Ham, Peas & Cream with Pasta

If your arteries are clogged, then stay away from The 99 Cent Chef's decadently rich Ham, Peas & Cream with Pasta. Oh, what am I saying, go for it, you can exercise later!

My recipe is similar to a creamy Fettuccini Alfredo, (my appetizing recipe video is here) but, with the addition of bite-sized pieces of lean ham and tender peas.

I use a package of frozen peas that I get cheaply almost anywhere. If you can find fresh peas, then use them. But, don't use canned peas, as they will quickly turn to mush.

 

You can defrost frozen peas in a microwave oven, but be careful not to overcook them. It's quick enough to finish defrosting them in the frying pan as the cream simmers.

And, I'm lucky to find whipping cream, half and half, or even whole milk cheaply at my local  99c only Store. You won't be using too much, so, at whatever price it's worth it. But, you can go light and use regular milk instead of cream -- if you must.

I always have hunks of ham in my freezer. When whole ham shanks come on sale during Thanksgiving and Christmas I get one and break it down into thick slices, for future use. Of course, you can just get a single ham steak, or even use thin slices of deli ham, that's priced cheaply.

This Italian pasta dish comes together quickly, as everything is already cooked -- you are just heating it all up, in about the time it takes too cook a pot of dried pasta.

I used penne pasta, but you can use any favorite dried pasta you have on hand, like, spaghetti, or spiral and tube pastas. Dried pasta is inexpensive almost anywhere you shop for food. I don't quite use a whole package of pasta, so there is plenty of sauce to go around. If you want to finish off the whole package of pasta then just add another cup of milk, cream or half and half.

This is one tasty cheap$kate recipe. My Ham, Peas, and Cream with Pasta will have you back for seconds, so make plenty!

Ingredients (2-3 servings)
1/2 pound of ham - or about 6-8 ounces, cubed. Okay to use thin-sliced or thick. Add more if you like.
2 cups frozen or fresh peas - Canned are too mushy.
2 cups half and half milk - or equivalent. I used 1 cup of whipping cream and 1 cup of milk. Okay to use 2 cups of milk, instead of cream or half and half. You can add more cream or milk to taste, if you want more sauce.
8-12 ounces of penne pasta - or any favorite pasta. Okay to use spaghetti, tube or spiral pastas.
1 tablespoon parmesan - fresh shaved or dried. Optional.
1 tablespoon oil
Pepper to taste - no salt, as ham and parmesan cheese have plenty of salt for me.
Water to boil pasta

Directions
Get pasta started. Follow package directions. Simply boil pasta about 7-10 minutes. If pasta  is ready before ham and peas cream sauce, then drain and cool it down. You can reheat pasta in the cream sauce.

In large pan over medium heat add oil. Slice ham into cubes or shred it into bite sized  pieces. Heat the ham through, about 3 minutes. If you are using thin sliced ham, then heat for just a minute.

Next add the frozen peas. Or, defrost peas before adding them to pan to cut down on cooking time.

Finally, pour in the cream, half and half, and/or milk. Season with pepper to taste. I find ham is salty enough for this entree, but add some if you like. Sprinkle in the dried parmesan. If the parmesan is fresh shaved, then add it to pasta just before serving. Stir and bring liquid to a low simmer.

Cook until peas are defrosted and heated through, about 3 minutes. Be sure to try a pea to check for doneness.

Finally, mix in the cooked pasta. If the pasta is drained and cooled down, then cook it in the sauce until heated through. All you need to do is heat everything for a minute or two.

Pasta will absorb some sauce, so serve it as soon as it's hot enough.

The pasta will be delish the next day, too. You can drizzle in a tablespoon of milk when reheating, if the sauce thickens too much by the next day.

Fettuccine Alfredo - Video Recipe

Crazy creamy and too rich for words, this chef has a new favorite pasta dish, and it's Fettuccine Alfredo. So easy and quick to make, this is instant gratification.

Fettuccini Alfredo is from a Rome, Italy restaurant called Alfredo in 1914, and the ingredients originally were just a lot of melted butter and cooked fettuccini. That recipe has to be Americanized with the addition of cream, but less butter.

