Pasta, Green Bean and Tomato Salad

The al dente pasta in this salad makes it nice and hardy, while the vegetables keep it fresh and light. This salad is great to take to a party, or at the dinner table as a main or side dish.



Large Pot of Water
s/p
handful of Green Beans - ends trimmed, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 pint Cherry Tomatoes - cut in half
1/2-1 Yellow Hot Chili/Hungarian Wax pepper - thinly sliced, seeds removed
Green Onion or Chives - use scissors a sharp knife to cut into thin slices
2 cloves Garlic - pressed or finely chopped
Lemon Zest
Lemon juice from half a lemon
Fresh herbs - chopped (I used Sage. Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, or Thyme would also taste great.)
EVOO
Ziti or any bite size shaped pasta
Fresh Spinach or any hearty leafy green such as romaine lettuce, watercress, endive, young mustard greens, arugula, or a blend of greens



Cover the pot of water and bring it up to a boil over medium-high to high heat. When the water boils remove the lid, heavily salt the water, and add the green beans. Cook the beans for about two minuets, no longer.

In the meantime, put the tomatoes, hot peppers, green onion, garlic, lemon zest and juice in a large bowl.

Spicy Red Wine and Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce

It snowed another couple of inches last night, so we stayed in. I made this sauce from what was on hand. It turned out to be very tasty! I served it with fettuccine and broccoli, but any pasta and vegetables would work. I think shrimp would be a nice substitute for the chicken too. As always, have fun with it!



1-2 T EVOO
1/2 Onion - diced
1 Celery stalk - dice
s/p
1 Chicken Breast (boneless, skinless) - diced into small pieces and seasoned with s/p (optional)
3 cloves Garlic - diced
1/4 - 1/2 c Red Wine
Garlic Chili Sauce (or other hot sauce)
1/2 28oz can Muir Glen Whole Fire Roasted Tomatoes
fresh Thyme
Fresh Basil - chiffonade
1 T cold Butter
1 1/2 c Broccoli Florets - Blanched, Chilled in an Ice Bath, and Drained (not needed for the sauce, but it adds flavor, color and great texture)

If you're making pasta with the sauce, start to boil a large pot of water. I blanched my broccoli, and then cooked the pasta in the same water. Don't forget to heavily salt the water before cooking anything in it.

Heat EVOO in a skillet over med-low heat. Then, add the onions and celery. Stir occasionally.



When the onions are clear, add the chicken pieces to the pan.



Turn the heat up a little so that the chicken browns, but doesn't burn. You're looking for a golden brown.

Stir in the garlic.

Once the chicken has started to brown, deglaze the pan with your red wine. You want the pan to be hot when the wine is added. If you're scared of the alcohol flaring up, turn the flame off as you add the wine. Then, turn it back on.

Use a spatula to scrape up and incorporate any brown bits from the bottom and sides of the pan into the sauce.

Radiatori with Squash and Tomatoes

This is a quick and nutritious vegetarian entrée or side dish. Here are some tips to make it your own:

- Substitute whole wheat pasta for a gluten free meal.
- You can add grilled meat, beans, artichokes, broccoli, and/or spinach which are all high in protein and other vitamins.
- A couple spoonfuls of cream at the end will add more fat, but it will also give you a richer, thicker sauce.
- A tablespoon of cold butter added to the tomato sauce before the pasta is tossed in will also help to emulsify it.



1 T EVOO
4 Green onions - sliced (reserve 1/2 of the green parts)
1/2 Bell Pepper - finely diced
4 cloves Garlic - finely diced or pressed
1/2 - 1 T Tomato Paste
1 Yellow Squash - diced
1 Zucchini - diced
s/p
CRP
Trader Joe's 21 Season
Dill
Parsley
3 Fresh Tomatoes
Vegetable Stock
Large Pot of Water
Salt
Radiatori (or another type of pasta)



Heat oil in a sauce pan and add the onion and pepper. Cook for two minutes.

Stir in the garlic and paste. Cook for another two minutes.



