Not-Even-Remotely-Authentic Pastitsio

Sometimes you just really need a casserole. Something warm, hearty, and comforting. Something with MEAT in it. And carbs. Lots of carbs. But then you have the guilt. You know the guilt I’m talking about. Is there anything GREEN in that casserole dish?

Well, in this one, there is! I was craving exactly such a dish this weekend when it was in the low 60’s outside and smelling like fall. I recalled a recipe I had recently seen in one of my foodie magazines (but then couldn’t find later). And so, as any home cook with a sudden craving is wont to do…. I improvised.

Not-Even-Remotely-Authentic Pastitsio

2 cups dried penne noodles (I used mini penne)

1 8-ounce package low fat cream cheese

1 can diced, fire roasted tomatoes

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 pound Italian sausage (I used ‘sweet’ this time, but usually prefer ‘hot’. Use that you like)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 bag fresh baby spinach

Boil pasta according to package directions. While the noodles are cooking, brown the sausage and drain.

While the meat is still hot, mix in the cream cheese and tomatoes, and Italian seasoning and stir until evenly combined.

In a large bowl, mix the cooked pasta, sausage mixture, half the mozzarella and the spinach together, then press into a casserole dish.

Top with remaining mozzarella and bake at 350, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is warm throughout.

This is my submission for Presto Pasta Nights this week.

Gettin’ Naked!

We have a new chef over at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week. That’s right, its our first date with Jamie Oliver.  I have always enjoyed watching Jamie, and I find his effervescent style very refreshing (pun entirely intended). I’m not sure how well we will get along over the next six months of cooking together though, as so very few of his recipes are “Leach Family” friendly. I adore his simple salads and his lovely pastas, but, as I have found, sometimes his choice of ingredients leaves me floundering in my lack of shopping options.

But, since I things he is absolutely fabulous, I’m going to give it the ol’ college try. Starting now. Our theme this inaugural week is “Let's Get Naked”, which I think is very forward for a first date, but hey, I’m willing to give it a chance!

When the vote was in and it was announced that Jamie was our next chef, naturally I went looking for recipes. I don’t own a single one of his cookbooks (that’s a new concept for me) so I just did some browsing online, and the very first recipe that jumped out and said “Eat Me!” was Jamie’s Fresh Asian Noodle Salad. Conveniently, I had just happened across some little personal-sized packages of bean thread noodles and stashed a few in my pantry. Finding any decent fresh chiles wasn’t easy, though, and the best I could do was some green serranos.

I have to say, This recipe kicks ass! I wasn’t that optimistic about it with its basic ingredients (and no, I didn’t have any prawns, either, so my medium size frozen shrimp had to stand in), but it came together beautifully and I couldn’t keep my chopsticks out of it as I was packing up the leftovers for lunch last night. This one is definitely going to be making regular appearances over the summer when I have my own home-grown fresh chiles on hand!

fresh asian noodle salad

ingredients

• 300g/10½oz cellophane noodles or beanthread noodles
• 200g/7oz minced beef
• 2 teaspoons five-spice
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
• 2 heaped teaspoons of grated fresh ginger
• 100g/5½oz cooked peeled prawns
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 1 bunch of spring onions, finely sliced
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 fresh red chilies, deseeded and finely sliced
• 1 handful of fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 handful of fresh mint, chopped
• 2 handfuls of roasted peanuts
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

starter | serves 4
This is one of those salads which tastes so amazing that you have to keep making it! It’s spicy, zingy and really gets your tastebuds going.

Soak the noodles in a bowl of warm water until soft, then drain and put back in the bowl. In a hot wok fry the beef and five-spice in the olive oil until brown and crisp, then add the garlic, ginger, prawns and sugar and stir-fry for another 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir the wok mixture into the noodles. Add the spring onions, lime juice, fish sauce, chilies, coriander, mint and peanuts to the bowl. Toss well and correct the seasoning — it wants to be quite zingy with the lime juice. Sprinkle with some extra herb leaves if you like and serve cold.

Try this: You can modify the recipe by using a little wok-fried squid, shellfish or different minced meats.

This is my submission to I Heart Cooking Clubs and Presto Pasta Nights hosted by Ruth at Once Upon a Feast this week.

Once Upon a Time....