I can see why flat noodle fettuccine is used - more surface for the thick, savory sauce to cling to. I used to cook Spaghetti alla Carbonara, made with egg yolks mixed into crispy bacon, the most (for my video recipe, click here); but it's time to set it aside -- a new luscious pasta entree has taken its place.

I've had this recipe compared to Olive Garden's Fettuccine Alfredo. Well, you'll have to make it and let me know if it passes muster.

And boy is it cheap, just the way this Chintzy Chef likes it. A package of fettuccine, a small pint carton of half and half or cream, a pat of butter, and half a plastic shaker container of grated parmesan can all be had for around a buck each, and you'll get several servings, too.

This is a dish best made with whole milk, half and half, or cream. You can go easy on the butter with all this high-fat content floating around, but do use a little, the flavor is worth the calorie count.

Now, I use dried grated parmesan cheese that has probably been on the grocery shelf since the last century, not the best I know, but I look at it as "extra" dry aged! It has a grainy texture when used to sprinkle over pasta, but it actually breaks down and melts into the heating cream to thicken and flavor the sauce.

Of course, if this is a special meal for date night then go all out and use fresh shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

So for a quick, cheap, indulgent, and scrumptious entree, try out The 99 Cent Chef's minimalist masterpiece, Fettuccine Alfredo -- go ahead you deserve it.

Fettuccine Alfredo  - VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 1 minutes, 53 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients (about 2-4 servings)

• 12 to 16 ounce package of fettuccini pasta - or, any pasta type is delish covered in Alfredo sauce!
•  2 cups of half and half, or cream - if you must, it's okay to use regular or low-fat milk. If you like a lot of Alfredo Sauce, it's okay to add more cream or milk.
• 1 pat of butter - make it a big slice! Okay to use your favorite butter substitute.
• 3-4 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese - of course, you can use fresh grated. Go ahead and use as much as you want, too.
• Pepper to taste - optional. I don't add salt, as I find parmesan cheese is salty enough.

Directions
Start cooking pasta according to package directions - I usually shave off a minute or two for al dente (taste for the amount of chewiness). Best to get water boiling then add pasta. Carefully stir for the first minute to separate strands of fettuccini. I don't add salt to the water, as the parmesan cheese has plenty of salt for my taste.

While pasta water heats up, in a large pan add milk or cream over medium heat. Bring cream to a low simmer.

Finally, add grated parmesan and butter. Use a large fork or whisk to smooth out the Alfredo Sauce.

Low simmer for about 5 minutes. This will reduce and thicken the cream sauce (especially when the pasta is added.) You want to scrape along the edges of the pan too, as the cream may stick to the pan and get a little gummy.

The pasta should be ready about now (if it finishes early then cool to stop cooking and set aside.) Drain the pasta (I usually just lift it out of the boiling water,) and mix it into the heated Alfredo Sauce. Sprinkle with pepper if you like, and serve hot and immediately!

Hindsight
This recipe makes a lot of Fettuccini Alfredo, enough for 3-4 servings. Surprisingly it reheats the next day fine. The sauce thickens, but you can drizzle on a tablespoon of regular milk to bring it back, close to normal.

For this recipe, I normally use Half and Half, but in the video, I used Whipping Cream - that's what I found on sale this time. You can increase the amount of cream or milk if you like a lot of Alfredo Sauce - the same applies to parmesan cheese.

Half and Half is equal amounts of cream and regular milk - just a lighter version of whole cream. Make your own Half and Half by mixing a half pint of Whipping Cream with a half pint of regular milk (that is, one cup each for a total of 2 cups.) 

Chicken & Sweet Potato Cream Soup

Broken but not beaten. That is the underlying theme to this recipe post of Chicken & Sweet Potato Cream Soup. It's a 2-fer blogpost: how to fix a "broken" cream sauce, plus a delicious recipe!

When you cook with cream, it can break apart (or curdle) into tiny cottage cheese-like flakes floating on an off white liquid. It usually happens when you boil cream or add something acidic like wine, tomatoes and lemon juice. It doesn't happen all the time.

Well, here's how to minimize the problem. Just whisk in a little cream and it will disguise the problem. When cream breaks it doesn't effect the taste, just the texture. While this technique is not perfect, you'll still see some small curds, but the cream consistency is back.

