January 14, 2012 · Filed under Cooking, Food, Ingredients, Recipes · Tagged bacon, galletti, pasta, strawberry
I love this dish. I’ve made it several times before (albeit in different configurations) and it’s just one of those things I come back to, every once in a while. And usually, it’s because it’s lunch time and you know you have leftover strawberries that will go bad if you don’t use them, like now. So…
You can even omit the bacon if you don’t like meat. On the other hand, if you don’t mind the meat but don’t like the smoky flavor of bacon, use pancetta instead. I’ve done it in the past. It’s really good, too.
Ingredients (2-3 servings):
1 lb. Galletti Pasta (or Farfalle)
15 Fresh Strawberries (more or less, depending on size), diced
5-6 strips of Bacon, diced (or pancetta)
1 tbs. minced Shallots
2-3 Cloves Garlic, minced
A handful of Flat-Leaf Parsley, finely chopped
EVOO
Balsamic Vinegar
Grated Parmesan
Fresh Ground Pepper
Directions:
In a bowl, macerate the diced strawberries in a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Set aside. Cook pasta to al dente.
Meanwhile, saute bacon and shallots with a little EVOO in a medium-heated pan until bacon is lightly browned. Add in garlic and cook for another few minutes or until bacon is golden brown and crispy. When pasta is cooked, combine everything together, add in the strawberries, parsley, some grated parmesan and a few cracks of black pepper. Toss well.
Serve on pasta bowls and garnish with some more fresh strawberries and parsley. Finish with a drizzle of EVOO.
November 21, 2011 · Filed under Cooking, Food, Ingredients, Recipes · Tagged italian, lasagna, sausage, spinach
Wow! I’ve made lasagna many times in the past but this one takes the cake, for sure. I guess, using really good quality marinara sauce makes a big difference. I used a store bought bottle made of san marzano tomatoes. Man, that stuff is expensive but so worth it! And the quality of the cheese is so pronounced. Be sure to use good artisan quality cheeses.
So, leave the Prego on the shelf already… and suck it up. You won’t regret it!
Ingredients (6-8 Servings)
12 sheets No-Boil Lasagna
1 5oz package Organic Baby Spinach
4 Italian Sausage Links, cooked and thinly sliced diagonally
2 24oz bottles All-Natural Marinara Sauce
2 cups Ricotta
2 cups Fresh Mozzarella, sliced into thin pieces
2 cups Provolone, Shredded
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan
1 cup EVOO
Directions:
Soak the no-boil lasagna sheets in tap water and set aside. Preheat oven to 375F. Meanwhile, lightly coat a 9″x13″ baking dish with a little EVOO. Pour half a bottle of marinara sauce and spread to cover entire bottom of dish evenly.
Slather 1 cup of ricotta cheese on one side of four lasagna sheets and layer on the bottom of dish, cheese side up (may overlap a little). Pour half a bottle of marinara sauce and spread evenly with a spatula. Spread evenly half of the sausage slices and half the spinach, then a third of the mozzarella, provolone and parmesan. Repeat the process for a second layer.
Top with a final layer of lasagna sheets and the remaining sauce and cheese. Drizzle evenly with a little EVOO.
Cover with foil and pop in the oven for an hour. Remove foil and keep in the oven for another 10 minutes. Let rest for a few minutes before digging in.
November 7, 2011 · Filed under Cooking, Food, Ingredients, Recipes · Tagged campanelle, cilantro, lemon, parsely, pasta
It could’ve been any type of pasta but that’s what I have at the moment. Works for me, though! I like the thickness of the campanelle which gives it a meaty texture. The ridges are good for holding thick sauces, actually. But I wanted something simple right now, so no sauces this time.
I had some leftover fresh mozzarella so I diced it up and added it but you really don’t need it. Just some grated parmesan and you’re good to go.
So easy to make, too. Ready in 15 minutes.