....In a land far, far away.... Ginny and I made this pasta.

I honestly can’t remember what brought this dish to our roster of culinary delights, except for maybe that it is a Jacques Pepin recipe and Ginny loves to watch Jacques. So, there, that’s probably it.

I have one thing to say about this pasta (okay, you got me, I definitely have more than ONE thing to say, but I’m making a point, so bear with me!).

DRAGON BREATH.

Notice the ingredients list....it calls for an entire CAN of anchovies. On top of that, you also end up using the oil they were packed in. Add garlic and this pasta packs a powerful punch! (say THAT five times fast!)

That being said...it was really, really good. I don’t remember any of the charming repartee from the kitchen that day, so I’m afraid I can’t tickle your funny bone today, but I can share with you one delish dish that you should definitely try the next time you’re in the mood for something really.....FRAGRANT.

Pungent?

Odiferous?

You get the point....but in a good way. It makes its own sauce, which clung to the fresh pasta that we used so that every little scrap of it was coated and not a drop got left on the plate. That’s my kind of pasta. Just don’t plan any dates around this meal....you know, unless you’re BOTH eating it....

Rigatoni with Lettuce and Eggplant

1 Eggplant

¾  pound Rigatoni

5-6 cloves garlic sliced

Pepper flake to taste

1 can anchovies with oil

Lettuce (Escarole or other lettuce) large bunch chopped roughly

Parmesan Cheese enough for in and garnish

Peel and dice the eggplant in 1inch dice and place on a lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with olie oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Start the pasta while the eggplant bakes.

In a large skillet place some olive oil and when shimmering add the garlic and pepper flake.  Cook till it is slightly golden and then add the lettuce. Turn the lettuce so that the garlic is on top of the lettuce to prevent burning.  Add the oil from the anchovies and chop the anchovies and sprinkle into the skillet.  Cover the pan and let the lettuce wilt. Turn the burner down to medium low.  The anchovy will melt into the sauce and you won’t really have pieces of anchovy.

Remove the eggplant from the oven and add it to the skillet, tossing to coat.

Drain the pasta reserving some of the water if needed for the sauce. Add the pasta to the skillet and toss.  Add Parmesan to taste.  You will not need to add salt to this, the anchovies and cheese should provide enough salt. 

This is my submission to Presto Pasta Nights this week, hosted by Claire at Chez Cayenne.

Egg Noodles....They Aren't Just for Soup Anymore

I have a habit of picking up ingredients that interest me, and then hoarding them in my pantry, never to be seen again.

Do you do this?

Am I the only one?

I am constantly finding random ingredients in my pantry that I had forgotten about, and generally, they go right back in, because I don’t have any ideas of what to do with them.

Specialty Pastas, Sauces, Condiments, etc. They all fit in this category.

Not long ago, I bought a package of Oakland Egg Noodles at The Market On The Square in Carlinville, because they came highly recommended by a co-worker. Admittedly, I normally throw egg noodles in a pot of soup.... or maybe a batch of chicken and noodles... but not much else.
I mean, that’s what they are FOR, right?

Right. And wrong.

While chatting up the owners of the Market, I learned that Nathan stir fries his noodles. Well, duh, of COURSE! My all time favorite Thai dish, Pad Sei Yew, is a mélange of chicken, spicy sauce, and rich, thick eggy noodles. Genius!

While rattling around this house this weekend, cleaning for Ty’s birthday party, I began cleaning out the fridge and pulled out a bunch of veggies that needed to be used. Some carrots, scallions, and a bunch of snow peas. Throw in some chicken and noodles and that was a satisfying lunch just waiting to happen!

Five Spice Chicken and Noodle Stir Fry
1/3 cup honey
3 TB soy sauce
1 TB Ginger
2 TB mirin
1-2 TB sriracha
1 TB orange juice concentrate
1-2 tsp five spice powder
1 tsp sesame oil
1 TB minced garlic

Boil water for noodles and start them cooking while preparing the stir fry. (only cook them about half way)
Mix marinade ingredients together and let chicken marinate at least a half hour.
Quickly stir fry the marinated chicken pieces until almost done.

Add in your vegetables, and stir fry another minute, then add in remaining marinade and cooked noodles and cook another minute to finish cooking the chicken and marinade.

