Sautéed Wild Mushroom Crostini

Baby Shitake mushrooms and garlic cheese bread from the farmers market.

Over the holidays I co-hosted and self catered a cocktail party. I spent weeks planning the menu, and then three days preparing the appetizers. The food was definitely the centrepiece of the party. One of my favourite creations was sautéed wild mushrooms on a piece of toasted and mozzarella topped baguette. The recipe itself was inspired by a similar one seen on Oprah a few years ago. As with most of my cocktail party appetizers, I wasn't able to get a photograph of the finished dish. Instead, enjoy a snap of some of my haul from the farmer's market today.

Sautéed Wild Mushroom Crostini

This dish can be served as an appetizer, snack or even as a main dish. If serving as a snack or main dish, consider using a loaf of French of Italian bread, instead of baguette.

Ingredients:

1 baguette, cut into thin slices
olive oil
1/4 cup butter (1 stick)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound mixed mushrooms (button, crimini, shitaki, oyster, porcini, etc.), cleaned, stems removed and chopped fine
1/4 cup dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Grigio work well, but use whatever you have!)
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley, plus 2 tablespoons, reserved
sea salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste
mozzarella cheese (fresh or firm; cut into 24 thin slices, approx. 1"x2" or to fit baguette slice)
1/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese (Shredded NOT grated!)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees (F). Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet. Lightly drizzle with olive oil. Bake bread for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and set aside. Leave oven turned on.

2. Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and sauté for a minute until fragrant. Add chopped mushrooms. Increase heat to medium and sauté mushrooms in butter for 5-8 minutes, until starting to reduce and brown.

3. Add white wine and increase heat to high. Cook, stirring often, until wine has reduced and most of liquid has evaporated, approximately 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add fresh chopped parsley and mix together. Remove from heat.

4. Arrange mozzarella slices on top of each baguette slice. Top each with approximately 1 tablespoon of mushroom mixture. Don't be afraid to use your fingers to ensure mushroom mixture is evenly spread over bread slice. Top with a light sprinkle of shredded Parmesan.

5. Once all bread slices are topped with cheese and mushroom, bake in oven for 8-10 minutes until cheese has melted and edges of bread starting to brown. Remove pan from oven, place crostinis on a serving plate, lightly sprinkle additional chopped fresh parsley over everything and serve immediately.

My Grandma's Meat Lasagna

My Grandma makes a very basic meat lasagna that can be easily adapted to suit your tastes. Add or omit whatever you'd like. The basic recipe is eight ingredients but my Grandma usually kicks it up a notch by adding some minced veggies to her sauce. The layers are simply noodle, meat sauce and cheese. If you want to fancy it up you could add spinach, ricotta or cottage cheese layers. Prep is fairly quick (it can be made and assembled up to a day in advance) and the lasagna cooks in under an hour.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 stalk celery, minced (optional)
1 large carrot, peeled & minced (optional)
3-4 large mushrooms, diced fine (optional)
2 14-ounce cans tomato sauce (I use 1 can sauce, 1 can diced)
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (optional)
1 pound of cheese (mozza, cheddar or whatever you want)
9 lasagna noodles

Directions:

1. Brown onions in oil. Add beef. Season with garlic power and Seasoning Salt. Cook until meat is browned. Drain excess fat. (My Grandma doesn't do this but I can't help myself!) Add carrot, celery and mushrooms and cook a few minutes until fragrant.

2. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and Italian Seasoning. Season with salt & pepper. Simmer slowly for 20-30 minutes.

3. While sauce is simmering, cook lasagna noodles in salted water, as directed by package instructions. Drain and set aside.

4. Prepare cheese by shredding or thinly slicing - your preference. I prefer to have shredded cheese for my layers and thin sliced cheese for the top.

5. When sauce has reduced slightly (if it's runny, simmer longer), arrange 3 noodles lengthwise across a baking dish. Cover with an even layer of meat sauce, followed by an even layer of shredded cheese. Top cheese with 3 more noodles, another layer of meat sauce and another layer of shredded cheese. Finish with the last 3 noodles and a layer of cheese slices.

6. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees (F) for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes.


Tastes better than it photographs!

Lemony Seafood Pasta

Summer is nearly done. Holidays are over, the days are getting shorter, the weather cooler and the rain is falling. Soon we will be cooking butternut squash soup and crock pot roasts. In the meantime, keep the spirit of summer around a little longer with a light, simple and fresh pasta dinner.

I threw this together quickly before heading out to work one night. I put it in a pyrex "to go" container and snapped a picture. It tastes better than it looks!

Serves 2

10 ounces of penne, linguine or fettuccine, cooked according to package directions and drained
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small shallot, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup white wine
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
10 large shrimp, peeled & de-veined
10 large sea scallops
3 tbsp butter
8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
handful of fresh chopped parsley and basil
fresh grated Parmesan

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and sauté until starting to turn translucent. Add garlic and sauté for another minute.

2. Stir in chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced.

3. Add shrimp and scallops to sauce pan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, turning seafood half way through, until shrimp and scallops are cooked and opaque.

4. Remove pan from heat and add butter. Stir until melted and sauce is thickened. Toss in tomatoes and cooked pasta. Sprinkle fresh herbs over top and toss gently to incorporate.

5. Divide evenly between two plates and sprinkle with more fresh herbs and fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

This post is part of Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade.

Farfalle with Roasted Tomatoes & Asparagus in Brown Butter

After my success with Balsamic Brown Butter Sauce, I thought I would try brown butter again. This time, it is pure butter, caramelized, then mixed with garlic, tossed with fresh roasted tomatoes and asparagus and bowtie pasta and garnished with fresh grated Parmesan, parsley and a drizzle of white truffle oil. Fresh n' Easy!

Recipe adapted from Canadian Living

Serves 4

6 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 bunch asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
salt & pepper to taste
5 cups cooked farfalle (bowtie) pasta or other pasta of your choice
4 tbsp fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
White Truffle Oil for drizzling (optional)

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange tomatoes and aspargus on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and spray with olive oil cooking spray. Roast in hot oven for 8-10 minutes, until asparagus is tender.

2. While veggies are roasting, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat until foaming and nutty brown colour. Add garlic and fry, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Lower heat.

3. When veggies are finished, remove from oven and add to butter & garlic filled skillet. Toss gently to coat.

4. Add cooked pasta to skillet and toss gently to mix with veggies and coat with butter. Stir for a couple minutes until pasta is heated through.

5. Spoon pasta into bowls. Top each bowl with a tablespoon of Parmesan and half a tablespoon of chopped parsley. Finish with a light drizzle of white truffle oil.

The bread in the photo is super delicious Seed Bread from A Bread Affair. Pick some up at the Coquitlam Farmer's Market this Sunday!

Herb & Garlic Penne with Summer Squash

I picked up some local summer squash at the Farmer's Market last week - one yellow and one green. Perfect for a simple and yummy pasta dish. This is a 20 minute meal and can be made even faster if you pre-cook your pasta and pre-slice your zucchini.

Serves 4 (adjust pasta amount for more or less)

4-6 cups penne pasta, cooked & drained per package directions
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
1 large green zucchini, sliced very thin
1 large yellow zucchini, sliced very thin
3/4 cup shredded or fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped (I used lemon basil, yum!)

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan or sauté pan over medium heat.

2. Add chili flakes, garlic and zucchini and cook for 5 minutes or until zucchini is tender.

3. Stir in pasta. Add Parmesan and fresh herbs and mix together. Turn off heat and stir until pasta warmed through.

4. Season with salt and pepper. Top with more fresh herbs and Parmesan.

Un-breaded Chicken Parmesan

Can you tell I bought a club pack of chicken last week? Every meal is chicken, chicken and more chicken.

