Pasta Fagioli

Now that my preschooler is into soup, I'm all about making it as much as I can.  There's nothing cheaper, easier, or more delicious.  This recipe for pasta fagioli from Family Circle was the latest soup that we tried.

Pasta Fagioli

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
2 cans (14.5 oz) reduced sodium chicken broth
8 oz (about 2 cups) small pasta shells
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 bunch fresh kale, tough stems discarded, cut into 1-inch pieces and washed*
2 cans small white beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Grated Parmesan, for serving

(* I wasn't impressed with the selection of kale and used baby spinach instead)

1.  Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion and cook 5 minutes.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute.

2.  Stir in tomatoes, broth and 3 cups of water.  Bring to a simmer over high heat.  Add pasta and Italian seasoning.  Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.

3.  Stir in kale; cook 5 minutes more.  (If using spinach, cook for approximately 2 minutes.)  Reduce heat to medium and stir in beans, tomato paste, salt and pepper.  Heat through.

4.  Ladle into bowls; garnish with Parmesan.

The Verdict:  Quick, easy, delicious.

This is another soup that's great for the toddler to preschool set as you can ladle out more beans and pasta than broth, making it easier for them to eat.  Of course, if your kid is my kid, you have to spend a few minutes picking out bits of floating green.  While that was annoying, he did proclaim this recipe to be "delicious" (or "deeyishis" in Amir speak).

The combination of tomatoes/beans/pasta is always a hit in our house.  It's satisfying and keeps well for leftovers; just add a little more water and broth to the next day's pot. 

While this isn't the best recipe ever, it is good.  And fast.  And vegetarian.  And, most of all, the kiddo likes it. Which means that I might just make it again. 

Zippy Bean Minestrone

I just crowed over this recipe. 

It was really good, but more than that, I got the most gigantic kick out of the fact that it was made entirely of leftovers.  If you read my blog, you'll know that I just finished an epic freezer cooking session.  I had leftover beans, hamburger, and pasta sauce from lasagna.  I had leftover frozen mixed vegetables from some other recipe and just about everyone has some leftover pasta in their pantries, right?  So when I saw this recipe for Zippy Bean Minestrone in The Bean Cookbook, a compilation of recipes from the Northarvest Bean Growers Association, I was stoked.  I had everything I needed right in my fridge and pantry!  No shopping necessary.  The original recipe doesn't call for the hamburger but calls for a can of pork and beans.  Feel free to use their recipe or mine. 

Zippy Bean Minestrone

1/2 lb hamburger
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups pinto beans
1 package (16-oz) frozen mixed vegetables
1 jar (15 1/2 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
1/2 cup elbow macaroni (or other smaller pasta)
1 can (10 1/2 oz) beef broth

1.  In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Cook hamburger until cooked through and no longer pink.  Meanwhile, cook vegetables in a microwave safe dish with two teaspoons of water for 6 to 8 minutes, until thawed.

2.  Combine all ingredients, including the thawed vegetables, with the cooked hamburger.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes.  Add water if needed.

The Verdict:  Yeah, seriously, that's the soup.  And if you don't add the hamburger, it's more complicated to brush your teeth than it is to put this recipe together.  (Oh yeah, and it tastes good to boot.)

My husband and I enjoyed it.  I was nervous at first that you don't add any spices, but you don't need to if you're using jarred sauce as all the flavor you need is right there.  Once I tasted it and liked it, I was over the moon.  I'd created this really great soup with this-and-that in the fridge that might have otherwise been thrown out.  That often happens, especially with the pasta sauce.  I buy the giant jar to make two lasagnas but never use the whole thing because I forget about it.  Problem solved.

I was really nervous about my son liking it.  I prayed that the beans and meat, two of his favorites, would get us through the meal.  But miraculously, he loved it!  I picked out any obvious giant green beans floating in it to avoid the "I don't like green stuff" fight we have 90 times a week and ladled his heavy with the solids, rather than the broth.  I also greased the wheels with a nice, crusty bread with plenty of butter; he's a bread maniac.  His response to the meal was, "Tasty!"  (I'd suggest a crusty bread regardless if you have a picky eater in your house or not.  It's the perfect accompaniment to this soup.)

