The Cheap Gourmet

Penne Pasta with Spicy Peppers Recipe

I'm a huge fan of penne pasta. I love the flavor and texture and find it to be one of the most versatile pastas on the market. Below is one of my all-time favorite Penne Pasta recipes. If desired, you can add grilled shrimp or chicken to this dish. I've also added thinly sliced strips of London Broil and chunks of Italian sausage. No matter what you add, it all tastes good!

Penne Pasta with Spicy Peppers can be served as an entree for either lunch or dinner. My family enjoys this dish along with a tasty crisp salad and homemade garlic bread or breadsticks. I hope your family enjoys it too!

PENNE PASTA WITH SPICY PEPPERS
Serves 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Red Bell Peppers, cut into 3/4-inch strips, seeds removed
2 large Onions, diced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Chicken Broth
1 cup frozen Peas
1 teaspoon Frank's Hot Sauce or Tabasco Pepper Sauce
1/2 cup heavy Cream or Half-and-Half
16 ounces Penne Pasta, cooked according to package directions
3/4 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add red peppers, onion, garlic, and salt; cook and stir 5 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender.
Add chicken broth, peas and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally.
Spoon half of red pepper mixture into container of food processor or blender; process until smooth and return to skillet over low heat.
Stir in cream and heat through.
Remove from heat and stir in pasta; tossing well.
Spoon into individual pasta bowls and top with cheese.

Linens-N-Things Special Warm-Up Promotions

I finally found the cordless Vacu-Seal I've been looking for since November. Believe it or not, I located it at Linens-N-Things. I had no idea they carried kitchen gadgets, gourmet food, Rachel Ray cookware, bakeware, cutlery and pretty much anything you need to outfit your kitchen.

What's even better is Linen-N-Things is having a huge sale. Current promotions include:

$10 Rebate on EuroPro 6 Quart Slow Cooker plus Bonus Little Cooker with purchase.
Details: Priced at $29.99 after rebate. Rebate by mail. Offer valid until 2/06/08. Save on Shipping, Choose In Store Pick Up.

Save $30 on Cook at Home 16 Piece Hard Anodized Cookware Set.
Details: Regularly priced at $129.99. Offer valid until 2/06/08. Save on Shipping, Choose In Store Pick Up.

Buy One, Get One 50% Off on sale priced Martex Deluxe Heated Mattress Pad.
Details: Now priced at $29.99-$59.99. Available in Twin, King, California King sizes. Offer valid until 1/27/08. Save on Shipping, Choose In Store Pick Up.

$10 Rebate on EuroPro 6-Slice Convection Oven.
Details: Priced at $39.99 after rebate. Rebate by mail. Offer valid until 2/06/08. Save on Shipping, Choose In Store Pick Up

Free Shipping Plus Save 50% Off Wireless Boom Chairs.
Details: Offer valid until 1/27/08. Save on Shipping, Choose In Store Pick Up.

New! South Hampton 8-Piece Comforter Set, only $79.99.
Details: Set includes comforter, 2 shams, 2 Euro shams, bedskirt and 2 accent pillows. Set is available in 3 contemporary colors. Offer valid until 02/06/08. Save on Shipping, Choose In Store Pick Up.

Save $40! Lexington 8-Pc Comforter Super Set.
Details: Regularly priced at $99.99. Offer valid until 2/06/08. Save on Shipping, Choose In Store Pick Up.

8 Piece 450 Thread Count Cotton Sheet Set, $49.99.
Details: Available in queen - King, California King sizes. Offer valid until 2/06/08. Save on Shipping, Choose In Store Pick Up.

Save 25% on Entire Stock Decorative Window Hardware.
Details: Offer valid until 2/06/08.  Save on Shipping, Choose In Store Pick Up.

FREE $50 Gift Card with purchase of Entire Stock Eddie Bauer Comforters.
Details: Gift card by mail. Offer valid until 2/06/08. Save on Shipping, Choose In Store Pick Up.

To begin your Linens-N-Things shopping experience click on the banner below. If you're cheap like me, you're going to love this blow-out sale!

 

French Toast Bread Pudding

Earlier today, I discovered French Toast Bread Pudding at Windy City Restaurant Hopper; a fabulous blog with amazing recipes! This blog has archives dating back to September 2006 and categories include appetizers, chicken, lobster, seafood, shrimp, wine pairings and more.

I think the thing I enjoy most about blogging is connecting with other passionate foodies who are eager and willing to share their secrets. I left a message at Windy City Restaurant Hopper and asked if I could post her French Toast Bread Pudding recipe. Robyn, the founder of the blog, contacted me within a few hours, granting me permission. Let's all give Robyn a round of applause and a great big THANK YOU! And, by all means, please stop by Windy City Restaurant Hopper and browse around. You'll be glad you did!