Ingredients (2 servings):
1/2 lb. Campanelle Pasta
1-2 Garlic Cloves, minced
A handful of Parsley (or Cilantro), chopped
EVOO
1 Lemon, cut into 4 wedges
Grated Parmesan
Fresh Cracked Pepper
Directions:
Cook pasta to al dente. Meanwhile, in a medium-low heated large pan, sweat garlic in EVOO for a few minutes until fragrant but not browned. Add cooked pasta, chopped parsley and fresh cracked pepper. Toss well. Squirt some lemon juice and serve on pasta bowls. Garnish with grated parmesan, a lemon wedge and a drizzle of fresh olive oil.
October 7, 2011 · Filed under Cooking, Food, Ingredients, Recipes · Tagged chili, chugwater, cilantro, mashed potato, meatloaf, raddish, spicy, wyoming
The last meatloaf I made was an Italian-inspired one and I haven’t made another, since. This time, I wanted to try something different. Maybe even get a little closer to home. And since I live in Wyoming, I thought I’d go local and give Chugwater Chili a whirl and see how it goes on a meatloaf recipe. And while I’m at it, I thought, I might as well go all out with the kick by adding jalapeno peppers to the mix.
I would’ve used ground beef but I happened to have a thing of ground turkey in the fridge, so that’s what I used. Smart Ground or something similar would be a good vegetarian alternative, as well.
I also had some leftover cilantro leaves so I just threw it on the mash and it worked out great. By the way, the radish slices gave it a nice cool break from the spiciness of the dish.
Outstanding, I say! Give it a try already.
Ingredients (4 servings):
The Meatloaf:
1 lb. Lean Ground Turkey
1 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
4 Jalapeno Peppers, seeded and finely diced
1 Onion, finely diced
3 tbs. Chugwater Chili Powder (or whatever variety you have)
2 tbs. dried thyme
6 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 cup Frozen Peas & Carrots, thawed in microwave
1 Large Egg
4 tbs. EVOO
Fresh Cracked Pepper
The Glaze:
1/2 cup Ketchup
1 tbs. Chugwater Chili Powder (or whatever variety you have)
1 tbs. Honey
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. Hot Sauce
The Mash:
4 Russet Potatoes, peeled and diced
1 bunch Fresh Cilantro Leaves, finely chopped
1/2 stick Unsalted Butter
1 cup of Low-Fat Milk, more or less
Salt & Pepper
1 Bunch of Raddish, sliced
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. In a large mixing bowl, combine all meatloaf ingredients together and mix well using your hands. Take note that Chugwater Chili Powder is already salted. If the chili powder you’re using doesn’t have salt in it, go ahead and add some, otherwise, beware of over salting.
Now, make the glaze by combining all the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl and mixing well. Transfer meatloaf to a meatloaf baking pan and smother evenly with the glaze. Pop in the oven for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, start your mash by rinsing the cubed potatoes to get rid of excess starch. Place in a pot immersed in cold water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and continue boiling for another 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender enough to mash. Drain water and then, add butter, milk, salt & pepper and start mashing until smooth and creamy. Give it a taste and re-season accordingly. Add in cilantro and fold using a large spoon or spatula.
Serve with slices of radish.
September 28, 2011 · Filed under Cooking, Food, Ingredients · Tagged asian, basil, green curry, thai, tofu
I love curry and I have a staple diet of it on a regular basis. This one is really easy to make since I just use a can of this widely available green curry paste that I get from the Asian store. The only thing I did different this time is that I added some basil leaves in the mix to give it a more fresh and fragrant flavor. We don’t have any real Thai basil here in my neck of the woods so I just used the regular Italian variety, which is fine. Also, I seasoned with fish sauce for a more authentic taste. But it’s definitely fine to use salt & pepper, if you don’t have it.
This is pure vegan recipe but you can certainly add some chicken, if you wish. I have in the past, I just didn’t have any at the moment. That’s why tofu became the star of the dish. Works for me!
Oh yeah, green curry is way spicier than the red one, FYI. Okay, don the apron and get cooking!
