Pumpkin Lasagne

I got a new job and will most likely have significantly less time to cook. Much like the rest of 2011 was with grad classes. I actually do get to cook but it's the blogging that is a little more time consuming.

Pumpkin Lasagne

1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. hot Italian turkey sausage
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp fennel seed
2 cups fresh pumpkin or butternut squash puree (mine had been previously frozen,but not canned because it doesn't have enough moisture)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 small can tomato paste
splash of white wine (optional)
1 bunch swiss chard, chopped into ribbons

1 package fresh lasagne pasta sheets
1 lb. grated mozzarella cheese

1 quart low fat milk
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
dash of nutmeg

In the following recipe I salted and peppered most layers of the recipe individually to taste. Add as much or as little as you personally like but taste as you go. Sausage and cheese can be very salty and varies by brand.

1. In a large skillet heat approximately one to two tsp of olive oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent.
   
2. Remove casings and add sausage to skillet. Break down with wooden spoon. Add crushed red pepper and fennel seed. Cook through.
3. Add pumpkin or squash puree and cinnamon. Heat through and add tomato paste to sauce. Add a splash of white wine and cook approximately 10 minutes until every is combined.
   
4. Add swiss chard to the sauce and stir/heat until completely combined and chard is wilted.
   
5. Add approximately 1/2 cup of low-fat milk to the sausage sauce. Mix to combine and keep heat low while you make the bechamel sauce.
   
6. In a medium saucepan melt butter.
   
7. Add flour whisking or stirring to combine to make a roux. Make sure to fully cook the flour.
8. Add the remaining milk a little at a time to make a white sauce. Season with salt, pepper, and a dash of nutmeg.
   
9. In 9x13 casserole dish coat the bottom with a few drops of olive oil.
   
10. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish. Layer in order pasta sheets (cutting to fit) sauce, bechamel, and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired for serving.
    

Fettucine Bolognese

I have made this three or four times and it is fantastic! You wouldn't know that this is Cooking Light recipe if I didn't tell you. The only problem you are going to have is stopping at the recommended amount because it is so good.

Fettucine Bolognese (adapted from Cooking Light)
Serves 8

1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1 lb. meatloaf mix (ground pork, beef, and veal)
1 cup white wine
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 bay leaf
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can tomato puree
1 cup whole milk
2 (9-ounce) packages fresh fettuccine, cooked and drained according to package
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
2. Add onion, celery, and carrot and cook 8 minutes or until onion is translucent and vegetables get a little color. Stir to avoid sticking.
   
3. Add meat to pan and cook over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble.
   
4. Add wine, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes. Add the broth, and tomato puree; bring to a simmer. Cook 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes.
6. Discard bay leaf.
7. Add pasta, and toss to coat.
   
8. Sprinkle evenly with cheese.
   

Orange-Flavored Pork and Sugar Snap Pea Stir-fry with Noodles

My freezer still has a lot of meats in it from BOGO grocery store sales. Here is some more of the pork that we bought. The sugar snap peas are from the CSA this week. I don't have much to say about this. It was good. I would make it again. I guess I'm a little sleepy. I did substitute pork for beef. Maybe it would have had more flavor with beef. Who knows!?

Orange-Flavored Pork and Sugar Snap Pea Stir-fry with Noodles
(adapted from Gourmet)

1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp soy sauce
3/4 cup beef broth
1 tsp freshly grated orange zest
9 ounces Asian egg noodles
1 1/2 tbsp peanut oil
10 oz. pork loin, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon grated fresh gingerroot
1 pint sugar snap peas

1. In a bowl dissolve cornstarch in soy sauce and stir in broth and zest.
2. In a kettle of boiling water cook noodles until tender and drain well, follow packing directions.
   
3. While noodles are cooking, in a wok heat oil over high heat until hot but not smoking
4. Stir-fry garlic, gingerroot, onion, and peas until onion begins to be translucent.
5. Stir-fry pork, patted dry and seasoned with salt and white pepper, until browned.
   
