potato skin bites

¹ Ingredients:

• 2 pounds potatoes, cut lenthwise into strips
• 1/2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 tbsp onion powder
• 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tbsp salt
• 1/4 tbsp pepper

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 425*F
• In a large bowl, add sliced potatoes and all of the seasonings.
• Mix well and place on a baking sheet
• In a preheated oven, bake for 45-50 minutes.

Penne Alla Vodka

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 Tbsp double-concentrated tomato paste
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 14 oz canned whole tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or added to taste
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, plus more for the pasta water
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
• 1 lb penne pasta, or rigatoni
• 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, or as needed
• Fresh parsley or basil leaves, torn or chopped to garnish

Instructions: 

1. In a coated dutch oven or non-reactive pot over medium heat, add olive oil and onions and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes stirring occasionally. Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
2. Add tomato paste and Vodka and stir for 2 minutes until most of the vodka has evaporated out.
3. Add tomatoes, salt, and red pepper flakes. Mash up the tomatoes with your spatula and simmer the sauce partially covered over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, start cooking the pasta so it’s ready at the same time as your sauce.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Season pasta water generously with salt (it should have enough salt to taste like ocean water). Once the water has boiled, add pasta and stir several times to keep the pasta from sticking. Cook until al dente according to pasta instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water.
5. Stir whipping cream into the sauce then add shredded cheese and return to a simmer.
6. Add cooked pasta directly from the cooking water, adding a couple of Tbsp of pasta water at a time to make it saucier. Season with salt then serve garnished with more cheese if desired, parsley, or basil.

Recipe: https://natashaskitchen.com/penne-alla-vodka-recipe/

Mochi

Ingredients:

• 1 cup glutinous rice flour 
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 cup water
• food coloring , optional, to change the color of the dough
• Cornstarch 
• Ice cream , your favorite kind

Instructions: 

1. Freeze ice cream balls:  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Working quickly, use a small ice cream scoop to scoop ice cream balls and place them onto the parchment paper.  Be sure to pack the ice cream tightly as you scoop, leaving a flat edge on the ice cream so that it will sit flat on your cookie sheet. Freeze for 1 hour.
2. Make mochi: Combine flour, sugar, and powdered sugar in a microwave safe bowl. Add water and stir well until smooth.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave mochi dough for 1 minute. Wet your spatula to prevent sticking and use your spatula to repeatedly fold the mixture. Cover and microwave again for 1 minute.  Fold the dough again and microwave for 30 more seconds. The mochi should look slightly shiny and if it doesn’t, microwave for 30 more seconds.
3. Roll dough: Place a piece of parchment paper on the counter and dust with a layer of cornstarch.  Use a rubber spatula to scrape the mochi dough from the bowl and onto the parchment paper (keep in mind that it will be very hot, so be careful not to touch it. Place the dirty dishes in the sink and soak them in water.
4. Dust the top of the dough ball with cornstarch.  Use a rolling pin to roll the mochi dough into a large rectangle. If the dough sticks at all while rolling, continue to dust the top with cornstarch to prevent sticking.  Roll the dough to a thickness of 1/4”.  Place the parchment paper with the rolled out dough onto a sheet pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Use scissors to cut large squares of plastic wrap (one for each ice cream ball). Each mochi will get wrapped in plastic wrap before freezing.
6. Fill the dough: Remove the dough from the fridge and use a round cookie or biscuit cutter (about 3 inch round) to cut circles in the dough.  Your circles need to be big enough to pinch the dough around the ice cream. Pick up one circle of dough and gently brush off the cornstarch from the top (I like to use a dry pastry brush to do this). Working with one scoop of ice cream at a time, keeping the rest in the freezer so they don’t melt, place one ice cream scoop in the center of the mochi and gently press the dough around the ice cream.  Pinch the edges of the mochi to seal it. Place mochi on a piece of plastic wrap bringing the corners of the square to the center and twisting tightly at the top to seal it. 
7. Freeze: Place mochi back in the freezer with the twisted plastic wrap side down. Continue with remaining dough and ice cream. Freeze mochi ice cream for at least 1 hour before eating. Once frozen, store it, still wrapped in the plastic wrap, in a freezer safe bag or container in the freezer for up to 3 months.  Allow the dough to slightly thaw before eating.

Recipe: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/mochi-ice-cream/