Linguine with Spring Vegetables – A Pasta Dish

Linguine with Spring Vegetables

Pasta is such a seasonal dish especially when you cook it with vegetables.  The winter sauces are hardy, rich and often made with root vegetables.  Come Spring and Summer, we lighten up the dishes with lighter sauces and lots of garden fresh vegetables.

Coarse salt and ground pepper

3/4 lb linguine

1 lb asparagus (trimmed) and cut into 1″ lengths

1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

4 oz sugar snap peas (stem ends trimmed), halved

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 TBS buter cut into pieces

2 TBS fresh tarragon leaves

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 4 minutes short of al dente; add asparagus, zucchini, and snap peas.  Cook until vegetabless are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.  Reserve 1/2 to 1 cup of pasta water.  drain pasta mixture and set aside.

In the same pot, bring cream and butter to a simmer.  Toss in pasta mixture and enough pasta water to create a thin sauce (it will thicken as it stands).  Season with salt and pepper, and top with tarragon.

Recipe from Martha Stewart’s Every Day Food

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Orechiette with Brocoli Rabe, Oregano and Lemon Zest

Tasty Tidbits Tuesday has been missing in action more often than I would like to admit.  I made the pasta dish I featured a week or so ago – the Penne with Cauliflower and Swiss Chard.  OMG, I have to tell you it was sooooooo delicious.  It had a delightfully light flavoring yet strong enough that you could savor every bite.  I admit I couldn’t taste the  Swiss Chard but since it added a different texture and the goodness of a dark leafy green vegetable, I was happy it was in it.

Actually it wasn’t the ingredients as much as it was the cooking technique that brought such flavor into every mouthful.  If you recall, the cauliflower was blanched for 3 minutes in the pot of boiling water that would also be used to cook the pasta.  So when the pasta was cooking in the water that the cauliflower had been in, it absorbed a light flavor that was as I said, delicious!  

Well my passion for pasta got me thinking about how many of my Tuesday recipes were pasta dishes and so I’ve decided to make a new category on the blog; We Called It Macaroni.  And I’m going to be publishing a LOT of pasta recipes! I’m no Lydia however, I’m taking on the job of educating my readers to the joys of Italian cooking, particularly PASTA, and taking them beyond red sauce and meatballs!  You can now search the blog category We Called It Macaroni for any of the pasta recipes published previously.  ”Mangia”

Lovely light and flavorful pasta dish.

Orchiette with Brocolie Rabe, Oregano and Lemon

Coarse salt and ground pepper

3/4 orchiette or other small pasta shape

1 bunch broccoli rabe (1 lb) – trimmed, cut into 1 1/2 ” pieces

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 TBS fresh oregano leaves, for serving

2-3 TBS fresh lemon juice , for serving

In  a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to directions, adding broccoli rate 4 minutes before the end of cooking.  Meanwhile, in a small saucepan heat oil, garlic and red pepper flakes over medium heat until garlic begins to sizzle, 2 minutes.  

Drain pasta and broccoli rabe and return to pot.  Add oil mixture and toss to coat;  season to taste with salt and pepper.  * I always sprinkle a little Peccorino-Romano or other Italian grating cheese on top of my pasta dishes

To  serve, sprinkle oregano over pasta and drizzle with lemon juice.

** As you can see, this recipe uses only olive oil as the sauce for the pasta dish;  Therefore you should definitely use the small pasta shapes such as orchiette and secondly when I see a recipe calling for so little sauce I often save a cupful of the pasta water to add to the sauce. Also I would use as many garlic cloves as I wished and just shake the red pepper flakes in and not measure.

***  You can also add cherry tomatoes with the garlic and cook them till they burst, add yet another dimension of flavor and texture to your dish.

Recipe from Martha Stewart’s Every Day Food

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Roasted Whole Cauliflower – So Darn Good!

Cauliflower

Tastes good, looks good, and is good for you!  What more could you ask for? Oh and it’s a very economical side dish too!  ”If you thought you didn’t like cauliflower, try this! It’s an awesome treat for a festive table.  Beautiful presentation and something out of the ordinary” – I believe the quote is from the woman who submitted the recipe, her name is Ariela.