Today I am in the mood for Italian. I love Chicken Parmesan but don't need the breaded, fried, fatty part of it in my diet. Thankfully, Giada saved the day!

I had to make some changes because I didn't have all the fresh herbs. I learned you can sub dried herbs for fresh on a 3:1 ratio. In other words, 1 tablespoon of fresh herb would equal 1 teaspoon of dried herb. But since my dried herbs aren't quite fresh, and dried herbs lose their potency with age, I did a 2:1 ratio (1/2 as much dried to fresh).

While this recipe only uses two chicken breasts, it could easily serve four people. Once the chicken is pounded out, the piece is quite large. I ate half a chicken breast and it was plenty... and the recipe ended up feeding me for two lunches and two dinners!

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentis on Everyday Italian.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning (If using fresh, use 1 tbps of whatever fresh Italian herbs you'd like. Giada uses parsley, thyme and rosemary.)
pinch sea salt & fresh cracked pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups A Little More Than Five Minute Tomato Sauce or any simple tomato sauce you have on hand.
2 tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese
4 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Place chicken breasts between two pieces of waxed paper or in a large ziplock bag. Pound each chicken breast, using a mallet, to 1/4 inch thickness to create chicken cutlets. (If serving four, you may want to cut the chicken breasts in half before pounding.)

3. Add oil and herbs to a small bowl and stir together. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Heat an oven-proof skillet over high heat. Brush both sides of the flattened chicken with herb oil. Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook 2 minutes per side, just to brown. Remove skillet from the heat. If you wanted to prepare this meal for a dinner party, you could do the first four steps earlier in the day, then complete the rest shortly before serving your meal.

5. Spoon tomato sauce over top of and around chicken. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of mozzarella and 2 teaspoons of Parmesan over each piece of chicken.

6. Bake in hot oven until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

7. Serve chicken over cooked pasta of your choice, topped with more warm tomato sauce.

Easy Tomato Bruschetta

Still working on using up all my perishables before I leave town. Today I have tomatoes and day old baguette. Perfect for Bruschetta!

Traditional Bruschetta (originating in Italy in the 15th century) is simply grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil, salt and pepper. It is also commonly topped with various vegetables, cured meats and cheeses. The version we are used to, using tomatoes, fresh herbs and cheese, is more a North Americanized version than a true Italian creation, but it's still really damn good! And... I just learned (or rather finally admitted), it's pronounced "brus-ketta" not "brush-etta" as I have been calling it for so many years.

1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced small (or roma tomatoes, seeded and diced small)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning (more if you feel sassy)
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 loaf crusty french baguette, sliced
1 whole clove garlic, cut in half
fresh grated Parmesan
few leaves of fresh basil, chiffonade
balsamic vinegar for drizzling

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Add tomatoes, olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper to a small bowl. Toss well to mix. Set aside for a few minutes for the flavours to blend together.

3. Rub a half garlic clove over each slice of bread and arrange on a baking sheet. Lightly drizzle some olive oil over the bread. Top each slice with a spoonful or two of tomato mixture.

4. Sprinkle some basil on top of each slice, followed by some fresh Parmesan.

5. Bake in pre-heated oven for 5-8 minutes until bread is toasted and cheese is starting to melt. Serve immediately.

A Little More Than Five Minute Tomato Sauce

I'm going on vacation for a couple weeks; leaving Wednesday. I've been trying to use up all my fresh produce so I don't have to throw it out before I go. I had four tomatoes that weren't quite fresh enough to eat raw but weren't quite rotten enough to throw out. I figured I would make a batch of tomato sauce and freeze it for use when I returned home. I spent quite a bit of time searching online to find a quick and easy tomato sauce recipe that called for the basic ingredients I had on hand, namely tomatoes.

I found this one at 101 Cookbooks. It's called Five Minute Tomato Sauce and only uses canned tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and seasonings. I adapted the recipe slightly since I used fresh tomatoes and added some onion. I also added a can of my Grandma's home-canned stewed tomatoes.

