So far today, it is dry but cool in Kent…a great day for a warm meal. Check out today’s specials:

• Chicken a la king
• Roast beef with white cheddar horseradish sauce
• Quiche with mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes and mozzarella
• Bow tie pasta with tomato, basil and a creamy garlic sauce
• Soups:  cream of broccoli and sausage & bean

What are you going to order today?

Shrimp scampi is something I can say I have mastered.  Well, for one it’s not something that requires anything special to master and secondly, everyone loves it.  I always have people asking me how I make it, and I sometimes feel embarrassed to say anyone can make this.  It’s so easy but gives the impression that you have actually put a good amount of effort into it.  When I lived with my parents, we would often make this for guests and they loved it.  I think it’s in the sauce because of its richness.  You don’t even need the linguine I added to it.  The linguine is just an after thought.  Just serve it with some nice crusty warm bread for soaking up the sauce and you’ll be all set!

This dish also offers a lot of freshness.  I adore fresh herbs and always have my fridge stocked.  They just perk up any dish.  If I have people over I simply cannot not garnish my food with piles of herbs.  Even just cooking at home, I will not make something if I don’t have the herbs for it.  It’s just not the same.  I can say that I will judge you if you don’t use fresh herbs *snicker.*  Teasing aside, I think I have made my passion for herbs quite apparent.  Another freshness component to this dish is the lemon.  I use just half of a lemon for it’s juice and half for the zest and the zested half for a nice lemon slice garnish inspired by Ina Garten.  I always use caution when adding lemon juice or zest to something.  To me sometimes recipes call for too much and then all you taste is lemon.  I think I have mentioned it before, but too much lemon reminds me of Pinesol.

I add shallots and tomatoes as well to break away from the norm.  I like the roundness they give to the scampi.  As with most dishes, I add extra spice to mine but use as much as you like.

Shrimp Scampi

adapted from Ina Garten’s Linguine with Shrimp Scampi from Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (I remove the tails as well)

6-7 cloves garlic, minced

2 shallots minced

1 tomato, choped

2 tablespoons olive oil (plus a little extra for drizzling at the end)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 lemon (half for juice, half zested, and the zested half cut into rounds)

2-3 tablespoons of light cream

3/4 of a teaspoon crushed red chili flakes

1 teaspooon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, optional

2 tablespoons chopped chives (use more or less)

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley (use more or less)

parmigiano reggiano shavings, optional

1/2 box of linguine (I used whole wheat because that’s what I had on hand)

Method

Cook the linguine in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, about 10 minutes (do not drain it from the water).  Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan on medium heat.  Add the olive oil and turn down the heat to medium low.  Put the butter in the pan and after 1 minute add 1/2 teaspoon of the red chili flakes and allow it to infuse the oil for about 30 seconds.  Add the shallots and allow them to sweat for about 2-3 minutes.  Next add the garlic, cook for 2 minutes, make sure it doesn’t burn.  At this point put it the chopped tomato.  Let it sweat for 1-2 minutes.  Turn up the heat to medium.  When the pan is ready add the shrimp and salt/black pepper and allow the shrimp to turn pink.  This will take about 5-7 minutes.  Do not overcook because they will get stringy.  Turn the heat to the lowest setting and add the juice of half a lemon.  Next, stir in the cream.  Add the pasta directly from the pasta water to the shrimp pan using tongs.  Top with the chives, parsley, lemon zest, lemon slices, 1/4 teaspoon of red chili flakes, pamigiano reggiano, and toss.   Drizzle the top with olive oil.

In the 13th century, the Pope set quality standards for pasta.

Every year more than 3 million tons of pasta is made in Italy and about 28 kg of pasta is consumed per capita, easily beating any other country worldwide, according to the International Pasta Organization. With consumers hungrier for new ways to tight their belts, financially as well as physically, this staple part of the country’s diet still provides an easy, healthy and convenient meal, despite its recent price increase.

The old legend says that Marco Polo introduced pasta to Italy on the late 13^th century, but in reality pasta has a much older pedigree in this country. There are evidences suggesting the Etruscans made pasta as early as 1^st century B.C. This Etrusco-Roman noodle, which was called ‘lagane’ – origin of the modern word ‘lasagna’, was made from the same durum wheat as modern pasta and cooked in an oven. Surprisingly, it was not until the 1700’s until tomato sauce, today’s probably most common sauce, was included with spaghetti in Italian kitchens, almost 200 years after the Spanish explorer Cortez brought tomatoes back to Europe from Mexico. Nowadays pasta is everywhere, even in the vending machines – a fact that, to be honest, scares me – and can be found dried (pasta secca) as well as fresh (pasta fresca) in over 600 varieties, depending on what the recipes call for. 

Anolini and tortelli d’erbetta are the signature pasta dishes of Parma, the city were I was born, which is considered the

To cook one billion pounds of pasta, you would need the same water to fill nearly 75,000 Olympic-size swimming pools.