Now that you know how to fix cream or half and half that "breaks" while cooking, let's get to my recipe of Chicken & Sweet Potato Cream Soup.

Cream as a main ingredient satisfies all appetites. And chicken with sweet potatoes are a match made in culinary heaven. It's all slow cooked until the flavors  mingle for a soul satisfying winter day hot meal. All you are doing is cooking until the sweet potato cubes are fork tender, when that happens the chicken will be done as well. 

This recipe can be tweaked to your satisfaction. Try adding some chunky carrots and a little musty crushed garlic. Make the meal more filling by pouring the soup over some cooked brown rice, pasta or couscous.

I don't cook sweet potatoes and yams enough, so I'm always looking for recipes that use them. And during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays is when they are cheapest. And you know how I enjoy cooking with cut-rate poultry.

This recipe is adaptable for cooking in a crock pot or stove top pot. I provide directions below for both.

Ingredients

• 2 leg quarters or whole chicken breast - or any favorite cuts of chicken. About 1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken when cubed. You can cook with cubed chicken or whole pieces. If using whole pieces then break apart before serving - optional of course, serve the chicken any way you like.
• 1 to 2 whole sweet potatoes or yams - this recipe is adaptable. Make it with a lot of sweet potato or not. You can substitute with carrots, or go half and half.
• 1 large chopped onion - or a couple small ones.
• 1 cup of cream or half and half - okay to make the dish lighter and use regular milk.
• 4 cup of chicken broth - or any vegetable broth. Okay to use a couple of bouillon cubes with 4 cups of water. (If you are using chicken cubes then leave out salt as they have plenty.)
• 1 teaspoon oil - for sauteing onion.
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch or flour - optional. Mixed in a 1/4 cup of water. add to thicken soup.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• An extra half cup of cream if soup "breaks."

Directions
I am using a crock pot for this recipe so the cooking time is about 6 hours. If you use a stove top covered pot, then simmer about 2 hours uncovered, or until sweet potatoes are fork tender.

Start by peeling and cutting sweet potatoes into 1 inch cubes - cubes don't have to be exact size. You get about 3 cups. Okay to add another cup or two.

Peel and roughly chop one whole onion. Saute onion in a pan with 1 teaspoon of oil. Cook a couple of minutes until soft.

I used 4 boneless and skinless chicken thighs, chopped into 1 inch pieces. You can use any favorite cuts of chicken, whole or in pieces, with or without skin. It's up to you. And you can cook them whole and shred the meat off the bones just before serving.

Add all the ingredients in a crock pot. Pour in 1 cup of cream or half and half (or milk.) Add 4 cups of broth (or 2 bouillon cubes with 4 cups of water.) Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stir lightly to mix cream and broth. For crock pot cooking, slow cook for about 6-8 hours - until sweet potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. During the last hour you can add thickener of a tablespoon of cornstarch (or flour) mixed into a 1/4 cup of water.

*For a stove top version add all ingredient, plus broth and cream, to a large pot. Bring soup to low simmer. Cook uncovered until sweet potatoes are fork tender - about an hour and a half, to two hours. I like to cook the soup uncovered so the liquid reduces by a third and thickens. Should too much liquid evaporate, then add more broth or cream as needed. 

If you want to thicken even more, then can add a tablespoon of cornstarch (or flour) mixed into a 1/4 cup of water. Stir and continue heating for another 5-10 minutes until thicker.

And remember if the cream "breaks" whisk in a 1/2 cup of cream during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Serve in a bowl with your favorite crusty bread.

Hindsight
You can use any potatoes you have on hand for this recipe. I used one large sweet potato. Sweet potatoes and yams sizes greatly vary. Depending on the size you will get 2 to 4 cups when cubed.

Carrots are a tasty addition. I've made the recipe with half carrots and sweet potatoes.

You can add as much chicken as you like, white and/or dark meat. Okay to substitute with turkey pieces (leftovers included,) like a large leg or breast.

It's okay to put off adding cream until the last hour of crock pot cooking, to decrease "breaking." For stove top cooking add cream during the last 15 minutes to heat it through.

