Snow Trip: Penne with Jalapeno Penne

A couple of weeks ago, Thatbaby was telling Thatboy that the only thing missing from his holiday was snowman building.  He really wanted to build a snowman at Christmas, if not this year than next year.  Well, living in San Diego, building a snowman isn't really a possibility.  And Christmas-ing in San Francisco is likewise antithetical to his desires.

But we thought maybe we could sneak some snowman building in anyway.  Especially with reports of a huge winter storm making its way to us.  Here in San Diego that meant a full week of pouring rain in 40 degree weather, which usually means snow in higher altitudes.  So I booked us a cabin in Idyllwild and crossed my fingers for bad weather.

Unfortunately, despite the storm, and cold weather down here, it didn't actually get cold enough to snow in Idyllwild.  Undeterred we spent the first day walking around town a little bit and grabbing wood for our cabin's fireplace.  Y'all - I miss a fireplace!

And then...the next day...we found snow!

Just down the road a bit from where we were staying was a park that had leftover snow!  There wasn't a ton of it, and it was a little hard from melting and refreezing, but it was fine for our purposes!

This was the first year our kids had actual snow pants, and Thatbaby quickly discovered they worked just as good as any old sled.

Even Thatboy got in on the sledding action.

And yes friends, there was enough snow to build  a snowman.

We spent the evenings with hot chocolate, in front of the fire, playing games and putting together puzzles.

And of course, we explored the culinary scene in Idyllwild.  We visited some old favorites, but mostly we'd been gone long enough there was a whole new crop of places to try.  Bakeries with flakey, buttery pastries, breweries with one of the best sauces Thatboy has ever tasted, and an Italian restaurant with live music.  The Italian restaurant, Cafe Aroma, had a very unique dish on the menu I had to try - a jalapeno pesto.  It was rich, it was creamy, but I couldn't even taste the jalapeno.  I loved the idea though, so once we got home, I decided I was going to try and recreate it, but better.  I removed the cream, which makes the jalapeno less potent and we had a winner on our hands.  This could certainly be made in the classic style, with basil, but in keeping with the Southwestern theme of the jalapeno, I subbed in cilantro instead.

Penne with Jalapeno Pesto

1 lb penne, cooked according to the instructions on the box

2 cups cilantro leaves

1 jalapeno (use as many seeds as you wish for heat - the more seeds the spicier the dish will be)

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup canola oil

1.  Pulse cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, cheese, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor until well combined.
2. With food processor running, slowly add the oil, continuing to process until creamy.
3. Toss with hot pasta and serve.

Searching for Snow: Baked Lemon Spaghetti With Chicken

The goal of our trip was to bring Thatbaby to the snow, and so we had to find snow.  As I stated, there was snow there, but in patches.  Which meant we couldn't really play in the snow, but we could certainly use it to sled!

 

Thatbaby loved sledding.  We had a feeling he would given that he loves going fast and already enjoys riding Thatboy's skateboard and practice surfing on the bed.

It was hard to get him to stop sledding in fact.  He wanted "more."  He carried his little sled from snowy patch to snowy patching asking for "more please."  Guess he's a fan of the snow.

Thatboy was in charge of taking Thatdog for walks, and he found a great snowy hill behind our cabin. 

Thatbaby had to bundle up a little more, but he didn't seem to mind.

With this hill, he even got to get his hands in the fluffy stuff a little bit. 

So our first trip to the snow wasn't a total disappointment.  And we know Thatbaby will be even more excited next year!

I don't know about you, but pasta is a definite winter cabin staple for me.  Which is why we ended up with Bolognese.  But if you want to bring something with you, baked pasta is easy to make ahead, travels well, and warms up very easily.  And you don't have to go with your basic baked ziti or rigatoni.  Lately I've been baking all sorts of pastas, like fettuccine and spaghetti.

This one is loaded with chicken and vegetables, but balanced with a lemon sauce, a nod to the ever popular lemon spaghetti.

Baked Lemon Spaghetti with Chicken

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp flour

1 cup milk

1 cup mozzarella, shredded

1/2 cup parmesean, grated

1 sprig thyme

zest and juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper

8oz spaghetti

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray.  Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.
2. Whisk in the flour and stir until lightly browned.
3.  Slowly whisk in the milk. Keep whisking until the milk is warmed and has thickened slightly.
4.  Whisk in half the mozzarella, half the parmesean, thyme, lemon zest/juice and salt and pepper.
5.  Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
6.  While spaghetti is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant.
7.  Add the vegetables and cook until tender crisp. 
8. Toss the veggies with the spaghetti, chicken, and sauce.  Transfer to the baking pan.  Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
9. Uncover and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.  Return to oven and bake for for 10 more minutes.

Little Cabin In The Woods: Garlicky Chickpea Ravioli with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Our little cabin may have been lacking in snow, but it sure was full of charm!  Just check out our view!

 During Thatbaby's naps, Thatboy and I took turns hanging out in the cabin in case of a wakeup, and hanging out on the swing, enjoying the scenery.  We were beside a creek, with the views of Suicide Rock, surrounded by giant evergreen.

 And when he was awake, Thatbaby was more than happy to join us.  The cabin had running water and electricity, but not much else.  No television/cable/radio.  So after Thatbaby went to bed, Thatboy and I entertained ourselves the old fashioned way - Game Nights!

Mille Bourne gets mean, but Pass the Pigs is nonstop entertainment.  To go with our rustic cabin, here is an equally rustic meal! Homemade ravioli is never as perfectly shaped or formed as the storebought version, but that's part of it's charm.  And this one, filled with a chickpea paste, is different than your typical ravioli.  The same is true of the roasted red pepper sauce.  Sweet and smokey, this ravioli is perfect for any form of cabin fever.

 Garlicky Chickpea Ravioli with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (From Branny Boils Over)

1 cup chick peas
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
3 garlic cloves

1 Tbsp water
1 egg
3/4 cup flour

1 small onion, diced
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
4 oz vegetable stock
1/3 cup sweet corn kernels
1/8 tsp chili powder

1. Puree chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, 1/4 tsp salt, parsley, and 1 garlic clove in a food processor.
2. Make a pile out of the flour on a clean work surface.  Make a well in the center and place the egg and water in this well.
3. Stir the flour into the egg/water well with a fork until the dough comes together.
4. Use a pasta roller to roll the dough into sheets.
5. Place 1 teaspoon of the chickpea paste on the dough sheets, about an inch apart.
6. Dip your finger in water and run along all the edges of the pasta sheet.
7. Lay another pasta strip on top and press down to create a seal.
8. Use a fork to crimp the edges and cut into individual raviolis.
9. Bring a pot of water to a boil and boil 4-5 minutes.
10. While waiting for water to boil, saute the remaining garlic in olive oil.
11. Add onion and red pepper and cook until onions are translucent.
12. Puree in a food processor with the vegetable stock.  
13. Return to pan and add chili powder and 1/4 tsp salt.  Heat thoroughly and toss with ravioli.