As a part of Foodbuzz’s Tastemaker Program, we received a new product sample of Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti Pasta. These beauties were filled with generous slices of Portabello and Crimini mushrooms. Throw in Grana Padano and Parmesan cheese into the mix, and you have pasta that is just begging to be devoured. This pasta inspired me to try a new pasta sauce that I’ve never done before. I wanted to try out a vegetable style sauce with the help of a food processor. There have been too many times that I’ve seen cooking shows show chefs making sauces with the help of a processor. I’ve always thought to myself that a food processor can help you create a variety of sauces for dishes with ease. So, I gave it a shot with this recipe.

Continue Reading » Wild Mushroom Agnolotti Pasta with Asparagus Sauce

We love cooking spaghetti for parties and gatherings. If there’s a potluck coming up, we almost always being spaghetti over. Filipino style spaghetti has a twist from traditional Italian spaghetti. It has a much sweeter taste because of one special ingredient that is used.

Ingredients
1 Pound of Ground Beef
6 Cloves of Chopped Garlic
1/2 Diced Onion Onion
26.5 Oz. Can of Tomato Sauce
1 Bottle Banana Sauce or Banana Ketchup
Shredded or Chopped Cheese of Your Choice
1 Cup of Cream
2 Sliced Hot Dogs
1 Package of Spaghetti Pasta

Steps
Boil your spaghetti in a large enough pot. Don’t forget to season the water with a little bit of salt.

In another large pot, take a little bit of oil to sauté the garlic and onions. Add in the ground beef and mix it into the onions and beef. Season it with some salt and pepper. Let it simmer.



You can add in the tomato sauce and hot dogs. Again, keep mixing. Keep your eye on the boiling spaghetti pasta. If you feel that the pasta is cooked thoroughly, strain it and set t aside for now.



Now, this is what sets Filipino spaghetti apart from the rest. It’s our secret ingredient to getting the sweet taste that our spaghetti sauce is known for.



Banana Sauce will bring out a sweet flavor to the spaghetti. You can find Banana Sauce at your local Asian market or Asian Foods section of your local grocery store. 1 whole bottle should do it. Add this into your sauce mixture along with the cream and cheese. Let everything cook over medium high heat for 10-15 minutes.

Once you have your sauce cooked and pasta strained, you are ready to serve. Just take some pasta and drizzle the spaghetti sauce over it.

If you aren’t too adventurous to try to make this dish yourself, you can try to find a local Jollibee. Jollibee is the Philippines’ largest fast food chain. They have several locations in the United States. One thing they are known for is their spaghetti that they serve Filipino style.

The first time I ever had Goat Cheese was when I decided to make this dish one afternoon for lunch. It was surprisingly good. If you never had goat cheese or just craving for a good pork chop, I highly recommend you give this recipe a try.

Ingredients
Boneless Loin Pork Chops
Frozen Spinach
Goat Cheese
Cream Cheese
Chopped Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Chopped Garlic
Pepper
Salt
Olive Oil

Sauce
Low Sodium Chicken Broth
Dijon Mustard
Half a Lemon

Steps
First you’ll need to thaw the spinach and squeeze out all of the excess water. Heat up a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Toss in the chopped garlic and let it cook for about 1 minute. Don’t let the garlic brown. Now add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and season with salt and pepper and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes. After that’s done, put the mixture into a bowl, and add the cream cheese and goat cheese. Mix up the ingredients and set it aside.

Next trim off any excess fat on the sides of the pork chops. Then cut a deep pocket into the non-fat side of the pork chop. Stuff each of the pork chops, and then season each side of the chop with salt and pepper.

Spray a large skillet with some nonstick cooking spray. If you don’t have cooking spray, just pour some olive oil on a paper towel and wipe the skillet. Turn the heat up to medium-high and let it warm up for about 30 seconds. Place the chops onto the pan and sear them on each side for 1 minute. Lower the heat to medium and cover the pan. Continue to cook the chops for another 4 minutes on each side.

While the chops are cooking grab a small bowl and mix together the chicken broth, Dijon mustard, juice of half a lemon, salt, and pepper.

Remember, fully cooked pork chops have a very slight pink color to them. Once the pork chops are done cooking, transfer them onto a plate and cover them with tin foil to keep them warm while you make the sauce. Add the chicken broth mixture into the pan over medium-high heat. Scrape up all of the brown bits from the pan and let it simmer and reduce for about 5 minutes. It’ll be just long enough to turn it into a light sauce. After that’s done, take some of the sauce and drizzle it over the pork chops and you’re ready to eat.

So, I was up late one night watching The Food Network and a recipe caught my attention for a Roasted Chicken Pouch with Butter Sauce. The ingredients were simple. Prep and cooking time didn’t seem to take long at all. Most importantly it looked good. Start off with the following:

Ingredients
Roasted Chicken (Using rotisserie chicken from the supermarket also works)
Wonton Wrappers
Ricotta Cheese
Lemon Juice
Hot Sauce
Unsalted Butter
1 Egg, Lightly Beaten
Parmesan Cheese
Salt
Pepper
Parsley Flakes

Steps
First, you’ll want to shred the Roasted Chicken. Use your hands or a fork to pull apart the chicken. Throw the chicken into a bowl and combine the ricotta, lemon juice – to your taste, salt, pepper, and some hot sauce. Stir to combine.

Next, place a few wonton wrappers on a cutting board or any other dry surface. Place about a teaspoon of the chicken mixture into the center of the wonton wrapper. Make sure you don’t put too much of the mixture into the middle or you’ll have a hard time forming a pouch. Using a pastry brush or your fingers, brush the egg wash around the mixture. Bring all four corners of the wonton wrapper together and form the pouch. Make sure you tightly press the edges together so it won’t fall apart.

Now, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Once the water starts boiling toss in a few of the pouches, and let them cook. Don’t over crowd the pot you don’t want them sticking together. You’ll know they’re done once they float to the surface, this should only take about 3-5 minutes. Once done, transfer the pouches to a plate and set them aside.

Finally, melt some butter in a skillet or pan. Season the melted butter with pepper and salt, then set the heat to low, and add the cooked chicken pouches. Gently toss them around to evenly coat the pouches with butter. Place them on a plate sprinkle them with some parsley flakes and then grate Parmesan Cheese over the finished product.