Archives for category: pasta

Purple Baby Brussels Sprouts, Kale, and Sausage Gnocchi…

April 28, 2012 //
6

I always thought that moving to Highland Park, I would have to give up some of the luxuries of the good grocery stores and farmers markets around Silverlake and Hollywood. I was definitely wrong! There is a farmers market every Tuesday afternoon at Marmion between Ave. 57 and 58 and we have an amazing little grocery store that just happens to be walking distance from our house called Figueroa Produce. We are so lucky to have this place and also sad to hear that it is relocating closer to Eagle Rock. But, for all of you who live over that way, from what I hear it is going to be bigger and better including a juice bar! The thing I love about this place is that they sell lots of hard to find grains, international foods, vegetarian and vegan options, and they do an amazing job with their produce selection by getting the majority of it from local family run farms! Because they focus on lots of seasonal produce, it is fun to go in and pick obscure ingredients as the inspiration to create new recipes. That is how this dish came about. I found these amazing little purple brussels sprouts and purple kale when I stopped in after work one day. Figueroa Produce also has a great meat counter, so I picked up some homemade Italian sausage to make this even more special for Mikey. All in all, I think this dish was mighty tasty. It is a bit heavy, so I would recommend serving it with a light salad and maybe also serving it on a cold, rainy night when comfort food is needed:)

Purple Baby Brussels Sprouts, Kale, and Sausage Gnocchi…

  • 3/4 Lb. sweet or hot Italian Sausage, removed from casing
  • 1 sweet onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 pint baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
  • 1 pint purple baby brussels sprouts
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 bunch purple kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
  • 1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
  • 1 can canellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 package store bought gnocchi (I don’t have the patience to make this from scratch, do you???)
  • handful fresh basil, chopped
  • handful chives, chopped
  • salt and pepper
  • freshly grated parmesan cheese

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Preheat oven to 375. Toss brussels sprouts with 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread out onto a baking sheet and roast until tender. About 20-30 minutes.

Remove sausage from its casings, and brown in a large skillet with olive oil. Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, a bit of salt and pepper, and cook until sausage is brown and onions are translucent. Stir in tomatoes and kale and saute until cooked down. Add in roasted brussels sprouts and beans.

Drop gnocchi into pot of boiling water and boil until it floats and is cooked through, reserving some of the pasta water. Drain gnocchi and add to sausage and vegetable mixture. Stir in ricotta cheese and a bit of the pasta water to keep moist. Top with fresh basil, chives, and parmesan cheese.

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Categories cheese, dinner, food and recipes, lunch, pasta, pork

Mediterranean Baked Chicken Orecchiette with Lemon Dressing…

April 3, 2012 //
2

This weekend I had my first wedding dress fitting! Let me tell you, finding a wedding dress has been quite an obstacle. Everything looks like a cupcake… strapless, embellished, poofy. Uh-uh. Not for me. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not and have never been a “foofy” girl. There are not many simple, modern dresses out on the market and the ones that are are few and far between, or in my case; sold out:(  I gave up being on the hunt and decided to have one custom made. The experience so far has been amazing. I had an initial design meeting to let my dressmaker (who is awesome by the way) know what I was looking for where we went over some inspiration photos, sketched some stuff up, and conceptualized. Then during my last meeting, we actually started the draping process which was so much fun. It is like we are just designing the garment right on my body! After 7 years of schooling in this area, you would think I would just be able to do this project myself… Glad I am still paying for that education! But let me tell you, spending that much money on a dress and having to stand in only your underthings for an hour while people pin and tuck on you in a mirror surrounded room will really make you want to get in shape and eat lighter.  A couple of my pals have committed to this cause with me to make the process easier. Its hard to have to go it alone! After work yesterday we we rounded up a couple of pups and went on an hour long hike. After sweating it out and being in the sunshine, all I wanted was something fresh, crisp, and healthy so that is how this recipe came about. It is super simple and you can use any vegetables or pasta you like. To make it even more healthy, a grain like farro or quinoa would be tasty. If you can, have someone help you chop to make it go by faster or put on some jams and pour yo self a glass of vino.  I will be way jealous as I am only allowing myself to indulge with the vino on the weekends. I mean, you can’t deprive a gal of everything she loves!

