fettucini alfredo

 SO this is easy to make and my kids liked it. I added peas but you can add chicken, shrimp, spinach, etc.

INGREDIENTS

- 3 T. butter

- 3 cloves of garlic, minced

- 2 cups half and half or heavy cream

- 1/2 t. salt

- ground black pepper

- pinch cayenne

- pinch nutmeg

- 1 egg yolk (optional)

 - 1 pound pasta

 

INSTRUCTIONS

- melt butter in a pan, cook garlic 1 minute or until fragrant

- add in cream and spices, heat until small bubbles form around the edge but don't let the sauce boil or it will separate! Cook like that for a few minutes or until thicker

- if desired, whisk in one egg yolk to thicken and enrich the sauce

- serve over 1 pound boiled pasta, 

Pasta salad for picky kids

Oh my god my kids are so picky. they say they don't like beans, eggs, or cheese -- and they are vegetarian!! I made this salad today and only one kid cried so that is a success I guess.

Pasta Salad for picky vegetarian kids

-- 1/2 block tofu

-- 1.5 cups pasta

-- 3 small cucumbers, diced

-- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

-- 1 tomato, diced

-- 1 small can sliced black olives, drained

-- 1 inch chunk feta cheese

-- 1/2 lemon

-- oil

1. Boil the pasta in salted water. While the pasta is boiling cut the tofu into squares and fry it lightly in oil. 

2. When the pasta is soft drain and rinse in cold water. Mix with fried tofu, vegetables, and crumble the cheese on top. Drizzle with oil and add the juice of the half lemon. Mix and add salt and pepper to taste. 

3. Give to kids and hope they don't cry

vegetarian bolognese

This turned out really well! I like that it used lots of vegetables and had a similar texture to it as real bolognese. Mincing them using the mini food processor saves a lot of time and helps the texture turn out so nicely. IMO This is better than the other veggie bolognese recipe on here. Serve with garlic bread, of course

Best Vegetarian Bolognese Sauce

adapted from Build Your Bite

Ingredients:

• 7 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms, rinsed and patted dry
• 2 celery stalks, ends cut off and cut into 3 pieces each
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 3 sections each
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 1 28 oz can of tomatoes, any kind you like
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon sugar (if desired)
  
• 1 lb Spaghetti, for serving

Instructions: 

1. Add baby bella mushrooms to a food processor and either pulse or shred, until minced
2. Transfer mushrooms to a large skillet or dutch oven
3. Add celery chunks, carrot chunks, garlic cloves, and onion pieces to the food processor and pulse/shred
4. Add the celery/carrot/garlic/onion mixture to the mushrooms in the pan
5. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper to the vegetables
6. Turn the burner on medium high heat and sautee vegetables for 25-30 minutes, stirring often, until vegetables cook down and most of the liquid evaporates
7. Puree canned tomatoes in the food processor until smooth
8. Add the pureed tomatoes to the vegetables along with the basil, oregano, and sugar
9. simmer sauce 10 minutes or so until it seems done.
   
10. Taste and add any seasonings if necessary (if it tastes too acidic, add a little more sugar as necessary)
11. Heat until hot throughout, then serve
12. Serve over spaghetti and topped with parmesan cheese, if desired

Winter Squash and Spinach Pasta Bake

 This is Smitten Kitchen's version of a recipe originally by Ottolenghi. We made it tonight and I really loved it. The down side is it take 1.5 hours to bake and then another half hour to rest, but other than that it's pretty easy and infinitely variable which I really like in a recipe so I definitely hope i make it again. I have varied it a little here.

