Cancer Fighting Linguine with Sauteed Veggies Recipe

September 1, 2006 | Posted by Allison as Pasta Please at 1:00 pm | Comments »

AllRecipes never lets me down. Let’s give cancer a big blow with this Linguine with Satuteed Veggies recipe. We’ve got just about everything here: broccoli, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, jalapenos & turmeric. We didn’t mention garlic in our earlier Cancer Fighting post, but that one’s a cancer-fighting goodie as well. Wow, that packs a punch. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
10 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 (12 ounce) package uncooked linguine pasta
salt to taste
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup chopped cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped cauliflower
2 tablespoons diced green onions
1 tablespoon jalapenos
1 pound chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
3 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon turmeric
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chopped cilantro
4 lime wedges

What’s Next:

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Mix in garlic. Cook and stir until golden. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place linguine in pot and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside 1 tablespoon garlic oil and toss remainder with pasta to coat. Season pasta with salt.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Immerse broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, green onions & jalapenos in water for about 30 seconds. Drain and set aside.

Heat reserved garlic oil in skillet over medium heat. Mix in chicken and 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Cook until chicken juices run clear. Mix in vegetables, turmeric & remaining soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with linguine, and garnish with cilantro and lime to serve.

Eat well & Laugh often!

Rachel Ray’s Pasta al Forno Recipe

August 3, 2006 | Posted by Allison as Pasta Please at 1:00 pm | (5) Comments »

Well, we may not yet have the Caroline Noordijk Basic Knives Collection, but we can still celebrate Thursday with a bang. Here is one of my personal favorites of Rachel Ray’s 30 Minute Meal Recipes, Pasta al Forno. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 pound ziti rigate
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can, crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 pinches ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper
3 ounces prosciutto, 1 thick slice from deli, chopped
1/4 to 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Softened butter to coat a medium casserole or baking dish

What’s Next:

Bring large pot of water to boil, then salt and cook pasta to al dente on the chewy side, 7 minutes. Once your pasta water comes to a boil to cook ziti, preheat oven to 500 degrees F or 260 C.

To medium skillet over medium heat add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Cook onions and garlic in oil 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and bring to a bubble.

Add cream and season sauce with cinnamon, salt and pepper. Add chopped prosciutto to sauce and stir with cooked pasta to combine.

Coat a medium casserole with the butter. Adjust seasonings and transfer pasta to casserole.

Cover pasta with Parmigiano-Reggiano and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve hot from oven.

Eat well & Laugh often!

Tortellini Recipe Made Easy

June 19, 2006 | Posted by Allison as Pasta Please at 12:42 pm | Comments »

Don’t let Gordon Ramsay & Conan O’Brien get you down on these delicious Italian dumplings. Tortellini can be a complicated, messy affair, but I’ve got it down to a science thanks to the folks at About.com Follow this easy recipe for tortellini & you’ll be amazing your family at every turn. Be sure to check out the pics on E-Recps, as they are very helpful & informative. Good luck & enjoy!

Ingredients for Stuffing:

1/2 pound pork loin, thinly sliced
1/4 pound turkey breast, thinly sliced
2 ounces prosciutto
2 ounces Mortadella di bologna, finely sliced
Scant 1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano
Pinch of nutmeg
S & P, to taste
1 egg yolk

Ingredients for Sauce:

1/3 cup heavy cream
1 ounce finely sliced prosciutto, shredded
Scant 1/2 cup butter
Grated Parmigiano

What’s Next:

Begin by making the tortellini: melt the butter in a frying pan and sauté the pork and turkey till done over a moderate flame. When the meat is cooked, remove it and mince it in a food processor, along with the mortadella and the prosciutto.

Put the mixture in a bowl, and mix in the cheese, the yolk, and a pinch of nutmeg. Correct the seasoning (about an eighth of a teaspoon of pepper and maybe a half a teaspoon of salt, depending on the saltiness of the prosciutto.)

