Posts from the ‘Grains.Rice,Pasta’ Category

Nov 5

Inspiring Farro With Beets, Feta And Pecans And For Dessert- Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Farro with beets, pecans and feta

Sorry this is a bit late it will be worth the wait, believe me. The inspiring recipe that was chosen at random this time is from Emily, and is posted on her lovely blog Em-i-lis, it’s a gorgeous healthful dish with my favorite grain, Farro, my favorite cheese feta and favorite nut pecan, win, win. This recipe is so delicious, a great side dish or a main. I love Emily’s blog, she posts every day like clockwork and it’s what I read every morning with my cup of coffee. The recipe is Farro With Beets, Feta and Pecans. It’s truly inspired, she ties all those gorgeous ingredients together with a dressing of herbs, olive oil and lemon. It’s fantastic and really makes the other ingredients sing but the star of the show for me is the pecans, they are toasted and coated in maple syrup and a pinch of cayenne. Really you have to try this, it’s so good. I didn’t have golden beets so I used red, I don’t think it makes a difference really, also I think this is a genius move on Emily’s part, she gently heats the olive oil and then adds the herbs so they don’t cook really but are warmed and infused in the oil and adding some lemon makes for one of the most delicious dressings I’ve had in a long time. You can play with the herbs, don’t like sage add another herb, I think this would be delicious with any combination.

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Now for dessert, oh this is beyond delicious folks the recipe comes from Michelle@Giraffes Can Bake, I was given a choice of two recipes and since I am a big big fan of ice cream, any time of year I chose the Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream. This ice cream is so simple, no churning, it’s a semi freddo, no cooking, and it’s so creamy and totally dreamy. It’s perfect for this time of year, it doesn’t have to be hot or warm outside to enjoy ice cream right? I followed the recipe except for the spice I added the Vanilla Autumn Spice Mix I made last time from Strictly Delicious. This ice cream tastes just like pumpkin Pie, I think it would be AMAZING sandwiched in between two oatmeal or ginger cookies. That would be a phenomenal ice cream sandwich.

Oct 18

96 Comments

An Inspiring Meal,Wine Pairing And Fiesta Friday #38

Pork Ragu With Pappardelle

I want to thank everyone who submitted recipes and so sorry it’s a day late. I wanted to cook/bake each one of them (I think I just might do just that). I am inspired when I see the wonderfully delicious and creative recipes you all make and I want to do the same. Thank you. I fed everyone’s names into Random.org and the two recipes that were chosen are:

Pork Ragu with Pappardelle by Matt @ Inspired Food

Tiramisu by Lindy @ Love in the kitchen

Tiramisu

I needed some comfort and the angels must have been at the helm of the random pick, Italian comfort food is just what I needed. Matt’s pork ragu is rich and meaty, and when eaten with pappardelle (I love those pasta ribbons) it’s like getting a hug from Nonna. Rather than make a salad I decided to make brocolli rabe sauteed in garlic and olive oil with toasted pine nuts and shaving of pecorino romano. I deviated only slightly from Matt’s recipe, I did not use oregano, it’s a personal preference.

As luck would have it, or I guess this was fated, when I fed the desserts into the random sorter it spit out Tiramisu, how perfect is that with this wonderful pasta dish. Lindy’s tiramisu is exactly how I like it, the perfect comforting, creamy sweet dessert. I used Kahlua in the dipping/soaking coffee, Lindy gives you a choice of Kahlua, Frangelico or Amaretto and I added 1 tbs of Marsalla to the mascarpone/cream. What a fantastic dessert!!

