Spicy Pineapple Bacon Risotto

Sometimes the best recipe is a slight improvement on an old favorite. This recipe is a new take on our previous spicy pineapple risotto. Bacon has been added, so it obviously is better. This dish also gets a great boost from our new and delicious Pastamore Kettle Roasted Jalapeno Oil. While our old jalapeno oil was good, our new jalapeno oil is great. Take some time and make yourself this restaurant quality dish at home.

Ingredients:
1 cup - arborio rice
1/2 - fresh pineapple
4 slices - thick cut bacon
1 Tbsp - Pastamore Kettle Roasted Jalapeno Oil 4 cups - chicken broth/stock, low sodium
2 cloves - garlic, minced
2 Tbsp - green onion (as garnish)
1 pinch - saffron
To taste - salt and black pepper

Directions:
1. Heat a large frying pan on the stove over medium heat. Once hot, add bacon. Cook until desired doneness is reached, turning once during the cooking process. Place on towel to to cool. Reserve bacon fat in pan.
3. Place chicken broth into a medium pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
3. Remove top and bottom from pineapple. Remove skin and core. Cut 1/2 of pineapple into bite-sized pieces. Finely chop bacon and place to side.
4. Heat pan with bacon grease over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced garlic. Cook garlic until blonde and add arborio rice. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Mix well to evenly coat the rice in fat.
5. Ladle in 1-2 cups of hot chicken broth and add pinch of saffron. Cook until absorbed, stirring often. Continue until half of the broth is gone.
6. Add pineapple, Pastamore Kettle Roasted Jalapeno Oil, and bacon (reserve 1 Tbsp of bacon for garnish). Continue adding broth one ladle at a time. Cook until rice is soft but al dente. Risotto should be loose enough that it should run when plated.
7. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Plate and top with bacon and green onion. 

Spicy Chocolate Chicken

Here is your chance for a little spice and chocolate after your Valentine's Day. This recipe spices up ordinary chicken breast with chipotle and our Pastamore Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar. I chose to serve this great dish with roasted potatoes and fresh green beans, but it it would pair well with your favorite starches and veggies. Spice up your dinner with an unexpected and delicious way to ue our Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar.

Ingredients:
1 lb - chicken breast
1/4 cup - Pastamore Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp - vegetable oil
1/2 tsp - chipotle pepper powder
1 pinch - red pepper flakes
1 tsp - rosemary
1/2 tsp - garlic powder
1/2 tsp - salt
1/4 tsp - black pepper

Directions:
1. Heat a large frying pan on the stove over medium heat. Add vegetable oil.

2. Season chicken breast on all sides with rosemary, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Add to frying pan. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165 F, turning once during cooking.

3. Heat small pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Once hot, add Pastamore Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar, chipotle powder, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. Reduce by half.

4. Plate chicken and top with drizzle of chocolate pepper sauce. Serve with roasted potatoes and greens.

Mini Italian Herb Baked Ziti

I've always been a fan of baked ziti, but sometimes I don't like to eat it for an entire week. This smaller recipe uses a muffin tin to make it perfect for leftovers, potlucks, or getting more of those tasty crunchy bits. You can't go wrong when you pair our Pastamore Italian Herb Penne, cheese and bread crumbs. Finish this dish off with a drizzle of Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar Vinegar for a nice bright taste.

Ingredients:
1/2 package - Pastamore Italian Herb Penne
2 - medium tomatoes
1/3 cup - panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup - shredded mozzarella cheese
1 - egg, beaten
To taste - salt and black pepper
As garnish - Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:
1. Heat a large pot of water on the stove over high heat. Once boiling, add the Pastamore Italian Herb Penne. Cook until al dente and drain using a colander.

2. Preheat oven to 375°.

3. Dice tomatoes into 1/4" pieces. Add to large mixing bowl along with bread crumbs, cheese, and Pastamore Italian Herb Penne. Mix well and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Add egg to mixing bowl and mix well.

4. Lightly coat large muffin tin with cooking oil. Spoon in penne mixture and top with remaining cheese. Cook for 10-12 minutes.

5. Allow to slightly cool before removing from pan. Plate and top with a drizzle of Pastamore Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar.

Jalapeno Pulled Chicken and Avocado Mashed Potatoes

 
Green mashed potatoes! What could go wrong? This recipe pairs our great Pastamore Kettle Roasted Jalapeno Oil with shredded chicken and roasted corn. The mashed potatoes are kicked up using avocado instead of dairy for creaminess. Give this recipe a try to spice up your dinner with something new.

Ingredients:

1 lb - chicken breast

1 Tbsp - Pastamore Kettle Roasted Jalapeno Oil

1 lb - yukon gold potato

1 - avocado

1/2 cup - roasted corn

1/2 tsp - cumin

1/2 tsp - smoked paprika

To taste - salt and black pepper

As garnish - hot sauce

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot of water on the stove over high heat. Once boiling add the chicken breast. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Set to side to cool.

 

2. Heat a large pot of water on the stove over high heat. Rinse and clean potatoes. Cut into 1" pieces. Once the water is boiling, add potatoes and cook until fork tender. Drain using a colander.

3. While potatoes are cooking, shred chicken. Heat a large frying pan on the stove over medium heat. Add Pastamore Kettle Roasted Jalapeno Oil chicken, roasted corn, and spices. Cook until lightly browned. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.

4. Remove skin and seed from avocado. Add to a mixing bowl along with cooked potatoes. Mash until smooth. Add water if needed. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

5. Plate and garnish with hot sauce.

Pineapple Pulled Chicken

What a surprise it was to find cheap AND flavorful pineapple in the store in February. This recipe uses the bright and light flavor of our Pastamore Meyer Lemon Oil and pairs it with the sweetness of pineapple. These great flavors match great with chicken and tasty chicken and coconut rice. This dish would also be great finished with a drizzle of Pastamore Citrus Balsamic Vinegar.

Ingredients:
1 lb - chicken breast
1/2 - pineapple
1/2 - yellow onion
1 Tbsp - Pastamore Meyer Lemon Oil
To taste - salt and black pepper
1 cup - white rice
1.5-2 cups - low sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp - coconut oil

Directions:
1. Heat a large pot of water on the stove over high heat. Once boiling, add the chicken breast. Cook to an internal temperature of 165ºF. Remove from water and allow to cool.

2. Heat a large pot on the stove over high heat. Add chicken broth, rice, and coconut oil. Bring to a boil and reduce to strong simmer. Cook until tender. Season to taste with salt.

3. Shred chicken. Cut top and bottom off of pineapple. Cut skin off and remove core. Cut pineapple into 1/2" x 1/2" pieces. Remove skin from onion and remove top and bottom. Cut into 1/2" wide slices.

4. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the Pastamore Meyer Lemon Oil, onion and chicken. Cook until browned. Add pineapple and heat until warm. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

5. Plate the coconut rice and top with the pineapple pulled chicken.