Rustic Pasta

Wow it's been a long time since we've posted any recipes! Life is busy, but we all have to eat, right? Here's a quick rustic pasta dish we enjoyed recently, and the ingredients list below is very flexible, so use what you have :)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of linguini
  
• ~2 pints of grape tomatoes
• 2 cloves fresh garlic
• 1 sweet yellow onion
• 1 cup diced pancetta
  
• 6 cups fresh spinach
• 2 cups white wine
• extra virgin olive oil
  
• red pepper flakes
  
• kosher salt
  

Preparation:

Boil water for pasta; once boiling, salt well to season. In a saute pan, saute pancetta, diced yellow onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes to taste in a 1 Tbl extra virgin olive oil until onion is soft, being careful not to burn the garlic. Toss in diced grape tomatoes and cook for a couple minutes. Season with kosher salt. Add white wine and simmer. Cook pasta and once it's al dente, add pasta to the tomato sauce. Wilt in spinach and toss well. Serve with rustic bread and/or shaved parmesan.

Markee's Cream Cheese Cookies

My dear friend Markee passed along her cream cheese cookie dough recipe and I tried it recently with cinnamon, pecans & raisins. Markee's cookie dough recipe is simple & delicious, and she recommends adding various ingredients based on the season.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup real butter, room temp
• 1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, room temp
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 pinch of salt (*added by me)
• splash of vanilla (*added by me)
  
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups of whatever suits you! (cinnamon, raisins & pecans pictured above)
  

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325. Cream butter and cream cheese. Add a pinch of salt. Add the sugar and beat for at least 3 minutes (that is key). Stir in flour by hand. Add 2 cups of "whatever" (for example, white chocolate chips, cranberries and macadamia nuts). Drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheet and bake for 15 min. Cool on wire racks.

Markee's suggestions:

For Fall: add cinnamon, 1 cup raisins, 1 cup pecans
For Christmas: add 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, 1/2 cup cranberries, 1 cup white choc. chips

For Summer: add lemon juice & lemon zest to the batter (not 2 cups of anything exactly) just some lemon juice and zest to taste. Then, drizzle with powdered sugar and lemon juice mixture.

*I just made these a second time with chopped up kitkats (1 cup, about 6 packages of mini-halloween sized) and 1 cup of milk chocolate chips... really yummy!

Hatch Chile Everything!

it's central market's hatch chile festival again! i look forward to this every summer, and this year we've enjoyed green chile everything! troy brought home some green chile salsa and a hatch pepper apple pie! the green chile apple pie was awesome - the chiles' heat was such a nice compliment with warm baked apples, cinnamon and bluebell vanilla ice cream... we love texas-based central market... they even have chocolate hatch pepper gelato right now, check it out :)

Basil & Mint Pesto Pasta

We love pesto in our house! Here's a quick and easy basil & mint pesto recipe i like to serve with spinach pasta or sautéed shrimp. I clipped the mint & basil from my pot on the back porch, nice to have for summer... we enjoyed the pesto over pasta with grilled steaks & a Wente Cabernet.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup fresh basil
• 3/4 cup fresh mint
• 1/3 cup pine nuts toasted
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese
  

Preparation:

Boil water for spinach pasta. (I use fresh spinach pasta from the refrigerated section at the grocery store.) Salt pasta water & cook for a couple of minutes until al dente. In a food processor, pulse garlic, basil, mint and toasted pine nuts until fine. Slowly pulse in extra virgin olive oil until a paste-like consistency. Spoon mixture into bottom of a large bowl and gently fold in cheese. Salt & pepper to taste. Place hot pasta atop pesto mixture and gently toss, adding pasta water as necessary. *Sauté shrimp and toss in pesto for an alternative with protein.

Brown & White Walnut Bars

This bar cookie is similar to my dear friend Markee's - (*Her yummy recipe is with my coobooks in storage, so I concocted this one!) The idea is easy and I find it's nice to have quick bar cookie ideas on hand, plus it can be adapted several ways depending on what kind of goodies you happen to have; vary the toppings with coconut, toffee, peanut butter chips, slivered almonds, pecans, you name it.

