Orechiette with Cremini Mushroom Cream sauce and Chicken

Tags

chicken, dinner, mushrooms, pasta

Spoiler Alert: This is a back logged post. I have a Week 2 recap on Paleo coming up.

Was trying to keep dinners interesting and after a gorgeous tease of fresh wild mushrooms arrived in my CSA, I decided to make a dish just for the earthy creamy delicious mushrooms. While searching my stack of cookbooks, I found a fantabulous recipe in my Emiril Lagasse Cookbook. And for recipe purposes, found it online here.

Besides the mushrooms, I was sold on Orechiette pasta. I have a serious addiction to textures and the texture of this pasta is amazing. Good chew to it and is overall just fun to eat. Its Italian for little ears!

Ingredients:

12 ounces orchiette pasta 1 lb of orechiette
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound assorted wild mushrooms, stems trimmed, wiped clean, and thinly sliced ( I used cremini)
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves (I used dried)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups heavy cream non fat half and half
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives 1 lb of cooked chicken breast (for sustenance!)

Directions
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and return to the pot. Cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the cream, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Add the Parmesan and adjust the seasoning, to taste.

Add the pasta, stir to coat with the sauce, and cook until the pasta is heated through, 1 minute. Remove from the heat and divide among 4 serving bowls or plates.

serve immediately.

 

 

 

 

Cavatapi with Browned Brussel Sprouts and Buttery Breadcrumbs

Tags

breadcrumbs, brussel sprouts, healthy, pasta, recipes

Its not every day that I make something and think its too good to eat all at once. BR and I were cleaning the apartment ferociously when I found a stack of magazines completely untouched! No tabs. No markings. It was like Christmas!

When the cleaning was done, I sat on the couch with my post-it tabs turning page after page and using dozens of tabs. And in the last untouched issue in my hand, I saw it. This recipe in the back of the magazine. The photo drew me in.

Brussel sprouts.

cavatapi pasta

breadcrumbs.

Looked like a fantastic side. Even better? I had everything on hand to make it happen. So, I walked into my just cleaned kitchen and proceeded to make a mess. (Not to worry, I cleaned it up again!)

I found this recipe online, but its from the November 2012 issue of Cooking Light Magazine.

• 8 ounces uncooked cavatappi pasta (reserve 2/3 cup pasta water)
• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter (an additional Tbsp for the brussel sprouts
• 1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) Italian style seasoned Breadcrumbs
• 4 teaspoons olive oil  (I used butter instead)
• 12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2/3 cup organic vegetable broth Pasta Water
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, shaved (about 1/2 cup) Grated Parmesan Cheese 
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

 

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and transfer to a large bowl; keep warm.
2. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat; swirl to coat. Add panko breadcrumbs to pan; cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil unsalted Butter to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic; cook 3 minutes or until onion is tender and the Brussels sprouts are lightly browned. Add Brussels sprouts to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth pasta water and next 5 ingredients salt and pepper (through pepper). Cover and Stir fry and cook 5 –7 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are crisp-tender. Add Brussels sprouts mixture to pasta; toss well. Sprinkle with cheese, pine nuts, and panko Breadcrumbs. Serve immediately.

With the tweaks that I made this was a homerun! The pasta had the perfect bite. The seasoned breadcrumbs toasted in butter provided a nuttiness to this and the great garlic flavor made this a dish to savor.

Due to the lack of any meat, BR gave me the green light to enjoy this baby all on my own. But it was so good, I wanted it to last!

I love how true to the picture the dish looked, the simplicity of putting it together and the surprising burst of flavor with such simple ingredients. So looking forward to Fall with the abundance of brussel sprouts- this would make a great addition to the Thanksgiving spread.

Mussels in White Wine broth

Tags

mussels, pasta, white wine

When I first started to cook for myself, I fell madly in love with Fresh Direct. And quite often, they would have amazing deals on fresh mussels. Mussel night became the ritual whenever I ordered from fresh direct. I would steam these babies after a good cleaning and then serve them with my favorite marinara sauce. I forget what happened to my little ritual but I gave mussels a good long break…

And then last week, my old reliable Fresh Direct, moved mussels up in my “Faves” list. So I bought some fresh mussels.