BAKED WHOLE CAULIFLOWER

1 large head cauliflower

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup margarine, melted

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1 pinch dried oregano

Clean cauliflower, and trim off leaves and any brown spots. Place the whole head of cauliflower into a steamer basket, place the basket in a large pot, and add one inch of water.  Cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Cook for about 20 minutes or until tender.

Preheat the oven 375 degrees.  In a medium bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted margarine.  Season with garlic powder, salt and red pepper flakes, and oregano, and mix well.  Place the head of cauliflower into a baking dish, and coat with breadcrumb mixture.  Bake for about 10-15 minutes in the preheated oven or until golden brown.

Recipe from all recipes.com

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If It’s Thursday, It Must Be Pea Soup!

Did you know that in Manhattan all the coffee shops serve certain soups on specific days?  I learned this when I moved here and now I know if it’s Thursday, then it must be pea soup day!  So bearing that in mind, I made some Vegetarian Pea Soup this morning. It bears no resemblance to what would come in that thick crockery cup served within a minute of ordering it.  My soup is thick and chunky and it was delicious and the perfect meal on a night like tonight as the temperature dropped into the 20′s.

VEGETARIAN PEA SOUP

3 TBS olive oil

1 medium-size onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 rib celery, finely chopped

1 medium-size carrot, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic (I use 2) pressed or finely chopped

1 cup dried split peas

6 cups of vegetable broth

1/2 cup orzo or other small pasta shape

Kosher salt

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium high heat.  Add the onion, celery, garlic and carrot. Cook till onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes.  Add the split peas and broth; bring to boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until peas are tender and the soup is thick and smooth.  

Raise the heat to medium-high. Stir in pasta  Cook until pasta is tender but firm, al dente, 7-10 minutes longer. Season with salt to taste. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Pea soup 3 (Photo credit: Dvortygirl)

Recipe from Pasta Verde cookbook

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Only 16 Days Till Christmas-December 9th-Peppermint Power!

Candy Canes – A Christmas Icon

Before today I had never heard of Candy Cane Dust or Peppermint Powder.  However, once I read how ridiculously simple this was to make and the number of ways you could use it, I knew I had to blog it.  There is only one ingredient and only one step!

CANDY CANE DUST

Put candy canes in a food processor and pulverize them to dust.

Candy Cane Dust is delightful sprinkled on your hot cocoa and your coffee.  Sprinkle it on ice cream, yogurt, cupcake frosting or add to your cake and cookie batter.

Crushed Candy Canes

Peppermint Power your way through the next 16 days!

 

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Count Down To Christmas – December 5th

NO Time to bake? Too busy shopping, writing out your Christmas cards, finding a grab bag gift for the office?  Still and all, everyone loves a good cookie at Christmas and these are right up my alley because they are made with chocolate and peanuts!  This is an excellent NO BAKE cookie recipe. I’m planning on making some this weekend with Finley Ray, my little helper.

No-Bake Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• 8  tablespoons  (1 stick) butter
• 1 1/2  cups  packed light brown sugar
• 1/2  cup  heavy cream
• 1/3  cup  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2  cup  creamy peanut butter
• 1  teaspoon  pure vanilla extract
• 3  cups  old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

• 1  cup  dry roasted peanuts

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the brown sugar, cream, and cocoa, then boil for 1 minute.
2. Remove the saucepan from heat, add the peanut butter and vanilla, and stir until smooth. Stir in the oats and peanuts.
3. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the batter onto wax paper–lined baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart, and let cool until set, about 20 minutes.
4. Storage suggestion: Keep the cookies at room temperature, between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.

By Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez , December, 2011 -Real Simple Recipes

NO BAKE and YUMMY

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Braised Chicken with Butternut Squash and Cranberries

Tasty Tidbits Tuesday

Ocean Spray brand dried cranberries

This is a great dish on its own and could also be served over couscous

1 large butternut squash-peeled and cubed

2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

4 chicken leg quarters

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 red onion, cut into 1/2″ wedges

2 TBS chopped fresh sage

4 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground nutmeg

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup dried cranberries

In large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 1 TBS oil over medium-high.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and in two batches, cook skin side down until skin is golden and crisp, about 5 minutes per batch.  Transfer chicken to plate; pour off fat from pot.