 ‘food Valley’ of Europe. The first, anolini, are traditionally served in chicken and beef broth for Christmas but you will find people eating them in August as well. The latter, torrtelli d’erbetta, are ravioli-like parcels of ricotta and spinach, slathered with melted butter and parmesan. Both are blow-out for the senses as well as a weight watcher’s nightmare.   

With kitchen being the hearth of the house, preparing and not only eating is very much part of our culture. Picking up one box of dry pasta from the supermarket shelves is the quicker option but making your own pasta and enjoying it with your family and friends make the course much more delicious and tasteful. Hence yesterday, a lazy late November Sunday, we decided to make our own home made pasta, capelli d’angelo with salmon sauce. 

Making pasta is quite a simple process, especially if you have a pasta making machine to roll and cut the pasta dough, and we did. For fresh egg pasta you need only two ingredients – eggs (obvious) and ‘farina di grano tenero’, which means ‘tender’ or ‘soft’ flour. Place the flour in a bowl and crack the eggs in the centre. Mix the eggs with the flour and knead them until they give you one big, smooth lump of dough. Once you’ve made your dough, you just have to punch, squash and reshape it few times – this is why the average Italian grandmother has big biceps. Leave the bowl rest for about an hour. Once it has rested, divide the dough into smaller balls and run the pieces through the rollers of your machine, to make long sheets, until you achieve the thickness you wish and then cut it. Hang the pasta to dry – we used the cloth dryer but you can lay it out on dish towels. 

Once it has dried you just have to cook and enjoy it, which for non-Italians could be quite challenging. In fact, although

The first American pasta factory was opened in Brooklyn, New York, in 1848, by a Frenchman named Antoine Zerega.

it is globally acknowledged that Italians have very few rules and most of those exist just to be broken, we do have eating rules, especially when it comes up to pasta! Everyone is free to eat what, how, when and where they want, of course. Just be prepared to leave your Italian fellows open-mouthed and have them taking the mickey out of you, if you do not follow at least these top three rules:

• Cook pasta until it is al dente, which means ‘to the tooth’ and is how to test pasta to see if it is properly cooked. The pasta should be a bit firm, offering some resistance to the tooth, but tender. It cannot be stressed enough.
• Don’t use your knife and fork to cut the plate of spaghetti up into small bits. Practice when you are at home by twirling linguine or spaghetti onto a fork.
• Eating bread with pasta is definitely forbidden. Once you have eaten all your pasta, you can use the bread to make the ‘scarpetta’, literally meaning “little shoe”, and soak up the sauce from your dinner plate.

Federico Fellini once said “Life is a combination of magic and pasta” and if the director of the movie ‘La dolce vita’, a tale of hedonistic excess that so powerfully defined the Italian society, said that, it must be true.

Making James Beard’s Basil Lasagna takes, as you might guess, lasagna noodles and basil — more properly, basil in the form of pesto, the sauce made from basil, garlic, pine nuts, parsley, oil and Parmesan cheese. It also, as you might similarly guess, takes some eggs and ricotta cheese, as well as more Parmesan and mozzarella. From there, we build on his recipe a bit. For one thing, it calls for only two layers of lasagna noodles; we’re using four. For another, we’re kicking up the cheese factor by alternating layers of fresh provolone and mozzarella with layers of fresh Parmesan and mozzarella between the noodles and the pesto-ricotta mix. Third, we’re adding just a touch of lemon zest to heighten the flavor. Come in and see what a hint of lemon does for a pesto lasagna!

Source: Simply in Season
Serves: 4 – 6

Oh my God, this was good. I feel like I should just leave it at that and tell you to go make it. But it’s Thanksgiving week, and this is a food blog, and I should probably explain why this dish deserves a place at your holiday table. And even if you don’t want to make it this week, since you probably already have traditional dishes that will take up your time and stomach space through next Sunday, you should give it a try the week after, when you’re tired of rich food but are still craving the quintessential flavors of late autumn.

This faux risotto is light and buttery from a kiss of parmesan, sweet and creamy from tender butternut squash, and zesty with fresh sage. It is like November in a bowl, comfort food laced with good-for-you squash.

It took a while to prepare, what with all the chopping and sauteing and simmering, but it’s easy prep. I was on the phone with a good friend for the duration and didn’t make any critical errors, so I consider it an excellent meal for multi-tasking, actually.

Try it. Phone-chatting optional.

Ingredients:

1 T. olive oil
1 C. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 C. butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (what you’ll get from about two pounds of squash)
1/2 C. vegetable broth
1/2 C. white wine
1 C. orzo, uncooked
4 C. water or broth
1/2 C. parmesan
2 T. fresh sage*
salt and pepper to taste

*I definitely recommend getting some fresh sage for this recipe. But if you use dried, throw it in with the squash while it’s cooking, instead of stirring it in at the end.

