Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes

I've been trying to lose weight. Counting calories, exercising, doing everything right.  But there are times when you just want to eat whatever you want to eat.  I have been sort of stumped in the kitchen of late (thus the lack of new posts) and wanted to make something the kids liked for dinner.  I have a list of 22 things they will eat, but amazingly, not many corresponding recipes -- so I thought I'd address the issue. I have on the list "Pasta with Sun-dried Tomatoes" but couldn't find whatever recipe I made that the kids liked... so I looked on food network and Ina Garten came through with a very calorie laden (but delicious) recipe that was universally adored. (Maybe without the olives next time)

Ingredients

    * 1/2 pound fusilli (spirals) pasta
    * Kosher salt
    * Olive oil
    * 1 pound ripe tomatoes, medium-diced
    * 3/4 cup good black olives, such as kalamata, pitted and diced
    * 1 pound fresh mozzarella, medium-diced
    * 6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

For the dressing:

    * 5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
    * 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
    * 6 tablespoons good olive oil
    * 1 garlic clove, diced
    * 1 teaspoon capers, drained
    * 2 teaspoons kosher salt
    * 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    * 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
    * 1 cup packed basil leaves, julienned

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking together. Boil for 12 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, salt, and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth.

Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan and basil, and toss well.

Glazed Salmon, Rice Pilaf, Chocolate Cake

We don't entertain enough. I really don't feel like I'm very good at it, and it seems to make my husband sort of crabby. It's like exercise -- hard to initiate but once you get into it (and when it's over) you're really glad you did it.  We had three couples over last night, and it worked out pretty well.  I served glazed salmon from a recipe in Cook's Illustrated; rice pilaf from the New York Times cookbook and roasted asparagus.  At the last minute, I also included wilted spinach.

I was also craving a chocolate cake -- so on Friday night I made (from scratch) a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting (also NY Times).

We survived, the food turned out pretty well (the cake was bit dry, but I think the salmon was perfect) -- and our guests stayed until midnight. I think it was successful... and I want to invite more people over now. Mostly to eat all the cheese and crackers that this group didn't touch!

Glazed Salmon
1 t. light brown sugar
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. cornstarch
4 center cut salmon fillets (6 to 8 oz. each)
1 t. vegetable oil
1 recipe glaze

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine brown sugar, salt, and conrnstarch in small bowl. Pat salmon dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture evenly over top of flesh side of salmon, rubbing to distribute.

2. Heat oil in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place salmon, flesh side down, in skillet and cook until well browned, about 1 minute. Using tongs, carefully flip salmon and cook on skin side for 1 minute.

3. Remove skillet from heat and spoon glaze evenly over salmon fillets. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until center of thickest part of fillets registers 125 degrees on instant-read termometere and is still translucent when cut into with paring knife, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer fillets to platter or individual plates and serve.

Asian Barbeque Glaze
2 T. ketchup
2 T. hoisin sauce
2 T. rice vinegar
2 T. light brown sugar
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. toasted sesame oil
2 t. Asian chili-garlic sauce
1 t. grated fresh ginger

Whisk ingredients together in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat; simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm

Rice Pilaf
1/3 c. finely chopped onions
6 T. butter
2 1/4 c. rice
4 1/2 c. boiling chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Saute the onions in the butter in a heavy casserole until tender and transparent but not brown.
3. Add the rice and continue to cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until rice grains turn opaque. Do not allow rice to brown.
4. Add the stock and season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly and bake for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 15 or 20 minutes longer, or until rice has absorbed all the stock.

One Bowl Chocolate Cake
2 c. sifted cake flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 c. plus 2 T. cocoa
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. plus 2 T. vegetable shortening
1/2 c. warm water
2/3 c. milk
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Sift together in the bowl of an electric mixer the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa and sugar. Add the shortening, water, milk, eggs and vanilla and blend on very low speed until the ingredients are moistened. Mix 3 minutes on medium speed, scraping the bowl ferqently to ensure complete blending. Do not include scraping time in the 3 minutes.
3. Pour the mixture into two 9-inch layer cake pans that have been greased and lined with wax paper circles cut 1/8 inc smaller than the bottoms of the pans.
4. Bake until the cake rebounds when pressed gently in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pans on a cake rack 10 minutes before removing from the pans. Cool and frost as desired.
2 eggs

Best Black Beans EVER

So, how did I get to be this old and have NEVER prepared dry beans.  I've read folks who say that beans from scratch are the best, but honestly, I was a bit intimidated.  I think it's because I once tried to do them in the crock pot and they were grossly undercooked...yuck.

