dirty pots and pans honey!! :)
So, after many years, I feel like I've mastered the 15-20 minute dinner, and most of my meals can be started when I get home, and on the table in 20 minutes.
Anyways, I recently went to a farmers market in Delaware while on vacation, and stumbled across a tent for Pappardelles Pasta- http://www.pappardellespasta.com/
This stand had over 20 different pastas in many different flavors, ranging from sweet potato noodles, to chocolate noodles (they REALLY tasted like chocolate). I was in heaven. I love pasta, and after the water boils, it's a 7 minute cook time (which fits into my desired time frame of dinner cooking). I snatched up a couple different flavors to try. My choices of the day were
1. Sweet Potato (these were the thicker noodles)
2. Lime Cilantro Fettuccine
I was so excited to get home and try it. for $5 for a half pound, it was a little splurge from the budget pasta my husband picks up when he's grocery shopping, but a very good price for a good quality pasta. The man at the tent said a half pound feeds 2 people. When I cooked it up, it seemed to be enough for 3 (unless your meal was ONLY pasta, then I could see how it would be for 2). So, for me it was enough for dinner for my husband and I (a couple noodles for the 2 year old), and then a lunch for someone the next day.
Here is what I did for the Sweet Potato Noodles:
1. Pork Loin (sliced and marinated overnight in a random concoction of orange juice, soy sauce, Worcester sauce, shallot pepper spice from Penzy's spices-my husbands favorite, and garlic salt)
2. Rosemary Potatoes-
4 redskin potatoes diced and put into a pot of water to boil for 10-15 minutes. Once they are fork tender, I drain the water, then I toss in a tablespoon of butter/margarine, and dried rosemary spices from Penzy's (I really need to do a post on how much I love Penzy's later), and shallot pepper from Penzy's. This recipe tastes DELICIOUS!! You can cut back the butter, and it will still taste good, I'm sure.
3. Sweet Potato Noodles
Boiled the water and tossed in the noodles for about 7 minutes, then drained.
4. Gorgonzola Sauce
The man at the Papperdelle tent recommended this to me. I sauteed shallots for a minute in a saucepan, added crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, and eyeballed about a 1/2 cup of whipping cream (you can probably use half and half). I let simmer (stirring occasionally) for 10 minutes.
(man, this post makes me seem like I eat loads of butter and cream, it's so delicious though.... )
I'm a huge multi tasker, so I had all of this going on the stove at one time. It took me 20 minutes to prep and cook. And that my friends is how I feel like super mom, after a long day of work!
Review:
I thought everything turned out great. The noodles had a subtle sweet potato flavor, not too potato-ey, but just a hint. The Gorgonzola sauce the man recommended went great with the noodles and meal, all in all this was a delicious quick hearty meal for the night.
My husband devoured the Gorgonzola sauce (and poured even more on his pork). He liked the taste of the noodles, but thought the noodles were too "noodley." He is a texture guy, so it was probably just an odd type of noodle for him, being so thick.
I went on their site, and wish they had a location near me in Richmond. You can order from them online, so I think I will be placing another order really soon! They also have fresh/frozen stuffed pasta which I SO INCREDIBLY want to try. But, there is a minimum order requirement, as they come shipped with dry ice or something to stay cool. So, I may need to wait on that, or see if anyone in the Richmond area wants to go in on an order.
Now, for the dishes and clean up. My husband is in charge of that! Sorry for all the dirty pots and pans honey!! :)
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