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and saute until soft, about 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute longer. Add squash to pan, stirring to mix all veggies together. Add broth and white wine. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until squash is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 12 – 15 minutes. (Or longer if necessary — you want the squash to be very tender but still holding its shape.)

While the squash is simmering, bring 4 cups water or broth (I used one cup of broth and 3 cups of water) to a boil. Add orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta in colander and transfer to a large serving bowl.

Stir butternut squash mixture into pasta. Add parmesan and sage and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I love the American system of determining one’s age. You are allowed to stick to your previous age until you hit your birthday, and you don’t turn one until you live outside of your mother’s womb for a whole year.

Now, compare it to Korean age reckoning … [read more]

From Burp and Slurp

The last day of the farmer’s market I made sure to load up on plenty of in-season vegetables:  right now, winter squash.  I made sure to get some spaghetti squash, acorn, and butternut.  For the butternut, I hadn’t decided yet what to do with it–I’ve roasted it before, mashed it, made it into a soup, but have never really loved how it came out.  I’m not sure if it’s the quality of the squash I’ve bought before, or if it’s my taste, but butternut is often rather bland.  Also, so many recipes I find that use butternut squash are so rich, incorporating more sour cream, milk, or cream than I’d want (which is none, really.  I hate cream soups.  Blech).  So I wanted to combine it with something different (other than my usual brown sugar mixture) to see if I’d get better results.  I found a recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks, Everyday Food:  Great Food Fast that put winter squash into a casserole.  It required frozen squash puree, but I (rightly) ignored that and roasted my own butternut fresh, then scooped it out and pureed it in the food processor.  I mixed it with caramelized onions, pasta bow ties, and parmesan cheese, along with some other stuff.  Here’s my version of the recipe:

Baked Shells with Winter Squash

4 T olive oil

2 large onions

Salt

Pepper

2 tsp fresh rosemary

1 lb. pasta shells (I used bow ties)

2 cups cooked and pureed winter squash

1 cup grated Parmesan

Bread cubes (I used leftover homemade white bread, toasted lightly to make it a bit more stale)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 9×13 dish.  Brown onions, and salt and pepper, until onions are fully cooked and caramelized.  Stir in 1 tsp rosemary (1/2 tsp. dried).  Cook pasta for 2 minutes less than package calls for, so that it is quite al dente.  Drain, reserving 1 ½ cups of cooking water.  Stir squash puree and pasta water into onions, and simmer 2 minutes until heated through.  Toss with ½ c. parmesan and pasta.  Put in dish.  Combine bread cubes, leftover parmesan, leftover rosemary, oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  Top pasta with seasoned bread cubes, bake 10-15 minutes or until browned on top.

To roast squash:  Prick squash with a fork, place in baking dish.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 1 hour.  If more is needed, microwave.  (I needed to microwave mine about 5 minutes extra.)  Scoop out flesh and puree.  An alternative is doing the whole thing in the microwave, which I’ve done but am always suspicious about the taste differences between roasting and microwaving it.  Of course, in this casserole there’s so much else in it that the taste of the squash isn’t that prominent.  It really depends on how much time you want to spend on it.

This recipe was delicious, in case you couldn’t already tell by the photo.  I am proud of myself that I stopped to take a photo before eating, since it did smell so good when it came out.  There’s nothing better than the smell of baked squash, onions, and rosemary!

I think I’d use more Parmesan next time, as that’s a flavor that didn’t come through so well.  I’d also bake it longer in the oven, to make sure it would be extra crispy on top.  What I really liked about this recipe was that it brought out the texture and flavor of the squash, combined well with other flavors, that wasn’t terribly rich or overly fattening.  I generally like healthier foods, more pure and simple combinations of recipes, so I was glad to find this casserole.  I’ll make it again as soon as I can find some decently priced butternut (as now the farmer’s market is over for the season).

Today is my dear Lee’s second week of the Meatless Monday pledge, and I’m happy to report that he’s still on board! (I never doubted him. Really.)

It’s not much of a struggle to find non-meat dishes for Lee to enjoy and this Monday is no exception. Last week, my mind was swimming with baked pasta dishes (I blame the cold snap!) so I made my classic vegan lasagna. I love baked dishes not only because they are warm and comforting and satisfying, but also because they yield copious amounts of leftovers that make great Monday lunches after a busy weekend.

Plus, it occurred to me that I haven’t yet shared this particular lasagna recipe with you yet, dear readers, and it’d be a crying shame if you lived another day without learning about it. I mean that sincerely.

Classic Vegan Lasagna
Yield: 6 servings (but easily adaptable to make more!)

6 no-boil lasagna noodles
1-1/2 cups tofu ricotta
1-10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp granulated garlic
2 cups tomato sauce (homemade, I hope, but store-bought will suffice. Canned crushed tomatoes will also work.)
6 oz non-dairy mozzarella (almond is my favorite, soy is permissible), shredded

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spoon 3-4 Tbsp of tomato sauce into a 7×9 inch baking dish and spread to coat the bottom. Place two noodles in the baking dish, overlapping them slightly.