I could not enjoy such a wonderful bowl of pasta without a great wine. My dear friend Michelle agreed to do a wine pairing. Michelle’s wine blog Rockin Red Blog is a veritable wealth of information on wine. You have to read her wine reviews, I am so in love with her writing style, her reviews are downright sexy (can I say that). Well they are, and I have learned so much from her. I sent her Matt’s great recipe and she paired it with a wonderful Italian red. Here is the wine recommendation and review from Michelle:

cesari mara ripasso

I spent a week in Valpolicella in September visiting wineries and tasting lots of terrific wine. When Suzanne shared this recipe with me it immediately took me back to Italy. I am sure there are many wines that would pair well with this meal but I try to follow the mantra “If it grows together it goes together;” therefore, my recommendation for a wine to pair with Pork Ragu with Pappardelle is a delicious Ripasso from the Valpolicella region of Italy. Many of the fantastic wines I enjoyed in Valpolicella have limited if any distribution to the US. I am recommending a wine that is distributed within the US; however, if you are unable to find this exact wine please go to your favorite local wine retailer, share this recommendation with the wine buyer and ask him/her to please suggest a Ripasso the store has in stock with similar body and flavor profile to enjoy with this meal.

Cesari Mara 2012 Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso DOC: This beautiful Ripasso was crafted from a blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes. It poured a beautiful deep ruby into the glass. This wine opened with quintessential Ripasso aromas of ripe cherries and spice. On the palate it delivered pleasing flavors of ripe cherries, baking spice, cocoa and fresh tobacco leaves with a hint of vanilla on the back of the palate. This Ripasso offered a velvety full mouth feel with a lingering finish coupled with refined tannins and round acidity. This Ripasso begged to be paired with a rich and full pasta meal. I thoroughly enjoyed this wine paired with Bigoli Pasta topped with a Barnyard Ragu and fresh shaved Parmesan Cheese. Furthermore, the Cesari Mara 2012 Ripasso will make an excellent pairing with Pork Ragu with Pappardelle. Click here to find this wine; if necessary I encourage you to order it online. Average retail price $17.

The meal was so wonderful I decided I would make enough pasta and tiramisu for a crowd and bring it to Fiesta Friday hosted by the amazing Angie@The novice gardener. This weeks co hosts are Hilda and Julianna, they are so wonderful agreeing to co host a second week. I hope you brought your appetites since I have brought a lot of food and with everyones amazing and delicious offerings FF#38 is going to be a great party!! Enjoy Everyone!!

Bowl of comfort

YUM!

Fiesta Friday

Sep 27

61 Comments

Fall Farro Salad For Fiesta Friday #35

Warm Fall Farro Salad

Wow, that’s a lot of F’s Fall Farro Salad For Fiesta Friday. I tested this recipe as a community pick on Food52 and it’s so delicious I wanted to make more and share with all my friends at Fiesta Friday. This warm or room temperature salad is so good for you and the flavor is amazing. I am a big Farro fan, love it in salads and think about it with roasted cauliflower and brussells sprouts, pancetta, feta cheese and other vegetatables toss it in a simple lemon,herb and olive oil dressing, The combination is absolutely heavenly. It’s from one of the very talented cooks on Food52 Wendy@healthier kitchen. This can be made vegetarian or vegan by simply omitting the pancetta and using vegetable stock or water instead of chicken stock also if vegan of course omit the feta cheese, but you know that. I opted for the vegetarian version and omitted the pancetta and cooked the farro in salted water, the only reason was that I didn’t have any pancetta and honestly, the salad is so good as it was I didn’t miss it at all. Note: Don’t skimp on the lemon I halved the recipe and still used the whole lemon, it adds such a bright delicious flavor also I used dried marjoram in place of the oregano.

This Friday Angie@the novice gardener has enlisted the help of two very talented ladies. Prudy@butter basil and breadcrumbs and Naina@spiceinthecity. With these two talented and lovely co hosts this promises to be one heck of a party, you must check out the food, what an array of delicious dishes. Join in, it’s fun!!

