From The Barefoot Contessa at Home: Lemon Fusili with Arugula

I'm trying hard to start cooking again. It helps to actually go grocery shopping. I adore shopping for groceries, because after I do it, I feel SO responsible! I love unpacking our stuff and putting it away and then occasionally checking out our awesome pantry. When we first started living together 11 years ago (we've only been married for 4 years), grocery shopping was a total adventure, and we'd let each other get a random "luxury item"---and it was always something we never ate, like Hobnob cookies from the British section or Turkish Delight. I just get so inspired when I shop for food!

Anyway, today I was inspired by the sunny looking lemons, and I knew it was the day for Ina Garten's Lemon Fusilli with Arugula. I have not made this in YEARS, and I'm not sure why, because it's awesome and we both LOVE it. It makes awesome leftovers and is creamy but light---and perfect to showcase those late summer tomatoes! This is from Barefoot Contessa At Home---probably my favorite Ina Garten cookbook of all time.


Here's the recipe---

1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 cups heavy cream
3 lemons
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch broccoli
1 pound dried fusilli pasta (I used capittavi, just because I love the shape)
1/2 pound baby arugula (or 2 bunches of common arugula, leaves cut in thirds)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 60 seconds. Add the cream, the zest from 2 lemons, the juice of 2 lemons, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken.

Meanwhile, cut the broccoli in florets and discard the stem. Cook the florets in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain the broccoli and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta in a colander and place it back into the pot. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add the arugula, Parmesan, tomatoes, and cooked broccoli. Cut the last lemon in half lengthwise, slice it 1/4-inch thick crosswise, and add it to the pasta. Toss well, season to taste, and serve hot.

Black Bean Burgers

Eating clean is challenging enough without taking into consideration the needs of the two pickiest eaters in the Philadelphia area. I try to find recipes that have something for everyone (for him: not spicy at all; no eggplant; no mushrooms; no zucchini; no broccoli; no eggs; no fish... I could go on, but it's frustrating to see it all in "print". For her: no beans; no goat cheese; nothing stringy; no fish.) As you can imagine, finding a recipe that will satisfy all three of our appetites is quite time-consuming. I wish I could say that I found the holy grail with this recipe, but I didn't. The child wouldn't even try it because she knew there were black beans in it. I wasn't going to tell her, I was just going to feed it to her, but she saw me prepping the recipe. *sigh*
Anyhow, I found this to be a satisfying and delicious burger! It had a good bite, and in a sandwich prepared with a thick tomato slice, some iceberg lettuce (I know, it has no nutritional value, but I heart it in a sandwich!), a dollop (always feel like Martha when I use that word!) of light sour cream, and some homemade salsa (no spice for the husband), it was fantastic! A really good (almost vegan except for the sour cream) burger. I'm looking forward to lunch leftovers! I'll make it again for me and the husband, while I reheat a frozen Boca burger for the child.


Black Bean Burgers
(makes 6)
2 cups cooked or 1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup pain whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tsp. chile powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp. tomato paste (or ketchup) --- I used tomato paste
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro (optional) --- I used it
2 cloves garlic
1/2 small onion
About 2 tbsp. olive oil plus olive oil spray
Whole wheat buns



Mash the beans with a fork in a mixing bowl. You don't want to puree them; just get them mashed so that no whole beans are left, but you should leave some half beans.
Add the wheat gluten, bread crumbs, child powder, cumin, water, tomato paste, and cilantro if using, but don't mix yet. Use a microplane grater to the grate the garlic in. (A garlic press or very well minced garlic words, too.)Use the large holes on a box grater to grate in the onion.

Mix everything together with a fork, and then proceed to knead with your hands, until the mixture is firm and uniformly mixed (about a minute).

Preheat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Divide the burger mixture into six equal pieces. Roll each piece into a firm ball. Use your palm to press the ball down on a clean surface to form a patty that is about 1 1/2" thick. Press so that the patty is flat on both sides. Make six patties.

Pour a thin layer of olive oil into the pan. Cook the patties three at a time for five minutes on each side, gently but firmly pressing down on then with a spatula. Spray with olive oil before turning over, for uniform browning. Once cooked, the patties should be very firm when you press down on them.

Serve warm on burger buns.