Ingredients (4 servings):
1 can Maesri Green Curry Paste
1 can Low Fat Coconut Milk
1 cup Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
3 tbs. Fish Sauce
1/2 package firm tofu, diced into small cubes
A handful of Fresh Basil Leaves, torn into pieces
1 tbs. Dried Basil
1 Onion, sliced
1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced
4 cLoves Garlic, minced
Small Eggplant, diced into small cubes
A few pieces of diced Carrots
3 tbs. Canola Oil
Directions:
Heat oil in a pot and saute bell pepper, onions, eggplant and carrots in medium-high heat for a few minutes. Add in the garlic, dried basil and fish sauce and let cook for another couple of minutes while continuously stirring. Stir in the green curry paste, coconut milk and broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer covered for about 20 minutes. Give it a taste and re-season with more fish sauce if needed. Fold in the tofu and fresh basil. Serve over a bowl of jasmine rice.
September 26, 2011 · Filed under Cooking, Food, Ingredients, Recipes · Tagged dessert, maple, pecan, pie, southern food
I’m really not that big on making desserts and usually just rely on a quick scoop of ice cream or a piece of chocolate to get my sweet fix. But every once in a while, I’d get a hankering for something I haven’t had in a long time.
Although, I still have to have that scoop of ice cream, that’s right. 
Ingredients:
1 cup Pure Maple Syrup
1/2 cup Raw Cane Sugar (or Brown Sugar)
3 Large Eggs
4 tbs. Unsalted Butter, melted
1 tbs. Pure Vanilla Extract
1 tbs. Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
1 1/2 cups Pecans (pieces or halves)
1 9″ Pie Crust
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the first 8 ingredients until well blended. Pour mixture over the crust and bake for 1 hour. Let stand at room temp until completely cool.
September 17, 2011 · Filed under Cooking, Food, Ingredients, Recipes · Tagged aglio, evoo, garlic, italian, oil, olio, spinach, vegan, vegetarian
Here’s another one of those basic recipes that doesn’t take much to make. Just garlic, EVOO and spinach… and your lunch is good to go. It’s fantastic!
The spinach was added since I had some leftover from last week’s salad.
Ingredients (2 servings):
1/2 lb. Spaghetti (Linguine or penne works great, too)
3 cloves Garlic, minced
EVOO
Red Pepper Flakes
A handful of Baby Spinach Leaves (or other greens you have)
Grated Parmesan (or Parma, for a vegan alternative)
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, sweat garlic with EVOO and red pepper flakes in low heat until flavor is fully released, 10 minutes or less. Be sure to not burn the garlic, so keep watch.
When pasta is cooked, drain and quickly combine with garlic and oil mixture and spinach and toss well. Sprinkle with grated parmesan and finish with a drizzle of fresh EVOO.
If I had a lemon, I would’ve squirted a little juice on it, too. Maybe next time.
September 8, 2011 · Filed under Cooking, Food, Ingredients, Recipes · Tagged comfort food, english, pudding, sausages, toad in the hole, yorkshire pudding
Yay! I finally got it to puff up. I think what I did wrong the last time is that the batter was a little too thick. You can blame that on my propensity for never following recipes. Although this time, I still hesitated to make it too oily, as it’s done traditionally. So, I simply used cooking spray to grease the pan, and it worked just fine.
Surprisingly, toads taste great served both sweet and savory. Along with the leftover colcannon from the previous meal, I made a simple onion gravy and smothered it on one toad.
And I slathered another one with homemade raspberry rhubarb jam that a friend of mine just gave me. Yum!
I have to admit, though… they’re definitely not the prettiest looking dish. I had to shove the sausages down so they don’t stick up. Kinda embarrassing. Hee hee! But comfort food is simple and isn’t meant to look pretty, right? Just taste good. And taste good, it does!
Give it a whirl sometime. You won’t be disappointed.
