Parmesan-Panko-Crusted Chicken Breast with Herbed Spaghetti Squash

While I spent my Saturday morning in a warm kitchen with Hungry Jack pancakes and cartoons, and my afternoon and evening at work, my parents braved the very out-of-character October snow storm and drove up to State College for the PennState v. Illinois game. Every time any of us is out that way, we always make a stop at Wegmen's, one of my all-time favorite grocery stores. We pick up flaky pastries, fancy cheeses, interesting international foods, and fresh veggies. This trip was no different—when my parents walked into the kitchen after they got back, my dad excitedly showed off a large, creamy yellow spaghetti squash, something that looks like a round squash-pumpkin hybrid that, when cooked, can be scraped with a fork into long spaghetti-like strands. I was immediately intrigued, having just recently seen a recipe online that included the squash, so I was really excited to pull together a meal tonight and work with this type of squash for the first time. I found a simple, delicious recipe from Emeril Lagasse and decided to pair the veggie-spaghetti with a crispy panko-breaded chicken breast, and the result was a fresh, flavorful dish that was easy to feel good about eating, because, really, it's pretty damn healthy. I definitely didn't miss having a starchy side—a couple big spoonfuls of squash, plus the chicken, turned out to be incredibly filling. This dish takes a little time to pull together, but it's definitely worth it!

Serves: 4-6
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: About 1 hour for the spaghetti squash, and 10-15 minutes for the chicken
Difficulty: Easy-to-moderate

Ingredients

For the spaghetti squash:

• 1 small spaghetti squash (about 2 lb., maybe a little larger), cut in half lengthwise
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2-4 tbsp. finely chopped fresh herbs (a mix of chervil, sage, basil, flat leaf parsley, and chives is perfect, so I highly recommend that for the best results)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the chicken:

• 2-4 chicken breasts, pounded to about 1/4 inch thickness (I serve each person a 1/2 chicken breast, and that's plenty for one person) 
• 2-4 tbsp. olive oil, or enough to evenly coat the bottom of a large pan
• Approx. 1/2 to 1 cup panko bread crumbs/flakes, or enough to bread the chicken breasts
• 1/2 to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or enough to flavor the panko
• 2 tbsp. dried basil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 egg, beaten
• Approx. 1/2 to 1 cup flour (enough to lightly flour both sides of each chicken breast)

Fresh herbs for the squash. Top, left to right: Basil, sage, Italian flat-leaf parsley. Bottom, left to right: Chives and chervil.

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375*F. Place the spaghetti squash halves cut side down in one or two (depending on whether or not you can fit both in the same dish—I couldn't) oven-safe baking dish. Add enough water to come about 1/2 up the sides of the dish(s) and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes, until the squash is easily pierced with a small, sharp knife. Turn the squash over, cover with foil again, and return to the oven to cook for another 15 minutes, or until tender (a fork should easily slip into the flesh of the squash and you should be able to run a fork along the flesh and scrape off strands of it). During that 15 minutes of cooking, prepare your ingredients for the chicken. Place the flour, seasoned with a little salt and pepper, in a shallow bowl. Put the beaten egg in another shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl or on a plate, toss together the panko, Parmesan, and basil.  Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Dredge the chicken breasts, one at a time, in the flour, lightly coating both sides, then dip both sides in the egg, then coat with the panko mixture, before adding it to the pan to cook. Cook the chicken breast until both sides are crispy and golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Place the chicken in an oven-safe dish and place in the oven to keep warm. When the squash is done cooking, turn off the oven, leaving the chicken in it to stay warm, and remove the squash, allowing it to cool for a minute or two. Scrape out the seeds and the stringy bits around them with a large spoon, then take a fork and gently scrape the flesh of the squash away from the peel and place the spaghetti strands in a small pot (keep a lid on the pot when you're working on this so you can keep the squash warm). Once both halves of the squash have been scraped clean, add the butter and herbs to the squash strands and gently toss to mix. Serve the chicken alongside or on top of the squash and sprinkle with Italian cheese if desired (its saltiness perfectly compliments the subtle sweetness of the squash).

