gentle minestrone

first of all, do you say minestrone that rhymes with phone or minestrone-y that rhymes with phony?

i’ve been seeing a lot of minestrone soup recipes around recently, but none of them sounded as good as my mom’s gentle minestrone. the best part is that you stir in pesto at the end!

so here it is. i made double the recipe for lunch leftovers.

start by sautéing 1 medium chopped red onion, about a 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 2 large potatoes cubed (make sure to use boiling potatoes – like a red one – not baking potatoes), and a whole pile of chopped carrots in olive oil.

seed and cube two tomatoes. these were pretty gross winter tomatoes, but it was still ok.

add them to the veggies with a little salt and pepper. sauté another five-ish minutes.

then add a can of white beans (with the liquid! don’t drain them), two cans of chicken broth and two cans of water.

bring it to a boil and cook until the potatoes are almost done.

add a handful or so of elbow macaroni or ditalini. i had neither so i broke a handful of spaghetti into inch-long pieces.

cook until pasta is done.

now for a quick homemade parsley pesto without nuts (he’s allergic). if you have regular pesto, feel free to use that.

throw a handful of parsley into a food processor with a pinch of salt, pepper, some grated parmesan and a couple cloves of microplaned garlic.

start blending and slowly drizzle in olive oil until it gets smooth.

homemade and store-bought.

then i made parmesan crisps by shaving cheese with a vegetable peeler, arranging it on toast and putting it under the broiler.

et voila!

mushroom ragu with artichokes

i am on a pasta roll these days! (maybe because i know the days of rich, hot, heavy sauces are numbered. oh spring..!)

the beauty of this sauce is that i left the mushrooms in big chunks and didn’t overcook them, so they had great texture. this is the kind of vegetarian dish a meat eater would enjoy and never miss the beef.

also, how well the sweetness of the artichokes worked with the earthiness of the mushrooms was a nice surprise.

i started by sauteeing a couple cloves of minced garlic and a minced shallot in some olive oil.

when they were tender, i mashed in three anchovy fillets (anchovy paste would work well, too) and about a tablespoon of tomato paste.

if you’re anti-anchovy, (stop reading this blog. just kidding. kind of.) you could leave it out, but it’s not like the sauce tastes fishy! they just add a nice depth of flavor and saltiness.

anyway, chop your mushrooms into big-bite-sized pieces – i used portobello caps

and toss to coat.

then add half a can (which i had leftover from something else) of crushed tomatoes and their juice, as well as some thyme, fresh or dried – whatever you have around, and salt and pepper.

the next step is very important. lower the heat and clap the lid on the pan.

both the mushrooms and the tomatoes are releasing juices as we speak that are going to make the sauce-y part of the sauce. if you leave the lid off, they will all evaporate away.

after 5-8 minutes (while your pasta is cooking), take a peek. the mushrooms should be tender but not mushy, and there should be plenty of juice.

add one can of artichoke hearts, quartered, and replace lid just long enough to heat them through.

to finish it off, i added a handful of grated parm and tossed with the pasta. if you find that your sauce is too dry, add a little pasta water (that hopefully you reserved before draining it!)

shellfish pasta

his mother very generously gave us a bag of mussels and clams, so – oh bummer – guess i had to make seafood pasta. SIGH.

i didn’t quite know where i was going with this, except i knew there would be lemon, garlic, white wine, capers and butter. what more does a girl need in the world?

i started by sauteeing half a white onion, three or four slivered garlic cloves and the zest of one lemon (use a vegetable peeler to remove just the yellow part) in some olive oil.

you don’t want your onions to brown, so if they start to, add a little water or white wine. in my case, she had also given us some leftover mussel broth, so i used that.

when everything is tender and smelling deliciously of garlic and lemon, add a couple glugs of white wine.

[author’s note: i have actually seen the term “glugs” used as a measurement in real recipes. i have no idea how much it is supposed to be, but i think you get the idea.]

dump in your shellfish and clap the lid on. let them cook while your pasta is finishing up, shaking the pot occasionally. take a look after about 5 minutes to see if all the shells are nice and open. you can’t really overcook them here (unless you leave them for an hour or something) so just make sure they are done.

this is what done looks like:

mmm!!

meanwhile, drain your pasta and toss it back in the pot with about a tablespoon of butter and a couple spoonfuls of capers (which can be omitted, of course, by WHY?).

toss well (letting the butter melt), then dump in the shellfish with the onion and garlic and lemon and all their juices.

when you serve it, make sure to reach down into the pot for a little liquid to spoon over the top.

that’s roasted asparagus to make it a complete meal!

