VIDEO POST! Flexitarian Pasta Bakes

Well I am not really one for following directions so here is a bonus video from my experiment this weekend. I was asked to make a short (<5 min) video that featured Newman's Own products in a quick recipe (<30 min) and what did I do? Well I picked a recipe that had to cook in the oven after you prepped 4 or 5 different ingredients.... and I took over 10 min explaining it!  I was able to trim it down a little and I must say that they were absolutely delicious. While I don't think that I can call it a quick dinner for after work definitely find the time to make these individual pasta bakes. They freeze wonderfully and are perfect to have on hand when you want something homemade but don't have the time to make it right now.

Dinners like this are a favorite in my house because while we eat meat (or rather everything) we have lots of vegetarian friends.... so I try to make food that is adaptable to different eaters. This is the perfect dish to make double of and save one for a "rainy" day. Oh and for the record it should take you about 20 min to prep all the ingredients and then you just need to let them bake for about 20-30 min so dinner will be on the table in less than an hour!

Click the link to get the full ingredient and recipe

Carrot and Squash Soup - Thanksgiving Recycle!

We had over quite a group for Christma-Channuk-Thanksgiving-mas. Twelve people for a sit down dinner which was our largest crowd ever. It was so much fun and we really enjoyed having all of our friends over. This year I tried more than ever to have the left overs from dinner go home with my guests as I usually need a break after prepping for a big party. But I was left with a few of the baby squash and it was an east decision to make a delicious soup in time for the cold front that moved in.

Baby Squash and Carrot Soup
1 c maple glazed carrots     (I also add a tiny splash of aged balsamic vinegar to the glaze)
6 roasted baby squash halves - skin removed (split in half, cover with olive oil and savory herbs and roast at 350F for 45 min)
2 c milk 2%
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp all spice
1 tsp cinnamon
salt & pepper
special equipment: immersion blender

1) In a large pan, heat the milk over a medium flame.
2) Add the squash pulp and carrots and let come to a simmer
3) CAREFULLY! Remove from heat and blend till smooth
4) Add seasoning

I also recycled my stuffing into croutons by spreading it out onto a cookie sheet and baking at 350F for 15 min
Stuffing:
1 loaf brioche loaf - cut into 1" cubes, covered in olive oil and toasted for 15 min
4 tbsp butter - melted
1 c carrots - sliced
1 c onion - diced
1 c red bell pepper - diced
2 c mushrooms - chopped1 tbsp fresh sage - minced
4 cloves garlic - minced
3 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
1 c walnuts
1 c vegetable broth (or chicken broth)

1) In a pan with some oil, saute the onions, peppers and carrots until soft.
2) add mushrooms and allow all moisture to evaporate
3) In a large bowl - mix together melted butter, bread cubes, vegetable mix, herbs and walnuts
4) Place in a large buttered casserole dish and add broth
5) Cover with foil and place in oven 350F for 35 -40 min - remove foil for last 10 min or so to brown top

6/14/10 - After the party: Crudite Plate into Chicken Stir-Fry

There are some parties where all you have the next morning is a splitting head-ache but others leave you with something a bit more enjoyable...leftovers! I usually don't enjoy having to eat the same meal over and over but in certain circumstances there is nothing out there that I am more thankful for. My latest party, a "Big Frickkin' Quarter Century hoe.down" for my friend Mary, was so much fun to plan and even more fun to attend. All of our friends decided to dress up in their best country bumpkin outfit and many came in full character. The next morning, after some advil and a few glasses of water, I went to assess the damage... not too bad!

While most of the food was down to the last scraps there was one thing that was pretty much untouched....the veggie plate! Apparently some of the other dishes were more interesting than my crudites plate. This was an easy recycling job. Since the veggies were already washed and cut, I was already halfway to a stir-fry. A bit of marinaded chicken cut into cubes and some brown rice finished this meal off. The Daily Special on FoodBuzz is another important ingredient in a good stir-fry...fresh oil. Use a cooking oil can like this to pour out a small amount of oil to keep convenient while you store the larger container out of direct light and heat will make sure you never have to deal with stinky bad oil again .

Check out the full menu from the party

5/20/10 - Pork Pizzaiola with a Portabello mushroom cap

While supermarket produce has really improved, the time and transportation needed to get it from the farms to our stores prevents truly ripe products from being picked in most cases (because they are too easily bruised/ rot). When we buy from the farmers market, you are usually guaranteed a very fresh and ripe product that is just bursting with flavor. I never really considered mushrooms something that was very flavorful but once I tried these giant portobello caps from Bulich Mushrooms at the Greenmarket I was surprised! Mushrooms can have a taste! This dinner was quick and made good use of some left over pasta sauce that I had defrosted for some raviolis earlier in the week.

Pork Pizzaiola topped with mushroom cap
2 boneless pork tenderloins - sliced
1/2 onion- diced
1/2 green bell pepper - diced
2 cloves of garlic - smashed and diced
1 tbsp oil
2 c pasta sauce
2 tbsp fresh basil - chopped
4 tbsp grated cheese

4 portobello mushroom caps
1 tsp olive oil

1)  In a large pan, heat the oil and add the crushed garlic
2) Add the sliced pork, and saute until browned
3) Add the peppers and onions, combine and let soften
4) Stir in the pasta sauce to coat - cover and allow to simmer for 5 min
5) On a heated grill pan, place mushrooms coated in olive oil (cap side up)
6) Once they are softened removed and plate one mushroom with each serving
7) Top with basil and cheese

3/4/10 - Left Over Chicken Soup...recycling in the kitchen

Since I had a party on Saturday night I wasn't up to roasting my usual Sunday afternoon chicken (in fact I wasn't even up for most of the day!) so I didn't have chicken stock on hand for my usual weekly soup. Soup is one of my favorite meals - honestly I could eat it every day (and I usually do have a bowl at lunch most days) so I had to resort to some boxes of stock that I had been saving up when they go on sale (4 /$10 for the organic chicken at stew leonards). While the broth wasn't its usual flavorful self I did have plenty of left over veggies and appetizers that were perfect for making this soup more than just your average chicken soup.

I started with the left overs from my crudites plate - carrots, celery and red peppers and I added in some onion. Then I went to my hot appetizers and used the mini meatballs (both the chipotle and the moroccan) as well as the cheese wontons as my pasta. While each had its own unique taste when it was served on its own, together they blended together and complemented the dish nicely. I threw in a few more veggies (mushrooms and spinach) and a touch of grated cheese to pull it all together.