Pasta Salad

If you live in the south, the flowers are blooming and the sun is shining. We are finally breaking out the spring clothes and shoes. So, you know what that means...time for barbecues and cookouts! And if you have an invitation to one of these social gatherings, you better be prepared with a side dish to bring. That was me yesterday and I made pasta salad for the first time. I didn't realize just how easy it is to make. I based mine off one of Paula Deen's recipes with a tweak here or there. How surprised are you that this is a PD recipe and it doesn't call for any BUTTER.

Bow-Tie Pasta Salad

 Ingredients:

kosher salt
1 pound bow tie pasta
1 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
1/4 cup mayo
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes
2/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/2 diced green bell pepper
1/2 diced red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated parmesan or grana padano, for topping

Steps:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the pasta cook it according to package directions.


While the pasta is cooking, in a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinaigrette, mayonnaise, and sugar.


Drain the pasta well, transfer to a large serving bowl, and let cool. Add the tomatoes, olives, red and green peppers, salt, to taste, and the black pepper. Pour the dressing mix over the salad and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the cheese, toss lightly, and serve.

 

Baked Fettuccine w/ Asparagus, Lemon, Pine Nuts & Mascarpone

This pasta is certainly a decadent meal but doesn't taste as rich as you would think. I suppose the pasta absorbs some of the sauce while it bakes in the oven because it wasn't overly creamy which I liked. What I dont like? It's definitely not a healthy, low-fat meal! But this is a delicious meal especially if you are looking for something flavorful to cook for your vegetarian friend. If you are looking to cut calories on this, I think it would be just as tasty without the breadcrumb topping.

Baked Fettuccine with Asparagus, Lemon, Pine Nuts and Mascarpone (source: Fine Cooking magazine)
Serves four

Ingredients:
2 Tbs. olive oil; more for the pan
2 lb. medium-thick asparagus, ends trimmed, cut in 1-inch pieces on an angle
8 scallions (whites and tender greens), cut in thin rounds
Finely grated zest from 2 lemons
Juice from 1 lemon (about 4 Tbs.)
A few sprigs fresh thyme or savory, leaves chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup mascarpone
1 cup grated Grana Padano cheese
Small pinch cayenne
Generous pinch ground allspice
3/4 cup homemade breadcrumbs
1 lb. fresh fettuccine
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted  

Steps:

Heat the oven to 450°F. Lightly coat a large, shallow baking dish with olive oil. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and blanch until tender but with a slight bite left to it, about 2 minutes. Scoop it from the water with a large slotted spoon, set it in a colander, and run it under cold water to preserve its green color. Drain well. Keep the water boiling for the pasta.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the scallions; sauté 1 minute to soften. Add the asparagus and sauté briefly, about 1 minute. Take the skillet off the heat and add half the zest, the lemon juice, thyme, salt, and pepper; mix well and reserve.

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and flour over medium heat, whisking until smooth. Cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly, to cook away the raw taste of the flour. Add the milk and cook, whisking all the while, until it comes to a boil. Lower the heat a bit and cook until smooth and lightly thickened (about the consistency of heavy cream), 3 or 4 minutes.

Turn off the heat and add the mascarpone, the remaining lemon zest, and 1/2 cup of the Grana Padano, whisking until the mixture is fairly smooth (there will be a slight grainy texture from the cheese). Season with the cayenne, allspice, and more salt and pepper.


In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and the remaining Grana Padano. Season with salt and pepper and add a drizzle of olive oil. Mix well.


Return the cooking water to a full boil and cook the fettuccine, leaving it slightly underdone. Drain well. Return the fettuccine to the cooking pot. Add the mascarpone sauce, the pine nuts, and the asparagus with all its juices. Toss and taste for seasoning. Pour into the baking dish and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top. Bake uncovered until bubbling and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve right away.

Not Your Mama's Chicken!

Tonight I made a Jalapeno Cheddar Crusted Chicken from a recipe I found in a magazine. I served it with fresh guacamole and refried beans. I didn't actually do anything fancy with the beans. They were the canned variety that I found at the wonderful Buford Highway Farmer's Market. This is a great place to wander around if you get a chance! I can find any excuse to make some guacamole. I LOVE it! But I like mine fresh, the store bought kind just doesn't cut it. It's also fun to make it when you have a mortar and pestle. This isn't your usual breaded chicken. There are a lot of flavors in this mix. It's kind of like a flavor explosion in your mouth...not for those with simple tastes. The only thing that I would do differently next time is to serve it with some sort of a sauce, perhaps a poblano sour cream. Please excuse the messy pictures!

