Sunday, November 24, 2013
Sweet Cherry Tomato Pasta
ingredients
- 1 pound
- spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons
- olive oil
- 2 large cloves
- garlic, chopped
- 1 handful (1 cup)
- fresh basil leaves, torn, plus extra for sprinkling
- 2 pints
- cherry tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons
- kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup
- fresh ricotta
directions
Start boiling your water. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and basil, and cook, stirring, for 15 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, salt and pepper (12 turns on pepper mill) and cook, covered, for 8 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring, until the tomatoes split. Your pasta should be about done. Drain it. Toss the pasta with the tomatoes and stir in the ricotta and the remaining tablespoon of oil. Serve sprinkled with the extra basil.
Slow Cooker Lasagna
ingredients
- 2 28-ounce cans
- crushed tomatoes
- 4 cloves
- garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons
- dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon
- kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon
- red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 15-ounce containers
- fresh ricotta
- 2 cups
- grated mozzarella (8 ounces)
- 1/4 cup
- grated Parmesan
- 16
- lasagna noodles (about 3/4 of a 1-pound box)
- 5 ounces
- baby spinach (about 6 cups packed)
directions
In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt, red pepper and black pepper (12 turns on pepper mill). In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella and the Parmesan.
In the bottom of a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker, spread a thin layer of the sauce. Top with 4 of the noodles (breaking to fit as necessary.) Spread 1 1/2 cups of the sauce over the noodles and layer with 2 cups of the spinach and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture. Repeat twice more with the noodles, sauce, spinach and cheese mixture. Top with the remaining 4 noodles, sauce and 1 cup mozzarella.
Cook on low, covered, until the noodles are tender—especially in the center of the lasagna, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
Broccoli with Raisins and Garlic
ingredients
- 1 large bunch
- broccoli (1 ½ pounds)
- 2 tablespoons
- olive oil
- 2 cloves
- garlic, sliced
- ¼ cup
- golden raisins
- ¼ teaspoon
- red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon
- kosher salt
directions
Fill a medium saucepan with 1 inch of water and fit it with a steamer basket. Bring the water to a boil. Cut the broccoli into florets, leaving 2 to 3 inches of stem attached. Place in the basket, cover and steam until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove the basket and broccoli and pour out the water. Wipe out the pan to remove excess water and return it to medium heat with the oil. Add the garlic, raisins and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the broccoli and salt and, using a large spoon, stir to combine.
Smores Pie
for crust
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/4 sticks butter, melted
Preheat oven to 325.
Add melted butter and graham cracker crumbs together until a crust forms. Press in to a 9 inch pie plate.
for chocolate filling (from Tyler Florence)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 bag of large marshmallows
Combine milk and heavy cream in a saucepan and heat over low heat. Watch carefully and once it begins to simmer, remove from heat and add in chocolate. Stir with a spatula until chocolate is melted, then whisk in sugar and salt. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the 2 eggs. Slowly add eggs to chocolate mixture while whisking.
Pour chocolate filling in to graham crust. Tyler’s directions call for the filling to be baked for 15-20 minutes, but mine needed about 30-35. Pay attention and check every 5-10 minutes after 20 minutes pass. One the chocolate is no longer liquid, remove the tart and top with as many large marshmallows as you can fit. I heated my broiled on low, and stuck the pie back in for 2 minutes so the top could get golden. The other option is to just place it back in the oven for a few minutes until they melt or use a kitchen torch.
Let cool then refrigerate for 1-2 hours before cutting. Spray a knife with non-stick spray before slicing. If it is messy, just lift pieces out with a spoon. It’s just as delicious!
Gruyere and spinach bread pudding
Ingredients
| U.S. | Metric | Conversion chart |
- 4 large egg whites
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup(s) skim milk
- 2 tablespoon(s) Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon(s) minced fresh rosemary
- 4 cup(s) whole-grain bread, crusts removed if desired and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 5 cup(s) chopped spinach, wilted
- 1/2 cup(s) chopped jarred roasted red peppers
- 1 cup(s) diced ham steak (5 ounces)
- 3/4 cup(s) shredded Gruyère cheese
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat an 11-by-7-inch glass baking dish or a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.
- To prepare custard: Whisk egg whites, eggs and milk in a medium bowl. Add mustard, pepper and rosemary: whisk to combine.
- Toss bread, spinach, roasted red peppers and ham in a large bowl. Add the custard and toss well to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and push down to compact. Cover with foil.
