Orecchiette with Caramelized Garlic, Sausage and Broccoli

Courtesy of http://chaosinthekitchen.com

Orecchiette with Caramelized Garlic, Sausage, and Broccoli

serves 4, prep 5 min, cook 15 min, adapted from Fine Cooking, October 2003

• 10 oz. broccoli florets (fresh)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb Italian sausage, crumbled
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienned, jarred in oil
• 3/4 lb dried orecchiette or penne pasta
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
• 3 tbsp fresh grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
• salt and pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Heat oil in a skillet on medium high.
3. Cook Italian sausage until browned, reserve to a plate.
4. Salt pasta water and add pasta.
5. There should be about 2 tbsp of fat in the skillet, if not add olive oil to make about 2 tbsp.
6. Turn heat to medium-low and cook garlic, stirring frequently, until golden brown.
7. Add broccoli and cook until semi-tender (about 5 mins).
8. Add sausage back to the pan and heat on high until warmed through.
9. Add sun dried tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Take off heat.
10. Finish pasta (total cook time is about 10 minutes). Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain.
11. Add pasta to broccoli and sausage, toss over high heat. Add about 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water as needed to moisten mixture.
12. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice, cheese, salt and pepper.
13. Serve with additional cheese.

Easy Muffaletta Italian Sandwich

I’ve never been able to find a perfect substitute for the original sandwich created by Central Grocery in New Orleans, Louisiana, but with the discovery of Safeway Grocery’s “Muffaletta” olive salad last week, I have been able to create a pretty tasty alternative. If you don’t live in New Orleans or Northern California, any good mixture of marinated Italian olives & peppers will work for the olive salad, but the olives and peppers should all be chopped finely before adding them to the sandwich.

I started with 2 slices of fresh, soft, sourdough bread (Italian ciabatta or focaccia rolls also work) and then poured a small amount of my favorite light Italian salad dressing on each slice of bread for flavor and moisture. Next, spread a thick layer of your chopped olive salad on one slice of bread. On the other slice of bread, layer some Italian salami slices (Gallo or Columbus are the best brands I’ve tried in the U.S.) with some good-quality slices of provolone cheese. Press the two slices of bread together with the fillings, and you are off!

Egg & Bacon Breakfast Baskets

I saw this fun recipe in my 200 Really Easy Recipes cookbook and decided to make it for D for Valentine's Day breakfast--the cute cherry tomatoes in the middle of the egg mixture reminded me of breakfast cupcakes! Note: See Vegetarian option below.
Ingredients (Makes 8 baskets, serves 4):

Spray olive oil, for oiling muffin tin

75g (3oz) butter, melted

150g (5oz) smoked bacon rashers, rind removed, diced

(Note: we used cubed pancetta pieces)

2 eggs

125 ml (4fl oz) double cream/heavy cream

2 Tbsp fresh grated Parmesan cheese

8 cherry tomatoes on the vine

16 slices white bread (or wheat bread)

salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F/200C. First cut the crusts off the bread (try to make even squares) and discard, then flatten each slice by rolling over it firmly with a rolling pin, and brush each slice with the melted butter. Next place 8 squares diagonally on top one other 8 squares and carefully press them into eight muffin tin holes that had been sprayed with the olive oil. Bake the squares for 12-15 minutes until crisp and golden. Meanwhile fry up the bacon/pancetta pieces and prepare the egg mixture in a bowl by beating together the eggs, cream, cheese salt and pepper, then pull the bread baskets out of the oven to cool slightly.

After draining the fried pancetta, I divided it between the 4 bread 'baskets' and then poured the prepared egg mixture over the pancetta (about 2 tablespoons of egg mixture per basket is plenty). Last top each 'basket' with a cherry tomato, then place back into the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until eggs are set.

Note for Vegetarians: You can make this vegetarian by substituting fresh spinach for the bacon/pancetta. Cook the spinach with a small pat of butter in a frying pan until wilted, then add the spinach to the cases instead of the pancetta before pouring over the egg.

Easy Rosemary Pork Chops + Pea & Mushroom Risotto

These two recipes both came from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Cuisine of California, although I substituted pork chops for veal chops because those are harder to find here in England.

Grilled Chops with Rosemary (serves 4)

4 veal loin chops (or pork chops), 6-8oz. (200-250g) each

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 (2-inch) sprigs of fresh rosemary

Juice of 1 medium lemon

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Brush chops liberally on each side with olive oil.

2. Strip leaves off rosemary sprigs and press leaves into both sides of each veal/pork chop. Sprinkle lemon juice on each side and refrigerate 1 hour.

