I brought this over to Chel's after a night of drinking for our friend's birthday. I hadn't eaten all day so I needed some nutrients. I needed the iron, Lycopene and fiber. My total (including the fresh pasta) was just over $11.
Fresh linguini (or whatever you're in the mood for)
1 super large bunch of spinach, washed
1 28 oz. can of whole peeled tomatoes
1 14 oz. can of cannellini beans
1 shallot
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Parmesan cheese
Oil
Salt/pep
Finely mince the shallot and garlic and cook in an oiled skillet over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach and turn for about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes one by one, crushing them with your hands before putting them in. Add the rest of the tomato liquid, the spices and the beans. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes. While simmering, crush the beans as much as you can with the back of your spatula.
Cook the pasta for 2 minutes then transfer to skillet and toss w other ingredients. Serve with parmesan cheese.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Berry Preserve Ice Cream
We just bought an ice cream maker. I only think of kids when I play with this. All kids love ice cream and promoting creativity is very important in my mind. You can make sorbets, slushies, ice cream, gelato and frozen yogurt. You can put ANYTHING in ice cream. I am giving you a base for vanilla ice cream here. We add the preserves but you don't get a berry taste... it helps accentuate the vanilla.
1 C whipping cream
2 C half and half
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 C - 2 TBS sugar
1 TBSP fruit preserve
Put everything in a pot and boil until it reaches 170 degrees, remove from heat and let cool for 20 minutes. Transfer to a lidded container and refrigerate over night. The next day you can put it into your ice cream maker and then hard freeze over night. So tasty! Feel free to double up on this recipe.
1 C whipping cream
2 C half and half
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 C - 2 TBS sugar
1 TBSP fruit preserve
Put everything in a pot and boil until it reaches 170 degrees, remove from heat and let cool for 20 minutes. Transfer to a lidded container and refrigerate over night. The next day you can put it into your ice cream maker and then hard freeze over night. So tasty! Feel free to double up on this recipe.
Fried Bananas with Berry Preserve Ice Cream
I rarely make desserts, but I swear to myself I will make more after this one! Fried bananas with ice cream... dead.
1 C tempura mix (add 3/4 C water for the batter)
4 bananas cut in half lengthwise
1 tsp cinnamon
Oil
Berry Preserve Ice Cream
Mix the tempura batter and add cinnamon to the batter. Coat bananas and fry at 350 degrees for about 4 minutes. Serve with ice cream!
1 C tempura mix (add 3/4 C water for the batter)
4 bananas cut in half lengthwise
1 tsp cinnamon
Oil
Berry Preserve Ice Cream
Mix the tempura batter and add cinnamon to the batter. Coat bananas and fry at 350 degrees for about 4 minutes. Serve with ice cream!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Meatloaf With All The Fixings
Mike asked for meatloaf for dinner so I gave him meatloaf! I sorta wish I could do this everyday, but there isn't time. If I was a house wife I could do this all day. Sometimes I wish I could be a stay-at-home house wife and then other times I feel I'd go mental if I was a stay-at-home house wife/mother. Maybe without the mother part? I do know I feel women totally fucked themselves with the whole burning of the bra thing.
2 lbs total of veal, pork, beef
1 C bread crumbs
3 eggs
1/2 finely chopped yellow onion
1/4 C ketchup
2 glove garlic v finely minced
Salt/pepp
Gravy:
Pour pan drippings from meat loaf into cup and let sit for 15 mins. Scrape away the fat that comes to the top, add juices (minus fat) into pan and put over medium heat. Add 1/4 C water + 1 TBSP corn starch to mixture (it is crucial that you mix the water and the cornstarch BEFORE adding it to heat). Add 2 tsp Gravy Maker :0)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients (use your hands here... no tool will do as well) and put in loaf pan. Cook, covered with foil, for 45 minutes. Remove foil, turn oven to broil and broil top until golden.