This is a delicately flavored, filling dish with great texture and nice coloring. The creamy yellow-orange squash is slightly sweet and has an al dente crispness when cooked properly. The mix of fresh herbs adds color as well as delicate, complex flavor to the squash that is enhanced by a little Italian cheese. The chicken is crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and the perfect accompaniment to the squash. It's the sort of dish that, due to its lightness, would be great during the summer months, but the buttery, warm squash makes it perfect for the fall too. Spaghetti squash can be served simply prepared as in this recipe, or served just like the pasta dish, with a variety of sauces and seasonings—try it out! It's really fun to work with.

Recipe: Caramel Apples

This time, last year, my boyfriend and I were craving some sort of fall-themed treat and we got hooked on the idea of making our own caramel apples. I'd just seen Giada De Laurentiis make caramel apples drizzled in chocolate on her show on Food Network and I was eager to try it out. The recipe is incredibly easy and you can personalize it by using different types of chocolate and adding fun toppings, like sprinkles or chopped nuts. My favorite thing about these apples though is that they can be made and eaten at home for a fall treat, or wrapped in wax paper, tied closed with some curling ribbon, and given out as favors, gifts, or even sent in the mail to someone special (I actually just sent a few to my boyfriend as a surprise and he was pretty excited to get them :D).

Serves: 6
Cooking time: 10 minutes, plus about 3 minutes to melt chocolate
Assembly time: 30 min.-2 hours to allow the caramel on the apples to set, plus 5-10 minutes to decorate apples, and another 2-4 hours to allow the chocolate to set
Difficulty: Easy
Special equipment: 6 wooden sticks (craft sticks, Popsicle sticks, etc.—I actually found wooded sticks in the grocery store that are marketed as sticks for caramel and candy apples)

Ingredients

• 6 small-to-medium apples (Granny Smith are the absolute BEST—the tartness of the apple is balanced out by the sweetness of the caramel and chocolate coating)
• 2 (9.5 oz.) bags soft caramel candies, unwrapped (I've seen already-unwrapped caramel balls in the baking aisle before, and those are so nice to use, but mostly I just stick to using the classic Kraft soft caramels)
• 1/4 cup pulp-free orange juice (the juice helps prevent the caramel from getting too thick and sticky when melted)
• Approx. 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli brand), melted
• Toppings for the apples, chopped or crushed into small pieces—I recommend sprinkles (Halloween-themed sprinkles are so fun!), chopped nuts, or crushed candy bars (Heath Bar and Butterfinger work really well)

Directions
If the apples have a wax coating (most do), dip the apples into 6 cups of boiling water mixed with 1/4 tsp. white vinegar for 4-8 seconds to remove the coating, then thoroughly dry them. This process helps ensure that the caramel will stick to the apple.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper. Insert the wooden sticks halfway into the stem-ends of the apples and place them on the baking sheet. In a medium saucepan (I use nonstick, which makes cleaning a little easier), over medium-low to low heat, combine the caramel candies and orange juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the caramels have melted and the mixture is smooth (about 10 minutes)—be sure not to turn the heat up too high, because the caramel can burn. Set aside to cool for a minute or two, then dip the apples in the caramel until they are evenly coated (really, you kind of roll the apple around in the caramel and use a spoon to add more caramel on if needed—a heat-resistant spatula can be used to try to smooth the caramel around the apple). Place the apples back on the baking sheet and allow the caramel to set (you can put them in the fridge, will will make it go a little quicker, or let them set at room temperature).
To melt the chocolate, you can heat it in short bursts in the microwave (about 45 seconds at a time, stirring each time it's removed) until it's melted. You can also use a double boiler or a makeshift double boiler (a heat-resistant bowl set down in a slightly smaller saucepan with a small amount of simmering water)—just put the chocolate in the bowl and allow the slightly simmering water in the pot below it to melt it. Drizzle the chocolate on the apples and sprinkle on toppings while the chocolate is still wet. You can also add toppings when you first add the caramel and it's still warm and sticky. Allow the chocolate to harden, either at room temperature or the fridge, for a few hours. Serve at room temperature (the caramel hardens a little when it's chilled, which makes it hard to eat).