Mediterranean Baked Chicken Orecchiette with Lemon Dressing:

  • 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast tenders
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. or so paprika
  • 1 tsp. or so garlic powder
  • 1 lb. orecchiette
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 orange bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 english cucumber, diced
  • 1 cup sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1 head broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
  • 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (chickpeas would be good as well)
  • (1) 8 oz. jar green Spanish olives, chopped
  • 1/4 cup sliced pickled pepperoncini peppers, chopped
  • 6 oz. fat free crumbled feta
  • large fistful of fresh mint, chopped
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup grape seed oil
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about the juice of 4 lemons)
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with foil. In a bowl, toss chicken tenders with olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Bake for around 30 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Tent chicken and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, drop in the pasta. When pasta has around 2 minutes left to cook, drop in broccoli florets for just a couple of minutes until they soften and turn a bright green color. Quickly drain pasta and broccoli and run under ice cold water to cool and stop the cooking process. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add peppers, onion, cucumber, tomatoes, beans, olives, pepperoncinis, mint, and pasta/broccoli mixture.

To make the dressing, add grape seed oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes to a jar. Screw on the lid and give it a good shake.

Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss salad with the dressing and let stand for about 10 minutes.  Serve salad topped with warm sliced chicken. *Note: We generally try to only make our own salad dressings. Its really easy and once you get the acid/oil proportions right, you can change up the flavors and herbs to the combo of your choice. It is so much better for you and actually a whole lot more affordable, however, an Italian or store bought vinaigrette would work for this as well.

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Categories cheese, chicken, dinner, food and recipes, lunch, pasta, salads, side dish

Homemade Meatballs with Fresh and Spicy Tomato Sauce…

February 20, 2012 //
2

We are slowly starting to warm our home! This weekend we had some friends over that haven’t seen our new pad, (and I did my first big Bristol Farms shop… man, I am in love with that grocery store) so I decided to cook. I have been wanting to try to make meatballs for some time now and when I saw the meat counter at the Bristol Farms in South Pasadena, I could not resist. I mean what is a bigger gesture to good friends than big, juicy, meaty, cheesy balls??? Hell–oooo!

This was a lot easier than I had thought! I made the whole recipe up as I sipped white wine and face-timed with my Dad. No measurements necessary! I am sure you can switch out the meats and spices to your liking. We are spicy obsessed and probably made this a bit too spicy for the average joe so start minimal when adding in the red pepper flakes.

All in all I would say it was a success. The whole table said they would “order it again!!!” We served the meatballs over pasta alongside a salad of arugula, red pear, Marcona almonds, and good Manchego, with a hunk of garlic bread. A true carb lovers dream… score!!!

Meatballs:

  • 1 lb. ground sirloin
  • 1/2 lb. ground veal
  • 1/2 lb. ground pork
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • splash of milk
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • handful fresh oregano, chopped
  • few basil leaves, chopped
  • tsp. or so garlic powder
  • tsp. or so red pepper flakes
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil for browning meatballs

Place all ingredients in a bowl. Mix with your hands until well incorporated. Begin to form mixture into 2-inch balls. The mixture will be sticky and you may need to adjust breadcrumb amount to get the correct texture. Place meatballs on a cookie sheet.

Once all meatballs are prepared, heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot. Drop in meatballs and cook until browned being careful not to crowd the pan like this genius did and ensuring you move them around enough that they don’t stick to the bottom. I obviously did not pay attention to this:) Do this in batches until all are browned. Set them aside on a paper towel lined plate. Scrape large bits out of pan and set aside pan with oil for tomato sauce.

Fresh and Spicy Tomato Sauce…

  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • 5-6 garlic cloves, minced
  • handful fresh oregano, chopped
  • large pinch red pepper flakes
  • handful fresh basil, chopped
  • 6 fresh vine ripened tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 1 cup or so red wine
  • 2 28 oz. can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
  • salt
  • freshly cracked pepper

In the pot that meatballs were browned in, add onion, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Saute until onions are translucent. Add fresh tomatoes and cook down until soft. Add in red wine, stirring to scrape up all of the bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce. Add in tinned tomatoes and season to taste.