8 medium Yukon gold potatoes
2 TBSP butter/marge
1 C skim milk
Salt/pep
Peel, quarter and boil potatoes until fork tender. Meanwhile, microwave the milk and butter until butter has melted. Combine cooked potatoes and milk and butter in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer. You can also use potato ricer (my favorite actually) or a fork works just fine.
Peel 3 carrots and chop. Add to a pot w water and boil. When the carrots are almost done cooking add frozen peas.
2 lbs total of veal, pork, beef
1 C bread crumbs
3 eggs
1/2 finely chopped yellow onion
1/4 C ketchup
2 glove garlic v finely minced
Salt/pepp
Gravy:
Pour pan drippings from meat loaf into cup and let sit for 15 mins. Scrape away the fat that comes to the top, add juices (minus fat) into pan and put over medium heat. Add 1/4 C water + 1 TBSP corn starch to mixture (it is crucial that you mix the water and the cornstarch BEFORE adding it to heat). Add 2 tsp Gravy Maker :0)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients (use your hands here... no tool will do as well) and put in loaf pan. Cook, covered with foil, for 45 minutes. Remove foil, turn oven to broil and broil top until golden.
8 medium Yukon gold potatoes
2 TBSP butter/marge
1 C skim milk
Salt/pep
Peel, quarter and boil potatoes until fork tender. Meanwhile, microwave the milk and butter until butter has melted. Combine cooked potatoes and milk and butter in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer. You can also use potato ricer (my favorite actually) or a fork works just fine.
Peel 3 carrots and chop. Add to a pot w water and boil. When the carrots are almost done cooking add frozen peas.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Individual Beef Wellingtons
You MUST try these! Serve these at your next party and no one will be upset with them... they are perfect, no diggity.
1 package puff pastry
1 1lb skirt steak
1 portabella mushroom
1/2 medium onion
1 TBSP butter
Salt/pep
Preheat oven to 420 degrees.
Preheat a pan or griddle so it is scorching hot. Sprinkle beef liberally with salt and pepper. Cook on the scorching pan for about 4 minutes per side. Let rest while you super finely chop the mushroom and onion and saute on medium with butter until mushrooms are tender (about 10 minutes). Chop the meat (after letting it rest) into bite sized cubes. Roll out puff pastry slightly and cut into 16 pieces. Put a dab of the mushroom mix as well as a cube of beef and wrap up. Lay on parchment lined sheet pan and cook until just golden brown (10 minutes-ish, but keep an sharp eye on them as this time varies and you do not want them to burn.
If you wanted to get ill-gourmet on these (not that you need to... on their own is just fine) you can also spread a dab of pate on the puff pastry before the mushrooms and meat. This makes it more authentic and adds another bite of taste. Soooo good! I could eat the whole load.
1 package puff pastry
1 1lb skirt steak
1 portabella mushroom
1/2 medium onion
1 TBSP butter
Salt/pep
Preheat oven to 420 degrees.
Preheat a pan or griddle so it is scorching hot. Sprinkle beef liberally with salt and pepper. Cook on the scorching pan for about 4 minutes per side. Let rest while you super finely chop the mushroom and onion and saute on medium with butter until mushrooms are tender (about 10 minutes). Chop the meat (after letting it rest) into bite sized cubes. Roll out puff pastry slightly and cut into 16 pieces. Put a dab of the mushroom mix as well as a cube of beef and wrap up. Lay on parchment lined sheet pan and cook until just golden brown (10 minutes-ish, but keep an sharp eye on them as this time varies and you do not want them to burn.
If you wanted to get ill-gourmet on these (not that you need to... on their own is just fine) you can also spread a dab of pate on the puff pastry before the mushrooms and meat. This makes it more authentic and adds another bite of taste. Soooo good! I could eat the whole load.
Peach and Nectarine Shell Tarts
I made these for my mom cause she looooves desserts... especially pastries. This is super duper simple! I love puff pastry so much (oh! just thought of another one I have to blog)!