A little more than five minutes, but this sauce is so simple and tasty, I will definitely be adding it to my repertoire.

A Little More Than Five Minute Tomato Sauce:

Makes about 4 cups



4 tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes (or your Grandma's homemade stewed tomatoes if you are so lucky!)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/2 onion, diced small
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

1. Prepare the fresh tomatoes by gently cutting a shallow X shape into the bottoms. Immerse the tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes to soften the skins. Drain and run cold water over the tomatoes. When tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove from the pot and peel the skins off, by pulling the sides where the X was cut. The skins should remove easily.

2. Place fresh tomatoes in a blender and pulse a couple times. Don't over do it! You do not want to puree the tomatoes.

3. Heat oil in sauce pan over medium. Add onion and saute for a couple minutes until they turn translucent. Add garlic, salt and chili flakes. Saute for 45 seconds.

4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and blended tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Add Italian seasoning and stir well. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20-30 minutes. (Since we are using fresh tomatoes, there is more liquid to boil off so a longer cooking time is required.)

5. Taste sauce and more salt if needed.

6. Spoon sauce over pasta of your choice & enjoy!

I had a friend over for dinner last night and served the sauce over spinach & cheese ravioli with a sprinkle of fresh grated Parmesan. The sauce was simple and delightful. Very fresh tasting, with a bit of a kick.

Heirloom Tomato, Bocconcini & Basil Spinach Salad with Balsamic Reduction (Insalata Caprese)

I think this one takes the prize for longest title. Some fancier foodies/chefs/bloggers would call it Caprese Salad but it doesn't quite have the same ring to it as HTBBSS. It also takes the prize for quickest, tastiest and most gourmet lunch ever.

There is no recipe for this salad. I sliced some fresh heirloom tomatoes (pretty orange & yellow striped ones), tore up some fresh basil leaves, threw some spinach on the plate, topped it all with some baby bocconcini pieces, sprinkled it all with course salt and fresh cracked pepper and drizzled on a generous amount of reduced balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Delicious!

I've been making this salad for quite a while. It was inspired by a similar one I had at a local Irish Pub once. Normally I make my own balsamic reduction by simply simmering one cup of balsamic vinegar until it's been reduced by half. It's easy to do but it takes a while and smells up the kitchen.

Yesterday I went to the 18th Annual Vancouver Wellness Show and bought a bottle of Nonna Pia's Gourmet Classic Balsamic Reduction. It's produced and bottled in Whistler. It feels right to support a local, family run business. And it's a good product; a really, really good product. Saves time and no smelly kitchen!

Speaking of local eating, this month marks the opening of many community farmers markets. If you're in the Coquitlam area check here. Vancouver? Look here. Other cities across the province of BC? Check this one.

I will post more in depth about farmers markets and what it means to be "local", another day.

Pizza a Patate (Potato Pizza)

One of my co-workers told me about a fabulous, homey flatbread appetizer that her Italian mother often makes with fresh pizza dough and thinly sliced baking potatoes. I found a couple interesting recipes online, but I didn't have all the ingredients on hand, so I had to improvise with what I had. Instead of making my own dough, I took the easy way out and used a frozen pizza shell. I also added thinly sliced onion and small chunks of fresh garlic. I covered the whole thing with a very generous drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. I baked my flatbread in the oven until the crust turned golden and the potatoes started to get crispy, then topped it with a few fresh spinach leaves and sliced tomatoes. Mozza cheese would be a nice addition, but it isn't necessary.

The addition of fresh garlic chunks was wonderful. The garlic roasted and became really buttery. The Italian seasoning and sea salt was a nice touch too. I don't recommend using pre-cooked or frozen pizza shells. The shell cooks up faster than the potatoes so you risk the shell getting too crispy. Next time I will follow one of the linked recipes and make my own pizza dough. Next time I will also stick with a more authentic Italian Potato Flatbread and skip the spinach and tomato. Simple is best. Potato, onion, garlic, olive oil and seasonings. Delicious!