Add the next seven ingredients to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally till the squash is tender crisp.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

I made this for Tony, although I secretly wanted it too. It was fun making a classic without one of the usual ingredients, a can of cream of something soup.



1-2 T EVOO
1 small Onion - finely diced
1 Leek - sliced and cleaned
1/4 Red Bell Pepper
4 Cloves Garlic - diced
Salt
Hot Sauce (I used chili garlic sauce) - to taste
3 T Butter
1/4 cup Flour
3 cups Milk
White Pepper
Juice from 1/2 Lemon
Zest from Lemon
1 cup of Peas - steamed for one minute
small palm full of Dried Parsley
small palm full of Capers
2 6oz cans of Tuna - drained
10oz Dry Noodles or Pasta (I used Mafalada)
Pot of Boiling Water - heavily salted
about 1 1/2 cups of Cheese - separated (I used Sharpe Cheddar and Parmesan) - shredded or shaved
about a 1/4 cup of Panko Bread Crumbs

Preheat oven to 400°.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion, leeks, and peppers.

Orzo and Beans in Chunky Veg Sauce with Chipotle Gouda

I used left over veg sauce that I made a day or two earlier to make this quick lunch.



1 can Red Beans - drained (use any bean you want)
3 palm fulls of Orzo (I have small hands)
1 T butter or EVOO (optional)
Chunky Vegetable Sauce (or any sauce you have on hand)
s/p
Chipotle Gouda - shredded (or any cheese that melts well)

Cook pasta in a large pot of heavily salted water till it's almost cooked.
Drain pasta.
Return it to the pot.
Add butter/oil if using.
Stir in beans.
Add sauce to taste - I don't like it too runny, so I add a little at a time just till all of the pasta and beans are nice and wet.
Heat through.
Taste (don't burn your tongue).
Season with s/p if needed.
Stir in a hand full cheese.
Spoon onto dishes and sprinkle with more cheese.



Serve with a salad or slaw and bread.

If you don't want a vegetarian meal, top the orzo with grilled steak, chicken, or shrimp. I don't think it's needed because the beans add enough protein for one meal. But, you should do what ever makes you happy.

You can also substitute cooked rice, polenta or another grain for a gluten free dish.

Bon appetit!

Clams in White Wine with Linguine

This one's for you Tim.

When you buy clams from the market, they should be alive. They should stay alive till you're ready to cook them. When you're done cooking them, they should all be opened. If any of the clams do not open, do not eat them! Also, be sure to clean the shells very well. They have little groves that can hold dirt, and you don't want a gritty sauce!



A Large pot of Salted Boiling Water
1 T Butter
1 T EVOO
2-4 large Shallots - diced
2 Celery stalks - finely diced
Garlic - sliced
6 peeled and seeded Tomatoes - diced
s/p
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (CRP)
1 1/2 cups Dry White Wine
Juice form 1 Lemon - divided
1-2 lb Clams - cleaned well
linguine
1 T cold Butter
Fresh Basil - chiffonade

Heat butter and EVOO in a large skillet.



Add celery and shallots to the pan. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.



Add garlic to the pan and cook 2 more minutes.



Stir in the tomatoes and season with s/p and CRP. Cook for another 2-4 minutes.



Turn the heat off, or remove the pan from the open flame (to prevent a flare up) and add the wine. Return the pan to the heat and add 1/2 of the lemon juice.



Bring to a boil.

Baked Yellow Squash

My mother use to make something very similar to this, as a side dish with spaghetti, when I was a kid. I think this recipe also makes a great vegetarian main dish and it's gluten free. The yellow squash stays firm on the outside, so you can eat it with a knife and fork, and the cheese adds protein.



You can serve the squash as you would a steak with it's own side dishes, as a side dish with a main entrée, or serve it over pasta or grains.

White Chicken Lasagna w/ Red Sauce

I used manicotti noodles instead of lasagna in this recipe. This is only because I somehow ended up with three boxes of the things in my pantry. The manicotti also inspired my Cabbage with Pasta dish. Feel free to use lasagna noodles in both dishes, if you'd like to.