6. Stir in cornstarch mixture. Simmer mixture until thickened. In a large bowl toss pork mixture with noodles.

White Bolognese Rigatoni

This was delicious. That's really all I have to say about this meal. It was delicious. I halved the meat but kept the same number of veggies plus extra mushrooms to make it healthier. I also used light cream instead of heavy cream. I think it would be interesting to add a little tomato paste to this for more of a normal bolognese.

White Bolognese Rigatoni (Adapted from Heidi da Empoli)

Extra virgin olive oil

1/2 sweet onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1stalk celery, finely chopped

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 links hot Italian turkey sausage, removed from casings

1/2 lb. ground beef (90%)

3/4 cup Italian white wine

1 cube beef bouillon dissolved in 1 cup simmering water

8 oz. white mushrooms, finely chopped

1/3 cup light cream

1/2 lb.rigatoni

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

1. Add a few tbsp oil to a large, deep sauté pan to lightly coat the base and place over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion, carrots, mushroom, and celery and sauté until glassy and just tender, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the sausage and beef to the pan, breaking it into walnut-size pieces, and brown well.

2. Pour in the wine and keep at a rapid simmer until the pan is almost dry. Then pour in beef bouillon and lower the heat to medium. Simmer gently, uncovered, until the bouillon is nearly gone, stirring now and then.

Taste and adjust salt and pepper. When the consistency is right, fold the cream in. Remove from the heat and cover.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the pasta water is at a full boil, add the rigatoni and cook until still firm, but not hard, in the center. Drain the pasta and then return it to the pot. Pour the pasta sauce on top; pasta should not be dry. Add a little pasta water to loosen it if needed. Top with cheese.

Gnocchi and Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

Ever since I read about this simple tomato sauce one of the blogs, maybe it was smitten kitchen,
I have been hankering after this sauce. Besides my family's Sunday sauce, I haven't been able to enjoy any of the tomato sauces, I've been making in the last few years. This all changed tonight. Sadly it is probably a little too fattening to be be something I'll make often but it's just delicious. Only three ingredients! I'm not going to gush because it seems to that this particular sauce has been blogged to death from what I understand but if you haven't seen it or tried it, you must!

Enough exclamation points for now. Let me talk about the gnocchi. I've made prepackaged gnocchi before, which is very hard. Heavy and sits like a rock in the stomach. I've made gnocchi from instant potatoes which have turned out quite well in the past. After talking with my (Italian) grandmother, it turns out that she almost always used instant potatoes to make her gnocchi.

The following recipe for gnocchi is 2 ingredients and very, very soft and light. From what I have read, that's the goal for gnocchi. The best gnocchi I have ever eaten however, were on special at Aldo's in Baltimore's Little Italy. If you can't travel there to eat them, or perhaps if they aren't on special the day that you, you can make this recipe instead.

Gnocchi
1 russet potato
1/2 cup flour, plus a little for rolling out the dough

1. Peel the potato and cut it into large chunks.
2. Boil the chunks of potato in water for 20 minutes.
3. Drain thoroughly and put potatoes through a food mill (or ricer).
4. Cool potatoes a little and add flour 1/4 cup at a time, mixing the dough together. Be careful not to over mix the dough.
5. Roll the dough into approximately 1/2" wide ropes.
6. Cut eat rope into 1" long pieces and roll each piece over the back of fork tines to create ridges for the sauce.
7. Bring a pot of water to boil and lower gnocchi in using a slotted spoon. Be careful not to break up the gnocchi.
8. Gnocchi are finished when they rise to the top.
9. Top with sauce and cheese.

Next time I think I would add a little salt to the dough. No need for egg however.

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter
(Adapted from smitten kitchen's adaptation of Marcela Hazan’s recipe from Essentials of Italian Cooking)

1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, peeled and halved
Salt, to taste

1. Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in pot over medium heat.
   
2. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes.
3. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon.
4. Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste and serve over pasta.
   

Grilled Lemongrass Pork Salad

This recipe reminds me of some of the food from the Vietnamese restaurant we went to in Philadelphia. I am in search of an edible fish sauce for home use. If anyone has any recommendations I'm highly interested. The one I can find at my grocery store is Taste of Thai and I really dislike it. I add a tiny bit when it is called for but I would really like to be able to cook Asian food that I enjoy out at home with a good fish sauce.