Would I make this again?  Yes, especially with leftovers.  That was more fun than this nerd can handle.

Cheese Ravioli with Roasted Squash

It was kind of random, but on Saturday afternoon my husband said "want to go to a cheese shop that my friend told me about?"  Um, OK.  Even funnier was that he didn't know where it was or what it was called, but assured me we'd find it (while driving) if I Googled "Boston cheese shop."  At first a place in Southie came up...Southie?  Boston's South End is really coming up, but it's still not "our" neighborhood.  Then it dawns on me: Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge?  Never been there, but Huron Avenue is a lot more our pace.

So we took a very round about detour to get back to this side of Cambridge.  And it was worth it.  It brought us back to our trip to Paris two years ago.  A fromagerie full of the penetrating smell of fancy cheeses.  (Not to mention chock full of serious and a tad bit snotty shoppers.) 

Oddly, this story is not about cheese, but squash.  In this shop, among all that cheese, were a variety of other groceries, including produce.  And to my surprise, I found local and fresh acorn squash!  I guess it's possible that in some kind of cold cellar a winter squash could survive this long in storage.  We happily bought some cheese, some fig cake and my coveted produce.  After that, we stopped by our local Whole Foods for dinner and a few groceries, where I found this recipe for  Cheese Ravioli with Roasted Squash.

Squash Ravioli

1 1/2 - 2 cups (1 small) winter squash (like butternut or acorn) cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow onion, diced
8-10 fresh sage leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 package cheese ravioli
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 - 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Toss squash, onion and 2 chopped sage leaves in oil, salt and pepper.  Transfer to a roasting pan and roast 20 to 25 minutes, turning once or twice, until tender.  Towards the end of the squash cooking time, cook ravioli according to package directions. 

2.  Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Fry remaining sage leaves in one layer for 1 minute.  Flip and fry until crisp, about 1 minute more.  Remove from skillet to drain.  Reduce heat to low, add broth and bring to a simmer.  Add drained pasta and squash-onion mixture.  Adjust seasoning, garnish with fried sage and sprinkle with cheese.

The Verdict:  Very good.  The ricotta cheese of the ravioli and the sage-infused squash are wonderfully complimentary.

The original recipe was called "Butternut Squash Ravioli" and I can't think of a more misleading name.  It is, I suppose, but the first image that forms in everyone's mind is ravioli stuffed with squash.  Someday, when I have time to mess around with my pasta maker again, I'd love to make actual squash ravioli.  Instead, this recipe is a little more my speed.  It also helps for when you tell people, "I'm making squash ravioli for dinner" not to hear their let down response after explaining that it's squash with ravioli.  Nothing deflates your kitchen bravado than someone unenthusiastically saying, "Oh." 

But this recipe is great.  Roasting squash is delicious on it's own since it brings out an almost nutty taste in it.  Add a good quality olive oil, some nearly caramelized onions and fragrant sage--well, you've got yourself something mouth-watering.  Add to that mild cheese ravioli, butter and fried sage?  Yes, it's as good as you imagined.  It's a pretty dish as well (sorry for no picture again) with the off-white pasta, golden squash, and the dark green sage. 

Teriyaki Beef with Noodles

I was flipping through The New York Times Cookbook, looking for something new.  I don't know how new it is, exactly, but I stopped on a dime when I saw the recipe for teriyaki beef.  When I was single, I ate Chinese take away at least once a week.  My husband isn't very fond of Chinese food, so these days it's a treat to have it.  I prayed that this teriyaki would be just as good as what comes in the little white take out box.

I was going to serve it with brown rice, but last weekend, I made an impromptu stop into H-Mart. If you aren't familiar with H-Mart, it's a chain of Asian grocery stores here in the U.S.  Very few states and cities have them and we happen to be one of the lucky ones.  The store is humongous, with a produce section that's at least twice the size of a regular market.  An entire wall makes up the fresh fish section.  And then there's just the Asian groceries.  Every noodle known to mankind is available, which is what I picked up: fresh, thick Chinese noodles.  If you don't have these noodles available to you, I think a fresh pasta noodle (think Buitoni) would be OK.  However, you might lose some of the starch which is very important to the dish.  When cooked with other liquids, it creates a wonderful, thick broth.