Also, there's only two of us here, so I didn't make a full pan of lasagna. I used an oven proof plater instead. If you have a big family, or if you want lots of leftovers to freeze or give to friends, just fill a large baking dish with the same yummy, cheesy layers.



I've broken this recipe down into steps to make it easier to follow. If you don't have a full day to devote to the kitchen, make the sauces a day or two ahead of time.

Step 1 - Make Roasted Red Sauce and White Cream Sauce

Step 2 - Make Cheese Mixture

Step 3 - Cook Zucchini rounds and Noodles

Step 4 - Assemble the Lasagna and bake it


Sauces
Use the links provided to make the sauces. If you make them the day before, warm them up on the stove a bit before layering the lasagna. If you don't preheat them, your dish will take a long time in the oven.



Cheese Mix
Ricotta Cheese - 8oz
Parmesan Cheese - 1/8 cup, freshly grated
Mozzarella Cheese - 1/2 cup, grated
Fresh Basil - chiffonade
s/p
Nutmeg - just a bit, freshly greted

Mix all of these ingredients together in a bowl and cover and refrigerate till you're ready to assemble the lasagna.



Zucchini
Zucchini - enough to cover one layer in your lasagna, I used 3 small ones sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
EVOO
s/p
Crushed Red Pepper (CRP)
Turkey Pepperoni - cut into little squares, or crumbled after cooking
Mozzarella Cheese - shredded (used in the assembly stage)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Toss the zucchini with EVOO, s/p, and CRP.

Place in a single layer on a half sheet pan.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, turning once.

At the same time, place the pepperoni bits on a separate baking sheet and bake till crispy.

Set both aside till ready to assemble.


Noodles
Cook the noodles in a large pot of rapidly boiling salty water till they're al dente.

Then drain them.

When they are cool enough for you to handle, cut each noodle open to make a flat sheet. (Skip this step if you're using lasagna noodles.)

Set aside till everything else is ready to be put together.

Roasted Garlic Parmesan Sauce

This is a pretty basic white sauce, with a few upgrades. You can try little changes like a different cheese, or fresh instead of roasted garlic, to make it your own. Have fun and don't forget to stir!



2 T Butter
1/4 cup Flour
5 cloves Roasted Garlic
Cream - half pint
1/2 (more if needed) Milk
s/p
Fresh Grated Nutmeg
Red Pepper Flakes (RPF)
1 cup Leeks - sliced and cleaned
1/4 Parmesan Cheese - freshly grated
1 Chicken Breast and 2 Thighs (Optional) - poached and shredded

Heat a sauce pan on med to med-lo and add the butter. Slowly mix in the flour with a wooden spoon. Stir the whole time so that the flour doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan. Stir this for 1-2 minutes. You're looking for a blond roux. (So don't let it brown.)

Stir the garlic in. Smash it up and into the roux with the spoon.



Next, stir in the cream and milk. Add a little of the milk at first, then more if you need it. Remember that the sauce will thicken as it cooks.

Turn the heat down to low.

Season the sauce to taste with the s/p, nutmeg, and RPF.

Blanch the leeks. When I made this sauce I was making a lasagna, so I just threw the leeks into the salted boiling water that was ready for the pasta.

When the leeks are soft and light green (this should only take a minute), remove them from the water and dry them between two paper towels. Squeeze out the excess water.



Next, stir the leeks, cheese, and chicken (if you're using it) into the sauce and you are done.





This creamy sauce is great mixed with brown or white rice, farro grain, or pasta. Mix it with one of these in a casserole pan and top with bread crumbs and small pats of butter or a drizzle of EVOO. Then bake till it's bubbly.


Baked Orzo in Cream Sauce served with Smashed Peas

Or, you could try it as a layer in lasagna. Yummm!



White Lasagna with Roasted Veggie Sauce

Cabbage and Pasta

I know this sounds like a strange combination, but it's what I wanted to eat. So I made it happen, and it was quite tasty!