Not to bad mouth my grocery store, but I'm also really fed up with the sporadic nature of stocking the shelves that they have. It seems that every week there are one or two ingredients, that every single other time that I go to the store, they are in stock, but the one week that I decide to use them for a recipe they're not on the shelf. This week it was bean sprouts. I bought a can instead but they smelled so bad even after rinsing and drying etc. that I couldn't use them for dinner.

Grilled Lemongrass Pork Salad (adapted from Seasaltwithfood)

10 oz. pork loin, sliced thinly
3 stalks lemongrass, sliced and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
2 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp peanut oil
1 pinch kosher salt
1 cucumber, julienned
rice vermicelli, cooked
red leaf lettuce, shredded
½ cup peanuts
1/2 red pepper, julienned
mint leaves, chiffonade
basil, chiffonade

1. Marinade the pork for about 3 hours in the next nine ingredients (through salt).
2. Preheat the broiler or grill to high heat.
   
3. Grill the pork slices until the meat is done and the edges are nicely charred on both sides. Remove the meat from the grill and cut into smaller slices, if desired. Serve immediately with the rest of the salad ingredients.

To make the marinade easier to make, use a mini prep food processor to mince and combine.
I make a sweet sauce for J to add to his. I microwaved: 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp chunky peanut butter, 1 tsp wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, and 1 tbsp hoisin sauce. Then I whisked them together.

100th Post, Another Stir-Fry

I was hoping my 100th post would be something more exciting than another stir-fry. This one wasn't great and I added some hoison sauce to the top of mine to make it taste better. This was originally supposed to be a salad of cabbage and leftover pork. I took it and turned it into a stir fry and then added leftover vegetables that I forgot I had in the fridge. Fell asleep before dinner last night so I'll have to push a few meals forward this week.

Pork and Roasted Carrot Ramen Stir Fry

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp honey
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

9 oz pork loin, cut into small thin pieces

7 carrots, cut into chunks
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp five spice powder
1 pinch kosher salt
2 tsp soy sauce

2 cups cole slaw mix
1/3 red pepper, julienned
1/2 zucchini, julienned
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced

1 pack ramen noodles, cooked without flavoring packet and drained
2 scallions, sliced
1 egg
1 tsp peanut oil

1. Marinate pork in first 6 ingredients.
   
2. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix carrots with next 4 ingredients. Place on baking sheet and roast 30 min.
3. Heat water for ramen noodles, meanwhile heat peanut oil in wok over medium to high heat. Add cabbage, garlic, onion, pepper, and zucchini to wok. Cook 5-7 min or until vegetables are almost desired doneness.
4. Add pork to wok and cook through.
5. Cook ramen according to package. Rinse and shake dry and add to wok. Remove carrots from oven and add to wok.
   
6. Move vegetables to side of wok to expose some of the hottest part of the wok. Break egg into wok and scramble, mixing into noodles, pork and vegetables. Be sure egg cooks through entirely. Top with scallions.
   

Lemon Grass Chicken and Noodles

This was my first experience cooking with lemon grass and I really enjoyed it. I'm hoping it will be more accessible at the store next time I try to buy it. This time I was able to find it in two forms. One was a jar but I was apprehensive about it so I ended up buying the seafood pack of herbs in the produce section. It came with dill and chives but I feel in the future if I have to buy it in that form I will be able to find a vehicle for those herbs as well. J thought this tasted too much like cilantro and I thought it needed to be sweeter. I added a little hoisin sauce mixed with leftover chicken broth at the table. The picture above does not include that. The whole thin was only approximately 6 WW points (including the hoison sauce).

Lemon Grass Chicken and Noodles (adapted from Weight Watchers)
Serves 3-4

5 sprays cooking spray
6 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
4 large scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
1 1/2 tbsp chopped lemongrass
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup fat free chicken broth
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
zest of 1 lime
1/2 tsp crushed red paper flakes
8 oz whole wheat linguine
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
(1 tbsp hoisin sauce, thinned with a few tbsps chicken broth)

1. Cook pasta according to package, keep hot.
   
2. Coat a large wok with cooking spray and set pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add chicken and cook 5 minutes, until golden brown on all sides.
   