Winter Squash and Spinach Pasta Bake

From Smitten Kitchen

 Ingredients:

• 1 large egg
• 1 cup (250 grams) ricotta
• 1 cup (100 grams) finely grated parmesan, divided
• 1 cup (85 grams) coarsely grated fontina cheese (I substituted cheddar for this and it was fine)
  
• 1 1/4 cups (300 grams) water
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil, divided
• 2.5 teaspoons kosher salt (use less if you are using table salt)
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste (I omitted this for kids)
  
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 5 ounces (140 grams) baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons thinly-sliced sage leaves or 1 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves (optional) (I substituted 1/2 t. dried sage)
  
• 1 1/4-pound (560-grams) butternut or another sturdy winter squash, peeled, seeded, sliced thin or 1 pound (455 grams) in prepared chunks, sliced thin
• 8 ounces (225 grams) dried pasta (see Note), broken into pieces if large/long (I used penne and it was great)
• 3 Tablespoons pine nuts
  

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350°F (176°C). Line a 9-inch springform with 3-inch sides (see Note) with parchment paper, pressing it across the bottom and creasing the sides to get it to fit as best as possible. If the sides aren’t well covered, repeat with a second piece of parchment in the other direction.

Whisk egg and ricotta in a large bowl. Stir in half of the parmesan, fontina (or cheddar), water, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, a few gratings of fresh nutmeg, lots of freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes (if using), and garlic. Stir in squash, spinach, pine nuts, and sage or thyme, if using. Add dried noodles and stir until everything is coated.

Pour into prepared pan and press gently so everything is in as even of a layer as possible. Sprinkle with second half of parmesan. Gently fold any parchment that extends over the rim of the pan into the center and cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake on a sheet (for extra security against drips) for 1 hour, then remove foil, reopen the parchment folded over the top, and drizzle the dish with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Return to the oven uncovered for 30 minutes. Pasta will be baked through and the top will be crisp. If it doesn’t have as much color as you’d like on top, you can finish it under the broiler for a minute or two.

Cool in pan on a rack for 30 minutes before removing the springform ring, sliding the pasta bake by its parchment onto a serving plate, and cut it into wedges.

Do ahead: This keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week. Rewarm uncovered in a 350-degree oven. I haven’t frozen it, but would expect it to freeze well, tightly wrapped.

Notes:
* Structural note: Like a lasagna, this is more wet and messy when it first comes out of the oven. I recommend a 30-minute rest at minimum (what you see here in the loose slices) but it will be cleaner to cut and more set the longer it hangs out. It reheats fantastically and keeps up to a week in the fridge. Last night, we reheated wedges from 6 days ago and they were (still) perfection.

* Pan size: I only tested this in a 9-inch springform but would expect it to also fit in a 11 to 12-inch ovenproof skillet and also, less glamorously, a 9×13-inch baking dish. No need to line with parchment if you’re serving it from the pan or not worried about leakage

Best tomato sauce for Pasta

 Mahesh said this recipe is from a nice restaurant in New York City that he always wanted to go to but never had a chance to go to. SO, I tried making the red sauce here at home. It is easy, fast, and turned out very well. Although 2/3 cup of oil is so much!! I will try half the oil next time. 

Best Tomato Sauce for Pasta

by Lilia Chef Missy Robbins, via Bloomberg

Ingredients

2/3 cup olive oil (I will try 1/3 cup next time)
20 garlic cloves (about 1½ heads of garlic), peeled 

Two 28-oz. cans of whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tsp crushed red chile flakes (I left this out bc kids)
2 basil sprigs
Kosher salt
1 lb. dried pasta (Robbins prefers short shapes, like rigatoni)

 Directions

In a large, heavy saucepan, warm the olive oil over moderately low heat. Add the garlic cloves, and gently simmer until softened and just beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain the canned tomatoes in a colander. Transfer the tomatoes and any purée in the colander into a food processor and pulse two or three times until the tomatoes are very roughly chopped. (Tester’s note: If you like using your hands, squeeze the tomatoes to break them up into large chunks.)

Using a fork or the back of a spoon, crush half the garlic cloves in the oil; leave the remaining cloves whole. Add the tomatoes, fennel, and chile flakes to the saucepan and simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Add the basil, season well with salt, and simmer for about five more minutes, until the sauce is richly flavored.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until just al dente. Drain, reserving some of the pasta cooking liquid. Cook the pasta in about 2 cups of the sauce, basting the pasta, until al dente; add a little pasta cooking water if necessary. Refrigerate or freeze the remaining sauce for another use.

