Delish Bolognese (re-visited)

Posted on July 28, 2011 | Leave a comment
Bolognese Sauce
Onions, Celery, Carrots, and Garlic chopped up for Bolognese

Today was a very un Colorado like day for the summer, overcast all day and drizzly and rainy. I decided not to grill, although the sun has decided to make an appearance at 6 pm. Usually it will rain and then clear up and be super beautiful. I guess today was a day for the flowers, and grass. In any event, I decided to make Joel very happy and make my Bolognese Sauce.  As you can tell I have posted photos, didn’t use my Le Creuset b/c it was in use. I used my large All Clad Frying Pan . I decided to use Orecchiette Pasta b/c I actually had an 8 oz. package and will freeze the remaining sauce. (Orecchiette looks like little hats) I served Bolognese with Caesar Salad. Both recipes are already on blog. Very delicious, very rich, very filling. A little goes a long way. And I have another meal in freezer! Look under the pasta category on my blog to find full recipe. And Caesar Salad Dressing under Salad Dressing Category.

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Yet another thing to do with Blueberries! (very easy)

Posted on July 25, 2011 | Leave a comment

 

I can only imagine what you’re thinking, is she kidding? does she have nothing better to do with her time? and her berries? i forgot about this recipe and it is so very good, it is a standby . also no mixer! just whisking together and no sifting! this is a wonderful dessert with vanilla ice cream, and an awesome breakfast cake, it is a deliciously moist pudding type cake.   i got it from my very favorite now gone, Gourmet magazine. i miss that magazine so much 😦

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar plus another 1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 pints blueberries

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 large egg (room temperature)

1/2 cup whole milk

1 stick unsalted butter (1 1/2 cup) melted and cooled slightly (put stick of butter in a bowl and nuke it for about 15 seconds, if it’s not melted do it again for a few seconds at a time) don’t put in microwave in paper!!!!!!!!! it’ll melt all over the place.

1 teaspoon vanilla

Position oven rack in middle of oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Butter a 9 inch square baking pan. You can spray with Pam baking spray but I always use a teensy bit of butter anyway.

Stir together 1/2 cup sugar with 1/2 cup water, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small saucepan, then stir in blueberries. Bring to a simmer, then while simmering, stir occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and remaing 1/2 cup sugar in a medium to large bowl. Whisk together egg, milk, butter, and vanilla in another large bowl. Then add flour mixture, whisking until combined.

Spoon batter into baking pan, spreading evenly, then pour blueberry mixture evenly over batter (berries will sink). Bake until a knife or cake tester inserted into center of cake portion comes out clean, approx. 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan.

*serves 6 – 8

*This can be made 1 day in advance and cooled completely, uncovered, then kept, wrapped well in foil, at room temp. It didn’t freeze so well, so eat up! 

Summer Flowers

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Something Else to do with Peaches, Bake a Peach Cake

Posted on July 22, 2011 | Leave a comment

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Lemony Chicken

Posted on July 20, 2011 | 4 comments

Prep for Lemony Chicken

This is truly my go-to chicken meal, because there is no marinating, and I usually have everything on hand. Plus, you can always just pick up chicken breasts at the local market right before cooking. I serve it over a plain brown rice, because the sauce is so yummy. Add a plain roasted green veggie and you’re good to go. Great for guests!

INGREDIENTS:

4 chicken breasts with skin and bone in

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons garlic, minced (6-9 cloves, depending on size of cloves)

1/3 cup dry white wine (I use whatever is open, or whatever I have on hand) or a pinot grigio would be fine if you are going to buy .

Grated zest from 2 lemons

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from zested lemons). save the lemons , you will use them .

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

 freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS: Preheat Oven to 400 degrees

Put olive oil in a small saucepan and warm it up. Not to boil, just warm. Turn off heat and add minced garlic. Remove from heat and add white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, and salt. Pour into a 9×12 baking dish.

Pat the chicken dry (use a paper towel) and place skin side up over the sauce. I use a silicon brush (or any pastry brush) and brush the chicken with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. I then cut up the lemons which I used for zest into about 6 or 8 wedges, and place them in the dish alongside the chicken. You should have 1 lemon left over. If not, use a new lemon and just cut it into 6 or 8 wedges.

Bake for 35 minutes and then put on broil for the last 5 minutes. Depending on your oven, you may want to bake for 30 minutes, and put under the broiler for 10 minutes, which is what I did. Just watch it–you want it golden brown, not blackened, and if you cook too long, the chicken will be dried out. When you remove it from the oven, cover tightly with aluminum foil and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Serve hot with the pan juices over rice, with a green vegetable on the side.