But for some reason, I bought two pounds of dry black beans last grocery trip, and I made a point of trying to make them. The thing that is even more exciting is that I didn't really follow a recipe.  Here's what I did:

Around 3pm I put about a 1/2 pound of beans in a pot, added 4 cups of water and brought it to a boil.  Let it boil about 3 minutes, then covered the pot and let it sit for an hour.

Drain the beans

Around 4pm I chopped an onion, chopped a celery stalk, and chopped a jalapeno.  Cooked them in a bit of olive oil until tender (5 minutes or so...) added the beans and about 4 cups of fresh water.  I got that up to a boil, then turned down the heat to simmer for about 2 hours (or so)

When the beans seemed tender, I used my immersion blender to mix it all up -- then stirred in about 1 cup of  Mexican cheese.

Okay, I know it's immodest, but these beans were fabulous!  I.will.never.buy.canned.beans.again!

Blueberry Coffee Cake

We had a bunch of blueberries hanging out in the fridge, and my husband uncharacteristically wanted to bake something with them.  We got out the cookbooks and starting looking for something to do, and stumbled upon a recipe in the Gourmet Cookbook for Blueberry Almond Coffeecake.  I didn't have the almonds, so we made it without them... and it was so delicious that I made a second one to take to mom's for Christmas!

Sometime I'm going to make these and pass them out to all those friends and neighbors who gave us cookies at Christmas...

Blueberry Coffee Cake
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powerd
3/4 t. salt
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. whole milk
15 oz. blueberries

Put rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.  Butter a shallow (2 1/4 inch deep) 2 to 2 1/2 quart baking dish. 
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. combine butter and 1 1/4 c. sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in whole eggs, one at a time, beatuing well after each addition, then beat in vanilla.  Reduce speed to low and ad flour mixture and milk alternatively in batches beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just incorporated.  Fold in berries.  Spoon batter into baking dish and spread evenly.

Bake until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean... 50 minutes to 1 hour.  Cool inpan on rack for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack then invert again. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Family Dinner Party

We don't do it often enough, but last Saturday we had friends over for dinner.  I used a cookbook Mom gave me for Christmas last year (Perfect Party Food) to plan most of the menu.  I was looking for something that picky kids (shocker) and adults would enjoy.  The result -- success, I think.  As is my practice with this group, I fixed dinner and then drank a lot of wine and enjoyed the company.  Way too much chicken, but better to have too much food I think.  Here's what I served:

Provencal Breaded Chicken Cutlets
Orzo
Oven Roasted Caponata
White Beans Provencal
Pumpkin Praline Torte (without the nuts this time; food allergies)

For appetizers I made:
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Parmesan Salsa

Recipes:
Breaded Chicken Cutlets
4 large eggs
2 T. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
12 boneless chicken breasts (tenders removed)
4 c. plain bread crumbs
1 1/2 t. thyme
1/2 t. sage
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 c. olive oil

1. In large bowl, beat together the eggs, mustard, salt and pepper until blended
2. Place chicken betweenpieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap and, using a meat mallet, or rolling pin, pound to a uniform thickness, about 1/4 inch.  Add to the egg mixture, tossing to coat
3. In shallow dish combine the bread crumbs and spices, until blended
4. Dredge each chicken breast in the crumb mixture turning to coat evenly. Lay the dipped checkin on a rimmmed baking sheet lined with paper towels
At this point cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours (helps bread crumbs stick)
5. In large skillet (I used my electric skillet), heat butter and oil until butter is melted.  Add the cutlets a few at a time, taking care not to cowd them.  Cook until golden, about 3 minutes and turn, cook until the other side is golden.

Orzo
4 qt. water or broth
2 t. salt
One pound orzo
2 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. unsalted butter melted
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese


1. Bring the water and salt to a boil, (if you use broth, omit the salt) Add the orzo and boil until tender 8-9 minutes.
2. Drain, toss with olive oil to prevent sticking, season with salt and pepper.
3. Combine melted butter, cream and Parmesan in the serving bowl
4. Add hot orzo and toss to combine.