Teriyaki Beef with Noodles

2 lbs (1/4" thick) sirloin steak
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 cup light soy sauce, divided
3/4 cup sherry, divided
1 package fresh Chinese noodles
1 package (12-oz) package sliced white mushrooms
1/4 lb pea pods
2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1.  Cut the steak into thin slices or strips.

2.  Combine the ginger, garlic, onion, sugar, 1 cup of the soy sauce and 1/2 cup sherry and pour mixture over the meat.  Let stand for 1 to 2 hours.

3.  Turn broiler on high and allow time to heat up.  Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the beef broth, the rest of the soy sauce and the rest of the sherry and bring to a boil.  Add the mushrooms and peapods and let cook for approximately 4 minutes. 

4.  Add noodles to broth and vegetables and cook for time expressed on the the package.

5.  After adding noodles to the broth, place meat under the broiler for approximately 2 minutes per side.  Remove from heat.  Serve teriyaki with the noodles hot.

The Verdict:  Not only was the teriyaki as good as what you'd get from Chinese takeout, the noodles were a surprising hit!  I kind of winged the recipe, hoping my son would enjoy them, and it ended up that we all liked them a lot.

The teriyaki can also be grilled and it might even be better that way.  But since we have an enormous amount of snow outside and can barely find our cars, nevermind the grill, we'll be using the broiler.  But however you cook it, the meat has a wonderful flavor.

The gluten in the noodles, like I mention above, creates a lovely, thick beef broth that coats the noodles.  Beware, however, that noodles this glutenous do not make good leftovers.  They begin to break down, creating a slugdy mess.  My son still liked them, but the texture absolutely grossed me out. 

I started the meal with edamame in the shells, sprinkled liberally with salt.  It was fun to peel the beans out of their shells before eating our main course.  It felt like a good night out at a restaurant, minus a tip, a scorpion bowl and fortune cookies.

Spinach Lasagna for Dummies

Hey, don't be offended by the name of this recipe.  I wasn't quite sure how to make easy lasagna when I first started making it, so this recipe came in handy.  What I like best about it is that you can make a large pan of it, or two small lasagnas which is perfect for our small family.  Eat one, freeze one.

Vegetable Lasagna

When baking lasagna that's been frozen, add 10 minutes to the cooking time.  The uncooked lasagna will keep up to two months in the freezer.  You can make one large lasagna (9 x 13 inch pan) or two smaller (8 x 8 inch pans).

4 cups (32 oz) ricotta cheese
1 package no-boil lasagna noodles
2 large eggs
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 16-oz package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
6 cups store-bought tomato sauce
1 pound fontina or mozzarella cheese, shredded (4 cups)

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese, eggs, 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Add spinach and stir well to combine.

2.  Spread a small bit of tomato sauce in the bottom of pan(s).  Arrange a layer of lasagna noodles on top.  Spread some of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, followed some of the remaining sauce.    Arrange a second layer of noodles, ricotta and sauce.  Top with more noodles, remaining sauce and shredded cheese.  If freezing, cover tightly with two layers of tin foil.  Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.

3.  Cover with a layer of aluminum foil.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil; continue baking until top is golden brown, about 15 minutes more.  Let cool slightly before serving.

The Verdict:  Someone's Italian grandma would have a heart attack over the store-bought sauce, but otherwise, it's a quick and tasty dinner. 

Speaking of store-bought sauce, obviously the better the sauce, the better the lasagna.  I bought a gigantic bottle of Prego with mushrooms which was pretty good.  I like to buy the really large containers as I have even more extra sauce that I can freeze to use as pizza sauce later on. 

My friend came over for dinner and she and I both happily ate a large serving.  My son is currently going through a noodle-crazy phase, so he enjoyed it and nearly cleaned his plate.  His same-age buddy wasn't as crazy about it, but I also think that's because she knew there was chocolate cake for dessert.  Or maybe it just wasn't her thing. 

