Pasta Bella Familia

A couple of weeks ago my Mother and Father went on a cruise with our cousins, Jane and Pat from Arizona. The night they arrived we knew they would be hungry after all that traveling. This is the dish I created for us all to share together the night before they left for their cruise. It took me a while to write up the recipe and now that it's been a few weeks I'm hoping that I didn't leave anything out. It's actually pretty basic and any vegetable can be substituted, so it would be fine to use this recipe as a guide.

I'd like to give a special thank you to Jane, Pat and the rest of my family for inspiring this delicious dish!


Pasta Bella Familia

Ingredients:

2 packages cremini mushrooms
2 cans artichoke hearts
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup kalamata olives, sliced
sundried tomatoes in oil, sliced
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bags spinach, chopped
1 handful parsley, chopped
Approx 1 cup white wine
chicken broth
2 pounds penne
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Sauté onions and garlic in a combination of extra virgin olive oil and oil from sundried tomatoes. Add mushrooms and try not to stir too much so they will get some color. Once they are soft add tomatoes and cook until they break down and become soft and release their liquid. Add sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and olives. Let them heat through and then add spinach tossing until coated with oil. Add more oil as needed. Add white wine and let it cook down until liquid has reduced by about half, then add chicken broth. Taste and add salt and pepper.

Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Toss pasta with veggies and parsley.

Note: Vegetable broth can be substitued for chicken broth if you are vegetarian.

Nanny's Baked Rice and A Rice Cooker

Fridays during lent are always meat free for Catholics and when you get tired of pizza or ailo oilo (pasta with garlic and oil) you need to use a bit of creativity. Nanny would make some white rice, mix it with sauce, mozzarella and grated cheese, put it in a pyrex, top it with some breadcrumbs and bake it until the top becomes crispy. It was always very satisfying for me. When I decided to make this for Steve the first time I knew that he would want a little more added to it for it to be considrered a whole meal. That's how I came up with this. Nanny's version is like a rice ball and mine is like a sicilian rice ball. Make this either way or both ways, they are both great. If you don't like peas you can leave them out or put less in. When I made this last night I only had a couple of handfuls of peas in my freezer and it was still great.

Thanks to my friends over at Bakespace I purchased a rice cooker and used it for the first time yesterday. Eric found this great deal for a 3 cup rice cooker for only $9.99!!!



It was great! I never have to worry about my rice being too mushy ever again! The best part is that it's small enough for me to find a space for in the closet. That was my biggest concern but it turned out to not to be an issue at all. Thanks Eric and all my bakespace friends!

Nanny's Baked Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup of white rice, uncooked
1 can crushed tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 lb 85% ground beef
1 small package of frozen peas, defrosted
salt and pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp sugar
1 package of shredded mozzarella
Parmesan cheese, to taste
Italian Style breadcrumbs

Directions:

Cook rice, set aside. Meanwhile in a small saucepan sauté onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add basil and let it cook for 1 minute to let flavor release. Add tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and sugar; if too thick add a little water (swish in can). Let cook for 30 to 40 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. While sauce is cooking prepare ground beef. Season beef with salt pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder and brown in a nonstick pan (no oil needed if using a nonstick pan). Be sure to constantly break up meat with a wooden spoon. Drain fat. Ladle a little sauce on the bottom of a large rectangular Pyrex dish to prevent rice from sticking. In a large bowl combine rice, mozzarella, ground beef, peas and Parmesan cheese, adding a little sauce at a time. Do not want it to be too wet or too dry. May not need to use all the sauce. Add mixture to baking dish, spreading out and pressing down with spatula. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs and cheese.

Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes. Place under broiler to crisp the top if necessary

Poor Man's Carbonara

I expected election day to be a long night that wouldn't give me any time to cook. On the news they talked about the lines and all of the people who waited hours to cast their vote. Luckily for us we only waited for 5 minutes at the firehouse and that made me happy but I didn't have anything planned for dinner. After a quick rummage through the fridge I decided that I could make carbonara...without the bacon/pancetta. I never keep bacon on hand and I didn't have anymore pancetta so I figured, what the heck and made it anyway. Honestly, it didn't NEED the bacon in my opinion and considering that Steve finished off the rest of the pound of pasta, he didn't need the bacon either! So the next time you're looking to whip up something fast and don't have all the ingredients, it's okay. As long as the ingredients that you do have are fresh and can stand on their own you'll be okay.

It really doesn't get any easier than this and it's great for the vegetarians in your life!


Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti
4 large eggs
2-3 tablespoons milk
1 handful chopped fresh parsley
1 cup parmigiano reggiano, grated
1/2 cup locatelli romano, grated
salt pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water.
2. While pasta cooks scramble eggs in a bowl with milk (I used skim plus).
3. Drain pasta and add butter and a couple of tablespoons of oil to the pasta pot. Add cooked pasta and slowly add in eggs, tossing around to coat the pasta. Add the cheese, pepper and parsley. Toss until well coated.

Enjoy!