Please note the photograph below was "borrowed" from Windy City Restaurant Hopper. You can also obtain the recipe for French Toast Bread Pudding by clicking here.

French Toast Bread Pudding
Serves 6
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Bake Time: 40 minutes
*Requires overnight refrigeration before baking

Ingredients:
1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large Eggs
2 cups Half-and-Half
1 cup Milk
2 tablespoons granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrup, if desired

Directions:

• Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs).
• Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices.
• In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly.
• Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices.
• Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden.
Serve with maple syrup, if desired.

Praline Topping:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) Butter
1 cup packed light Brown Sugar
1 cup chopped Pecans
2 tablespoons light Corn Syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground Nutmeg

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas from Black Hound New York

It's hard to believe Valentine's Day is just around the corner, isn't it? I don't know about you, but even though Valentine's Day has become exceptionally commercialized, I still love to indulge my family and friends with a shower of love-gifts.

In the past, I would spend hours making handmade chocolates, truffles, chocolate covered cherries and fudge. Unfortunately, I no longer have the time to make homemade goodies for Valentine's Day. Instead, I utilize the power of the Internet and do 99.9% of my shopping online. I have found many great deals online and wanted to share one of my favorites with you today.

Black Hound New York: Now, this place isn't cheap by any means, but it's still a good deal. When I make homemade truffles, I typically spend around $100 to make six dozen. That comes out to about $1.38 per truffle. Black Hound New York has a box of 20-25 assorted truffles for $25, making their cost between $1.00-$1.25 each. As much as I hate to admit it, Black Hound New York truffles taste better than my homemade truffles AND they are packaged in a pretty box.

 

If you want to go all out, Black Hound New York offers an amazing Chocolate Creation Basket. This completely edible chocolate basket is filled with a cornucopia of chocolate treats including bittersweet chocolate truffles infused with liqueurs, white truffles, milk chocolate truffles, chocolate almond bark and chocolate hazelnut clusters. I'm telling you, it's to die for! I bought two of these last year for Valentines gifts. One of my friends (sorry Jo!) didn't receive hers. Bet you can't guess where it went, LOL.

Black Hound New York also has this very interesting Chocolate Pyramid, which I haven't tried yet, but plan to do so in the near future. It's described on the website as, "Velvety layers of bittersweet chocolate infused with Grand Marnier, milk chocolate infused with Framboise, and white chocolate infused with Calvados buried inside a luxurious coating of cocoa dusted bittersweet Belgian chocolate." Grand Marnier is a liquer made from a blend of cognacs and distilled essence of orange. Framboise is a Belgian beer that is fermented using raspberries and Calvados is apple brandy. Sounds intoxicating doesn't it?

Black Hound New York has an entire section dedicated to Valentine's Day gifts. From cakes to cookies and chocolates to pastries, you're certain to find something that will satisfy the tastebuds of all those you shower with love-gifts. To visit Black Hound New York website, click on the banner below.

Sweet and Sassy Crockpot Chicken Recipe

The following Sweet and Sassy Crockpot Chicken recipe is the most amazing dish I have ever tasted. The flavors are a cross between Bourbon Chicken and Sweet and Sour Chicken. This recipe is super easy to adapt. While it calls for a whole cut-up chicken, you can also use either bone-in or boneless chicken breasts, but will need to adjust the cooking time.

Before you start cooking Sweet and Sassy Crockpot Chicken, allow me to share a few tips with you.

• If you use chicken breasts, reduce the amount of brown sugar to between 1/2 and 3/4 cup.
• Reduce the cooking time by 75 percent by using breast meat cut into chunks. This method only requires a 2 hour cooking time over low heat.
• Last, but not least, you can also cook this recipe on the stovetop by using boneless chicken breasts cut into strips or chunks.

SWEET AND SASSY CROCKPOT CHICKEN RECIPE
Serves 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6-8 hours crockpot; 45 minutes stovetop

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole Chicken, cut-up
1 cup Brown Sugar, packed
2/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 cup Lemon-Lime soda
4 Garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon Black Pepper, freshly ground
2-3 Green Onions, sliced, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. Wash and pat dry chicken. Place in Crockpot.
2. In small bowl, mix together remaining ingredients and pour over chicken.
3. Turn heat to low and cook chicken for 6 to 8 hours.
4. Carefully remove from Crockpot using large tongs.
5. Transfer pieces to serving bowl. Top with fresh green onions if desired and serve immediately.

This chicken tastes heavenly when served over rice or noodles. Add a fresh salad and hot dinner rolls for a satisfying meal on a cold winter night.

Delicious Living Magazine

I am SO excited! I recently stumbled upon Delicious Living magazine and feel like a kid in a candy shop. I was introduced to Delicious Living many moons ago while working at a popular health food store in Indianapolis. Our boss was incredibly creative and as soon as Delicious Living arrived on the counters, she would grab a copy so her chefs could get to work on creating something new.