These apples are so delicious and so easy to make! You can personalize them so everyone gets exactly what they want and it's so fun playing around with different chocolates and toppings. Perfect for an autumn treat, Halloween party favor, or a care package!

Recipe: Onion Soup

My mom used to make onion soup during the cold winter months—I'd have her fish out the onions (for some reason, I didn't like eating them), I'd pile on huge handfuls of Swiss cheese, and when I was done eating, I'd put the bowl up to my mouth and slurp down the last few spoonfuls of broth. It's the perfect cold weather soup, and when we made it in class two weeks ago during our "Soup Day," I knew I wanted to make my own version at home.
I just have to say that taking pictures of soup, especially steaming hot soup, is really difficult, no matter how awesome your camera is, so the picture included in this post is not all that exciting. I assure you though that the soup is delicious-looking in person: creamy white melted Gruyere, crusty bread soaked with rich brown beef broth, sprinkled with dark green dried thyme—so good!

 
Yields: Approx. 2 qt. soup
Prep. time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour - 1 hour, 15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• Approx. 1 lb. yellow onions, thinly sliced (you may want to cut up another half pound or pound, especially if you really like onion)
• Approx. 1 tbsp. butter, or more as needed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. (or to taste) dried thyme
• A pinch of sugar
• Approx. 2 tsp. flour
• Approx. 2 quarts beef broth/stock (I actually used all beef broth + 1 can of chicken broth, but you can substitute in veggie or chicken stock as you see fit. The soup should be primarily beef broth/stock though)
• Approx. 1/2 cup sherry (use real sherry, not cooking sherry, because it has better flavor; add more to taste, if desired; add a splash of Cognac for a little more flavor) 
• Gruyere and/or Swiss cheese, grated (as needed for garnish)
• French bread, sliced and toasted (as needed for garnish)

Directions
In a large pot, saute the onions in the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook until they've reduced in size and have started turning brown. Add the garlic, sugar, and dried thyme, and continue to cook until the onions are all brown (but not burnt) and fragrant. Add the flour and stir until it is blended into the onion mixture. Pour in a little beef broth and use a spatula or wooden spoon to deglaze the pan (scrape the onion and brown bits off the bottom of the pan). Pour in the remaining beef broth, add the sherry, and bring to a boil. Once the soup has reached a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 30-45 minutes (simmering the soup helps the onion release its flavor and helps all of the flavors of the soup blend). Taste the soup after it has cooked for a few minutes—if it's too salty, add a little water, 1/2 cup at a time.
Serve the soup in large, deep bowls. Place a slice or two of toasted bread in the broth, top with grated cheese, and melt the cheese under the oven broiler or in the microwave. Garnish with dried thyme if desired.

This soup blends meaty, salty, garlicky, and sweet flavors into a hearty broth that only gets more flavorful in the days after it's made, when all of the flavors get a chance to mingle and intensify. Nutty, rich Gruyere and toasted French bread perfectly compliment the soup's flavor, while the sherry in the soup helps balance out its saltiness. Perfect for a cold autumn or winter evening and delicious as left overs.

Recipe: Chocolate-and-Butterscotch-Chip Cookies

I went out for groceries earlier this week, and while roaming up and down the baking aisle, looking for Halloween sprinkles and soft caramels (for caramel apples I'm making this weekend), I came across bags of flavored "chips," like mint and peanut butter. Among the assorted bags of "chips" were bags of butterscotch chips, something I rarely eat but really enjoy. I love the taste of rich chocolate and salty-sweet butterscotch blended together, so I thought making chocolate-and-butterscotch-chip cookies was the best way to get that flavor I was craving. Despite spending my morning in the hot training kitchen for class, slaving away (okay, not really slaving, but seriously, you really have to hustle when there's a lot of food to make) at three (yes, three) different soups, I was really eager to bake as soon as I got home, and I was especially excited about the prospect of the traditional cookies-and-milk for an afternoon snack. I followed the classic Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe (minus the nuts) that my family has used for years, substituting Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips (richer and better-tasting than Nestle chocolate chips, in my opinion) instead of Nestle chocolate chips and adding half a bag of butterscotch chips. The result: perfectly crispy-yet-soft cookies, oozing with warm chocolate and butterscotch chips. Best right of the oven, and great anytime with a glass of milk or just on their own.

