Spring/Summer Ziti

A few years ago, when I was living in Brookline, I picked up a copy of Rachael Ray's Big Orange Cook Book, because it had a section on cooking for one.  I ended up finding more stuff to make outside of that section, such as this recipe.

In the intro section of this recipe, Rachael talks about loving baked ziti, but thinking that it was too heavy to eat all year round.  She invented this recipe to eat outside of the winter months.

I made it a few weeks ago, and was very happy with the results.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons EVOO, Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 large garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
• 1 28-ounce can San Marzano plum tomatoes
• Salt and pepper
• 4 stems fresh tarragon, leaves removed and chopped
• 1/2 cup (10 leaves) fresh basil, thinly sliced
• 1 pound ziti with lines
• 1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed of woody ends and chopped into 1 1/2 inch pieces on an angle
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
• 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Preparation

Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring up to a boil to cook the pasta.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

While the water is boiling, place a medium-size, high-sided skillet (I always use a wok) on the stove with 2 tablespoons EVOO over medium heat. Saute the shallots and garlic  for 3-4 minutes then stir in tomatoes and crush them with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Season the sauce with salt and pepper  and cook five minutes more then stir in tarragon and basil, and turn off heat.

While sauce is simmering, add salt to boiling water and cook the pasta to just under al dente – it should have a nice bite left to it. After the pasta has been cooking for 5 minutes, add in the asparagus and frozen peas a minute or two before draining. Drain pasta and veggies.  (Full disclosure.  I left out the peas.  I've tried to like peas, but it just doesn't happen for me)

Add  thericotta, half the Parmigiano cheese to the hot pasta pot. Add the hot pasta back to the pot and stir to coat.

Pour half the sauce into a large baking dish. Add all of the ziti to the dish and top with remaining sauce. Dot the top of the ziti with mozzarella and remaining Parmigiano. Place in oven until top is brown and bubbly, about 12 minutes.

I didn't take a picture, but trust me, it was delicious!  This website has detailed instructions and photos if you're interested in taking a look: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/spring-summer-ziti/ 

Kale Chips

I've heard of this recipe before, and found several versions of it online.  I decided to try it tonight as a side dish.

I took small pieces of kale out of a big bag of kale, and spread them on a cookie sheet.  I drizzled olive oil over them, and topped with sea salt.

Bake at 300 for 15-20 or until crispy.

Jalepeno Popper Dip

Here's another recipe I found after googling "easy appetizers."  I tweaked it a bit as I went along.  I used a 9x9 pan, and spread 1 8oz pkg of cream cheese across the bottom of the pan.

I bought 2 cans of chiles (instead of 1 can chilies, 1 can jalepenos) and poured them over the cream cheese. Then I spread a handful of Mexican blend cheese on top, and topped with panko bread crumbs and a little bit of Parmesan cheese.  I baked it at 375 for about 25 minutes (just until top is golden brown)

Homemade Mac and Cheese!

Here's another cooking adventure with friends.

We bought a 1 lb. block of cheese from my local cheese shop.  (We got Quebec Cheddar, aged 7 years)  We cut it into cubes, and added it to the pot with simmering half and half.  A little bit of flour helped thicken up the sauce a bit.  It was still very thin, but tasted great in the end.

Pour the sauce over cooked pasta, and pour everything into a casserole dish.  Top with panko breadcrumbs and a little bit of shaved cheese. (we used BelGioioso Salad Blend)

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Baked Potato Soup

This is another recipe that I got from Pinterest.  The original pinner pinned it from Pearls, Handcuffs & Happy Hour.

I threw it in the crock pot this morning, and it made a great lunch.

A few adjustments I made/ideas for next time:

- I used a 32 oz. carton of  stock instead of 3 cans.  (could use veggie instead, to make it vegetarian-friendly)

- Next time, I might try cream of celery or cream of broccoli soup instead of cream of chicken.  (thinking of my vegetarian friends)

I didn't have time to cook some bacon to put on top, but I did add some cheese and scallions.

Delicious!