When we moved to Colorado, the nearest health food store was 20 miles one-way and I kind of lost track of the magazine. Ironically, Delicious Living is published in Boulder and at one time I was only 15 miles away from their office. If only I knew then what I know now.

Anyway, to this day, I still have Delicious Living recipes glued on index cards which I use in our family's monthly meal planning. What I love most about the recipes offered in the magazine is they always taste so good that even my picky "meat-and-potato" husband enjoys them.

So, imagine my surprise when I discovered the Delicious Living website! I can subscribe to the magazine once again AND I have access to their vast database of recipes 24/7. Life can't get any better!

For those of you who love cooking contests, check out the Delicious Living Recipe Contest. I'm going to get to work tweeking one of my appetizer recipes and get it submitted. The first prize winner walks away with a $150 gift certificate to the health food store of their choice, while one runner-up in each category is rewarded with a $75 gift certificate. I'd be pleased to win, how about you?

Delicious Living is a fabulous website and I think you will be pleased with the content, recipes, health notes, podcasts and more. Check them out online at www.DeliciousLivingMag.com.

470 Crockpot Recipes

Since we've been sharing Crockpot recipes this past week, I wanted to let you know about a place where you can get all the Crockpot recipes you could ever want. Over at Crock Recipe Pot, you'll find a phenomenal bargain -- 470 Crockpot recipes in digital format for less than $20. You can download them instantly and start cooking today!

470 Crockpot Recipes provides a solution for those who have a hectic lifestyle. And, who doesn't these days? All you have to do is prep your ingredients the night before. The next morning, get up 10 minutes early and pop everything into your Crockpot. When you come home from work, your house will smell divine and dinner will be ready. Now, that's almost as good as having a private chef isn't it?

Crockpots can be used to cook soups, stews, casseroles, meats, poultry, fish, seafood and even desserts. With 470 Crockpot Recipes you'll never be bored with the same ole' weekly meal routine. You could try something new for more than a year and never eat the same thing twice.

But wait, that's not all... (sorry, I couldn't resist!)

The founder of Crock Recipe Pot is a generous soul. When you order 470 Crockpot Recipes ebook, you'll also receive numerous bonus cookbooks including: Chicken Recipes, Fish Recipes, Chocolate Recipes, Desserts, Soups, Stews and much more. In fact, you'll receive a collection of ebook cookbooks which provide more than 8000 recipes. Now that's what I call a great deal!

If you love Crockpot cooking, you'll want to invest in this amazing collection of Crockpot Recipes. Just click on this link to order your copy of 470 Crockpot Recipes TODAY!

Unusual Crockpot Recipe: Caramel Apples

My friend, Jo, shared an interesting Crockpot recipe with me the other day. It's really quite ingenious and I wish I would have thought of it a few months ago. You see, it's a Crockpot recipe for Caramel apples! I made four dozen caramel apples for Halloween. This technique could have saved me a LOT of time.

If you've ever made caramel apples, you know they can be kind of a pain. You have to be somewhat careful while melting the caramel. It's easy to burn and it's easy to keep too cool, which in turns make it setup, then it's hard to get it to adhere to the apple. I usually break out the double-boiler, but even still it's hard to control the proper temperature to sustain the smooth consistency required for coating apples. That's where the Crockpot comes in! It keeps it at the same temperature for a long period of time.

The following caramel apple recipe is so simple, you're going to love it! And, clean-up is a snap too. As you probably already know, the Crockpot is one of the easiest things to clean. Baked on food just slides right off. I love it!

Anyhoo, I digress. Let's get down to business. Here is the Crockpot Caramel Apples recipe...

Ten Ways to Recycle Coffee Grounds

Recycled coffee grounds can save you time, money and help you avoid toxic fumes from commercial cleaning products. Below are ten ways to recycle coffee grounds and protect the environment. 

1. Mix the grounds with water to provide your houseplants with an "energized" drink. Plants need the nutrients found in coffee grounds, including nitrogen and potassium, both common ingredients in store-bought fertilizer. Using organic grounds will provide a healthier and happier plant environment!
2. Sprinkle used grounds on your outdoor plants.
3. Sprinkle a ring of used grounds around a tree or plantings to deter ants.
4. Use slightly damp grounds on icy steps and sidewalks. The grounds stick to the ice, creating a safer walking surface.
5. Pour a few grounds down your drains to gently scrape the sides of the pipes. Do not use if pipes are already slow draining or clogged.
6. Use to scrub gunk off surfaces such as grills and greasy pans. Use wet or dry grounds.
7. Keep a container of dried coffee grounds in a shaker near the kitchen sink. Use to scrub strong odors such as fish, garlic and onion, from your hands.
8. Wet your face and scrub with one tablespoon coffee grounds. This is a gentle exfoliating wash for your face.
9. Use steeped grounds and a cotton swab to touch up furniture scratches.
10. Coffee grounds are a great addition to any compost pile. Just throw them into your compost bin, filter and all.