Top with cilantro and serve.

**Notes: the noodles add great texture to the stir fry as well as make it more filling for those of us who can’t live on veggies alone! Letting the noodles finish cooking with the marinade helps them soak up a bunch of the yummy flavor of the five spice and sesame.

This is my submission for Presto Pasta Nights #205, hosted by Debbi Does Dinner

Loaf-a-roni

Do you need an easy, weeknight meal? Do you have picky eaters on your house? Is your pantry two days overdue for a trip to the grocery?

I have the meal for you.

I call it....Loaf-a-roni.

Normally I would expound on the virtues of such a wonderful dish....carry on about the ease of preparation....

You know what? There is really no need.

This dish speaks for itself.

Besides.... I am totally exhausted.

I have no words.

Today, Ty and I have been up since 2:30 and we have a long day and big weekend ahead of us.

So I am going to let you use your own imaginations....it won’t be hard.... this is one of those “nuff said” kind of moments.

I was so tired this morning, I even forgot to download the pictures from my camera, so I am including the one I sent to Ginny from my phone.... how lazy is that? Sooooo tired.....
Your mission, if you choose to accept it:

1. Make macaroni and cheese (next time, I’m totally doing pepperjack)
2. Mix up a meatloaf
3. Flatten half the meat mixture on a pan, making a well in the center
4. Fill the well with mac & cheese
5. Top with remaining meat
6. Carefully pull the edges of the bottom meat layer up to seal the top layer, making sure there are no holes
7. Bake at 350 degrees until done (about an hour)
8. Baste with your favorite BBQ sauce (we love Uncle Joe’s Sweet Smoke)
9. Bake 15 more minutes

Now.....Drool.

If you have men or kids in your house, I can guarantee this is going to be a winner. Even MY picky eaters couldn’t deny it.

This is my submission to Presto Pasta Nights, hosted by Sarah at Maison Cupcake.

Presto Pasta Nights #202 Roundup!

Welcome to Presto Pasta Nights!!!

 I want to thank everyone who submitted their lovely dishes for this week's roundup. Each and every one of them had me drooling and making notes on my grocery list!
 So, let's not waste any time getting down to the goodies!

Claire of Chez Cayenne submitted Masala Rice Noodles and Vegetables. Just looks at those gorgeous noodles!

Marie at Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor brings us Julie's Noodle Casserole which she describes as DE-lish-ous! and I couldn't agree more!

Our next offering is from Katerina from Culinary Flavors out of Athens, Greece made a lovely Creamy Pasta with Broccoli, comfort food at its finest!

I worked on my own submission last weekend with Pappardelle with Wild Boar Ragu.

Michelle at Ms. Enplace had me at "shrimp" with her Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil. Yum!

I was very intrigued by Kankana's dish over at Sunshine & Smile. Her Bruschetta with Spinach Pasta Topping had me drooling! Can't wait to try this at home!

Kirsten of From Kirsten's Kitchen to Yours came up with this lovely Fusilli with Romanesco. Romanesco is something I have never tried before, but I'll be sure to be on the lookout for it now!

Next up is Claudia, of Honey From Rock, with her Cold Hiyashi Soba Salad with Tempura. The name alone is making my mouth water!

We have a newcomer to Presto Pasta Nights this week! Anne, from Anne's Kitchen, brings us a Quick and Creamy Tuna Farfalle.

Krista over at The Beet Reporter made some tasty-looking Thai Fried Noodles.

And finally, our very own Ruth of Once Upon a Feast put together this gorgeous Four Taste Pasta with Shrimp.  

I had a great time reading each and every mouth watering post. Thank you all for your participation this week and don't forget that next week is the big Fourth Birthday Bash for Presto Pasta Nights and will be hosted by Ruth, herself, over at Once Upon a Feast. Send your entries for next week's roundup to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by March 3rd! I hope to see some extra special dishes over there next Friday!

Pappardelle with Wild Boar Ragu

When my husband accepted an invitation to go Boar Hunting in Alabama not long ago, I told him, “You better bring some back for me to cook.” As is typical, he gave me that look. You know, the one that makes you wonder if you accidentally waxed an entire eyebrow off or something. But I persisted. “Dammit, Matt, if you’re going leave us here for a week so you can go hunt Wild Boar, you’re going to bring some back for me so I can cook it and post it on my blog.”