Cover and simmer about 10 minutes. Once thickened, add in fresh basil and place meatballs back into sauce. Simmer together for about 15 more minutes. Serve over pasta and top with freshly grated parmesan and a bit of fresh basil. Yowza!!!!

 

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Categories appetizer, beef, cheese, dinner, eggs, food and recipes, pasta, pork

Martha’s Mac and Cheese…

December 23, 2011 //
0

It has been a while since I have posted, and believe me, it has been a while since I have cooked! Its busy time in the Hall/Martinson household. Between holiday work travel, long work days, holiday parties, gift shopping, and us finding a new house, I have not had a minute nor the energy to be in the kitchen. Looking forward to getting back to it this weekend though! And, yes, I said we found a house! We were actually not looking at all and helping a friend find a new place when we stumbled upon this amazing 1912 craftsman for rent in Highland Park. It has everything a modern gal, guy, and a crazy pup could need. We have a grown up house! Let me mention a few of the things like a fenced yard with grass, a garage, a built in BBQ (that sold Mikey right away), a working fireplace, an extra bedroom, and a dishwasher! The dishwasher is what did it for me. We are super excited and will be moving in on the 15th of January. I am really sad to leave this place in Silver Lake that holds so many great memories for me, but am excited to explore a new hood and build new ones with Mike and Luna. Luna will be so happy to be able to run around!

I actually made this mac and cheese over a week or so ago. I am warning you that though it is ridiculously delicious, it makes enough to feed an army, so you may want to cut this recipe in half. We gave half of it away and I think there is still some in the fridge waiting for us to toss. I also altered it a bit and used a breadcrumb/Pecorino Romano cheese mixture for the topping instead of real bread cubes like Martha did. I mean, of course Martha would not take any shortcuts! We served it as a side with pomegranate grilled pork chops and sauteed greens with bacon and cranberries (which I am so mad that I didn’t document as it was the bomb), but this would be a perfect main dish served with a simple salad. I will definitely be making this again and will experiment with different cheese combinations.

Martha’s Mac and Cheese:

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
  • 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  • 5 1/2 cups milk (I used 3 cups milk/2 1/2 cups half and half because I had it in the fridge)
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 ounces)
  • 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces)
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place breadcrumbs and Pecorino Romano in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with breadcrumbs, cheese, salt, pepper, a bit of garlic powder and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.

While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
Remove pan from heat.

Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup Pecorino Romano; set cheese sauce aside.

Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer’s directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well.

Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce. Pour mixture into prepared dish.

Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

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Categories appetizer, cheese, dinner, food and recipes, lunch, pasta, side dish, vegetarian

Warm Yo Bones Minestrone…

November 21, 2011 //
0

The rain was pretty awesome this weekend as it caused us to pretty much have a PJ’s only couple of days. I honestly don’t think I got out of mine once and we even had people in an out all weekend! Sometimes you just need to do that and not feel guilty. I think I needed it really badly and in the end was so grateful for the crappy weather. Poor Luna seemed so depressed by it. It was so funny watching her attempt to go outside. I think she had only seen rain once before. Dogs are so weird. I sure love having her around.

Last night Mike’s old roomie came by, and I of course had to feed him! The gloomy weather called for a pot of hot soup so I sent Mike to the grocery store with this recipe from Food and Wine. The only thing I did differently from the original is that i used canned beans in lieu of soaking dried beans overnight. It turned out well… at least I hope both boys thought so as we sent Sammy home with a giant container of it! One thing to mention is that this can be made vegetarian or vegan by using vegetable stock and omitting the pancetta and the cheese. Mushrooms would be yummy to add in some flavor in place of meat.