- Bake until the custard has set, 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and continue baking until the pudding is puffed and golden on top, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Stewy Shrimp with Tomatoes and White Beans
ingredients
- 4 slices
- French or whole-wheat bread
- 4 tablespoons
- olive oil
- 1 15-ounce can
- diced tomatoes
- 3 cloves
- garlic, finely chopped
- ½ cup
- dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
- 1 ½ pounds
- peeled and deveined large shrimp (thawed, if frozen)
- 1 15-ounce can
- cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups
- arugula
- ¼ teaspoon
- red pepper flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon
- freshly ground black pepper
- to taste
- kosher salt
directions
Heat the broiler with oven rack in the top position. Drizzle the bread (both sides) with 2 tablespoons of the oil and place on a sheet pan. Broil 1 to 2 minutes per side until toasted.
Drain the tomatoes and reserve the juice for another use. Prepare and measure your ingredients before you start to cook.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (do not let it brown), about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and bring to a simmer. Add the shrimp and cook, turning occasionally, until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, arugula, red pepper and black pepper (6 turns on pepper mill) and cook, stirring, until the beans are heated through and the arugula is wilted. Season to taste with salt. Serve with the toasted bread.
Skillet Apple Crisp
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon earth balance butter (or regular butter) or hardened coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon butter (vegan earth balance) or coconut oil
- 1 apple, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
- vegan coconut ice cream, for serving (I love this one)
crumble topping:
for the apples:
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Make your crumble topping by crushing the crumble ingredients together. I placed everything into a plastic bag and used a wooden kitchen mallet to crush. Then I used my hands (from the outside of the bag) to distribute any excess clumps of butter. Don't over mix, stop when it's a coarse crumble. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a small skillet, add apples, a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of maple syrup. Stir to coat and continue cooking for a few minutes until the apples just begin to soften.
- Top the apples with the crumble mixture (as much as you want) and place the skillet in the oven for 8-12 minutes, until the apples are tender and the crumble topping is lightly toasted.
- Remove from the oven and serve with 2 spoons and a scoop of ice cream.
Notes
This will work in a larger skillet, double or triple the recipe (depending on the size of your skillet), and increase the baking time.
Homemade Cherry Syrup
- 4 c cherries (frozen work great, especially if you can get a blend of types)
- 3/4 c sugar
- 1/2 t cinnamon
- 1/8 t fresh ground nutmeg
- 1/2 t salt
- 2 T cornstarch
- 1 c water
Instructions
- Be sure your cherries are pitted. If you're using frozen ones, you should be good to go.
- Add cherries, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and water to a heavy saucepan and turn the heat to medium. As the sugar dissolves, stir gently to ensure it's all combined.
- Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for 20 minutes until reduced somewhat.
- Make a slurry with the cornstarch and a little cold water, using a fork to combine and ensure there are no lumps. Add the slurry to your syrup and stir again to incorporate. Cook another five or so minutes until the syrup is thickened a bit, just so that it coats a spoon instead of sliding straight off.
- I have no desire or interest in mashing the cherries that remain in the syrup or in straining them out. I find they add a marvelous texture and flavor, and I don’t want to lose that. The fact that it saves me a step or two? That’s just a bonus.
- Pour immediately into clean jars and seal. Once they've cooled, place them in your fridge. You can store them in the fridge for a few weeks, but I don't expect that they'll last any longer at your house than they did at mine.
Acorn Squash with Mushrooms and Rice
Baked Apples with Maple Walnut Sauce
Baked Apples with Maple-Walnut SauceAdapted from Vegetarian Times
4 large apples, such as Gala or Granny Smith, halved crosswise and cored
2 teaspoons lemon juice, divided
2 Tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
Preheat oven to 400o F.
Brush cut sides of apples with 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Arrange apples, cut sides up, in a baking dish. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl (you might need more than the recipe calls for depending on the size of your apples); sprinkle cut sides of apples with sugar mixture. Pour maple syrup in bottom of dish.
Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more (mine actually took 32 minutes, my apples were quite big) or until apples are tender. Transfer apples to a serving platter.
Pour pan juices into small saucepan and stir in remaining teaspoon 1 teaspoon lemon juice and salt; bring to a boil. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened, stirring constantly.
4 large apples, such as Gala or Granny Smith, halved crosswise and cored
2 teaspoons lemon juice, divided
2 Tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
Preheat oven to 400o F.
Brush cut sides of apples with 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Arrange apples, cut sides up, in a baking dish. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl (you might need more than the recipe calls for depending on the size of your apples); sprinkle cut sides of apples with sugar mixture. Pour maple syrup in bottom of dish.
Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more (mine actually took 32 minutes, my apples were quite big) or until apples are tender. Transfer apples to a serving platter.
