Easy Weekday Spaghetti Carbonara

Some time ago at Delishably.com, I wrote an article entitled You Can "Carbonara" Just Like Olive Garden where I explained in great detail how to replicate a meal that was, at that time, being served at Olive Garden restaurant. 

It's a great recipe (if I do say so myself), but not one that you can quickly whip up when your family is starving. It's more of an I-have-all-Sunday-afternoon-to-cook type of recipe. If you do have all afternoon, please visit my Delishably page. If you don't, try this one. 

Easy Weekday Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3/4 pound turkey bacon, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 ounces of dry spaghetti
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter melts and begins to foam. Add diced onion and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to turn golden. Be patient. This will take about 10 minutes. Return the heat to medium; add the diced turkey bacon and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is cooked and crisp. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
2. Beat together the egg, half and half, and parmesan cheese. Set aside.
3. Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Drain the spaghetti well and return to the pan.
4. Immediately add the onion/bacon mixture and toss; add the egg/half and half mixture and toss again until spaghetti is coated with sauce. If the sauce seems a bit thick, add a bit of the reserved pasta water.

Makes 4 generous servings. Top with additional grated Parmesan if desired.

Easy-Peasy Fruit "Pudding" Dessert

I don't remember the source of this recipe, but the card on which it is written is old and faded. It has been around for a very long time.

This is an easy-to-do recipe that even the kids can help with:

Fruit "Pudding" 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 can fruit pie filling (any flavor except lemon)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Melt butter in a 12x9-inch glass baking dish
3. In a large mixing bowl combine 1 cup of sugar, flour, baking powder, and milk
4. Pour mixture over melted butter. DO NOT STIR
5. Pour over this 3/4 cup sugar. DO NOT STIR
6. Pour in pie filling (including juice). DO NOT STIR
7. Bake for 1 hour. Serve warm with whipped topping or vanilla ice cream.

YUMMY!

Photo Credit: Image by Ulrike Leone from Pixabay 

Carb Diva Swedish Meatballs



My next-door neighbor is one of the sweetest, funniest, kindest, most generous people I know. We share a love of decorating, gardening, animals, and (most of all) eating. That last one is especially important because from time to time she will travel back to the Midwest to visit her daughters and grandkids. I watch her house, water the plants, and in exchange I get whatever is left in her refrigerator.

It's like an episode of "Iron Chef America"--I never know what the secret ingredient will be.

This past week, my friend left once again for "Dorothy-land" and I was left with, among other things, a quart of buttermilk. (Cue dramatic music and wry smile by Mark Dacascos).

I did the obvious buttermilk waffles. Then a batch of buttermilk biscuits. But I still have half a quart left.

What to do?

Well, I love mashed potatoes and will look for any possible excuse to use them as a side dish. What better way to use mashed potatoes than with meatballs and gravy? Here's my version of Swedish meatballs, using ground turkey, and buttermilk in place of the traditional sour cream.

Carb Diva Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients

• 2 slices firm bread (Italian, French, or any rustic bread)
• 1/2 cup finely minced onion
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken (or cream of mushroom) soup
• 1 soup can buttermilk

Instructions

1. Into a blender tear bread slices and grind them into fine crumbs. Transfer crumbs to a large bowl. Add minced onions. In a small bowl whisk together egg, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and pepper and add to bread crumb mixture. Add turkey and with your hands mix mixture until just combined (do not overmix).
2. Form turkey mixture into 1-inch meatballs.
3. In a 12-inch non-stick skillet heat oil over medium heat and brown meatballs, turning them occasionally, until browned on all sides.
4. Stir together condensed soup and buttermilk. Pour over meatballs, cover and simmer over low heat until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Carb Diva's Carrot Birthday Cake

Today is my birthday. I won't say how many years, but suffice it to say I was alive during the Eisenhower administration.

Today is also National Carrot Cake Day. My favorite cake. It's kismet. 

Carb Diva Carrot Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch cake pan.
2. Sift together the first 6 ingredients(flour through nutmeg) and set aside. Place the sugar, oil, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Mix together with a spoon. Add the dry mixture, and then stir in the carrots, coconut, walnuts, and pineapple.
3. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for about 45 minutes. Cool and frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting.