A Utica Favorite

Apparently I was in denial about Daylight Savings Time.
The sun sets before 5pm.
Definitely not enough time to take Sadie for a walk after work.
So Jerry chased her around the backyard instead.

And then they settled in front of the fireplace for a nap.

They are seriously not normal.

I did manage to get my workout DVD in, and my abs are aware of it this morning.

And as promised, here is my version of a Utica favorite.
Chicken Riggies!

I am not claiming that this is the best riggie recipe out there. Its just how I make them. They are ever-so-slightly healthier than the cream and butter filled riggies you will find on any restaurant menu in Utica.

Chicken Riggies

• 1 lb box of rigatoni pasta
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lbs chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, or whole tomatoes (hand crushed)
• 2 cubanelle peppers, chopped
• 2-8 hot pickled cherry peppers, de-seeded and chopped
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup of white wine (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• grated parmesan, for serving

In a very large pot (I use my Dutch oven) saute the onions, garlic, and cubanelle peppers in about 3 tablespoons of olive oil until soft.
Cubanelles are sometimes called 'Italian peppers' or 'Frying peppers' in the store. They are long and pale green and have a very mild flavor.
Turn heat to medium and add chicken. After a few minutes add the wine.
Once the chicken is almost cooked through, add your tomatoes and chopped cherry peppers.
I find that each jar of pickled cherry peppers will vary in heat. Sometimes I add 3 peppers, but for this batch I added 6. Start out with 2 or 3, you can always add more.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer, covered for about 20 minutes.
Cook the rigatoni according to the directions.
Add cream and milk (or half and half, or all cream, whatever you like), and then add drained pasta.

You will end up with a mountain of food!

But that's ok, because chicken riggies make excellent leftovers.

I served the riggies with a side of spring mix and roasted acorn squash.

Along with a Lucas Vineyards Vignoles.

And a drooling coonhound.

Tonight is date night again!
Jerry and I are having dinner out with his parents, and then are off to see Jerry Seinfeld perform at the Stanley Theater.

And it's a Thursday that feels like a Friday :)

Soup's On

The Alarm (aka Sadie) got up very early today.
At 4am she hopped onto our bed and wedged herself between me and Jer.
And she didn't want to sleep, she wanted to be pet.
If you stop petting her, Sadie will lick you until you feel like you need a shower.
She has figured out that we usually choose to pet her instead of be licked.

She's smarter than I giver her credit for.

Sadie always gets up at 6:15 with me when I get up to blog.
She eats breakfast immediately, then goes outside.
After 10 minutes outside, she comes in and immediately runs to our bedroom.
She takes my spot next to Jerry until I am done blogging and wake them up.

She is a lot smarter than I giver her credit for.

Also smart, is making a big pot of soup on a cold day.
During the cold months, I make soup about once a week.
They are usually healthy, full of vegetables, and make great leftovers for lunches during the week.

I guess you could call last night's soup my take on minestrone.
I don't know if minestrone has a specific recipe, but this soup has tons of veggies, pancetta, and beans.

Hungry Heart Minestrone Soup 

• medium onion, chopped
• small zucchini, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2-4 oz pancetta, chopped (or bacon)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 cups petite diced tomatoes
• 3-4 cups baby spinach
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 15oz can of beans, drained and rinsed (I used cannellini)
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning or fresh rosemary, basil, parsley
• grated parmesan, for serving

Heat your soup pot to Med/Low and add pancetta.
Once your pancetta is brown and crispy, add the onions, celery, and carrots and garlic.
Add salt and pepper, and the Italian seasoning.
Let cook 10-15 minutes, or until the veggies get soft.
Add zucchini, and a few minutes later, the tomatoes.
Pour in the stock and beans.
Cover and simmer on low for at least 30 minutes.
Roughly chop the spinach, and stir into hot soup. 

You can add pasta to this soup if you like. I would increase the liquid by 1-2 cups, and add one cup of short pasta, like ditalini, orzo, or elbows.

You can also use lots of different veggies. I have seen recipes that add potatoes, green beans, chard, peppers, and cabbage. Some recipes also add rice as a starch. 

The key to making soup on a weeknight is sauteing the vegetables. Otherwise, you would have to wait hours for the veggies to soften while the soup simmers.

Serve soup with grated parmesan or pecorino cheese, a dash of hot sauce, or some crispy croutons.

I promise there is soup under those croutons

Next time I might add more beans. If you like beans, feel free to add two cans. It will add more fiber and protein to the soup.
Unless you are a vegetarian, definitely don't skip the pancetta. And the cheese is a must. They bring a nice salty depth to the broth, and make it seem more like a meal than a bowl of vegetables.
Can't wait for leftovers at lunch!

What is your favorite soup to make when the weather gets cold?

