Tortellini with grape tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes and basil

This is so simple and delicious! Really you cannot have such sublime flavor with less prep time!

Ingredients:
2 packages of tortellini (I used one cheese filled and one pesto filled)
1 package of grape tomatoes, sliced
1/2 jar of diced sun dried tomatoes in oil
1 large bunch of fresh basil
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan for serving

Cook pasta per directions.
Meanwhile wash and shred basil, set aside
Slice grape tomatoes, set aside

When pasta is cooked, drain well and return to pot. add the tomatoes and basil and half the jar and oil to the pasta. Toss well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This too can be eaten hot or warm and can be served family style or served in staggered stages  for the busy family on the go.

Spaghetti with cauliflower, sundried tomatoes and sausage

 

I adore pasta and could eat it every day. For every meal. I love that there are just so many ways to serve it. I love that it can be eaten hot or cold, can accompany a meal or stand on its own. I love all the different ways it can be prepared and all the different ingredients to accompany it... You could have pasta all year and never have to repeat a dish! 

I like to cook pasta for its ease and simplicity. Pasta is a perfect and practical dish for a busy family always on the go. It's nourishing and soul-soothing. I serve it once a week. 

Last week I was getting ready to purge pile after pile of my cooking/decorating magazines. I swept through each glossy looking for dog-eared pages and anything that caught my attention. Interesting recipes and inspirational articles or photos were carefully ripped out. This recipe was adapted from another... I wish I remembered... but since I made it my own, it's not quite as important. Still, it would have been nice to have given credit to the recipe that inspired it...

Ingredients:

1 package fresh Italian sausages. I used sweet but you could use hot.
1/2 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 Cup finely chopped or pulsed sundried tomatoes in oil, plus 2 tbs of the sundried tomato oil
1/2 head of fresh cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces. (Please do not use frozen for this!)

1 lb spaghetti -- I used vermicelli
1/2  Cup Parmesan cheese. (I used grated)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, bring water to boil and then cook pasta per directions on package. Drain, reserving a little bit of the liquid to keep the pasta from sticking together. If necessary add a tbs of two olive oil.

In a skillet add small bits of sausage, removing them from their casings. Cook until thoroughly browned. Set aside on plate, on paper towel. Repeat as necessary until all the sausage is thoroughly cooked.

In the same skillet add the garlic and onions, allowing them to soak of the sausage flavorings and saute until translucent. Add the 2 tbs of sundried tomato oil. Turn off heat. If possible return sausages to pan (unless you chose one that is too small!) 

Steam cauliflower until al dente. Should take just a few minutes. Add to the pasta. Add the sundried tomatoes to the pasta and cauliflower. Mix well. Now add the onion, garlic and sausage mixture. Mix well. Next add the Parmesan, salt and pepper if necessary. Mix thoroughly. Keep in pot on low until ready to serve. 

Buon Appetito!

Penne with Sun-dried tomato pesto with toasted walnuts and basil

Trying to eat soul soothing foods that have some health value can be hard. This pasta isn't so bad. The nuts add protein, fiber and Omega-3. Sun tried tomatoes are rich in Beta Carotein and anti-oxidants. And basil must have some nutritional value -- it is green! If made with a vitamin-enriched pasta or whole wheat pasta you have a pretty healthy meal!

Ingredients:

1 box, 1 lb, penne -- though use any shape you like
1 14. oz jar of sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup of basil, Julienned
1 cup of walnuts, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan filled 3/4 to the top with water, cook pasta as directed on the package.
With a sharp knife or mini food processor, chop sun dried tomatoes -- set aside
With a sharp knife of mini food processor, chop walnuts -- set aside
Using a sharp knife julienne the basil -- set aside

Heat a skillet and add the chopped nuts. Stir and remove the pan from heat as soon as the nuts start to brown. This process happens very quickly. Keep stirring even when pan is off the heat. When most of the nuts have been toasted remove from pan and into a bowl.


When pasta is done, drain and return to the pan. Add Sun-dried tomatoes and nuts and mix well. Fold in basil and add some salt and pepper to taste.