Ingredients (Serves 3-6):
3 Fresh Sausage Links
2/3 cup All-Purpose Unbleached Flour
3 Large Eggs
2/3 cup Low-Fat Milk
3 tbs. Unsalted Butter, melted
Salt & Pepper
2 tbs. Fresh Thyme Leaves
Directions:
Place a 6-cup large muffin baking pan inside the oven and preheat it to 450F. Meanwhile, sear the sausages in high heat until half done. Cut each link in half and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with a dash of salt & pepper. Mix in the melted butter, milk and thyme. Finally, add the flour and keep whisking until well combined. The batter should be on the thin side, unlike pancake. Add a little water if it needs thinning.
Once the oven reaches 450F, take the pan out (be careful, it’s screaming hot) and quickly spray the cups with cooking spray, pour the batter about 2/3 full and add a half sausage piece to each cup. Do this very quickly and stick the pan back in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Do not open the door until then or it might not puff up like it should.
Serve either with gravy or fruit jam or preserve.
September 4, 2011 · Filed under Cooking, Food, Ingredients, Recipes
Here’s another one of those comfort foods my old neighbor shared with me back in the day. It can’t be any simpler than this. Yup! The English love their meat and potatoes, don’t they. And why not? It’s good!
I made my mash colcannon style. Besides butter and cream, I added some shredded and boiled cabbage and onions with a bit of roasted garlic and fresh thyme. Then I sprinkled it with ground mace to give it a different twist. Topped that with grilled Irish-style sausages, smothered with white mushroom gravy and… dinner’s ready.
Oh wait! Can’t forget the pint of bitter, too.
August 31, 2011 · Filed under Cooking, Food, Ingredients · Tagged english, frog in a bog, toad in the hole, yorkshire pudding
My former English neighbour used to come to my house after I get home from work to let me know how my dog had been barking all day long. She didn’t seem so thrilled about it. Yet she was still kind enough to share with me some of her comfort foods from back in the old world, which included a pie called Toad in the Hole. However, she warned… if the Yorkshire pudding doesn’t puff up, I’d have to call it Frog in the Bog. Well, there ya go, mate! Frog in the bog, it is.
But, come on… who cares? It’s fantastic! The Yorkshire pudding may not have risen much but it’s still one heck of a pie, I think. But then, what do I know? It’s the first time I’d made it.
I used Irish pork sausages that I sliced into smaller pieces so they’re more manageable. Same Yorkshire pudding recipe as anyone’s, give or take. They say the pan has to be very hot. It was screaming hot, the kitchen was full of smoke. I think it’s because I didn’t want it to be oily so I drained pretty much all of the oil in the pan before I poured in the batter.
I don’t know! All I know is that it’s good. And that’s all that matters. Right? Right?
August 28, 2011 · Filed under Cooking, Food, Ingredients, Recipes · Tagged casserole, leftovers
Clean out the pantry and icebox casserole. Everything but the kitchen sink casserole. Yep, you get the idea. And all of us have done it, one way or the other. It’s the end of the week and time to do another round of groceries. But you don’t want that last piece of zucchini, that last piece of cheese, whatever, to go to waste. Right? Right?
Let’s see what I had left… Zucchini, roasted eggplant pieces, a can of tomatoes, an almost empty bag of cheddar, a small piece of fresh mozzarella, leftover burger patty and the remaining sweet corn salsa.
Whatcha got left in your fridge?
August 25, 2011 · Filed under Cooking, Food, Ingredients, Recipes · Tagged baked, mozzarella, spaghetti
So, I have this big thing of fresh mozzarella and I really have to find ways to use it before it goes bad. I already did the Caprese salad the other night and it was great. Tonight, I thought I’d do something I hadn’t done in a long while. Usually, you just add shredded cheese to baked spaghetti, but it was such a big difference to use fresh mozzarella instead. It almost had a pizza character to it. Although, I didn’t use tomato sauce. Just EVOO and it was good to go.
There’s so many different ways to approach this. I just happened to have some leftover ingredients and it worked out pretty good. No, actually it was heaven!!!