Fall Farro Salad

Serves 8 – 10
1 large head cauliflower, cut up into small florets (I sometimes do this with brussels sprouts in addition – they cook more quickly so only roast them about 15 or so minutes)
2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch salt
4 cups low or no sodium added chicken (or vegetable if you want to keep it vegetarian) stock
4 cups water
about 1 pounds farro, rinsed
4 ounces pancetta, diced (omit if you’re keeping this vegetarian)
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 large stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (or even marjoram if you’ve got it)
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
juice of 1 large lemon
1/4 cup best quality olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
about 1 cups crumbled feta, spread over top
Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Toss the cut up cauliflower with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a Ziploc bag or large bowl. Make sure all pieces are lightly coated with olive oil. Spread cauliflower in a single layer in a shallow baking dish or half sheet pan. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over cauliflower.
Let cauliflower roast, stirring and turning pieces occasionally, until tender and golden brown, about 25 – 35 minutes.
While cauliflower roasts, bring the stock and water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Once the stock boils, add the rinsed farro and stir. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender, about 20 – 25 minutes. Drain farro, and set aside in a large serving bowl.
Meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium heat, saute the diced pancetta unitl it darkens and gets a little crispy. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent and carrot has softened, about 10 minutes. You might have to lower the burner to medium-low if the onion is starting to crispen. Season vegetables with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Once cooked, add onion mixture to the farro in the serving bowl.
Add the cooked cauliflower to the serving bowl.
Add parsley, oregano and half the chives to the serving bowl.
Add lemon juice and olive oil to serving bowl and mix contents gently, but thoroughly. Taste for salt and pepper and add if necessary.
Garnish with remaining chives and feta.
Can be served warm or room temperature.

So good and good for you

Aug 13

86 Comments

Long Bean In Tomato Sauce With Linguine

Long Beans and linguine in tomato sauce

You see in the photo of all the beautiful vegetables given to me by the wonderful lady from New Jersey that there are some very long beans, I have had long beans in Asian cuisine but never actually made them myself. I decided to take this Asian green bean and take them to Italy. This dish is similar to something my Mom made when I was a child. She would cook green beans in tomato sauce,the tomato and green beans were usually from my Fathers garden. It was one of my favorite meals, I loved to grate some pecorino romano cheese on top and eat with bread. I changed it a little adding some linguine to the beans and sauce.

New Jersey’s finest fresh vegetables

Long beans have a distinct flavor similar but not exactly like green beans. If I had to describe it I would say it’s more floral if that makes any sense to you. They are delicious and become very tender when cooked. The beans were cooked with shallot and garlic in tomato sauce from those beautiful fresh tomatoes you see here. You really don’t need a recipe for this, nothing has to be exact, make it according to taste.

Long Beans in tomato sauce:

Approximately 1/2 lb long beans, washed, stem end cut and cut the beans to whatever size you find manageable.

2 cups puree tomato

1 shallot

2 cloves garlic

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

Optional tbs of butter

Heat some olive oil in a saute pan, add the shallot, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and saute until they softens, add the beans and toss to combine with the oil and aromatics saute for a couple of minutes. Add the tomato sauce, turn the heat to medium, cover with lid slightly adjar and let cook stirring occasionally until sauce has reduced and beans are cooked through.After the beans are cooked you can add the optional tbs of butter.

Beans in sauce

Cook your linguine or pasta of your choice to desired doneness and add to the tomato and beans, cook for a minute or two. Turn off the heat grate some romano or parmigiano or both on top and toss to combine.

Really good!

Jul 25

113 Comments

Summer Vegetable Cous Cous With Feta And Pine Nuts For Fiesta Friday #26

Cous Cous loaded with Vegetables

I wanted a quick side dish that didn’t require standing over a hot stove, I had some great vegetables that I needed to use and some cous cous in the pantry and thought this will go nicely together. The vegetables I used are tri color small peppers, orange, yellow and red, yellow squash and sweet heirloom cherry tomatoes, I cranked the oven to 400 degree’s prepared the vegetables, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper and they were done in 15 minutes. The cous cous is so easy, I’m sure you know what I mean, boil some water, pour it over the cous cous, cover and let sit. I wanted to make this more interesting so I ran to my garden and got some parsley and mint which I chopped, thought well something crunchy like nuts would be nice and I remembered I had some pignoli in the freezer, I quickly toasted them on the stove top. To finish the dish I mixed it all together with some olive oil and the juice of lemon, sprinkled with more pine nuts and crumbled fets on top. Voila, easy, quick and delicious side or meal.

