Laab with Pasta

As is the theme with all my May recipes, this is another good swim practice recipe.  It is made quickly and there's nothing complicated about it.  It is good energy for the kids with some pasta to help hold them over to breakfast.

When I first read this recipe, I was a little unsure--turned out it was great.  My budding vegetarian wasn't a fan of this, but the other kids liked it fine.  I am learning the key to different eaters is not mixing everything all together at the end.  I served the laab in one dish and the angel hair in the another and everything worked out.

This serves 5.

Laab with Pasta

adapted from Food and Wine

1/2 lb angel hair pasta

1 T olive oil

1 T sesame oil

1/2 c sliced almonds

1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, minced (optional)

1 t minced, fresh ginger

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

salt 

1/4 c fish sauce

4 scallions, including green tops, chopped

1 c coarsely chopped fresh mint

1/4 lime juice plus 1 lime cut into wedges

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente, according to package directions.  Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.  Transfer to a serving dish.

In large pan, toast the almonds over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 5 minutes (I find the best way to test nuts for doneness while toasting it to smell them.  Once they develop a rich, fragrant smell, they are usually ready to remove from the pan).  Remove the nuts from the pan and set aside.  

Meanwhile, heat a pan over medium high heat.  Add half the jalapeño, if using, ginger, beef, and a teaspoon of salt.  Cook the meat, breaking up large pieces with a wooden spoon, until brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes.  Remove from pan from heat and stir in the sesame oil, fish sauce, scallions, mint, and lime juice.  Transfer to a serving bowl.

To serve, put pasta on plates and top with beef mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining minced jalapeño, if desired, sliced almonds and serve with lime wedges.  

Baked Rigatoni with Tiny Meatballs

March, April and May are my absolutely nuts months, with the end of April/beginning of May being the absolute nuttiest.  There's a lot of juggling practice and game schedules with the usual piano lessons and school work.  This is the fifth year of daily swim practices right smack in the middle of supper making time, so thankfully, I know the key to not eating junk for the entire month of May--planning ahead.

This time of the year, there's lots of meals in the crockpot, meals made in the middle of the day, and meals pulled out of the freezer (that I made ahead of time).  When I choose new dishes to try, they have to be able to be either made ahead or incredibly quick.  Plus, thanks to swim practice they need to pack an energy punch, with the ability to replace the many, many calories the kids are expending during swimming in a nutricious-like fashion.

These was one find.  My picky meat eater even found the meatballs acceptable.  Next time, I want to increase the amount of seasonings in the meatballs, but other than that, it great.

Serves 6 - 8.

Baked Rigatoni with not so tiny Meatballs
adapted slightly from Deb at Smitten Kitchen who got it from Marcella Hazan

The Meatballs
1/4 c milk
1 slice good white or wheat bread, torn into small pieces
1 lb ground beef (or pork)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T parsley, chopped
1 t basil
1 t oregano
1/2 t salt
1/3 c freshly grated Parmesan
1 egg
1 c flour

The Bechamel
4 1/2 c milk
6 T butter
5 T flour
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper

The Assembly
1 lb rigatoni, cooked to al dente
3/4 c freshly grated Parmesan
1 T butter
1/4 c milk

Heat the milk (but don't let it simmer).  Add the torn bread and let it soak for 5 minutes.  If possible, squeeze excess milk from soaked bread after 5 minutes (it's ok if this is close to impossible to do, like it was for me).  Place in large bowl.  Add beef, garlic, parsley, 1/3 c grated Parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper.  Stir with a fork until evenly mixed.  Pinch off a small lump of meat, about the size of a raspberry to a large grape (mine were on the larger size of course because raspberries seemed too tedious!), and roll into a ball.  Once you have made all your (not so) tiny meatballs, roll them in the flour.  Over medium high heat, heat enough vegetable oil in a skillet to rise 1/4 inch up the sides of the pan.  When the oil is hot, put as many meatballs as will fit into the pan without overcrowding.  Brown them until they form a nice crust all around.  Transfer to paper towels to drain and continue with remaining meatballs until all have been fried.  Set aside

To make the béchamel:  Heat the milk over medium low heat in a saucepan until it forms a ring of pearly bubbles (but don't bring to a boil)  *You can also do this in the microwave in a microwave proof measuring cup if you are challenged in the area of large saucepans.  In a larger saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, add the flour, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until it is combined.  Add 2 T of milk at a time to the flour and butter mixture, stirring steadily and thoroughly through 8 additions (1 c worth of milk).  After this, add milk in 1/2 c increments, stirring constantly to keep it smooth.  Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and stir the sauce until it thickens.

To assemble:  Combine cooked rigatoni with 2/3 of the béchamel sauce, half the grated cheese, and the meatballs in a large 9x13" pan.  Spread with a rubber spatula so it is smooth.  Pour the 1/4 c milk over top and sprinkle with remaining grated cheese.

Bake on the top rack of a preheated 400 degrees oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until a golden brown crust forms on top.

Fresh Mozzarella Pasta Bake

Every once in a while, I have a random leftover I have to use.  This recipe was made for that exact reason.  I bought fresh mozzarella for homemade pizza and some was leftover.  I was excited to find this recipe to use the fresh mozzarella, because it was easy and also a good make ahead recipe.

This serves 6-8.