Well, as that left no room for discussion, he arrived home with a cooler containing the iced down haunches of a Wild Boar, as requested.

Sadly, those little piggies have been lounging in my freezer ever since. You know, a boar leg is a pretty sizable hunk of meat, which not only takes a lengthy cooking time, but also a lengthy DEFROSTING time.

Being that we live in the country and are a family of hunters, we have a significant amount of freezer space. But, well, my freezers are getting full. And those boar legs are taking up more than their fair share. It became clear that one of them had to go.

I declared that we would be dining on wild boar this past weekend, and the hubs looked at me not with that “look”, but with a mixture of mild surprise and curiosity. I really think he didn’t expect me to ever get around to cooking it. But when I ran across short ribs at the local grocery last week and had a hard time finding a home for them in the aforementioned freezer, well, it was time.

Taking inspiration from The Silver Spoon, in my opinion the end-all and be-all of Italian cookbooks, I started with a soffritto, sautéing carrots, onion, and celery until tender. Then I added some seasonings (a little garlic and red pepper) and deglazed the pan with a hearty helping of red wine. I opted to slow cook the leg, instead of braising it in the oven, so I seasoned it with salt and pepper, and fitted it carefully into my slow cooker. I finished by pouring the soffritto/wine mixture into the cooker and added about four cups of beef stock (another way to free up space in my freezer).

I then let it cook away the afternoon, and when I couldn’t stand the smell anymore (yes, my nose kept leading me back to the kitchen), I rescued the leg from its cooking juices and picked the meat off the bone. Which was no small task. The boar leg is chock full of cartilage, tendons and other fatty bits scattered throughout the meat. While this was going on, I poured the cooking liquids off into a saucepan and turned the heat on high, letting the liquids reduce down by about half.

When the hubs finally got home last night, I put on a pot of water for the pasta (I just love pappardelle, don’t you?) and while it was cooking, I swirled a couple of tablespoons of butter into the sauce to make it just a little silky. A quick shave of fresh parmesan on top, and this was a meal fit for a hunter, for sure. Matt was standing over the counter slurping the noodles out of their saucy bath, and I just stood there, smiling.

One thing I might have done differently, next time I think I will roast it in the oven instead (and there will be a next time, since I still have three legs in the freezer) to get that lovely caramelized color that you can never quite get from a slow cooker. Other than that, I call this meal a roaring success. The flavor of boar meat is a subtle mid-ground between beef and pork. Not gamey, as you might expect, but rich and flavorful.

This is my submission for Presto Pasta Nights #202, which I am hosting this week, and I am also linking it up to the Italian Fest going on this week over at Seaside Simplicity



Don't forget to get me your Presto Pasta Night submissions by midnight on Thursday, and work something good up for the Presto Pasta NIghts fourth birthday bash, hosted by Ruth at Once Upon a Feast next week!

Presto Pasta Nights #202

I am very pleased to announce that I will be hosting Presto Pasta Nights #202 this coming week and I cordially invite all of you to participate!

Presto Pasta Nights is the brainchild of Ruth over at Once Upon a Feast, and obviously it has been a very successful one, as it has now been FOUR YEARS that we have all been cooking, enjoying, and posting our lovely pasta dishes for all the blogosphere to drool over.

If you have never participated before, it is very simple. All you have to do is make a pasta dish, post it during the week of the roundup, and then email me at bethanneleach (at) gmail (dot) com and cc Ruth at ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Midnight on Thursday. The roundup will be posted next Friday, February 25th, right here at The Seventh Level of Boredom.

Some of the rules for participating in this event:

• Cook a dish that includes PASTA.

• Blog about it with a link back to THIS post and to PRESTO PASTA NIGHTS. Use of logo is optional.

• Email your entries to: bethanneleach (at) gmail (dot) com and cc to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com & include:

          ~Your name & the name of your blog

          ~The name of your dish & the permalink to your post

          ~Attach a photo or I will pull one from your post to include in the roundup

          ~in your email, use the subject line: PPN #202 submission

If you have any questions at all, please email me and I'll be happy to answer them for you!

