With the Best of Intentions

. . . so of course I meant to post while I was out visiting, but you know how those things work. So many people to see, so many things to do! I had a delightful little break from my normal life (the hausfrau life, if you will), and got to visit with people I love dearly.

I began my trip visiting the town we just moved from, and got to see the friends we most recently took for granted. Fun to eat all the various foods for which that town is famous, especially my very favorite lentil wraps at the local lesbian-anarchist diner.

From there, off to Indiana to visit with the BFF Forever (har), where I taught her that PIZZA DOESN'T HAVE TO HAVE MARINARA SAUCE. We enjoyed a very civilized leek-and-goat cheese "tart" and the banter that we somehow slip into every time we get together.

I then settled in for a long visit to my hometown and my parents, which was lovely and relaxing. Visited with friends, enjoyed the most amazing appetizer with Robu (Steak, gorgonzola, red onion, and tomato crostini). Delicious. My folks drove me back to SmallMountainTown, and we had a perfect long weekend together--hiking, food, drinks, a bit of shopping . . . very low-key, which is what we like.

We did take a day trip to the historically preserved miner's village where some of my ancestors emigrated to from Ireland and worked. It was haunting to walk those streets, imagining a thick coat of coal dust covering everything, and contemplating the nearly unthinkable poverty in which they lived. Really a day to remember.

After such a long stretch of traveling and company, I barely mustered the strength to cook dinner last night (especially after doing four loads of laundry). I have a ton of pasta recipes on here, but I strongly believe that a handful of infinitely variable pasta recipes can get anyone through the busiest (and budget-limited) of times.

My Mother-In-Law sent me a recipe for pasta with dried plums and pecans a while ago and I'd had it in the back of my mind. I substituted walnuts for the pecans (though pecans would have been lovely) and added sauteed kale for nutrition's sake and for its very complimentary bitterness.

Pasta with Dried Plums, Kale, Walnuts, and Gorgonzola
1 lb. whole-wheat pasta (short is good)
2 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. kale, torn into bite-sized pieces, washed
1/2 cup dried plums (prunes), chopped
4 T. walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/2 to 2/3 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Salt and pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions, scooping out some of the pasta cooking water just before draining. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add kale, cover and steam, tossing occasionally until bright green and partially wilted. Season with salt and pepper, saute without lid to evaporate most of the excess liquid. Add the other ingredients and toss well, using pasta cooking water to moisten if necessary.

Exhausted Evening at Home

After a looong day at work yesterday, I schlepped over to the gym to complete my battery of physical-therapist-recommended exercises. Sweet friend LS called, wanting to know if I was in the mood for a walk in the park, an offer which I unhesitatingly accepted. The weather was gorgeous, and I headed straight to LS' house after the gym.

LS brought her three adorable daughters, and I pushed little C in her stroller. One lap around the park and a stop at the playground, plus the walk there and back, and I was knackered.

And can I just mention just one thing? I am amazed daily by the love, energy, humor, and patience of all the mothers in my life. (You too, Ma!)

I dragged my arse home to a hungry Hero, and flipped through my mental rolodex of super-easy recipes. Picking pasta was a no-brainer. Then I recalled a simple "base" recipe from Sally Schneider's The Improvisational Cook for pasta with anchovy, garlic, and red pepper. I tossed in some fresh parsley and toasty walnuts to make this an approximation of a meal. Of course, this pasta would serve just as well as a side dish, but we ate our simple dinner happily with some juicy wedges of watermelon.

A word about anchovies: have no fear! If you "don't like" anchovies because they look/smell funny or you had them on pizza once and didn't like them, please, give them another chance! I'd be willing to bet that most people wouldn't be able to identify the flavor in these noodles as fish-based at all! I buy the small jars of oil-packed anchovy fillets in the italian foods section. this way, I can reclose the jar and use the rest later.

Spaghetti with Anchovy and Garlic
1 lb. whole-wheat spaghetti
2 large cloves garlic, peeled
7-8 anchovy fillets packed in oil, patted dry
Coarse salt
Black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Crushed red pepper
Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Handful toasted walnuts

Set a pot to boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Grate garlic with a microplane or rasp grater onto cutting board. Sprinkle with coarse salt and mash into a paste with a knife. Add anchovy fillets and cut these into the garlic mixture with a knife. It should form a thick paste. Add anchovy-garlic mixture to a mortar (you could use a bowl and the back of a spoon) and mix in a generous grinding of black pepper. Add about 1/4-1/3 cup olive oil, a little bit at a time, working in with the pestle.