Unfortunately, in my rush to feed two hungry toddlers, I wasn't able to take a picture.  It looks like lasagna--imagine that.

If you care to, you can make this full-fledged vegetable lasagna by adding more vegetables to the ricotta mixture.  Cooked shredded carrots, julienned zucchini, finely chopped mushrooms would all be good additions.  Thawed from frozen or cooked fresh would work.


        

Piccata-Style Fish Fillets with Thin Pasta and Wilted Spinach

I tried really hard to get my husband involved in picking our meals this week.  He was all for leaving the decisions entirely up to me, but finally I was able to talk him into choosing one recipe for each "category"--beef, chicken, vegetarian and fish.  This was his fish choice, a recipe that first appeared in Every Day with Rachael Ray.  I found some of the directions were confusing and other parts of the recipe didn't work, so I've adjusted accordingly. 

Picatta-Style Fish Fillets with Thin Pasta and Wilted Spinach

Salt and pepper
1/2 lb thin egg pasta or angel hair pasta
4-8 thin white fish fillets, like tilapia, snapper or flounder
Old Bay seasoning
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp butter
2 large garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
1/2 cup white wine
2 lemons
1/4 cup drained capers
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
3/4 lb fresh spinach, cleaned and trimmed
A little freshly grated nutmeg

1.  Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.  Line a cookie sheet with tin foil, lightly spray with cooking spray and set aside.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente.  Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.  Meanwhile, pat the fish dry and season with salt, pepper and a little Old Bay.  On a plate, mix the flour and cornstarch.  Coat the fish in the flour mixture.

2.  In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil, over medium-high heat.  Add 2 tbsp butter and let it foam up, then add the fish fillets and cook, turning once, until golden-brown and firm, 4 to 6 minutes.  Place cooked fillets on the cookie sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.  Wipe out the pan and return to heat.  Add 1/2 tbsp oil and the remaining butter to melt.  Stir in the garlic for 1 minute, then stir in the wine for another minute.  Add 1 tsp grated lemon peel and the juice of 1 lemon.  Thinly slice the other lemon and stir the slices into the sauce, along with the capers and parsley. 

3.  Remove fish from the oven and place on a platter or large plate.  Spoon the sliced lemons and half of the butter sauce over the fish.  Cover with foil.

4.  Add the reserved pasta water and the pasta to the skillet.  Add salt and pepper; toss.  Transfer the pasta to another platter or large bowl.  Add the remaining 1/2 tbsp oil to the skillet.  Add the spinach, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook to wilt.  Serve the fish with a little pasta and spinach alongside.

The Verdict:  Good choice, honey.  This was a pretty delicious meal.

The original recipe called for four thin fish fillets.  If all you need is four, use only four.  I bought frozen fish and wasn't sure how it had been packaged; it ended up that there were eight very thin fillets of flounder.  The flour/cornstarch mixture makes a lot of coating, so if you're going for the smaller number of fillets, you may want to reduce the portions of flour and cornstarch.  I didn't use it all even with the eight. 

Also, the original recipe said just to move your fish to a plate and tent with foil.  If you can cook quickly and know this recipe well, you could do it that way.  But what I found is that tenting the fish made it sweat, therefore it's crispy batter turned mushy.  It still tasted good, but when you're adding a liquid sauce on top of that, you might not be happy with the consistency.  I highly suggest leaving them in the oven until the very last minute to avoid that softening. 

Otherwise, the taste of this dish is fantastic.  Lemon and butter with fish is always a hit, so the addition of the capers and garlic only enhanced the already great taste.  All together, it makes a classic piccata sauce, which you generally find on veal or chicken.  Fish was perfect.  Pasta is a no-brainer side and the spinach, especially when coupled with lemon and garlic, put it over the top.

It wasn't an easy 30-minute meal, but it was worth the effort.  Everyone enjoyed it, including the little guy.  (I preemptively picked off all his capers, though, as to avoid the "I no like the green stuff" conversation.)

