Green Salad, Easy Focccia, and Garden Pasta

Fresh and Easy Spring Dinner

This is a nice, fresh weeknight dinner we pulled together.  The great thing about this pasta sauce is that it works well with a variety of vegetables.  The trick to this type of meal is timing.  Make the Salad Dressing first as it takes time for the flavors to blend.  You can chop all the vegetables before you start cooking, make the salad while the sauce is simmering, and place the Foccacia in the oven when you add the pasta to the water.  Cover the pasta while you eat the salad - it will stay warm.  The Foccacia goes well with the salad and pasta.

Green Salad

1 head of Romaine Lettuce, washed and cut horizontally

3 ribs Celery, sliced

2 Carrots, peeled and sliced

5 Green Onions, sliced

We served it with Creamy Cracked Pepper dressing, but it would work with any kind you like.

Easy Foccacia

1 Tube Pillsbury Pizza Crust

Sprinkle with: Salt, Italian Herbs, and shredded cheese - we used a 4-cheese Italian blend

Drizzle with Olive Oil

Bake at 400 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (keeps it from sticking & makes clean-up easy!).  Cut with a pizza cutter into desired number, and size, of pieces.  Serve warm.

Garden Pasta

This recipe works well with all kinds of vegetables and we rarely make it the same way twice.  The eggplant is the main foundation.

1 pound of any shape pasta you like - boiled according to directions.  For this dish, I used Barilla's Gemelli (which means "twins" in Italian).

In a Dutch oven, saute for about 5 minutes:

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 tsp minced garlic (I use the kind in a jar!)

Stir in:

2 medium Eggplant, peeled, diced, and sprinkled with salt (this extracts some of the excess liquid, and reduces any possible bitterness)

Cover and cook until soft, stirring occasionally - about 15 minutes.

Add:
4 small Zucchini, sliced
6 medium Tomatoes, diced
2 tsp dried Basil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Continue to cover and cook, stirring occasionally for about another 15 minutes.  When adding to pasta, I normally alternate layers of sauce and pasta to make blending easier and more thorough.

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I couldn't decide whether to show the pasta with, or without, cheese, so I'm showing you both! 

Buon Appetito!

Baked Chicken, Risotto Primavera, and Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Filling

"Cooking requires confident guesswork and improvisation-- experimentation and substitution, dealing with failure and uncertainty in a creative way"
— Paul Theroux

Baked Chicken

2 Chicken Breasts

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Pepper

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 1/2 cups Progresso Italian Breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Clean and rinse chicken breasts.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder all over.  Pour olive oil into a rimmed plate.  And pour breadcrumbs into another rimmed plate.  Drench each chicken breast in oilve oil, then roll in breadcrumbs.  Place in a baking pan and bake for 30 minutes.

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Risotto Primavera

Risotto makes my list of "Perfect Foods."  It is a terrific base for so many ingredients.  This version would be wonderful with shrimp added.

2 Tablespoons Butter

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1/2 White Onion, minced

1 teaspon minced garlic

1/2 cup Arborio Rice
1/2 cup Orzo (tiny rice-shaped pasta)

2 cans Chicken Broth (we used Swanson's)

Salt  (make sure you taste it, because you may not need any with the broth reduction)

Pepper

1 187 ml bottle white wine (or 1 cup)

2 zucchini cut into matchstick pieces

3 carrots, julienned

1/2 cup canned corn

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 tsp Bouquet Garni

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a large saucepan.  Add olive oil, onions, and garlic - sautee until onions are soft.  Add rice and orzo; stir until lightly browned. Pour in 1/2 can of chicken broth, stirring frequently until almost completely absorbed (but not dry).  Repeat this process three more times.  Pour in wine, and add all vegetables and spices.  Continue to stir until risotto reaches desired consistency, then stir in cheese.