Be sure to check out the JavaLog ~ Voted "One of the Coolest Inventions" by TIME Magazine. Rumor has it you can make these yourself by mixing coffee grounds with candle wax and forming it into a log. If you attempt it, let me know how it works out!

Feel free to add your tips on Recycling Coffee Grounds in the Comments section. 

The Cheap Gourmet Hits the Big Time!

In September 2007, I wrote a post about The Cheap Gourmet Blog being syndicated by one of the industry-leaders, 1800Blogger.com. My association with FoodandWineBlog.net has been extremely rewarding. Not only have I obtained additional traffic and tremendous exposure via their network, I have also developed a wonderful business relationship with the founder and CEO, Ken Maciora.

Earlier today, I received an email from Ken requesting my permission to submit a press release featuring my mom's Beef Pot Roast with Burgundy Wine Sauce, which was posted only yesterday! Upon receipt of my approval (afterall, who wouldn't be thrilled to have a press release submitted!), the PR showed up on the home page of Trans World News.

I was on the phone with my mom so fast that I think I short-circuited the system. As you may recall, mom was a bit hesitant to share her secret beef pot roast recipe. Not that she's greedy, it's just that this particular recipe is one of her personal creations and is considered a prize possession.

Crockpot Beef Pot Roast with Burgundy Wine Gravy Recipe

During the holidays, I went home to visit my family in Indiana. Pretty much everything I know about cooking was taught to me by my mom. She is the Queen of putting together a scrumptious, melt-in-your-mouth meal with her ever-present Crockpot.

When I arrived, the aromatics of mom's Beef Pot Roast filled the air. I could smell it the instant I opened my car door. The moment I crossed the threshold, my salivary glands went into overdrive and I was instantly drawn to the Crockpot sitting on the counter.

As I approached the Crockpot, it took every ounce of energy to not stick a fork in and grab a morsel. Mom informed me I would have to wait one more hour before diving into her famous concoction of beef, onion soup, burgundy wine and mushrooms. The wait was excruciating!

It wasn't easy prying this recipe from mom. But, she's a passionate foodie and with a little persuasion from her favorite daughter (sorry Sis!) she agreed to share her divine recipe with The Cheap Gourmet readers. I am honored to pass along this tried-and-true Crockpot recipe to you and hope that you and your family enjoy it for years to come!

Vanishing Bees - Are We Pimping Bees into Extinction?

Once in awhile you run across a story that is so compelling you MUST share it with others. The Vanishing of the Bees is one such story and I hope you will take time to watch the trailer of this compelling video. What does this have to do with cheap gourmet cooking, you ask? Believe it or not my friend, it has everything to do with gourmet food and food in general!

You may or may not have heard about CCD - Colony Collapse Disorder. In a nutshell, honeybees are disappearing at an alarming rate, with as many as 85 percent of the bee population simply vanishing.

So what's the big deal if we lose a few bees? Unless you want to consume rice, corn and genetically-modified food for the rest of your life, it's an enormous deal! You see, without honeybees many of the fruits and vegetables we consume will no longer be available. The bees are responsible for pollination. No bees + no pollination = no food.

According to Vanishing Bees website; "Honeybees are responsible for pollinating one-third of our food supply, including most of the fruits, vegetables, nuts and even alfalfa used to feed livestock." The website and video remind us of the importance of being responsible earth stewards if we want to continue to eat; let alone eat gourmet!

One thing I particularly like about Vanishing Bees website is the information they provide regarding the history of agriculture and the 5-million year connection we humans have had with this fuzzy insect. While many of us prefer to avoid bees, they play a critical role in our survival. It's crucial that we not forget this important fact.

I highly recommend watching "Vanishing Bees". This insightful and thought-provoking movie trailer can be viewed for free at www.VanishingBees.com.

Le Gourmet TV

Recently, I discovered Le Gourmet TV, an interactive gourmet cooking website packed with step-by-step cooking videos. What I like about Le Gourmet TV is not only can you watch how recipes are put together, you can also learn a great deal about cooking.

Le Gourmet TV also includes videos on how to choose the proper cooking equipment, how to pair wine and cheese with your meals, how to choose the proper type of beer and a "Field to Table" section which promotes Sustainable Living.

In addition, Le Gourmet TV offers a variety of channels with easy-to-understand videos. You'll find a channel for Baking, BBQ, Beer, Cheese, Coffee, Preserves, Whiskey, Wine and Tea. Other channels include the Chef Series, Cooking Gear and Roadside Menu.

Click here to visit Le Gourmet TV now or click the link below to continue reading this post.