NOTE: The kids would probably prefer a fully blended sauce next time, but they did eat this. 

 

Eggplant Balls

Whenever I make Spaghetti I always want to make some kind of an eggplant meatball to make it a bit healthier and add variety. The other recipe I have made for years no one likes, so I tried a new one this time -- and it was received much better. One of my favorite tricks for maximum yum in vegetarian food is to deveganize a vegan recipe, that is what I did here. 

Eggplant meatballs

From My Darling Vegan

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used Panko)
  
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley (I didn't have this so didn't use)
• 2 tbsp fresh basil (I didn't have this so didn't use)
  
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  
• 1 1/2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pepper, to taste

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Chop the eggplant into 1" pieces. Heat olive oil over medium heat and add eggplant along with 1/4 cups water. Sauté for 10 minutes until eggplant is slightly brown and tender all throughout.
  
• While the eggplant is cooking, put garlic, herbs, spices, parmesan cheese, and egg into food processor and process until blended up and mixed well. When eggplant is cooked, add eggplant and breadcrumbs to the food processor and pulse until you have a uniform batter. Be careful not to overprocess or the meatballs will become gummy. Some texture is desirable. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Roll the meatball mixture into balls 2 heaping tablespoons in size and place on the prepared parchment paper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until meatballs are browned and crispy on the outside. This is good but alternatively you may want to try frying them in a pan with oil. 
• When the meatballs are done, add them to a saucepot with marinara sauce until the marinara sauce is heated all the way through. Toss with cooked spaghetti or zucchini noodles and serve with fresh parsley and extra parmesan.

I gave this interesting-sounding pasta a shot, and it was a surprise hit, especially considering the sauce is mostly cauliflower! The kids liked it too. I will definitely make again, with a few adjustments.

From Food 52/Andy Bennett

Creamy Cauliflower Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients:

Pasta Carbonara

• 1 tablespoon (12g) olive oil
• 1 cup (100g) sliced spring onions or green onions
• 2 tablespoons (20g) roughly chopped garlic
• 1 cup (200g) Creamy Cauliflower Sauce (from below)
• 2 cups dried pasta, (250g) cooked al dente pasta (from about 125g dry pasta—for the rigatoni we used, this was about 2 cups dry pasta)
• ²/₃ cup (90g) fresh or frozen green peas, cooked in salted water
• ¹/₂ cup Scant, (10g) chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 6 tablespoons (12g) finely grated Parmesan
• Smoked sea salt, to taste (optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon (4g) toasted breadcrumbs, or more to taste

Creamy Cauliflower Sauce

• 2 cups (200g) cauliflower florets (in roughly 1/2-inch pieces)
• 2 ¹/₄ cups (500g) vegetable stock or broth
• ¹/₂ cup (100g) neutral oil such as canola
• Salt to taste

Directions:

Pasta Carbonara:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the spring onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the onions and garlic are turning light golden. Add the sauce, pasta, and peas and heat everything through, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes.
2. Once hot, stir in the cheese and parsley, season with smoked salt and black pepper to taste and place in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and serve immediately. 

 Creamy Cauliflower Sauce:

1. In a medium saucepan, cover the cauliflower with vegetable stock and simmer, partially covered, until really tender, about 20 minutes. Blend the cauliflower and stock till smooth with a blender or hand blender. While the blender is running, slowly pour in olive oil to emulsify.
2. Store any leftovers airtight in the refrigerator and use as a creamy sauce, warm or cold.