Fresh Mozzarella Pasta Bake

adapted from Jamie Oliver.com

2 T olive oil
1 lg onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 (14.5) cans fire roasted diced or crushed tomatoes (or 1.5 kg fresh tomatoes, peeled if desired, and roughly chopped)
1 lg handful basil leaves, torn or coarsely chopped.
1 T red wine vinegar
1 lb orecchiette (or other medium chunky pasta)
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1 lb (more or less) fresh mozzarella balls, sliced


Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onions and sauté for about 10 minutes, or until softened.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Add tomatoes to the onion and garlic along with a 1/2 c of water.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.  Using an immersion blender, food processor, or regular blender, process tomato mixture to make a smoother sauce.  Add the basil and red wine vinegar.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, according to package directions.  Drain and toss with half of the tomato sauce and 1/4 c Parmesan.  Spread a layer of pasta in a 9x13" baking pan.  Follow with tomato sauce, a sprinkle of Parmesan and 1/3 of the mozzarella.  Repeat these layers three times, ending with a layer of mozzarella on top.

(At this point, you can refrigerate the dish until you are ready to eat.  Add some time to the baking time).

Bake in a preheated 400 degrees oven for 15 minutes or until topping is golden, crisp and bubbling.

Crunchy Pappardelle

This is another recipe out of the fabulous Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi.  For some reason, my kids weren't fans of this.  However, Curtis and I were so I'll be making this again!

Just a warning, this recipe does use a lot of pots and pans.  Deal with it.  It's totally worth it.

This serves 4.

Crunchy Pappardelle
adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

1/4 c olive oil
6 c button mushrooms, halved (or quartered or sixthed depending on how big the mushrooms are)
3/4 c white wine or water
2 bay leaves
4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked and chopped
3/4 t sugar (if you aren't using wine, omit)
1 c heavy cream
grated zest of 2 lemons
6 T chopped parsley
6 T panko or white bread crumbs
1 -2 bunches broccolini, leaves removed and cut into 2 1/2" long pieces or 2 - 3 small heads of broccoli, cut into small florets
1 lb dried pappardelle

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.  At the same time, bring a medium pot of slated water to a boil for the broccoli/broccolini.  While the water comes to a boil, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms begin to brown and release their juices, stirring occasionally.  Add the wine/water, bay leaf, thyme leaves, and sugar (if using wine).  Bring to boil and reduce the liquid by 2/3rds.  Add the cream and stir to mix.  Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.  Taste and add plenty of salt and pepper.  Keep warm.

In a small pan over medium heat, toast the panko until golden, stirring as needed to brown evenly.   Be sure to watch closely--the panko browns quickly.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the parsley and lemon zest.  Set aside.

Cook the pasta until al dente, according to package directions.  Reserve about 1 c of pasta water and then drain pasta once al dente.  While the pasta cooks, cook the broccoli or broccolini in the medium pot of water until bright green and crisp tender (about 2 minutes for broccolini--longer for broccoli).  Drain.  Add the broccoli to the mushroom sauce and stir.

Place the pasta in a large serving bowl.  Add the mushroom/broccoli sauce and half the lemon zest/parsley mixture and toss to combine.  If the pasta looks dry, add some of the reserved pasta cooking water.  Stir the remaining lemon zest/parsley mixture with the golden panko.  Sprinkle over top of the pasta.

Baked Mac and Cheese

Months ago, a friend asked me for this recipe.  I still haven't given it to her, so I am just adding it here.  I was shocked to find it wasn't already on this blog--I've been making it five years as my go to baked mac and cheese recipe.

This recipe has lots of different cheese.  You don't really need to use all the cheeses--just aim for 4 cups of cheese, whatever combination floats your boat.  However, be sure to use the velveeta--it helps make the mac and cheese creamier.

This is not a healthy recipe.  If you don't already know this, I'll let you in to a little secret--mac and cheese is not healthy to start with.  This one is particularly bad for you, so make it on occasion and enjoy it thoroughly!

Makes one 9x13" pan and serves about 6 (to maybe 8 depending on serving size)

Baked Mac and Cheese
adapted from the foodnetwork.com

3/4 lbs (12 oz) elbow macaroni
4 eggs
1/3 c Velveeta cheese, cut into small cubes (small is important so it melts quickly)
5 T butter, melted
2 c half and half, divided
4 c grated cheese  (recommended:  2 c cheddar, 1 c mozzarella, 1/3 c Asiago, 1/3 c Gruyere, 1/3 c Monterey Jack)
dash of salt
black pepper

Cook the macaroni according to the package directions to al dente.  Drain and keep warm.  Whisk the eggs in a large bowl while the macaroni cooks.  Add the Velveeta, butter and 1/2 c of half and half to the eggs.  Add the hot macaroni and toss until the Velveeta is melted and mixture is smooth (if the Velveeta doesn't melt the whole way, that's ok too).  Add the remaining 1 1/2 c half and half and the grated cheese.  Season with salt and pepper and toss until completely combined in a large bowl.

Pour the mixture into a 9x13" baking pan and bake for 1 hour in a preheated 325 degrees oven.

Homemade Gnocchi with light Spring Sauce

We're not great at eating potatoes in our house. I know it's crazy, who has a problem cooking with plain ole' tators? Boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, roasted potato wedges, the options are endless. However, unless the potatoes are going into a roast or a stew, they tend to just hang out in my potato basket until the sprout, shrivel, and then mold. Sad, I know. It's just how things are.

We've had several weeks now of getting potatoes in our CSA box, off and on. I've made smashed potatoes and a yummy Spanish tapas-style tortilla. Yet, still the potatoes sat there. I then remembered my favorite potato dish (almost ever, but maybe not quite). Gnocchi.