Roasted Vegetables on Broiled Polenta

While looking for an alternative to the usual starchy side dish of potatoes or rice, I came across Karina's recipe for Roasted Vegetables on Broiled Polenta. It's the kind of recipe I really enjoy - a fridge cleaner. Take whatever veggies you have in the fridge and throw them on a pan. There isn't much to the recipe. No measurement or quantities. Usually I make stir fry's using this method so this roasted vegetable dish is a nice change. Using pre-cooked, store bought polenta is a real time saver too. What is polenta, you ask? It's just boiled cornmeal and it's darn tasty broiled with EVOO.

Serves 2-3

4-5 cups of assorted, chopped vegetables (I used brocoli, carrots, red onion, zucchini, beets and cherry tomatoes.)
4 cloves whole garlic, peeled
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Herb blend of your choice (I used a Vegetable seasoning blend from Epicure)
Salt & fresh ground pepper
Splash of balsamic vinegar
1 roll of pre-cooked polenta
Shaved Parmesan for garnish

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Place chopped veggies (including garlic) on a baking sheet. Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle herb blend, salt and pepper over top. Toss well. Drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar.

3. Roast for 30-40 minutes until nearly done.

4. Meanwhile, slice polenta into thin slices and arrange them on a separate baking sheet, drizzled with olive oil. Brush tops of slices with more olive oil. I used a garlic infused olive oil for this part.

5. When veggies are nearly done, cover with foil and place on bottom rack of oven. Set oven to broil and place polenta into the oven on the higher rack.

6. Broil until polenta is sizzling, just starting to brown on top and crispy around the edges (10-15 minutes).

7. Remove everything from the oven. Arrange a few polenta slices on each plate. Take one of the roasted garlic bulbs and squish it a bit then rub it across the polenta. (Add the rest of the roasted garlic to the veggie mix and eat them whole! Yum!) Top polenta with roasted veggies. Grate some fresh Parmesan over top and drizzle with more balsamic vinegar.

Pot Roast Pizza

Pizza B.C. (before cheese and before cooking)

Pot roast and pizza? An odd combination for sure. It came to be one day when I had some left over slow cooker pot roast, a pizza shell and a hungry tummy. The slow cooker pot roast was so flavourful and fall-apart-fantastic that it suited the top of my pizza just perfectly. Add to that some diced onion, zucchini and some sliced mushrooms and you have a comfort food feast.

1 pizza crust - store bought or homemade. Whatever suits your fancy
1 cup pizza sauce - ditto on the above
1 small chunk of left over pot roast, pulled apart into small pieces
1/2 small zucchini, sliced and quartered
1/2 small red onion or 1 small shallot, sliced thin
3-4 button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice (I used a Tex-Mex blend tonight!)

1. Do you really need directions?


Pizza P.C. (post cheese and post cooked) and topped with fresh parsley

Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen - Limoncello Liqueur

Limoncello is a sweet Italian liqueur. It is easy to make and tasty to drink. The traditional way to enjoy this treat is ice cold, straight up in a shot glass. Or try it in a martini. My favourite Limoncello martini recipes follow below.

Limoncello Liqueur:

8 organic lemons
1 750ml bottle vodka
2 1/2 cups water
2 cups sugar

1. Wash lemons with a vegetable brush in hot water. Rinse well. Using a vegetable peeler or zester, peel off the rind, avoiding the white pith. The pith is bitter tasting and will affect the outcome of your Limoncello. You can also grate the zest using a Microplane, just be careful to only grate the yellow skin and not the white pith. If you end up with pith on the back of your rind, gently scrape it off using a paring knife.

2. Place the rind in a large airtight jar. Pour in vodka and seal the jar. Leave vodka in a cool dark place for at least five days and up to thirty days. The longer you leave the mix to steep, the better. The more time it has, more lemon flavour will be infused and the vodka will become brighter yellow.