Yields: About 4 dozen
Prep. time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: about 9-13 minutes per batch
Difficulty: Easy
Equipment needed: Baking sheets, mixer (use the paddle attachment, not a whisk or other attachment)

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white/granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2&1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cups (12 oz. bag) chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips—they are so much better than cheap chocolate chips)
• 1 cup (half of a 12 oz. bag, a.k.a. 6 oz.) butterscotch chips

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375*F. Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. Combine the butter, brown sugar, white/granulated sugar, and vanilla extract in the mixer's mixing bowl and beat on low on medium speed until creamy. Add one egg at a time, and thoroughly beat each into the cookie dough on medium speed. Slowly add the flour mixture, beating on low or medium low speed until it's fully incorporated. Slowly add in the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips, beating on low speed to help blend them into the dough. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets, being sure to leave room in between each ball of dough to allow the cookie to spread as it cooks (I just use my hands and scoop out tablespoon-sized blobs of dough). Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until golden brown (mine took about 13 minutes to bake perfectly). Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then remove cookies from sheets and place on wire racks to cool completely. Store in an air-tight (tupperware) container. (Helpful tip: To keep cookies soft, place a slice of bread in the container they're stored in. The cookies draw out the moisture in the bread and that helps keep them soft. Be sure to replace the bread slice once it's dried out).

 These are your quintessential chocolate chip cookies, just dressed up a bit with the addition of butterscotch chips. They're soft on the inside, but lightly crispy around the edges and the "chips" have that magic way of staying melty, even after the cookies have cooled all the way. Delicious!

Recipe: Puff Pastry-Wrapped Chicken with Broccoli

I came across this recipe while browsing pins on Pinterest and immediately knew I HAD to make it—it just sounded too good to pass up. The ingredients are all things we love: crispy bacon, tender chicken, flaky buttery puff pastry, and smooth cream cheese, combined in the perfect way. The chicken is stuffed with a flavor-packed cream cheese filling and wrapped up in puff pastry, then baked until golden brown and delicious. The best part about this meal?—It looks kind of fancy and, though it looks like it could take forever to make, it's one of the simplest dishes I've shared here. You simply mix the filling, stuff a little into pockets cut into chicken breasts, wrap the chicken up in puff pastry like a gift, bake, and serve. Easy enough for a weeknight, but pretty enough for a fancy dinner (though flaky puff pastry can be a bit messy when being eaten).

Serves: 4
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30-35 minutes, plus 5-7 minutes for the broccoli
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 frozen puff pastry sheets, rolled out slightly with a rolling pin (make sure to thaw the sheets a few hours ahead of time)
• 2-4 green onions, finely chopped
• 5-6 oz. cream cheese (I bought an 8 oz. block of 1/3 Less Fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese and used a little over half of it)
• 4-6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• A few tsp. flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• Broccoli, fresh or frozen (if you buy frozen, just cook the whole bag; if you buy fresh, cook enough so that each person gets about a cup to eat)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400*F.
In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, bacon, parsley, green onion, and a little salt and pepper. Use a flat utensil (a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon would work well) to blend well.