3. Prepare barbecue for medium heat grilling or preheat oven grill/broiler, if necessary. Grill chops 3 inches from heat for 5-7 minutes on each side. The veal should be pink inside. Take veal/pork off grill and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with risotto.

Risotto with Fresh Mushrooms and Peas (Serves 4 to 6)

4 T/55g unsalted butter

1/2 tsp salt

2 medium shallots, finely chopped

1 cup arborio rice

2 cups shelled fresh peas (we used thawed frozen peas)

1/4 tsp finely ground pepper

3 cups (750ml) chicken stock, heated to hot

1/4 lb (125g) mushrooms, sliced (we used mini portabello)

1/4 c. (60ml) fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat 2 T of butter in a heavy saucepan. Add shallots and cook over low heat until soft but not browned. Stir in rice and saute lightly without letting it brown.

2. Add peas, 1/4 tsp. of salt, 1/8 tsp of pepper, and 1/2 cup (120 ml) of stock. Simmer over medium heat, stirring often, until stock is absorbed. Continue adding stock 1/2 cup at a time, cooking until it is absorbed. Stir frequently. Stop adding stock when rice is tender. Total cooking time should be about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp of the butter in a skillet. Add mushrooms, the remaining salt and pepper and saute over medium-high heat until lightly browned.

4. When rice is done, gently stir in mushrooms, the remaining butter, and the Parmesan cheese (using a 2 prong fork if you have one). Taste for seasoning. Serve immediately.

Creamy Risotto with Peas and Crispy Bacon

OK, for all you pork lovers out there (I know who you are), this is a great dish. Sorry Vegetarians! We had it last night for dinner and D gobbled it up. It's not low fat, but you could omit either the salami/chorizo or the bacon, and just enjoy the risotto. Either way, it's creamy, salty goodness.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

15g/.5 oz knob of butter

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

3 spring onions/green onions, trimmed and sliced

60g/2.5 oz. cured chorizo sausage, coarsely chopped

(I substituted some garlic-flavored hard salami)

200g/7 oz Arborio risotto rice

1 glass dry white wine

500 ml/2 cups chicken stock, heated

1 heaped tbsp mascarpone or cream cheese

40g/1.5 oz grated Parmesan cheese

60g/2.5 oz frozen peas

4 rashers/slices unsmoked back or streaky bacon

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a pan, add the onion and green onion and cook until softened, about 5-6 mins. Add the chorizo and cook for 2 minutes, then add the risotto rice and cook an additional 2 minutes, making sure all rice is coated in oils.

2. Add the wine and continue to stir until it has been absorbed, then add a ladle of the hot stock. Reduce the heat to simmer. Keep stirring, allowing each ladleful of stock to be absorbed before adding the next.

3. Once all the stock has been absorbed, stir in the mascarpone and Parmesan, then mix in the frozen peas. Remove from the heat and cover for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, grill the bacon until crisp, then place 2 rashers on top of each serving of risotto.

Butternut Squash Two Ways

I had a large, 2-pound butternut squash left over from our Thanksgiving table decorations, so I decided to turn into two dishes: Butternut Squash Risotto (non-vegetarian) and Thick Lentil, Garlic & Butternut Stew (Vegetarian). The risotto was a perfect, warming, 'comfort food' meal yesterday afternoon after D and I scraped the snow off the car and went for mile-long swims at the gym pool, and I'm planning to serve the stew with some fish and lamb during the next few days.

Butternut Squash Risotto (serves 4)

taken from Martha Stewart's Living CookbookThe Original Classics

5 cups/1250 ml chicken stock (home-made or store bought)

1 lb./500g raw butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice (about 2 cups)

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

4oz./125g pancetta, cut into 1/2 inch dice

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 & 1/2 cups Arborio (risotto) rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

2 Tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley or tarragon

(I used a dash of dried tarragon as well as the parsley)

1. In a saucepan, combine the stock and squash; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; let simmer (squash will not cook completely).

2. Meanwhile, warm the oil in a medium saucepan (large enough to hold the finished risotto) over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta; cook, stirring, until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is crisp, about 8-10 mins. Using a slotted spoon, remove pancetta and set aside on a paper towel to drain.