And last, but not least, don’t worry if you can’t decide which recipe to make – NEXT week is the big Fourth Birthday Bash over at Presto Pasta Nights and the special roundup will be hosted by Ruth at her own blog, Once Upon a Feast. We are hoping that next week’s roundup will be extra special (and BIG!) so please join us next week as well.

Now, you have your mission.....get cooking!

Creamy Orzo with Peas for Presto Pasta Nights

I have been cooking with Giada DeLaurentiis for years, but until recently, I don’t think I realized how I seem to gravitate to her simple, yes tasty, pasta recipes. First I posted her Sciue Sciue, and now I am about to present her Creamy Orzo with Peas.

I simply adore Orzo. It is one of my favorite pasta shapes. And, as with Sciue Sciue, it is supremely simple to make. This works wonderfully as a side dish for a crowd, or with chicken or shrimp added for a satisfying main dish. Today it was perfect with just a few knots of the Prosciutto Americano that Ginny brought me.

Creamy Orzo with Peas

1 pound orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, juices drained (I use Crushed Fire-roasted tomatoes for more flavor, and do not drain the liquid off)

1 1/4 cups whipping cream

1 cup frozen peas, thawed
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a heavy large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic, and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cream and peas. Add the orzo and toss to coat. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the Parmesan to the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Stir the pasta mixture until the sauce coats the pasta thickly, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to maintain a creamy consistency. Season the orzo with salt and pepper, and serve.

This is my submission for Presto Pasta Nights, which will be hosted by Jen over at Tastes of Home next Friday!

Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese

Flipping through the latest edition of Bon Appetit after it made its appearance in my mailbox, the first recipe that grabbed my attention was the Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese. There wasn’t even a photo to suck me in, and still it got my attention. Trust me when I say that is unusual. I rarely make a recipe that doesn’t have a picture to inspire me. I was excited when I saw this one, though, as I knew that I had just seen fresh poblanos at the local trading post (aka, Walmart. The only store we have other than the mom-and-pop grocery I prefer to frequent.). So the very next day I acquired the lovely chiles and set to work.

If you want to make this a quicker dish to prepare, char and prep the chiles the day before to save yourself the during the week.

Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese
Bon Appetit December 2010

1 whole fresh poblano chile, plus ¼ cup chopped fresh poblano chile
1 TB corn oil
¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
¼ cup chopped red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup fresh corn kernels or froze, thawed
¾ cup whipping cream
2 cups freshly cooked macaroni (about 2/3 cup dried)
½ cup grated hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese

Char whole chile directly over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Transfer to paper bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel, seed, and coarsely chop chile. Transfer to processor; puree until smooth.

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ¼ cup chopped chile, bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add corn; stir 1 minute. Add cream and chile puree; bring to a boil. Add macaroni and cheese; stir until cheese melts and mixture is heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

**NOTES: Instead of pureeing part of the chile and reserving some of it, I finely chopped two whole roasted poblanos and added it all to the skillet with the other veggies. I liked the veggies a little chunkier and more substantial.

The result? This macaroni was rich and satisfying with just the right touch of heat. I was absolutely certain my husband would love this dish, as everything ingredient was something he likes. Unfortunately, he tried, but rejected it as “too peppery”. In man-speak, I believe that means I should have pureed the chiles after all, because GOD FORBID he bite into an actual chunk of vegetable...

Oh well – more for me! I know what I’m having for lunch today. I absolutely loved this recipe, and in spite of my finicky husband, I will be making this again.

This is my submission to Presto Pasta Nights, which is being hosted by Rachel over at The Crispy Cook this week!

Zuppa Stracciatella

I do so love Potluck week over at I Heart Cooking Clubs. It always gives me the opportunity to post the recipes that I intended to make during the month, for other themes, and then had the month get away from me before I got them posted. Last week, I had my dish carefully planned out. I've been in the mood for soup, and Giada's Zuppa Stracciatella is a wonderful "Fall Favorite" for me.

Naturally, the days slipped by all too quickly until I suddenly realized that it was Friday, and I was out of the game once again.

Well, that's not stopping me this week! The temperature started bottoming out last night on my way home form work and the first thing on my mind when I got home was soup. This one is so easy to throw together, I can make a batch almost any night of the week, tweaking the recipe based on what I have available at the time. This week I was fresh out of parsley and basil, but I had a bag of gorgeous prosciutto tortellini from a recent trip to The Hill, which I threw in after the eggs cooked.