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2/3 cup milk chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup walnuts

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325. In a mixer, combine cake mix, brown sugar, eggs, and softened butter. Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish and spread batter to edges of dish, about 1" thick. Sprinkle walnuts, milk and white chocolate chips and gently press into batter. Bake at 325 (convection if possible) for ~30 minutes. *The mixture may still look a little soft in the middle, but go ahead and pull it out and allow it to cool completely. You want the bar cookies chewy, and they'll continue to firm up even after you pull them out of the oven. Cool & cut.

Cheddar Corn Dip

I came up with this cheddar corn dip while chatting with mom in the kitchen today. I think my Aunt Rosie was the genesis a couple years ago when she told me about a "cheddar dip" of sorts... With cheese, corn, green chilies, olives, cumin, cilantro & sour cream - how can you go wrong? :) I'm sure you could add or subtract veggies to your liking, but it's delicious as-is and works great with tortilla chips, crackers, or spread on toast points.

Ingredients:

• 2 large cans of corn
• 4 cups shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese
• 3 stalks celery, small dice
• 1 large jar of pimentos
• 1 small can of chopped green chilies
• ~20 black olives, small dice
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp cracked pepper
• fresh cilantro to taste and garnish (about 2 Tbs, chopped)
• *1/2 cup crumbled bacon could be nice!
  

Preparation:

Mix it all together!

Avocado, Tomato & Feta Salad

It's fun to eat fresh veggies! And just about any combination of additional veggies would improve this simple recipe. As is, this quick summer salad is well-balanced with vitamins & nutrients, and essential fats. Creamy avocado satisfies a hungry tummy & makes for a wonderful rich dressing.

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe haas avocado, large dice
  
• 1 cup sliced grape tomatoes
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1 cup small diced, gently blanched broccoli
• 4 oz. cubed feta cheese
  
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• juice of 1 lemon or lime
• *could also add black beans, fresh corn, sliced okra, red bell pepper, etc
  

Preparation:

Combine veggies in a bowl. in a smaller bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon/lime juice, salt & pepper to create a vinaigrette. Drizzle over veggies and gently toss so as not to break up the avocado too much. Gently toss in feta & enjoy! We also like this with cool cottage cheese.

Summer Chop Salad

Troy & I eat some version of a chop salad almost every day in the summer time (also coined my seattle salad from our summer in seattle last year). The idea is to combine fresh veggies, chicken, beans, feta, whatever's on hand, with a light lemony or really any kind of vinaigrette for a quick & savory salad, nice for lunch. Adaptations & variations are welcome :) This one came about after we grilled lemon Dijon chicken.

Ingredients:

• 1 grilled lemon dijon chicken breast, diced finely
  
• 4 red romaine lettuce leaves, chopped finely
  
• 1 cup of garbanzo beans
• 1/2 diced red onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced cucumber
  
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (roast red pepper works, too)
• 1/2 cup diced grape tomatoes
• 4 oz cubed feta cheese
  
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 minced clove of garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• *anything else you want to thrown in; would be nice with grilled focaccia bread!
  

Preparation:

This ones super easy - I simply combine the veggies/protein, etc in a bowl, then combine the vinaigrette in a smaller bowl and whisk with a fork until emulsified. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the chicken/veggies, etc. Sprinkle in the feta, lightly toss & enjoy with grilled focaccia bread.

Grilled Lemon Dijon Chicken

This chicken turned out nicely - tender & juicy, very flavorful, a true winner in our house. And what's even better, I used a leftover chicken breast the next day for my summer chop salad (recipe to come).