3. After steeping your vodka for the desired length of time, prepare a simple syrup by mixing 2 1/2 cups of water with 2 cups of sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes until sugar is all dissolved and mixture has thickened. Let cool to room temperature.

4. Mix the cooled simple syrup with the vodka/lemon mixture. Re-seal and allow to rest in a cool, dark place for another five to thirty days. If you are in a rush, you can skip the second rest period, go right to the straining in step five and instead allow the mixture to rest after it has been strained.

5. After the second rest period, strain the mixture through a coffee filter or cheesecloth lined funnel into bottle of your choice. Discard the lemon rind.

6. Store finished Limoncello in a cool, dark place for up to one year. "Connoisseurs" advocate storing your Limoncello in the freezer until ready to serve. I DO NOT advocate storing yours in the freezer because, as I learned, it actually freezes! A cold fridge is sufficient enough.



When giving as a gift, I include a scroll of Limoncello drink recipes. Here are some of my favourites:

Limoncello Limon Blush Cocktail:
1 oz Limoncello
3 oz lemonade
½ oz cranberry juice
½ oz soda water
1 lemon wedge for garnish

Add first three ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a tall glass filled with ice or a chilled martini glass. Top with soda and garnish with a lemon wedge.

Killer Limoncello Martini:
1.5 oz vodka
1 oz Limoncello
½ oz lemon juice
Lemon wedge or lemon peel spiral

Combine liquid in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with lemon peel or wedge.

Limoncello Fizz:
1 oz Limoncello
3 oz soda water
1 oz Ginger Ale
Squirt of lemon juice
Lemon wedge for garnish

Mix all ingredients in a tall glass filled with ice. Stir well and serve with a lemon wedge.

Italian Wedding Soup

When I made spaghetti and meatballs the other day, I reserved about 1/4 of the uncooked meatball mix and rolled then baked smaller meatballs to use towards soup. One of the easiest soups to make is Italian Wedding soup, especially if your meatballs are pre-made and ready to go. If you don't have meatballs left over, that's okay. Try the easy ones shown below. And contrary to some reports, the soup is not named Italian Wedding because it is served at Italian weddings. Rather the term "wedding soup" is a mistranslation of "miestra mariata", which means "married soup" in Italian and refers to how well all the ingredients in the soup blend (marry) together.

Meatballs:
1 lb ground beef or pork or a combination of both
1 egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Using your hands mix all together to spread ingredients evenly.

2. Using your hands, form into small balls (ping pong or gumball size).

3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Bake in 350 degree F. oven for 25 minutes or until meatballs are lightly browned.

Soup:
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups beef broth
1 cup fresh baby spinach, torn into smaller pieces
1/2 carrot, finely chopped
1/2 celery stalk, finely chopped
1/4 cup Orzo pasta or Macaroni, pre-cooked*
Prepared meatballs
salt & pepper to taste

*It is very important to cook your pasta PRIOR to adding to your soup. If you add uncooked pasta, it will absorb your broth and the pasta starch will thicken the soup. You want a very clear, thin broth.

1. Add chicken and beef broth to a large pot and bring to a boil.

2. Add carrot and celery. Reduce heat to medium.

3. Add pasta and meatballs. Add spinach. Reduce heat to medium-low.

4. Simmer for 10 minutes then serve immediately.

Note:You can omit the meatballs entirely to make a very delicious vegetable soup, or add cooked diced chicken or cooked ground beef and more diced veggies for a quick and easy chicken soup or hamburger soup.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

I watched an episode of David Rocco's Dolce Vita the other day where he made five different kinds of meatballs. The beef meatballs were made with ricotta cheese and sun dried tomatoes and braised in a smooth and silky tomato sauce. I decided it was a "must try" dish so on tonight's menu: simple spaghetti and meatballs a la David Rocco, served with Terra Breads Italian Cheese Bread.

