Purple Potato Shepherd's Pie

Back at it here again with the remaining purple potatoes in the kitchen. Shepherd's pie is a traditional dish which can use a little something special like purple potatoes. The natural sweetness of the purple potatoes play well off of the savory flavors of the rest of the dish. This recipe uses our Pastamore Barrel-Aged Worcestershire Sauce in the meat and Pastamore Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil in the purple potatoes.

Ingredients:
1 lb - ground beef
1.5 lb - purple potatoes
1/2 cup - corn kernels
1/4 cup - green peas
1/2 - medium yellow onion
4 oz - mushrooms, sliced
1 - medium tomato
1 tsp - Pastamore Barrel-Aged Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp - Pastamore Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil
1 cup - vegetable broth/stock
1/2 Tbsp - vegetable oil
To taste - salt and black pepper

Directions:
1. Heat a large pot of water on the stove over high heat. Rinse potatoes and chop into 1" cubes and add to the boiling water. Cook until fork tender. Drain using a colander and return to stove over medium heat. Add the Pastamore Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil and vegetable broth and mash until smooth. Add more broth or water if needed. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and set to the side.

2. Preheat oven to 450ºF.

3. Heat a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Slice the onion and add with the vegetable oil to the pot. Add the sliced mushroom and cook for 4-5 minutes. Chop the tomato into 1/2" cubes and add to the pot. Next, add the ground beef and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Add the peas, corn, and Pastamore Barrel-Aged Worcestershire Sauce and heat until warm. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

4. Turn the oven to broil.  Place the ground beef mixture into a baking dish, and then top with the mashed purple potatoes. Spread the potatoes evenly across the top and place into the oven. Cook until the potatoes are lightly browned.

5. Scoop, serve, and enjoy!

Spicy Tomato Chicken and Purple Potatoes

Everybody has heard of russet potatoes or sweet potatoes. However, not every has had the chance to try the delicious and nutritious purple potatoes. Purple potatoes are a little sweeter than regular potatoes and pairs very well with our Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar. Purple potatoes are full of anti-oxidants and should be added into your grocery cart.

Ingredients:
1.25 lb - chicken breast (4 filets)
1 lb - small purple potatoes
1/2 Tbsp - Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp - Pastamore Spicy Tomato Dipping Oil
To taste - salt and black pepper
As needed - vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Heat a large pot on the stove over medium heat. Rinse the potatoes and chop into quarters. Add enough vegetable oil to keep the potatoes from sticking, and then add the potatoes to the pot. Stir often while cooking.

2. After the potatoes have cooked for 8-10 minutes place a large frying pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and black pepper. Add the chicken to the pan. Cook until an internal temperature of 165ºF has been reached turning once during the cooking process.

3. Add the Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar to the potatoes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and mix well.

4. Plate potatoes and then add then top with the chicken. Drizzle .5 Tbsp of Pastamore Spicy Tomato Dipping Oil onto each piece of chicken.

5. Serve with lightly dressed fresh greens and enjoy!

Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Jack-O-Lantern

Butternut Squash and Sausage Sautee

Butternut squash makes a great side dish, but that doesn't mean it just has to be roasted or mashed. This recipe combines our Pastamore Basil Parmesan Dipping Oil with butternut squash, sausage, and dried cranberries. It is a great combination of flavors that will work great as a breakfast or dinner side. For this recipe I used maple chicken sausage, but your favorite sausage will work just fine.

Ingredients:
1/2 - medium butternut squash
1 Tbsp - Pastamore Basil Parmesan Dipping Oil
2 - maple chicken sausage, cooked
1/4 cup - dried cranberries
To taste - salt and black pepper
As needed - vegetable oil or cooking spray

Directions:
1. Cut off the top and bottom of the squash, cut in half from top to bottom, and remove seeds from one half. Cut off the skin of this side and store the remaining 1/2. Chop the squash into 1/2" cubes.

2. Heat a large frying pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Add enough vegetable oil or cooking spray to keep the squash from sticking and then add the butternut squash to the pan.

3. Cook the squash until it is almost fork tender (10-15 minutes). Slice the sausage on a bias into 1/2" pieces. Add to the squash along with the dried cranberries. Cook until warm.