 

Cheesy Vegetarian Mac

This one is easy, relatively healthy, and makes a whole lot! The kids didn't eat too much but I think I under-salted it, will try again with more salt and report back. I quite liked it.

from budgetbytes

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil 
• 1 yellow onion 
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 Tbsp chili powder -- this is supposed to be very mild chili powder, I used 1/2 T of ancho chili powder instead
• 15 oz. can diced tomatoes 
• 15 oz. can tomato sauce
• 15 oz. can kidney beans
• 15 oz. can black beans 
• 15 oz. can pinto beans
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 cups vegetable broth 
• 2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles 
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar 
• salt -- at least 1/2 t. maybe more

Instructions

• Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Sauté the onion and garlic with olive oil in the bottom of a large pot (5 qt) over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the onions are soft and transparent.
• Add the flour and chili powder to the sautéed onions and garlic. Continue to stir and sauté for about two minutes, or just until the flour and chili powder begin to coat the bottom of the pot.
• Drain and rinse the kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, all three beans, corn, and vegetable broth to the pot. Stir to combine and to dissolve any flour and chili powder off the bottom of the pot.
• Add the uncooked macaroni noodles and stir to combine. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium high, and let the pot come up to a boil. Stir every other minute or so to loosen the noodles from the bottom of the pot as it heats up.
• When the pot reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low, or just above low, so it continues to gently simmer. Let the pot gently simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the liquid is thick and saucy. Stir frequently as it simmers to make sure the pasta does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
• Once the pasta is tender, add the shredded cheddar and stir it in until melted. Serve hot.

Classic Chickpea Noodle Casserole

I saw this recipe for a chickpea casserole, and I immediately bookmarked it to try out. But then I started thinking about tuna noodle casserole, which I love, and wondering if I could make something more like that, but with chickpeas (garbanzo beans). So I made half Chickpea Casserole with Lemon, Herbs, and Shallots, and half classic Tuna Noodle Casserole (the kind with the cream of mushroom soup) with chickpeas substituted for the tuna in one 9x13 dish. I asked Mahesh and Kiran which casserole they preferred, and both preferred the classic casserole over the new version, which is good  So I will make it again, it was good but a little bland and needed a little salt, and might be good to try adding in some canned artichoke hearts for a little extra flavor next time. It's quite filling due to the high chickpea content, which is nice. Here is the recipe:

Classic Chickpea Noodle Casserole

Makes one 13x9 pan, can halve the recipe (with one can chickpeas) for an 8x8 pan.

Ingredients:

• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (I might try cream of celery soup next time)
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 2 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained
• 4 cups hot cooked medium egg noodles (8 ounces dry)
• Salt
• (might be good to try adding in canned artichokes next time)
• 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs 
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

1. Stir soup, milk, peas, garbanzo beans, noodles, and artichoke hearts, if using, in 3-quart casserole (I used a 9x13 pan).
2. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes or until hot. Stir.
3. Mix bread crumbs with butter in bowl and sprinkle over garbanzo bean mixture. Bake for 5 minutes more.

Mushroom bolognese

I love meat bolognese sauce, but because my husband and son are vegetarian I never make it at home. Plus, it's not that healthy. When I saw this Eatingwell vegetarian version that uses mushrooms instead of the meat, I had to give it a shot. This isn't going to convince anyone it's real meat sauce but the recipe is easy to make, healthy, and has at least an echo of that bolognese flavor/texture in it (more if you add lots of Parmesan cheese). So, worth remembering.

from Eatingwell

Ingredients

• •  5 ounces spaghetti
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 large shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
  • 10 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped
• • ⅛ teaspoon salt, or to taste (I used more than this)
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes (or blended diced tomatoes)
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano (I used 1/2 teaspoon dried)
  • Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook pasta until a little less than you want it done. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, drain pasta.

 

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots, carrot, mushrooms, salt and pepper; cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms have wilted and the juices have evaporated, about 12 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and oregano and cook, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. 

 

3. Add the pasta to the sauce with some reserved pasta cooking water and let bubble for about 1 minute to cook some of the sauce flavors into the pasta. 

 

4. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.  

• Make Ahead Tip: Make the sauce (Step 2), cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Thanksgiving Ramen Bowl

So Thanksgiving here in Canada is just another weekday. I have been making these composed noodle soup bowls lately (you put all the ingredients in the bowl first, then pour the broth over the top) and I wanted to make one with the goodness of thanksgiving in it. Well it turned out fantastic! One great thing about these noodle bowls is you can customize each one -- so the vegetarians in our family had tofu, and I put some chicken in mine! We definitely want to make this again, so here is the recipe.