The idea of this soup isn't uniquely Italian. It is really no more than another version of egg drop soup with an Italian twist. And I love egg drop soup. For the one, the eggs are mixed with Parmesan cheese to thicken the ribbons of cooked egg in the soup. For some reason, mine didn't string out the way they usually do into savory threads (maybe I added too much cheese this time), but that didn't stop them from tasting delicious.

Put a few slices of artisan salume and a mix of marinated olives on the side and you have one fabulous fall meal.

This is my submission to this week's "Potluck" at I Heart Cooking Clubs as well as Presto Pasta Nights, being hosted by Oh Taste N See this week.

Zuppa Stracciatella
6 cups good quality chicken broth or stock
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp grated Parmesan
fresh Italian parsley and basil
1 cup baby spinach, cut in thin strips

In a large saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Meanwhile, mix the cheese, parsley and basil with the beaten eggs. Stirring quickly in a clockwise motion, gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the hot stock, creating thready strips. Season the soup with salt and pepper.
For my variation, I added in a cup of  some lovely prosciutto tortellini and cooked it until the pasta was al dente and hot throughout.
Toss the spinach in just before serving so it doesn't lose its fresh green color.

Serve immediately.

Kid at Heart – Giada’s Sciue Sciue

Our theme over at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week is “Kid at Heart”. When I first started thinking about what I wanted to make, I was steering toward chocolate and other sweets. But then...I remembered.

When I was a kid, I did not care for chocolate. I know....I was a strange little child. And its not like I wouldn’t eat chocolate or didn’t enjoy candy, but it was never the first thing I was drawn to as a kid. (My mom is sitting in her chair, nodding her head and thinking that I was switched at birth.)

Here’s how it would go down at my kitchen table. We’d eat supper. Usually something like a pork roast or spaghetti. Always with a vegetable (or two) on the side; salad and peas, maybe corn.... We didn’t have dessert every night, but it wasn’t unusual, either. But, I digress. We would finish eating supper and move on to dessert...and my Mom and Dad and sister would all move on to the sweet stuff.... and I would reach for the bowl with the rest of the peas in it...or another helping of spaghetti....

My mother sometimes wonders how she gave birth to me.

So, naturally, when I was reminiscing about my childhood dinner table, it occurs to me that the kid inside me wouldn’t automatically pick Giada’s Chocolate Pizza....no. She would ask for pasta. And not just any pasta, not when Giada is in the kitchen with me.

Its gotta be Sciue Sciue.

(Now my mother is truly confused)

This is not a dish I had growing up, but I discovered it years ago when I first became entranced by Everyday Italian. One of the simplest pasta dishes ever, and made with kids in mind (well, except maybe my completely irreverent picky eater of a son) using pastina; any little short cut pasta you have, but in my case, Ditalini.

This is the first pasta dish I ever served to my Little Man. And he loved it (you know, until he was introduced to the Blue Box and its neon orange contents, and never turned back).

And so, for the kid in my heart...and the child OF my heart....Giada’s Sciue Sciue pasta. A quick, light yet hearty, and flavorful bowl of goodness that I can throw together almost any night of the week, just from my fridge and pantry. It just doesn’t get much better than that.

This is my submission for I Heart Cooking Clubs this week, as well as for Presto Pasta Nights.

REMINDER! Don’t forget that you have until November 19 (That’s only a week away, folks!) to submit your dishes to The Bacon Games!

Giada’s Sciue Sciue (Little Thimbles)

1 1/2 cups ditalini (thimble-shaped pasta)
1/4 cup olive oil (I just used a couple of tablespoons. No need to go overboard)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (I add some minced onion or shallot)
5 plum tomatoes, chopped (about 1 pound – I used a container of lovely little grape tomatoes)
8 ounces cold fresh mozzarella cheese, drained, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8 large fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped (straight from my freezer!)

1 Boil up a large saucepan of salted water. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still al dente (firm to the bite), stirring often to prevent sticking. This takes about 8 minutes. Drain.

2 Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Be careful not to burn.