For a bit more heft to your meal serve Chicken & Sweet Potato in Cream Soup over cooked rice, couscous, or most any type of pasta.

Rustic Pumpkin & Corn Chowder

The clocks have been set back an hour, it's raining outside in Los Angeles this morning, and I'm in the mood for a hearty soup.

A couple of days after Halloween I scraped off the melted wax from inside our pumpkin, and roasted the split halves in a 350 degree oven for an hour and a half. I'll put the sweetly caramelized, soft orange flesh to good use today. When Amy bought the pumpkin I knew I would cook something with it, since baked pumpkin is a delicious main ingredient I can use in many recipes.  The next step was figuring out what to cook with it - and four days later, I did! 

My Rustic Pumpkin and Corn Chowder  is easy to put together. And, of course, all the ingredients are cheap (especially, since grocery stores are practically giving away pumpkins this time of year.) The other ingredients are broth, half and half cream (or milk,) a can of corn, onion, garlic and bell pepper. Pretty simple, but complex in flavor.

Way below 99 cents per pound!

The roasted pumpkin will break apart while cooking in a bath of stock and cream, so there is no need to blend it to mush - as most recipes tell you - hence, my calling this vegetable chowder "rustic."

It's a great and comfy dish that will feed your whole family. I hope you saved your pumpkin like I did. So, just cut out the soft and moldy bits and get cooking!

And, if you still have leftover pumpkin after making this recipe, I have a Pumpkin alla Fusilli entree you can try out by clicking here.

Ingredients  (about 6 servings)

• 5 cups of cooked pumpkin - you can use more, just add another cup or two of milk, broth or water.
• 1 can of corn with liquid - okay to use 2 cups of fresh or frozen corn kernels.
• 1 whole medium onion - I used a small red, and a small white onion, chopped.
• 1/4 bell pepper - optional. I used a red bell pepper.
• 1 tablespoon garlic - chopped fresh or from jar.
• 2 cups half and half cream - okay to use milk.
• 2 cups of broth (veggie or chicken) - I used a 14 ounce can of chicken broth. You can dissolve a couple of bouillon cubes in 2 cups of water instead.
• 1 tablespoon of oil.
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Split pumpkin in half and scrape out the seeds. Place in a 350 degree oven on a large cookie sheet (s). Make sure the pumpkin is cut side down - so it looks like a dome - it will steam and soften, without drying out. If you have holes cut out like we did, then just cover it with foil. If your containers are small it's okay to cut pumpkin into large chunks and just cover with foil. In the photo above the eyes and mouth holes are uncovered, and what happened was that a dry skin formed over the pumpkin flesh. It was still soft underneath, but I had to peel it away.

Roast pumpkin for about an hour and a half, depending how large the pumpkin is. Go ahead and check on it after an hour -- if the skin is soft to the touch of a spoon, and the flesh is easy to scoop out, then it's ready. Let the pieces set for about 5-10 minutes to cool down. Scrape out the cooked pumpkin flesh with a large spoon (discard any skin that may come off with it), and place in a large stock pot for your chowder.

 Pour a tablespoon of oil into a pan. Saute the chopped onion and bell pepper for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic and cook another minute. Set aside until pumpkin has cooled (unless you precook it, like it did.)

Add canned corn (including liquid) and cooked veggies to the pumpkin in the large pot. Pour in 2 cups of cream or milk, 2 cups of broth, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir together and bring up to a low simmer, immediately reduce heat to the lowest, and cook covered for about 30 minutes. You don't want to boil the chowder or the milk will scorch and separate. Stir the chowder after a few minutes of covered cooking.

Check back on the chowder after 15 minutes to make sure liquid doesn't cook out, and add more if needed. I like my chowder thick, but if you want a soupy consistency, then add an extra cup, or two, of any of the listed liquids above.

 Soup is actually ready when hot, but I like to slow cook it for half an hour -- so all the flavors intensify, and the veggies soften even more. Get decadent and serve with a dollop of Creme Fraiche, Sour Cream or Mexican Crema, and a sprinkling of chopped parsley or chives.

Hindsight
I didn't have any bacon on hand, so left it out; although a couple of crumbled browned slices, with the grease, would be a tasty addition. I would also add a cup of white wine next time.