Chick pea, tomato and basil pasta

Apr12

I’m not gonna bore you with the story of how I came up with this recipe or go on and on about how easy it is to make. I’m also not gonna tell you that tomatoes and basil are a fail-proof flavor combo (duh) or that chick peas boast quite an impressive nutrition panel. I will, however, tell you that chick peas make this sauce sinfully rich without any help from our good friends butter and heavy cream. And, I will also gonna strongly suggest that you make it. ASAP.

(Yield: 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 small onion, diced

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 20 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt + pepper

1 tsp sugar

1/2 c basil leaves, gently torn

1 lb penne or another short cut pasta, cooked just short of al dente

Parmesan cheese for garnish (if desired)

Procedure: Divide chick peas in half. Puree one half using a potato masher or food processor. Set all chick peas aside. Heat olive oil in large saute pan or high-sided skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 min until fragrant. Add onion with a pinch of salt and cook until soft and translucent, stirring frequently, about 5 min. Then add chick peas, tomato cause, oregano, a pinch of salt and pepper and sugar. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 min, stirring occasionally. Then turn the heat off and stir in basil leaves (if not serving immediately, hold off on adding basil until right before serving).

Combine sauce with pasta; taste and re-season if necessary.

Broccoli pesto pasta

Dec20

Those of you who follow me on instagram might have seen a photo from this series a loooong time ago. Alas, here is the recipe.

This broccoli pesto is a tried and true recipe that both my mom and I have been making for years. The pesto is one of the few pasta accompaniments I know of that goes as well with long-cut pastas as with short-cut ones. It’s also a relatively healthy alternative to, say, a cheese sauce. And it’s vegetarian. Try it for your next pasta night! You won’t regret it – I promise.

(Yield: 6 servings)

Ingredients:

3 c broccoli florets

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

1/2 c parmesan cheese

1/4 c olive oil

1/2 c toasted walnuts

1 tbsp lemon juice

3/4 lb pasta any kind, cooked al dente in salted water according to package directions

Salt, freshly ground black pepper

Procedure: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Season with 1 tbsp of salt and add broccoli. Cook for exactly 3 min. Drain broccoli and place into food processor along with garlic and nuts. Pulse until pureed, occasionally scraping down sides. With the motor running, add lemon juice, a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper, and stream in oil. When incorporated, remove blade and stir in cheese by hand. Taste and re-season if necessary. Combine with hot pasta and 2 tbsp of pasta cooking water. Stir until incorporated. Serve hot; garnish with more cheese if desired. (Reheat leftovers in a skillet with butter and cook with a beaten egg for a quick, carbonara-style dish).

Cape Cod Pasta

Sep5

For many, the name Cape Cod is associated with long days spent at the beach, cool nights spent by a bonfire, and lavish meals of seafood consumed whilst draped in a bib. This recipe has nothing to do with any of it.

As some of you may recall, I made my first trip to Cape Cod this past July – a camping trip with my boyfriend, his family and their friends, to be exact. We ate dinner together almost every night, potluck style; at one point, there were like thirty of us! One night I made this dish to use up the ingredients we had leftover in our cooler. I cooked it on a wooden picnic table in the woods, on a tiny propane stove, with one functioning burner. Halfway through the process, I realized that the task I’d undertaken was a bit too ambitious for the given conditions, but it was too late to re-route. It felt a bit like a Top Chef Quickfire Challenge – thankfully Tom Colicchio wasn’t there to judge me. The people that did eat the pasta, however, seemed quite impressed.

Now that I made the dish at home, I changed around some of the ingredients and scaled the recipe down but the idea is still the same.

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves of garlic

4 Italian sausages (about 1 lb), casings removed

1/3 c dry red wine

About 12 oz canned diced tomatoes

1 tsp sugar

Salt + pepper

1 tbsp butter

A few handfuls of Parmesan cheese

1 lb rigatoni pasta

Procedure: Heat up a large skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. Peel garlic, crush with flat side of knife and add to oil. Cook for 60 seconds and add sausage. Break up sausage with wooden spatula and cook until browned, 8-10 min. Reduce heat to medium-low and add wine. Simmer for about 4 min, stirring occasionally. Then add tomatoes, sugar, 1/2 tsp pepper and a pinch of salt. Cook for 15 min, partially covered, stirring occasionally. Re-season if necessary. Meanwhile, cook pasta al dente. Then combine pasta, ragu, butter and cheese. Stir to combine. Serve hot. Pray that one of the garlic cloves nuzzles into one of your rigatoni.

Sesame Peanut Noodles

Aug15

I’m feeling under the weather today so this is going to be short and to the point – the witty banter is on hold until Friday’s post.