Spring Shells and Cheese

I try to shy away from recipes that are season-specific because I try (though not very hard lately) to eat locally. That's a hard feat in New England during the winter as you'll quickly turn into a hubbard squash or a turnip. Recipes that call for things like asparagus or fiddleheads are generally a no as I prefer to eat them in season. But sometimes, to avoid a rut, you have to make an exception.

This recipe for Spring Shells and Cheese from the April 2010 Food Network Magazine kept leaping out at me when I'd peruse my collection. I put it into a small pile as as a Meatless Monday possibility and my husband made the final choice. I could finally put my curiosity to rest.

Spring Shells and Cheese

2 lbs medium zucchini

Kosher salt

1 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp nutmeg (freshly ground preferred)

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Freshly ground black pepper

6 cups whole milk

1 tsp dried thyme leaves or 4 sprigs fresh thyme

3 bay leaves

Grated zest of 1/2 lemon

1 lb medium pasta shells

4 shallots, minced

2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

4 oz parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup)

4 oz gruyère cheese, grated (about 1 1/4 cups)

4 oz baby spinach

1. Grate the zucchini into a colander using the large holes of a box grater. Toss with 1 tbsp salt, then place in the sink to drain, about 15 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid.

2. Meanwhile, melt 4 tbsp butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, nutmeg, cayenne, 2 tsp salt, and black pepper to taste and mix with a wooden spoon to make a paste. Cook, stirring, until the paste puffs slightly, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, then add the thyme, bay leaves and lemon zest and bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened slightly, about 25 minutes. Strain into a bowl, discard the herbs.

3. Meanwhile, position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and add to the sauce.

4. Melt the remaining 4 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring, until almost tender, about 4 minutes. Add the zucchini mixture to the pasta along with the egg yolks and all but 3 tbsp of both cheeses; stir to combine, then add spinach.

5. Transfer the mixture to a 9 x 13" baking dish and sprinkle with the reserved cheeses. Bake until browned on top and heated through, 25 to 30 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

The Verdict: If you're looking for yellow mac and cheese, this ain't it. But if you're looking for pasta that's creamy with delicate cheese, vegetable and herb flavors, you've found your match.

This is delicious. While very rich, it's not overpowering with a cloyingly fat taste. I also loved the amount of vegetable; some of them hidden. When my son did his, "I no like green," I smiled slyly while telling him to pick it out. He didn't realize there were still gobs of zucchini and shallots on his plate.

I bought a quart of whole milk to make this with as a) I didn't write down the amount I needed before visiting the supermarket and b) it wouldn't have mattered anyway as I suck at all things math and need a reminder that one quart equals 4 cups. And so, my recipe was made with (take a wild guess) four cups of whole milk and two of 1%. Didn't seem to make a bit of difference. With that spirit, I'm sure that there's a way to cut back on the shocking amount of fat in this dish.

Also, there are a lot of steps to making this before you're left with a giant pan of ooey-gooey goodness. I made this on a Sunday afternoon and kept the reserved cheese to sprinkle on top until the last minute when I put it in the oven on Monday night. So unless you have all the time in the world, leave this for when you have lots of time on your hands.

A great dish. Springtime or not.

Linguine Frittata

Lots of leftovers. And then leftovers from leftovers. We've pretty much eaten everything, having to throw away very little after the holidays. One of the leftovers of leftovers was a bag of linguine; I'd put the leftover Christmas eve mussels over pasta (wonderful!) and had linguine leftover. Where pasta isn't my #1 favorite food, I wanted to try something different with it and we've never had a linguine frittata.

The recipe is from the Everyday Food show website. The original recipe was for one; I tweaked some of the ingredients as well as increased ingredients so that it could feed four. You can use any long strand pasta, like spaghetti or fettucine, as well.

Linguine frittata

5 large eggs

5 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/8 tsp ground pepper

3 cups cooked linguine, roughly chopped if desired

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 thawed and drained chopped frozen spinach

1 tsp oil

1. Heat broiler to high. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Mix in linguine, cheese, and spinach.

2. In a large broiler-proof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low. Pour in spaghetti mixture; cook until top is almost set, 5-7 minutes. Transfer to broiler, placing pan 4 inches from heat source; cook until set about 1 minute.