peanut noodles with vegetables

this recipe that i made up as i went along was inspired by miss kate‘s famous peanut noodles with chicken, and is totally a testament to the fabulousness of the asian grocery in my building.

i went in with nothing and came out with:

miraculously, they had packs of small bok choy, bags of mini carrots, snow peas and a shallot.

they also had spaghetti. i had the sesame seeds, peanut butter and oyster sauce.

first i toasted some sesame seeds in a dry skillet

until golden.

then i cut the bok choy in bite-sized pieces and cooked it up with the shallots in a little sesame oil. (start by cooking the white part, then adding the green, since the white takes longer.)

next i made matchsticks out of the carrots

and blanched them with the snow peas in the final minute of cooking the pasta. i love this technique – it keeps me from dirtying another pan!

also, remember to take about a cup of pasta water out right before draining.

i always do this now. the hot, starchy water is great for loosening your sauce a little, while still helping it stick to the pasta.

while the spaghettis were cooking, i made a sauce by whisking together 1/3 cup peanut butter, 5 tablespoons rice vinegar and 1/4 cup oyster sauce.

then i tossed the veggies with the noodles, half the sesame seeds and the sauce, adding enough pasta water to get the consistency i wanted.

top with the remaining sesame seeds. not bad for a quick and healthy weeknight dinner with a twist!

spaghetti with chickpeas, rosemary and bonito

this recipe from the new york times caught my eye as unique, healthy and perfect for a cold night. plus, i love bonito flakes, which add a touch of salty fishiness. of course, if you don’t have bonito flakes (why would you?) you can certainly leave them off.

however, i did find the recipe a little pretentious. like, “add olive oil, swirling it to coat the bottom” and “to serve, place the pasta in a deep, warmed, platter” and “1 clove garlic, smashed.” i mean, really, new york times.

we can make this recipe a whole lot simpler, and still keep it delicious. watch:

first, start boiling your pasta water and cooking your pasta while you do the sauce. the recipe recommends whole wheat pasta.

then cook until tender a clove of minced garlic, one chopped onion, a couple chopped carrots and half a chopped green pepper (or use the c-vegetable that shall not be mentioned on this blog) in some olive oil. add a spring of fresh rosemary if you have it, or a pinch of dried if you don’t, and some hot pepper flakes if you’re into that.

next, add two cans of chickpeas, one with the liquid and one drained, and one can’s worth of water to the pot.

raise heat and cook until the liquid is reduced by half and starts getting a little thicker.

turn down the heat now, add cooked pasta and a tablespoon of butter, and mix well.

mmmm. when you serve it, top with bonito flakes and/or grated cheese.

another cool thing about bonito flakes is they are so fragile and delicate that they gently ungulate in the steam of the hot pasta, making a really cool effect.

the flavor combination is unique and the chick peas create a wonderful creamy texture.

mac and cheese

what could possibly be a better inaugural dish for my pretty new christmas present…

than a really good mac and cheese? i mean, good. with a bechamel sauce and gruyere and the whole bit.

it’s not as hard as you think.

start by cooking your mac. i used ditalini because they’re so cute and small and perfect for this one-serving-plus sized dish.

make sure not to over cook it – just al dente.

then for your sauce. one cup of traditional bechamel takes 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 1/4 cups milk (heated!), salt and pepper. i quartered the recipe.

so. melt your butter.

add your flour.

cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes until it bubbles, but before it gets brown.

then add your milk. the key is for the milk to be warm, so i zapped it in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

stir and bring to a boil.

then you are supposed to cook for another 2 minutes or so and add the cheese for last 2.

i was working with such a small amount, though, in such a hot pan, that i turned the burner off right as it reached a boil and then added the cheese, salt and pepper. that worked well without overcooking it.

mix your sauce and cheese and noodles

add to your buttered dish

sprinkle with some more cheese (can there be too much?!) and if you’re on a roll like i was you’ll be able to dig around in the back of your cupboard for some italian seasoned bread crumbs to sprinkle on top, as well.

if you are REALLY on your game, you’ll make your own fresh buttered bread crumbs…

bake until golden and bubbly at 375 degrees.

serve with salad for a delicious homemade tv dinner!

halloween dinner

at the home of the hostess with the mostest, miss ekw. an ode to all things fall.

that’s two kinds of mac-and-cheese – a traditional and a squash-bacon-thyme.

mmm brisket.

and even i couldn’t turn down the honey-balsamic brussels sprouts.