Creamy Tomato Soup

For the past week or so I've been reading about "eating clean." I'm intrigued and inspired to do it. It's challenging, especially when eating out, but I've decided not to kill myself trying to do it, just to do it as best as I can. Eat clean at home, and make the best food decisions when I'm out. Fair enough.

Tonight I made Creamy Tomato Soup from Veganomicon. Yes, this is a book of vegan recipes. And don't roll your eyes. This soup is delicious. Well, at least I think so. My daughter didn't like it, and my husband declared it "OK," of course, he has a cold and can't taste anything, so his opinion has no weight. (nose in air).

I substituted yucca for the potatoes just because I wanted to. I think it may have made it too thick, and the thickness was a turnoff for the offspring.

I may make it again, just make it a bit thinner.


Creamy Tomato Soup
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped coursely
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary (crushed between fingers)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. waxy potatoes (2-4 averaged-size potatoes) peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 c. sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed!!!)
6 c. water or vegetable broth
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes (the fire-roasted are especially worth it here)
Juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste

Preheat a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper. Saute for 1 more minute, until the garlic is fragrant.

Add the potatoes and sun-dried tomatoes. Pour in the water. Cover and bring to a a boil. Once the soup is boiling, lower the heath to medium, cover, and let simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the sun-dried tomatoes are soft.

Add the crushed tomatoes and heat through. If you have an immersion blender, you're in luck! Puree the living hell out of it until it is very smooth. If you don't have one, just transfer the whole shebang to a food processor or blender, in cooled batches, then transfer back to the pot. Add the lemon juice and adjust the salt if you need to.

Serve!

Jamie's Dinners: Tagliatelle with Spinach, Marscarpone and Parmesan

I know, it's been ages since I've posted. I never do well with February, generally speaking. I just want to hole up and not speak to anyone until it's over. I want to watch bad tv and change into my pjs as soon as I come home from work. Worse yet, all I want to eat is noodles and cheese. Or not cook at all, which pretty much sums up the last few weeks. Also, I'm not sure how this happened, but we have not been to the grocery store since the middle of January. Keep your fingers crossed that I make it to March!

In anticipation of our trip yesterday, I busted out Jamie's Dinners and Bobby Flay's Throwdown so I could stock up on some ingredients. Paging through Jaime's Dinners, Tagliatelle with Spinach, Marscarpone and Parmesan caught my eye. It was delicious! Next time I might add some sauteed mushrooms and possibly some chicken.

Tagliatelle with Spinach, Marscarpone and Parmesan
Serves 4---or two with a bit extra if you only had breakfast that day. I don't judge!

1 lb tagliatte or spaghetti (I bought some fresh pasta at the store---makes a huge difference)
olive oil
2 teaspoons of butter
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced (I pressed mine)
1/2 a nutmeg, freshly grated
14 oz fresh spinach, washed and sliced (yeah---I just washed it)
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
5 oz marscarpone cheese
2 handfuls freshly grated parmesan

Jamie says:
Bring a large pan of salted water to boil, add the pasta, and cook according to instructions. Meanwhile, get a frying pan or wok warm, add a drizzle of olive oil, the butter, the garlic, and the nutmeg. When the butter melts, add the spinach. after five minutes, it will have wilted down and be nice and dark. A lot of the liquid will have cooked away and you'll have a wonderful intensely flavored spinach. At the point season with salt and petter until it tastes good, then, add the cream, marscarpone and a little ladle of the cooking water from the pasta. Let this come to a simmer then season again.

Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water, then stir it into the spinach sauce. Add the parmesan and toss everything together. Loosen to a nice silky consistency with some of the reserved cooking water, so it doesn't become too dry. Check once more for seasoning and serve straight away.

"Beef" Stew

This is the only time of year that I really miss the whole meat-eating thing. And really, it's not that miss meat, because when I think about it, it grosses me out, but I miss the flavors and textures that are often associated with meat. There are some products out there that sort of mimic the texture and flavor of meat. I hate how processed these items might be, but sometimes you have to make concessions. One of our (meaning mine and the child's) favorite meat substitutes is Gardein beefless tips.

I will post my adapted recipe and then the original recipe.