4. Add scallions, lemongrass and garlic and stir-fry 2 minutes.
   
5. Add broth, soy sauce, zest and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
   
6. Remove a few tablespoons of hot broth from wok and mix with cornstarch. Add slurry to wok.
   
7. Add spaghetti and cook 1 minute to heat through. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
8. Top with hoisin sauce as desired.
   

Pork and Vegetable Teriyaki Soba Noodles

Today I learned the value of marinating overnight. Sure, recipes usually say a few hours to overnight. And even though I know which days I'm cooking what, I sometimes don't think ahead on the marinating until it is too late. Yesterday I had planned on making stir-fry, but I fell asleep and decided to save it for today. The overnight marinating made a huge difference in the taste of the pork.

Pork and Vegetable Teriyaki Soba Noodles

7 oz. pork loin, cut in to strips
3.2 oz dry soba noodles
10 asparagus spears, cut into thirds
1/2 zucchini, diced
1/2 red onion, sliced
3 scallions, chopped
2 cups cole slaw mix (cabbage/carrots shredded)
3 carrots, diced
1 broccoli crown, cut into florets
1 cup broccolini, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp hoison sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp peanut oil

1. Marinate pork strips overnight in 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce and 2 tbsp hoison.
2. In a wok heated over medium high heat, heat 2 tbsp peanut oil.
3. Add broccoli, asparagus, onion, garlic, and carrots and stir-fry several minutes until slightly tender.
   
4. Add scallions, broccolini, zucchini and cabbage and cook until tender.
   
5. Add soy sauce, cook one minute and remove vegetables from wok.
6. Add last tablespoon peanut oil to wok and heat. Drain marinade from pork (leaving a little for flavor) and add to wok.
   
7. Cook soba noodles according to package while pork cooks.
   
8. Add cook soba noodles to cooked pork in wok plus extra 2 tbsp teriyaki sauce and stir to coat.
9. Add vegetables back into wok and stir to heat through. Serve.
   

Pasta with Roasted Broccoli and Walnuts: Biggest Loser Recipe Makeover #3

Well the contest is over and J came in first! I was third (lost ~25 lbs.) and my dad was second. This is one of the meals we ate the very last week. Since then we had Easter eating extravaganza and I started a contest at work so I'll be weighing in each week still. I had gained 10 lbs. from Easter but I'm back down 7 lbs. Hopefully I can lose those last 3 lbs. quickly and get back on track (otherwise I have to pay a dollar!). Still eating minimal meat when I cook at home. This used only about 4 oz. of chicken. I suppose I could have left it out but J really doesn't like pasta dishes so I feel like it needs a little meat to make him happier.

Pasta with Roasted Broccoli and Walnuts (adapted from Real Simple)

4 ounces shell pasta or some other short pasta
2 crown broccoli, cut into small florets
3 tbsp walnuts, roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
1 tsp salted butter
1/8 cup grated Parmesan
4 oz. cooked chicken breast

1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pot.
3. Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss the broccoli, walnuts, oil, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once, until the broccoli is tender, approx. 15 minutes. Toss the pasta with the broccoli mixture, chicken breast, butter, and some of the reserved pasta water. (Add more water if the pasta seems dry.) Sprinkle with the Parmesan before serving.

Turkey Kefta

Last May I made this recipe from Cooking Light. I was looking for some more turkey meatball ideas when I stumbled back on this recipe and I decided to use the ingredients and the idea to make something a little different. The special part of this recipe is the Ras el Hanout that I made last year for the original recipe. Here's my take (with help from CL) on Moroccan Kefta using
turkey.

Turkey Kefta (adapted from Cooking Light)

1/2 large sweet onion sliced
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Ras el Hanout
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
Cooking spray

1 tbsp dried parsley (this is a personal preference because I don't like fresh parsley)
1/4 cup dry seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Ras el Hanout
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
10 oz ground turkey

couscous (prepared per package instructions)
Greek yogurt

1. With a little cooking spray caramelize the onions. Add salt, pepper, raisins, Ras el Hanout and a splash of broth.
   
2. Combine turkey, parsley, breadcrumbs, salt, Ras el Hanout, pepper and egg in a large bowl; shape mixture into 1/2 tbsp sized meatballs.
   