The filling

Cut small pockets into the chicken—cut right down the middle, being sure not to cut all the way from end to end (leave about 1/2 inch on either end, so that it's a true pocket and the filling won't spill out either end), and make sure you don't cut all the way through the chicken, otherwise you'll just have two pieces of chicken, which is not what we're aiming for. Stuff a spoonful or two (or three) into the pockets (it's okay if the filling pokes out over the edge of the pocket...more filling just means more flavor).
Place one chicken breast per single puff pastry sheet, and be sure to place the chicken breasts in the middle of the sheets. Brush a little of the beaten egg along the inside edges of the pastry. Fold over the short ends first, on either end of the breast, then fold one long side then the other, forming a package. Be sure to brush egg onto any place where pastry will touch pastry—the egg helps it stick together. Brush the completed package all over with the egg mixture—this will create that beautiful golden brown color that makes pastries look so appealing.

Beautiful little golden brown packages

Place the puff pastry-wrapped chicken breasts on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through (I used a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken was done enough—it should be 165*F inside).

Perfectly cooked chicken

When the chicken is done cooking, turn the oven off and leave the chicken in the oven to keep it warm. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and add the broccoli, cooking for 5-7 minutes, until bright green and tender (but not soft or mushy). Drain and return to the pot, keeping the lid on when not serving so as to hold in heat (broccoli is notorious for not holding heat well). Remove the chicken from the oven.
Cut the puff pastry packages in half and serve each person half, with a side of broccoli.

This was such a fun dish to make and it turned out so well! The puff pastry is flaky, buttery, and light, and the creamy filling in the chicken oozes out when you cut into the package, which I absolutely love. The broccoli helps lighten up the dish a bit, and I highly recommend a nice crisp white wine on the side. While normally, people might be used to eating a whole chicken breast for dinner, you really only need a half with this dish because the filling and pastry make it so filling.

Recipe: Pancetta, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta

First of all, my apologies for not posting since last week—I just got hired part-time at Macy's, so between job training, culinary classes, and my first few days of work, I've been busy, tired, and I've had no time to cook. I finally had time to sit down yesterday and pick out some recipes for the end of this week and early next week and I finally got to try out the "Gourmet" setting on my new camera tonight. The recipe I'm sharing tonight is summery, so it's a little out of place with the cool weather and rain we've been having lately, but it was so good, I can look past that. I came across it here and was really intrigued when I read that this warm pasta dish, made with familiar Italian ingredients, like tomatoes and pancetta, had cubes of creamy avocado tossed in at the end. Avocado is typically served as is (like a slice on a sandwich or cubes tossed in a salad) or blended into guacamole and I rarely see it in a cooked dish like this (though I've read a little bit about trying to use avocado as a pasta sauce...kind of weird). Mixing rich pieces of avocado into pasta with bright grape tomatoes, crispy pancetta, and a dash of red pepper flakes creates a light dish that's absolutely delicious and pretty unique.

Serves: 4-6
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 lb. short pasta (I used rotini, but gemelli, penne, or farfalle are good options too)
• 2 tbsp. olive oil, or enough to cover the bottom of a large pan
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup pancetta, cut into small cubes (I bought a 4 oz. pack of pre-cut pieces, which makes this dinner a little easier and quicker to make)
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 1 cup canned diced or chopped tomatoes, measured with their juices
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup reserved cooking fluid
• 1 large avocado, cubed
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• Basil, fresh or dried, to taste

Directions
Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions (about 8-10 minutes). Drain, return to the pot, cover, and set aside. In the meantime, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and pancetta and cook until the pancetta gets a little crispy around the edges (about 5 minutes). Add the grape tomatoes and cover the pan, cooking the tomatoes until they begin to gently "pop" their skins (the skins will split and crack and the tomatoes will be slightly soft; about 5 minutes). Add the canned tomatoes, chicken broth, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, and basil (if using dry) and cooked for 5 minutes, allowing the mixture to blend. Pour the tomato and pancetta mixture into the pot of pasta and toss to mix. Add the avocado and gently toss to combine (avocado is very soft and will break down and smear everywhere if you stir too vigorously). Top with fresh basil and Italian cheese (Pecorino-Romano is best) if desired.