Jaime's "Beef" Stew with Barley inspired/adapted by Joy of Cooking's Beef Stew
1 bag of Gardein's beefless tips (next time I will add 2 bags)
3 carrots peeled and chopped into 1" pieces
3 potatoes peeled and chopped into 1" pieces
1/2 of a large onion
2 cloves of garlic (run through garlic press)
6 c. of water
3 vegetable boullion cubes
1/2 c. frozen corn
1/2 c. frozen peas
1 c. barley
liquid smoke (adds a good smokey flavor to "meatless meat" and many other meatless soups)
soy sauce
rosemary, thyme, sage, ground chipotle pepper, pepper (all to taste)
olive oil

• Pour olive oil into hot pot and add onion, garlic, carrots, and potatoes. Saute until onions are translucent.
• Add water and boullion cubes
• Flavor with liquid smoke and soy sauce (I don't measure, just a couple shakes of each)
• Shake in all the herbs according to your tastes (I add extra chipotle)
• Add frozen vegetables
  
• Add meatless beef tips
• Bring to boil
• Add barley and bring back to boil for 10 minutes, or until barley is tender.
• Serve; and, like most soups/stews, taste even better the next day!
  

Beef Stew (basic recipe)

Pat dry:

• 2 lbs. boneless stewing beef cut into 2" cubes

Season the meat with:

• 1/2 - 1 tsp. dried herbs (thyme, marjoram, savory, oregano, and/or basil)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Dredge the meat with:

• 1/2 c. all purpose flour

Shake off excess flour. Heat in a dutch oven over med-high heat:

• 2 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil, bacon fat, beef drippings, or other fat

Add the meat in batches & brown on all sides, being careful not to crowd the pan or scorch the meat. Remove with a slotted spoon. Pour off all but 2 tbsp. of fat from pan (add more if needed). Add:

• 1/2 c. chopped onions
• 1/4 c. carrots
• 1/4 c. chopped celery
• 1/4 c. chopped leeks (optional)

Cover and cook, stirring often, over medium heat until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add:

• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 - 1 tsp. of the same herbs used to season the meat
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Add enough to cover the meat at least halfway:

• 2-3 c beef or chicken stock, dry red or white wine, or beer

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer over low heat until the meat is fork-tender. 1 1/2-2 hours. Add:

• 2 -3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
• 3-4 boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
• 2 turnips, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
• 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1" chunks

Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 35-40 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and skim off any fat from the surface. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese

I feel kind of silly posting this recipe. It's completely basic! But, it's a recipe that I never made before in a cookbook that usually sits on or around my kitchen table because I love to read it. The cookbook has journeyed with us from duplex, to apartment, to suburban home, to city rowhome. It's my go-to book. The Joy of Cooking. This is not only a recipe book, but a book to read. I love to read about spices, or measurements, or good food combinations, etc.

Joe & I enjoyed it, Abby didn't care for it much, probably due to the breadcrumbs, or to the fact that she thinks that when I say I'm making macaroni & cheese, she's expecting to see that damn blue box. I served the mac & cheese with stewed tomatoes and altered the recipe quite a bit.

Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese
(my adaptations are in italics)

12 c. water (didn't measure)
1 tbsp. salt (a couple dashes)
8 oz. elbow macaroni (entire bag of egg noodles)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
12 oz evaporated milk (I had fat-free on hand, so that's what I used)
12 oz. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated (10 oz.)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. dry mustard dissolved in 1 tsp. water (squirt of dijon mustard)
3/4 tsp. salt (skipped)
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper (Joe won't eat anything spicy, so I just dashed in some paprika)

I also added some breadcrumbs on top. I usually don't, but I made homemade rolls last week and turned the leftovers into breadcrumbs and I wanted to use them up.

Boil water and cook pasta until tender (I slightly undercooked because I planned on baking it in oven as well.)

Drain and return to pot. Add butter, stir until well blended. Add evaporated mik, cheese, eggs, mustard, salt and red pepper and stir until smooth.

Set the pot over very low heat and, stirring constantly, bring the mixtgure to a first bubble of a simmer, 5-10 minutes. It should thicken noticeably. This may take several minutes. Increase the heath slightly if the sauce is still soupy after 5 minutes, but watch very carefully. Do not overheat, or sauce will curdle. Serve immediately. (I topped with breadcrumbs and some butter and baked for 15 minutes.)