Ingredients:
Spaghetti Pasta
Grilled/Roasted Veggies (bell pepper, eggplant, broccoli, onions, etc.), diced
Grilled/Roasted Chicken Breast, diced
Fresh Mozzarella, diced
Fresh Basil Leaves, julienned
EVOO
Red Pepper Flakes
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 500F. Cook spaghetti to al dente, drain and coat with EVOO. Transfer to an oven-safe platter and top with veggies, chicken and mozzarella pieces. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and pop in the oven for about 6-8 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and a little brown on top. Be careful not to burn it, though. Top with fresh basil and parmesan cheese. Finish with a drizzle of EVOO.
August 22, 2011 · Filed under Cooking, Food, Ingredients · Tagged basil, cairn, caprese, italian, mozzarrella, salad, tomatoes
It’s meatless Monday. Yay! I just got a couple heirlooms from the store and I couldn’t wait to try them. Oh man, they are good!!!!
These are really meant to be enjoyed raw and fresh. So I thought I’d do a little Caprese action and throw in some basil and mozzarella. I just sprinkled a little bit of sea salt and fresh pepper on the tomato slices and drizzled them with EVOO and a good quality balsamic. Good to go!
Ok, so I got carried away and made a mini cairn out of it. Hey, food’s suppose to be fun, right?
August 20, 2011 · Filed under Cooking, Food, Ingredients · Tagged cheese, chili, grits
I couldn’t help it, I had to use that for a title. I mean, why shouldn’t I? It’s a Texas/Southern/Southwestern themed dish, after all. Chili on grits. Yep, that’s what it is. And it’s what I had for lunch today. I just thought about this almost empty can of quick-cooking grits that’s been sitting on the pantry shelf for who knows how long. Should I just throw it out? Well, I decided I should have it for a quick meal instead. But with what? Oh look, a can of Stagg Chili. And some sweet corn salsa, too. Hmmm, would it work?
Only one way to find out…
I have to tell ya, sometimes I amaze myself. Hahahaha! Yeehaw!!!!!
August 13, 2011 · Filed under Cooking, Food, Ingredients · Tagged blueberries, breakfast, buttermilk pancakes, maple syrup, pancakes, raspberries, walnuts
I have been attempting to do buttermilk pancakes from scratch for a while now and experimenting is the key, I must say. The basic foundation is pretty much the same as any recipe. It’s just a matter of little bit of this and a little less of that, to find that perfect balance. But it’s all a personal preference, really. After many tries, I think I have found what works for me. Light and fluffy and bursting with flavor. Definitely beats the boxed stuff any day.
Of course, regular milk works but I really prefer the subtle flavors of buttermilk and have gotten used to doing it this way, everytime.
It takes a little bit more work and care, though, to make the “perfect” pancake. For one, you must not over mix the batter, which I know I have done one too many times. And be vigilant about cooking it in perfect timing without any burning or under cooking. Time really depends on individual circumstances (i.e. type of stove, etc.) that’s why I don’t like to say to cook it for so many minutes before flipping over. You must learn to feel things yourself. Takes a little practice, for sure.
And so with this recipe, I want to give a final word to a couple of old ladies: Aunt Jemima… the family is now officially disowning you. Oh, and Mrs. Butterworth… it’s been nice knowing you, too.
Ingredients (2-3 Servings):
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 tbs Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1 cup Buttermilk
1 Egg
2 tbs Unsalted Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Directions:
In one mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a second bowl, add butter and microwave for a few seconds to melt completely. Then add buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract and whisk together. Add the liquid ingredients into the dry bowl and mix for about half a minute or so, or just when everything is combined but still lumpy. Do not over mix. Set aside.
Now, heat a griddle in medium heat. When fully heated (a few minutes), lightly grease the surface with butter, oil or cooking spray. Pour batter and cook in batches. When bubbling appears, it’s time to flip. Cook the other side for less than the time you cooked the first side. Peek underneath every now and then to make sure you don’t overcook. Serve with maple syrup, butter, berries, walnuts and what have you.
