Roasted Marrow

Roasted Beef Marrow

I love bone-on/in wings, fried chicken, steaks, roasts, ribs, etc.  Boneless versions of any of the above are a joke to me.

I love love love roasted bone marrow.  Succulently rich morsels of meat butter.  A glutton's treat.  Anyone who has problems with eating fat should turn around now.  Marrow is mostly fat inside the bones, but it is also full of fat soluble vitamins.  Plus it tastes good.

For pennies per pound, this is a gourmet meal on the cheap.  I spread the roasted marrow on some toasted potato bread and topped it with a little bit of parsley and thinly sliced shallots tossed in lemon juice.  The lightly toasted bread had a nice crisp crunch.  The roasted marrow is so lusciously creamy that it almost melts into the toast.  The acidity from the parsley salad counterbalances the richness from the marrow.

Roasted Marrow
Beef marrow bones (ask butcher to cut into 3 inch pieces)
salted water
sea salt
pepper

Soak marrow bones in cold salted water for about 1 hour to get rid of the excess blood.  Drain and pat dry with a paper towel.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Arrange bones in a baking dish so that they are standing up on the widest end.  Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.  Roast for about 20 minutes or when the marrow in the center starts bubbling.  Scoop onto lightly toasted bread or crostini.  Top with a little bit of parsley salad.

Parsley Salad
1 bunch parsley, leaves only
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
sea salt

Toss parsley leaves, shallot, and lemon juice together.  Salt to taste.

After I got as much of the marrow out as I possibly could, I deglazed the baking dish with a little cognac to use the pan drippings and bones for stock.  Those bones just keep on giving deliciousness.

No Boil Sun-dried Tomato & Chicken Pasta Bake

I was craving sun-dried tomato alfredo pasta the other day, but didn't have any cream or read-made alfredo sauce from a jar on hand.  I was also too cozy in my little apartment to make a trip to the grocery store.  I also didn't want to stand over the stove or wash a pot.  

I rummaged through my kitchen to see if I had anything else and decided that I had nothing good to eat.  How was that possible when I just went to Costco and at least 2 groceries stores in the last 2 weeks???

I felt like I just agreed to a spur of the moment girls' night out and had nothing in my closet to wear to go dancing.  I have nothing to eat like I have nothing to wear!

I munched on a pickle to regroup and then tried again.

Tomato basil bisque in a can, frozen chicken thighs, american cheese, sundried tomatoes, bread crumbs (from the Potato Bread that I made), parmesan cheese and roma tomatoes = No Boil Sun-dried Tomato & Chicken Pasta Bake.  Tada!

The first batch was burnt on the surface because turned the oven onto BROIL.  I scraped off the burnt top layer.  The rest of it was okay.  At least I got the flavors right.
I tried again a few days later.

Round 2 was a success, I adjusted the oven temperature and made it a point to set the timer on my microwave. 

No Boil Sun-dried Tomato & Chicken Pasta Bake

8 oz dried pasta (any shape)

1 can tomato basil bisque

1/2 can water

2 slices american cheese

3 tbsp sundried tomatoes, finely diced

1 roma tomato, diced

2 skinless boneless chicken thighs

Topping

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs

3 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp olive oil

1 roma tomato, sliced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In a baking dish (or a pie dish), combine dried pasta, diced tomato, sundried tomatoes, tomato basil bisque and water together.  Tear the american cheese up into little pieces.  Mix in the pieces of american cheese.  Place the chicken thighs on top of the pasta mixture.  Bake for about 30 minutes.

Take the pasta and chicken out of the oven.  Take the chicken and cut up into bite-sized pieces (I used kitchen shears which made it easier).  Mix the chicken into the pasta mixture.  Arrange the tomato slices on top.

Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder and olive oil.  Sprinkle evenly over the top of the pasta & chicken mixture.  Sprinkle more parmesan cheese on top.

Bake for another 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.

No Bake Sundried Tomato & Chicken Pasta Bake

I actually heard it bubbling as when I pulled the dish out of the oven.  It was literally bubbling!

EAT Toast

EAT Toast

E = Egg

A = Avocado

T = Tomato

This is as a quick breakfast on the go, brunch item, snack or last minute appetizer.  Add slices of bacon and you have BEAT or BETA (which on sounds better?).  Mmmm...bacon.  It would be like the good fat and the bad fat coming together in harmony.

I love this on toasted potato bread.

EAT Toast

2 slices of toast

1 medium-boiled egg, sliced

1 avocado, mashed

1 roma tomato, sliced

sea salt, to taste

Spread the mashed avocado generously on each slice of toast.  Sprinkle sea salt on avocado.  Layer slices of tomato with egg on top of mashed avocado.  Enjoy!