Last fall, I attempted sweet potato gnocchi and last winter I made regular gnocchi (I just didn't post about it, ooops). One hot spring day (as all spring days were this year, sigh) I boiled some potatoes and started to make gnocchi. The kids wanted in on the process, which was a lot of fun. They helped roll out the gnocchi snakes. M, now 6, did a great job. I had to laugh at John's snake--it was complete with an enlarged flattened head at the front, just like a snake. At that point, John's helping was over. He lost interest when I had to roll the snake to be uniform and then cut it. He just wanted to use the gnocchi dough like play dough.

Don't let shaping the gnocchi correctly discourage you from trying. I make the saddest looking gnocchi you've ever seen. It doesn't prevent it from tasting good. I think I need to keep trying in hopes of someday getting it right.

For the sauce, I slightly adapted the macaroni, peas, and cheese recipe and topped the gnocchi with that. It was perfect for spring when I wasn't very hungry for a heavy tomato sauce.

We loved it. Curtis didn't partake. I know he's not gnocchi fan, so I made it on a day he wasn't home for supper. The gnocchi fills you up pretty quickly so this recipe goes a long way.

Serves 4 -6.

Potato Gnocchi with Spring Sauce

from MarthaStewart.com + Melissa Clark's In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite

2 lbs potatoes, scrubbed

salt (about 3 T)

2 c + 2 T flour

2 large eggs

dash of freshly ground pepper

For the sauce

2 oz bacon or pancetta, chopped

1 1/2 c frozen peas

3 T heavy cream

2 T fresh mint or basil, chopped

2 t lemon juice

To make the gnocchi: Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with 2 inches of water. Add 1 T of salt, bring to a boil, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes (less depending on the size of your potatoes). Drain the potatoes, and while they are still hot, peel the potatoes, using a clean kitchen towel to help you hold them, if necessary. Using a potato ricer or food mill (I use the food mill attachment for my kitchenaid---the same one I use for making applesauce), process the potatoes, letting them fall onto a lightly floured work surface (ie the counter). Make a well in the center of the potatoes, sprinkle flour evenly over the potatoes, redefining the well if necessary. Break the eggs into the well. Add 1 T salt and a dash of pepper. Lightly beat eggs, then incorporate the flour and potatoes to make a soft dough. Knead the dough when it is too difficult to mix with a fork. You want to use as little extra dough as possible to keep the gnocchi light and fluffy like little pillows.

Divide the dough into 4 balls and on a lightly floured work surface, shape each ball into a 3/4" in diameter snake (no heads, please). Cut the rope into a 1/2 - 3/4" pieces. To shape the gnocchi, hold the gnocchi in one hand. Push the back of fork tines against the gnocchi and roll the gnocchi off the tines, making a indentation on the back as you do so with your index finger. (check out this recipe for a better explanation. Disclaimer: my gnocchi was malformed and ugly, but tasty). Put the gnocchi on a baking sheet, not letting them touch until all the gnocchi is shaped and you are ready to cook the gnocchi.

While you bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, make the sauce. To make the sauce: Cook the bacon or pancetta in a large skillet until crispy. Stir in the peas and cook for a minute to defrost. Add the heavy cream and herbs. Cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly, 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in the cheese. While the sauce cooks, put half the gnocchi in the pot of boiling water. Cook until the gnocchi floats to the surface, 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from boiling water and put directly into hot bacon and pea sauce. Repeat with remaining gnocchi, drizzle lemon juice on top of sauce, and stir gently to combine gnocchi and sauce. Serve immediately.

Cold Sauce Pasta

I have entered full-on summer cooking mode. It isn't even half way through June yet and we've hit 100 degrees at least 8 (maybe 10?) times. It is not surprising that I am no longer interested in long meals that I spend hours (or even 1 hour) over the stove stirring or cooking in the oven. I have been on the lookout for recipes that use minimal stovetop/oven time and are slightly lighter fair.

I stumbled up upon this when we were still in the midst of swim practice during prime cooking time. It was a God-send. Almost all the work is done the evening before. It just takes a little foresight (this isn't a last minute type of meal). The only stuff that uses the stove is cooking the pasta the day you serve this.

Again, let me reiterate: You must make this sauce the day before you want to eat the meal. The sauce takes almost no time to make, but it sits in the fridge over night to let the flavors marry and enrich.

We all enjoyed it. I do think my favorite part was the ease of it all. This will definitely be a swim team/summer staple.

This serves 4 - 6. I served it with a loaf of homemade basil pecan bread (once I get a loaf of that I'm proud of, I'll post the recipe. The recipe is over on Food52 if you want to check it out yourself).

Cold Sauce Pasta

adapted from Roxanne DeRosa on Food52.com with the help of DRBAB's testing notes

1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 c basil, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, left whole

2 T extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

long skinny pasta (I probably used capellini, but spaghetti or anything else similar will do)

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, cook the pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, stir the olive oil into the sauce and remove the garlic cloves. Drain the hot pasta, place in a serving bowl and top with the sauce. Serve.

That's it. Really. It is that easy.

Pork and Shrimp Dumplings with Bok Choy and Noodles

My children are getting older. That is a "Well, duh, Melani" comment if there ever was one, but sometimes, these observations are more evident than others.

Take this meal for instance. For a change, cooking supper was made infinitely easier because of my daughter's help. Going on 6, M is becoming quite a commis (don't be impressed, I had to wikipedia it to find the right word). We have found some recipes that she can almost make by herself now that she can read recipes. For this meal, I did the chopping and M did the mixing and shaping of the dumplings.

Making dumplings are perfect for little hands that want to help in the kitchen. Being the non-artistic, non-perfectionist that I am, I wasn't concerned what the dumplings looked like. This could have to do with the fact that the recipe I was using had no instructions on how to shape dumplings except: "seal and shape." Hmm. Thus, I basically went for sealed.