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Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Filling

We used to go to a restaurant in Ventura called "Cooke's Smokehouse" where the husband smoked meats and his wife made incredible cakes and cupcakes.  Our regular favorite was the lemon cake, but one summer, she made a strawberry-filled chocolate cake that we never forgot.  Unfortunately, the restaurant is now closed, so John & I tried to recreated it.  Here is the result...

I used Mary Englebreit's "Best All-American Chocolate Cake" recipe on page 82 of her "Sweet Treats Dessert Cookbook" and her "Chocolate Frosting" recipe on page 67.  The cake is wonderful - it is made with sour cream which adds richness and a slight tang.  The frosting is made like, and tastes like chocolate ganache which is all the frosting this cake needs.

A word about cake baking...I use round cake pans with removable bottoms and line them with pre-cut parchment paper.  And, a trick I learned from Dorrie Greenspan is to place the cake pans on air cushion cookie sheets while baking to help them bake evenly.  I'd also like to say that cake mixes have come a long way.  If you are pressed for time, use a cake mix, but make homemade frosting.

Strawberry Sauce

2 pints Strawberries, cleaned and sliced

1 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 teaspoons Arrowroot (you can use Corn Starch instead)

1 cup warm water

Place strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in medium saucepan.  Dissolve arrowroot in warm water, then add to rest of ingredients in pan.  Stir occasionally until sauce starts to thicken (this could take about 15 minutes).  Mash some of the strawberries with a potato masher.  Cool sauce throughly - it will continue to thicken as it cools (you can speed the process up a bit by pouring into a bowl and placing in the refrigerator.  This produced far more than we needed, so we saved the rest to use on pancakes.

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Place one layer of cake on a plate, cover with strawberry sauce to within 1/2 inch of the edge.  Place second layer on top.  Cover top and sides with chocolate frosting. 

Enjoy!

Grandma Irene’s

Coconut and Walnut Cookies

For me, these cookies evoke memories of childhood. This recipe has been handed down from mother to daughter in my family for 4 generations. They are soft and chewy with a nice crunch.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp Penzeys vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup coconut
• ½ cup walnuts

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Cream shortening and sugar in a stand-mixer. Add eggs and vanilla, and mix until well-blended. Add dry ingredients, mixing until incorporated. Stir coconut and walnuts.

Drop by tablespoons, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes until lightly browned. The cookies will be soft.

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Shredded Pork Burritos

"The most indispensable ingredient of all good home cooking: love, for those you are cooking for." 

~ Sophia Loren

Shredded Pork Burritos

Burritos are one of the perfect foods.  They are warm, and filled with all kinds of good stuff.  When served at home, they are even better, because everyone can fix them exactly the way they like.  This version is easy and delicious!  We made them for my brother and sister-in-law for a nice, relaxing Sunday family dinner.

Shredded Pork

Coat a 2 - 3 lb boneless pork loin (or tenderloin) with salt and pepper. 


Place in a crock pot and cover with:
1 cup of salsa - we used Santa Barbara Roasted Garlic Salsa
1 small can of chopped green chiles


Cover and set crock pot for low heat for 8 hours.

After fully cooked, remove pork loin from crock pot, cut into about 4 pieces width-wise, and shred with a large meat fork. 


Return shreded meat to crock pot, stir in sauce, and keep warm.

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Mexican Rice

1 10-oz can Ro-Tel

1 1/2 cans Rice

1 cup Rice

Add Ro-Tel and water to medium sauce pan, and bring to a boil.  Stir in rice, and return to boil.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Let sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

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Guacamole

There are so many versions of Guacamole, but this my quick and easy recipe.  Its great with tortilla chips, or to scoop into your burrito!

4 ripe medium avocados

1/4 cup salsa

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp Garlic Salt

Juice of 1/2 fresh lime (this not only adds great, fresh flavor, but keeps the guacamole from browning)

Peel the avocados, and remove the seeds. 
Add all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, and smash with a pastry cutter, or potato masher, until well blended. 
Taste, and adjust seasoning to your preference. 
Don't over-salt as most tortilla chils are sprinkled with salt already.

