Kahlua-Glazed Carrots

by alphagalcooking

What’s not to love about fall? The colors are gorgeous and the air is crisp again. As you warm up your menu this season, these carrots will look and feel like fall on your plate! They are good enough for company and compliment just about anything you are serving. The original recipe calls for crumbled bacon on top, but I’ve never used it and we’ve never missed it. 

Kahlua-Glazed Carrots

 3  cups+ sliced carrots

1  tablespoon butter

1  tablespoon brown sugar

1  tablespoon honey

3  tablespoons Kahlua or other coffee-flavored liqueur, divided

1  teaspoon cornstarch

1/4  teaspoon salt

Chopped fresh parsley

 

Microwave or steam carrots for 5 minutes or until just tender.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, honey and 2 tablespoons of Kahlua; cook over medium heat until bubbly. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon Kahlua and cornstarch; stir well and add to pan along with salt. Cook until thickened and bubbly. Add carrots and cook until carrots are desired tenderness. Sprinkle with fresh (or dried) parsley and serve immediately. Serves 4.

 

Adapted from “The Southern Living Five -Star Recipe Collection”, 1990 

Update on my boys!

by alphagalcooking

If you are reading this, you know that my husband was diagnosed with the alpha-gal allergy in September of 2010 and my son was diagnosed with the same thing in June of 2012. They have had NO mammal meat (beef, pork, goat, buffalo, bison, etc.) since they were diagnosed. We decided to have them retested late this summer and had some very encouraging results. My husband started with an alpha-gal level of 30.6 and in 3 years without any red meat, was down to .60. My son started with an alpha-gal level of 74.7 (this is VERY high) and his level was down to 7.34. Both boys were very encouraged by these results. Anything above .35 is considered positive,  so even though my husband’s number is so close to being negative, he could still have a reaction at .60. Dr. Lane’s office recommended they both come back in 6 months and be retested. These guys are counting down the days until they can have a hamburger and steak again!

I, of course, am very happy for them. They both truly miss having red meat and will be thrilled to be free of this allergy. I was clear that we would NOT be having steak 5 nights a week, and my husband said that 4 nights a week would be just fine! Ha ha! That being said, I do have some concerns. For one thing, my husband works outside 8 to 9 months out of the year, so it is highly likely that he will get another tick bite at some point down the road. Will his reaction be worse next time because he has had this before? I think it could be very frustrating to have this allergy off and on. But until they come up with a way to prevent a reaction, we may just be on a roller coaster ride! I will keep you posted. Thanks for reading!

Pesto Pasta

by alphagalcooking

Now that school is in full swing, the weekly menu revolves around meals that can be made in 30 minutes or less. Since I absolutely love pesto (I have been known to eat it straight from the jar!), this recipe fits the bill perfectly. One pot, one bowl, a green vegetable and some fresh grated parmesan cheese make for a delicious dinner and easy clean-up on those hectic nights.

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1/2  teaspoon minced garlic

1/2  cup pesto

2  tablespoons olive oil

1  pound penne pasta (or whatever your family likes)

1  9-ounce (or more) bag washed fresh spinach

Fresh grated parmesan cheese

 

In a large serving bowl, whisk together the garlic, pesto, and olive oil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, adding the spinach directly to the pasta water for the last minute or so of cooking. Drain and add to the serving bowl, mixing well. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan cheese before serving.

Adapted from “The Six O’Clock Scramble”, Aviva Goldfarb, 2006