The Verdict: More fun than just another pasta and sauce meal. Tasty, but I'm not pining for more leftover pasta to make it again.

I liked that the top was slightly crunchy (and yeah, OK, if you look at my picture it was maybe a little too crunchy) and that the pasta within the frittata was still a bit al dente. The textures were great. The cheese and spinach were good but can be substituted with whatever you desire: the original recipe called for shredded Swiss and peas.

Definitely fun, though. I think kids would really enjoy this dish.

Southwest Cheese 'n Pasta

Salsa verde. I love this stuff. And it's because of this recipe that I learned that a little salsa verde added to packaged macaroni and cheese makes a yummy meal.

I first made this dish many, many years ago while still a vegetarian. It's been so long that I don't know where it originally came from. But I'm glad I held onto it.

Southwest Cheese 'n Pasta

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup green salsa (salsa verde)

1 can (15 oz) cream-style corn

1 can (11 oz) Mexican corn

8 oz. uncooked cavatappi pasta

8 oz. processed cheese product (like Velveeta), cubed

1. Mix all ingredients except cheese in a 12-inch nonstick skillet. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to low. Cover and let cook 10 to 14 minutes, stirring frequently, until pasta is tender.

2. Add cheese; stir until melted.

The Verdict: Seconds, please! This stuff is great!

While not the healthiest meal on the block, it might be one of the easiest. How many recipes do you literally dump five ingredients into a pan, cook it, add cheese and serve? Amir was at first a little skittish about the salsa verde; it's a medium heat and he's not a gigantic fan of spicy food. But the fact that it was macaroni and cheese soon won him over.

I didn't give it much thought, but you could at least add extra vegetables. Extra red bell pepper would be good, as would chopped zucchini.

I haven't made this for a while, and I'm glad that I did. It's a great recipe for your arsenal of super-quick dinners. Under 20 minutes...now that's fast!

Spring Ravioli with Pesto Cream

This recipe comes from the days of being a vegetarian. Which means this recipe is pretty old. It originally calls for green beans instead of peas, but knowing my family, I thought peas was the wiser choice. I'm sure that you can substitute any vegetable you want.

Weirdly, as I made it, I couldn't remember anything about it. Each step I'd say to myself, "I don't remember this ingredient" or "I don't remember doing this part."

Originally, we were going to have this for Meatless Monday and calzones last night, but I didn't thaw my bread dough in time. So two vegetarian recipes in a row, you lucky ducks. Aren't you glad it's not another stew?



Spring Ravioli with Pesto Cream

2 tsp olive or vegetable oil
3/4 cup frozen petite green peas, thawed
1/2 medium yellow pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 roma (plum) tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 tsp salt
16 oz frozen cheese-filled ravioli
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tbsp basil pesto
2 tsp grated lemon peel

1. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pepper about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes and salt. Cook 3 minutes.

2. While vegetables are cooking, prepare ravioli as directed on package. In the last minute of cooking, add peas to thaw. Mix sour cream, pesto and grated lemon peel in a small bowl.

3. Toss hot cooked ravioli with vegetable mixture and sour cream. If desired, garnish with fresh basil leaves and lemon peel.

The Verdict: Pretty yummy...and ridiculously easy!

When I asked Noyan what he thought, he asked if I made the ravioli. (Did you see me sweating and swearing all afternoon in the kitchen? Well then, no, I didn't.) For some reason, the idea that it was "found" ingredients put together made it feel less homemade to him. While I suppose that's true, I didn't make the pasta nor the pesto, I think it's a little bit like shopping at Pottery Barn. You can get a bunch of stuff and put it in a room, but if it doesn't compliment everything else, it's going to look terrible. But with a good eye, you're going to put together a room that makes everyone say "Wow!"

The sour cream takes on the pesto taste, muting just enough to give you a nice hint of basil. Then the basil tastes great with the yellow pepper. The sauce itself is just enough to make the ravioli creamy instead of pasty.

Pesto tends to be on the pricier side of groceries, but since you only use 3 tablespoons, you get a lot of bang for your buck. You can even freeze the leftover pesto, though apparently the nation of Italy would keel over at the idea of freezing olive oil. But I won't tell if you won't.