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The Fixings

• Refried Beans topped with shredded cheddar cheese and baked in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  
• Flour or corn tortillas - any size.  We used burrito-size flour tortillas.  Wrap in foil, and heat in the oven for about 15 minutes.
• Shredded cabbage - you can find this in the produce aisle, probably labeled for cole slaw.  We find that it's crunchier, and holds up to the heat of the other items better than shredded lettuce.
• Shredded cheese - you can use any kind you like.  A lot of stores have recently packaged a Mexican blend.
• Salsa
• Sour Cream

Place everything you like in the middle of the tortilla, fold up from the bottom, then fold each side into the middle.  Burritos are traditionally picked up and eaten with your hads, but if you over-stuff them, they are easier to eat with a knife and fork!

However you fix them, enjoy your unique creation - just the way you like it!

  

Baked Potatoes, Steak au Poivre, Roasted Asparagus, & Caramel Oranges

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. ~Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, MyOwn Story

Tonight, we started our evening with a glass of 2008 Eberle Muscat Canelli that was a gift from my brother and sister-in-law.  Having just watched "The Lightining Thief," I thought it tasted like the nectar of the gods! 

The interesting thing about Pepper Steak is that it seems like a realy gourmet treat, but it's not difficult to make - that's why it's a staple at French bistros.  Last time, John used the "Steak au Poivre" recipe from "The All New Good Housekeeping Cookbook," page 108.  Both were wonderful.  The major difference being Julia Child uses butter and shallots in the sauce, and Good Housekeeping uses white wine and cream.  John said the Julia Child recipe is more authentic and what he remembers eating in France.  I like them both, but volunteered to have a tasting contest!  This is my mother's favorite dish, so I'm sure she'd volunteer to help me.

For dessert, we made "Carmel Syrup Over Oranges" (page 110) from Mary Engelbreit's "'Tis the Season Holiday Cookbook."  We first had these oranges in Genova at "I Tre Merli" (The Three Blackbirds).  I had never had anything like them, so wrote to "Bon Appetit" magazine's "R.S.V.P" column asking for the recipe.  I never heard from them...so imagine my surprise when I came across this recipe in a cookbook that was sitting on my shelf the whole time!  It's hard to describe how good these are.  You slice oranges (in this case, my friend Mary, gave me a bagful from her garden), pour Grand Marinier over them, then make a simple caramel sauce, adding orange juice at the last minute.  In Genova, these were made to order and served warm.  Mary Englebreit recommends serving them chilled - they are great either way.  They would be wonderful on pancakes or French toast for a decadent brunch dish.

Buon Appetito!

Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry

Once again, this is one of John's creations and I had to write everything down as he was doing it!  I chopped the vegetables, and he did all the rest. 

This recipe is especially for my brother who wants John to teach him to make Chinese food.  The best thing about this recipe is how amazingly versatile it is.  We have made it with a variety of vegetables, and it's easier to slice the chicken when it's partially frozen. 

This makes it perfect for unexpected company, of if you ran out the door to work and forgot to thaw something out for dinner!

Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry

Prepare rice according to package directions. We like brown rice because it has more texture and flavor, but white rice is great as well.

2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced thinly across the grain

Sprinkle with:  Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder

Marinate in:  2 Tbsp Soy Sauce and 2 Tbsp Dry White Sherry

In a measuring cup, combine:

1 cup Chicken Broth

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Dry White Sherry

A few drops of Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 tsp Sugar

In a small bowl, combine:

2 tsp Corn Starch

1/2 Cup Water

Assortment of chopped Vegetables. 