We loved this meal. M particularly loved it because she had such an integral part of making the meal. The recipe makes twice as many dumplings as we used. I froze the leftovers dumplings and will pull them out next time I have some bok choy that I need to use. Easy dinner.

While making dumplings may seem daunting and time consuming, on a whole this recipe wasn't terribly difficult to make or that time consuming. I am sure it helped considerably that I had M doing all the dirty work. :)

Pork and Shrimp Dumplings with Bok Choy and Noodles

adapted from Cindy Lee Roberts on Food52

1 lb ground pork

1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and chopped

1/4 c spring onions or scallions, chopped

1/2 inch piece of ginger, finely grated

3/4 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1 t sesame oil

1 t Mirin or white cooking wine

1 packet dumpling or wonton wrappers (you'll need 50)

8 oz somen, soba, or udon noodles

a bunch (approx 8 oz) of bok choy, sliced into 1" ribbons and roughly chopped

Sauce

1 1/2 T fish sauce (Nuac Mam or something similar)

1 T soy sauce

2 t white vinegar

1 t chili garlic paste (optional)

1/2 t sesame oil

1/3 c spring onion or scallions, finely chopped

1/3 c cilantro, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

Mix together the pork, shrimp, spring onions, ginger, salt, pepper, sesame oil, and wine in a medium bowl. Place about 1 T of the mixture into the bottom half of a dumpling or wonton wrapper. Using your index finger, make a border of water around the filling. Fold the top half over and seal (the water is necessary for the dumpling to seal shut).

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. The following will depend on what kind of noodles you use. If you use a fast cooking, thin noodle like somen or rice threads (vermicelli), add the dumplings to the boil water first and add the noodles when there are two or three minutes left. If you are using a slower cooking, thicker noodle, like udon, add the noodles first, cook for a couple of minutes, and then add the dumplings. The dumplings need around 8 minutes in the boiling water to cook through. The easiest way to test to see if the dumplings are finished is to just break one open.

Meanwhile, mix all the sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Add the bok choy to the noodles and the dumplings and cook a minute or so more, or until the bok choy has wilted. Drain the noodles, et al. Pour the sauce over top and gently combine, being careful not to break the noodles. Garnish with a little cilantro and serve. (If you left out the chili garlic sauce because of children's sensitive tastes, you can put a little bit on top of each serving, as desired).

Macaroni, Peas, and Cheese

This is not macaroni and cheese. Don't sell it to whoever you are serving it as mac and cheese. They'll form a mutiny. It is not macaroni and cheese.

What it is is a light spring (or anytime) pasta dish full of flavor that makes you feel good about yourself (unlike mac and cheese). Well, it makes you feel good about yourself if you ignore the little bit of bacon and heavy cream you added to the pot.

As you may be able to tell, I learned from my mistakes. M didn't eat it for supper because it wasn't mac and cheese. The boys both loved it. I'll definitely make it again and not sell it as mac and cheese and I suspect she'll eat it just fine.

Macaroni, Peas, and Cheese

from in The Kitchen with a Good Appetite by Melissa Clark

8 oz elbows or other cute small pasta

1 T butter*

1 t olive oil*

2 oz bacon (2 strips store bought, 1 strip farmer's market), diced (optional)

1 1/2 c frozen peas

3 T heavy cream

2 T fresh basil or mint, chopped

2 t lemon juice

1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated

*If not using bacon, you need, otherwise the bacon creates enough grease.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well. If you are not using bacon, melt the butter and oil together in a large skillet. If you are using bacon, cook bacon in a large skillet until crispy. Stir in the peas and cook for a minute to defrost. Add the heavy cream and herbs. Cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly, 2 - 3 minutes. Add the pasta and drizzle with lemon juice. Stir in the cheese until the past is completely coated and the mixture is creamy. Serve.

Tuna, Artichoke and Olive Pasta

Some evenings, I just don't feel like cooking or eating what is on the menu for the evening. Often, I want something less complicated or less heavy than what I had planned. Those are the evenings I put a few words into epicurious, foodandwine.com, or google (with the new recipe function!) and sees what pops up.

In this instance it was "Artichokes and Pasta." I had a can of artichoke hearts that had been languishing in my pantry forever and I thought it was probably time. Epicurious didn't let me down. I ended up with an easy pasta dish that used all pantry items and was quick. The kids liked bits and pieces of it--I'm fine with them picking out what they don't like. This was honestly a 30 - 45 minute meal from finding the recipe to sitting at the table.

This serves 6 people easily.

Tuna, Artichoke and Olive Pasta

adapted from epicurious

1 lb small pasta (I used little bowties)

1 (13.5 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained

1/4 c drained and rinsed capers (optional--I didn't use because M doesn't like)

1/2 c pitted and chopped black olives

juice and zest of 1 lemon

12 - 13 oz of tuna, preferably in olive oil, drained

1/2 c extra virgin olive oil

1/2 c parsley, chopped

Bring water to a boil in a large pot and add pasta. Cook until al dente. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine remaining ingredients. When pasta is done cooking, reserve 1/2 c of pasta cooking water and drain remaining water. Put the pasta in a large serving bowl and pour reserved pasta cooking water over top. Add the artichoke mixture, toss and serve.

Pasta with Chard and Dried Fruit

I had planned on making a heavier dish with my chard this week. However, when Sunday evening rolled around, I was wanting something lighter after a weekend of eating cheese and dairy filled meals. I still wanted to use the chard and I thought pasta would be good, too. So, I searched. I thankfully didn't have to search long before I found this recipe.

