Pasta alla Vodka

I had this dish for the first time about a month ago at a family reunion and couldn't stop thinking about it, so I had to make it. It's really easy and SO delish! Here's what you need:

1 lb uncooked penne pasta

1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes

3/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp vodka

1/2 Cup whipping cream

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. In large skillet, heat oil over moderate heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring until garlic is golden brown. Add tomatoes and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add vodka and cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add pasta, toss 1 minute. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or whatever you have in the fridge).

Chicken & Black Bean Burritos

I was looking for an easy meal to make and take the other night when I came across this lovely little number over at bettycrocker.com . This is so easy to make and I think everyone will like it, even picky eaters! Plus they freeze and reheat well (more on that later). Here's what you need:

1 box (7.6oz) Old El Paso Spanish Rice
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pkg Old El Paso taco seasoning mix
2/3 Cup water
1 can (15oz) black beans, drained, rinsed
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 Cup sliced green onions (about 5 medium)
1/2 Cup chopped fresh cilantro - I left this out
1 pkg flour tortillas for burritos (8 tortillas, 8 inch) heated as directed
1 1/2 Cups shredded Cheddar cheese, taco seasoned cheese blend or Mexican cheese blend

In 3-quart saucepan make rice as directed on package, omitting butter. In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat 1-2 minutes. Add chicken; cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink in the center. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is absorbed. Stir chicken mixture, beans, bell peppers, onions and cilantro into hot rice mixture. If necessary, cook until hot, stirring occasionally. Spoon slightly less than 1 Cup chicken mixture down center of each warm tortilla. Top with cheese. Fold bottom of each tortilla 1 inch over filling. Fold in sides, overlapping to enclose filling. Fold top over sides. Serve with sour cream, salsa and guacamole.

*I made a few changes to this when I made it. First I didn't buy any cilantro so I didn't add that, although I'm sure it would be fantastic. Second I used the smaller fajita size tortillas with less filling and it made about 16 smaller burritos. I wrapped each burrito individually in foil and put them in a warm oven (turned off) to melt the cheese inside the burrito. They traveled easily that way, so taking them to someone for dinner was a cinch! I also froze about half of the burritos I made because there were so many. I just put the foil wrapped burritos into a freezer bag and put them in the freezer. To reheat just place the frozen burrito(s) into a 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes, or until heated through. You could probably thaw them out and cook them quicker, but I was afraid the tortilla might get soggy that way.

I hope you enjoy this super easy, and super delicious Betty Crocker recipe!