Fiesta Friday #26 is in full swing and I hope you all like my cous cous dish. Angie @The Novice Gardener is always there to make sure things are running smoothly and the co hosts this week, Prudy @Butter, Basil and Breadcrumbs and Jess @Cooking Is My Sport seem to have eyes in back of their heads keeping everything organized and in order. Great work everyone!

So pretty and nutritious

Here is what you will need for 4 servings:

1 summer squash, cut into bite size pieces

10 cherry tomatoes

4 small peppers with seeds removed and cut in half.

1 cup cous cous

1 cup water boiled

pine nuts about a cup toasted

feta for crumbling

a handful of parsley and mint leaves

salt and pepper

1 lemon juiced

olive oil

Roast the vegetables in a hot oven 400 degrees for approximately 15 miniutes. Remove from oven, you can at the same time toast the pine nuts ( I didn’t think of it at the time but in retrospect it would be a good idea, just watch them carefully stirring frequently or they will burn.

Make the cous cous, when it’s rested the requisite time according to package directions fluff with a fork. Place cous cous, roasted vegetables about 3/4 of the toasted pine nuts,herbs, a little olive oil, lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Sprinkle the remaining pine nuts and crumble feta on top and serve.

Fiesta Friday

Jul 19

80 Comments

Gluten Free Cherry Crisp

cup of crisp

Crisps or Cobblers or buckles or whatever you want to make are a really simple and delicious way to enjoy summer fruit or berries. I have been wanting to try working with some different flours other than wheat and bought some barley flour. This crisp is so simple and quick to make and I must say the crumble or crisp part is wonderful, I used oats, barley flour, almond flour, butter and organic brown sugar. I bought already pitted and preserved sour cherries, I don’t have a cherry pitter. It took almost no time at all to put this together and I had it for breakfast this morning, don’t judge, think about it, grains, fruit, why not? It would also make a smashing dessert!! I’m also very excited that this is my 300th post!!

Crisp or Crumble

1 stick salted butter softened

1 cup oats (I used Bobs Red Mill, certified GF)

1/2 cup barley flour

1/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup organic brown sugar

Mix until it’s all incorporated and set aside.

The cherries and make the crisp:

1 quart cherries (I used sour)

Scant 1/2 cup brown sugar (If using sweet cherries only use 1/4 cup)

2 tbs tapioca starch

pinch of sea salt

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cherries, tapioca, sugar and salt together and pour into baking dish. I used a rectangular approximately 8×11. Distribute the crumble topping on the cherries, sprinkle with a little course brown sugar (like demerara or Hains organic brown. Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes or until crumble topping is browned and the fruit is bubbly.

I like to serve with a little heavy cream poured on while it’s hot.

Jul 15

84 Comments

Black And White Orzo With Roasted Cherry Tomatoes And Ricotta Salata

Orzo Mediterranean Style

When in Whole Foods last week I saw in the bulk pasta section several different types of pasta that are all locally made (Brooklyn) die cut and organic, I loved the look of the black and white orzo so decided to give it a try. Now I love orzo, I remember a Greek friend used to make a baked orzo dish with tomatoes that was wonderful. This is not baked and it’s not Greek but it does have Mediterranean flavors. It’s simple to make and can be served hot or cold. No recipe needed make it according to taste, if you don’t have black and white orzo use whatever you have available. I had some heirloom cherry tomatoes grown on a rooftop in Brooklyn, the basil and parsley came from my garden, I think the ricotta salata is Italian in origin but for the most part this dish is made with ingredients made or grown locally, I love that! You can add whatever herbs you like, I chose basil and parsley. This is simple to make, no recipe required, tailor to your tastebuds and is good hot or cold.