Curried Quinoa

Prepare Quinoa according to package directions.
Coat bottom of wok or pan with sesame oil.
Add frozen peas & carrots and prepared quinoa.
Stir in 1tbsp peanut butter and a few shakes of soy sauce.
Stir to combine.

Prepare sauce:
heat 1 can of coconut milk with your choice of spices.  (I used ground ginger, turmeric, curry powder and cardamom)
Add sauce mixture to quinoa mixture one ladleful at a time.  (Similar to the preparation of risotto)

Oven Roasted Broccolini with Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

I've never used broccolini before and I was eager to try it out.  Here's my first attempt at using it as a side dish:

1 pkg broccolini
1/2 cup Sun Dried tomato pesto.  (I pulsed mine in the food processor with about a tsp of olive oil for about a minute to smooth the sauce a bit)
Pour sauce over broccolini and put in fridge until ready to use

Preheat oven to 375.

Put broccolini and sauce on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and seasonings of your choice. I used Dean & Jacobs Spicy Garlic
Bake for 15-20 minutes

Pull-Apart Bread (looks like a Bloomin' Onion)

I got this recipe from Pinterest.  It was originally from this blog.

I used some substitutions.  I couldn't find thinly sliced Monterey Jack cheese, and the line at the deli was insane,  so I opted for Sargento's thinly sliced Provolone cheese.  The recipe called for 12-16 oz, so I bought 2 7 oz packs.  I didn't even use the whole first pack, because I couldn't fit anymore cheese in the slits.  Stop and Shop was out of scallions, so I used the chopped (dried) chives from the spice cabinet.  I also used sesame seeds instead of poppy seeds.

I was thinking about it and there are so many options for fillings.  You could do a pizza bread, a cinnamon apple bread, or any kind of cheese.  The possibilities are endless!

Roasted Beets

Wrap beets (skin on) in tinfoil with some olive oil and sea salt
Roast at 375 for 1 hour

When they come out of the oven, peel off the skin.  Cut into pieces or serve as is.

I didn't think I liked beets, but cooking them this way makes them taste pretty yummy!

Super Bowl Sunday Queso Dip

This is yet another recipe that I got from Pinterest.  I tweaked it a bit, based on other recipes that I've seen.  Here's the recipe that I started with.  Instead of fresh tomatoes and peppers, I used a can of Rotel.  I typically like to use fresh stuff, but so many recipes call for Rotel, that I figured I'd give it a try.

Instead of "Mexican Melting Cheese" I shredded up a combo of Pepper Jack cheese and Colby Jack cheese (about a block and a half total)

add the oil and tequila and continue to stir.  Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.

Here's the thing about this recipe.  The taste was right on.  I had some trouble with the texture.  It was either too watery or too thick, no mater what I did to it.  It was the first time trying this recipe though, so I'll keep experimenting!

Another Variation on Roasted Asparagus

A few weeks back, I posted about my favorite cooking method for Asparagus.  I like to oven roast it.  Tonight,  I thought I'd try it with some different flavor enhancements.  Instead of olive oil, I used a lemon orange cooking oil.  For the spices, I used a Dean and Jacob's grinder.  I have quite a few of them in my spice cabinet.  The Royal Thai flavor is excellent!  Beyond that, the cooking method is the same.

Balsamic Butter Vegetables

This recipe was inspired by the bagged version of Balsamic Veggies from Trader Joe's.  My version didn't quite live up to the expectations that TJ's set, but I'll keep trying to perfect the flavor.  If anyone has any ideas (besides the obvious "just buy theirs") let me know!

traderjoes365.blogspot.com

1/2 bag of frozen mixed veggies (or you could use fresh ones)
1 tbsp. butter
splash balsamic vinegar
spices (I like Tuscan Kitchen's Pasta & Veggies)

1. Melt the butter in a frying pan.
2. Add the veggies
3. sprinkle in the spices
4. add the vinegar
5. cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes

Risotto

I love risotto.  I've made it on my own a couple times, and can't wait to try more recipes.

simplyrecipes.com

Rachael Ray's Butternut Squash Risotto

I also made this one recently, and it was excellent.