Appetizers for a New Year's Eve with the family, at home by the fire

My kids love appetizers. They love to be able to nibble away at food, slowly grazing and picking over the course of a few hours. It's fun, it's celebratory and special. We do this once or twice a year and it is the only time my children are allowed to eat in the family room, on the couches in front of the fire. That in itself is a fun thing!

One day, when the children are older, we'll have festive, formal dinners, But I truly enjoy the casualness of the appetizers and the togetherness as we spend the evening waiting to ring in the New Year!

We started out slowly. Our aim was to stay awake until Midnight. At 7:00 I brought out some mini gherkin pickles, green olives, black olives and peanuts. We munched on those as we sipped our celebratory beverages. My husband had a fabulous Dirty Martini, I a lovely glass of Veuve, and the children sipped Sparkling Italian Grapefruit Soda (Trader Joe's).






At 8:00 I brought out my Spicy Artichoke Dip and Ina Garten's Sun-dried Tomato dip (pictured below) that is truly out of this world! We noshed on those with pita chips and toasts made from French bread.




At 9:00 I started on Pioneer Woman's Steak Bites and Black Eyed Pea Salsa. Both were outrageously delightful!

We were so full that we never ate the cheeses (Blue, Manchega and Smoked Gryere) that I was going to serve with sliced pear, apple and crackers.

Nor did we get to the shrimp. I had intended on making The Barefoot Contessa's baked shrimp. Instead I tossed my clean, uncooked shrimp in the freezer to be enjoyed another day.

I purchased fresh and wonderfully delicious blackberries at the market on sale as well as strawberries to have with French Macaroons and Lemon Bars. I completely forgot about the grapes! I was going to hand out a dozen grapes to everyone as the Spanish tradition goes, but I totally forgot! I hope this doesn't mean we lose out on a chance for a very sweet year!


PW's Black Eyed Pea Salsa

(Except I couldn't find black eyed peas at two stores and we were in the midst of a mini snow storm so I had to use black beans)

Ingredients

• FOR THE DRESSING:
• ½ cups Olive Oil
• ⅓ cups White Wine (or Regular) Vinegar (I used Cider Vinegar, almost a full cup)
  2 Tablespoons (to 3 Tablespoons) Sugar ( I thought it was a bit too sweet with 2)
  
• 1 teaspoon Celery Seed
• ½ teaspoons Dry Mustard ( I didn't have any. Ack!)
  
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
• _____
• Vegetables
• 3 stalks Celery Finely Chopped
• 3 stalks Green Onions, Sliced
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper (Chopped)
• 1 whole Cucumber, Peeled, Seeded, And Chopped
• 1 whole Jalapeno (optional), Seeded And Chopped (I omited this too as I thought it would be too spicy for my four year old!)
• 1 cup (or More If Desired) Chopped Cilantro
  
• 2 cans Black-eyed Peas, Drained

Preparation Instructions

Mix together dressing ingredients. Set aside.

Combine all vegetables (except cilantro) with black eyed peas. Pour dressing over the top and gently stir together. Add cilantro and stir gently.

Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips. (I thought they were best with blue corn tortilla chips)

PW's Steak Bites (I'm telling you run out and get some sirloin NOW!)

You'll need a package of sirloin steak.

You'll trim it of all excess fat and then cut slices about 1/2 in. thick, then you will cut bite sized pieces. Toss the pieces in to a bowl and sprinkle on a generous amount of sea salt, freshly ground pepper and garlic powder. Toss to ensure that the meat is well covered with the seasonings.

You'll add about 2 Tbs of butter to a pan, heat it up and get really hot. As the butter sizzles toss in about half your meat.

You'll cook your meat about 1 minute on each side. The trick is to quickly sear the sirloin so that the outside gets dark and crispy and the inside stays pink and tender. When done place on a plate, add 2 more tbs of butter to the pan, let it sizzle, add the meat and repeat.

Serve immediately!

Dirty Martini with Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives (I'm pretty sure this is going to be my husband's signature drink!)