3. Place meatballs on top of onion mixture; cover and cook, turning once, until done. Continue adding broth so food in pan doesn't stick as it evaporated. Not so much that you are boiling the meatballs (more like they are beings gradually sauteed and steamed at the same time).
   
4. Serve over prepared couscous with a dollop of fat free plain Greek yogurt.
   

Greek Pasta and Meatballs

I really enjoy making meatballs. They are so much fun and I'm pretty fast at making them. Of course this is another cooking light recipe. As far as Greek inspired recipes, I prefer this recipe for turkey meatballs (sauteed with a little cooking spray) from The Perfect Pantry. Although this was a light recipe I felt that the ground lamb that was available in the grocery store was extremely fatty. I don't generally use jarred tomato sauce (see recipe), so instead I took a can of crushed tomatoes and sauteed some garlic and onion (plus some herbs and spices I had on hand with a pinch of cinnamon to tie in the Greek flavor to the sauce) to make a sauce. I think I'll continue to use the ground turkey for (weekly) meatballs.


Greek Pasta with Meatballs (adapted from Cooking Light)

3/4 cup orzo
1/3 cup seasoned dry breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound lean ground lamb (I couldn't get lean and it really needs to be less fat that what I had)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
2 large egg whites
cooking spray
1-2 cups marinara sauce (can add oregano, cinnamon, and allspice for more of a Greek taste)
8 tablespoons feta cheese (reduced fat if you prefer)

1. Preheat broiler on high.
   
2. Cook orzo according to package directions; drain. Keep warm.
3. Combine breadcrumbs and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a medium bowl; stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley. Add egg whites, stirring mixture until just combined. Shape mixture into ~25-30 (1 tbsp) meatballs, place on cookie sheet lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray.
4. Broil meatballs 4-5 minutes on each side, turning once (8-10 min total). Let dry on paper towels. Spoon heated marinara sauce over orzo; sprinkle with cheese. Serve with meatballs.

I thought it was a little bland so I added a little grated Parmesan cheese as well.

Beef Noodles with Oyster Sauce

This is another recipe from that Chinese Cooking book that J gave me. I talk about it here. I thought this was one of the best stir-fries I've made so far. J said it didn't have that "stir-fry" taste (I think he means burnt vegetables). Because I cook over really high heat in the wok some of the pieces taste a little charred like on a grill. I think that was the difference with this recipe. He also doesn't like asparagus so I wasn't expecting him to love this.

Beef Noodles with Oyster Sauce (adapted from Chinese Cooking)

1/2 lb beef thinly sliced into strips
9 oz. fresh Chinese Egg Noodles (found near the wonton wrappers in the store)
2 tbsp peanut oil
1 bunch fresh asparagus, woody ends removed and chopped (1.5" pieces)
2 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
4 tbsp fat free beef broth
1 1/2 tbsp rice wine
2 tbsp oyster sauce (found in the International aisle in the store)
1 tsp sesame seeds

Marinade:
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp rice wine

1. In a non-metallic bowl mix marinade ingredients and add the beef. Marinate at least 15 minutes.
2. Boil the noodles according to the package, drain and rinse and set aside.
3. Heat the wok over high heat. Add half the oil and heat.
   
4. Add the asparagus and stir-fry one minute.
5. Add the beef and marinade to the wok (carefully). Stir-fry until medium.
   
6. Remove beef and asparagus from pan.
7. Heat the rest of the oil and stir-fry garlic, ginger, and onion until onion is soft.
   