Easier than Pie

Got any utility Mac's that you have to use up? Probably not, but I did :) Recipes abound on the internet for homemade applesauce, but I'll let you in on a little secret... you don't need to add any sugar! Crazy, I know! Save it for those pumpkin cupcakes or cookies :)

This is my mom's way of doing things, and I love it so much I couldn't mess with it. Nice and easy, too. She always used to cook up a BIG batch and freeze some to enjoy the rest of the year. We'd get excited there was some defrosting for dinner :)


Homemade Applesauce
Mom's tried and true recipe

apples
cinnamon

See, I told you it was simple! You can do this with as little or as many apples as you have and your cooking vessels permit. Peel and slice the apples (you could even keep the skins if they look better than mine did!). Here's where the options come in... microwave, crockpot, stove, heck, you could even do this in the oven.

Mom always went for the microwave: Add apple slices to a glass baking dish, then sprinkle with cinnamon (adjust it to your tastes, folks). Cook 5 min on high, stir, then 5min intervals on medium, stirring in between, to avoid boilovers. If you have a smaller amount of apples, you could probably do 2 min intervals. Stop when it looks like applesauce, I like mine chunky, but if you want, cook it longer!

What I did this time was to use the good ol' crockpot: Add apple slices to the crock, sprinkle with cinnamon (I guess you could use other spices and fruit, but for this, I wanted it just like mom made!!). Turn on the crockpot, and cook until desired consistency! I turned it on high while I was doing other things and it went pretty quickly.

How easy is that? No sugar added, and so freakin good you'll have to hold yourself back from finishing it all in one go. No? Just me? Good for you! It'll last longer :)

Stuffed Artichokes - Do not be afraid!

I can clearly remember the first time I ever had an artichoke. I was probably about 7 years old and I was extremely picky. It was either Thanksgiving or Christmas and my whole family was sitting around the dining room table. My brother told me he was going to show me how to eat one and since I was always looking for attention from my older brother or sister I wasn't going to say no. In case you never had an artichoke this is how you eat it. Pick off a leaf and use your front teeth to scrape the stuffing and the meat of the leaves off while pulling the leaf away from you. I know some people are put off by eating with their hands or have no idea what to do with an artichoke but hopefully this will help you to see how easy it is. Don't miss out on another artichoke!!!

I make artichokes two different ways, the way my mother taught me and another way that I picked up when I became interested in cooking. My mother keeps most of the artichoke in tact and only cuts of the tops of the artichoke and removes the stem to make a flat surface. Keeping the outer leaves on gives you more leaves for stuffing but those outer leaves aren't as tender as the inner leaves. The other way is to remove most of the tougher outer leaves. You will have less leaves to stuff but practically all of the leaves will be completely edible. Another difference between these two methods are the preparation of the heart of the artichoke. The heart is the bottom of the artichoke which is extremely tender and creamy. This is what you find in cans and frozen in the supermarket. They have some leaves attached and are cut into pieces. I use them in many dishes. So my mother's method leaves the heart completely in tact. Once you get to the heart you use your spoon or knife to remove the choke. The choke MUST NOT be eaten. You seriously will choke on it if you try to eat it. The 2nd method is to use your spoon to remove the purplish leaves from the heart and scrape out the choke before cooking. This gives you a nice hole in the center for stuffing. Either way you chose to make them (and these are not the only two ways!) they will be great. I love artichokes they can be fun, they can be elegant but most of all they are delicious!

I am unable to give you amounts for the stuffing because it really depends on your preference. Some people like a lot of stuffing and some people like very little or no stuffing at all. It also depends on how large your artichokes are and if you are removing the choke and some inner leaves. You'll need more stuffing for the center. So just use this as a guide, I have faith in you!


Ingredients:

Artichokes - cleaned and prepared for stuffing and stems removed and peeled
Plain breadcrumbs or Italian breadcrumbs
Locatelli Romano cheese, grated
onion, cut into small pieces
garlic, minced
fresh parsley, chopped
Parmigiano Reggiano, cut into small pieces
garlic powder
chicken broth or chicken bouillon
salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil


1. Prepare artichokes by one of the methods described above. Wash them out and drain. Artichokes will turn black once they are cut. You can put them in a bowl with lemon to stop them from oxidizing and turning or you can just ignore it b/c you won't notice that once they are cooked.

2. If using plain breadcrumbs season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder and some Romano cheese. If using the seasoned breadcrumbs just add the cheese.

3. Spread the leaves open with your thumb but be careful no to break off those leaves. Stuff the artichoke with breadcrumbs, chopped garlic, onion, parsley and pieces of parmigiano reggiano. Add this stuffing between the leaves and in the center.

4. Once all artichokes are stuffed put them in a pot and fill with water (or chicken broth) until halfway up the artichoke. Make sure they are in a pot that fits the artichokes in tightly. This prevents the artichokes from falling apart once they become tender. If you have too much space in between your artichokes and can't go down to a smaller pot use this tip. Peel a potato (or as many as you need) and add it the pot standing upright. The potatoes get a wonderful flavor and can be served along with the artichokes. Add the artichoke stems in between the artichokes wherever you can fit them. Don't throw these away. They are very tasty and actually taste just like the heart. Drizzle the tops of the artichokes with oil.