In a medium bowl and using a fork, stir about two-thirds of your squeezed-out spinach into the tofu ricotta along with the salt and garlic. Just break up the spinach as much as possible, but don’t worry too much about uniformity. Lasagna is supposed to have character.

Speaking of character, most lasagna recipes give very specific instructions on how to layer your dish, how much of each filling to add and when, and I’m not going to do that. I’ll tell you how I constructed this particular lasagna and I’ll even confess a little kitcheneering faux pas, but I’m also going to urge you strongly to remember that every lasagna dish can and (I think) should be different. I never build my layers the same way twice.

Here’s what I did this time:

Layer 1: Lasagna noodles (already done, above, and yes, you should always start with sauce and then noodles)
Layer 2: About one-third of the spinach-ricotta mixture
Layer 3: About half of the shredded cheese
Layer 4: 3/4 cup tomato sauce
Layer 5: Two lasagna noodles
Layer 6: Another third of spinach-ricotta mixture
Layer 7: 3/4 cup tomato sauce
Layer 8: Last two lasagna noodles
Layer 9: Final third of spinach ricotta
Layer 10:Reserved spinach (about one-third of the package, remember?)
Layer 11: Remaining tomato sauce, being sure to cover every inch of noodle
Layer 12: Final half of shredded cheese

Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until your top layer of noodles is fully cooked. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before cutting into 6 squares and serving with a side of something green, like steamed broccoli. Voila!

Ok, so what about that faux pas I promised to confess? If you peeked closely at the photo above, you noticed something kind of funky going on with the top layer of lasagna noodles. You probably noticed that it’s not lasagna noodles at all there on top, but ditalini instead. Ditalini are small, short tubes of pasta that I typically think are delicious in soups and with heavy sauces. What the heck are they doing in my lasagna?

Here’s the confession: Despite your suspicions, I do not keep the most organized pantry and I am not capable of staying on top of my inventory much of the time. Thus, when the mood struck me to whip up a quick lasagna dish, I found myself in possession of only 4, count ‘em, four lasagna noodles. I almost panicked, it’s true, but then I remembered that I had some precooked and dehydrated ditalini in the back of my pantry, which I had made for backpacking meals. As fate would have it, there was just enough ditalini hanging out in there to sprinkle on that layer where the last two lasagna noodles shoulda-coulda been. Since the pasta was precooked, just like the lasagna noodles, it rehydrated beautifully and we were happy campers!

Let this be a lesson to you, though. Either pay more attention to your pantry stock when you’re making that grocery list, or try looking at your pantry items in different ways. If I hadn’t had that dried ditalini on hand, I might have ventured as far as to spread a healthy layer of couscous instead, or perhaps even a couple of pieces of toast. Think I’m crazy? Maybe. But remember this the next time you run into what looks like a culinary roadblock!

There you have it, folks. My omnivore’s second Meatless Monday, a spectacular classic lasagna dish, and a deep dark secret. I hope you’ve enjoyed it all!

Tortellini and Cheese from Lux613
Originally from Better Homes & Gardens
START to FINISH: 20 minutes
MAKES: 4 servings

1 9-ounce package refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
1 cup frozen peas, corn, or pea pods
1 8-ounce tub cream cheese spread with garden vegetables or chive and onion
½ cup milk
1 9-ounce package frozen chopped cooked chicken breast

1. In large saucepan cook tortellini according to package directions. Place frozen vegetables in colander. Drain hot pasta over vegetables to thaw; return pasta-vegetable mixture to saucepan.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine cream cheese and milk; heat and stir the mixture until cheese melts. Heat the chicken according to package directions.
3. Stir the cheese sauce into the cooked pasta-vegetable mixture. Cook and gently stir until heated through. Spoon into serving bowls. Top with chicken.

Photo by Lux613

Powoli, małymi kroczkami szykujemy dla Was nowy dział na naszym blogu. Pewne znaki na niebie, zwiastujące to wydarzenie pojawiały się już wcześniej. Nasza czeska koleżanka, zdjęcia sushi… wszystko to zmierza do publikowania przez nas, co jakiś czas, sprawdzonych przez nas przepisów, opatrzonych zdjęciami przez nas zrobionymi. Celem naszym jest zarażanie pasją do Dobrego Smaku i chęć podzielenia się co lepszymi pomysłami i kulinarnymi odkryciami. Dzisiaj tylko foto aperitif ale jeszcze w tym tygodniu pojawi się pierwszy w serii przepis plus nasze foty.

Bon appétit!

When you’ve been cooking for a while, you start to get a feel for those ingredients that you always have in your kitchen.  I always have pasta, milk, and Cheddar cheese.  Which is perfect, because macaroni and cheese happens to be one of my favorite foods.  When I was a kid, I would wake up and make myself a hot bowl of the stuff from the blue box.