3 Add the tomatoes and saute just until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the cooked, drained pasta.

4 Remove skillet from heat. Add the cheese and basil and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt.

**Notes: when I make this, just after sautéing the tomatoes, I add about a half a cup of white wine to the pan and let it cook down a bit. This is best served straight from the pan while the cheese still has some body to it. I made this last night while Daddy was out hunting, and put the leftovers in the fridge for another use. This weekend Ginny is coming out for our annual Holiday Candy making fest, and the rest of this pasta will make a fabulous frittata for breakfast Saturday morning! Stay tuned for that post!

Mixing it Up - Bittman Style!

Even as much as I adore grilling in the summer, I still manage to get in a rut for ideas on what to make. I mean, really, how many different ways can you grill a chicken breast, right? I do love the larger cuts like brisket and ribs, and so forth, but those time-consuming items are reserved for Sundays when time is generally not a concern.

So, when I was making my grocery list last week, as usual, I asked the hubs if he had any suggestions. And, as usual, I got bupkus for a response. So, I fell into my usual routine of browsing the local grocer’s meat case, appealing to it to produce something new and attractive. On this occasion, I did actually find a small bit of inspiration. Nothing dramatic, but for some reason there was a glut of various sausages available during my weekly visit.

I grabbed up a package of Garlic Italian, one of Andouille, and a third of a local Bockwurst. Can you say “mixed grill”? I knew you could. I froze half of it for another day, and we grilled the three sausages, plus some sweet corn and farmers market asparagus for a nice, easy weeknight meal.
Pretty, no?

So here’s the twist. I was searching for a dish to make for I Heart Cooking Clubs this week (this being our monthly ‘Pot Luck’ theme) and was inspired yet again when I ran across Mark Bittman’s recipe for Asparagus Pesto.

Asparagus. Pesto. Yum! I love pesto. I love asparagus. I never would have dreamed to put the two together even though I have made a number of variations on pesto in the past.

Bittman’s recipe calls for boiling a pound of asparagus until tender but not mushy. Well, I had used up all my nice asparagus on the grill (and, in a skillet, when the propane bottle ran out halfway through the cooking process) the night before (and anyway, I’m not a fan of boiling vegetables) so I ran to the Wednesday night farmer’s market hoping to purchase another bundle.

Um, no. Its gone. Apparently the season is really over. So sad. But, undeterred, I had a brainstorm. I had the leftover asparagus in the fridge....and I had made quite a bit of it, so there was plenty for a half batch of Bittman’s pesto. Which is more than enough for me for dinner.

Excited, I ran home (ok, yes, I drove) got the food processor out (lucky me, it was still out from being used for something yet to be posted, and had been washed) and started chucking ingredients in the bowl.

Pestos are so easy, people. Really. I mean, its an herb or vegetable, oil, nuts, cheese, and maybe some acid. No recipe required (although I will post Bittman’s below, just for reference) just keep adding until it looks right.

Start with something green, in this case, about a half pound of leftover grilled/sautéed asparagus.
Toss in a handful of pine nuts (or almonds, hazelnuts, etc. Preferably toasted, but I was lazy last night and just tossed them right in).
Add a handful of grated parmesan.
(Normally I add garlic, but I was afraid in this case it would overwhelm the flavor of the asparagus, so I skipped it.)
Salt and pepper.
A good squeeze of lemon juice (about a half a lemon).
Put the top on the mixer, press ‘ON’, and drizzle olive oil through the top until the mixture forms a nice smooth paste.
My one tip is start small on the other ingredients, as you want your asparagus to be the center of attention. If you add too much cheese, and you are out of asparagus, you’re also out of luck, so add a little at a time if you’re a novice pesto maker.

And....PESTO!Lovely, lovely....now. What to do with it? I thought smearing it on crusty bread would be nice...if I had some. Which I didn’t. Crackers? Yeah, the saltines in my pantry weren’t exactly worthy of such a topping. A layer on a nice Panini with mozzarella and ham would be delish. I had the ham and cheese...again, no bread.

PASTA! I am usually hesitant to make a pesto pasta because it seems like the pesto just disappears on the noodles and becomes too subtle. This asparagus pesto was springy and pungent and I didn’t want to give up the lovely chunkiness of it. So what do I do? Make orzo.