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbs of Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbs of chopped red bell pepper
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the grill to medium. Combine the marinade ingredients and reserve 1/4 cup for basting. Marinate the chicken in the remaining marinade for 20 minutes. Place chicken breasts on the grill for 5 mins, baste with marinade and grill for ~3 more mins. Turn the chicken over and grill for 3 more mins, baste with extra marinade. Chicken is done when juices run clear or an internal thermometer reads 170 degrees. Save the leftovers for my summer chop salad :)

Mom's Whipped Chocolate Cream Cake

This cake is amazing - that's a big word for a cake, but seriously, it's super easy and the most moist & delicious chocolate cake recipe I've found to date. Try it out if you're a fan of chocolate & whipping cream :)

Ingredients:

• 1 moist chocolate cake mix
• 1 pint whipping cream (full fat)
• 1 cup of milk (full fat)
• 1 box of instant chocolate pudding

Preparation:

Preheat the oven and prepare the chocolate cake according to the cake mix's directions (*you'll likely need eggs, oil & water in addition to the ingredients above.) Pour the cake batter into 3 equally divided cake pans and bake for ~17 mins or until done. Allow the cakes to cool on a wire rack. Meanwhile, whip the cream, milk and pudding mix to soft peaks/whipped cream state. Ice the cakes & refrigerate. Serve chilled! This is a cream cake, so keep the leftovers in the fridge... the cake layers soak up the cream and get better & better :)

Roasted Summer Corn

We've loved being back in Texas with a patio & grill for dinner outside! We find ourselves grilling almost every night of the week. This corn is super easy and you just about can't get it wrong, no matter the variation... here's the idea:

Ingredients:

• long fresh ears of corn still in their husks
• extra virgin olive oil
• maple bbq rub (or any dried seasoning of your liking: garlic salt, chili pepper, red pepper flakes, steak seasoning, etc)
• fresh cracked pepper & kosher salt
• fresh lime

Preparation:

Heat an outside covered grill to medium (the temp I use to cook my bbq chicken, so it works for the corn, too). Peel back the corn husks and remove the corn silk. Rub olive oil on the corn and season liberally. Wrap the husks back around the corn and wrap in foil. Roast on the grill for ~5 mins turning once. *The corn effectively steams itself and doesn't need much time on the heat. To serve, peel back the husks, roll in butter & squeeze with lime. Enjoy!

Stephanie Inn Baked Halibut (also works with Salmon, swordfish or cod)

Enjoyed and learned at the Stephanie Inn, Cannon Beach, OR, 6/7/2008.

Ingredients:

• canola oil
• halibut
• kosher salt & pepper
• lemon juice
• white wine

Preparation:

Heat canola oil in a “hot hot pan”, adding kosher salt and pepper.

Sear the side of the Halibut from which the skin was removed for a couple minutes.(sear one side and one side only)

With a spatula, lift the halibut (with seared side up) onto a lipped cookie sheet (or boat) containing a mixture of lemon juice, water and white wine. The mixture should be a depth of about 25% of the height of the fish.

Bake/poach in a convection oven at 350 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes.

Grilled Turkey & Pickles

Grilled sandwiches are my favorite - nothing fancy, but so satisfying. I love the crunchy texture of the bread, the sweet caramelization that happens when you grill it good & hot. This sandwich is fast & easy and can be changed up a thousand different ways... I love it with scrambled eggs, peppers & creamy boursin, as well.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices whole wheat grainy bread, focaccia or other
  
• sliced turkey, rotisserie chicken, roast beef or any deli meat
• sliced smoked cheddar & provolone
  
• spinach leaves or a leafy green
• sliced tomatoes or roasted red pepper
  
• thinly sliced red onion
  
• mayonnaise or mustard to taste
• garlic salt, salt & pepper

Preparation:

Heat the grill pan or panini press to medium high and grill the sliced meat to warm up and caramelize. Assemble sandwich to liking and grill (and/or press & weight if using a grill pan) til toasty to your liking! *of course, a smidge of butter makes the bread toast up even better.

Hershey Haystacks

I found these yummy & healthy Hershey haystacks on HungyGirl.com and thought I'd post them here... 'hope you enjoy!
(serves 6: 1 stack - 71 calories, 4g fat, 12 carbs, 5g fiber, 2g protein - 1 WW point.)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Fiber One cereal
• 1.5 oz Hershey's milk chocolate bar
• 1 Tbs reduced fat peanut butter, smooth or chunky

Preparation:

Melt chocolate and peanut butter together in a glass bowl in the microwave at 30 second intervals; careful not to burn. Toss in cereal to coat. Drop cluster haystacks on wax paper and refrigerate to set.