8. Add broth, wine, and oyster sauce and bring to a boil, continuing to stir.
   
9. Return the beef and asparagus to wok with noodles. Mix everything together and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
   

Pork Stir-Fry with Asparagus and Sugar Snap Peas

J thinks we should have a "wok meal" (basically a stir-fry) once a week. I am totally loving the new wok, but I don't know if I really want to have a stir fry once a week. We'll see how it goes. I was a little apprehensive trying this one because J doesn't eat asparagus. I personally thought the asparagus was less pungent a flavor compared to the sugar snap peas. This was one of the first times I had ever used pork strips in a stir-fry and I really like them. Next time I would probably not use sesame oil for the high heat frying. Dark sesame oil is usually used for finishing and flavor; I would use some peanut oil perhaps for the frying and add some sesame oil at the end perhaps. I'm a slowly learning the importance of my mise en place, this time I only forgot one ingredient when I was getting ready. I have also (finally) learned the importance of drying your meat before searing in a pan. The soba noodles were all J's idea. The recipe originally called for rice but I was ok with no starch at all.

Pork Stir-Fry with Asparagus and Sugar Snap Peas (adapted from the kitchn)

1/2 small pork loin, cut into 1/2 thick strips totalling approx. 1 cup
salt and pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sherry
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon corn starch
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 large shallots, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 inch piece ginger, grated
1 pound asparagus, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. Season the pork strips with salt and pepper.
2. Whisk together the soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and corn starch. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a wok over very high heat. Add the pork and cook, stirring, until edges begin to brown and they are just cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. Add the other tablespoon of sesame oil to the pan, and cook the shallots for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
   
5. Add the asparagus, cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, and then add the sugar snap peas.
6. Pour the water into the pan, and scrape the bottom of the pan to pick up browned bits.
7. Sauté the vegetable mixture for another 3 minutes, until asparagus and peas are bright green but still crunchy. Add the red pepper flakes. Add the sauce and the pork. Cook and stir until everything is coated in the sauce. Serve over soba noodles.

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe Bolognese

When J was out of town, I spent the week cooking meals I knew he wouldn't like very much. The artichoke soup was one of them. He also find broccoli rabe to be too bitter in most recipes. I don't know what it is about broccoli rabe, sometimes I find it too bitter and other times it doesn't bother me. It doesn't matter if I blanche it before I use it or not it varies on the bitterness. This recipe I'm sure would have been too bitter for J. This is a Weight Watchers recipe that I changed slightly. I ate it for several different meals. The beef was a welcome protein that we haven't used much lately (on the BL challenge we have been trying to limit it more than before). I don't cook with beef a lot in general but I know J has been eating more bison and poultry for his lunches. I try to buy very lean beef when available. I also tried a different shape of pasta (the recipe called for penne but this is pipette.

On a side note, I've been reading some other blogs and some insights about why people blog. Sometimes blogging seems like a very egocentric activity. Trying desperately to be heard by the masses. I think that for me however, I am using the blog as was way of documenting my food experiments. The blog puts all my opinions in one place and gives me a photo history of the cooking experiences I am having.

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe Bolognese (adapted from Weight Watchers)

	1/8 tsp table salt, for cooking pasta
	2 tsp olive oil
	1 cup(s) onion(s), chopped
	1 Tbsp minced garlic
	1 pound uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat)
	2 1/2 tsp fennel seed, crushed
	28 oz canned tomato puree
	1/4 tsp table salt
	1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
	1/2 tsp dried oregano
	12 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, penne rigate suggested
	1 bunch broccoli rabe, ends trimmed, cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
   
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent. Add beef and fennel seeds to pan; cook until browned, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon.
   
3. Stir in tomato puree, salt, red pepper flakes and oregano; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
4. While sauce simmers, add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package instructions, adding broccoli rabe to pasta water 5 minutes before pasta will be done; cook until pasta and broccoli rabe are tender.
5. Drain pasta and broccoli rabe; return to pot. Add sauce; toss to mix and coat.
   

Asian Summer Rolls

I've been to many different types of restaurants that serve some version of this cold dish. Whether it be Vietnamese, Thai, or Asian fusion, the summer roll, or fresh spring roll is a light refreshing (normally) appetizer that leaves you wanting more food but not feeling so full that you wonder why you ordered an entree. J is a huge fan of these and tends to order them whenever possible; so when I discovered that our grocery store was now carrying rice paper wrappers (sometimes called spring roll wrappers), I knew I just had to try these out for ourselves.

