Change of Plans

Some weeknights I'm a little too ambitious and plan a dinner that is too time intensive.  Tonight was one of those nights.  I spent a little longer than expected at work and didn't want to skip the gym.  This is when I rely on my repertoire of meals that can be concocted out of ever-present pantry staples.  One of my favorites in this category is very simple--linguine with a quick, garlicky tomato sauce.  I think the key to this dish is using the best possible canned tomatoes you can find.  I love that I can get this on the table in under 30 minutes.  This recipe is also easily embellished by the addition of shrimp or sausage.  You can add raw shrimp during the last few minutes of cooking and they cook up perfectly tender.  Buon appetito!

Linguine with a quick tomato sauce

3-4 TBS good olive oil

1/8 tsp (or more to taste) crushed red pepper flakes

4-5 (or more) cloves garlic, minced

1 14.1 oz can Bionaturae whole, peeled tomatoes

1/2 tsp honey

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 pkg linguine

2-3 TBS chopped flat leaf Italian parsley

Heat olive oil in medium saucepan until it shimmers.  Add red pepper flakes and swirl for a few seconds, then add garlic and saute for about one minute.  Add tomatoes and crush in the pan (I use a potato masher).  Add honey and salt and simmer over low heat while you cook the pasta.  Under cook the pasta by about 1-2 minutes.  Drain pasta (reserving about 1/4 C pasta water) and return to the pasta pot.  Add the tomato sauce, stir and return to high heat.  Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce, stirring frequently and, if necessary, add additional pasta water to help finish cooking the pasta if it is too dry.  Remove from heat and prior to serving, toss in the parsley.  Drizzle a little extra olive oil over the pasta if you like.  Top with grated parmigiano, pecorino, or whatever you have on hand.

Thank you, Ina!

I'm sure you won't be surprised to learn that I enjoy watching the Food Network.  While a lot of the programming is more entertainment than how-to, there are a few shows that I thoroughly enjoy--one of them being Ina Garten's show, Barefoot Contessa.  Ina has a casual elegance about her that is very appealing.  It also helps that the shows all center on her entertaining fabulous guests at her chichi home in the Hamptons.  Who wouldn't want to make dinner for Mel Brooks? Hmmm... it might actually be hard to enjoy the meal if he were at the table and had us all in stitches the entire evening--maybe not.

While watching an episode of the show this past weekend, Ina introduced me to a quick, easy and delicious way to prepare fish--baked under a spread of seasoned creme fraiche.  She had me on the creme fraiche.  I'm a total sucker for this delectable dairy product.  The first time I had it was in France served over sweetened chestnut cream.  The combination of sweet and tart flavors was unforgettable.  If you're unfamiliar with creme fraiche, it's a little like sour cream, but less tangy and more subtle with a less viscous consistency.  It's heaven, but it's also terribly expensive.  (I haven't tried making it at home, but apparently it's quite easy.)

Here's the recipe for Ina's Mustard Roasted Fish.  It's easily a weeknight meal when paired with a quick grain like couscous (see recipe below) and a veggie.  Those with eagle eyes might notice that my capers were used as garnish on the fish.  No, this was not a creative flourish--I simply forgot to mix them into the topping.  Additional preparation notes:  I didn't have shallots on hand, so I used one clove of garlic instead.  I also used cod fillets rather than snapper.

Couscous with Roasted Red Pepper and Parsley

1.5 C water

3/4 tsp salt

1 heaping tsp VegeBase powdered bouillon

1 C couscous

3 TBS chopped roasted red pepper

2-3 TBS minced parsley

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan, add salt, bouillon powder and couscous.  Stir until combined and turn off heat.  Let pot stand over the extinguished burner for about 5 minutes and then add the red pepper.  Just before serving, add the minced parsley.  (Adding it too soon before serving will diminish the beautiful bright green of the parsley.)

Shepherd's Pie, adapted from Cook's Illustrated

I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, What Did You Eat. It is based on a Cook's Illustrated recipe, which generally means that each and every detail concerning ingredients and technique is documented. This isn't a bad thing! They come close to creating the "best" recipe by making numerous versions of a food and then having tasters tell them which one is best. This recipe came out well enough, and I would certainly recommend it.
My only modifications to the recipe included reducing the amount of salt slightly, substituting Smart Ground for the beef, not putting an egg wash over the mashed potatotes and not broiling the whole thing (my casserole is not broiler-proof). It doesn't look nice and burnished, but I'm sure it tastes just as good.