But real mac and cheese isn’t like that.  And it is not, absolutely not, orange.  It’s creamy and golden and unbeatable.  And I’m here to show you how to make it.  But not without first giving full credit to my mother, who taught me how.

Neither of us use real measurements anymore, so use what I give you as a base.  Make it this way first, and adjust as you go.  This is a recipe that you can take in a million different directions depending on the occasion.

You will need:

• 1 lb macaroni noodles—my favorite are Barilla because they are a little twisty and have ridges to catch the sauce.  In such a simple dish, these are the little components that make a difference.
• 2 T butter
• 2 T flour
• 4 C milk at room temperature—I wouldn’t use all skim, but any combination of milks is fine.  I think I make this differently each time.  Last time I used 1 ½ C cream because that’s what I had left, and 2 ½ C skim to finish the job.
• 8 oz of Cheddar cheese, although it never hurts to throw in a little extra.  You must use the sharpest Cheddar you can find, and you may not use the orange stuff.  Who wants to eat artificial color anyway?
• Bread crumbs
• Salt

Are you ready?  Start a large pot of water on your stove and let it come to a rolling boil.  Dump in a bunch of salt to flavor the pasta.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

All good recipes begin with a roux.  Melt the butter in another large pot.  Stir in the flour and cook for about 3 minutes to take away the flour taste.

This roux is going to be used as the base for a béchamel sauce.

Pour in the milk and stir.  Bring to a simmer, and keep stirring, letting the sauce thicken up.

Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese.  At this point, I stopped taking pictures.  Don’t know why.  Sorry.

Now we’re cooking.

Add the noodles to the pot with the sauce, and give everything a good stir.

Pour the mixture in a casserole dish, or any oven-safe pot.

Sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs, and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.

This will feed a crowd, and make them quite happy, too.  Or, you can do what I do, and eat it for breakfast, day after day after day.

Ser i bloggsfären att “Kumminosten”  uppmanar oss att äta upp maten. Bra initativ. Fler sådana. Ansluter mig till uppropet och bjuder här på mina rester i form av pasta. Ni som har några år i köket ser att det är en klassisk köttragu från ett mindre bemedlat hushåll. Men inget är nytt under solen.

Helgen resulterade i några skivor fransyska lågtemperturstekt som rostbiff och 1-1,5 dl av en riktig kraftig sås på sky, soja, röd- och portvin, spad från blomkålskoket samt en klick kallt smör. Det här får bli basen i min “nya” pastasås.

Det här behövs till 4 portioner: 150 -200 g färdigstekt rostbiff, älg-, lamm- eller färsk skinkstek, 1 liten gul lök, 1 vitlöksklyfta, 2 msk olivolja, 2 tsk torkad rosmarin, 250 g färsk eller fryst, förvälld svamp, 1-2 dl såsrest, 1,5 dl buljong ( o,5 buljongtärning + vatten), salt 0ch/eller soja, peppar, en näve persilja

• Gör så här: Skala och finhacka lök och vitlök. Skölj svampen om den är färsk och skiva grovt. 
• Lägg lök och svamp i kall gryta. Sätt på högsta värme, lägg på lock och koka tills svsmapen vätskat sig. Om det är fryst svamp värmer du på samma sätt tills svampen tinat.
• Lyft på locket och låt en del av vätskan koka bort. Ringla över oljan och lägg i rosmarin. Fräs några minuter.
• Tillsätt såsresten och späd med buljong till lagom mängd.
• Smaka av med salt/soja och peppar.
• Häll såsen över den färdigkokta pastan.
• Skär köttet i fina bitar och strö det över pastan. Strö också över generöst med hackad persilja eller ruccola. Rör om.
• Servera med nyriven parmesanost.

Tips: Blev det istället svampsås över? Dryga ut med en burk körsbärstomater om det är lite sås. Är mängden lite större prova med några matskedar tomatpuré, matsked fransk osötad senap samt mjölk, matyoghurt eller vad du har för mjölk-/gräddresurser tillgängliga.

For a printable version of this recipe and complete ingredients listing, click here.

NOTE: Grace’s sister, Emily, is hanging out in the Red Kitchen today. Heaven help us all.

A year or so ago, an Australian friend introduced me to a simple treat from Oz: Spaghetti-Os on toast.

Don’t knock it. Spaghetti-Os taste much better on toast than they do by themselves. I don’t know why, but they do — maybe because putting them on toast causes your mouth to read them as sandwich spread (which is supposed to be mushy) rather than pasta (which is supposed to be al dente).

Cover the bottom of a small casserole dish with croutons.