This dish has a perfect combination of brightness, creaminess, and saltiness. I absolutely love the taste of a cooked grape tomato as it bursts in my mouth—it has a mix of sweetness and acidity and, though I've used the word repeatedly throughout this post, it really has a beautiful bright taste that wakes up your mouth. The creamy avocado is so subtle in this dish, but its creaminess helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes in this dish and adds a unique texture to the dish. Salty pancetta and a sprinkling of Pecorino-Romano are the perfect compliment to the other flavors in the dish. I'm not sure how well this will reheat, because avocado is generally not cooked (in this dish, it's tossed in at the end of cooking and the hot pasta helps warm it), but I think it would work well as a cold pasta salad, or you could set the avocado cubes in a dish at the table so people can add their own to their dish at the table.

Recipe: Penne and Spicy Chorizo with Tomato Sauce

I spent my morning learning how to fillet round fish (much more difficult and time-consuming than filleting flat fish) and prepping ingredients for the "a la carte" classes (they run a small restaurant on campus), so I was pretty exhausted when I got home and had no intention of going out for groceries. I wanted to make something quick, simple, and delicious, which in my life usually means cooking up pasta and some mixture of ingredients in a saute pan. I had leftover chorizo (spicy Spanish-style sausage) in the freezer, waiting to be used up, and some good-looking tomatoes and onions, so I decided to toss penne pasta with a mixture of cooked chorizo, tomato, onion, and garlic in a lightly seasoned tomato sauce. The sauce is unthickened, which makes the dish feel a little lighter, and the spicy sausage and a splash of red wine in the sauce make the dish flavorful, with some subtle heat to wake up your tastebuds after a tiring day.

Serves: 4-6 
Prep. time: 10 minutes 
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes 
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 8 oz. (1/2 lb.) penne pasta (rigatoni or some other medium-to-large tubular pasta would work just as well)
• 3 links chorizo sausage, casings removed, crumbled/pulled apart into small pieces (most brands usually have 5-6 links per package; hot Italian sausage is a good substitute if you can't find chorizo)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tomatoes, diced
• 1-2 onions, diced
• 2 tbsp. olive oil (or enough to lightly coat the bottom of a saute pan)
• 7.5-8 oz. tomato sauce (canned is fine—I used a plain, canned Hunt's tomato sauce; don't get a seasoned sauce)
• 3-5 tbsp. dry red wine, or to taste
• 4-6 tbsp. fresh basil, chiffonade (there's a good tutorial for this type of cut here)
• 4-6 tbsp. fresh flat leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped
• Salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• Italian cheese, if desired

Directions
Bring salted water to a boil in a medium pot. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions (usually 9-12 minutes). In the meantime, heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crumbled chorizo and cook until just cooked through (about 5-8 minutes). Add the tomato, onion, and garlic and cook until the onion pieces are slightly soft (about 5-7 minutes). Add the tomato sauce and red wine, along with a little salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and reduce to medium-low heat so that the mixture is slightly bubbling. Drain the cooked pasta and toss the chorizo and tomato sauce mixture with it. Toss in the freshly cut basil and parsley and stir to mix. Serve topped with Italian cheese and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes, if desired.

This dish is quick and easy—perfect for weeknights! The chorizo is spicy, but not overwhelmingly hot, and the tomato sauce flavored lightly with dry red wine helps balance the heat. I highly recommend that you use fresh herbs rather than dry, because they are absolutely delicious in this dish—not only do they add color, but they add their natural bright and clean flavor, which helps lighten the dish and make the dish taste fresher. As I said in comments in the ingredient list, you can easily use hot Italian sausage instead of chorizo and try out different kinds of tubular pastas. You could even put this pasta mixture in an oven-safe dish, layer fresh mozzarella on top, and bake it to create a hearty, cheesy pasta dish that would be perfect with a side salad or a slice of crusty Italian bread.