Drain pasta. In hot pan, add oil mixture and cook over medium about 30 seconds with crushed red pepper to taste (I was generous). Turn off the heat, and add pasta back to the pot. Toss until well-coated. Serve sprinkled with parsley and a scattering of walnuts.

Angry Pasta

I know, I know, it doesn't look so angry in the picture. This is a classic Italian pasta dish, penne arrabiata, "angry" because of its spicy, assertive flavors.

This is a busy-day dinner; while the ingredients simmer away there's plenty of time to pop in a load of laundry, pack tomorrow's gym bag, and make up a grocery list.

Penne Arrabiata
1 lb. whole-wheat penne or other short pasta
Extra-virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 t. crushed red pepper
1 28-oz. can whole peeled italian-style (plum) tomatoes in juice
Pecorino romano cheese

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Heat 3 T. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes. Garlic should brown well, but not blacken at all. Add tomatoes, breaking them up with your hands, and their juice. Simmer 10-15 minutes, until saucy. Toss with pasta, and sprinkle with pecorino cheese. (Use pecorino if you can, its assertive saltiness will hold up well to the spicy sauce.

My Thai

I've had an open jar of green curry paste knocking about in my refrigerator for a while, so I was motivated to use it this week. This is basically a veggie stir-fry without the fry (for the most part), served over whole-wheat fettucine. Rice noodles would have been more authentic, but I had to get in my whole grains.

Anyone could throw this together with whatever was begging to be used up in their crisper bins. Cabbage would have been lovely. As this was an improvisation, I'll point out where I could have improved:

Sauce was too thin! I added a whole can of chicken broth so I could be sure the veggies would have enough simmering liquid. Next time, I'll scale back on the broth (alterations made in this recipe). Also, might not hurt to stir in a bit of corn starch to thicken it up. "Lite" coconut milk does not have the body of the full-fat variety.

In spite of this, the flavor was nice, spicy and a bit creamy, with crisp peas and juicy peppers and onions. Maybe I've got warm-weather fever, but this seems like a great summer night dinner!

Green Curry Thai Stir-Fry
1 T. vegetable oil
1 block firm tofu, patted dry and cubed
1 lb. whole-wheat fettucine
2-3 T. Thai green curry paste
1/2 can "lite" coconut milk
1/2 can chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 large onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, halved
1/2-1 cup sugar snap peas
Generous handful cilantro, chopped
Fish sauce or soy sauce, for serving (optional)

Cook fettucine according to package instructions. Try to time it so the pasta is finished at approximately the same time as the sauce.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the tofu, stirring, until golden (7-10 minutes or so). Remove tofu to a plate, set aside. Add curry paste to skillet, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Stir in coconut milk and broth. Bring to a simmer. Add onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Cook, uncovered, until veggies are tender (5-7 minutes). Stir in peas, cook 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Serve over pasta, sprinkled with fish sauce (preferred) or soy sauce (for you vegetarians), if desired.

Go-to Recipes

This month’s Cooking Light did a feature on the recipes people make again and again – go-to recipes on weeknights that are not fussy and please everyone. I’m always so tempted to try new recipes I find or dream up, so the ones that become “regulars” are really something special (and usually super-busy-weeknight-easy). I’ve already shared one of my favorites – Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce. From talking to friends, it seems I've made some fans of this recipe through the blog. I make this quite often, and I always have the ingredients on hand. Spinach Brown Rice Bowl (last night’s dinner) is fast becoming a favorite.

I’d like to share a couple more of my “standards” with you, dear blog readers. You folks know how I feel about pasta. It’s near and dear to my heart and helps me put together rather composed dinners even on the most time-constrained evenings. I have to say, I have become a connoisseur of whole-wheat pasta, and have found the very best—hands-down—it’s called Bionaturae and it cooks up perfectly every time. It’s not gritty, it doesn’t get soggy, and it cooks in as much time as conventional pasta. Sure, it’s a bit more expensive than a box of refined-flour pasta, but when I cook pasta, I almost never cook meat—the pasta’s the star! It best be tasty and nutritious!