Tonight, we used:

1 lb. Fresh English Peas, shucked

5 ribs Celery, cut diagonally

5 Carrots, peeled and julienned
4 Mexican Onions, cut into 1" pieces, then halved (you can use a bunch of Green Onions cut the same way, or a medium onion cut into eighths)

Heat 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil in a wok, or deep skillet.  Add chicken, stirring until white all the way through.  Remove from wok and place in a clean bowl.  Wipe out wok with a paper towel.

Put wok back on burner and add another Tbsp of Vegetable Oil.  When oil is hot, add vegetables, stirring until carrots and celery are slightly cruchy.  Add chicken back in, and drizzle with chicken broth mixture until everything is well-coated.  Then stir in corn starch mixture stirring until sauce thckens.

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Penne with Quick Bolognese Sauce & Dinner Salad

"Cooking requires confident guesswork and improvisation-- experimentation and substitution, dealing with failure and uncertainty in a creative way"

— Paul Theroux

I think Giada de Laurentiis has done for Italian cooking what Julia Child did for French cuisine - she brought it right into our homes in ways we can understand and replicate.  I lived in Italy from the time I was 9 until I was 16, returned for a semester my sophomore year with the University of Dallas, and have returned many times since.  The freshness of the food and the quality of the flavors is always noticeable from the simplest to the most complex dishes.


Pasta is a particular favorite comfort food.  Although I modified Giada'a basic recipe for "Simple Bolognese," (Everyday Italian, pg 64), I wanted to acknowledge her.

Quick Bolognese Sauce

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1 Medium Onion, minced

2 Cloves Garlic, minced (I use the kind in a jar!)

1 Celery Stalk, minced

1 Carrot, peeled & minced

1 lb low-fat Ground Beef

1-28oz Can Crushed Tomatoes (real Italian tomatoes are best, but if they're not available, use Progresso)

1-187 ml bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon (or 1 Cup hearty red wine)

2 tsp dried Basil

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp ground Pepper

1/4 cup cream

In a Dutch oven, sautee onions, garlic, cellery, and carrots in olive oil.  Add ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, stirring until browned throughout.  Pour in wine, and boil until wine reduces and no longer smells like alcohol.  Add tomatoes and seasonings.  Continue cooking at medium heat, stirring frequently, for half an hour.  Turn off heat, and stir in cream.

I served this sauce over 1 lb. of penne, cooked according to package directions.  Add 1 tsp salt and 1 Tbsp olive oil to water.  The oil keeps it from sticking together.

This sauce is wonderful with any kind of pasta, including ravioli, and can even be used for lasagna.

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Dinner Salad with Lemon Olive Oil Dressing

The great thing about salad is you can add whatever you like.  Our standard salad is:

Fresh Spring Greens

2 Carrots, peeled and sliced

2 ribs Celery, sliced

2 Mexican onions, sliced (I'm not sure where these are available - I get them at the local Farmers' Market.  You can use green onions instead.) 

A few Cherry Tomatoes sliced in half

This salad plays well with any number of salad dressings.  We often top it with bleu cheese or roquefort and an olive oil vinaigrette.  Tonight, I made a dressing using Penzeys Country French Vinaigrette salad dressing base, lemon-scented olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.  The lemon olive oil is so light and refreshing!  It is perfect for spring and summer salads.  Another great one to try is O&Co.'s Green Lemon Olive Oil.

Just a note about really good quality olive oils:  we never cook with them, but use them in salad dressings, to dip bread, or finish soups or risottos.  There are many good California, and imported olive oils at Trader Joe's, or your local market that are great to cook with, but there are others that you don't want to alter the taste of at all.

Wine

Tonight, we had a wonderful Viognier that we bought at the Darioush winery in Napa Valley (http://www.darioush.com/).  It was amazing - very full-bodied, and a perfect complement to all the food.

Wine-Marinated Tri-tip, Iron Skillet Roasted Potatoes, Zucchini, and Coconut Tart

"Cooking should be a carefully balanced reflection of all the good things of the earth."
~ Jean & Pierre Troisgros

Wine-Marinated Tri-Tip

Tri-tip is a type of beef that originated in Santa Maria, CA.  It's great barbequed and is wonderfully versatile.  It makes great sandwiches, tacos, salads, and soups.  Tri-tip can be prepared for the grill any number of ways. 