 

 

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Caesar Salad Dressing

Posted on July 18, 2011 | 2 comments

Caesar Salad Dressing

FullSizeRender (2)I have already posted this and I am  re-posting it because it sort of got lost under my other salad dressing. ( mustard Vinaigrette) so here it is all on its own with a picture all its own. it is a delicious dressing, easy to make with the mini processor. I put all ingredients into the food processor and chop and blend! so easy and so delicious! and only 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Perfection! I really do make this salad dressing all the time. Always stock anchovies, Worcestershire sauce , eggs, olive oil, lemons and Dijon mustard! Grab some fresh romaine and a protein and you have a perfect meal for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I go heaping here but I like strong Dijon flavor)

your particular liking)

freshly ground black pepper

4 – 5 anchovies ( i like it salty and use 5 )

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

grated parmesan cheese ( fresh is always best) or shaved parmesan

Directions:

First I put 2 cloves of garlic in mini food processor or regular food processor. and chop them,  then I add anchovies to the processor, and mix together. Then add lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and egg yolk. I mix all together, and then slowly add the olive oil in, mix together, and taste for salt, because the anchovies and mustard give it  lot of salt and kick, you can always add more salt, but you can’t take it away. Add freshly ground pepper after everything else is incorporated. I don’t add any additional salt, I think it’s salty enough. It’s delicious.

Pour dressing on Romaine right before serving, incorporate well, mixing from the bottom a few times till lettuce is covered. You can add croutons if you like, they sell awesome ones these days in the market. Or make your own from stale bread!

Usually use 2 heads of Romaine for this. I’ve stretched it to 3 , but it’s really best on 2. You can double the dressing, and use 4 heads, I know they usually sell 3 heads of romaine to a bag.

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Watermelon and Feta Salad

Posted on July 17, 2011 | 1 comment

Watermelon and Feta Salad

Your first reaction to this combo is probably: Ew?!?! Why, oh why would anyone do this?!?! However, it is a delicious, cool, sweet and savory summer salad with real bite. I have to admit that when I put it out, my husband, Joel, first thought it was tomatoes, but I had to fess up before he would touch it (he is very, very picky). The feta got him (he’ll eat almost anything with feta on it). Well, low and behold, he liked it; and even helped himself to seconds. This is just a wonderful, different approach to summer salads. I hope you enjoy it and let me know how it goes for you.

INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs. watermelon, cut into small cubes (pits and rind removed)

6 oz crumbled feta cheese

1/3 cup toasted pecans or pignoli, whatever you like (toast nuts for about 5 minutes in oven at 400 degrees)

VINAIGRETTE:

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (please use real limes)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

Approx. 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped (This is optional because some people hate cilantro. It won’t make a big difference if you don’t use it.)

Directions:

Place the melon pieces in a large bowl. In another small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Pour dressing over melon. Toss gently to coat. Add the feta, nuts, and cilantro (if you’re using) and toss to blend. I usually let it sit for at least an hour to blend flavors together in fridge. Take out half an hour or so before so that the cheese is room temperature.

Serves approx. 6 as a side

Of course, this would be delish with some heirloom tomatoes or some seedless Kirby cukes added. Take out a little watermelon if you’re including cukes and tomatoes (take watermelon down to 2 lbs. and substitute for 1 lb. of tomatoes and cukes.) You can use chopped up mint leaves instead of cilantro and you can substitute the nuts for peanuts, cashews, pignoli or pecans. I like pecans and pignolis best. You can also choose to leave the nuts out entirely.

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Bowtie Pasta with Sausage, Peas, and Mushrooms

Posted on July 12, 2011 | 1 comment

Made with Chicken Sausage Tonite

 

Pan with Turkey Sausage, Crimini Mushrooms, and Peas

 

Cremini Mushrooms roughly chopped

This is a sauceless pasta. Very light, very tasty, and very easy to make. There aren’t a lot of ingredients, and it doesn’t take a long time to make. My husband, Joel, hates green things and loves this dish. And he even eats all the peas on his plate, which makes me very happy. A shout out to Giada de Laurentis for the inspiration here. 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup olive oil

1 lb turkey sausages, casings removed (just squeeze all the meat out; I like Italian-style turkey sausage)

1 box of cremini mushrooms (Baby Bella), approx. 10 oz. (roughly chopped)

About 3/4 bag frozen peas (take them out of freezer about an hour before, just slightly thawed is perfect)

1 lb Farfalle pasta (bow ties)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Freshly grated parmesan, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a large, sauté pan, heat up two tablespoons olive oil (medium to high flame). Add the broken up turkey sausage and make sure to break up the large clumps. Cook for about 10 minutes (I like the sausage browned). When finished cooking, remove sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Heat a little more olive oil (approx. 2 TBSP). Add the chopped up cremini mushrooms and kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (approx. a little less than a teaspoon of each, depending on your taste. Keep in mind that sausage is naturally salty.) Sauté until all the liquid is gone—about another 10 minutes. Add the frozen peas and cook for a few minutes. Return the sausage to the pan and cook for another few minutes (I turn off the heat at this point and just let the flavors blend.) 