Makes 2 servings

12 (approximately) cherry tomatoes

2-3 cloves garlic skin removed

1 cup orzo

handfull basil and parsley

ricotta salata (a little less than a cup cubed or broken into small pieces)

olive oil

salt and pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees, lay parchment or foil on 1/4 sheet pan, place the tomatoes whole on the sheet pan along with the garlic, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, Roast for 20-30 minutes or until tomatoes are soft, a little caramelized and have given off some of their juices, the garlic should also be soft. Remove from the oven to cool. While tomatoes are roasting boil the orzo, I like it al dente it took about 15 minutes. Drain and put in bowl, chop the basil and parsley and ricotta salata and add to bowl, Smash the garlic with a fork and mix with the tomatoes, add to the orzo and toss to combine. Before serving check for seasoning and drizzle some good olive oil on top.

Jun 27

73 Comments

Orecchiette With Pancetta And Broccoli Rabe For Fiesta Friday #22

Pasta Heaven

A simple rustic dish, no recipe required for FF#22. I love pasta, and orecchiette is one of my favorites. broccoli rabe is wonderful with it’s slightly bitter taste and when sauteed in garlic and pancetta it’s absolutely delicious. This weeks Fiesta Friday brings us an encore performance co hosting from Elaine@foodbod and also Prudy@butter,basil and breadcrumbs and as always Angie@The Novice Gardener is keeping a watchful eye out for all of us. This dish still tastes great at room temperature so it’s perfect for a buffet.

All you need is:

1 bunch fresh broccoli rabe, cleaned and thick stems cut off

2 thick slices pancetta chopped into bite size pieces

garlic 2 cloves sliced thinly

crushed red pepper flakes a generous pinch

orecchiette

Olive oil

salt and pepper

parmigiano and/or romano for grating

Steam the cleaned broccoli rabe until tender, set aside. Put large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta. In large skillet add some olive oil, when hot add the pancetta, when it starts to lightly brown add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Now add the broccoli rabe and cook until tender and each piece is coated with the garlic and oil. Set heat to low and cook the pasta, when al dente, turn heat up to high and add the drained pasta to the broccoli and pancetta, saute turning until each is coated with the oil, add a little pasta water and let cook until water is gone. Place in serving bowl and grate some cheese on top.

YUM

Fiesta Friday

May 18

64 Comments

Spaghetti With Broccoli And Garlic And Parmigiano Lemon Bread Crumbs

Pasta and broccoli

There are so many delicious sweet treats for Fiesta Friday #16 that I decided I would bring a savory dish. I make this often, practically every week, it’s one of my favorite quick and simple meals. I find that making some of the components of the dish in the morning really help this to come together quickly for dinner. I like to make the breadcrumbs and steam the broccoli in the morning. The breadcrumbs taste so good when they are made a few hours ahead of the meal. I also steam the broccoli in the morning and saute in the evening before serving. There really is no recipe per say for this dish, but here are the list of ingredients and instructions.

Fiesta Friday #16 is hosted by Elaine@foodbod and Stacey@10 legs in the kitchen and to find out more about Fiesta Fridays and hopefully join the party visit Angie’s lovely site The Novice Gardener. I must say I am having a blast participating, there are so many great cooks, we all have fun!

Broccoli- cut into bite size pieces

2 cloves garlic thinly sliced

pinch of red pepper flakes

spaghetti or pasta of your choice

approximately 1/4 cup chicken broth or pasta water

Bread crumbs (preferably fresh bread crumbs)

1 clove garlic minced

olive oil

parmigiano grated

pinch of lemon zest (zest of half a lemon)

black pepper a few turns of the pepper mill

salt if needed

Mix bread crumbs, lemon, parmigiano and black pepper. In saute pan heat some olive oil and add the minced garlic, now add the breadcrumbs and saute until toasted a golden brown. Remove the bread crumbs and set aside, don’t clean the pan use the same pan for the broccoli.