Recipe: Super Chocolatey Chocolate Icing

My grandmother is moving out of her home and downsizing considerably, so a big group of my not-that-big family spent last weekend at her house, sorting, claiming, tossing, and moving things. My cousin, Kate, had the great idea to bring baked goods as a sort of way to make the day a little brighter and hopefully help minimize family drama and meltdowns (we still had one or two—this whole process has been fairly stressful) and she ended up bringing some delicious chocolate chip cookies (I ate a lot...let's just say WeightWatchers was the furthest thing from my mind that weekend). Last Friday just so happened to be my grandmother's birthday, so my mom and I decided we would bring a birthday cake. My dad's high school reunion also happened to be last weekend, so not only was it decided that I'd make cake, but I also got roped into making cupcakes for the reunion. To make things simple, we used a delicious boxed yellow cake mix, but I wanted to make homemade icing. My grandmother has always liked yellow cake with chocolate icing, so I decided to do a variation on my vanilla buttercream from a little while ago and make a chocolate buttercream.

Now, I wasn't quite sure how to write this post, because, to be perfectly honest, I messed up the icing when I made it. And then I made a different version and messed that up. And then I combined the two, added a little milk, and they miraculously combined to make the most delicious chocolate icing ever. See, I made one batch of icing in a buttercream style using melted Ghiradelli chocolate chips, but the mixture was so thick, it was like eating fudge, though the flavor was fantastic. For the second batch, I followed the recipe on the back of the Hershey's cocoa powder box and used that cocoa for the chocolate flavor—unfortunately, I didn't read carefully and, instead of melting the butter, I whipped a whole, unmelted stick into the mixture (I was in a buttercream mindset, and you use a whole, unmelted stick of butter in that type of icing), so once again, I got too-thick icing. I knew I needed to fix the problem, and I knew milk was often recommended as a way to thin out icing, so I poured some in, whipped it, and the icing came out with the perfect consistency and flavor. I had enough icing to ice (I spread it on with a knife rather than pipe out a big pile on top) 24 cupcakes and one, two-layer cake.

So, here's what I'm gonna do: I'm going to share each recipe that I made, and say that you can either try to combine the two and make it all in one go, or, do what I did (and would probably do again), and make each icing separately, then combine and add a little milk until the desired consistency is reached. I know it seems like a lot of work, but seriously, this icing was really good—thick, super chocolatey, creamy, and rich.

M is for Molly, my grandmother's name

Too-Thick Chocolate Buttercream Icing

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted (sifting removes lumps that would clump up in the frosting) 
• 3-4 tbsp. milk
• 8-10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli brand, because it's good quality chocolate and creates a rich chocolatey flavor in the icing) 

Directions
Put the butter in the mixer bowl and, using the paddle attachment, blend it on low for about a minute until the butter is a little creamy. Turn off the mixer and add the powdered sugar and milk to the bowl. Blend the mixture on low for about a minute, until the powdered sugar is incorporated into the wet ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and whip until the mixture is completely blended and looks thick. In the meantime, melt the chocolate either very slowly and carefully in the microwave or use a double boiler to melt the chocolate chips. Slowly add the melted chocolate to the other ingredients and whip on medium speed until fully incorporated into the icing. The icing will appear a medium to dark brown and will be thick.

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Too-Thick Hershey's Cocoa Powder Icing

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup Hershey's brand natural unsweetened cocoa
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Put the butter in the mixer bowl and, using the paddle attachment, blend it on low for about a minute until the butter is a little creamy. Turn off the mixer and add the powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla extract, and milk to the bowl. Blend the mixture on low for about a minute, until the powdered sugar and cocoa are incorporated into the wet ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and whip until the mixture is completely blended and looks thick.

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Super Chocolatey Chocolate Icing (The Right Icing)

Ingredients

• First batch of icing, the too-thick chocolate buttercream icing
• Second batch of icing, the too-thick Hershey's cocoa icing
• Milk (about 4-8 tbsp., more or less until desired consistency is reached)

Directions
Combine the two different icings in the mixer bowl and blend on medium speed. Add milk, a tbsp. at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Icing should be somewhat shiny and thick. It will spread easily and hold its shape.

This icing, though a lot of work, is absolutely delicious. It's thick and creamy, and it has an intense chocolate flavor that's so delicious. Perfect on cupcakes, cakes, and brownies (I even put a little leftover icing from the cake on my cousin's cookies...so tasty!).