5. Once the water comes to a boil add some chicken bouillon granules if using and put a lid on the pot. Lower the flame and let the artichokes cook for about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours or until tender and the leaf easily pulls away from the artichoke.

If you have a lot of broth left over you can serve with some broth and dip your bread into it. It has a really nice flavor.

Enjoy!


By love2cookmb

Chicken Saltimbocca

I have seen chicken saltimbocca prepared many ways over the years. Sometimes the chicken is rolled, sometimes it's flat and sometimes it is folded in half. I've seen it stuffed and I've seen it layered. I don't think there is any right or wrong method, just do what works best for you. I have tried to duplicate the saltimbocca that Steve and I get at a local pizzeria/restaurant. I think I came close! I served this at a dinner party that we had Sunday night with some of our friends.

I'm sorry that my measurements aren't exact. I just did it on the fly so I'll do my best to make a clear recipe.

Chicken Saltimbocca

Serves 6 - you can easily make more to satisfy bigger appetites or a larger crowd.

Ingredients:

6 thin sliced chicken cutlets
6 slices of prosciutto di parma
6 leaves fresh sage, torn in pieces
chicken broth
1 cup marsala wine
3 cloves garlic, minced
all purpose flour
wondra flour, optional (it's great for making a smooth gravy)
salt and pepper
4 bags baby spinach (three wasn't enough for 6 people)
5-8 cloves garlic cracked
1/2 stick unsalted butter
extra virgin olive oil
1 bag shredded mozzarella (I use part skim)

Directions:

1. In a shallow bowl or dish put about 1/2 cup flour or so (depending on how big your cutlets are) and season with salt and pepper.

2. On each chicken cutlet place a couple of pieces of sage leaves. I don't like the sage to overpower the chicken, so I only put about 2 pieces. You can leave the sage leaves whole and put one leaf on but I find that one area of the chicken ends up with all the flavor. It's completely up to you and your tastebuds. On top of the sage place one piece of prosciutto. Dredge both sides in flour then fold in half like a book and press together to seal it.

3. Once all chicken is prepared heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a couple tablespoons of oil and a pat of butter. Brown chicken on both sides adding more butter or oil as needed. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

4. In the same pan add garlic and reduce heat to low so garlic doesn't burn. If your pan is dry be sure to add more butter or oil (I like to use a combo of both). (At this point you can add all purpose flour as a thickener for the sauce or you can wait and use wondra flour later.) Bring heat up again and add marsala wine. Use a wooden spoon to pick up any bits that have stuck to the pan. This makes a tasty sauce. Let wine cook down for about 5-8 minutes so the alcohol will burn out and the flavor has mellowed. Add chicken broth a little at a time and stir. Stir in wondra flour to thicken sauce. Add more chicken broth and flour as needed. It all depends on how much sauce you like. If I was going to serve this over pasta I would have made more sauce.

5. Reduce heat to medium low and add the chicken to the pan. The chicken is already cooked but we want it to absorb some of that flavor and let the sauce coat the chicken. Turn the chicken so both sides are coated. Sprinkle tops of chicken with shredded mozzarella (you won't use the whole bag, just enough to top each piece) and put under broiler until cheese is melted and browned. If you don't have a pan that is safe for the oven put a lid on top or some foil so the cheese melts.

6. While you are making the sauce for the chicken (or you can do this earlier in the day and reheat later), heat a medium size pan and add about 2 tablespoons of oil. Add cracked garlic and let it cook for a few minutes. Add spinach and turn to coat in oil. You will have to do a little at a time and as the spinach cooks down add more spinach. Add more oil if you think it needs more. When spinach is wilted turn off the heat.

7. Serve chicken over or around spinach with extra sauce over the top of the chicken. If you like you can remove the cracked garlic.




Ignore the flour that's all over my shirt!!! lol

Alinea

Today I bought Alinea, the new cookbook by Grant Achatz. There are hundreds of recipes, which are based on tasting menus at his Chicago restaurant of the same name, and stunning photographs. Many of his dishes are out of my league, as I don't own a Vita-Prep blender nor do I have any calcium ascorbate lying around the house. But I couldn't help myself: There is a short section on Achatz's use of scent in cooking.

Aroma, he writes, offers two possibilities for the chef. "The opportunity to flavor a dish by way of smell, and to add a layer of complexity to a concept by triggering an emotional response to a familiar smell. These two facets of the technique became so important in our cooking that the idea of aroma itself became a creative avenue."

Achatz has fought a well-documented battle of his own in the last year. Diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2007, he underwent radiation and, as a result, temporarily lost his ability to taste. I've followed his story with great interest. My own experience of sensory loss and regain has changed the way I look at food and cooking, taste and flavor. I can only imagine what it has done for one of the country's best chefs.