But I wasn’t going to have these babies with marinara. I had tons of garlic and a half a bottle of white wine to get rid of. I needed a simple sauce that was flavorful and balanced and not too rich.  I used this recipe from Simply Recipes and cooked them the way I knew how.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

2 pounds mussels, scrubbed clean under running water

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 Tbsp butter I used unsalted butter

1/4 cup minced shallots onions

1 Tbsp minced garlic

2 teaspoons flour (optional, omit for gluten-free version)

1/4 cup minced parsley

2 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning

Directions:

I set up a large pot and sautéed the onions in butter for 3 minutes over medium heat. When the onions were fragrant and translucent, I added the garlic. I sauteed  until the the onion and garlic started to brown. Finally I deglaze the pan by adding the white wine and scraping up all the delicious oniony bits. I simmered the sauce for 10 minutes over low heat. Then I threw in the mussels. Covered with a lid and allowed to steam inside the pot for an additional 8-10 minutes.

The mussels are done when they are open. Give the mussels a good stir to allow the broth to cover all of the mussels. Discard any unopened mussels.

I decided to serve over some spaghetti and tossed the spaghetti in the mussels broth. Sprinkled with italian seasoning and serve.

We enjoyed it with the rest of the white wine.

So good!

I love Mussels! And I especially love mussels covered in delicious broth!

I don’t know what it is, But it Has Bacon

Tags

bacon, dinner, pasta

Quite a title, isn’t it? Truthfully, I didn’t know what to call it other than dinner. But it was a little passed dinner time and I was hungry and there was no waiting for delivery. I rummaged through the fridge and pantry. I pulled out pasta, chicken breasts, frozen peas, leftover pasta sauce and BACON.

The wheels were turning. It would be nothing special but it would be quick and fulfilling.

Here is my BS dinner recipe: (serves 2, btw)

3 chicken breasts seasoned with salt, pepper and basil

2 slices of bacon

2 cups of marinara sauce

1/4 cup half and half

1/2 cup frozen peas

2 cups pasta, cooked

I crisped up the two slices of bacon and crumbled them. When they were nice and crispy, I set them aside on some paper towels. The bacon fat didn’t go to waste- don’t you worry! I cooked the chicken in it.

When the chicken was done, I set it aside as well.

I heated the marinara sauce in a large skillet and added some half and half followed by the peas.

 

When the sauce was heated through and the peas were tender, I tossed in the cooked pasta.

Threw it all in a bowl and ate it. Served BR and as he dug in he asked “what is this?”

“I don’t know what it is, but it has bacon”.

And it was good.

Tilapia Puttanesca

Tags

dinner, healthy, pasta, tilapia

Sometimes you get inspired by what is sitting on your kitchen counter. And sometimes you get inspired by some frozen tilapia filets in your freezer. In this instance, I was first inspired in a gorgeous bottle of a red blend and after a friend mentioned they went to OTTO (one of my favorite restaurants) and had the pasta puttanesca. It seemed like the most appropriate dish to incorporate my frozen tilapia. So, Tilapia Puttanesca happened. 

For those that don’t know, Puttanesca means “lady of the night” or “whore pasta”. It’s a tomato based sauce with briny-ness from olives and capers and usually has a fishy-ness from anchovies. I decided to grill some tilapia and foil bake it covered in the briny tomato sauce, then serve it on some pasta.

Weight Watchers Pasta Puttanesca

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil

8 oz of tilapia (2 filets)

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup canned tomatoes, crushed

1/4 cup red wine

3 Tbsp capers

10 medium olives, pitted and chopped

1/4 cup fresh basil

To start, I quickly pan fried the tilapia to brown the outside of it. While it was browning, I preheated the oven to 350*. The tilapia cooked over a medium flame for 2 minutes on each side. When the tilapia was done, I placed each piece into a large piece of foil.

In a medium sauce pan, heat the 2 tsp olive oil over a medium heat. Saute the onions for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Then, in the same manner, add the garlic. After 2 minutes, add the rest of the ingredients and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

Spoon a heaping 1/4 cup of the sauce on top of the tilapia. gently and loosely fold the foil to create an envelope and place on a baking dish. Bake the fish for 15 – 20 minutes.

Serve over linguine that has been tossed in the leftover sauce.