Minestrone Soup:

  • 1 can white beans (preferably cannellini)
  • 1 can kidney beans
  • 2 cups pasta of your choice cooked almost through (we used mini shells)
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 ounces pancetta, finely diced
  • 2 medium shallots, minced
  • 2 large celery ribs, finely diced
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 1 large carrot, finely diced
  • 1/2 fennel bulb, cored and diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • handful chopped fresh basil
  • grip of chopped fresh oregano
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • One 14-ounce can plum tomatoes, chopped, juices reserved
  • 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 cup baby arugula
  • 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the pancetta and cook over moderate heat until crisp, 4 minutes. Add the shallots, celery, onion, carrot and fennel, and cook until softened. Add the garlic, crushed pepper and bay leaves and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes , oregano, basil, and broth; bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Add the pasta, beans, and enough cooking liquid to thin out the soup. Discard the bay leaves; season with salt and pepper.

Just before serving, add in the arugula, parsley, and a squeeze of lemon. Serve soup in bowls topped with grated parmesan cheese and accompanied by some crusty bread. We made garlic bread from a nice loaf of ciabatta. I ended up doubling this recipe and am so glad I did!!! Over the next few weeks, whenever our bones need warming, we have some soup waiting for us in the freezer.

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Categories appetizer, food and recipes, lunch, pasta, side dish, soup, vegan, vegetarian

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna…

November 13, 2011 //
0

When I asked Mike what he wanted for dinner tonight, all he could say was “something healthy and hearty.” That left a world of possibilities, but I knew I wanted to make something with roasted vegetables. I was racking my brain and somehow I decided on a lasagna. Growing up, my mom always used to make lasagna, but hers was always meat based. I do remember her basic recipe and one of her secrets was to use cottage cheese mixed with the ricotta to keep it moist. With that tip in mind, I popped open a good bottle of red wine, made my old standby tomato sauce, and winged the rest. To our surprise, it actually came out so amazing!!! Good thing, as we have enough to feed the whole neighborhood! We served it with a simple arugula salad tossed with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice, and garlic bread that we made with a loaf of french bread, butter, minced garlic, and garlic powder. Freaking tasty, but I have def gotten my carbs in already for the week!

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna:

  • 1 lb. butternut squash
  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 yellow squash
  • 1 lb. baby portabello mushrooms
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 yellow pepper
  • 1 container sweet cherry tomatoes, all halved
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped sun dried tomatoes
  • large handful fresh basil
  • handful fresh oregano
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 2 cups shredded parmesan
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 cups mozzarella cheese
  • 1 box lasagna noodles (approximately 12 noodles)
  • salt and pepper

Roast Vegetables:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean and chop butternut squash, zucchini, yellow squash, red and yellow peppers to bite size 1 inch pieces. Wipe mushrooms clean and slice. Toss in a bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread out on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes until vegetables are fork tender.

Make Sauce:  In a large pot or skillet, saute onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Add cherry tomatoes and cook until onions are translucent and tomatoes pop.

Add can of whole tomatoes, crushing them once they are in the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Turn up heat and add red wine.

Bring to a boil. Once wine is cooked off, add some chopped basil and oregano. Turn down heat and simmer until sauce thickens.

Boil the Noodles:  Fill a pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Add noodles and some olive oil to the water to prevent from sticking. Boil noodles until almost al dente or around 8 minutes. Drain noodles and layout on a sheet pan sprayed with cooking spray until ready to use.

Prepare Cheese Filling:  In a bowl, beat two eggs. Add ricotta, cottage cheese, 1 cup parmesan, salt, pepper, and a bit of chopped basil. Mix until well incorporated. Set aside.

Assemble Lasagna:  Spread approximately 1/4 cup tomato sauce in a 13×9 baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Layer with four lasagna noodles (noodles will overlap slightly), half of ricotta cheese mixture, half of vegetables, a third of pasta sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. Top with freshly ground black pepper. Repeat layers.

Top with the remaining noodles, pasta sauce, and the final layer being mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Bake on a foil lined cookie sheet at 350 degrees for around 40 minutes until cooked through and top is golden brown.

When finished, let lasagna cool for about 15 minutes. Cut into squares and serve with a simple green salad and garlic bread.

Enjoy! 

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Categories dinner, food and recipes, lunch, pasta, side dish, vegetarian
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