Remember my honey-lime grilled chicken w/ cucumber salsa post from last week? Well, the side dish photographed alongside that chicken were these noodles.

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh, store-bought Asian-style noodles (shape of your choice)

1 tbsp salt

1 heaping tbsp smooth peanut butter

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

Sriracha, to taste

Sesame seeds for garnish

Procedure: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Boil noodles in water, stirring frequently, until they float to the top and are fully cooked – about 3 min. Drain and return to hot pot. Stir in PB, oil, soy sauce and sriracha. Taste and re-season if necessary. Garnish with seeds. May be served hot or at room temperature.

Armenian fried noodles

Jul25

Odessa wasn’t exactly the culinary mecca that New York City is, so the only knowledge of foreign cuisine I had as a child in Ukraine was that Americans ate hamburgers and roaches were a popular treat somewhere in Asia. When I was about six, an Armenian family moved in next door and we became quite friendly with them. My new friends’ mom, Rimma, was always cooking enigmatic, super fragrant, drool-inducing things in her kitchen, and from time to time, I got to taste what those things were. Her food, to me, was weird and exciting – I loved it.

This recipe is my mom’s adaptation of one of Rimma’s recipes, and one that has been a staple on our family table since my childhood. The only adaptation is that Rimma used to make a kefir and garlic sauce to accompany these noodles – we opt for good ol’ sour cream instead.

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

3 tbsp butter

About 3/4 lb dry angel hair pasta, broken in half (or vermicelli)

About 1 c boiling hot water

1/2-3/4 tsp garlic power

Salt + freshly grated black pepper

Sour cream

Procedure: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add dry pasta and stir frequently to make sure each strand is coated in butter and toasted, for 4-5 min. Turn heat down to medium-low. While holding a lid over the skillet, pour in enough boiling water to cover the pasta (try to keep exposed skin and face away from the steam!) Once steam has subsided, add salt to taste, stir noodles and cover tightly with lid. In a few minutes, most of the water with absorb. Taste and add more salt/water, if necessary. Once all water is absorbed, season with garlic and black pepper. Turn heat off. Serve hot, topped with sour cream and more black pepper.

Gnocchi au Gratin

May3

First, let’s get this out of the way:

It’s pronounced “nnn-yo-key oh gra-tan”
Gnocchi – Italian potato dumplings
Au gratin – French for “baked in a creamy sauce to crusty perfection”

This dish was inspired by my beloved Bon Appetit magazine – this recipe to be exact. Although the photos look sort of similar, the recipes are nothing alike. BA’s recipe calls for homemade gnocchi baked in a rosemary-infused heavy cream and studded with Gorgonzola Dolce cheese. I thought I could outsmart the magazine – silly me – by making a cheese sauce instead. The flavors all turned out right but the dish turned out much less creamy than I’d anticipated. I think this was because the gnocchi were really starchy.

Oh well. Not all recipes are perfect. And, I’m still learning

Although this recipe (in my opinion) didn’t work as a casserole, the dumplings and sauce may well work together if not baked. If anyone tests the idea out, please let me know how it goes! Also, this sauce works perfectly as the latter ingredient of mac & cheese – baked or not.

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 package store bought frozen gnocchi

1 1/2 tbsp butter

1 heaping tbsp all-purpose flour

1 c whole milk

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 c grated Gouda cheese

Salt/freshly ground black pepper

Procedure for sauce: Melt butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Whisk in flour. Whisk until combined and bubbling, about 60-90 seconds. Whisk in milk, raise heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Season with nutmeg and generous pinches of salt and pepper. Simmer sauce, continuing to whisk frequently, until it has thickened. Add cheese, turn heat off, and whisk until melted.

And then…: Preheat oven to 375F. Cook gnocchi in salted boiling water for 10-12 min, until they have all floated to the top and recommenced simmering (or according to package directions). Drain, combine with sauce, transfer to a baking dish and cook for 25-30 min, until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven. Serve immediately.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Nov19

About a week ago, I received two coupons for Land O’ Lakes All-natural eggs as part of the Food Buzz Tastemaker program. Thanks, Food Buzz and Land O’ Lakes!

I wanted to make something more distinguished than just an omelette or a frittata, so I decided on this classic Italian dish. Bacon, garlic and pasta, enveloped in eggs and cheese – those damn Italians…

I used hottie Tyler Florence’s recipe. The preparation of this pasta is very simple, yet the result is anything but.

The hot pasta absorbs the eggs and the cheese melts into a savory coating. The bacon works its usual magic by adding a salty, smoky aroma, and the pepper adds just enough heat.