The Naughtiest Coonhound

I didn't do a whole lot of cooking this weekend.
I did do some good eating.
I recently discovered sour cream donuts. Crispy and glazed on the outside, soft and slightly sour on the inside. Heaven.
I also had a great dinner at a Cambodian restaurant to celebrate my brother in law's birthday. If you are ever at The Lotus Garden, I highly recommend the Bee Bong. Thin noodles in a peanut broth, with lots of crunchy lettuce, basil, and bean sprouts. I want to eat that dish again, ASAP.

What I did do this weekend was take pictures of Sadie.

The coonhound has been acting up lately.

Getting in to the garbage and eating a 2 lb London broil that I pulled out of the freezer from circa 2009.
Spreading the contents of the bathroom garbage all over the floor. Gross.
Eating the entire contents of the fruit bowl: 2 bananas, 2 pears, 2 tomatoes, and a plum.
We never found the plum pit.
Most recently she chewed up one of my  nail files. Maybe she just needs a manicure?

She has literally (ok, mostly figuratively) been in the dog house.

This weekend I caught her enjoying her two favorite activites. Besides eating treats in her dog house.

Playing outside with Jerry.

And relaxing in front of the fire place.

This is where you can find Sadie for the next six months.

No more pictures, please.

The Happy Burger

My body is feeling much better than yesterday. My left knee and right foot are still sore, but on their way to getting better.
I'm going to take it easy on the workout front this week.
Maybe a core workout or yoga and then maybe something low impact like the elliptical machine later in the week.
My legs could definitely use the break.

It was nice to get back into the Monday routine after being away.

I had a delicious meatless lunch yesterday.

Mama Pea's Spicy African Peanut Stew

And played with Sadie after work.

When Sadie wants you to come out and play stands on the deck and barks. 

Then when you get outside, she runs away. She loves to be chased around the yard. 

Crazy dog.

Since it was so gorgeous out Jerry and I decided to grill for dinner.

We defrosted a chuck roast (Tylutki beef) and ground it up for burgers. 

Everything on the plate was from my in-law's farm except the bun and cheese!

Served with a side of roasted carrots and beets. 

We ate these outside by the fire pit and shared a bottle of wine. 

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon The Crusher from Wilson Vineyard. It was light for a Cab, which is probably why I enjoyed it. Fruity but bold with a nice bite at the end. Not bad for $12.

This burger made me very happy.

I haven't been eating a lot of meat lately, so maybe that is why this tasted so good. Burgers always taste so juicy and beefy when we grind the meat ourselves. The giant slice of homegrown tomato didn't hurt the juiciness, either. 

The key to a good burger is to form the patties and then put them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so they are nice and cold. That way they won't fall apart on the grill.  It has something to do with the fat not melting too quickly. (Thank you, Bobby Flay).

I guess I'll have to make up our Meatless Monday meal another day this week!

Riding High

Good Morning!
Yesterday afternoon I had to bring Sadie to the vet. She was due for a check-up and needed a shot. I just told her she was going for a ride. She loves riding in the car. 

Weeee! Where are we going?!

I can't believe you didn't tell me I was getting a shot

Afterward, I went for my run. I was only going for 3 miles and wanted to take Sadie with me, but she does not behave well on the leash for me. Ok, ok, its just that she runs much faster and would end up dragging me around the neighborhood.


I felt pretty good on my run and ended up finishing with a 9:45 pace.

Mile 1- 10:16
Mile 2- 9:53
Mile 3- 9:08

I've made a couple of recipe this week that need a little work before I post them. Like Wednesday's shredded beef tacos and cole slaw.

The taco seasoning was missing something, and the whole thing fell apart while I was eating it. I guess its back to the drawing board.

Last night's dinner was quick, and satisfying.
I put 2 pounds of chicken thighs in my slow cooker. I added a cup of beer, a cup of BBQ sauce, a 14oz can of drained diced tomatoes, and a chopped onion. I added salt, pepper, some garlic cloves and a few jalapenos and let it cook on low while I was at work all day.
When it was done I removed the chicken and onions. The chicken was nice and tender and shredded very easily. Then I added more BBQ sauce.

BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich

I put some crumbled blue cheese on the bottom, more BBQ sauce, and leftover cole slaw on top.
My only mistake with this sandwich was that I didn't eat it right away. It turned into a soggy mess. Make sure you use a nice hard roll for this sandwich.

After dinner I met Clare at the Balkan for a drink. It was a wonderful evening for sitting outside and enjoying a glass of wine.

a Malbec

We also shared a delicious Caprese salad. We discussed "serious" things, like our favorite baby names and how much we love House Hunters. It was great to chat with Clare before she moves to NYC. She starts her job at the Metropolitan Museum of Art next week.
Good luck, Clare!

Enjoy your Friday, Friends!