Meatballs:

1lb extra lean ground beef
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
10 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 egg
1 cup parmigiana cheese, freshly grated
1 glove garlic, minced
handful fresh Italian parsley, chopped
salt & pepper to taste

1. In a bowl, add all ingredients and mix well. Use you hands to get all the ingredients blended and evenly distributed.

2. Shape meat into small balls, about the size of a golf ball, then pat down to form an oval. This will allow for even cooking.

3. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add meatballs to pan and sear for about 30 seconds on each side. We're just looking for a quick sear to brown the meat, not to cook the meat.

4. Remove meatballs from pan and set aside until ready to use.

Tomato Sauce:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups tomato sauce
1 tsp Italian seasoning
salt & pepper to taste

1. Using the same pot that was used to cook the meatballs, add a bit more oil and heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Lower heat to medium.

2. Add partially cooked meatballs to the pot and cook uncovered for 30 minutes.

3. Serve sauce and meatballs over cooked spaghetti noodles. Top with more shredded parmigiana cheese and fresh chopped parsley.

Tip:

Save a small amount of the uncooked meatball mix for soup! I used about 3/4 of the mix to make meatballs for this recipe and with the reserved 1/4 mix, I rolled small meatballs (large gumball size) and baked them in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. When cooled, I placed in a seal-able container and refrigerated until I was ready to make my soup.

Roasted Garlic

Please excuse the horrible picture. My DSLR was charging so I was left with the ol' point and shoot. I will try to make up for it next time I roast garlic - which I am certain to do. When garlic is roasted, the flavour becomes more mild and the texture is creamy and rich. It is great rubbed on croustini and even better in mashed potatoes. And surprisingly, it's very easy to make!

2 heads of garlic
drizzle olive oil
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Peel outer layers from garlic, leaving the skins of the bulbs intact.

3. Cut the top off each head (about 1/4 inch down), exposing the cloves.

4. Place the heads in a garlic baker, brie baker or wrap them in foil.

5. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

6. Place in hot oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. Cloves should feel soft when pressed.

7. Let garlic cool before handling. Use a knife to to cut the skin around each clove. Squeeze out the roasted garlic or use a fork to pull out the whole clove.

Now...

- Eat it as is
- Spread it on toast for fresh roasted garlic toast
- Mix with mashed potatoes
- Add to pasta sauce
- Eat on a cracker (makes a great, fun appie!)
- Use it in salsa (with roasted tomatoes)
- Make your own roasted garlic Caesar dressing

Roasted garlic can be stored in the fridge for several days.

Coming sometime soon... A Shredded Beef Taquito recipe. The beef is braised in a broth of roasted garlic puree and diced green chilies. It's killer.

Pasta e Patate

Another day, another pasta dish. You can't beat the ease of preparation when it comes to Italian cooking (usually). Tonight's recipe comes from David Rocco's Dolce Vita on Food Network Canada.

"Pasta e Patate" is a traditional recipe from Naples. It's a very rustic dish that can be served as a soup or pasta dish (by simmering and reducing the broth). It's a very interesting dish. Pasta and potatoes? How odd. But the starch from the pasta and the starch from the potatoes come together to make such a rich, creamy sauce... it's almost like a risotto of the pasta world. It would probably be delicious with some chorizo and diced plum tomatoes. A sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley wouldn't hurt either. You could skip the prosciutto for a vegetarian dish but... I wouldn't. :)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
4-5 slices prosciutto or pancetta, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 fresh chili pepper, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups small pasta or broken spaghetti
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese, chopped fine
1/2 cup parmigiano cheese, freshly grated

1. Heat EVOO in a large sauce pan. Add proscitto and cook until crisp.

2. Add onion, celery, carrot, chili pepper, salt and pepper. Saute until onions are soft.

3. Add potatoes. Let saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring often to prevent the potatoes from sticking.

4. Add water, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Stir then add pasta. Mix together well. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Add a little more water, 1/2 cup at a time, as the pasta and potatoes absorb the liquids.