For tonight's meal, John started last night.  He salted and peppered the meat and sprinkled it with garlic powder, then marinated it in a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon with a couple of splashes of Brandy (a trick he learned from Julia Childs' cookbook).  He added several shots of Worchestershire Sauce and a tablespoon of Herbes de Provence, then refrigerated it overnight and all day, turning it once every several hours.

Tri-tip is best slow-cooked over indirect heat on the grill.  It should be seared, then turned about every 15 minutes for 45 minutes.  You should let it rest at least 5 minutes before slicing it against the grain.

Iron Skillet Roasted Potatoes with Onions

John perfected these potatoes using a seasoned cast-iron skillet on the grill. 

1 pound assorted small white, red, and gold potatoes, quatered

1/2 half  medium onion, sliced

Place in pan and coat in olive oil

Sprinkle with Tony Chacere's Original Creole Seasoning

Place pan on the grill over a high flame, stirring potatoes every 10 minutes until they're roasted brown and the onions are carmelized. 

Zucchini with Green Onions and Parmesan Cheese

Slice 3-4 medium zucchini and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and let sit about 5 minutes.This side dish turns out great time, after time, and it complements so many dishes.

In a large skillet over medium heat, sautee:

1/4 cup Olive Oil

Prepared Zucchini

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

Stir often to cook evenly, until tender. Sprinkle with a scant teaspoon of sugar to cut the bitterness of the squash. Top with grated parmesan cheese.

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Toasted Coconut Custard Tart

From my all-time favorite cookbook, Dorie Greenspan's "Baking From My Home to Yours" (page 344)!  This tart is incredible!  It is light and flavorful, and makes a nice presentation.   The tart pastry literally flakes when you cut it with a fork.  Dark rum enhances the flavor, and takes you to the Caribbean! 

Guaranteed to Make You Feel Better Chicken Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup

Guaranteed to Make you Feel Better

In a large Dutch oven, sautee:

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
1/2 Medium Onion, diced

6 Ribs Celery, thinly sliced

6 Medium Carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

Prepare Broth:

6 Cups Boiling Water

4 - 5 teaspoons Penzeys Chicken Soup Base

When vegetables are softened (about 10 minutes), add Broth, chicken, and seasoning:

1 Tablespoon Parisienne Bonnes Herbes (Chives, Dillweed, Basil, French Tarragon, Chevril, and White Pepper)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
1/2 lb. Chicken Breast Meat

While the chicken is cooking, prepare noddles in a separate pot according to package directions:

1/2 lb. Wide Egg Noodles
Remove chicken, slice it, and return to pot.  Stir in drained noodles.  Check seasoning and adjust salt and pepper to your liking.

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I served this with biscuits.

Easter Dessert

John and I will be spending this Easter with his family, so we are only making dessert.  I wanted to share this recipe with you.  This traditional Southern dessert is good enough to eat all by itself with a cup of coffee or tea, but is even better with fresh fruit.  This recipe was given to my by an old friend, Dottie.  And I've been making it since I was in college.  It is moist and the top forms a crunchy crust that melts in your mouth.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients:
1 ½ Cups Butter, softened
8 oz. Package Cream Cheese, softened
3 Cups Sugar
6 Eggs
3 Cups Cake Flour
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
½ Teaspoon Almond Extract
Pre-heat over to 325 degrees.

Cream butter and cream cheese, gradually add sugar. Beat at medium speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour, then stir in flavorings.

Pour batter into a greased and floured (or sprayed) 10-inch tube pan.

Bake for 1 ½ hours. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove.

Serve with fresh strawberries sprinkled with Vanilla Sugar and whipped cream. 

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Wishing you all the blessings of Easter.