The kids didn't love this. I think if M would have been hungrier, she would have eaten more. J ate it pretty well, but little I didn't eat much. We are still working on eating green leafy things consistently. Curtis and I really enjoyed it.

I didn't end up having enough chard, so I used a combination of spinach and chard. That worked just fine--I couldn't really tell the difference between the two in the dish.

This serves 4 - 6.

Pasta with Chard and Dried Fruit

adapted from Food and Wine

3 T pine nuts, toasted

5 T olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 bunches chard, large stems removed and leaves chopped into 2" pieces (or spinach or a combo)

1 1/2 t salt

3/4 t black pepper

1/4 c sliced dried apricots

1/4 c raisins

1/4 c red wine (optional, you can also use water)

small pinch of cinnamon

3/4 lb long pasta, such as fettuccine or linguine

1/4 c grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until done. While the water heats for the pasta, put the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant and golden. Add the chard and a 1/2 t of salt and pepper. Cook until the chard is wilted. Add the dried fruit, wine, and cinnamon. Simmer until the mixture is almost dry. Remove from heat.

Drain the pasta when it is al dente. Toss it with the chard. If the pasta looks a little dry, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over top. Sprinkle with pine nuts and parmesan and season with remaining salt and pepper.

Minestrone Soup!!! With Cabbage!!!!

I have several minestrone soups in my collection already. What propelled me to try a new one though, was the presence of cabbage.

CSA's are unpredictable, or at least our CSA is. Last year, we got just a little cabbage, at the end of the season. This year, we get a head of cabbage a week, which for us, is a lot of cabbage. I've had a hard time staying ahead it. Last year, we got tons and tons of carrots. Yesterday we got 4 small ones (and in general the bunches have been smaller). I've been buying carrots at the store to handle our winter carrot eating habit. That's just how a CSA goes, I guess. I think I'd take the carrots over the all the cabbage though.

Anyway, I was excited about this recipe, even though I was unsure of it. The recipe called for uncooked, un-soaked dried beans to be used, which just seemed like blasphemy to me. Could the beans possibly be cooked without pre-soaking them? I tried, and for the most part, they were fine. The garbanzos were a little hard still, but very edible, and I found that the next day, the consistency was just right for them. If you can, buy the beans in bulk so you can just buy as much as you need. I liked using the Parmesan cheese rind which had been hanging out in my fridge for quite a while, waiting for a recipe like this.

The kids tried this and I think they would have liked it, except for the fact that it was too spicy. Yes, I managed to make minestrone soup too spicy. I agreed with them too and found an alternative for them without any qualms (normally, they eat what we are eating, unless I know ahead of time they probably won't like it or it ends up being too spicy). I have adapted the recipe some to take this into account.

Additonally, I think this recipe easily could be adapted to a slow-cooker if you would want to experiment. This recipe is time intensive, but not much work. It just requires at least 2 1/2 hours of cooking time, so save for a cold day.

This recipes feeds 4 - 6.

Minestrone Soup--With Cabbage!!!!
adapted from Foodwriter97426 on food52.com

1 med onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
3/4 c dry cannellini beans
1/4 c dry garbanzo beans
6 c water
1 bay leaf
2 t fresh thyme, chopped
2 t fresh rosemary, chopped
2 t fresh oregano, chopped
1 1/2 t salt
a dash of black pepper
1 c green beans, cut into 1 - 2 inch pieces (I use frozen)
1 c carrots, coarsely diced
1 can diced tomatoes (with juice)
2" piece Parmesan cheese rind
10 oz of cabbage, thinly sliced
1/3 c small pasta
1/2 c red wine

Saute onions in a little oil in a large soup pot over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and saute another minute. Add the beans, water and by leaf. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hrs or until beans are just barely tender. Add thyme, rosemary, oregano, salt, dash of pepper, green beans, carrots, tomatoes, and cheese rind. Return to a boil, then cover and continue to simmer another 30 minutes over low heat. Add cabbage and pasta to the pot. If the soup looks dry at any time, add up to an additional 1 1/2 c of water. Simmer, uncovered, another 30 minutes. Add wine, and taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve topped with some extra grated Parmesan.

Pasta alla Norma

Let me just start by saying I haven't touched my camera in two weeks except to take a picture of this dish. Enjoy this picture, it's the only I have of our food lately. :)

That said, I love eggplant. I never thought I would say that. However, eggplant in pasta sauce is just divine. It adds a nice texture and just a slight flavor. Sigh. I loved this dish and am wishing it was still around.

We all liked this pretty well. Curtis and I really enjoyed. Little I loved the eggplant in it. J and M were suspect about its presence. I gleamed some inspiration from Pasta with Robust Summer Sauce I made a couple of weekends ago (or has it been a month already?). The largest inspiration--anchovies. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I love anchovies. Anchovies got a bad rap sometime in the 70's/early 80's. Anchovies rock. They provide that last taste needed in dishes--umami. Give anchovies a chance sometime, like in the recipe for instance. They're not terribly expensive and they pack a lot of umpf! for just a small amount used.

Here it is: Pasta alla Norma alla Melani!

Pasta alla Norma
adapted from Gourmet

2 lg eggplants
olive oil
1 T dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
large bunch of basil, leaves thinly sliced (roll up like a cigar and thinly slice into ribbons)
1 t white wine vinegar
2 anchovies, minced
28 oz (1 -28 oz can) diced tomatoes,
salt and pepper, to taste
1 lb spaghetti or other long, skinny pasta (I used cappellini)
grated Parmesan cheese


Cut the eggplants into 1/2" cubes (leaving the skin on). Add a little oil to a large skillet and heat. Fry the eggplant in batches, adding just enough oil to prevent the eggplant from sticking. You don't want the eggplant to bathe in oil to prevent them from getting oily tasting later. Fry into the eggplant are tender and starting to brown. Remove from pan and sprinkle with some oregano.