THANKSGIVING NOODLE BOWLS
(makes 3 hearty bowls)

Ingredients (very approx, I did not measure anything):

-- ramen noodles for 3 people -- I bought the ones in individual packs and used 3 packets
-- approx. 1/2 med winter squash like butternut
-- 5 ounces baby spinach
-- 1 lb mushrooms (I used crimini)
-- 1 inch knob ginger, sliced into 1/2" thick slices
-- 1 onion, chopped
-- 1 stalk celery, chopped
-- 4 slices bread, cubed
-- 3 tablespoons butter
-- 1 tablespoon oil
-- 5 cloves garlic, sliced thin
-- 1 T. better than bullion soup base (vegetarian)
-- 1/2 block med tofu, cubed and/or 1/2 cup cooked chicke
-- sage
-- thyme
-- soy sauce
-- green onions, sliced thin

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Measure 3 large noodle bowls worth of water into a pot -- this will become your broth! But for now it is your boiling bowl. Put pot on stove, turn on to high heat until water boils.

2. Wash and cut squash in half, clean out seeds, then slice squash with skin on into 1/2 inch slices. When water is boiling, boil squash until soft but not falling apart -- I did not time this, but maybe 10 minutes? When squash is done, remove from boiling water with tongs and set aside. When squash is cool, use a knife to cut off the peel, you should have nice rings of cooked squash.

3. Then add your ramen noodles to your boiling water, cook until done, maybe 2-3 minutes for the kind you buy already soft. Take out of pot with tongs and set aside.

4. Meanwhile, in a second pan, make Stuffing Croutons -- saute the celery and 1/2 onion in 2 T. butter until soft. Add in 1/2 t. fresh thyme and 1/8 t. dried sage. Add in cubed bread and set on medium, keep the pan on medium and keep mixing every now and then until the bread is toasted and crispy. Set aside.

5. Meanwhile, in a third pan, fry mushrooms in 1 T. butter and 1 T. oil until brown, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Dump into the broth, then in the same pan fry garlic in some oil until cooked (watch it because it burns easily!) Dump that into the broth when you are done.

6. Now you flavor the broth -- add in 1 T. of Bullion mix, 1/2 t. salt, pepper, ginger slices, the rest of the chopped onion, and 1 t. fresh thyme. Let that boil for at least 15 minutes or until onions are cooked through. Taste the broth, add more salt or soy sauce or whatever you think it needs to be tasty -- this broth will be the main flavoring of the dish! 

7. Add all the soup ingredients directly into the empty soup bowls -- I like to fill approx. 1/2 with noodles, then stick 3-4 slices squash in on one side, then a big handful of spinach (fresh is OK because the hot broth will wilt it down) then 1/2 cup tofu or chicken per bowl.

8. Carefully ladle boiling hot broth onto your ingredients. Add approx. 1/4 cup stuffing croutons and sliced green onions onto the top. Serve! (with hot sauce and extra soy sauce, if you like)

Vegetarian Pad Thai

I am a pad thai lover, but most vegetarian versions are pretty gross (I have tried quite a few!) and I have been scouring the blogs for something I will want to make more than once. Well, the other day I ran across this recipe, promising a yummy veg pad thai that took only 30 minutes to prepare.

"No way," I thought.

I decided to take on the challenge and timed myself preparing it. From start to finish, it took me about 45 minutes including all the chopping, which is not bad for my first time making it. I think I can get it down to 30 minutes with practice. Plus, some pretty darn good pad thai. So this dish is a surprising winner in more ways than one.

Vegetarian Pad Thai

modified from Post Punk Kitchen

Serves 4 (or 2.5 in our house)

8 oz pad thai rice noodles (sometimes called rice stick noodles) , cooked according to package directions (or directions below)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
14 oz (one package) tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
4 cups brocolli florettes and thinly sliced stems
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups scallion, chopped into 1 inch pieces (I used one bunch of green onions for this)
1 cup lightly packed cilantro, chopped
4 oz mung bean sprouts

For the sauce:
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
4 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce (use gluten-free tamari to make this gluten-free)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 tablespoon Sriracha
1 heaping tablespoon mellow white miso

To serve:
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts
Extra lime wedges

1. Put a pot of water on to boil. When the water boils, boil broccoli florets for 5 minutes, or until sort of soft. Turn off the heat and scoop the broccoli out with a slotted spoon and put on a plate. Add the pad thai noodles to the hot water. After 8 minutes, drain noodles and rinse in cool water to stop cooking. 