Yep, I boiled up about a cup of orzo, and just mixed enough of it into the pesto to get the consistency I wanted, and VOILA! Fabulous. A lovely summertime dinner I couldn’t wait to dig my spoon into. This turned out so creamy and luscious, it wasn’t much different than a risotto in texture.The whole thing went together in about 15 minutes since I used leftover asparagus and I scarfed it down just as fast.

Thanks again, Mark Bittman, for a fabulous idea! I usually only cook as much asparagus as I intend to eat for that meal, but I’ll be grilling extra from now on, just so I can make pesto with the leftovers! This is my submission for I Heart Cooking Clubs and Presto Pasta Nights (check for the roundup later this week at http://www.kirstenlindquist.blogspot.com/) this week!

Now, here’s the original recipe:
Asparagus Pesto
Kosher salt
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch segments
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts
1/4 cup olive oil, or more as desired
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook until tender but not mushy, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well and shock with ice water to stop the cooking. Reserve some of the cooking liquid.
Transfer the cooled asparagus pieces to a food processor and add the garlic, hazelnuts, 2 tablespoons of the oil, Parmesan, a pinch of salt and a couple of tablespoons of the cooking liquid.
Process the mixture, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container if necessary, and gradually add the remaining oil and a bit more of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten if necessary. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste, pulse one last time to finish mixing.
Serve over pasta, fish or chicken. Top with chopped hazelnuts and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups of pesto. Keeps, covered and refrigerated for a day or two.

Beef and Noodles

This recipe is yet another in my long list of "husband-friendly" foods. In my former life, I worked at a bar/restaurant and one of the weekly lunch specials was beef and noodles. Since moving to Illinois, there are two old favorites from back then that I have yet to find on a local restaurant menu; Open Faced Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches, and Beef and Noodles. I wish I could say I had the recipe for the version we served at my former place of employment (because they were soooo darn tasty!), but this one will have to do. And it does! Another easy weeknight meal with only a few ingredients and minimum effort.

I am submitting this for my entry to Presto Pasta Nights this week. Check out the roundup on Friday over at Family, Friends & Food.

Beef and Noodles

1 beef roast (I prefer Sirloin roast) about 3 pounds

1 package Reames egg noodles

salt and pepper

Liberally salt and pepper the roast and place it in the crock pot.Fill with water, almost to the top of the roast.

Let cook on LOW about 8 hours, or until it falls apart like this:Then remove the beef to a plate and pour all the cooking juices into a large pot or dutch oven. Bring it to a boil. When boiling, add the noodles, and cook until tender. Do not let all the liquid cook out of it. If it starts to get too thick, add some water or beef stock.Meanwhile, shred the beef into small chunks, removing any leftover stringy bits or fat. Add the beef back into the pot.

Stir together and heat through. Serve with buttered bread and you'll have one happy man at your table.

Stuffed Shells, Revisited for Presto Pasta Night!

This is hardly the first time I have made stuffed shells…..heck, its not even the first time I’ve blogged about it! But, that was before I found Presto Pasta Nights, so since I served this dish for my husband again last night, I thought it merited another look. I even took new pictures!

Check this out on Presto Pasta Nights over at Teczsape this Friday!

World's Easiest Stuffed Shells
1 1/4 pounds Italian sausage
1 8 ounce package cream cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg
24 - 30 jumbo shells
1 jar pasta sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella
Brown the Italian sausage in a skillet and drain off the fat.
Take off the heat and add the cream cheese, stirring until all the meat is coated.
Mix in the Parmesan cheese.
Add the egg and mix well. (all of this can be done a day or two ahead if you are pressed for time in the evenings like I am)
Preheat oven to 350.
While the meat is browning, cook the shells in boiling water until just pliable. DO NOT cook all the way through, as these will continue to cook in the oven.
Pour a thin layer of pasta sauce in the bottom of your baking dish (9x13, round casserole, whatever you have in that size range. I've also used 2 pie plates in a pinch).
Drain the shells and allow to cool just enough so they can be handled.
Using a spoon, scoop the meat mixture into the shells. They do not need to be super-full, a good spoon full will do. Place the filled shells on the pasta sauce and repeat until all shells and meat are used. Drizzle the rest of the pasta sauce over the shells and top with the mozzarella. Cover the dish with foil and bake about 30 minutes or until bubbly.