What's for Dinner Night II?

What's for dinner tonight you ask? Good question, it took me just about all day to come up with the answer. As just about everyone in my family knows I am a pasta fanatic. I love spaghetti and could probably live on it if I allowed myself. I have tried to kick the habit some since my Husband, Father, and Sister all make fun of me for it but every now and then a girl just has to tell them to hush it and go for it. Tonight I didn't really have the means to come up with a regular spaghetti sauce so I had to work with what I did have. A few months ago I was introduced to Vodka sauce. Oh my it was heavenly, we had it served over pasta to go along with baked cod. Since then I have been hooked and regrettably to get my fill, I have been buying it (gulp) by the jar. Now there is nothing wrong with the jar once and again and they are so very convenient when your lazy and not trying to impress anyone, but tonight was different. The roads were iced over and as I mentioned yesterday I am broke as a joke. This meant if I was to have Vodka sauce, I was going to have to do it all on my own and the great thing was...I had all of the ingredients needed to make it. Now let's get serious shall we?

List of Ingredients:
1 Chicken Breast, diced and browned.
1/2 Lg. Onion, chopped finely
1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
3 Cloves of Garlic, chopped finely
1 C. Heavy Cream
1/2 C. Vodka
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Dried Basil
1 tsp. Dried Oregano
Butter/Margarine
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pasta of your choiceSauce serves four.

1.) Begin by cutting your chicken breast up into small pieces, saute in pan with tablespoon of butter/margarine and tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Cook until brown. Set aside in small bowl.
2.) Add two tablespoons of butter/margarine along with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to same pan and add onion and garlic. Add a teaspoon of black pepper and salt to the onion/garlic mix.
3.) Cook onion and garlic mix until translucent. Add vodka and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.4.) Add crushed tomatoes.
5.) Add heavy cream and gently stir together.
6.) Add basil and oregano.
7.) Add chicken back into sauce mixture and stir.8.) Allow sauce to simmer on low heat for a half hour.
9.) Add sauce to your favorite pasta. For this meal I used Tubetti by De Cecco and topped it off with Parmesan cheese.
Now time for the verdict...it was EXCELLENT. I am so proud of myself and believe me when I say it beats the open faced sloppy joes that were for dinner last night. Although, Daniel said they were pretty good, so maybe they were a winner after all. This meal is great with a side salad and slice of good french bread and is one that would definitely impress the in-laws. It would also go great with a glass of red wine, but I don't drink so I am just guessing with that one. Did I also mention that the onions and garlic saute caused Toby to get up off of the couch to see what I was doing. If only I could bottle that smell. Everyone needs to attempt to make this sauce on their own at least once, I guarantee you will not regret it and it is a good excuse to go out and buy a bottle of vodka if you don't have any...you know for those rainy occasions when you need some :).

Oh yeah, Aunt Robin, my stove is sloppy again, do you think you could stop by sometime tomorrow?