Seagram’s Vodka Cream Pasta

Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing dads who make big and small sacrifices for their families each day.  You are appreciated.

‘It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father.’ – Pope John XXIII

Here is a great light pasta recipe to make for your dad this week to show how much you appreciate him.  We first found this recipe years ago when Rachel Ray was on the Oprah Winfrey Show.  We have adapted it slightly.  It is an easy, tasty, fresh recipe to make on a weeknight or for dinner with friends.

Several of you have asked if these recipes are safe for children.  Except for the beverages posted on our blog, these recipes are safe for children.  Most of the alcohol cooks out before serving, for the dessert recipes, there isn’t enough alcohol to affect a flea, so you can feel safe serving these recipes to your family members.

The ingredients for the Seagram’s Vodka Cream Pasta are extra-virgin olive oil, butter, garlic, sweet onion, Seagram’s Vodka, chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper, penne pasta, cream, shredded parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves.

First you will heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 tablespoon of butter, 2 minced garlic cloves, and ½ cup of sweet chopped onions.  Gently sauté for 3-5 minutes.  We love this part, the onions, garlic and butter smell so good.

Next add the 1 cup vodka to the skillet.  Reduce by half, which takes about 2-3 minutes.  Add  1 cup chicken stock and 1 32 ounce can crushed tomatoes.  Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat.  Simmer.  Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce is simmering, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente.

Stir ½ cup cream into sauce. When sauce bubbles, remove from heat.  Drain pasta and toss pasta and sauce.  Top with chopped basil leaves and shredded parmesan cheese.

I usually serve the pasta with a light salad, green veggie and crusty bread.  Yummy and easy!

Seagram’s Vodka Cream Pasta

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive

1 tablespoon butter

2 cloves garlic minced

1 cup Seagram’s Extra Smooth Vodka

1 cup chicken stock

1 32 ounce can of crushed tomatoes

Salt and pepper

16 ounces of penne pasta

½ cup cream

20 fresh basil leaves, shredded or torn

First you will heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 tablespoon of butter, 2 minced garlic cloves, and ½ cup of sweet chopped onions.  Gently sauté for 3-5 minutes.  Next add the 1 cup vodka to the skillet.  Reduce by half, which takes about 2-3 minutes.  Add  1 cup chicken stock and 1 32 ounce can crushed tomatoes.  Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat.  Simmer.  Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce is simmering, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente.

Stir ½ cup cream into sauce. When sauce bubbles, remove from heat.  Drain pasta and toss pasta and sauce.  Top with chopped basil leaves and shredded parmesan cheese. 

Enjoy your day with your a special dad and give him a hug and a kiss.  Whether you make the pasta for your dad or someone else you love, we would love to hear if you tried the pasta.  Have a great week!

Cheers,

Rhonda and Craig

This week we are sharing another yummy summer dessert recipe with you, Tequila Strawberry Lime Ice Cream Pie!  We originally found this recipe in Southern Living magazine years ago.  The taste of strawberries always reminds Rhonda of the beginning of summer.  She remembers picking strawberries as a kid in her mother’s garden during the first weeks of summer each year. (Yes, Ruth we know you are laughing right now.)  The salty pretzel crust is a delicious contrast to the sweet strawberry ice cream with just a hint of lime and little lingering of warm tequila.  Like our Café Borghetti PBIF Pie, this recipe is easy, but requires some planning ahead because of the ice cream.

The ingredients that you will need are pretzels, butter, sugar, premium strawberry ice cream (we used Blue Bell), fresh strawberries, powdered sugar, frozen limeade concentrate, Corralejo Tequila and orange liqueur.

First process 4 cups of pretzel twists, ½ cup melted butter, and 2 Tablespoons of sugar in a food processor until the pretzels are finely crushed.

Then firmly press the mixture onto the bottom of a lightly greased 10-inch springform pan.  Bake the crust at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

Take your strawberry ice cream from the freezer and let it stand for about 10 minutes or until slightly softened.

Process the stemmed strawberries and powdered sugar in the blender until pureed.

Place ½ gallon of ice cream in a large bowl.  Fold the strawberry mixture, limeade concentrate, tequila, and orange liqueur into the ice cream until well blended.  Spoon the mixture into the cooled springform pan.

Freeze for 3 hours or until firm.  Let stand at 5 minutes before serving.  This pie will soften quickly due to the alcohol content which lowers the freezing temperature of the ice cream.

Garnish and serve. Delish!

Tequila Strawberry Lime Ice Cream Pie

Makes 10-12 servings.

Prep 30 minutes.  Bake 10 min.  Freeze 3 hours.

4 cups pretzel twists

½ cup of butter melted

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

½ gallon premium strawberry ice cream

1 (16 oz.) container of fresh strawberries, stemmed

½ cup of powdered sugar

1 (6 oz.) can frozen limeade concentrate, partially thawed

½ cup Corralejo Tequila

¼ cup orange liqueur

Process first 3 ingredients in a food processor until pretzels are finely crushed.  Firmly press mixture onto bottom of lightly greased 10-inch springform pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.

Let strawberry ice cream stand at room temperature 10 minutes or until slightly softened.  Process strawberries and powdered sugar in blender.  Place ice cream in large bowl; fold strawberry mixture, limeade concentrate, tequila and orange liqueur into ice cream until well blended.  Spoon mixture into prepared crust in springform pan.  Freeze three hours.  Let stand 5 minutes at room temperature before serving.  Garnish if desired.

We want to thank everyone who has stopped by to peek at our blog. We especially thank all of our family and friends who have been so encouraging.  Especially the friends who have volunteered to sample, stage and photograph our images.

We finally figured out how to get our pins uploaded onto pinterest!  You can use the share buttons below, or look for our new boards on pinterest and follow THE BLIND PIG BLOG.

Cheers,

Rhonda and Craig