Spaghetti with Sausage and Simple Tomato Sauce

You have to appreciate a good pasta sauce that doesn't have you bent over a pot for four hours like Strega Nona. That's what interested me about this recipe. Inside of 30 minutes, you have sauce, meat and pasta. That's a wholesome meal before you can answer Bob the Builder's age-old question, "Can we build it?" The original recipe is from the April 2010 Cooking Light, but I tweaked it a bit.


Spaghetti with Sausage
and Simple Tomato Sauce


8 oz mild Italian turkey sausage
8 oz uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes, undrained
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tbsp jarred, minced garlic
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh torn basil
1/2 cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Arrange sausage on a small baking sheet. Broil sausage 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pan from oven (do not turn broiler off). Cut sausage into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices in a single layer on baking sheet. Broil sausage slices 2 minutes or until browned.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions.

4. Place tomatoes in a food processor/blender; process until almost smooth. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add crushed pepper and minced garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, and salt; cook 4 minutes or until slightly thick. Add sausage, half of the grated cheese, and half of the torn basil. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes. Add pasta to pan; toss well. Top with remaining cheese and basil.



The Verdict: A really tasty sauce that has a slow-cooked flavor. Also great for leftovers.


Not much to say about this recipe. It was simple and good. Amir enjoys eating long noodles, so this was received well with the preschool crowd. The sauce can be prepared up to three days ahead; you may or may not want to add the sausage if you make it before hand, depending on how much of the sausage flavor you want infused in the sauce.

A salad would be a great accompaniment to this dish. But in this house, green and leafy unless hidden on pizza doesn't not go over well with the 2-year-old.

Spicy Soba Noodles with Shitakes and Cabbage

When Amir was just a bit smaller, he loved mushrooms. I would occasionally broil marinated portabella mushroom caps and he'd eat a large one by himself. Lately, he's not into them. I suspect it's because of the meat-lover he's turned into; he can tell the difference between a piece of steak and a piece of mushroom, no problem.

It's too bad because mushrooms do provide such a tasty meat alternative. I continue to cook them, hoping that one day he'll change his mind back to the mushroom persuasion. In the meantime, I figured this recipe, from the August 2007 Gourmet, was a safe bet because of the noodles. Like most kids, he loves pasta.

Spicy Soba Noodles with Shitakes and Cabbage

For sauce

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 to 3 tsp Korean hot-pepper paste

1 tbsp packed brown sugar

For noodles

3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tbsp finely chopped peeled ginger

1 tbsp finely chopped garlic

10 oz fresh shitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced

1 1/4 lb Napa cabbage, thinly sliced (8 cups)

6 scallions, thinly sliced

8 to 9 oz soba

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

1. Stir together all sauce ingredients until brown sugar is dissolved, then set aside.

2. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté ginger and garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shitakes and sauté, stirring frequently, until tender and starting to brown, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, then add cabbage and most of the scallions (reserve about a tablespoon for garnish) and cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is crisp tender, about 6 minutes. Add sauce and simmer 2 minutes.

3. While cabbage is cooking, cook soba and edamame together in a pasta pot of boiling salted water until noodles are just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cool water to stop cooking and remove excess starch, then drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with sesame seeds and vegetable mixture. Serve sprinkled with reserved scallions.

The Verdict: This is a busy little dish. The different tastes and textures produce a fragrant, tasty and easy to prepare recipe.

When shopping, I found one package 6 ounce package of shitakes that looked good. The only other one was questionable. So instead, I used 6 ounces of shitakes and 6 ounces of white button mushrooms. The taste is a little different, but I love all mushrooms. Also, I couldn't for the life of me find my Sriracha sauce, which I've used previously when making this. (It was one of those moments of cooking when you check the same cabinet no less than eight times, figuring one of the times you open it, it will appear.) So I skipped the hot which ended up being OK as the ginger gives it the spicy kick it needs.

Amir, as predicted, wasn't interested in anything but the noodles. Stay tuned; I think I'm going to start sneaking vegetables in my recipes.