5. Add pecorino cheese. Cook for a few more minutes until cheese has softened and sauce is thickened and creamy. If you would prefer a soup, add more water.

6. Spoon into serving bowls. Drizzle with good quality olive oil and sprinkle with fresh grated parmigiano cheese. Let cool before serving. (David Rocco says it is best at room temperature. I find it too good to let it sit long enough to find out if he's right!)

I served this with a side salad, fresh garlic rubbed toast and a glass of milk, although a dry red would be nice too.

Quick Pasta Dinner

It's my first day off and I'm coming off a night shift. I have no groceries and no desire to cook. This is always my dinner dilemma day. I considered take out, ice cream and skipping dinner altogether but none of those options were very appetizing. Enter the Quick Pasta Dinner. Made from ingredients most everyone would have on hand, even when the fridge is bare. It takes less than 20 minutes to prepare and could be made in one pot, instead of the two that I use. Pair with a crisp, cold white and you're in fast food heaven - REAL fast food, that is!

Olive Oil, Garlic & Parmesan Pasta:

Serves 2

Pasta of your choice (spaghetti, linguine, penne etc.)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp crushed chilies
1/4 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated (or more if you like it cheesy!)
1/4 cup pine nuts
large handful fresh parsley, chopped (freeze dried or dried works too)
Freshly Ground Black Pepper and salt to taste.

1. Cook pasta per package directions and drain.

2. While pasta is cooking, mince garlic and chop parsley. Toast pine nuts for a minute or two in a dry saute pan over medium low heat, just until the nuts start to brown. Remove nuts from pan and set aside.

3. Heat oil in saute pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and crushed chilies. Saute for 2 minutes.

4. Add drained pasta to the saute pan and stir together with garlic and chilies. Add pine nuts. Saute for another couple minutes.

5. Remove pan from heat. Add Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper. If needed, add generous a drizzle of olive oil.

6. Stir together. Spoon into bowls and top with another sprinkle of fresh parsley and more crushed chilies.

Gwyneth's Turkey Ragu

Another recipe from Goop. The first time I made this was just before my sister gave birth to her first baby. I cooked up a big batch of ragu, packaged it up in zip lock containers and sent it to her house to freeze until it was needed.

This time around I tinkered with the ingredients a bit, adding extra veggies and herbs. My changes are marked with an asterisk (*).

Turkey Ragu

1 lb. ground turkey (at room temperature)*
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
2 medium or 1 large onion, diced
1 stalks celery, diced*
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4-6 white mushrooms, sliced*
2 15 oz. cans plum tomatoes
2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
2 tsp herbes de provence or Italian herb blend* or 1 tsp oregano* and 1 tsp basil*
1 tsp. fennel seeds
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup red wine
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil for sauteing


1. In a sauce pan over medium low heat, saute the onions, carrots, celery and garlic in olive oil. Cook until soft.

2. Add the red pepper flakes and fennel seeds (bash a bit with back of a spoon before adding). Add the mushrooms, basil and oregano.

3. While the veggies are cooking, brown the turkey in a skillet over medium heat. Add the herbes de provence or Italian herb blend.

4. Season well with salt and pepper. Stir well.

5. Add the tomatoes and stir well. If desired, blend the sauce using an immersion blender. I did this because I prefer the texture of a less chunky sauce. It's also a good trick if you have picky kids because the vegetables become "hidden".

6. When turkey is browned and cooked through, add it to the sauce. Mix well and bring to a boil.

7. Add the red wine, stir well then bring to a boil again.

8. Turn the heat down to low. Partially cover the sauce pan. Let the sauce simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

9. Taste often and adjust your seasonings as needed.

10. Serve with pasta of your choice. I used a mix of whole wheat and brown rice penne.

Variations:

-Eliminate the turkey for a delicious vegetarian Arrabbiata sauce.
-Turn your ragu into a classic meat-lovers Bolognese Sauce by adding ground veal to your ground turkey.