For the Love of the Stove

Big surprise, I was watching Food Network, one of Giada's shows and I watched her make this.  I had to make it.  It's a bit time consuming because you have to saute all the vegetables in batches but it smells divine! 


By Giada De Laurentiis
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min
Inactive: 8 hours
Serves 6

Ingredients
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 large zucchini (about 2 pounds), cut into 1/4-inch rounds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
10 medium carrots (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1/4 cup red wine vinegar


Directions
1. Heat 1/3 cup oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. 
2. Working in batches, add the zucchini and fry until golden, about 2 minutes per side. 
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried zucchini to a baking dish. 
4. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. 
5. Sprinkle half of the garlic, basil, and mint leaves over the zucchini.
6. Add the remaining oil to the frying pan. 
7. Add the carrots to the hot oil and saute until golden, about 5 minutes. 
8. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried carrots to the dish of zucchini. 
9. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. 
10. Sprinkle the remaining garlic, basil, and mint leaves over. 
11. Drizzle the vinegar over the vegetable mixture and toss gently to coat. 
12. Cool to room temperature. 
13. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. 
14. Allow the vegetables to come to room temperature before serving. 
15. Transfer the scapece to a platter. Serve with bread, fish or chicken.

Yum!  Perfect for a cold and/or rainy night!  My one change is that the recipe calls for diced tomatoes and then you have to blend the sauce.  That means an extra thing to clean and I don't ever notice a difference between diced and crushed.  Your call.

Fine Cooking
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 t crushed red pepper flakes; more to taste
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes 
3 T vodka
1/2 c freshly grated Parmegiano-Reggiano (I used already grated cheese)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 T heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 lb dried rigatoni (about 4 cups)

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil and cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until it's just tender to the tooth, 10-12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the garlic and red pepper flakes in the oil over medium-high heat until they're fragrant and sizzle steadily for about 30 seconds.
3. Add the tomatoes and their juices and the vodka, and bring to a boil.  
4. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and cook to intensify the flavors and reduce the sauce slightly (by about one-quarter), 10-15 minutes.
5. Stir in 1/4 of the Parmegiano, the parsley, cream, 1/2 t salt and pepper, and more red pepper flakes if you like (I added a little bit more and it was really spicy - make sure you taste it first)
6. Simmer to incorporate the cream and reduce the sauce slightly, about 5 minutes.  
7. Reduce the heat to low, cover and keep warm.
8. Drain well and return the pasta to its pot.
9. Add the sauce, set the pot over medium heat, and cook, stirring, to let the pasta absob some of the sauce, 1 minute. 
10. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the remaining 1/4 cups Parmegiano.


Also, I sauteed some shrimp and topped my portion with that.  I just sprinkled with garlic powder, salt and pepper and cooked on both sides until pink and curled.  Delicious. 

This was one of those recipes that I read and had to make, and had to make sooner rather than later.  Wow, is all I have to say, that and it's super spicy so consider this your warning. 
While I was cooking the risotto I realized that I didn't have any blue cheese dressing, but I just happened to have the ingredients to make some, so I did that in between stirring the risotto and ladling in more liquid.  (I'll include that at the end of this recipe.)
Cuisine at Home
 Ingredients
For the brodo, simmer:
4 1/2 c low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 c hot sauce (such as Frank's)
2 T honey
1 T Worcestershire sauce
For the risotto, sweat:
1/2 c minced celery
1/2 c minced onion
2 T unsalted butter
1 c dry arborio rice 
Degaze:
1/2 c lager beer, hot, such as Stella Artois (I used white wine b/c that's what I had)
Stir in:
2 c chopped cooked chicken (rotisserie works great)
Garnish with:
chopped celery
blue cheese crumbles
blue cheese dressing
Directions
1.  For the brodo, simmer broth, hot sauce, honey and Worcestershire in a saucepan over medium heat.
2.  For the risotto, sweat minced celery and onion in butter in a large saute pan over medium heat until slightly softened, 3-5 minutes.  Stir in rice and saute until each grain is coated in butter.
3.  De-glaze the pan with beer and stir until completely absorbed, 1-2 minutes.  Add brodo to the pan in 1/2 c increments; simmer and stir frequently until each addition is almost completely absorbed before adding the next, about 45 minutes total.  Stir in chicken and heat through.
4.  Garnish each serving of risotto with chopped celery, blue cheese crumbles and blue cheese dressing.  


Blue Cheese Dressing
2 1/2 ounces blue cheese
3 T buttermilk (or more if you want a runnier dressing)
3 T sour cream
2 T mayonnaise
2 t white wine vinegar
1/4 t sugar
1/8 t garlic powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1.  In a small bowl, mash blue cheese and buttermilk together with a fork.  
2.  Stir in sour cream, mayonaise, vinegar, sugar and garlic powder until well blended.  
3.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.