Large pot of boiling Water
Manicotti Noodles
2 T Butter
Onion - diced
Garlic - diced
Celery - chopped
Red Bell Pepper - finely diced
s/p
Tomato Paste
1 T Flour
1 Large can of whole Tomatoes (I like the fire roasted ones)
Vegetable Stock
Cabbage - cut into bit size pieces
Fresh Oregano - chopped
Shredded Cheese

Heavily salt the water. Add the pasta and boil it, stirring occasionally, for a little over half of the recommended cooking time. It will finish cooking later, in the sauce.

Then, drain the pasta and cut it into bite size pieces.

As the pasta cooks, heat another pot and sauté the celery, onion, red pepper, and garlic in butter till the onion is clear. Do not brown the onion. Season with s/p.

Then, stir in the tomato paste and cook for couple of minutes.

Sprinkle the flour on the veggies and cook for another two or three minutes. You want to stir constantly at this time so that the flour cooks without burning.

Add the tomatoes and break them up with your hands or the back of a spoon.

Pour enough stock into the pot so that the cabbage will be even with the liquid. Just guess. If you need more, you can add it later.

Bring to a boil.

Add the cabbage and cover till the liquid comes back up to a boil.

Uncover. Cook till the cabbage is tender.

Next, stir in the pasta and oregano. Taste for seasoning, and add more s/p if needed.

Top with cheese and serve.





I made Italian breaded chicken strips with this meal. But, if you want to keep it vegetarian, just serve with your favorite bread and enjoy.

Yellowfin Tuna and Pasta in Veggie Sauce

This meal has a lot going on, but it's still pretty simple to make. I'm breaking it down into four parts. Marinade, sauce, cooking, and enjoying. The sauce is vegetarian, so you could skip the meat steps if you wanted to and still have a yummy meal. Just add your favorite cheese.


Marinading
1 6oz Yellowfin steak
6 Jumbo Shrimp
Mayo
Worcestershire sauce
Garlic - pressed
S/P
Red Pepper Flakes (RPF)
Italian Seasoning
Red Wine Vinegar
EVOO

Mix last eight ingredients together in a bowl. Spread completely over fish. In another bowl toss shrimp with the same ingredients, except for the mayo and vinegar. Cover both dishes and place in fridge.













Sauce
EVOO and 1 T Butter
1 Leek - sliced and cleaned
1/2 Orange Pepper - diced
1 yellow Squash - diced
Garlic - diced
Tomato Paste
S/P
RPF (Red Pepper Flakes)
6 smalll Tomatoes (different verities) - diced
Fresh Basil - chiffonade
1 T Butter

Heat EVOO and butter,a tablespoon or less of each, till just hot. Add next three ingredients, season with S/P and cook till tender. Then add garlic and tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the fresh tomatoes, S/P, and RPF. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer till the rest of the food is ready. Just before serving, stir in basil and 1 tablespoon butter. This sauce is vegetarian and gluten free.













Cooking
Bring water to a boil. Oil grill pan, outdoor grill, or a skillet if you don't have a grill. Heat the grill pan over medium heat. Place the fish down and do not touch it again for 2 minutes. If you move it around before a seal is formed on the fish,it will stick.

Once the water is boiling, add a tablespoon of salt and pasta. I used angel hair, but you can use whatever kind you like. Cook till almost done, then drain and toss with sauce.

Flip the steak over and put the shrimp on the grill. Once the shrimp starts to turn pink, this will happen quickly, turn them over.

Check the tuna to see if it is done to your liking. Some people like their fish rare and others must have it fully cooked. The fish I had was not sushimi grade, so I cooked it almost completely through.

I usually like my tuna blood rare so that it is never dried out, but the mayo in this recipe keeps the fish nice and moist. When it's almost done, remove it from the heat and let sit a minute. Slice before serving.

Once the shrimp are pink and firm to the touch, they are done. Do not over cook your shrimp! Remember that the seafood will continue to cook after it leaves the grill, so take it off just before it's to your liking.











Enjoying
Place pasta in shallow bowl or plate. Top with tuna and shrimp. Serve with lemon and crunchy bread, and enjoy!