I was a little nervous about these at first. Anytime you are working with a new ingredient, especially one that seems so delicate it can daunting. This was surprisingly easy. The prep work took a little but of time but the actual wrapping was fairly fast. I think the next time would be much faster because I'm used to it. You should definitely prep everything before you try to start preparing these.

Asian Summer Rolls

8 rice paper wrappers
32 small shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked
1 1/2 cups rice vermicelli, cooked for cold noodle preparation according to package
1-2 cups red leaf lettuce, julienned
2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Dipping Sauce

2 tbsp peanut butter (any variety)
1 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp ginger
1/2 cup warm water (to taste)

1. Combine first 6 ingredients of dipping sauce. While mixing with a whisk, gradually add warm water until sauce reaches desired consistency/taste. Set aside.
   
2. In a large pie plate soak rice paper wrappers (do each one right before you fill and wrap it, not all at the same time) according to instructions on the box. My package suggested hot water for 15-20 seconds. As the water cooled it took a little longer to softened. I even had to microwave my water once to keep it warm. Be sure you are using a microwavable container (my pie plate was Pyrex).
3. Lay wrapper on a very clean tea towel to dry excess moisture and begin filling.
   
4. Place 4 shrimp in a row in the center of the wrapper.
5. Top with 1/8 of the noodles. Then add one 1/8 of the mint and cilantro, then 1/8 of the lettuce.
6. To wrap, fold the top fairly tightly over the filling (do not tear). Fold each of the sides in tightly and then making sure there isn't too much air inside, fold the bottom up over it all. The roll should be firm not floppy.
7. Repeat for remaining 7 wrappers.
8. Serve with dipping sauce, makes 8 rolls.

I calculated these summer rolls at 2 WW points apiece. I did not calculate for the sauce. We at a few as a main course for something nice and light.

Pork Ragout

This is a another Cooking Light recipe. I was making it and I decided that I wasn't a fan of the texture (or even the flavor for that matter).  Perfect excuse to use my new kitchen appliance (big grin). I received a lovely immersion blender for Christmas. I hadn't asked for one but surprisingly I've been thinking of different ways to use it now that it is here. I've already gotten some use out of my new wok, which I will be posting later on. All this recipe needed was a little insight (I'm not tooting my own horn) to wrap the flavors together. It was also too chunky for my taste so here it is, Pork Ragout my way adapted from Cooking Light.

Pork Ragout (adapted from Cooking Light)

1  pound  boned pork loin
1  (4-ounce) link hot Italian turkey sausage
1  cup  chopped onion
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4  teaspoon   kosher salt
1/4  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4  cup  fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
3/4  cup dry red wine
2  (15-oz) can Italian-style chopped tomatoes
1/4 tsp cinnamon
8 oz  dry penne  pasta, cooked according to package instructions
1/4  cup  grated fresh Romano cheese (I also added some Parmesan)

1. Trim fat from pork; cut pork into 1/4-inch cubes.
2. Remove casing from sausage and break in to pieces. Cook sausage in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until browned; stir to crumble. 
3. Remove sausage from pan. Add onion to pan; saute 4 minutes or until lightly browned.
4. Add pork, and saute 5 minutes. Add sausage, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
5. Stir in broth and wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. 
6. Bring to a boil; cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cinnamon, and bring to a boil. 
7. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. 
8. Using an immersion blender, blend sauce until reaches desired texture. Serve over pasta, and sprinkle with cheese.

The cinnamon added a sweetness without added extra calories. I think that it made all the difference between a sauce that was lacking something and bitter and a full-bodied flavor. I'm not trying to be cocky but it was really tasty once I took that one little risk. If could also have been a huge disaster.

Pasta with Kale and Blue Cheese

I am trying to try as many new things in cooking (or eating) as I can. This especially applies to vegetables. This is part two of the kale experiment. On second try, I think the kale reminds me a lot of broccoli raab in flavor. This pasta dish is full of very strong flavors. I chose a more flavorful blue cheese than I normally do. So thanks Darlene from Blazing Hot Wok for the recipe. I changed the proportions a little bit but here's the general idea.