Too Lazy to Shop

It's winter and I try to make as few trips to the grocery store as possible, so when faced with the challenge of making dinner the other night using only what I had remaining in my kitchen, I threw together a few of the things I almost always have in stock: frozen peas, onions, garlic, parmigiano-reggiano and polenta. Follow these simple steps to a quick and tasty meal you too can create out of thin air:
1. Caramelize onions in olive oil
2. Add chopped garlic
3. Add frozen peas and a small amount of water
4. Steam/braise the peas in a covered pot along with the onions/garlic.
5. Serve this over polenta or, best of all, tossed with egg tagliatelle

Tip: As with any pasta dish where you're combining the pasta and sauce, be sure to save some of the pasta water to add to the sauce--the hot, starchy water helps the sauce meld with the pasta.

Honestly, this came out better with the pasta since the tagliatelle absorbed the flavors better. Nonetheless, polenta never fails to satisfy.

Improvised Chili & Cornbread

I'm not from Texas, but I think I can whip up a pretty mean chili. Some of you might point out that my recipe includes beans (a no-no according to some purists) and once you read below and find out that it also includes Smart Ground instead of real ground beef or turkey(!), I'm certain a few of you will be shaking your heads saying: This ain't no chili!
You'll just have to trust me that it packs a real punch and can't be beat on a damp and chilly February night. In case you're wondering, I consider myself an omnivore. I will cook chicken maybe 2-3 times/month and perhaps some ground beef or turkey about once/month. I'd share my thoughts on diet, vegetarianism, environment, etc., but I really want to jot down this recipe now before I forget what went into it. It was improvised and since it came out so well, I need to preserve it for future reference... and, perhaps, your enjoyment!

Chili for a Cold, Damp Night
olive oil (I just pour in what I think is enough... go ahead, be daring!)
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, grated
1 jalapeno, seeds intact, halved lenghtwise, cut into thin slices
1 stalk celery, halved lengthwise, sliced
2 bell peppers (1 red, 1 green) cut into bite-sized chunks
2-3 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
12 oz. Smart Ground or ground turkey/beef
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans, do not drain
1 can pinto beans, do not drain
1 bottle of beer

In a large pot, sautee vegetables until onions are transulcent and other vegetables soften. Add spices and sautee 2-4 minutes longer until fragrant. Add Smart Ground and sautee another minute. Add remaining ingredients, including all bean liquid. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes while you make the cornbread... Stir occasionally-don't ignore your delicious, newborn chili.

Cornbread
This recipe comes from my Mom. I have no idea where she got it, but I'm guessing she transcribed it from something like the Fanny Farmer cookbook.

Sift together...
3/4 c. cornmeal
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. granulated sugar
3 tsp. baking powder

Mix in...
1 c. milk (I often substitute rice milk.)
1 well-beaten egg
2 tbsp. melted sweet cream butter (I use canola oil-I'm sure butter would taste better, but I'm lazy, and cholesterol-obsessed.)

Pour mixture into a greased 8" sq. pan and bake in a preheated oven at 425F for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Hmm good! There's nothing like hot cornbread, right out of the oven--it's to die for. Go slather some butter or trans-fat free spread on it.

See you online and often.

Martha Invades PBS with Delicious Results

Martha, as many of you probably now, invaded PBS some time ago with her show Everyday Food. I enjoy this, along with other "cooking stories" every Saturday on my local PBS affiliate, WGBH. I can't go a Saturday without watching my "stories" and this past Saturday I was witness to the episode featuring this easy and delicious Acorn Squash Lasagna. While watching, I was somewhat skeptical it could be so easy and yet so tasty, especially since it features "no-boil" lasagna noodles, which I had once before with less than stellar results (the texture of the noodles was rather mealy). After the show, I went online and read the recipe and decided to give it a try. The noodles were fine and it was thoroughly enjoyable and even better the second day (of course). The next time I make it I might add some toasted pine nuts to the squash mixture. And be kind to yourself... use the frozen squash, unless you've got a bumper crop of acorn squash sitting around. Oh, I almost forgot... I reduced the amount of salt going into both the squash mixture and the ricotta mixture--I'm always thinking of my blood pressure. I also used the pre-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano from the Whole Foods cheese case rather than grating my own. This could affect the texture of the ricotta mix since the store-grated cheese is more powder-like than if you were to grate it at home. We'll see next time around...