Using 2 3/4 cups of flour, 3 eggs, a pinch of salt, and a spoonful of water if necessary, make the pasta, following the instructions for home-made pasta, or buy several sheets of fresh store-made pasta. If you make the pasta at home divide the dough into two pieces.

Roll one of the pieces out till it’s as thin as a dime and cut it into 1 1/2 inch squares with a serrated pasta wheel. Put a 1/2 teaspoon of filling on each square and fold the squares diagonally to make triangles, tamping them well so the filling won’t come out while they’re cooking. Wrap each triangle around your little finger, giving it a half twist, and stick the opposing corners together to make the tortellini. Set the finished tortellini on to rest on a lightly floured surface. When you’re done with the first sheet, roll out the second and continue until the stuffing is used up. Bring a pot of water to boil and add the tortellini.

In the meantime make the sauce: set the butter to melt in a deep bottomed skillet without bringing it to a boil. If you are not using the truffle, add the prosciutto to the butter. Drain the tortellini when they are still quite al dente (2-3 minutes cooking) and add them to the skillet. Pour the cream over the tortellini and finish cooking them over a low flame, stirring them carefully.

As soon as the tortellini are done, transfer them to a heated serving dish. Sprinkle them with grated cheese, the sliced truffle, if you’re using it, and serve.

Eat well & Laugh often!

Ruth Roger’s ‘Italian Two Easy’ Spaghetti, Raw Tomato, Arugula Recipe

June 16, 2006 | Posted by Allison as Celebrity Cooks, Pasta Please at 12:25 pm | Comments »

Ruth Rogers Recipe.jpg Just in time for the summer weekend, try this Ruth Roger’s Spaghetti, Raw Tomato, Arugula recipe. Allow this River Cafe chef treat your senses & relax your palate. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 plum tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoon capers
3 tablespoon black olives
3 tablespoon arugula leaves
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
11 oz spaghetti

Cut the tomatoes in half. Squeeze out excess juice and seeds, and chop the flesh coarsely. Peel the garlic and squash with 1 tsp sea salt. Crumble the chile. Rinse the capers, and pit the olives. Roughly chop the arugula.

Combine the tomatoes, garlic, chile, capers, and olives. Season generously, add the olive oil, and put aside for 30 minutes.

Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, and stir the pasta into the tomatoes. Add the arugula. Toss to coat each strand. Season with black pepper.

Serve with olive oil.

Note: Plum tomatoes are fleshy and easy to peel and have hardly any juice or seeds, which makes them ideal for rich, thick tomato sauces. This raw sauce should only be made in the summer, when you can buy sun-ripened plum tomatoes that are really sweet.

Eat well & Laugh often!

Gordon Ramsay’s Pumpkin Risotto with Parmesan Recipe

June 8, 2006 | Posted by Allison as Celebrity Cooks, Pasta Please at 12:21 pm | Comments »

Pumpkin Risotto.jpg Don’t let this Gordon Ramsay Pumpkin Risotto with Parmesan recipe leave you foulmouthed. Enjoy this truly unique risotto this weekend & treat yourself to something new & delicious.

Ingredients:

Large wedge of ripe pumpkin
Olive oil, for cooking and to drizzle
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup risotto rice
S & P
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Small handful of sage leaves

What’s Next:

Cut the pumpkin into small cubes or get your pumpkin puree ready.

In a skillet- heat oil over medium heat. Add the pumpkin and cook gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside one-third. Put the rest of the pumpkin into a blender and whiz until smooth.

Bring the stock to a simmer in a pan and keep it at a gentle simmer over a low heat. Heat a little olive oil in a larger saucepan and tip in the rice. Cook, stirring frequently, for a minute, then add a ladleful of hot stock and stir until it is almost all absorbed before adding another ladleful.