Return all eggplant to the pan, reduce the heat to medium and add a little more oil (as needed, to prevent sticking). Add the garlic and stir. Cook until garlic is fragrant, then add white wine vinegar, anchovies, and tomatoes (you can puree the tomatoes before adding if you wish, but I preferred chunky tomatoes). Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, taste, and adjust seasonings. Add half the basil leaves (about 2 - 4 T).

Meanwhile, cook pasta. Reserve 1/2 c of cooking liquid, drain pasta, and return to cooking pot. Add the tomato sauce to the pasta pot and a little (2 - 4 T) of cooking water and toss together over low heat. Taste and adjust seasonings. To serve, sprinkle with remaining basil and Parmesan cheese.

Pasta Aglio e Olio

I've been having a hard time coming up with a week's menu lately. I'm not quite sure why. Periodically this happens though. I feel like cooking nothing and am very uninspired. Last week, this was the case. To illustrate the severity of this, let me tell you about our Labor Day weekend meals. Of the 6 meals we ate (3 lunches and 3 suppers--breakfasts aren't included), 4 of those meals consisted of sandwiches of some sort---salami and cheddar, almond butter and jelly, or roasted eggplant and arugula. Another meal, Curtis cooked steaks and sweet potatoes on The Egg. Yet another, we went to someone else's house for a cookout. That sums it up. I made....an arugula and stone fruit salad and sweet potato biscuits and that was it for 6 meals. Sad, I know.

Now that that confession is out of the way, you understand when I said I've been uninspired. I was pleased to find this recipe that used locally sourced ingredients---Texas extra virgin olive oil and basil and garlic from our CSA (I could have splurged on locally made pasta, but didn't, story of my week). This was the best version of this recipe I've found. Simple, yet very delicious. So much so, that the usual 1/2 lb of pasta I made for our family didn't go nearly far enough.

A full recipe will probably serve 4 - 5 people.

Pasta Aglio e Olio
adapted from Whole Foods Market.com

1 lb spaghetti or other long thin pasta (we used linguini)
5 T extra virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 c fresh parsley or basil, chopped
1/2 c grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/3 c of pasta cooking water, then drain well.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic begins to lightly brown. Watch carefully so garlic does not burn. Add the cooked pasta and reserved pasta water to the garlic and oil. Add all but 1 T of the basil, half of the cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and toss well. Transfer to serving bowl and top with remaining basil and cheese. Serve immediately.

Pasta with Easy Summer Sauce

This is another of my tried and true Moosewood recipes. Thanks to green beans in our CSA box a couple of weeks ago, this recipe was resurrected. I then remembered it is also a very good recipe, even if you omit the green beans.

We all enjoyed this. M had to put the ingredients all into separate piles to eat, but she did eat two big servings.

Pasta with Easy Summer Sauce
from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics

1 c quartered grape or cherry tomatoes
2 T fresh parsley, minced
1 T fresh basil, minced
1/4 c red onions, minced
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 T black olives, sliced or chopped
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1 t balsamic vinegar
1/2 lb farfalle or other chunky pasta
1 c green beans, cut into 2" pieces
1/4 c feta cheese, crumbled (or more, to taste)

Bring a large pot of slated water to boil. When the water boils, stir in the pasta, cover, and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. When the water returns to a boil, add the green beans and cook for 8 - 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente and the beans are just tender. Drain well.

While the pasta and green beans cook, combine the tomatoes, parsley, basil, onions, garlic, black olives, olive oil, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Add the tomato mixture to the cooked pasta and green beans. Gently combine. Top with feta cheese. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Trenette al Pesto

After looking for new recipes for quite a while now, I am finding myself going back to some tried and true recipes that I discovered years ago. Many of these are from Moosewood Restaurant's New Classics. This is one of these.

This recipe is a little funny because it has not just one, but two starches in it. I consider it a complete meal, with maybe just some sliced tomatoes (and fresh mozzarella) as a side.

All but M enjoyed this. For some reason, M is in her, "foods can't be mixed" stage again. Little I loved it. Even with just 1/2 lb of pasta, this still easily serves 4 - 6 people.

Trennete al Pesto
adapted from Moosewood Restaurant's New Classics

Pesto
1 clove garlic
1 c packed fresh basil
2 T pine nuts, toasted
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
1/4 t salt, or to taste
3 - 4 T extra virgin olive oil

2 medium potatoes, peeled, cut lengthwise into quarters and sliced 1/4" thick (about 2 c)
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 2" lengths (about 4 c)
1/2 lb pasta (trenette or linguini)

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the potatoes and pasta. Stir well and cover. After about 2 minutes, add the green beans, stir and cover. When the pasta is al dente (after 5 more minutes), drain, reserving 1 c of cooking liquid.

While pasta cooks, make pesto. Combine all pesto ingredients in a food processor and puree until it is a rough paste, scraping down sides as necessary. (This makes about 1/2 c).

In a large bowl toss the pasta mixture with the pesto and 1/2 c reserved cooking water. Add more cooking water as necessary to coat the pasta with a moist sauce. Serve immediately

Gnocchi with Tomato, Basil, and Olives

Gnocchi. Oh, be still my beating heart.

I love gnocchi. Some day, I will be bold and attempt to make homemade gnocchi (once I have a potato ricer). Until then, I'll buy the packages of dried gnocchi in the store and be more than content.

