Peanut Butter Monkey Bread

Monkey Bread is an extremely versatile dish. It is great as a dessert, breakfast item or snack. It is also very easy to make. There are very few ingredients and prep time is minimal. It is a common recipe, but I add peanut butter to make mine a little extra special. This creates a unique taste unlike traditional cinnamon roll tasting Monkey Bread. The other night I had a sweet tooth but I was not in the mood to spend a long time in the kitchen. The remedy--Monkey Bread! It was great the next few mornings for breakfast too!

SERVES 2-4

Ingredients:

• 4 cans refrigerator biscuits
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• .5 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon confectioners sugar

Cookware/Utensils:

• bundt pan
• small saucepan
• medium glass bowl
• wooden spoon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add cinnamon and sugar to a medium size glass bowl. Tear each biscuit into 4 or 5 pieces. Add biscuit pieces to bowl, several at a time; coat well with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place pieces in a buttered bundt pan.

Bring brown sugar, confectioners sugar, peanut butter and butter to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and allow to cool 10 minutes, then pour over biscuits. Bake for 45 minutes until the top becomes golden brown. Allow to cool 15 minutes before removing from pan. Cut and serve in slices or pull away and eat bite by bite.

***This will serve breakfast or brunch for 2 people, twice. For this reason I like to call it a weekender. A weekender is a breakfast or brunch item that can be eaten on Saturday and Sunday morning.

Peanut Butter Pie

I have only ever made this recipe twice. The first time I made it was three years ago and while it received rave reviews I have not made it recently because my partner in everything food is not a peanut butter fan (except on celery). I recently needed to make a dish for a carry-in luncheon at work and I did not feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen. After a lot of stress and contemplation about what to make it came to me...peanut butter pie! This dessert was a hit. Do not let the fact that I have only made this pie twice deter you from making it yourself. I can promise that it is delicious. I am also not afraid to say that this is a perfect summer dessert. Yes, I know, when you think of a summer dessert your thoughts probably go right to a dish containing some sort of berry. Peanut butter seems thick, heavy and unappealing during the summer months right? This pie will prove you wrong. In fact, I would describe it as a light, refreshing dessert. That's right. I said it. Refreshing. C'mon, you know you want to give it a try!

YIELDS 8-10 slices

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• .5 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
• 16 oz cool whip
• 1 graham cracker pie crust (store bought or homemade)
• 1 REESE'S peanut butter cup

Cookware/Utensils:

• 9 inch pie pan
• medium bowl
• electric mixer
• spatula
• grater or zester

In medium bowl add cream cheese, sugar, peanut butter and cool whip. Mix on medium speed until creamy. Using a spatula place the creamy mixture into pie crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Grate peanut butter cup over top of pie before serving.

***While this is a blog dedicated to cooking for two, I feel that it is sometimes important to share recipes that can accommodate a larger crowd. We all find ourselves in situations where we need to entertain or feed a larger group of people. I will confess, this pie is so yummy that it would be easy for two people to grab a couple of forks and enjoy it all by themselves!

Nutty Chicken Alfredo with Farfalle

Farfalle pronounced far-FALL-lay is one of those words that just rolls off your tongue. It is fun to say, fun to eat, and as you will learn, it is very fun to cook. Farfalle is commonly known as “bow tie pasta” because of its shape, but literally it translates to "butterfly" in Italian. It is often used in pasta dishes that use a cream sauce, in pasta salads or in dishes such as casseroles, since the pasta bakes and holds its shape well.

SERVES 2
Ingredients:

• 3 cups farfalle
• 8 cups water
• .5 small red onion, coarsely chopped
• .25 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 nectarine, coarsely chopped
• 1.5 cups alfredo sauce
• 2 jiggers Nocello® walnut liqueur (or other nutty liqueur of choice)
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups chicken stock
• extra virgin olive oil (for the skillet)
• dash of salt
• dash of freshly ground pepper

Cookware/Utensils:

• saute or chef pan
• medium skillet or fry pan
• stockpot
• colander
• cooking spoon (wood, nylon or other heat resistant material
• tongs
• cutting board
• santoku or chef's knife

Place water in stockpot and over high heat bring to a boil. Once there is a rolling boil place farfalle into the water and cook until al dente.*** Strain and return to pot.

Add chicken stock and chicken breasts to the saute pan and cook over medium heat. Turn chicken every 2 or 3 minutes to cook thoroughly. Preheat skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onion, pepper and nectarine. Cook for 3 minutes and reduce to a low heat. Add alfredo sauce, liqueur and peanut butter stirring constantly until all of the ingredients mix together to form a sauce.

Remove chicken from pan and place on cutting board. Cut into half inch pieces. Place sauce and chicken into pot with pasta. Stir all three components together over a medium heat. Continue to stir together for 3-5 minutes. Serve warm.

***Pasta is referred to as al dente when there is a slight resistance against your teeth. If it's brittle it needs more time. If it's mushy, you've cooked it too long.