3. Add the onion and garlic to the rendered fat; cook, stirring, until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the rice, raise heat to high, and continue stirring until the edges of the rice are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine; cook, stirring until the wine is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium high; season with salt and pepper. Add about 1 cup/250ml of the hot stock and squash. Cook, stirring, until nearly all the stock is absorbed. Continue adding stock and squash, about 3/4 cup (180ml) at a time. Cook, stirring, allowing each addition to be nearly absorbed before adding the next, until rice is creamy but a little firm in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. (Some of the squash will start to disintegrate and will start to form a golden, creamy paste around the risotto). Stir in the parsley or tarragon and reserved pancetta. Serve. Note: Martha suggests topping the risotto with toasted pumpkin seeds, if desired, but I skipped this option.

Thick Lentil, Garlic & Butternut Stew (serves 4)

taken from Sonja Edridge's recipe in Waitrose's October Everyday Recipes

Note: I halved the recipe and it made 4 side dish portions

4 Tbsp mild olive oil

4 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

5 tomatoes, roughly chopped

200g/7oz red lentils, washed

1000g/2lbs. raw butternut squash, peeled

and cut into 3/4-inch dice (about 4 cups)

600ml (2 & 1/3 cups) vegetable stock

1. Heat a large, non-stick pan with 1 Tbsp of oil. Add the celery and cook for 4 minutes, stirring, to soften, then add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes, lentils and butternut squash. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer, then cook for 20-25 minutes (adding a little water if necessary) until the liquid has been absorbed and the lentils are cooked.

3. Season well and spoon into bowls. Drizzle in the remaining olive oil and serve with rustic or crusty bread. Note: I cooked the stew a little longer until it was nearly the texture of mashed potatoes and plan to serve it as a side dish, rather than a meal. You may also wish to season with salt and pepper--I did.

Pork Tenderloin & Mixed Squash with Pecans Gratin

I bought some 'Delicata' squash from Whole Foods in London (see photo below) to use for our Thanksgiving decorations and decided to cook them up before they expire. This squash dish received rave reviews from D (it hardly tastes like vegetables) and would be great for kids who are fussy about squash. The pork recipe came from my mom and the squash recipe (Vegetarian) came from The Big Book of Casseroles, which I'm finally diving into after years of flipping through. The squash also paired well with grilled salmon fillets with dill seasoning.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin & Mixed Squash with Pecans Gratin

(serves 4)

Pork Tenderloin

(serves 3-4, depending on size of tenderloin)

1 pork tenderloin, any size, in a vacuum pack

1/4 c soy sauce

2 Tbsp sake or dry sherry

1 1/2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

Rinse meat, pat dry. Put meat in a resealable plastic bag. Add the rest of the ingredients, set bag in a bowl to marinate. Chill 30 minutes or overnight. Barbeque 25 minutes or grill according to pork's packaging instructions if a bbq is not available. Reserve marinade to brush over meat while grilling.

Mixed Squash with Pecans Gratin (serves 4)

1 zucchini (courgette), about 8oz./250g, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 delicata squash, about 8oz./250g, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 large egg

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup/125ml chopped green onions/spring onions, including some tender green tops

1 tsp dried dill

1/2 tsp salt

Fresh ground pepper

2 Tbsp butter

3/4 cup/375 ml dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup/60 ml finely chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Place squashes in a steamer ans steam over gently boiling water for about 10 minutes.

2. Transfer squash to a food processor. With pulses, coarsely chop squash. Add egg, cheese, onions, dill, salt and pepper to squash mixture. Mix briefly. Turn into a 9-inch glass pie plate or 8" x 8" square glass casserole dish lightly coated with cooking spray or oil.

3. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add crumbs and nuts and stir until toasted, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle on top of squash mixture. Bake, uncovered, until puffed up and set, about 30 minutes.

Scrambled Eggs w/ Pancetta, Asparagus & Orzo

For the pasta lover--you can even have pasta for breakfast! This is a great way to use up the remains of a bag of orzo (which I've been using a lot of lately!). I'm not usually a huge fan of asparagus as part of a breakfast dish, but I figured no vegetable could possibly taste bad after being stir-fried with pancetta & onions, and this was delicious. This recipe came from Giada de Laurentiis' Everyday Pasta, but I substituted baby bocconcini mozzarella instead of smoked mozzarella (which is expensive and not as easy to find here in England). It was fast & easy to make and made a delicious Sunday brunch with some fresh toasted Italian or sourdough bread.

Breakfast Pasta Scramble (serves 4--easily halved for 2 persons)

1/2 cup orzo (rice shaped pasta)

10 large eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 oz./100g smoked or plain mozzarella, torn or cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

4 oz./125g pancetta or bacon, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup chopped onion

8 thin asparagus stalks, trimmed, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces

Directions:

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes, and drain.