2. While the water is boiling, make the tofu. You’ll need a large cast iron pan, or something non-stick that can take very high heat. Preheat pan over high heat. Once pan is good and hot, drizzle in 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the cubed tofu and sprinkle with about 1/4 teaspoon salt. The tofu should immediately sizzle when it hits the hot the pan, otherwise, turn the heat up. Cook for about 7 minutes, tossing often, until it’s nicely browned.

3. In the meantime, mix together all of the ingredients for the sauce and set aside. The miso may not completely dissolve, but that’s okay, just get it as smooth as possible.

4. When tofu is browned, transfer it to a plate and cover gently with tin foil to keep warm.

5. Now we’ll cook the sauce. Lower heat to medium. Cook the garlic in the remaining oil very briefly, about 15 seconds. Add the scallion and cilantro and toss just to get it wilted. Add in brocolli and cook for 4 minutes or until cooked through. Now pour in about half the sauce and get it heated through.

6. Add the noodles and toss to coat. Then add back the tofu and broccoli, the mung beans and the remaining sauce, and toss to coat.

7. Serve immediately, topped with peanuts and lime wedges, plus extra cilantro if desired.

One thing I really hate is when I buy fancy produce from the farmer's market and it goes bad in the fridge. Somehow if regular produce goes bad I usually just shrug and throw it away, but seeing fancy produce all brown and rotten... it gets me. SO today we had a bunch of mustard greens that needed to be used up. I found this recipe from my pal Martha Stewart and decided to give it a try.

I don't believe I have ever caramelized onions before today. It isn't that difficult and the result is so delicious! This recipe tasted sort of like onion soup pasta. Next time I might try to add some kind of herb or something to it for a bit more complicated flavor. But definitely a recipe to save and try again.

Pasta with Caramelized Onions and Bitter Greens 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 medium onions, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rings
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 cups chicken broth, veggie broth, or water
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound fettuccine (I used farfalle and it was fine)
• 1 head chicory (curly endive), mustard greens, kale, or arugula, washed, with tough ribs removed and leaves torn into pieces
  
  

  Directions

• Step 1

  Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sugar and cook, stirring once or twice, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Turn heat to low; continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 10 minutes.

• Step 2

  Remove half the onions and set aside. Add broth or water to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat, scraping bottom of pan, for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  Step 3

  Cook pasta in boiling salted water until a little underdone, and drain. Add to broth; simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add greens; cook, covered, until wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in additional tablespoon of butter, if desired. Divide among 4 shallow bowls, garnish with reserved onions, and serve

Next time it might be nice to try adding in bay leaves and thyme....

Mmmm brussel-sprouty pasta! Quick and healthy. I got the recipe here but souped it up quite a bit to suit my tastes. A good way to use up the brussels sprouts in those huge bags from Costco.

Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts and Pine Nuts

 Ingredients

• 3/4 - 1 pound (300-450g) Brussels sprouts, trimmed
• 1/2 pound (225g) dried egg fettuccine
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• shredded parmesan or parmesan-reggiano cheese to top pasta

 Instructions

1. Put pot of salted water on to boil for pasta.

2. Meanwhile, slice Brussels sprouts in a food processor fitted with slicing disk (or by hand).

3. When water is boiling, add fettucine and cook until al dente. 

4. When brussels sprouts are sliced, heat butter and oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until foam subsides, then cook pine nuts, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic, then sauté over medium-high heat until tender and lightly browned, about 4-6 minutes.

5. When pasta is finished cooking, reserve 1 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta and add to skillet, tossing with enough reserved water to moisten. 

