Sunday, March 27, 2011
Grilled Chicken - How difficult can that be!
Cut up a whole chicken - why not - it's much less expensive and easy to do once you get the hang of it. And grilled chicken on the bone really adds so much flavor. I halved the chicken and then just cut off the leg and thigh and kept them together. Sometimes I just cut the chicken in half. But tonight we had a combo of breast and wing and leg and thigh. I put the chicken in a baggie and added spices from the cupboard - garlic, salt, sweet red pepper, rosemary, thyme and two juiced lemons - throw the whole lemon in the bag too. Chill to marinate and take out and bring to room temp before grilling so you get an even bake. Grill about 40 minutes - grill each side to get a nice char and then move to indirect heat, close the lid and let em bake.
Pasta Salad - made with Brown Rice Fusilli
We wanted to cook healthier yesterday, so I said I'd bring a whole-grain pasta salad. (I admit, I've never made a pasta salad that I thought was worth repeating, but this turned out tasty.)
And, with the veggies, it was a pretty salad. Today (next day), the fusilli has a pink tint to it.
Windmill Farm's didn't seem to have any whole grain pasta, but they did have Brown Rice Fusilli. The package said it cooks in 7-9 minutes; I boiled the pound about 11 minutes, then gave us and decided it was to be VERY al dente. I decided to pretend it was supposed to be firm.
For the veggies, I cut up the following and put into a colander:
1 yellow, 1 red, 1 orange bell pepper
1/4 of a purple onion, chopped very finely
1 small head of broccoli flowerets, again, cut very small pieces.
Not in the colander, but in a separate bowl, some nice roasted beets that were already cooked and in a vinegary sauce, which I'd bought at the salad bar at Windmill Farms. The salad bar charges $4.99 a pound, and to save me the trouble of cleaning, roasting, peeling, saucing beets, I thought this was a good thing. (Regards, Martha)
When the pasta was "done", I poured the boiling water (and fusilli) over the veggies,just to get them a little tiny bit cooked. Shook the colander to get rid of excess water.
Dressed with this dressing:
3-4 tablespoons of good mustard (I used Maui Sweet Onion mustard), 3-4 tablespoons of mayonnaise, some rice wine vinegar, some honey. Mix, taste,add some more ingredients. Salt.
Tim tasted and said "Mom, the pasta's not done." I replied "It's supposed to be nutty." He bought it.
And, with the veggies, it was a pretty salad. Today (next day), the fusilli has a pink tint to it.
Windmill Farm's didn't seem to have any whole grain pasta, but they did have Brown Rice Fusilli. The package said it cooks in 7-9 minutes; I boiled the pound about 11 minutes, then gave us and decided it was to be VERY al dente. I decided to pretend it was supposed to be firm.
For the veggies, I cut up the following and put into a colander:
1 yellow, 1 red, 1 orange bell pepper
1/4 of a purple onion, chopped very finely
1 small head of broccoli flowerets, again, cut very small pieces.
Not in the colander, but in a separate bowl, some nice roasted beets that were already cooked and in a vinegary sauce, which I'd bought at the salad bar at Windmill Farms. The salad bar charges $4.99 a pound, and to save me the trouble of cleaning, roasting, peeling, saucing beets, I thought this was a good thing. (Regards, Martha)
When the pasta was "done", I poured the boiling water (and fusilli) over the veggies,just to get them a little tiny bit cooked. Shook the colander to get rid of excess water.
Dressed with this dressing:
3-4 tablespoons of good mustard (I used Maui Sweet Onion mustard), 3-4 tablespoons of mayonnaise, some rice wine vinegar, some honey. Mix, taste,add some more ingredients. Salt.
Tim tasted and said "Mom, the pasta's not done." I replied "It's supposed to be nutty." He bought it.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Capellini Pomodoro
This was tasty...don't let the amount of olive oil fool or scare you. It cooks very quickly and I suggest you get the water boiling for the pasta before you start cooking the sauce. Here's the prep:
Pour a small glass of red wine. Set to the cook's side.
Chop 8-9 roma tomatoes, or use 2 pints of cherry tomatoes.
Chop a big bunch of basil, and two teaspoons fresh parsley.
Smash, mince, squash 5-6 cloves of garlic
Chop up a few tablespoons of fresh thyme.
Grate 1 1/2 cups of good parmesan.
1/2 lemon, ready to squeeze
Have at the ready, some pepper to grind, salt, and some red pepper flakes. And 3/4 lb capellini, which cooks very very quickly.
