Friday Foodday

Happy Friday! Here are my favorite recipes this week.

Rosewater Manhattan
c/o Country Cleaver

Ingredients

1 cup Sugar, for simple syrup

1 cup Water, for simple syrup

1/4 tsp Nielsen-Massey Rose Water, for simple syrup

1/4 tsp Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract, for simple syrup

Angostura Bitters

3 Ounces Whisky

Jarred Bing Cherry or Maraschino Cherries

Sliced Oranges

Ice

Directions

In a saucepan, combine water and sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer so the sugar dissolves completely, about five minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and place in the fridge to cool. When cool, stir in the Nielsen-Massey rose water and vanilla extracts. Set aside.

In a cocktail shaker, fill with ice, add in 1/2 ounce rose water simple syrup, 3 ounces whiskey, and three dashes of bitters. Add in one slice of orange and one cherry. Top shaker, and shake vigorously. Pour cocktail into glasses. Top with additional slice of orange, and cherry. Serve immediately.

One Skillet Chicken Alfredo Pasta

c/o The Kitchn

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth, preferably low-sodium

1 pound penne rigate or ziti pasta 

1 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream or half-and-half, warmed

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, in batches if necessary, and sauté until nicely browned on the outside, but still a bit pink inside, about 4 minutes (the pieces don’t have to be browned on all sides; two sides is fine). Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate.

Do not clean the pan! Those brown bits on the bottom of the pan are going to add flavor to the sauce. Add the garlic to the pan and sauté over medium heat until you can smell it, 30 seconds.

Turn the heat to high, add the chicken broth, and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen up all of those delicious caramelized bits. Bring to a simmer, lower to medium heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the pasta, stir well, and simmer until the pasta starts to soften, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the warm cream or half-and-half and the browned chicken with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, most of the liquid has been absorbed, and the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes more.

Stir in the Parmesan until well incorporated, taste, and adjust the seasonings if needed. You can continue with the next step or see the Recipe Notes below for add-in suggestions.

Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the parsley, if desired. Serve hot and pass extra Parmesan at the table.

Easy Apple Cake

c/o Love Bakes Good Cakes

Ingredients

• 1 box (18.25 oz.) yellow cake mix
• 1 can (21 oz.) apple pie filling
• 4 eggs
• Sweetened Whipped Cream (optional)
• Cinnamon (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients with an electric mixer until thoroughly combined. The mixer will help break up the apple pieces. Pour into the prepared dish.

3. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center tests clean. Allow cake to cool slightly before serving.

Serve with sweetened whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, if desired.

*Just a note about this recipe - You will NOT need the ingredients listed on the cake mix box. Just use the cake mix, pie filling and eggs.