In the meantime, cook pasta (according to package) al dente. Drain the pasta, reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water from pasta (this is the trick with “sauceless pasta”) and add pasta to the pan with all other ingredients. Combine well, adding some of that pasta water at a time; as needed. Drizzle in the 1/2 cup of olive oil, mixing as you go. Taste for salt and pepper. I also add red pepper flakes, but I love spicy. 

Serve with freshly grated parm cheese and you’re good to go. 

*Serves 4 as a main dish and 8 as a side.

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Quinoa Salad with Red Wine Vinegar Dressing ( so good for you)

Posted on July 6, 2011 | 2 comments

 

I always hesitate to use the word ‘healthy’. It seems that while some people are attracted to it, the rest of us tend to move past it to the next thing on the menu. So, I will not use the word ‘healthy’; I will instead just say that this is a most yummy grain, and while using the quinoa, you can also use that corn on the cob from the other night, the leftover roasted peppers and those cherry tomatoes on the verge of going bad. Now, don’t you feel so much better about making this salad already?

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. quinoa (I often buy the organic red quinoa in a bag), follow directions on package for prep.

1 red pepper, preferably roasted already (I use the pepper that I grilled previously from the fridge but you can use roasted red peppers from the jar and just eyeball the amount. I have also used yellow and orange, just never green.)

Approx. 1 cup red cherry tomatoes (any small tomatoes will do)

1 cup Kalamata pitted olives, chopped (optional)

1 cup garbanzo beans, drained ( i use organic canned)

1 cup corn kernels (I use the corn from the night before that I grilled. You can use fresh or frozen.)

1/4 cup scallions, chopped

* Crumbled feta cheese (adjust amount to your liking)

* tonite when I made this I added fresh cilantro ( which I love) and 1/2 a jalapeno pepper chopped up, you can also add chunks of avocado (which I like in all salads) and olives as I’ve said are optional.

I also used almost all of the dressing for this salad. That is a matter of taste, and I did add about 1/2 tsp. of kosher salt when the salad was all said and done. And a bit more black pepper

You can use my lemon vinaigrette dressing but I also use this nice Mediterranean vinaigrette:

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I am very generous with this. I like a strong mustard taste.)

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

Kosher salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Oregano to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Prepare the quinoa according to directions on the package. Let it cool.

  2. Prepare the vinaigrette. I always use the food processor and put all ingredients except for the olive oil and pulse a few times before slowly streaming in the olive oil.

  3. Salt and pepper to taste.

  4. In a bowl, toss all ingredients except the feta. Add the dressing to your desired taste and check for seasonings (you will probably need a touch more salt and pepper.)

  5. *Add feta. You can leave out the feta and have a vegan salad.

  6. Serve and enjoy!

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Happy Fourth of July and the Pursuit of Happiness

Posted on July 1, 2011 | 3 comments

It’s the fourth of July again! Happy happy! Celebrating the fourth is always so much fun, bringing back memories of being a kid. Have fun, pursue a little happiness and please do check in on some of the recipes on my site that may help you celebrate the Fourth. Please subscribe for free and you will receive my emails and hopefully be inspired to cook something new. Happy birthday America!

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What to do with Rotten Bananas (Bake a Bread)

Posted on June 28, 2011 | 6 comments

Banana Bread before cooking

Banana Bread
What to do with Rotten Bananas

Why do I always end up with rotten bananas? EVEN THOUGH we eat them daily, tHIS seems inevitable. sometimes i actually freeze the banana without the skin. i cannot vouch for the vitamin factor of doing this, BUT it’s worked fine in my banana breads. if you find yourself with 5 rotten bananas (and i do mean very black yuCky ones), this is a delicious bread to bake. you’ll need a 9 x 5 loaf pan.

INGREDIENTS:

8 tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon milk (use whatever you have in fridge) i use buttermilk if i have it on hand

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups (app. 5) OverLy ripe (black) bananas, mashed

For optional topping (but not really optional BECAUSE I always do it):

3 tablespoons chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

mix these ingredients and set aside in a small bowl

DIRECTIONS:

preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 5 loaf pan with pam baking spray, and lightly butter.

Using electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

in a small SEPARATE BOWL, mash the bananas with a fork, mix in the milk and the cinnamon, AND add this to the electric mixer. mix ‘til bananas are almost fully integrated. (you will see small specks of banana.)

put your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) IN ANOTHER BOWL and add them to the mixer, mixing just until the flour disappears.

pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. If you are using topping (and you are), sprinkle it over the batter. Bake for appROX. 50 – 55 minutes. check after 50 minutes with cake tester or toothpick. if it needs more leave it in for a few, and keep checking till you get to know your oven.

let bread cool completely in pan THEN Turn it out and enjoy.

I sometimes freeze this. it’s a most perfect bread to freeze and enjoy another time. just wrap it tightly when it completely cools down, and put in freezer. it defrosts in a few hours.

*sometimes i add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup chocolate chips for a different type of banana bread 🙂

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