2 oz good vodka, chilled
3/4 oz. Olive juice, chilled
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth, chilled
3 Colossal olives
Blue cheese
Toothpicks

Take a Colossal green olive, remove pimento, and add stuff the olive with a good blue cheese. Repeat for 2 more olives. Place onto a toothpick, set asside.

In a Shaker that has been chilling in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, place vodka, olive juice and vermouth. Shake well, and pour into martini glass. Add olives. Enjoy!

The olives, filled with blue cheese, when drunk from the Martini are TO DIE FOR!

holiday menus that were never meant to be

due to recent injury -- dislocated shoulder (story told in my other blog, The Entertaining House) has prohibited me from being able to create in the kitchen. this is maddening and frustrating to me because the kitchen is where I spend most of my time. It is where I feed and nourish my family and it is where I create. As long as I can create I am happy. But I am now very limited in what I can do. I am left handed and it is my left arm that is injured. I can bear no weight on that side at the moment. Carrying a cup of coffee is even impossible. Moving around the kitchen using just one arm and hand means that the smallest task is taking forever to accomplish.

We were to be celebrating Christmas with my parents and eating a lovely lunch just hours after the accident took place.

The Menu would have been:

Grilled Fillet of Salmon in a dry rub of chili powders, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper accompanied by Lightly Sauteed Garbanzo Beans (with salt, garlic powder and paprika) and
Lemon Parmesan Orzo and a
Simple Mixed Greens Salad
Wine Selection for the adults
Shirley Temples for the Children

Dessert would have been:
Assorted Christmas Cookies (made by my mother in law) and
Freshly Brewed Coffee or Cappuccinos

Instead my mother was able to make sandwiches for everyone using the cold cuts that had just been purchased from the deli.


We were also to be having a few friends over for a New Year's Day Party. I am still deeply saddened that we had to cancel this too.

This was to be a get together with friends we have known since long before children. Friends who are all fairly local, but we do not get to see often. This is a family friendly party -- an open house -- and the menu needed to accommodate many different ages, and children!

The Menu for Lunch (served buffet style) simple, family friendly but not short on flavor, would have been:

Spiral Ham with Assorted Mustard -- hot, mild and sweet
Various Breads and Rolls
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Quiche Lorraine
Spinach Salad

Dessert:
Assorted cookies and pies
Fresh Fruit


Hor D'oeuvres:

Homemade potato chips (purchased from Stew Leonard's)
with Barefoot Contessa's Sun Dried Tomato Dip
and Caramelized Onion Dip

Assorted Spiced Pita Chips with Sabra Hummus

Olive Bar
Spiced Nuts
Cheese Straws

Crudtiees with Herbed Yogurt Dip

Cheese Platter with Assorted Crackers

Goldfish for the littlest guests

Beverages:
Seltzer Water
Diet and Regular Colas and Gingerale
Assorted Wines
Prosecco
Assorted Beer
Juice Boxes for the littlest Guests

Assorted recipes below:

Barefoot Contessa's Sun-dried Tomato Dip:

Ingredients:

nocoupons

• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (8 tomatoes)
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup good mayonnaise
• 10 dashes, hot red pepper sauce
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)

Puree the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, red pepper sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature.

Barefoot Contessa's Pan-Fried Onion Dip:

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 2 large yellow onions
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup good mayonnaise

Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch thick half-rounds. (You will have about 3 cups of onions.) Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onions to cool.

Place the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Taste for seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

Cheese Straws

(I usually wing these and never measure, so I am using The Barefoot Contessa's recipe for proper measurements)

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry (such as Pepperidge Farm), defrosted overnight in the refrigerator
• Flour, for dusting
• 1 extra-large egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese (I often use cheddar, pre-shredded, pre-packaged)
  
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves (I don't use the thyme but now I will!)
  