Anyway, I got to thinking, and it occurred to me that there had to be a way to turn Spaghetti-Os on toast into a kid-friendly casserole. Toast wouldn’t work, because it would turn to mush, but what about croutons? I made a run to the grocery store and came back with Spaghetti-Os, seasoned croutons, a package of American cheese, and some French-fried onions.

As you might expect from something involving Spaghetti-Os, preparation is very simple. First, coat the inside of a small baking dish (I used a little Corning dish, but a Pyrex pie plate would probably work) with cooking spray.

Dump in a can of Spaghetti-Os, cover with American cheese slices, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Fill the bottom of the dish with croutons. Next, dump in a 26-ounce can of Spaghetti-Os.

Cover the top with slices of American cheese and sprinkle with breadcrumbs (optional). Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle some French-fried onions on top. Bake another five minutes.

You could dress this up with some Italian spices, garlic, or fancier cheese (maybe shredded mozzarella), but in the interest of making it kid-friendly, I tried to keep the ingredients as simple as possible. The croutons will soften, but they don’t get mushy, instead retaining a toastlike texture, and the overall taste is vaguely reminiscent of a grilled-cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup.

This would be a great dish to serve at the kids’ table on Thanksgiving.

Emily

When I was a wee young tot, I was petrified of zucchini, spinach and Brussel sprouts. Yes, I thought the green monsters were going to jump off the plate and eat me. Naturally, I did everything in my power to avoid eating the greens. The spit-them-out-in-the-old-napkin trick was a safe standby. A hysterical temper tantrum, without fail, got me excused from the dinner table without dessert. (Wink, wink) I totally wasn’t fooling my mom. She was just sick of putting up with my B.S. After a few minutes of sulking in my room, I would cry, apologize profusely, and somehow convince my mom and dad that I needed dessert for my psychological well-being. Yes, flip charts and PowerPoints were involved.

The potted topiary centerpiece served as a cozy hiding spot. But, when it started sprouting mold in lieu of flowers, I had to camp out in my closet for a few days. Too bad the dumb dog wouldn’t eat them either. I guess she was smarter than I thought (R.I.P. Chloe). Throwing the greens at my younger sister was an alternative method for releasing angst and otherwise wasting food. And, good God, it felt good to fork-catapult the sprouts at my older brother. Then, he totally stuck them up his nose. It was impressive how much stuff he could get up there. But, that quickly resulted in a “He’s looking at me” argument which transgressed into “She’s pointing at me.”

“Mooo-aahhh-OMMMmm! He’s looking at me. Tell him to STTO-aahh-OOPP-aaahhh!” I loved making one syllable words into syllab-i.

When all else failed, I finally held my nose and sucked them down as if someone were pouring molten lava down my throat … kicking, screaming, crying. Repeat.

Well, those days are over. I have conquered vegetables, and they have been defeated with zucchini ribbon pasta. The rich green color and texture brightens up a bowl of bland noodles, and they’re good for you, too. Why? Because my mom said so.

Zucchini Ribbon Linguine with (You Guessed) Vegetables

• 2 cups of linguine
• 1 zucchini
• 2 teaspoons of minced garlic 
• ¼ cup sliced red onion
• ¼ cup of cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup of mushrooms
• A few slices of yellow pepper
• 2 teaspoons of basil
• 2 teaspoons of thyme
• 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• Goat cheese for topping

Boil a large pot of water. Once it starts to boil, add linguine. Using a vegetable peeler, create ribbons out of the zucchini. Once you have reached the seeds, you can stop peeling.

In a skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the garlic and next four vegetables. Sauté for about 5-6 minutes. Add basil, thyme, and balsamic vinegar. Toss.

About two minutes before the linguine is fully cooked, add the zucchini and boil for two minutes. Strain the zucchini and pasta. Serve the vegetables atop of the linguine. Top with goat cheese.

ribbons of zucchini

Toss the vegs on a skillet

Adding zucchini as a portion of the pasta helps cut the carbs

So with all the turkey talk, its easy to forget that there are plenty of other meals that need to be had before Thursday.  And while its nice to think we will all fast until then, let’s face it, it likely won’t happen (at least for me anyway).

Here is a quick easy dinner that won’t take much longer than the time it takes to boil water and cook the pasta.  Fregola is a Sardinian pasta, similar to Israeli couscous, but toasted and nutty.  Because it has been toasted, it takes a few more minutes to cook, but is immensely satisfying without much of a sauce.

I like to mix it with roasted mushrooms and tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil and a good helping of parmesan.

It may take it bit more to find it – it is not on the shelves of all grocery stores, but it is worth the hunt.  Or here is a place you can order it directly – on of my favorite haunts in NYC, Kalustyan’s, where I can get lost for hours.

If you haven’t had it, definitely give it a try … and feel free to mix it up with any veggies you like.

What are you planning to eat between now and Thursday?

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

In a walled baking sheet, combine mushrooms, tomatoes and 1 T. olive oil; season with salt and pepper.  Roast for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and pour off the liquid has accumulated in the pan from the mushrooms.  Add thyme and return to the oven for another 10 minutes or until roasted and the tomatoes begin to pop.