Heat up 1/4 cup olive oil.Add the garlic and cook and stir for just 30 seconds. Don't burn the garlic. Add in the chopped tomatoes, parsley, basil, thyme, fresh ground pepper, and some red pepper flakes. At the same time, get the capellini cooking; it only takes a short time (maybe 5 minutes???) Cook and stir the tomatoe mixture. Think about what Dan Quayle is doing these days. (right? you forgot about him, too?)
When the pasta is al dente, drain it (but save a bit of the water), then put it into the tomato pan, then toss it with the grated parmesan which of course will get all melty. Squeeze in the lemon juice. If the pasta seems too dry, add a bit of the pasta water or some extra olive oil. Taste it, you might want to add a bit of salt or more pepper.
Serve immediately with extra parmesan and extra basil.
There's no red wine in this dish, that was for me. And if you've never tried it before, go to a liquor store and buy a bottle of Lemoncello, put it in the freezer, and sip a little shot of it after dinner.
Pour a small glass of red wine. Set to the cook's side.
Chop 8-9 roma tomatoes, or use 2 pints of cherry tomatoes.
Chop a big bunch of basil, and two teaspoons fresh parsley.
Smash, mince, squash 5-6 cloves of garlic
Chop up a few tablespoons of fresh thyme.
Grate 1 1/2 cups of good parmesan.
1/2 lemon, ready to squeeze
Have at the ready, some pepper to grind, salt, and some red pepper flakes. And 3/4 lb capellini, which cooks very very quickly.
Heat up 1/4 cup olive oil.Add the garlic and cook and stir for just 30 seconds. Don't burn the garlic. Add in the chopped tomatoes, parsley, basil, thyme, fresh ground pepper, and some red pepper flakes. At the same time, get the capellini cooking; it only takes a short time (maybe 5 minutes???) Cook and stir the tomatoe mixture. Think about what Dan Quayle is doing these days. (right? you forgot about him, too?)
When the pasta is al dente, drain it (but save a bit of the water), then put it into the tomato pan, then toss it with the grated parmesan which of course will get all melty. Squeeze in the lemon juice. If the pasta seems too dry, add a bit of the pasta water or some extra olive oil. Taste it, you might want to add a bit of salt or more pepper.
Serve immediately with extra parmesan and extra basil.
There's no red wine in this dish, that was for me. And if you've never tried it before, go to a liquor store and buy a bottle of Lemoncello, put it in the freezer, and sip a little shot of it after dinner.
Simple and Easy Asparagus, Brown Rice, Toasted Pine Nuts and Parmesan
Cook 2 cups brown rice in your steamer for this dish. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet. Add 2 tablespoons pine nuts and brown lightly. Add 8 ounces of asparagus sliced on the diagonal in 1/2 inch pieces and stir-fry until just crisp about 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Add the brown rice and combine. Remove from heat and top with grated parmesan cheese.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Four Pizza Toppings and a Terrific Movie
Pizza Dough: different than the last one I posted; this is a bit lighter crust. Must be the addition of eggs.
Warm one cup water to 105-115 degrees. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons yeast and 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes. In your Kitchenaid with the dough hook, mix 4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2eggs, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix until the four ingredients are mixed...Add in the foamy water. Oil your hands with more olive oil. Take the dough into a ball, smooth it with the olive oil, place in a clean bowl, put a clean kitchen towel over the bowl and put on top of a cupboard. Let sit for 1-2 hours; the dough will rise to double. Punch it down.
Heat your oven to 500 with a pizza stone in it. The stone has to become hot so the pizza cooks quickly.
Take baseball size pieces from the dough, roll it, put on floured surface, shape into a round. Let rest for 10-15-20 minutes. Put these rounds on parchment paper.
Top these. My suggestions:
* Mexican cheese (queso seco) and chopped green olives with pimientos.
* Parmesan and fresh basil
* Carmelized onions, thin slices of Bosc pears, and gorgonzola. Walnuts optional.
* Parmesan, thin slices of tomatoes, fresh basil
These small pizzas will bake in 7-8 minutes in the hot oven. Pull the parchment out, leave the stone in.
I'm sure during the Depression, American's didn't eat pizza. But these pizzas can be enjoyed during "Get Low". What a great movie!