6. Top with parmesan cheese. 

Vodka penne

This recipe is very good, it takes a while to bake in the oven but is actually easy to make if you have the time! Becky made it for us last night.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/nick-and-tonis-penne-alla-vecchia-bettola-recipe/index.html

Sai's fried noodles with veggies and tofu

My sister in law Sai is from Thailand, and she and Mahesh's brother Yogesh are here visiting us for a while. Yesterday she said "why don't we make a simple lunch of what we have on hand." I said, "okay." And this is what we made.

Sai's fried noodles with veggies and tofu
serves 3, somewhat scantily

Ingredients

-- 1/2 lb rice noodles, boiled until done to your liking
-- 1/2 package firm or pressed tofu, cubed
-- 1 carrot, juilenned
-- 1/2 lb. asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
-- 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
-- handful thai basil leaves
-- handful green onion, thinly sliced on the bias
-- 1 T. soy sauce
-- 2 T. vegetarian oyster sauce (or real oyster sauce, if you are not vegetarian)
-- 1 wedge lemon
-- 2 teaspoon sugar
-- oil
-- red pepper flakes, 1/4 to 1/2 t. 

Method

1. If you want extra-fried tofu, start frying the tofu first in a layer of oil until browned to your liking on all sides. (If not, you start with the onion and just fry the tofu a little second.)

2. Once onion is yellow, add in other vegetables, starting with the hardest first, we used carrot and asparagus first.

3. When the vegetables are nearly cooked, add in the cooked noodles and all the seasoning elements in, mix well, and taste. Adjust the seasonings if necessary to your taste.

4. When you think the taste is good add in basil and green onion, and serve.

Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

This is the recipe my mom uses to make Macaroni and Cheese, which was a staple on our dinner table growing up, and it is also the recipe I use! I believe it was originally from Betty Crocker.

HOMEMADE MAC AND CHEESE

INGREDIENTS

-- 1/4 c. minced onion
-- 3 Tablespoons butter
-- 1/4 c. flour
-- 1 1/2 c. milk
-- 8 ounces cheese (I typically use extra sharp Cabot cheddar)
-- 1 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles

DIRECTIONS

1. Get a big pot of salted water boiling, add in macaroni and boil according to package directions.

2. While that is happening, melt butter in pan on low-medium heat. Add in onions and cook until softened and transluscent, about 10 minutes. DO NOT BROWN ONIONS. When onions are cooked, sprinkle in flour slowly to make a roux. Cook the roux over the flame to get rid of the raw flour taste, about 60 seconds or so.

3. Get your whisk out and add in the milk, whisking well so all the flour is incorporated and you don't end up with lumps. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens.

4. Add in cheese, stir until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste and your sauce is done.

5. Meanwhile, your macaroni has been cooking and is finished. Add boiled and drained macaroni to sauce, mix to incorporate, put in an oven-safe dish and bake 30 minutes uncovered in a 350 degree oven.

POSSIBLE VARIATIONS

-- 1/2 cup mushroom, minced (add it in with the onion in the beginning)
-- substitute goat cheese for some cheddar
-- a little basil
-- spinach ?
-- anything you like!

Excellent Thai Peanut Noodle Salad

I made something like this a while back, and I liked it, but it wasn't as good as it could be. Since then, I've been on the look out for a better version. Finally, I found it, in the Whitewater Cooks with Friends cookbook. It's a lot of chopping but the results are worth it. Below is the recipe with my changes:

Excellent Thai Peanut Noodle Salad

Ingredients

Dressing
1/2 cup peanut butter, smooth
1 lime, juice and zest of
2 tsp sesame oil
3 tbsp sweet chili sauce
4 tbsp rice vinegar
4 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp maple syrup
4 cloves garlic, halved
2 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
1 tsp sambal chili paste, or more to taste (I usually use like 1 tbsp but I like things VERY spicy)
1-2 tbsp oil
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Salad
1/2 16-ounce (454 g) package pad thai rice noodles (rice stick)
1 kettle full of boiling water
1 tsp sesame oil
2 carrots, juilenned
1/2 long english cucumber (or any cucumber) seeded and julienned
1 red pepper, julienned
2 cups bean sprouts
1 bunch green onions, sliced thinly on the diagonal
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds
2 tbsp sesame seeds

