Rosemary Pasta

I am behind on posting. We had a lot of heavy food that went a long way and then I have been lazy of late. This is easy and so good. Add some chicken or shrimp for a protein if you want. I suspect you could use any fresh herb (oregano, basil) to do this, I just love the rosemary so much I have never strayed. Since this is really simple the Parmesan is a real stand out in this. Get some good stuff. I recommend hands down Locatelli. However, if you don’t want a big block go to Ukrops you can by the end pieces and it will cost your near nothing. Plus you can use the extra on popcorn (yummy).
½ lb pasta
¼ olive oil
½ stick butter
1-2 spring fresh rosemary
Fresh Parmesan
Start pasta, while that is cooking melt butter and oil in a pan. When the butter mix just starts to bubble, throw in the rosemary and take off the burner. Allow rosemary to steep in the butter for 5 minutes or more. Once pasta is done, remove rosemary and toss with pasta. Serve immediately with fresh grated cheese over.

Kielbasa and Collard Soup

This was adapted from a recipe I found off of Epicurious. It is a recipe from “Gourmet.” The original calls for pancetta and for swiss chard. I wanted a heartier soup so I substituted the pancetta for kielbasa and the swiss chard for collards.

1 lb great northern beans (or 4 cans) soaked over night
1 lb package Kielbasa (I use turkey, but use whatever you want)
1 large onion chopped
1 fennel bulb chopped (just use bulb not stalks or top, however you can set them aside for other use)
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs minced garlic
5 c. chicken broth (or 5 chicken bullion cubes and 5 cups water)
3 c. water
1 (3x2 inch) piece of parm rind (many stores sell just the rind, if you can’t find try 1/2c. of a good grated parm)
3 Turkish bay leaves
6 large collard leaves, cleaned, and chopped thick part of steams removed.

Soak beans overnight (or at least 8 hours), and drain.

Heat olive oil. Add chopped fennel, garlic and onion and cook over medium heat until soft. Add beans, broth, water, bay leaves, and parm and simmer for 45 minutes (or until beans done). Taste flavorings and adjust now. Add collards and cook another 15 minutes. Served

Mixed Mushroom Pasta

1lb pasta
1 onion chopped
½ lb bacon (lean) chopped
1 package mixed mushrooms chopped
1 c. white wine (not chardonnay)
½ c cream
1 tsp minced garlic
Salt and pepper

Just a note on the bacon before I start. I used the Gwaltney 40% less fat bacon. It is just a less fatty bacon which appeals to me, however you have the same flavor. If you use regular bacon, remove about half of the oil after cooking bacon.
Start water to boil, add pasta.
Meanwhile, cut bacon and fry in pan. Once done, remove bacon from pan and set aside. Add onions to bacon grease and cook over low heat to caramelize. Once caramelized add mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes, add wine, garlic and salt and pepper. Once you add wine, your pasta should almost be done (2 minutes or so, if not set sauce aside until your pasta is almost done Cook sauce on low until pasta done.)Remove pasta from heat, and take 1/2c. of the starchy water and add to sauce. Turn heat up on sauce to simmer. Drain pasta and put pasta back in pot. Once sauce thickens (about 2-3 min) add cream, cook an additional minute. Toss with pasta and serve.
Now of course you know I am a truffle oil freak, so of course I added about 2 tbs to the entire dish before serving. It was wonderful but I think the sauce will be just as good without it. Enjoy!!

Lemon Rosemary Chicken

1.5 lb split chicken breast
¼ c. lemon juice
¼ olive or lemon infuse olive oil
1 tsp lemon rind
1tbs chopped rosemary
¼ greek yogurt (or sour cream or regular plain yogurt)
2 tsp general purpose seasoning (greek, lemon pepper)

Heat oven to 375. Heavily salt and pepper chicken and bake covered for 35 minutes. Meanwhile whisk together lemon juice, rind, oil, rosemary, yogurt, and general seasoning. After 30 minutes increase temperature to 400. Cover chicken with marinade and put chicken uncovered back in to bake. Bake for 15-20 more minutes or until done.

This would be great with pork or fish.

Green Tomato Pasta

Tis that time of year again. Green tomato season! So here is another attempt at using up those green tomatoes. Not bad!
1/2 lb pasta
5 medium green tomatoes chopped
1 small onion diced
¼ lb chopped pancetta (you can get this at Trader Joes!!)
1 c. marinated artichoke heats
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of red pepper

Sauté tomatoes, onions and pancetta in olive oil for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile boil the pasta. When pasta is almost done, take one ladle full of the water and add it to sauce. Add artichokes and seasoning. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until sauce thickened a bit. Add lemons zest and cook one more minute. Drain pasta, toss immediately and serve.