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll out each sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured board until it is 10- by 12-inches. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the surface of the pastry. Sprinkle each sheet evenly with 1⁄4 cup of the Parmesan, 1⁄2 cup of the Gruyère, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the thyme, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt, and some pepper. With the rolling pin, lightly press the flavorings into the puff pastry. Cut each sheet crosswise with a floured knife or pizza wheel into 11 or 12 strips. Twist each strip and lay on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and puffed. Turn each straw and bake for another 2 minutes. Don't over bake or the cheese will burn.
Cool and serve at room temperature.

Spiced Sauteed Garbanzos (Chic Peas)

1 can garbanzo (chick peas) beans
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste

In a saute pan add olive oil and heat the pan.
As pan is heating open the can of garbanzos, rinse and drain of all liquid and add to pan. Stir so that the beans are well covered. Add seasonings.
Garbanzos will start to brown, the shells will harden and get crisp. When nicely browned and crisp (taste) about 5 minutes, remove from pan and place in a serving bowl. May be served hot or at room temperature. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.

Fanny Farmer's Macaroni and Cheese

The Fanny Merritt Farmer Cookbook is my go to book for all basic recipes. I adore her macaroni and cheese.
Ingredients
2 cups Elbow Macaroni
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
1 1/4 cups of milk heated
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375 F
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Carefully Stir in the flour. This makes a roux. Cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don't let it brown - about 2 minutes.
Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring it to a boil.
Add salt and pepper to taste, lower the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more.
Stir in cup grated Cheddar cheese during the last 2 minutes of cooking, along with a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Remove from the heat and spray a casserole with nonstick spray
Place the cooked macaroni into the casserole, pour the cheese sauce over it, and mix gently with a fork.
Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the top and spread the crumbs over the cheese.
Bake, uncovered, until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling, about 20 - 30 minutes.

Spinach Salad with French Vinaigrette

This recipe will need to be altered to feed more for a party.

1 lb baby spinach (these look like small leaves)
4 hard boiled eggs, sliced
8 slices of thick bacon, cooked
1 medim red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup of sliced mushrooms

For the dressing:
1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil

Place all salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.

In a jar with a lid or cruet add the following ingredients and mix well. Add to salad just prior to serving. Unused dressing may be set aside and used at a later time. Keep for a week at room temperature.

Shirley Temple

8 0z of good quality gingerale such as Canada Dry
1 shot glass (I have used a medicine cup in its place!) of Rose's Grenadine
1 maraschino cherry
1 straw

Savory Sun Dried Tomato Spread

I needed to serve something in a pinch for friends the other day. I had some sour cream, cream cheese and some sun dried tomato pesto sauce. I also had some sliced French bread, savory crackers and pita chips. What resulted was a tasty little treat!

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup of sour cream (I used low fat)
4 oz cream cheese (I used low fat)
3 Tbs of sun dried tomato paste

I tossed all ingredients in a food processor and blended until smooth, then spooned it into a nice little serving dish and served with the savory crackers, pita chips and bread. It couldn't have been easier.

Heirloom Tomatoes with Basil Vinaigrette

It's tomato season. Locally grown tomatoes are divine and worth getting -- even driving some distance if necessary.

This recipe is simple. I cut up 3 large tomatoes in to large chunks and placed them in a bowl.

For the dressing I blended the following ingredients in a mini food processor until the basil leaves were well minced. I added a little bit of sea salt for flavoring and in the end, one of the most aromatic dressings I have had!

1 TBS of cider vinegar

3 TBS Olive oil

1 large punch of basil

Ratatouille

This really is a vegetable dish and not the name of an animated Disney movie! My mother made it a lot when I was a child and I loved it with a nice buttered baked potato. A good vegetarian meal for you Kimmy!

4 Tbs olive oil
2 (or more!) cloves of minced garlic
2 zucchini, cubed
1 sm. eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 bay leaf
2 green peppers, cubed (I suppose if you do not like green you could substitute red, yellow or green)
6 tomatoes peeled and cubed
1 tbs. parsley
a dash of thyme
salt and pepper to taste

In a large sauce pan add oil and brown onions and garlic, add veggies and seasoning. Cook 20 to 60 minutes.

Serves 6