Pan-seared sea bass w/ parsley pesto and penne

Nov15

Most amateur home cooks fear cooking fish at home. Unless we are talking salmon and you live in apartment (the smell will linger for days!), there is nothing to be afraid of. When frying sea bass, keep the following in mind:

1.) When using frozen fish, make sure it is completely de-frosted before you work with it.

2.) Rinse it and dry it with paper towels.

3.) Heat a skillet over high heat and add enough oil to cover the bottom.

4.) Do not overcrowd the skillet – this will cause the temp. of the oil to drop.

5.) Do not fuss with the fish. Cook it 3-4 minutes per side and flip only once!

This recipe is easy, delicious and, in my humble opinion, quite impressive.

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 lb sea bass fillets

3-4 tbsp vegetable oil

3/4 lb penne pasta, cooked al dente according to package directions

Salt/pepper

Lemon slices for garnish

Pesto:

About 1 c parsley

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/3 c freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the fish: Heat skillet over high heat and add veg. oil. Season fish with salt and pepper on one side. Place in skillet (in 2 separate batches) seasoned side down and season the other side. Cook for 3-4 min, flip, and cook 3-4 more min. Let the fish rest on paper towels. In the meantime…

Make the pesto: Place the parsley, garlic, lemon, salt and pepper into a food processor. Grind until fine. With the motor running, pour the oil down the chute. Pour mixture into a bowl and stir in cheese.

Assemble: Reserve 2 tbsp of pesto and combine the rest with cooked pasta. Divide pasta into 4 serving plates and top with a piece of fish. Drizzle remaining pesto over the fish and garnish with lemon. Voila!

Homemade Pumpkin Ravioli with Nutmeg Browned Butter

Nov1

Creamy, sweet pumpkin puree, tender dough, woodsy, minty nutmeg and salty Parmesan, all wrapped up in toasty browned butter. Yeah, this dish is perfect. It’s so fancy yet so easy to make. It’s perfect for this time of year because canned pumpkin is available in abundance at most supermarkets.

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

Adapted from this Bon Appetit recipe

10 oz canned pumpkin puree

1/3 c grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt+1/3 tsp pepper

About 20 store-bought wonton wrappers

1 egg, beaten

2 pads unsalted butter

1/3 tsp grated nutmeg

How to make ravioli: In a bowl, combine pumpkin, Parmesan, zest, sugar, salt and pepper.

Lay out 5 wrappers at a time on a work surface. Keep remaining wrappers under damp towel to keep them from drying out. Brush outer 1/2″ edges with egg. Fill each wrapper with a heaping tsp of filling. Fold edges over and press to seal, making sure there are no air bubbles in the ravioli.

Boil for 2-3 min, just until tender, in boiling salted water. Remove with slotted spoon. Gently toss in butter and cheese. Serve immediately.

How to make browned butter: Place butter and nutmeg into a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until melted. Wait until gentle bubbles form and the butter turns a tan color, about 2 min. Take off heat and pour into a bowl to stop cooking process.

Baked turkey meatballs in roasted red pepper sauce

Sep21

The recipe for these meatballs is loosely based on Alton Brown’s recipe – watch the video. It’s quite educational. But the sauce was all my idea. So ha!

This is one of those recipes with lots of ingredients and several steps so I recommend reserving it for a weekend dinner.

(Yield: 18 balls/about 6 serving)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey

1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg, beaten

1/2 c bread crumbs, divided

1 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper

Sauce:

4 red bell peppers

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 tbsp butter

1 yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c dry red wine

1 tbsp flour

8 oz canned diced tomatoes

1/2 tsp dried parsley

Cayenne pepper to taste

Salt/pepper

Parmesan cheese for garnish

Procedure for meatballs: Gently combine all ingredients (only use half of bread crumbs!) in a bowl using fingers. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place remaining bread crumbs into cappuccino cup or a small bowl. Using an ice cream scoop to measure, form turkey mixture into balls between palms and place onto sheet. Roll each ball in crumbs by swirling cup (if you don’t understand what this means, watch the video!)

Place balls 1 inch apart on tray. Bake for 20 minutes…

Until they look like this…

Procedure for sauce: Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Rub peppers with half of oil.

Bake for 30-35 min until blistered. Remove from oven and let cool before handling. Peel and discard skin. Remove seeds and discard. Dice flesh and set aside.

Heat remaining oil and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion with a pinch of salt and sweat out for about 5 min. Add garlic and cook for 1 min. Add wine, turn heat down, and simmer for 4 min. Stir in flour and cook for 1 min. Add peppers, tomatoes and seasonings. Stir, cover with lid and cook for 15 min. Place sauce into food processor, or proceed with immersion blender, and puree to desired texture. Pour sauce back into saucepan and re-season if necessary. Nestle meatballs into sauce and reheat for several min.