Beans, beans, the musical fruit...

Guacamole

 Ingredients:
 4 Hass avocados
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley or cilantro
1/4 onion, diced
1 to 2 (depends on the level of spice you like) jalapenos, seeded and minced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 dashes of hot sauce
1/4 tsp coarse kosher salt

Place avocado slices in the stone bowl and mash. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Season to taste and serve with thick/durable tortilla chips.

Crispy Cheddar & Jalapeno Coasted Chicken Breasts
Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup plain yogurt (I used nonfat but whole milk is preferable)
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh Thyme
1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
2 tsp. red chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 cups toasted breadcrumbs (recipe below)
1 1/3 cup coarse crushed tortilla chips
1 cup grated sharp cheddar
1/2 to  2/3 cup jalapenos, chopped and patted dry (the canned kind is fine)
1 lime

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Put a flat rack on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet.
User a meat pounder to lightly pound the chicken breasts between two sheets of saran wrap.
In large bowl, combine the yogurt with half of the thyme, chili powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
In a shallow dish, combine the breadcrumbs, jalapenos, cheddar, remaining thyme and chips.
Take one piece of chicken at a time and coat well with yogurt mixture before dredging through the crumbs. Be sure to coat well and press the crumb mixture firmly onto the chicken. 
Transfer chicken to the rack.
Bake chicken until it reaches 165 degrees (about 25 minutes).
Squeeze lime over the finished chicken.

Toasted Breadcrumbs
1/2 lb. fresh white bread (or 4 cups of fresh bread crumbs)
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt 

Tear apart bread and crumble in food processor into coarse crumbs.  Pour crumbs into large mixing bowl. Toss with oil and salt.

Pour crumbs into a large saucpan and heat over high heat until browned. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for another 6 minutes. Cool before using to coat chicken.

Chocolatey Goodness With Omega-3s!

Last night, I made a veggie quiche for dinner. It was a super easy recipe but I decided not to post it. To be honest, I'm not quite certain who my audience is and I'm afraid that some of my recent recipes might bore some of you. However, I am happy to share it if you are interested so just let me know. I will leave you with just a picture. Instead, I will share the recipe for the tasty treats I made today.

These cookies are so yummy! I like to think they are a little bit healthier since I used a butter substitute but either way they definitely take care of my chocolate fix. They have a touch of peanut butter in them so if you are allergic to peanuts, these are not for you. But if you just aren't crazy about PB, I think you will still like them since the peanut butter is so subtle.

Brownie Cookies w/ PB
Makes 2-3 dozen depending on size

Ingredients:

1 Smart Balance Omega-3 Butter Stick
7-8 oz. peanut butter and chocolate chip mixture
4.5 oz. dark chocolate bar, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Steps:

1) Microwave half the butter stick with the chocolates until melted.
2) Sift flour, baking powder, cocoa, and salt in a separate bowl. (See, there is a use for that sifter you received as a wedding gift besides making cupcakes!)
3) Using a kitchen-aid mixer or hand-held mixer, beat the remaining butter with the sugars. Next, slowly add in the chocolate-butter mixture. When combined, start to stir in the flour mixture.
4) Refrigerate batter for 1 and 1 half hours.
5) Preheat oven to 350.
6) Scoop batter in spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.
7) Bake each batch for 10-11 minutes.  Cool on cooling rack.

Another Chicken Soup But Easier

Healthy Chicken Soup With Pasta

 Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Vegetable/Canola Oil
1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chicken stock
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed tomato soup
1 cup water
4- 5 oz. uncooked whole grain elbows (I used Barilla Plus Whole Grain)
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped


Steps:


1.  Heat half of the oil over high heat in a large pot.  Throw in the chicken and cook until it's browned. Remove chicken from the pot.
2. Add the remaining oil to the pot and lower heat to medium-high. Add the onions and cook for one minute. Next, add the carrot and cook one minute. Then, add the celery and garlic and cook for another minute. 
3. Add the broth, water, and soup. Stir until it starts to boil. Then, stir in the elbow noodles. Cook until the noodles are tender. Stir in the chicken and parsley. Let simmer for 5 minutes before serving.

 

Lamb Korma

Do you get those random cravings for Indian food? I get them all the time. Unfortunately for me, the good places aren't close enough for a takeout run. So, I decided to try out a recipe for Lamb Korma. And it did not disappoint. I've seen it made quite a few different ways. This one was slightly different than the traditional kormas that I've had but I loved it. I served it over Jasmine/Basmati rice.