1 package puff pastry shells
3 pears
3 nectarines
4 TBSP butter
4 TBSP sugar (it's dessert people!!)
2 tsp cinnamon
Cook the puff pastry shells 2 minutes less than what the package suggests. Meanwhile, finely chop the pears and nectarines into little bite size pieces. Add the fruit into a saute pan and saute with the butter, sugar and cinnamon until super tender and starting to caramelize. Remove from heat and fill shells with mixture. Return to oven for another 3 minutes and serve either alone or with ice cream.
You can do this really with any kind of fruit you want. I would say stone fruits and berries are the best. I'm not sure citrus or melons, for example, would turn out too well.
1 package puff pastry shells
3 pears
3 nectarines
4 TBSP butter
4 TBSP sugar (it's dessert people!!)
2 tsp cinnamon
Cook the puff pastry shells 2 minutes less than what the package suggests. Meanwhile, finely chop the pears and nectarines into little bite size pieces. Add the fruit into a saute pan and saute with the butter, sugar and cinnamon until super tender and starting to caramelize. Remove from heat and fill shells with mixture. Return to oven for another 3 minutes and serve either alone or with ice cream.
You can do this really with any kind of fruit you want. I would say stone fruits and berries are the best. I'm not sure citrus or melons, for example, would turn out too well.
Celery Potato Soup
I can't really dig on celery's stringyness all the time. However, if you puree it in a soup you only get the flavor and I think most people who "don't like celery" will disagree after having this. Also, the pureed potatoes really give this a nice rich creamy texture without being loaded with cream (this is actually suuuper nutrish). Meegy said this was like a clam chowder without the clams. I agreed.
3 stalks of celery
4-5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
1/2 a yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
1 C chicken stock (please make your own... so damn good!)
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
2 dried bay leaves
Hot pepper flakes (pinch - 1 tsp)
Pinch of rosemary (per Meegy)
1/4 skim milk
Olive Oil
Salt/pep
Blue cheese (optional)
The gist is as follows: roughly chop the onions and celery and saute in oil for a few minutes until tender (do not let this brown). Add the potatoes, garlic and dried herbs and continue to saute for just a few minutes. Add the chicken stock and let everything get warmed through for about 5 minutes. Next, add enough water so just the top of the veggies are covered. Cover with a tight fitting lid and boil, on medium, for 45 minutes.
After 45 mins, remove the lid, kill the heat and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes before transferring to the blender. Once in the blender, add milk and puree until soup is very smooth. We served this with crumbled blue cheese (since we had it anyways and we thought celery... blue cheese... like hot wings always come w celery...) I don't know - it's cheese so it worked. Doesn't cheese work with everything?? If you wanted to jazz this up a bit you could garnish with some fresh parsley and olive oil. The olive oil makes cool patterns.
3 stalks of celery
4-5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
1/2 a yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
1 C chicken stock (please make your own... so damn good!)
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
2 dried bay leaves
Hot pepper flakes (pinch - 1 tsp)
Pinch of rosemary (per Meegy)
1/4 skim milk
Olive Oil
Salt/pep
Blue cheese (optional)
The gist is as follows: roughly chop the onions and celery and saute in oil for a few minutes until tender (do not let this brown). Add the potatoes, garlic and dried herbs and continue to saute for just a few minutes. Add the chicken stock and let everything get warmed through for about 5 minutes. Next, add enough water so just the top of the veggies are covered. Cover with a tight fitting lid and boil, on medium, for 45 minutes.
After 45 mins, remove the lid, kill the heat and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes before transferring to the blender. Once in the blender, add milk and puree until soup is very smooth. We served this with crumbled blue cheese (since we had it anyways and we thought celery... blue cheese... like hot wings always come w celery...) I don't know - it's cheese so it worked. Doesn't cheese work with everything?? If you wanted to jazz this up a bit you could garnish with some fresh parsley and olive oil. The olive oil makes cool patterns.
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