I made this recipe in the easiest way possible. I used already made pasta sauce and packaged gnocchi. The recipe went together very quickly and was great, easy weeknight meal. The kids and I really enjoyed it. Curtis doesn't love gnocchi. I do though. He's stuck. This will serve only 3 (maybe 4 at the most) people.

Gnocchi with Tomato, Basil, and Olives
adapted from Lidia's Italian Table

2 T butter
1/2 c large green olives, pitted and just barely chopped
1 1/2 c tomato or pasta sauce
1 package gnocchi (8 oz, I believe)
1/2 c Parmesan, freshly grated
5 basil leaves, shredded
salt and black pepper, to taste

In a lg skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add the olives and cook, stirring, until sizzling, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cook the gnocchi according to package directions in a large pot of boiling water over high heat. Return the sauce to a simmer over low heat. Add the cooked gnocchi and stir gently with a wooden spoon until coated. Stir in the grated cheese and basil. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.

Timballo

Yes, I've been cooking the past week and a half. It's been a little crazy at our house though, as usual. Between being out of town, having an out of town guest stay with us, two kids with strep throat, preschool graduation, Mother's Day, and a birthday, I've gotten behind on posting. Really, I am going to try to do better, especially since the season is changing and I have new recipes to post!

Swiss chard is finally coming on strong. I've made some favorite recipes like Swiss Chard Tart and Lasagna Style Baked Ziti. I've also found some new recipes, one of my favorite being this one.

This is a slightly fussy recipe. The recipe calls for the dish to be made in souffle dish and then inverted onto a platter to be served, making it resemble the leaning town of pasta. I did that this time. It was interesting and looked kinda rustic Italian. I won't do it next time though. I will cook it in a round, tall casserole dish, but I'll skip inverting it, serving it out of the dish instead. It is an all afternoon type of dish, but it's worth it. Most of the stuff you could do ahead of time or start and walk away from for a while. This makes 6 - 8 servings easily.

We all liked this and I think it's a rather great way to use chard.

Timballo
adapted slightly from Gourmet

Meat Sauce
1 1/2 T olive oil
1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage (casings removed if in links)
1 med onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1/4 t salt
1 T tomato paste
1/2 c dry red wine
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes
pinch of sugar

For chard in bechamel sauce
1 lb Swiss chard, ribs removed, and leaves coarsely chopped (4 c)
1 1/2 T unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T all-purpose flour
1 c milk (whole works best)
1/4 t salt
pinch of pepper
1/8 t freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 c Parmesan, finely grated

3/4 lb ziti
4 oz mozzarella, grated


To make the meat sauce: Heat oil in 12" skillet over medium high heat until hot. Saute sausage, breaking up lumps, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add onion and bay leaf. Saute, stirring frequently, until onion begins to brown, 5 - 7 minutes. Add carrot, celery and salt. Saute, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, one minute. Add wine and deglaze by boiling, scraping browned bits off bottom of the pan, until most of the liquid is evaporated, 1 -2 minutes. Add tomato puree and sugar and boil, stirring frequently until thickened, 8 - 10 minutes. Cool sauce and discard bay leaf.

While sauce cooks, cook pasta in a pot of boiling, salted water until al dente (according to package directions). Transfer with skimmer to a colander to drain (don't rinse), reserving cooking water in pot to cook chard. Spread pasta on a cookie sheet and cool until warm.

To make the chard in bechamel sauce: Add chard to the pot of reserved pasta water an simmer, uncovered, until tender, 3- 5 minutes. Transfer with skimmer to a bowl of ice water. Drain chard and squeeze handfuls. Finely chop. Heat butter in a 1 1/2- 2 qt heavy saucepan over moderate heat until foam subsides. Add garlic and cook, whisking, one minute, being careful not to burn garlic. Add flour and cook, whisking, one minute. Add milk in a slow stream, whisking. Bring to a boil, whisking. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until sauce has slightly thickened. Stir in chard, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and 2 T Parmesan. Remove from heat.

To assemble and bake: Oil a 2 qt or so casserole dish with tall sides and line bottom with a round of parchment paper, then oil parchment. (Skip the parchment paper step if you don't plan to invert it). Cover bottom of dish with a single layer of pasta. Sprinkle 1/2 c mozzarella and 3 T Parmesan over pasta. Spoon half of meat sauce in an even layer over cheese. Arrange 1/3 of remaining pasta over meat sauce in dish, top with all of the chard/bechamel sauce, then another layer of pasta (about 1/2 of the remainder). Sprinkle with remainder of cheese, then spoon remaining meat sauce over cheese. Top with remaining pasta. Cover dish with a lightly oiled piece of foil.

Fill a large pan (I used a roasting pan) about an inch or so up with water. Place timballo into pan. Bake timballo in water bath in a preheated 375 degrees oven for about 1 hour. Remove from water bath and let stand, covered for 15 minutes. Remove foil. If inverting, run a knife around the edge to loosen timballo. Invert onto a platter. Remove souffle dish and parchment.

Not Vegetarian Spinach Lasagna

I thought I should clarify right off the bat that this isn't a vegetarian recipe. I am sure it could be adapted to be such, but I used meat.

I liked this ok. Baby I loved it. He scarfed this for I don't know how many meals. My complete was that it tasted too much like wine. I've decided that next time I make this, I'll do it differently so I am including two recipes--the original slightly adapted one I made, which Curtis liked a lot and I liked it ok, and the recipe I plan on trying next time. I'm sure if you wanted, you could leave out the wine entirely, just substitute more tomatoes or other liquid in it's place. M helped me make this which was a lot of fun. She and J ate it just fine the first time around (or so I am told, I didn't eat with the fam this evening), but neither of them would eat it as leftovers.