Add 1 TBS oil, squash and onion to pot and cook until vegetables are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add sage, flour, coriander and nutmeg and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add broth and cook, stirring and scraping any browned bits with a wooden spoon, 1 minute.  Nestle chicken, skin side up in squash mixture, add cranberries, and bring to boil.  Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer till chicken is cooked through and squash is tender, 20-25 minutes.

Recipe from Martha Stewart Every Day Food

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Thursday’s Top Ten Reason NOT to Cook Thanksgiving Dinner

Place cards for Thanksgiving dinner guests

So if you’re not cooking, you are either dining out or better yet invited to share the annual feast at someone else’s dinner table.  Either way, the end result is still the same because you….

1. Do not have to spend hours grocery shopping for myriad ingredients for dishes you make only once a year.
2. Do not have to spend 3 x what you normally spend at the grocery store each week, buying weird items like persimmons, figs, chestnuts, turnips and a 14 lb bird.
3. Do not have to pull the giblets out of the cavity of an ice cold turkey and then clean its inside  and cut off its rear end also known irreverently as the pope’s nose.Do not have to pull the giblets out of the cavity of an ice cold turkey and then clean its inside  and cut off its rear end also known irreverently as the pope’s nose.
4. Do not have to get up at the crack of dawn to stuff the turkey and put it in the oven so it is ready at 2:00pm
   
5. Can actually go to the Parade if you wish or leisurely sit in your living room with a cup of coffee all warm and cosy and marvel at the balloons and how cold everyone seems to be at the Parade.
6. Can have breakfast with the family instead of peeling potatoes.
7. Don’t have to wonder how you are really going to get everything baked and cooked with 1 oven and only 4 burners.
8. Will have time to get appropriately dressed  without an apron and even be able to put on makeup.
9. Will probably be offered some leftovers to bring home for tomorrow’s supper (bring your own containers)
10. BEST of all, you won’t be in the middle of any unresolved sibling or parent-child issues from your own family!!

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Ode to Sweet Potatoes-New York Times Mark Bittman

This is actually a YAM and not a Sweet Potato

I said I wasn’t going to post another recipe today because I am supposed to be preparing my own culinary contributions to the Thanksgiving Day dinner and so I’m not.  However, I just noticed in the New York Times that Mark Bittman wrote an article extolling the virtues of sweet potatoes.  In my 9 days till Thanksgiving recipe posting, I included two recipes for sweet potatoes.  His article is listed below.  Sweet potatoes-Thanksgiving and beyond!

 

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Sweet Potatoes with Honey & Lime-Thanksgiving 7 Days and Counting!

Sweet potatoes Ελληνικά: Γλυκοπατάτες (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Well it’s a week away and I still don’t know what I’m bringing as an hors d’ouevres since that is my assignment for Thanksgiving dinner.  This year we will be sharing the annual feast  with my daughter’s in-laws and other relatives of her husband.  It’s seems like there will be  a lot of famiglia!

But I digress, this post is about delicious and not quite ordinary side dishes.  I really wish I was supposed to bring one of them instead because most appetizers don’t travel well and it’s a 2 1/2 hour trip!

Since oven space is always at a premium Thanksgiving Day, you can make this dish ahead of time and reheat covered in microwave at dinner time.  

SWEET POTATOES with HONEY and LIME

Preheat oven 450 degrees

1 TBS plus 1 tsp coarse salt

6 sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered lengthwise

6 TBS honey

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1 small fresh red chile pepper, thinly sliced

2 TBS unsalted butter, melted

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 TBS fresh cilantro leaves

Bring a large sauce-pot of water to a boil, add 1 TBS salt.  Add sweet potatoes and boil 4 minutes.  Drain and set aside.  

In a bowl combien honey, lime juice, chile, butter and remaining teaspoon of salt and the pepper.  Add the sweet potatoes and coat with the marinade.  Put potatoes and any excess marinade in a 17″x12″ roasting pan.  Roast in oven 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally, till tender and caramelized.  Garnish with cilantro. 

Serves: 6-8  - Recipe from Martha Stewart Living

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