Eggplant Steaks with Salad of Roasted Peppers, Olives, Feta & Garbanzo Beans

Thick slices of eggplant are topped with a salad of roasted red bell peppers, feta cheese, olives and garbanzo beans; then the salad is drizzled with a tangy balsamic dressing. It's nice with a Pinot Blanc or a Chardonnay. Pears poached in red wine and served with chocolate sauce and a glass of Sauternes make a lovely dessert.

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 large red bell peppers
• 1/2 cup drained canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• 1/2 cup brine-cured black olives (such as Kalamata), pitted, halved
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 1 1/2-pound eggplant
• Fresh oregano sprigs
• 4 6-inch-diameter pita breads, cut into wedges, lightly toasted

Preparation:

Char bell peppers over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in bag; let stand 10 minutes. Peel and seed peppers. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer to large bowl. Add beans, olives, cheese and chopped oregano; toss to combine. Season salad with salt and pepper.

Whisk vinegar, garlic and soy sauce in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Preheat broiler. Cut six 1/2-inch-thick lengthwise slices from center of eggplant. Arrange eggplant on baking sheet. Brush both sides of eggplant with some of dressing. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Place 1 eggplant slice on each plate. Spoon salad over. Drizzle with dressing. Garnish with oregano. Serve with pita.

Source: Bon Appetit, Sept. 1997

Pan-Seared Thick-Cut Steak

This is the BEST steak recipe I've found. Hans and I use this method with Filet's and find ourselves nearly in tears when we come to the last bite. Make sure you let the steaks rest at least 5 minutes before eating.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless strip steaks, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inch thick (about 1 lb. each )
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 1 Tbs. vegetable oil

Preparation:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Cut each steak in half vertically to create four 8-oz steaks. Season steaks liberally with salt and pepper; using hands, gently shape into uniform thickness. Place steaks on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet; transfer baking sheet to oven. Cook until instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into center of steaks registers 90 to 95 degrees for rare to medium-rare, 20-25 minutes, or 100-105 degrees for medium, 25 to 30 min.

Heat oil in 12-inch heavy bottomed skillet over high heat until smoking. Place steaks in skillet and sear until well browned and crusty, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, lifting once halfway through to redistribute fat underneath each steak. (Reduce heat if fond begins to burn.) Using tongs, turn steaks and cook until well browned on second side, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer steaks to clean rack and reduce heat under pan to medium. Use tongs to stand 2 steaks on their sides. Holding steaks together, return to skillet and sear on all edges until browned, about 1 1/2 minutes. Repeat with remaining 2 steaks.

Return steaks to wire rack and let rest, loosely tented with foil, for about 10 minutes. If desired, cook sauce in now-empty skillet. Serve immediately.

Note: Rib-eye or filet mignon of similar thickness can be substituted for strip steaks. If using filet mignon, buying a 2-pint center-cut tenderloin roast and portioning it into four 9-ounce steaks yourself will produce more consistent results. If using filet mignon, increase the oven time by about 5 minutes. When cooking lean strip steaks (without an external fat cap) or filet mignon, add an extra tablespoon of oil to the pan.

Source: Cooks Illustrated, May/June 2007

Braised Bok Choy with Sherry & Prosciutto

This is delicious with braised pork or beef short rips, or simply with a pan-seared steak.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 6 heads baby bock choy (about 7 inched long and 2 inches in diameter at their widest), cut in half lengthwise
• 1/8 tsp. kosher salt; more as needed
• 1/4 cup dry sherry (or Chinese rice wine)
• 1/2 cup homemade or low-salt chicken broth
• 1 Tbs. soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp. cold water to form a slurry
• 4 thin slices prosciutto, sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch strips (1/3 to 1/2 cup)

Preparation:

Put the oil and garlic in a small wok or a deep, heavy-based, 10-inch , straight-sided saute pan with a lid. Set over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic begins to sizzle steadily, about 1 minute. Add the bok choy (the pan will be crowded) and, using tongs, turn it in the oil and garlic, and then season it with the salt. When the tender tops begin to wilt, in about 1 minute, add the sherry (or rice wine) and toss again for about 15 seconds before adding the chicken broth, soy sauce, and sugar. Reduce the head to medium, cover and simmer until the bok choy tops are completely wilted and the stalks are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bok choy to a plate.