Pasta with Kale and Blue Cheese (from Blazing Hot Wok)

1/2 cup pecans , toasted on a pan or under a broiler for about 5 minutes and lightly crushed
1/2 large onion, sliced
1/2 bunch kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
2/3 cup fat free half and half
2 oz of your favorite blue cheese, plus some for crumbling on top
a little skim milk, if necessary
½ lbs spaghetti
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute the onions in a large pan with a little olive oil. When they are translucent (about 10 minutes), add the kale and saute until wilted. Remove to a bowl and keep warm.
2. Put on your pasta water.
3. In the same pan you used for the onions, add the half and half and cheese. Once the cheese is melted, add the onions and kale back in and mix well. Turn off the heat until the pasta is ready.
4. Put the pan back on the heat and mix everything together. The pasta will finish cooking and absorb some of the liquid and at the same time, the sauce will thicken. If it gets too thick or dry, add a little milk to loosen it. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, topping each serving with some of the crushed pecans and crumbled blue cheese.
   

It's bok choy, baby!

I have been wanting to cook with bok choy for a while. This week I found that the newly renovated grocery store is now carrying soba noodles. I figured they would be the perfect vehicle for my baby bok choy. I personally really like these noodles. The dish wasn't quite as flavorful as I would have hoped but it was chock full of vegetables and we even had leftovers.

Soba Noodle Vegetable Stir-Fry

3 heads baby bok choy, sliced
1 sweet onion, sliced
4 cups baby spinach
1 tsbp grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tsp sriracha
1/4 cup peanuts (I would omit these next time)
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp sesame oil
6 oz soba noodles

1. Cook soba noodles according to package.
2. Heat peanut oil in frying pan. Add onion and cook 2-3 minutes. Add bok choy and cook until almost wilted.
   
3. Add ginger, garlic and spinach, and cook until spinach wilts.
4. Add the sauces and the peanuts and use tongs to coat vegetables in the sauce.
   
5. Add soba noodles and sesame oil and tosss to coat. Serve hot.
   

I would definately use baby bok choy again. It was delicious! The noodles and the sauces didn't come out the way I wanted. I think I need more practice.

"Pinchos Morunos"

Why is the title in quotation marks? I had intended to attempt to recreate the pinchos morunos we ate in Baltimore last week. Even though I have lived in Spain, I had never heard of pinchos morunos before our meal at Tapas Teatro last week. Pinchos morunos means Moorish thorns in Spanish. However, J later told me that it wasn't as good when he ordered a second plate of them. Nonetheless, I had already planned this weeks meals and that was what we were going to have. They would have been more flavorful, had I marinated over night instead of the four hours when I came home. They also would have tasted better using a grill, as opposed to the broiler, but it's quite cold and dark at night and I'm not going out there by myself. All in all, I thought this meal was great.

I didn't measure and I'm not sure I can remember everything I did but here's a good try:

1. Create the spice mixture: I ground all my spices in my mortar and pestle, because I only had whole coriander seeds. In addition I added turmeric, salt, pepper, cayenne, cumin, a clove of garlic, paprika and oregano. I mixed the spices with olive oil and I put my large chunks of pork tenderloin in a Tupperware container with the marinade and a few tablespoons of freshly chopped cilantro and lemon juice. I shook the container to mix and I chilled for 4 hours.
2. I used fat free Greek yogurt, feta, cilantro, and some ras el hanout spice mixture (maybe a pinch for a 1/4 of a cup) and combined them to make something similar to a raita/tzatziki for my pita.
3. I baked the pita in the oven (brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt) for about 5 minutes until crisp like chips.
4. I broiled the meat on high, turning once for maybe 15 min total (that may be an over estimate). Once it was done I sprinkled it with more fresh cilantro. While the meat etc. was cooking I cooked 1/3 of a red onion and a whole green pepper sliced on in a saute pan with a little olive oil and a clove of garlic. I served everything with whole wheat couscous.

It was delicious. I know it wasn't any particular authentic cuisine but I don't care.