Warm one cup water to 105-115 degrees. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons yeast and 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes. In your Kitchenaid with the dough hook, mix 4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2eggs, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix until the four ingredients are mixed...Add in the foamy water. Oil your hands with more olive oil. Take the dough into a ball, smooth it with the olive oil, place in a clean bowl, put a clean kitchen towel over the bowl and put on top of a cupboard. Let sit for 1-2 hours; the dough will rise to double. Punch it down.
Heat your oven to 500 with a pizza stone in it. The stone has to become hot so the pizza cooks quickly.
Take baseball size pieces from the dough, roll it, put on floured surface, shape into a round. Let rest for 10-15-20 minutes. Put these rounds on parchment paper.
Top these. My suggestions:
* Mexican cheese (queso seco) and chopped green olives with pimientos.
* Parmesan and fresh basil
* Carmelized onions, thin slices of Bosc pears, and gorgonzola. Walnuts optional.
* Parmesan, thin slices of tomatoes, fresh basil
These small pizzas will bake in 7-8 minutes in the hot oven. Pull the parchment out, leave the stone in.
I'm sure during the Depression, American's didn't eat pizza. But these pizzas can be enjoyed during "Get Low". What a great movie!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Mushroom Potato Gnocchi for Saturday Movie Night
Believe it or not, there's a major department store in Horton Plaza with a restaurant that has a really good mushroom gnocchi and here is my attempt to recreate it. Bake 2 large russet potatoes (about 2 pounds) in a 450 degree oven for an hour. Scoop into a bowl and add 1 egg yolk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Mix in approximately 6-8 tablespoons of flour to form a soft dough. Divide into four portions and turn out onto a floured surface and roll each portion into a 1/2 inch log about 18 inches long. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces. You can get fancy here and add tine marks with a fork or just roll slightly. Add gnocchi in batches to boiling, salted water and cook until they rise to the top about 5 minutes. Gnocchi can be made ahead and refrigerated for a couple of days - you can freeze them too. You can either boil them now or later but if boiling then now, then just add them to a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes to reheat. If making right away, let them sit for a bit to room temperature, then sauce or refrigerate/freeze.
Gnocchi can be sauced up many ways but here is the mushroom sauce. Heat 2 T butter and 2 T olive oil in a pan. Add one sliced onion and cook until tender and then add 1 package cremini mushrooms and 1 package white mushrooms - sliced. You can add several types of mushrooms. Cook until tender and then add about 1 1/2 cups chicken stock and 1 T fresh chopped sage or fresh thyme depending upon preference. At this step you can add about 2 cups chopped cooked chicken if you wish to add some protein. Simmer and reduce liquid about 8 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 cup cream and cook about 3 minutes to thicken. Add gnocchi and heat through.
Plate gnocchi with sauce and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and an optional drizzle of white truffle oil. Wow!
Gnocchi can be sauced up many ways but here is the mushroom sauce. Heat 2 T butter and 2 T olive oil in a pan. Add one sliced onion and cook until tender and then add 1 package cremini mushrooms and 1 package white mushrooms - sliced. You can add several types of mushrooms. Cook until tender and then add about 1 1/2 cups chicken stock and 1 T fresh chopped sage or fresh thyme depending upon preference. At this step you can add about 2 cups chopped cooked chicken if you wish to add some protein. Simmer and reduce liquid about 8 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 cup cream and cook about 3 minutes to thicken. Add gnocchi and heat through.
Plate gnocchi with sauce and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and an optional drizzle of white truffle oil. Wow!
Tomato Spinach Quiche for the Friday Party!
This quiche is so easy to make and delicious. I buy the extra large bag of spinach at Costco, which is about 8-12 loosely filled cups, and put it in a large pot with a large diced onion. Turn the pot on high, put the lid on, let heat for 5 minutes and then turn the heat off and let steam while mixing the rest of the ingredients. The spinach will fill the pot to the top and you will have to pack it down to get the lid on but once steamed, the spinach will wilt to about 2 cups. The onion will soften and become translucent. Add 1 1/2 cups milk, 6 eggs, 1 1/2 cups cheddar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp white pepper, 4 diced tomatoes, 1/4 cup chopped green onions and 1/4 cup Parmesan and mix in a bowl. Remove the spinach and onion from the pan and drain. Chop and add to the mixture. This makes 4 regular dish quiches and you can use the frozen pie shells if you wish. Place the shells on a sheet pan and fill with ingredients. Top with additional Parmesan Romano cheese and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until lightly browned. When cooled, place in Ziploc and freeze some for later!
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