Tortellini with Italian Sausage, Fennel and Mushroom

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Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, halved through core, thinly sliced lengthwise, fronds chopped
1 pound spicy Italian sausages, casings removed, sausage coarsely crumbled
One 8-ounce package sliced fresh baby bella mushrooms
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken broth
One 16-ounce fresh tortellini with 3-cheese filling
One 5-ounce package fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus additional, for serving

Directions:
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced fennel bulb, sausage, and mushrooms; sauté until sausage is brown and cooked through and fennel is almost tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add garlic and fennel seeds; stir 1 minute. Stir in cream, then 1 cup broth; boil until liquid is reduced and very slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook tortellini in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain tortellini; return to same pot.

Add sausage mixture to tortellini in pot. Toss over medium heat until blended. Add spinach; toss gently until spinach wilts. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese; add more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to moisten if dry. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with chopped fennel fronds, and serve, passing additional cheese.

TODAY.com Parenting Team FC Contributor


Truffled Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

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This is the perfect dish for when you want to indulge and eat like royalty! This Truffle Lobster Mac n’ Cheese is filled with succulent chunks of lobster meat, black  truffle butter, and packed with an assortment of cheeses.This is the pinnacle of elevated comfort food. It’s sophisticated, yet  laid back; a grown up mac n’ cheese!

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
1 pound dried macaroni pasta
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped white onion
2 medium leeks, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 pound  cooked lobster meat, chopped*
8 ounces Gruyere cheese, cubed
½ cup Mozzarella cheese, cubed
1/3 cup Fontina cheese, cubed
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup smoked Gouda cheese, cubed
1/2 cup heavy cream
½ cup D’artagnan Black Truffle Butter
All-purpose flour, if needed
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 º F.

Grease a 3-quart baking dish and set aside.

In a large stockpot, bring the water  and chicken broth to a  boil.Add  the  pasta  to the  boiling liquids and cook 12 to 15 minutes, or to desired tenderness.Drain pasta, return to the same pot and set aside.

Meanwhile,  add  the oil to a large skillet and heat on medium heat. Add the  onions,leek, thyme and a pinch salt and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent and the leeks are tender. Remove from  heat and set aside.

Heat a large  saucepan over medium heat, and add the cook pasta. Stir in the onion and leek  mixture, lobster meat, the cheeses, heavy cream, truffle butter,salt, white pepper, cayenne pepper and parsley into the cooked pasta. If the mixture is loose or too soupy stir in the flour if needed. Stir gently and transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.

Bake, covered, for 20 minutes, or until mixture is heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

*Cook’s Notes:

For 8 ounces cooked lobster meat, start with two 8-ounce fresh or frozen lobster tails. Thaw lobster, if frozen. Preheat broiler. Butterfly the lobster tails by cutting through the center of the hard top shells and meat. Spread the tail halves apart. Place lobster tails, meat sides up, on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 12 to 14 minutes or until lobster meat is opaque. Remove meat from shells.

TODAY.com Parenting Team FC Contributor


Hot Honey Turmeric Chicken

 

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Did you know that turmeric is a super food that does wonders for your health. The yellow color root, belongs to the ginger family, is anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant. It is a well used spice in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines, mainly because it imparts a wonderfully exotic taste, fragrance and aromas to protein such as chicken.

With that being said, this honey turmeric chicken is a great recipe to introduce you to turmeric. The chicken moist, juicy, delicious, golden in color, with an intense aroma and absolutely mouthwatering. Serve the chicken with steamed rice or noodles. It’s really delicious and takes only and easy to make, from preparation to dinner table. Just remember that turmeric stains easily so make sure you use spoon and do not spill them over your counter top.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs, skin-on
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon apple jelly
1 Tablespoon oyster sauce or soy sauce
1 Tablespoon Sriracha
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Kosher salt, to taste
1 Tablespoon oil

Directions :
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Add the garlic, honey, apple jelly, oyster sauce, sriracha, brown sugar, turmeric powder, cayenne pepper and salt to a large bowl and stir to mix well. Add the chicken and completely coat with the marinade and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a cast-iron skillet and swirl  skillet  to evenly  coat the  bottom  of the pan.  Transfer the chicken to the skillet and cook for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken thighs turn golden brown, crispy on the bottom and nicely glazed and browned on the skin side with a slight char. Dish out and serve immediately.

Cook’s Note:
You may use chicken breast, chicken drumsticks or wings for this recipe.

TODAY.com Parenting Team FC Contributor