 

It was a toss up between this recipe and buffalo chicken risotto....and this won, at least for this round.  Tough choice, but definitely amazing.  The directions for this is a little different than the original, but I'm going with it.  I don't stray that much from original - I do things like not skewer the shrimp and croutons, but just grill them on an indoor grill.  No worries, just go with it. 
Cuisine Tonight
Boil:
8 oz dry linguine (I used rotini because I think it's easier to eat than linguine)
Melt:
2 T unsalted butter
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 diced shallots
1 can anchovy fillets in oil, minced (2 oz.) - btw, no one at my dinner party had any idea these were in there and LOVED the dish so don't skip them, just don't tell anyone before they eat what's in the dish.
3 T minced garlic
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T minced lemon zest
2 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 - 1 t red pepper flakes (I used 1 t)
Off Heat, toss:
8 c chopped romaine lettuce
1/4 c grated Parmesan
Salt and black pepper to taste ( I never added these and it was delicious )
Boil:
Pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions; drain and set aside.
Melt:
butter with oil in saute pan over medium heat.  Add shallots and anchovies and melt, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 1 minute.  Stir in lemon juice, zest, Worcestershire, and pepper flakes.  Toss pasta with sauce to coat. 
Off heat, toss romaine and Parmesan with pasta and season with salt and black pepper.  Serve pasta with Grilled Shrimp and Croutons

Grilled Shrimp and Croutons
Whisk:
1/2 c olive oil
1T EACH minced lemon zest and fresh lemon juice
1/2 t EACH kosher salt and black pepper

24 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails left on
24 cubes Italian baguette, 1-inch thick

Preheat: grill to medium.  Brush grill grate with oil.
Whisk: together 1/2 c to oil, zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl; set aside.
Brush: shrimp and bread cubes with lemon oil.
Grill: shrimp and bread, covered, 2-3 minutes per side.  Serve shrimp and croutons with Caesar Salad Pasta.

Note: The recipe calls for the shrimp and the croutons to be grilled on skewers.  Whatever is easier for you is best.

Helen Chen
Easy Asian Noodles 


I made this dish as a birthday dinner for one of my really good friends and it was delicious.  He LOVES spicy food.  You know when you go to a Thai restaurant and they ask you on a scale of 1 - 10 how spicy you want something, well he says 11.  Scary.  I'm more of a 5 or 6.  This made everyone happy.

Ingredients
1/2 pound wide, flat rice noodles, large 1/4 inch width
3 T oyster sauce
2 T plus 2 t dark soy sauce
2 T white distilled vinegar
1 T chili-garlic sauce or Sriracha chile sauce, to taste
2 t fish sauce
2 T sugar
2 t Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 t cornstarch
8 oz lean pork or chicken, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
3 T canola oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 small carrot, thinkly sliced on the diagonal
5 oz yu choy, broccoli rabe or broccoli, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup sliced onion
1/2 cup canned straw mushrooms, or mushroom slices, drained
6 extra-large raw shrimp (16/20), peeled, deveined, and split in half lengthwise
1 scallion, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 cup fresh Thai basil leaves or sweet basil, packed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, optional


Directions
1.  In a large pot of boiling water, cook the noodles until al dente, about 3 minutes.  Don't overcook because they are going to be cooked again.  Drain, rinse in cold water , and set aside to drain again.
2.  In a small mixing bowl, combine 2 T of the oyster sauce, the soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce, fish sauce, and sugar.  Stir well to dissolve the sugar.  Set aside.  In a separate small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 t soy sauce, wine and cornstarch.  Add the meat and stir well.
3.  In a wok or stir-fry pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat; do not let the oil smoke.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it sizzles.  Be careful not to burn the garlic or it will become bitter.  Stir the meat up again and pour it into the pan.  Cook, stirring briskly, until the pork or chicken is almost cooked, about 2 minutes.  Add the carrot, greens, onion, and mushrooms and cook, stirring, until the greens turn a darker color and begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the shrimp and cook until the shrimp begins to turn opaque, about 1 minute.  Add the noodles and pour the soy sauce mixture over the noodles, loosening the noodles with a pair of chopsticks and stirring until they separate and are heated through and the sauce is well blended.  
4.  Toss in the scallion and basil and stir until the basil is wilted, about 30 seconds.  Transfer to a large serving platter, garnish with cilantro, if using, and serve immediately.

Food Everyday Light

Oh my....and this was my plan B.....WRONG...always should be plan A!  I included the recipe for the side that I served, below this one.  Enough said.....no, really, enough said. 

Salmon Burgers with Yogurt-Dill Sauce

Ingredients
1 pound skinless salmon fillet, finely diced
1 T prepared horseradish
1/2 t grated lemon zest, plus 1 T fresh lemon juice
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 T plain dried breadcrumbs (I used 3 T because the mixture was really wet - 4 would have been ok too - all depends on how moist the salmon is.)
Course salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt (I used one small container of greek lemon yogurt)
1 T coarsely chopped fresh dill (I don't really like dill, seriously, but I really liked the dill with the lemon yogurt)
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted 
Romaine lettuce, for servicing (I didn't use lettuce on the sandwich because I served a salad on the side)


Directions
1.  Heat broiler to high, with rack 4-6 inches from heat.  In a medium bowl, combine salmon, horseradish, lemon zest and juice, egg, scallions, breadcrumbs, 1 t of salt, and 1/8 t pepper; mix gently with a fork.
2.  Form salmon mixture into four 31/2-by-1-inch patties; place on a rimmed baking sheet.  Broil without turning until browned on top and opaque throughout, 6 to 7 minutes.
3.  Meanwhile, combine yogurt and dill in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.  Serve burgers on buns with yogurt-dill sauce and luttuce.  

Careful cutting:  To finely dice salmon without crushing it, start by thinly slicing the fillet with a sharp knife.  Cut the slices lengthwise into strips, then cut crosswise.

Spinach with Caramelized Shallots

Ingredients
1 T plus 1 t olive oil
4 large shallots, minced
Course salt and groud pepper
1 T water
1 t whole-grain mustard 
1 T red-wine vinegar
2 bags (10 ounces each) baby spinach
Directions
1.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium.  Add shallots and season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.  Add the water and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits from skillet, until shallots are dark brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
2.  Remove skillet from heat; stir in mustard and 2 t vinegar.  Place spinach in a large bowl and pour warm shallot mixture over top.  Add remaining 1 t vinegar, toss, and serve.