This was a hefty weeknight dinner that I enjoyed with a glass of red wine. Because this dish is of a fishy nature, I think it is best when eaten fresh. Reheating might not go so well.

A great dish for an easy but very flavorful (and healthy) romantic dinner in.

Rigatoni Las Vegas

Tags

chicken, dinner, pasta, recipes

Long, long ago, way before I was a little Food Snob, I remember meeting my mother after a job interview gone awry Downtown Brooklyn. Her solution was dinner at her favorite Italian restaurant. The name of the restaurant escapes me but knowing that it has been at least 10 years since I have been here, its kind of remarkable that I still think of this place. I remember sitting in the restaurant. A humble place with deep family roots. My mother told me to try her favorite dish so I went with mom’s recommendation.

Rigatoni Las Vegas.

Rigatoni with peas and vodka sauce. Doesn’t sound amazing but the combination was addicting. The pop of the peas as I bit into them. The meatiness in the vodka sauce from pieces of prosciutto in the sauce. And the al dente bite from the rigatoni.

To think that it has been this long is astounding. I have always thought “I can totally make this” and the other day while shopping at the HUGE supermarket I saw a bag of frozen peas.

And then the rest is history.

Since I do not have a microwave my newest challenge is cooking for one so I can always enjoy a freshly cooked meal.

Rigatoni Las Vegas (for one)

Ingredients:

1/4  cup frozen peas

1/2 cup vodka sauce (I have been using this one for years but store bought is fine too)

1 cup dry rigatoni

1 cooked (and seasoned) Chicken breast*, sliced

Parmesan Cheese

* I precooked the chicken breast. I seasoned it with salt, pepper, and a touch of garlic powder. I kept it sliced in the fridge and ready to go.

Method: You will need a small frying pan and a medium pot of boiling water.

When the water was boiling, I cooked my pasta. As the pasta is cooking, heat your vodka sauce in the fry pan with the peas over a low heat. Stir frequently. The instructions on the bag said to cook for 8-10 minutes. By minute 7, I drained the pasta and added it to the peas and sauce.

I let the rigatoni get covered in sauce and added the chicken. Allow it to heat through for 5 minutes or until hot.

Serve.

Sprinkle with parmesan Cheese.

Its so simple but its kind of becoming a favorite dish of mine. The thing I love most about this is how quickly it comes together. And I love how I have been dreaming of making this for years.

Food is awesome that way.

Penne with Asparagus and Ricotta

Tags

asparagus, cheese, pasta, ricotta, sides

For my first shopping trip back in the old neighborhood, I neglected to make a plan. This was surely a mistake as I walked into the HUGE supermarket complete with a butcher, fish monger, and large variety of everything. I have been so accustomed to either shopping on Fresh Direct (which I can’t get delivered here) or running to the small supermarket for essentials.

Well, when I arrived I was so taken by the fish market that I bought a WHOLE Lotta salmon. It was affordable and $90 later all I really had was salmon.

As you can imagine, I got pretty tired of salmon. I roasted a piece of salmon every single day. And the only thing I changed up were the side dishes. Normally, sides wouldn’t be an issue but my new kitchen doesn’t have a microwave and I am still deciding on whether or not I can fit one.

Along with my shit load of salmon, I got some gorgeous asparagus. I figured the best bet would be a salad of sorts.

I took a peek at a recipe on Simply Recipes. The smart thing would have been to write the recipe down or to refer to it later. I made a mental note and made something kind of like it.

Mickey has a new view of momma cooking in the kitchen.

Penne with asparagus and ricotta  (makes 2 big servings)

2 cups dry penne

1/2 lb asparagus

1/4 cup part skim ricotta

2 Tbsp parmesan cheese

salt

1/4 cup pasta water

Method: Boil penne according to package directions for about 8-10 minutes. During the last 3 minutes, add the asparagus to the pasta and the water. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta and asparagus and place in a medium size bowl. Add ricotta, parmesan, salt if needed and to loosen it up, some pasta water 1 T at a time.

I overshot my ricotta. But then again, I have an odd obsession with ricotta cheese so I went overboard. This recipe is really flexible. I decided this had too much cheese (blasphemy) so I added a little bit of garlic.

I paired the roasted salmon with the pasta salad. Probably not the best pairing… but finding my groove to cook in this new tiny kitchen has been tough.