Green Beans Almondine

16 oz green beans (I prefer the fresh ones as opposed to the canned)
1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp lemon juice
dash salt

1. Cook green beans until tender
2. toast almonds in melted butter
3. stir in lemon juice and salt
4. add mixture to green beans and toss to combine

seriouseats.com

Tangy Dill Dip

1 small container plain Greek Yogurt
1 packet dill dip mix (or equal parts dried dill, onion powder and garlic powder)
dash hot sauce
dash champagne vinegar (I think any white vinegar will do.  I like the sparkling tang of the champagne vinegar)
assortment of spices (I used dried parsley, cayenne pepper, dried chives, cumin and dried mint)

Cranberry and Pumpkin Muffin Stuffing

4 day old Muffins (2 Cranberry -- I always use Cranberry Orange Walnut, 2 Pumpkin) Cut into cubes
2 medium leeks, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 tbsp butter
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tsp poultry seasoning (I like Bell's)
1 cup chicken stock

1. Heat a skillet to melt the butter
2. Saute the leeks and celery
3. Add the muffin crumbles and toast them in the pan
4. Add the seasonings
5. Moisten with the chicken stock and reduce heat to low

I got this idea when I made Rachael Ray's Lemon Poppy Muffin Stuffing.  I just swapped out the lemon poppy muffins for the pumpkin and cranberry when I made it for thanksgiving.

Almost ready for Thanksgiving dinner!

Guacamole

2 avocados, peeled and pitted
1 recipe Pico De Gallo
a few dashes hot sauce.  (My favorite is Cholula)

hotshotshotsauce.com

Mash the avocado and stir in the pico de gallo until well incorporated.  Add a few dashes of hot sauce and stir.

simplyrecipes.com

Pico de Gallo

When recipes call for garlic,  I almost always use Spice World's Minced Garlic because I'm too lazy to peel and chop fresh garlic.

hannaford.com

(Also, I'd like to point out that when I searched for a picture of this garlic, most of the results were Spice Girls-related.)

In this particular recipe (another one that I made up as I went along) I like to use the real thing.  It takes more time, but I think it tastes better in this recipe)

1 plum tomato

1/2 onion

1-2 sprigs cilantro

1 clove garlic

1 tbsp. lime juice

1 pinch salt

homesicktexan.blogspot.com

Tomato Cucumber Salad

When I was in college, I used to watch Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals all the time.  I have a few of her cookbooks, and this Tomato Cucumber Salad is one of my favorite summer side dishes.  I know it's January, but it's my blog, and I'll post a summer recipe if I want to!  (also-- no one says that you can't have this all year round anyway!)  This one is from Rachael's Express Lane Meals book.

Ingredients:

1 Shallot, finely chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 English cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, then thinly sliced into half moons
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
3 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper

1. In a shallow bowl, combine shallot, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper
2. In a steady stream, whisk in the olive oil
3. add the grape tomatoes.  Mash some of them with a fork so the juices become part of the dressing
4. add cucumbers and toss to combine

For a variation, you may want to try this Indian version.  I had lunch at an Indian buffet today, and one of the employees was sitting by the bar, making these fresh to order.

The tomatoes and cucumbers were cut into cubes.  He tossed them with cilantro, onion chutney, raita, tamarind sauce and mint chutney.  He topped the mixture with what looked like pieces of papadums, followed by more raita, and a swirl of tamarind sauce.  It was very refreshing, and a nice addition to my lunch.

Roasted Asparagus

When cooking vegetables, I prefer to cook them in the oven, rather than boil them.  I don't know why, but they just taste better that way.

Rinse the asparagus, and snap off the ends.
Place them on a single layer on a baking pan, and pour some olive oil over them
season with a grinder seasoning blend  (I like Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning)

Cook in the oven preheated to 450 for about 10 minutes, or until the ends are crispy. (I like to add some fresh lime juice at this stage)

Voila!  A tasty (and veggie-ful!) side dish.  (That's creamy chicken piccata pasta toss in the background.  I'll post about that soon)