Zucchini Pasta for Two

I haven’t had this yet, but apparently is so good that has been a summer staple over at my folks house this summer. This is a recipe of my mothers making. It apparently started its incarnation with just the zucchini, onion and seasoning and that is how they had it several times. Tonight she had a couple tomatoes and threw them is as well and thought it was too good not to share. She said this was born out of an over abundance of zucchinis this year that needed to be used. She promises that she will share a zucchini with me so I can try this lovely creation….however the summer is almost over and she is just NOW telling me about it. I don’t hold out much hope, I think they just might be enjoying it too much to share right now!
2TBS butter
1TBS olive oil
½ onion diced
1 small zucchini diced
2 medium tomatoes chopped
Salt
Pepper
2 cloves garlic
Basil
½ lb pasta
Parmesan


Put past on to cook meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil together. Add onion saute just until soft. Add diced zucchini and cook about 5 minutes, just until almost done, but not mushy. Season with garlic, salt, pepper and basil to taste. Add tomatoes cook 3-5 more minutes or until heated through. Serve over pasta and grate fresh parmesan over.

Quick Thin Crust Pizza

My husband is a genius. I would have never have thought to do this. When Tristan asked for pizza tonight for dinner my husband came up with this. I have to tell you, if you like thin crust pizza this is great, quick, easy and so good it doesn't feel like a cheat. Clearly you can put whatever you want on there, this is just my suggestion. Mighty good though!!

All the quantities are really based on how many “pizzas” you want to do. Each tortilla makes one personal pizza.

Tortilla
Ricotta (about 3 TBS per pizza)
Garlic (depends on taste but about ½ tsp per pizza)
½ tsp olive oil
Goat Cheese (feta would work as a substitute)
Artichoke Heats
Shredded Mozzarella
Pepperoni
Salt/Pepper

Mix Ricotta and Garlic and set aside (you might want to consider a dash of salt to the mixture). Heat olive oil in skillet. While oil heating, top tortilla evenly with Ricotta mixutre. Once coated, dot with goat cheese, artichoke hearts, and pepperoni. Cover with mozzarella. Cook on medium-high uncovered for 3 minutes, just enough to crisp the tortilla. Then cover and reduce heat to low until cheese melted. Cut and enjoy.
An excellent and tasty alternative is pesto instead of ricotta, and shrimp and feta instead of pepperoni, artichoke hearts, and goat cheese. Give it a try, it will literally take 10 minutes! Great in a pinch meal for the kids too (you might want to change the toppings!)

A Nod to Kentucky

Tonight we are having the other half of the pork tenderloin used for the pork tacos. My cousin made a FABULOUS tenderloin when we were up there. In my mind this would be the recipe. I will tell you tomorrow if it works out.

1.5 lb pork tenderloin (plus or minus)
1 c balsamic vinegar
¼ c. oil
4-5 stalks of fresh rosemary
2 cloves of garlic quartered
Salt and pepper

Cut ½ inch slits into tenderloin, spaced evenly. Insert garlic in slit (clearly larger pieces of meat might need more garlic). In a large Ziploc, put vinegar and oil and ½ of the rosemary let tenderloin sit, 4 hours or longer. Pull tenderloin out, and salt and pepper meat, Lay remaining rosemary over length of tenderloin and secure with string. Grill, let stand 10-15 minutes prior to serving.

Cilantro Pork

2-3 lb pork tenderloin
4 c. Cilantro
1 c. nuts walnuts
½ c. parmesan
5 cloves of garlic
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1c. Olive oil
2 TBS lemon

Process cilantro, walnuts, parmesan, garlic, salt, pepper. Oil and lemon. Coat tenderloin with about ½ c of mixture. Bake 350 covered for 20minutes, uncover and finish (about 15-20 minutes more.) slice and serve with cilantro mixture drizzled on top. Freeze remaining mixture.

Herbed Bulgur Salad

2 C. uncooked Bulgur
2 C boiling water
1 C. diced tomatoes
3 TBS lemon juice
1 TBS olive oil
1/8 C. Parsley
1 TBS oregano, packed
1 Tsp. thyme packed
1 TBS basil packed
30 chive stalks
½ c, Feta
Salt and pepper to taste
Place raw bulgur in big bowl. Boil water and pour over bulgur. Cover bulgur and set aside. Meanwhile, in food processor, process all herbs until fairly fine. Once bulgur cooled add herbs, tomatoes, lemon, oil and feta. Stir and season.

Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables

1 whole chickens innards removed
1 rutabaga cut into medium chucks
2 sweet potatoes cut into medium chucks
4 large carrots cut into medium chucks
1 onion cut into medium chucks
3 cups of dry white (preferably not a Chardonnay)
2 TBS flour
3 chicken bullion
Marjoram
salt
pepper


Preheat oven to 450. Cut up vegetables and layer the bottom of a roasting pan. Sprinkle with the 2 TBS of flour. Pour wine over and add bullion. Sprinkle with about 1 TBS of Marjoram. Roast vegetables for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350. Sprinkle chicken with Salt, pepper and Marjoram. Place chicken breast down in vegetables and broth. Cover and cook until chicken is done (depends on size).

You can use any root vegetable. Parsnips and plain white potatoes would be good as would any winter squash.