Steam broccoli to your desired doneness, for this dish I like it pretty soft, probably softer than most of you would want to cook it. I steam it for about 8-10 minutes. Put the water (be sure to add salt to the water) on for the spaghetti, when boiling vigorously cook to al dente and remove, save some of the water. To your saute pan add olive oil, garlic and pepper flakes, saute until the garlic softens and starts to turn a very light brown. Add the broccoli and stir until it’s covered with the oil and garlic, saute for a few minutes, add the chicken broth or reserved pasta water and cook for a few minutes, add the pasta and toss with the sauteed broccoli and cook for just about a minute. Remove from pan. Top the spaghetti with the bread crumbs and serve. I like to add more cheese.

Pasta Yum!

Fiesta Friday

Apr 29

85 Comments

Small Plates- Tapas

Cheese, wine,olives and bread

Tapas anyone?

I was recently inspired to make tapas after reading a post on the very beautiful blog Laura’s Mess. She and friends/fellow bloggers get together and prepare a feast frequently and it’s like a culinary tour of the world. I decided since I love the food of Spain and I am particularly fond of small portions that I would make tapas. You can eat a variety of foods and variety is the spice of life!!

For this meal I made some of my favorite Spanish dishes, they are simple and very tasty and I find that when you set out platters of a variety of food for friends it’s fun, add some good wine to the mix and it’s a great party. You can also make some of the food in advance. The meatballs and tomato sauce and the polenta keep very well for a day or two, I also boiled the potatoes for the patatas bravas a day ahead and fried them the day of, you can also make that yummy sauce ahead.

I am not going to post recipes for all,most of the recipes are not mine, but I will provide the link to the recipe if you want to make. I served the polenta with the meatballs and tomato sauce, the grilled merguez goes beautifully with the patatas bravas. The shrimp, well they are great on their own and don’t forget the cheese and olives and bread with some good olive oil for dipping. Wash it all down with wine I chose Rioja. Sangria would also be lovely with this!!

Here is the menu:

Patatas Bravas

Albondigas- Spanish meatballs (Recipe calls for pork, I used pork and beef)

Merguez (grilled)

Roasted Tomato Sauce (No recipe needed see below for instructions)

Gambas Al Ajillo- Spanish Garlic Shrimp

Cheesy Manchego Polenta

Assorted cheese. bread, olives

Lots of wine

Oven roasted tomatoes and garlic

Sauce-fresh tomato, garlic,thyme and olive oil

The tomato sauce is very simple, pre heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread cherry tomatoes and at least 3 cloves garlic on sheet pan, I used assorted heirloom, drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and sprinkle generously with thyme. Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes or until the tomatoes and garlic are softened and caramelized. Crush with fork or masher and add the meatballs, simmer on low heat for approximately 45 minutes to one hour. Serve with polenta.

Manchego Polenta

Polenta ( You can easily half the recipe if doing tapas)

Serves 4-6 depending on serving size

4 cups whey or water

1 cup polenta (corn meal) I used stone ground

pinch of salt

1 cup grated manchego cheese

2 tbs butter

2 tbs heavy cream, creme fraiche or mascarpone

black pepper (2 or 3 turns of the pepper mill)

In saucepan add the whey or water and pinch of salt, bring to a rolling boil. Whisk in the polenta, don’t dump it all in add slowly while you are whisking it thickens very quickly. Lower heat to low and continue whisking until its done. It takes approximately 3-5 minutes for regular cornmeal and 7-10 minutes for stoneground. Remove from heat add the butter, cheese and heavy cream. Stir until its all incorporated. Cover pan and set aside.