Give the cornstarch slurry a stir to recombine and then whisk it into the cooking liquid. Simmer vigorously until the liquid has thickened, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and return the bok choy to the pan. Add the prosciutto and toss quickly to coat the bok choy with the broth and to mix in the prosciutto. Season to taste with salt and serve.

Source: Fine Cooking, Feb/Mar 2007

Shrimp with Fennel, Tomato & Pernod Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. shrimp (21 to25 per lb.) peeled, deveined, rinsed and patted dry
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt; more as needed
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cups very thinly sliced fennel (1 small to medium bulb, trimmed and cored first)
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/4 cup Pernod (French anise flavor liqueur)
• 1 14 1/2 oz. can petite-diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation:

Sprinkle the shrimp with a scant 1/4 tsp. salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Put a 12-inch skillet (not nonstick) over medium-high heat for 1 1/2 minutes. Add 2 Tsb. of the oil and once it's shimmering hot, add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook undisturbed until the shrimp browns nicely, about 2 minutes. Flip the shrimp and brown the second side, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. The shrimp should still be a little undercooked.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 Tbs. oil and the fennel and garlic. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and cook, tossing often, until the fennel is very soft and golden brown in places, 6-8 minutes.

Carefully add the Pernod (it may flame up) and cook, stirring, until any flames die out and the Pernod has almost evaporated , about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juice, the thyme and about half the parsley. Bring to a boil and then reduce the head to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes to meld the flavors. Add the shrimp, and cook, tossing, until it's opaque throughout (cut one in half to check), 1 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the remaining parsley.

Source: Fine Cooking, April/May 2008

Crunchy Baked Pork Chops

Ingredients:

• Table salt
• 4 boneless center-cut pork chops, 6-8 ounces each, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat
• 3 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 1 small shallot, minced (about two Tbs)
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 Tbs)
• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
• Ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 Tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves
• 2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup plus 6 Tbs unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 large egg whites
• 3 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• Lemon wedges

Preparation:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat over to 425 degrees. Dissolve 1/4 cup salt in 1 quart water in medium container or gallon-sized zipper-lock bag. Submerge chops, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes. Rinse chops under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.

In a medium bowl, add shallot, garlic, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, Parmesan, thyme and parsley to bread crumbs. Mix thoroughly and transfer to rimmed baking sheet.

Place 1/4 cup flour in pie plate. In second pie plate, whisk egg whites and mustard until combined; add remaining 6 tablespoons flour and whisk until almost smooth, with pea-sized lumps remaining.

Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place in rimmed baking sheet. Season chops with pepper. Dredge 1 pork chop in flour; shake off excess. Using tongs, coat with egg mixture; let excess drip off. Coat all sides of chop with bread crumb mixture, pressing gently so that thick layer of crumbs adheres to chop. Transfer breaded chop to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 3 chops.

Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chops registers 150 degrees, 17 to 25 minutes. Let rest on rack 5 minutes before serving with lemon wedges.

Variation: Crunchy Baked Pork Chops with Prosciutto and Asiago Cheese

Follow above recipe, omitting salt added to bread crumb mixture. Before breading, place 1/8 inch thick slice Asagio cheese (about 1/2 ounce) on top of each chop. Wrap each chop with thin slice of prosciutto, pressing on prosciutto so that cheese and meat adhere to one another. Proceed with chops so that cheese and meat do not come apart duing breading.

Source: slightly modified from Cook's Illustrated, Jan. & Feb. 2008

Green Beans with Almond-and-Lemon Brown Butter

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound green beans, trimmed
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup unsalted roasted almonds, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl.

Meanwhile, brown the butter: Melt the butter in a skillet or small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl or stir the butter with a wooden spoon as it starts to foam and sputter. Remove the butter from the heat as soon as it begins to turn golden brown and smells nutty, about 1 minute.. Add the lemon juice, almonds, and salt. Swirl skillet over heat for 30 seconds more to toast the almonds. Spoon the mixture over the green beans.