Not Vegetarian Spinach Lasagne
adapted from Gourmet

The first time around bolognese sauce recipe:
1/4 lb bacon, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground beef
1 1/2 c dry white wine
1 1/2 c whole milk
1/4 c tomato paste
1 c diced tomatoes with juice
1 1/2 t thyme leaves

What I am going to do next time:
1/4 lb bacon, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground beef
1/2 c dry white wine
1 1/2 c whole milk
1/4 c tomato paste
2 c diced tomatoes with juice (or maybe even more than this. I'll let you know!)
1 1/2 t thyme leaves

For the Ricotta filling:
10 oz fresh spinach, coarsely chopped or 2 (10-oz) pkgs frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 (15-oz) containers ricotta cheese
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 Parmesan cheese
1/2 t grated nutmeg
3/4 c whole milk, divided

To assemble use the above plus:
12 no-boil dried lasagne noodles (from 1 box, original recipe recommends Barilla brand)
1/2 c grated Parmesan

To make the sauce: Cook bacon until it is crispy. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Drain some of the fat, but leave 1 - 2 T in the pan. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to the pan, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are golden and softened, 12 - 15 minutes. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally to break up any lumps, until meat is no longer pink, 6 - 10 minutes. Stir in wine, milk, tomato paste, thyme, 1/4 t salt, 3/4 t pepper, and diced tomatoes. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated but the sauce is still moist, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the ricotta filling. Whisk together the ricotta, eggs, parmesan, nutmeg, 1 1/4 t salt, and 1 t pepper in a large bowl. Transfer 1 1 /2 c of mixture to another bowl and whisk in 1/4 c milk. Set aside. Whisk spinach into remaining filling with remaining 1/2 c milk.

To assemble lasagna, soak noodles in a bowl of very warm water until pliable, but not softened, 3 - 5 minutes. Place on kitchen towel (but you don't need to pat dry). Spread 1 1/2 c bolognese sauce in baking pan and sprinkle with 1 T parmesan. Cover with 3 noodles (leaving space in between). Spread half of spinach filling on top, then 1 c bolognese sauce, and top with 1 T Parmesan and 3 noodles. Repeat. Top with remaining bolognese sauce, 1 T Parmesan and remaining 3 noodles. Pour reserved ricotta mixture over top and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c Parmesan.

Cover pan tightly with parchment paper and foil (to prevent cheese from sticking to foil. You can also just butter the foil). Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is browned in spots, about 15 minutes more. Let stand 15 - 30 minutes before cutting.

If you are making this ahead of time, you should probably bake it you are making it a day or more ahead of before you are going to serve it (because the noodles aren't cooked prior to going into the oven). To serve it, reheat in 350 degrees oven, loosely covered with foil. If it is just a couple of hours ahead of time, you are safe to refrigerate until you need to bake it.

Awesome Homemade Ramen

The bok choy has been collecting in my refrigerator. Despite having lots of bok choy recipes, I have felt at loss lately about what to do with it. I am all out of beef (what a bummer!! Come on steer--fatten up already!), and was needing a break from stir-fry. I haven't been terribly into bok choy salad this year, but am finally starting to get a hankering for it. I needed a new bok choy and I needed it fast!

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I saw a recipe on thekitchn.com for an easy bok choy/poached egg noodles soup. I stored the info somewhere in my brain where it didn't get lost (for a change) and remembered it last night when I was contemplating serving my kids hotdogs and white rice for supper (which I must confess, I did. They also ate lots of peas). My husband obviously wasn't home for supper. I couldn't bring myself to eat hotdogs and white rice. Although the kids thought it was fabulous for a change, I wasn't impressed. Then, I remembered this recipe.

I love this recipe. It is so good and so easy! I used dried udon noodles, but you can use prepared udon noodles as well. I also found some chicken stock from an asian/orange-spiced roasted turkey I made after Thanksgiving (ok, way after Thanksgiving, like in January. It was a rough November) and used that. I didn't use much other seasonings, but if I use less flavorful stock next time, I probably will season it. I very gently eased my egg into the soup and it poached perfectly--I was so pleased with myself, my first poached egg. The amounts are kinda loosey goosey because this is one of those recipes that is a base--adapt to your likes. I used about 1 c of bok choy and thought it needed more.

I begrudingly shared a bite with M, after she had filled up on her rice/pea/ketchup concoction she created on her plate. She also enjoyed it. It's funny, I've made a bunch of "fancy" recipes lately, but this simple comfort soup, that reminded me of eating ramen noodles in college, has been my favorite new recipe of the last two weeks. This will serve two ravenous adults as a meal.

Awesome Homemade Ramen
adapted from thekitchn.com

4 -5 c chicken broth
2 whole star anise (opt)
1 stick cinnamon
1/2 pkg dried udon noodles (about 5 oz) or 2 7-oz pkgs pre-cooked udon noodles
1 -2 c bok choy leaves, sliced into ribbons
2 green onions, thinly sliced
soy sauce, to taste
1 t garlic powder (opt)
sesame oil, to taste

Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium sauce pan. Add the star anise and cinnamon, if using, and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes. If using dried udon noodles, add them to the broth and cook until they are pliable (very bendy, but not fully cooked). Crack the eggs into separate measure cups and slip them one at a time into the broth. Cook for two minutes. Add the bok choy and stir very gently so as not to disturb the eggs. Cook for an additional two minutes, until the egg whites are completely set, but the middles are still loose (cook an extra minute if you want your yolk set). Remove from heat and add garlic powder (if using) and green onions. Add soy sauce and sesame oil to taste. Eat immediately.