Lamb Korma
produces 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 cup butter (melt and skim of milk solids)
4 to 5 large cardamom pods (remove green skin)
2 lb. lamb, cubed
7 garlic cloves, crushed
1/8 - 1/4 tsp fresh ginger, minced 
1 1/2 Tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp red chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
8 oz. plain yogurt, lightly whisked
pinch of saffron

Steps:

1) Brown onions in butter until deep golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and pulse in a blender to form a paste. Crush the cardamom. This can be done by using a mortar and pestle, pounding it on a sturdy board, or using a coffee/spice grinder. Mix it into the onion paste.
2) Add meat to the saucpan; stir over medium-high heat. After a few minutes, add garlic, ginger, coriander, chili, and salt. Stir for a few minutes. Mix in yogurt. Cover and cook over very low heat, 1 to 1.5 hours.
3) Add the paste to the saucepan for the last five minutes of cooking time. Serve over rice and enjoy! (Preferably with some Naan and Raita)

Chicken Soup and Knife Skills

Last night, I had the opportunity to attend a cooking class on knife skills. It was both informative and fun. I was hoping to come back with all kinds of tips to share on my blog but realized that with knives it's much easier to share by demonstration.  Here are just a few tidbits:

1) When chopping vegetables, (we practiced with carrots, celery, and onions) you must take a thin slice off of one side of the veggie in order to create a flat, stable surface to work with.
2) Keep your knives sharp. A dull blade is more dangerous since you are using more force meaning you are more likely to slip. Using the store-bought knife sharpeners will only ruin the metal on your knives. If you use a whetstone instead, your knives will last a lot longer.
3) You should never hear a "thud" sound when chopping something. You need to find the spot that you want to cut from and work your knife down and through it. You shouldn't hear much of a sound if you are doing it correctly.
4) When dicing veggies like carrots and celery, you start with a long, skinny Batonnet cut and then line up what you've got.  You can then start dicing down the line from there.
5) For chopping and dicing, a Chef's Knife is preferable.
6) You can easily de-bone a chicken using a boning knife. Chickens are actually very easy to take apart alleviating the need to spend more money by purchasing the parts separately.
7) Your hand should form a claw on the item you are cutting as to both hold your item in place and not to chop off any fingers! You will move your "claw" back accordingly as you keep cutting.  Watch out for something really important...your thumb!

We learned other things like how to properly season and taste a dish you are cooking. I liked the way they did the classes here. They start you off with a drink and appetizers to prompt the mingling and then you separate into groups and each work with a chef who will make sure you are using proper technique. The end result will be a dish that you get to eat at the end.

If you are interested in taking cooking classes, you might like the one that I went to, Bradford's On Bishop. I happened to get an awesome deal on the class through Living Social a site that sends you daily deals. Sign up, I've gotten all kinds of cool stuff through them!

And of course, the recipe for what we made...Yum and perfect for those of you suffering through the spring allergies like me.

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

2 quarts roasted chicken stock (recipe below)
1 chicken breast
1 bunch celery small dice
2 yellow onion small dice
3 large carrots small dice
flat noodles (optional)
1 T thyme fresh chopped
1 head garlic
2 T vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325F, and cut top of garlic head off. Put on small square aluminum foil. Drizzle with a little oil and wrap garlic into a "pouch" with the foil, put into oven to roast. Bring water in a pot to boil, add a pinch of salt and cook noodles to al dente. Strain and run cold water over noodles to stop cooking. While water is coming to a boil, in your soup pot turn to medium high heat and add veg. oil. Once hot, add your chopped vegetables and a pinch of salt. Sautee for 20 minutes or until vegetables have gotten a good golden brown color. Add your chicken stock and simmer. Once garlic is roasted, push from bottom to pop garlic out of skin. Rough chop and add to soup. Cut chicken into bite size pieces, season and add to soup to poach. Add noodles and fresh thyme. Season to taste.

Roasted Chicken Stock
Bones from 3 chickens
2 large onion
1 bunch celery
4 large carrots
2 stems thyme leaves

Roast chicken bones until golden brown, pour off all fat that has been rendered out. Place in stockpot and cover with cool water. Turn on Med high heat and bring up to low simmer. While the water is coming up, proteins will coagulate on top, skim these off. Let go for an hour or two, always skimming. Add vegetables and herbs in the last hour. Turn heat off, strain and allow to come to room temperature before refrigerating.