[photo credit: miss lindsay]

turkey and white bean chili

it’s all well and good to avoid recipes and dump-and-guess your way through life… most of the time.

i do have to admit, however, that one thing recipes offer me is an opportunity to learn about using more exotic spices and spice-combinations. when i’m making up my own recipe, i generally stick to the basics – s&p, basil, garlic powder, basil, etc.

this recipe (as well as this one) are great examples of really well-flavored, exotically-spiced dishes. you can definitely notice the difference.

turkey and white bean chili starts with sauteing two medium chopped onions until softened, adding two medium poplanos (chopped), two medium carrots (chopped) and a pinch of salt.

add a little water if you have to to keep the veggies from burning or sticking. cook until soft.

in another (big) pot, cook three pounds of ground turkey – seasoned with salt and pepper – until no longer pink. (note: three pounds of ground turkey is a LOT of turkey.)

add four minced garlic cloves, 2 jalapenos (if you must), 24 fresh chopped sage leaves (not 23 or 25!) and one tablespoon each of chile powder, dried oregano, cumin; a teaspoon of paprika; 1/4 teaspoon allspice; and 2 bay leaves.

cook and stir until meat is well coated.

then add veggies to the turkey, along with 1 cup chopped tomatoes and their juice, and 8 cups of chicken broth.

bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer partly covered for about 45 minutes.

add 30 ounces of cannellini beans (well drained). cook for 5 more minutes and enjoy!

i served it with rice.

[adapted from food & wine’s best of the best cookbook.]

“gourmet” tuna ‘ghetti

i’m pretty sure i’ve mentioned here before one of my all-time favorite childhood dishes – my mom’s “tuna ‘ghetti.” this was one of her go-to dishes, but no one ever complained because it’s so delicious.

traditionally, tuna ‘ghetti is a can of crushed tomatoes, a can of tuna fish, some garlic… parm… (there’s also a white tuna ‘ghetti that has tuna, carrots, capers and white raisins. omg yum.) over spaghetti.

this time, though, i used leftovers to make a super fancy gourmet version!

instead of canned tomatoes, i started with a mixture of canned tomatoes and fresh. (of course, you want to start by sauteing a lot of garlic in olive oil.)

you definitely don’t want to over cook this. the point is for the fresh tomatoes to stay fresh. but they should get warm and soft.

then, instead of tuna, i shredded leftover cooked salmon steak.

add to the pot and let it heat through.

i also added some capers. of course.

add your cooked pasta to the pot, too, so it can soak up all the flavors.

just to guild the lily, i served with crumbled feta on top.

now that’s some fancy tuna ‘ghetti!

farmer’s market dinner

i work next to the USDA, which hosts a farmer’s market every friday. how cool is it to be able to buy produce picked in the morning and make it into easy, fresh, yummy, seasonal – and healthy – dinner that night? (my friends from california are like, um YEAH welcome to our lives!)

so this is what i ended up with:

presentation is also super important, i think, although it doesn’t have to be anything fancy.

most of it is pretty self-explanatory, but i do want to tell you about the potato salad i made. i didn’t want any heavy mayonnaise dressing, so instead i went for white wine-lemon-caper sauce. hard to go wrong, right?!

start by boiling your new potatoes in salt water. (“new potato” is a type of small, young potato.)

i like the red ones, but the white ones are fine, too. i also always leave the skins on new potatoes – just give ’em a good scrub under the faucet first.

when they were 3/4 of the way done, i drained them and cut them into bite-sized chunks.

i also chopped a spring onion.

add both to a cast iron or similar large pan over medium heat.

then i added about a 1/3 of cup of white wine and 1/3 of a cup of the liquid i boiled them in, as well as some capers and a splash of caper juice.

simmer until the potatoes are done and liquid has mostly reduced. add more boiling liquid if you have to.

in a serving or mixing bowl, have a small patty of butter waiting…

just a little one. about a tablespoon.

when the potatoes are done, pour them directly into the bowl (with the remaining sauce) and mix well to melt and distribute the butter.

squeeze fresh lemon juice to taste, and add a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

i think this dish could be served hot, warm or at room temp.

and to finish out a farmer’s market dinner, you  need a farmer’s market dessert!

blueberries, strawberries and white peaches…

(toss with a little flour or corn starch to thicken the juices)

crumble topping…

i have a new favorite recipe for crumble topping. almost equal parts – although a little heavier on the oats – of oats and brown sugar, salt, cinnamon. then pour over a tablespoon or two of melted butter – just enough to wet everything – and sprinkle over the fruit. (here’s the old recipe.)

bake for about 20 minutes or until the top is browned and the juices are bubbling.

happy summer!