Oven Roasted Caponata
2 medium sized eggplants -- ends trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
1/4 c. olive oil
6 cloves garlic
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped celery
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2T. balsamic vinegar
2T. brown sugar
One 15.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 c. drained and chopped pitted green olives
1/4 c. drained and chopped capers
1/2 c. chopped fresh Italian parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil
2. Drizzle cut sides of eggplant with a little olive oil, and lay, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Place the garlic on the baking sheet and drizzle with some of the oil, reserving the remainder for the next step. Bake the garlic and eggplant until the eggplant is tender, 25 to 30 minutes, a knife should pierce the skin easily, with no resistance.  Remvoe from the oven and allow to cools.  Then peel off the skin of the eggplant and coarsely chop the flesh.
3. In a large skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat and add the eggplant. Squeeze the garlic from its skin into the skillet and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, tossing to coat with the oil.  Add the onion, celery, salt, black pepper and red papper flakes and cook, stirring, until the onion and celery begin to soften a bit, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the balsamic vinegar, sugar, tomatoes, and simmer the mixture for 20 minutes, stirring occassionally.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the olives, capers, and parsley. Allow the caponata to cool to room temperature, then taste and adjust seasonings.

White Beans Provencal
1T. olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped
2 c. canned white beans, rinsed and drained
1 ripe tomato cored and cut into small cubes
1 t. thyme
1/2 t. dried rosemary
Salt and pepper
2T. dry white wine

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over moderate heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent browning. Add the beans, tomato, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper and white wine. Simmer for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip
2 jars marinated artichoke hearts (chopped)
1 package frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. mayonnaise
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together, place in small, shallow baking dish, Bake for 25-30 minutes.

I'm Going Vegan -- maybe once a day...

I've been trying to cut back on my caloric intake (at least Monday through Thursday) -- and have a cousin who is a dedicated vegan.  Suffice it to say, I've had a lot of vegan messages getting through the chaos of late.  So, I started snooping around looking for how/what to eat to be one.... I don't think I can give up all dairy, but I do think I can eat vegan dishes for dinner and save LOTS of calories at the end of each day.

Last night I made roasted cauliflower -- and although I didn't eat it for dinner, I DID eat it as a snack today and it was delicious!  It actually came from Bob Harper, the trainer on The Biggest Loser, and you can actually use any veggie.  Yum.

Roasted Cauliflower
1 head cauliflower
1 T. olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 T. red wine vinegar
salt to taste

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss all ingredients in a bowl.  Spread it all out on a foil lined cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.

Recipes to Try -- Spinach and Pasta Soup

I have been collecting recipes I'm going to try in all sorts of places -- and I've decided since I've started using this blog as a resource and cookbook of sorts, I think I'll start loading in recipes I want to try (as well as ones I've made)...

This one was in the Washington Post yesterday (October 13) food section.  It's a soup (which I was, at one point committed to making more of) and it's quick and it looks like a way to sneak some spinach into those tiny mouths I'm in charge of feeding....we'll see.  They are pretty observant.

Spinach and Pasta Soup
1 lb. turkey or chicken sausage, without casings
1 medium onion
1 or 2 large cloves garlic
28 ounces canned whole peeled tomatoes, drained
4 c. water
4 c. no salt added chicken broth, such as Kitchen Basics brand
8 oz. baby spinach leaves
15 oz. (1 can) no salt added cannellini beans (such as Eden brand)
Kosher salt
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Mini bow tie pasta

Pinch pieces of the sausage and place in a stockpot over medium-high heat.  Cook the sausage, stirring to break up large clumps, until the exterior is no longer pink(it need not be fully cooked through at this point).

Cut the onion into small dice to yield 1 cup.  Mince the garlic (to taste). Coarsely chop the tomatoes, reserving their juices.

Add the onion and garlic to the pot; cook for 4 minutes, stirring a few times, until just softened, then add the tomatoes and their juices.

Stir in 2 c. of the water and the 4 c. broth. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then add the pasta and cook for 3 minutes; it will still be firm.

Rinse, then coarsely chop the spinach. Drain and rinse the beans.

Add the remaining 2 c. water, the spinach and the beans to the pot.  Stir, then cover and cook for 5 to 8 minutes; the spinach should be tender, the pasta should be al dente and the sausage will be cooked through.  Season wtih salt to taste (keepin in mind that cheese might be added)

Divide among individual wide shallow bowls; sprinkle with the freshly grated cheese, if desired.  Serve hot.