4. Add the Pastamore Basil Parmesan Dipping Oil and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve and enjoy!

Sautéed Butternut Squash Pasta

While some people may be going crazy over pumpkin spice everything (seriously, gum?) I am in full butternut squash mode. I rarely cook with squash during any other time of the year, and it is always fun to see how versatile they are. This recipe combines our Pastamore Roasted Garlic Balsamic Dipping Oil with sautéed butternut squash and toasted walnuts. Sautéed squash cooks quite a bit faster than roasted squash and still has that same great flavor.

Ingredients:
1 12 oz package - Pastamore Gluten-free Plain Linguini
1/2 - medium butternut squash
1.5 oz - toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp - Pastamore Roasted Garlic Balsamic Dipping Oil
To taste - salt and black pepper
As needed - cooking spray or vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Cut off top and bottom of butternut squash. Cut in half from top to bottom, and scrape out the seeds and cut the skin off of one half. Chop into 1/2" cubes and store the remaining half squash.

2. Heat a large frying pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Add enough vegetable oil or spray to keep the squash from sticking, and then add the butternut squash to the pan. Cook for 10-15 minutes.

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the Pastamore Gluten-free Plain Linguini.

4. Once the squash is tender, add the Pastamore Rosted Garlic Balsamic Dipping Oil to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

5. Once the pasta is al dente, drain using a colander and rinse throughly with water. Return the pasta to the cooking pan on the stove.

6. Add the squash to the pot with the pasta, using a spatula to get all of the oil out of the pan. Add the walnuts, season to taste with salt and black pepper, and serve.

Garden Pantry Meat Sauce

Winter is just around the corner, and the choice of fresh, seasonal vegetables is decreasing. Canned fruit and vegetables can be very healthy as long as the high sodium ones are avoided. Canned or frozen produce are picked and packaged at peak ripeness and can offer passable taste and while being nutritious. This recipe takes a few fresh ingredients that can be found in most kitchens (onions, tomato, garlic) and pairs it with  an ordinary can of mixed vegetables. The flavor will be a great surprise.

Ingredients:
1 lb - ground beef (80/20 or 85/15)
1/2 Tbsp - Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar
1 12 oz package - Pastamore Gluten-free Plain Linguini
1 - medium onion
1 - large tomato
3 cloves - garlic
1 15 oz can - mixed vegetables, low sodium
1 tsp - vegetable oil
To taste - salt and black pepper

Directions:
1. Cut of top and bottom of onion, remove skin, and dice into 1/4" pieces. Rinse the tomato and chop into 1/2" pieces. Finely mince the garlic cloves.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

3. While the water is heating, place a second large pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil to the pot and add the onion. Cook until translucent, and then add the garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant. Add the tomato, ground beef, and Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar.

4. Add the Pastamore Gluten-free Plain Linguini to the pot of boiling water. Cook until al dente, draining using a colander. Rinse throughly with water.

5. Drain the canned vegetables, add to the pot of sauce, and heat until warm. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

6. Plate the pasta and top with the sauce.

Basil Parm Breakfast Scramble

Our dipping oils aren't just for bread. They can add depth and flavor to a wide variety of dishes. This recipe uses our Pastamore Basil Parmesan Dipping Oil with scrambed eggs, provolone cheese, and veggies. You can substitute in your favorite omelet or scrambled egg ingredients to make this just the way you would like.

Ingredients:
4 - eggs
1 Tbsp - Pastamore Basil Parmesan Dipping Oil
4 oz - Baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup - grape tomatoes
1 oz - provolone cheese, shredded
1 cup - baby spinach
1/4 cup - milk
As needed - cooking spray
To taste - salt and black pepper

Directions:
1. Heat a large frying pan on the stove over medium/medium-high heat. Once hot, oil with cooking spray and add the sliced mushrooms and grape tomatoes. Cook until the mushrooms are tender.

2. Combine the eggs and milk in a medium mixing bowl and whisk well. Add the eggs to the pan and cook for two minutes stirring often. Add the provolone cheese and season with salt and black pepper.

3. Once the eggs have reached the desired doneness add the spinach and Pastamore Basil Parmesan Dipping Oil. Remove from the heat and mix well.

4. Serve immediately and enjoy!