I found this pasta recipe a couple of late winters ago in Mark Bittman’s New York Times “Minimalist” column, and it makes regular appearances on our dinner table. The column attempted to satisfy winter-weary readers’ spring harvest cravings before the harvest could comply, focusing mainly on using frozen veggies. It’s one of those on-hand ingredient recipes that make it exponentially easier than pie to have a composed, healthy dinner in less than 30 minutes. I’ve made it with fresh peas instead of frozen, pecorino instead of parmigiano, added lemon zest, mint, dill, basil . . . it’s all great, but it’s just as good as written.

Our Hero loves it.

Penne with Ricotta and Peas
1 lb. whole-wheat penne pasta
8 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese
½ cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 1 ½ cups frozen green peas (not baby peas)

Put a large pot of water to boil. Salt water well, and cook pasta according to package directions. In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, grated cheese, salt, and pepper. When pasta has about 3 minutes left to cook, stir and scoop out about a cup of the cooking liquid. Whisk enough liquid into ricotta mixture to make a sauce consistency. When pasta is about a minute away from being done, toss in the frozen peas. Drain pasta and peas, then toss with ricotta mixture. Serve up with more parm, if desired.

Wish You Could Smell This Picture

Yeah, yeah, I'd heard it all . . . Chez Panisse this and Alice Waters that . . . New American cuisine . . . Yaddayaddayadda.

Not that I doubted her expertise or the monumental changes she and her cohorts brought to our neighborhood grocery stores - I just had a hard time believing her recipes were all that.

Well, I tip my hat (or do I eat it?).

While visiting A in PrettyLittleTown, I picked up Chez Panisse Vegetables at the most drool-inducing gourmet kitchen supply store your sweet eyes have ever seen. A then had to endure me reading recipe titles aloud to her while we were both supposed to be concentrating on Very Important Things (namely, TV so trashy you can only watch it with your best friend). I read the book cover to cover before I arrived home, and it is taking every fibre of self-control in my being to stop myself from ordering Chez Panisse Fruit from amazon.com. (Must. Control. Self. Hands! Clicking! Mouse! NO! Breathe. Breathe.)

But seriously, folks, this recipe is delicious. The flavors and textures are perfect, and the lovely toasty walnuts and smooth ricotta salata bring it all together. When I mentioned to Our Hero that I was making pasta with cauliflower, he made a face. After he tasted it and was headed back for a second heaping bowl, he admitted he was upset because he liked it so much. I suppose liking cauliflower pasta could ruin a guy's image.

The pictures do not capture the beautiful interplays of browns, golds, and yellows in this dish. It's not monochromatic at all, but full of very subtle, delicate contrasts. Lovely.

Alice Waters' Whole-Wheat Pasta with Cauliflower, Walnuts, and Ricotta Salata
2 heads cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 medium onion, sliced into thin half-moons
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. whole wheat pasta (something shorter would work best, like penne)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flakes
White wine vinegar
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup toasted walnuts (you can do this in the oven or on the stovetop)
4 oz. ricotta salata or feta cheese

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Saute the cauliflower in a healthy amount of olive oil in a large, shallow pan. When it starts to soften, season with salt and pepper, then add the sliced onion and red pepper flakes. Cauliflower and onion will brown. Saute over medium to high heat until veggies are tender and golden-brown. The cauliflower should still be slightly crunchy and not taste steamed. Add garlic and remove from heat. Stir, and do not let garlic brown (add water if necessary). Add a bit of vinegar and the lemon juice and the toasted walnuts. Taste and correct seasoning (add more salt, pepper, vinegar, etc.). When pasta is done, toss with the cauliflower mixture. Serve with crumbled ricotta salata.

No-Oil Pesto

When I saw this recipe in this cookbook, from which I've been cooking a lot lately, I figured I had to give it a whirl. Literally. Our Hero pleased me boundlessly this Christmas by giving me a 14-cup stainless-steel Cuisinart food processor. And I have fallen deeply in love.