Method

Dressing:
1) Blend all dressing ingredients except cilantro and oil with a hand blender or food processor
2) Add oil in and mix until incorporated
3) Stir in half the cilantro and set aside

Noodles:
4) Place rice noodles in a large bowl, cover with boiling water and soak for 10 minutes or until tender
5) Drain into colander, rinse with cold water, place back in bowl and toss with sesame oil
6) Add juilenned carrots, cucumbers, red pepper, bean sprouts and green onions to noodles and set aside.

Nuts:
7) Heat up a heavy-bottomed pan on the stove. Add almonds and sesame seeds and toast until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes -- keep an eye on these because they can burn easily!

Salad:
8) Add approx. 3/4 of dressing to noddles and mix gently together with your hands, tongs, or two wooden spoons.
9) Garnish with remaining cilantro, toasted nuts, and, if you like, a drizzle of extra sauce or spicy chili paste.

If there's any sauce left over you can use it on steamed brocolli or on chicken or in various other delicious ways. Enjoy!

Lemon spaghetti with asparagus

I've known about fiddleheads for a while. As a budding urban forager, I have even considered picking some of the unfurled fern fronds I've seen by the side of some pathways in the spring, but I wasn't sure if they were the kind you eat or not. SO when I saw some for sale at NOWBC, I thought, this is the week we try to eat fiddleheads.

I googled this recipe and cooked it up for us. It was good, if a bit too lemony. The fiddleheads were inoffensive, sort of like a blandish asparagus. The whole recipe was only OK but I thought if I used asparagus instead of fiddleheads, added in a little parmesan, and toned down the lemon a bit, it would be a great springtime recipe. So this is what I want to try next time:

Lemon Spaghetti with Asparagus

Ingredients (for 2 servings):

2 cups asparagus, trimmed into one or two inch chunks
2 large cloves of garlic - diced
1 tsp crushed red pepper 
2 tsp butter
2 tsp olive oil
fresh lemon juice from 1/2 large or 1 small lemon
4 oz pasta (I used spaghetti)
2 tbsp pasta water
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
zest of 1 lemon
salt

Method:

-- bring a pot of water to a boil on the stove for pasta. cook pasta according to directions.

-- in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, melt butter and olive oil - add asparagus, garlic and crushed red pepper. saute for 3-5 minutes, testing taste and texture about halfway through cooking. at the half way point add fresh lemon juice.

-- add the cooked pasta to the saute pan with 2 tbsp pasta water, half the parmesan cheese, and half the lemon zest, tossing to coat pasta with the asparagus mixture

-- plate & sprinkle with a generous amount of good coarse salt, remainder of lemon zest and parmesan cheese.

enjoy!

Rapini-Walnut spaghetti

Lately we have been on a spaghetti kick. BUT instead of making a whole box or half-box of spaghetti and gorging until my stomach hurts like I usually do, lately I have tried something I have never done before: measuring the portions. So, for two of us, that's just 4 ounces of uncooked spaghetti, and we will eat it as sort of half a dinner along with something else. This is what I made tonight:

Rapini-Walnut Spaghetti 
based on this recipe from all recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch broccoli rabe (rapini), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (mine was a small bunch of baby rabe so it probably counted more like 1/2 bunch, also I didn't need to pre-boil it)
• 4 ounces uncooked spaghetti
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, sliced
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (important to use good parmesan here!)

Method:

1. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the broccoli rabe, and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside. 
2. Return the water to a boil, and stir in the macaroni. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
3. While the pasta is cooking, cook and stir the walnut halves in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. 
4.  Set the walnuts aside, add the olive oil, and reduce heat to low. Stir in the garlic, and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. 
5. Stir in the broccoli rabe, and cook 3 minutes to reheat. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, then stir in the drained pasta, walnuts, and half the parmesan. If you want to you can add some pasta water here and cook it up to make a bit of a sauce.
6. Toss with remaining Parmesan cheese before serving.