In the meantime, bring water to a boil in a medium pot.  Once it has come to a rapid boil, season heavily with salt, add the fregola and cook according to the package instructions.  Mine is about 14 minutes for al dente, but each brand can be a bit different.

Strain the fregola and transfer to a serving bowl.  Top with mushrooms, tomatoes and mushroom liquid.  Add parmesan, and drizzle with olive oil if desired.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

]]> http://animaegusto.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/rigatoni-con-funghi-e-verdure/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:07:40 +0000 Alma http://animaegusto.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/rigatoni-con-funghi-e-verdure/ http://duodishes.com/2009/11/23/one-last-round/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:00:24 +0000 duodishes http://duodishes.com/2009/11/23/one-last-round/

For a while, there were a lot of pumpkins bouncing around this blog. Usually the most frequent bright orange ingredient you’ll find here is a sweet potato, but it is pumpkin season, and we’ve been using the big fruit a lot. This may be one of, if not the final, pumpkin recipe you’ll see here until the need to overdose on pumpkin returns. Although it can be applied to recipes in a great way, there comes a time when you have to say ‘No more!’ Maybe you haven’t boarded the train to See You Laterville yet, but we may just be ready to bid adieu to pumpkin after this.
This recipe was inspired by the pumpkin mascarpone dip we made for Amir’s birthday dinner. It was smooth, creamy and rich–perfect to layer in between sheets of pasta. The sausage adds a noticeable spicy and obviously meaty level to a dish that is full of vegetables and lots of cheese. The best part may just be the bites of sage that mesh well with just about everything. One of our friends had a couple of servings, and she really loved the way sweet and savory do a sexy tango in this dish!

Pumpkin and Sausage Lasagna – Serves 8 to 10
1 pound lasagna noodles, cooked
16 ounces mascarpone cheese
3 cups pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 links spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
12-14 fresh sage leaves, chopped
5 cups fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped
3 cups mozzarella, shredded
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn
Olive oil

1. Using an electric mixer, beat mascarpone cheese, pumpkin puree, honey, cumin, ginger, cinnamon and salt until smooth. Set aside.

2. Swirl a bit of olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. When oil is hot enough, add garlic and onions, tossing until coated. Slide in sausage and mushrooms and cook down until sausage has browned fully, approximately 10-12 minutes. Break up sausage as it cooks. Remove from heat and stir in sage. Set aside.

3. Spread a thin layer of olive oil over the bottom and sides of a deep 9″x13″ baking dish. Add about 1/4 cup of pumpkin mascarpone spread to the bottom of the dish and spread evenly to both sides. Top with three lasagna noodles, followed by another layer of mascarpone spread, a handful of spinach, a bit of the sausage and vegetables and a handful of shredded mozzarella. Repeat until all of the ingredients have been used.

4. Top the final layer with the fresh mozzarella pieces and cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees. Uncover and bake another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Click HERE for printable recipe.

Can’t find a job.  Writers block.  Too much boy drama.  Too little sleep.  Too much drinking.  And there you are on a Sunday night, cuddled up in bed watching tony bourdain eat the world’s greatest risotto.  Earlier today, while sitting in a friend’s cafe reading the latest issue of the New Yorker (it’s the food issue) you decided to quit feeling sorry for yourself, and freshen up for november.

1. First off you gotta crack that writers block.  Make a list of all the articles you have to write, all the cover letters you need to tailor, and the overdue emails.  As you knead your pasta dough, start saying them out loud to nobody.  Let your hands push and pull on the countertop while you, shaking your hips to the music, shout: DEAR FRIEND, THIS WEEKEND I FELT A CERTAIN URGENCY TO WAKE UP, EARLIER THAN USUAL, AND FIND SOME NEW YORK TROUBLE TO GET INTO.

2. This weekend you counted fifteen different instances in which somebody called you ‘cute.’  Sharpen the largest knife in your set and get ready to split open a spaghetti squash.  The first time was when you dressed to go out.  The fifth time was when you were running.  The last time was in an email.  You’re feeling like you have to cut out all the ‘cute’ encompassed in your being, and work on being something else.  Season your seeds and bake them for fifteen minutes at low heat, they’ll come out crisp and sophisticated.

3. Like Mr. Man, Spaghetti Squashes are not so tough as they appear to be.  They fall apart at the slightest touch, and noodle themselves all over your fingers.  It’s a shame because you felt great about this recipe, so you’re gonna have to improvise.  You briefly consider running to pick up a butternut, but then you decide to tough it out and make a paste.  You haven’t been getting anything you want recently, so if this dish doesn’t work out you won’t be disappointed.  You’ll add it to your list of trials and failures.  Toss the squash into a food processor with Parmesan and some olive oil and then strain the liquid out.