2. Whisk the eggs, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese and basil, set aside.

3. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the asparagus & saute for until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the orzo to eggs and stir to coat. Add the egg mixture to pan. Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture until the eggs are softly set, about 3-4 minutes. Serve warm.

Toad in a Hole

I was planning on using a recipe for Toad in A Hole that I saw in a Gordon Ramsey cookbook, but it turned out that my maternal grandmother, Helen, had her own recipe that she's used before, so I opted to try hers out instead. I added a few sprigs of chopped, fresh rosemary to the batter in my grandmother's recipe to give the dough some extra flavor, and it was great! We ate it with some simple steamed veggies for dinner tonight (carrots, corn & peas or broccoli work best).

Toad in A Hole (serves 4) - total cooking time (includes prep): 1 hour

1 lb/400-500 grams Vienna sausages or Cumberland sausages (6-8 sausages)

1 Tbsp oil

1 cup flour (don't pack down)

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup milk

2 eggs

small sprig of rosemary

Sift flour and salt together in a bowl and add in milk. Beat 2 eggs until frothy and mix into batter. Stir in rosemary. Let batter stand for 30 minutes. Fry the sausages for 5 minutes in the oil. Remove sausages from pan and place in a 9" x 12" baking dish. Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Pour batter over sausages and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F/180C and bake an additional 10-15 minutes longer or until batter is puffy and browned. Serve at once--the sausages will be nestled in holes in the puff pastry.

Quick Italian-Style Chopped Salad

This recipe started out as 'Quick Chickpea Salad' from Easy Summer Food, but I wanted it to be more substantial, so I added chopped salami and baby bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls) from Trader Joe's to the salad, and it was great. You could also add any of the following: partially sundried (sun-blush) tomatoes, olives, prosciutto, cooked chorizo, tuna, other vegetables, lettuces or herbs. You can also partially prepare the salad ahead of time by combining just the dressing and the chickpeas, allowing the chickpeas to absorb some of the dressing flavors, and adding the fresh ingredients just before serving.

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed & drained

4 marinated artichoke hearts, quartered

8oz./250g very ripe cherry tomatoes, halved

8 scallions (spring onions), sliced diagonally into 1/2" pieces

a handful of fresh basil leaves, torn

a small bunch of fresh chives, snipped

leaves from 4 springs of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2 oz. (55g) fresh shaved Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp black pepper, cracked with a mortar & pestle

hard italian salami, chopped

mini mozzarella balls, or mozzarella cut into bite size pieces

Dressing

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 small garlic clove, crushed

sea salt & fresh ground pepper

1. Put the dressing ingredients in a bowl and beat with a fork. Add the chickpeas, artichoke hearts and salami (if using), and toss in the dressing. Cover & chill for up to 4 hours.

2. When ready to serve, add the cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, scallions, basil, chives and parsley. Stir gently, sprinkle with shaved Parmesan, salt and pepper, then serve.

Monday Night Pesto Pasta Carbonara

On Monday night I didn't have anything planned to eat, but we needed a break from Thanksgiving leftovers and I had a bunch of random leftover bits in the fridge taking up space, so I decided to get creative....what resulted was a sort of Pesto Pasta Carbonara. It was great!

Here's what I used (made about 3 large servings):

Remains of a jar of store-bought pesto, 1/4 c. to 1/3 c.

Remains of a tub of mascarpone cheese, about 1/2 c.

Remains of a jug of milk, about 1 cup

1/2 lb (250 g) Messicani pasta spirals from M&S (any small curly or shell shaped pasta will do)

1/2 pot of Sunblush sundried tomatoes in oil, about 1/2 c. (120g), drained and chopped up

Remains of a bag of frozen peas, about 1 cup

1/2 pot of Sainsbury's cubed pancetta, or 50 grams (sliced, chopped pancetta would also work)

Fresh grated parmesan cheese, about 1/4 c., or to taste

First, cook the pasta until al dente in a pot of salted, boiling water according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. In a small frying pan, heat a spoonful of oil over medium high heat and cook the pancetta cubes until crispy. Drain oil from pan and set pancetta aside on a paper towel to drain.

In a large saucepan, combine the milk, pesto sauce and mascarpone cheese over medium-low heat (taking care that the milk doesn't get too hot and boil or burn), until the mascarpone is mostly melted and combined with the milk. The sauce should be creamy. Add the frozen peas and sundried tomatoes and cook over medium heat, stirring, until peas are cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add cooked pancetta and Parmesan cheese to sauce and stir to combine. Add drained pasta to sauce mix and stir to coat. Serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese topping, if desired, and a green salad.