I was intrigued by this pesto recipe, especially because it did not call for the requisite extra-virgin olive oil. Instead, ingredients are blitzed in the food processor with low-fat cottage cheese or ricotta (I chose the former for its superior protein content). It was embarassingly easy to throw together. Its lovely pale green color and bright flavor helped to simultaneously cheer me and remind me that winter is not, in fact, interminable. I tossed together a quick green salad with orange segments (for color and sweetness), and it made a nice busy-evening meal. I served it with whole-wheat fettucine.

Garlic Parsley Pesto with Pasta
1 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese or part-skim ricotta
5 T. Parmigiano Reggiano
1/2 cup very hot water
1/2 cup loosely-packed flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup loosely-packed fresh basil
2-3 large cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot cooked whole-wheat pasta

Combine all ingredients (except pasta) in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add water a bit at a time to get the right saucy consistency. Toss with hot pasta quickly, as cheeses will melt. Could be used over veggies, chicken, rice, etc.

Incidentally, as Our Hero plugs away at his dissertation, I am widowed often on weekend evenings. This, from Orangette, made a perfect winter salad dinner. Our Hero enjoyed it as a snack when he returned home from school at 9:30pm. I used pecorino romano instead of the Parmigiano.

Pasta + Shrooms = Good

I love pasta as a meal, and make it almost once a week. It's simple and has the ability to fill up Our Hero, which is no easy feat. I've seen him put away three quarters of a pound of pasta in one sitting. Pasta's great for improvisation and to use up whatever's laying around in the veggie bin or cupboard. And the nice thing is, for all it's quick-and-easiness, it makes lovely grown-up dinners.

This particular dish is very nice: a creamy, earthy sauce with nutty whole-wheat pasta and bright fresh parsley. The vermouth adds complexity and makes this feel like a special dish.

Gobbetti with Wild Mushrooms

1 lb. chunky whole-wheat pasta (gobbietti works well)
2 T. butter
12 oz. wild mushrooms (a blend or all one kind)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
1 T. minced garlic
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/3 cup dry vermouth
1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (plus more for serving)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Cook and drain pasta. Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, shallots, and garlic; cook for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cover pan. Cook 3 minutes. Remove lid and cook until liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add vermouth and cook until liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Toss together pasta, mushroom mixture, cheese, and parsley. Serve with more cheese, if desired.

Hot and Spicy

This morning was the coldest yet here in MyTown, with temperatures down to 8 degrees. Sigh.

I had a pretty slow, pleasant day today. I completed some longstanding projects around the house, listening to NPR and Tom Waits; I baked some more of the walnut raisin biscotti (by request from Our Hero); I baked another loaf of the no-knead miracle bread, this one higher than the last; and I made a warm, comforting dinner.

I'd sent this recipe out in the past to friends and family because it was so delicious the first time I made it. I think LD was over for dinner that night, if I'm not mistaken (Hi, L!). Take my advice and give this a whirl. It is healthy (I've made a few changes from the original Cooking Light recipe), spicy and creamy-delicious. Perfect for these cold winter blahs!

Oh, and if you're not so into the spice (or your stomach isn't), I suppose you could omit the chipotle peppers, and it would still be oniony peppery macaroni goodness. I wouldn't leave out the adobo if you do, though. The smoky flavor really makes this dish!

Oh yeah, Our Hero went back for thirds . . .

Chipotle Mac & Cheese
2 chipotle chiles, chopped
1 t. adobo sauce
1 T. butter
1 finely chopped medium onion
1 finely chopped red bell pepper
1 clove finely chopped garlic
2 T. flour
1 14oz. can diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained
4 cups cooked whole wheat macaroni noodles (about 2 cups uncooked)
2 cups shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar (I love Cabot's 50% Light)
1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 large egg, beaten
Bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a dutch oven. Cook chiles, onion, pepper, and garlic. Cook until onion is tender. Sprinkle with flour, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and add tomatoes and their juice. Cook until thickened. Toss in adobo, pasta, cheeses, milk, and egg. Stir well. Spoon into a 9x13 baking dish. Top with bread crumbs and bake for 30 minutes. This could feed a crowd.

let there be light!

when our power returned, the first thing i wanted to do was eat a meal that i cooked myself, not including peanut butter and jelly. we invited some friends over for dinner and our hero's hometown team's football game. both of the friends were alumni of said hometown school, so it was quite lively.

i love cooking with mushrooms, and had wanted to try this tempting recipe from Sally Schneider's A New Way to Cook for quite a while. the recipe made a lot of food, and the leftovers were even better the next day.