4. Stretching the dough used to be a great challenge for you, used to require others’ hands.  You can do it on your own now, you don’t need nobody.  In fact, you enjoy turning the wheel while catching the pasta and pulling it, both hands occupied.  You like to see your hard kitchen skills, your culinary study, improve.

Spaghetti Squash Ravioli and Roasted Paprika Seeds

1. Make a batch of homeade pasta (see my recipe in an old entry) and let rest for an hour

2. Cut open a spaghetti squash and scoop out the middle (separate seeds and save them for later)

3.  Brush both halves with olive oil and bake at 375ºF (rind side up) for about 45 minutes, or until soft

4. Scoop out the flesh of the squash and blend with a quarter cup of Parmesan, some salt, pepper, and olive oil

5. Drain the filling in a sieve to remove excess liquid.

6. Rinse and dry your squash seeds, coat in olive oil, salt and paprika to taste.  Bake at 200º for about fifteen minutes, until crunchy and slightly browned.

6. Melt 1/4 cup butter on the stove, then cook until brown and emitting a nutty aroma.  Take off heat, and place four sage leaves into the brown butter sauce.

7. Pull your pasta through a wheel to the highest setting, or roll until paper thin with a rolling pin. Spoon filling into you dough, and cut using whatever size or shape press you have.  Cook in heavily salted water for about 3 minutes, to al dente.

8.  Serve your ravioli immediately, with butter sauce and parmesan on top.  Garnish with some roasted seeds, and put the rest into the empty squash skin.

Hey there, strangers! How was your weekend? Mine was lovely… I spent the last few days relaxing in upstate New York with my parents.  Time seems to move slower there; I never felt like I was rushing to catch my breath or finish five things at once.  It was a nice change.  What did you do?

Here’s a quick re-cap of the weekend chez with Mom & Pop LVP, Do/Don’t style!

DO make Eggs In A Basket out of an open-face grilled cheese sandwich.  Thanks for the idea, Kaytee!

DO enjoy pumpkin whole wheat pancakes on a frosty fall morning.  The secret to their fluffiness? A little bit of vinegar.

DO support your local farmers and buy apples at the orchard…

…and while there, DO pick up an apple cider donut for your mama.

It will make her happy.

DO top your salads with Red Ants On A Log (celery with Sunbutter and dried cherries).

DON’T feel silly when you squeal with delight after finding holiday teas at your local food co-op, after searching every chain grocery store with no luck.

DON’T gloat about winning some fancy protein powder from your neighborhood Everythingtarian.

DO share Holly’s pumpkin molasses cookies with those who gave you life… albeit grudgingly.

DO cozy up to a mug of Spiced POM Cider…

DO have a nice dinner at Church and Main, a sustainable restaurant that supports local farmers and uses only the freshest ingredients (and DO go home and watch Food, Inc. afterward).

DO drink local Riesling…

…eat wedges of bread…

DO share two appetizers with Daddy-O to maximize tastings, like these bay scallops with parsley pesto over cappelllini...

… and this spinach and arugula salad with candied almonds, parmesan and goat cheese.

DO have the pan-roasted Atlantic monk fish with creamy white beans, celery root, warm baby winter greens & roasted beets for yourslef.

DO share three desserts (warm chocolate cake with caramel sauce, gingerbread crème brulée, semolina cake with roasted apples).

And, in case you were wondering, this is a salsify root:

…this is a celery root:

… and this is a turnip.  DON’T worry, these aren’t sea creatures!

Do warm up for your first 6 mile run since your injury with Yoga For Runners.

DO give your knees a break and run on a track.

DO utilize the Lap function on your heart rate monitor; DON’T feel bad for taking a year to notice it.

Total distance: 6 miles
Total time: 59:54

Mile 1: 9:49
Mile 2: 9:57
Mile 3: 10:07
Mile 4: 10:14
Mile 5: 10:03
Mile 6: 9:41

Average Pace: 9:58

DO refuel with a bowl of apple cinnamon raisin oatmeal.  Microwave a diced apple, sprinkled with cinnamon, for 90 seconds. Insta-baked apple.

DO enjoy an end-of weekend bowl of Marcella Hazan’s Spinach and Rice Soup.

DO buy packaged falafel based on the brand name alone.

And most importantly, DO take advantage of your boyfriend’s absence to load up on things like Garlic Lovers Hummus and raw onion.

For an added bonus for body and soul, DO a free Lunar Flow practice before bed, with your eyes closed and the lights off.  You’ll thank yourself.

What are your most recent DOs and DON’Ts?

ahh…it’s cold and flu season and what’s the one thing everyone is craving?  SOUP!!  What better way to use all your turkey leftovers than to make a delicious soup.

Ingredients: chicken broth, celery, carrots, turkey, noodles, salt, pepper

Because the turkey always seem to outlast the stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc~ I always take the remaining amount and make it into a delicious soup.

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