Pour pan juices into small saucepan and stir in remaining teaspoon 1 teaspoon lemon juice and salt; bring to a boil. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened, stirring constantly.
Cheesy 4 Mushroom White Pizza
Ingredients
- 12 oz pizza dough, homemade (recipe link above) or store-bought
- 1-1/4 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 Tablespoon chopped rosemary, fresh
- 1 teaspoon roasted garlic salt (such as Lawry's)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 cups sauteed, sliced assorted mushrooms (such as button, baby bellas, porcini and shitake
- 2-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1-2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- red pepper flakes, optional
- freshly ground black pepper, optional
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- In small bowl, combine ricotta cheese, rosemary and garlic salt. Set aside.
- Add butter to a nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute until cooked through. If you are using any dried mushrooms, first cook any fresh mushrooms, adding the dried (rehydrated) ones at the end. This helps remove any excess water. Salt mushrooms to taste.
- Spread ricotta cheese mixture evenly over pizza dough. Sprinkle on half of the mozzarella cheese. Add mushrooms in a single layer and follow with remaining mozzarella cheese. Drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes or until done. Let sit for 2 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and freshly ground pepper.
bean and beer chili - thug kitchen
1 medium onion
2 medium bell peppers
1 zucchini
2 carrots
4 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup of beer (I like to use a stout but use whateverthefuck you got)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
28 ounce can of diced tomatoes (check the label, avoid the fucking salt if you can)
1 cup vegetable broth or water
1 ½ cups of cooked or 1-15 ounce can of each: pinto, kidney, and black beans (you can use whatever beans you got but I like using 3 different kinds because variety is the shit)
1 ½ cups hominy (precooked or canned) or corn kernels (optional)
juice of ½ a lemon or 1 lime
2 teaspoons of brown sugar (also fucking optional)
Chop up the onion, bell peppers, zucchini, and carrots into pieces no bigger than a motherfucking bean. Dice up the garlic all small and shit. Grab a big ass pot and heat up the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook them until they start to look a little brown, about 5-8 minutes. Add the bell peppers, zucchini, and carrots and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, and salt and cook for another minute. By now, your whole place should start smelling good enough to make the fucking neighbors jealous. Add the beer, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and broth then scrap any spice shit that started sticking to the bottom of the pot. Let that all simmer together for 5 minutes. There should some beer left in the can, sip that shit while you’re waiting.
Now add the beans (and the hominy if you opted for this dopeness). Stir everything and turn down the heat to medium low. Slap on a lid and let that simmer for about 30 minutes. Set a timer if your ass is easily distracted like me. After the 30 minutes, stir it around and if you still want a thicker chili take off the lid and let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes. When the chili looks legit by your standards, add the lemon juice then taste that motherfucker. Depending on the brand of tomatoes you got, you might need to add some brown sugar to balance the taste out. Taste again and see if it needs more chili powder or salt. Throw in some cayenne pepper if you like that shit hot. Serve warm and lay out some fresh toppings like red onion, jalapenos, and cilantro.
Makes one big fucking pot, enough to serve 6 people easy
Pan Fried Risotto Cakes
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for frying
- 1 medium onion, diced fine
- 2 cups butternut squash, about 2/3 pound, cut in 1/2-inch dice
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup Carnaroli or Arborio rice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 4 to 5 cups vegetable broth (see recipe)
- 1 ounce grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
- 4 ounces grated Fontina
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons finely sliced chives, plus more for garnish
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
PREPARATION
- 1.
- Put butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide heavy-bottom saucepan or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened and lightly colored, about 5 minutes. Add squash and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is cooked but not soft, about 5 minutes. Add rice and sage and stir to combine, then add wine and cook for 1 minute more.
- 2.
- Add 2 cups vegetable broth and bring to a brisk simmer. Cook until liquid is nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Continue adding broth 1 cup at a time and cook in the same fashion until rice is just done and all liquid is absorbed (it should take 4 to 5 cups broth), about 10 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in Parmesan, Fontina and lemon zest and juice. Taste and adjust seasoning (rice should be well seasoned). Stir in chives, then spread mixture on a baking sheet or platter to cool. Cool for at least 2 hours (or refrigerate overnight, covered).
- 3.
- With a spoon, divide mixture into 12 pieces. Shape each piece into an oval patty. Roll patties lightly in flour to coat. Pour olive oil to a depth of 1/2 inch into a cast-iron skillet and place over medium heat. Dip floured rice patties briefly into beaten egg, then fry gently on both sides until browned. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot, sprinkled with more Parmesan and chives if desired.
- YIELD
- 4 to 6 servings