Baked Penne with Wild Mushroom Ragu and Ricotta Salata
From A New Way to Cook

1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup dried wild mushrooms, preferably porcini or morel
2 dry-packed sun-dried tomato halves
1 lb. fresh wild mushrooms (any kinds you like)
1 1/2 t. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/4 t. dried thyme
1 28-oz can italian-style peeled tomatoes, chopped with juice
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1/2 t. olive oil or unsalted butter
1 lb. tubular pasta (like penne)
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Fresh ground black pepper
5 oz. ricotta salata cheese, thinly sliced or shaved

To make the ragu, pour the boiling water over the dried mushrooms and tomatoes in a bowl, cover, and soak until softened, at least 15 minutes.

Wipe the fresh mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Trim off any tough stems and discard. Cut larger shrooms into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Leave smaller mushrooms whole.

In a medium saucepan, combine oil, onions, and garlic. Cover and cook over medium heat until onions begin to wilt, about 5 minutes. Uncover and saute until they are just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.

Remove dried mushrooms and tomatoes from soaking liquid (reserve liquid) and rinse under cool water. Coarsely chop.

Spoon about 3/4 cup of the soaking liquid into the saucepan with the onions, leaving behind any grit. Add the wine and thyme and boil 1 minute. Add the fresh shrooms and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and juice, chopped dried shrooms and tomato, sugar, and salt. Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until shrooms are tender and ragu is thick, about 15 minutes. Pepper generously.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 casserole with the oil and set aside. Cook pasta until slightly underdone (it will cook in the oven). Drain the pasta and plunge it into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again. Add ragu to the pasta and toss until thoroughly mixed. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the Parmesan and pepper to taste and toss again. Pour half the mixture into the casserole. Arrange the ricotta salata shavings over the top, cover with the remaining pasta, and sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake the pasta until heated through and the top is lightly brown and crisp, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

the recipe says this can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated or frozen up to 2 months. it really has a wonderful, earthy flavor and could easily feed a hungry crowd.

pantry pasta

i hadn’t planned on making dinner last night. i thought we’d grab something that was around, maybe pb&j or a salad for me, mac and cheese or a frozen pizza for our hero. but when i got home from the gym, i really felt like cooking. i’d bought a beautiful lacy savoy cabbage at the farmer’s market this weekend with no official plans to use it, so i made a quick pasta sauce from low-fat yogurt and lemon, adding some pecorino romano (which compliments the cabbage beautifully). threw in some shelled edamame for protein and voila! t liked it enough to eat approximately ¾ of the batch for dinner. seriously. in his defense, he’d just returned from a merciless racquetball match. this was easy to whip up and tasty. I’m a sucker for pasta dishes and a sucker for cabbage, so i’m really looking forward to leftovers for lunch.

Whole-Wheat Penne with Cabbage and Edamame
1 lb. bag good whole-wheat penne pasta (I use Bionaturae religiously)
½ T. unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ head savoy cabbage, cut into half again and sliced very thinly
Handful of fresh basil, sliced thinly (mint would also be delicious)
¾ cup low-fat plain yogurt
Zest and juice of one lemon
¼ cup pecorino romano cheese (plus more for serving)
1-1½ cups shelled frozen edamame or frozen green peas

Put a kettle to the boil on the stove. Spoon yogurt into a small bowl, and use a whisk to combine with lemon zest, juice, and cheese. Set aside. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. When melted, add cabbage and cover until reduced a bit in bulk (and until it becomes manageable to flip it about in the pan). Add salt and pepper to taste. When cabbage is tender, remove from heat and stir in yogurt sauce and basil. Cover. Cook pasta and edamame or peas in the boiling water according to package directions. If you use edamame, you might want to cook it first, then the pasta, as it takes a bit of time to shell the beans. If you use peas, just throw them in during the last few minutes of the pasta’s cooking time.

Drain, toss together, and serve with a sprinkling of cheese.