Repeat until you’ve reached your last few ladlefuls of stock. Taste the rice to see if it is al dente. If not, add more stock. Add the pumpkin purée and reserved pumpkin, stirring through and seasoning to taste. Stir in a few knobs of butter and the grated Parmesan. Keep warm.

Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a small frying pan until hot. Fry the sage leaves for a few seconds until crisp then drain on kitchen paper.

Ladle the risotto on to warm plates and tap the bottom of each plate gently to spread it out. Drizzle with a little olive oil and scatter over the Parmesan and sage leaves, then serve.

Eat well & Laugh often!

The Food Network Super Special Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi Recipe

April 12, 2006 | Posted by Allison as Pasta Please at 11:56 am | Comments »

Spinacg Gnochi.jpg As always, let’s get to the good stuff. Put on some good music, maybe Madeline Peyroux and let yourself relax and enjoy this fun recipe.

Ingredients:

1 pound whole milk ricotta, drained to remove excess moisture
10 ounces finely chopped spinach, excess moisture removed
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

What’s Next:

In a large bowl- combine ricotta, spinach, eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and mix thoroughly. Add 1 1/4 cups of the flour to the bowl and mix. The remaining 1/4 cup of flour should only be used if the dough is too sticky.

Turn the dough onto a floured work surface.

Divide the dough into workable pieces.

With your hands, roll the pieces of dough into long cylinders approximately 3/4 of an inch in diameter.

Cut the cylinders into 1-inch pieces. Make a depression in each gnocchi to shape.

In a large pot with 6 to 8 quarts of salted boiling water- add gnocchi and carefully stir to prevent sticking.

As gnocchi start to cook they will float to the surface. Cook approximately 1 minute more.

Remove gnocchi with slotted spoon or strainer. Add a saute pan with your favorite sauce or butter. Saute briefly. Add your choice of grated cheese and serve.

Eat well & Laugh often.

A Shrimp In Every Pot Pasta Recipe

February 24, 2006 | Posted by Allison as Pasta Please at 11:30 am | Comments »

Shrimp Pasta.jpg Herbert Hoover had it wrong, you need a tiger shrimp in every pot! Enjoy this spectacular and healthy tiger shrimp pasta.

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans diced tomatoes, Italian style
1 cup artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
1 tablespoon basil
1/2 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
S & P
1 pound tiger shrimp, de-veined, peeled & washed
1 cup penne pasta (I love the wheat version)

What’s Next:

In a large skillet on medium-high: heat up olive oil & saute garlic cloves until browned. Turn heat down to medium-low.

Add the cans of tomatoes and chopped artichoke hearts to skillet. Mix together.

Add basil, oregano, Italian seasoning and S & P. Stir until uniform. Simmer for 30 minutes to meld flavors.

In a medium saucepan- boil 3 cups water. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain & set aside.

In a medium saucepan- boil 3 cups water. Add shrimp and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and add to tomato concoction. Stir and simmer together for 5 minutes.

Place pasta on plates and spoon shrimp mix on top. And there you have it, instant delicious! Serve with a side of Italian bread and you have yourself a wonderful weekend meal!

Eat well & Laugh often.

You’ll-Never-Go-Back-to-Kraft Mac & Cheese Casserole

February 22, 2006 | Posted by Allison as Pasta Please at 1:13 pm | (1) Comment »

Mac & Cheese Cassarole.jpg Yay! The time has come for the unveiling of the much anticipated macaroni & cheese casserole! Have fun!

Ingredients:

1 cup macaroni pasta
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated (you can substitute your fav cheese)

What’s Next:

Go ahead and preheat your oven to 350 F, or 175 C.

In a medium saucepan: add 4 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Drain water & set aside.

In a medium-sided casserole dish: whisk together milk & eggs. Set aside.

In a small skillet on medium-high: heat olive oil & saute chopped onion until browned. Add to casserole mixture.

In same skillet: heat butter and saute bread crumbs until uniform. Set aside.

Add pasta & cheese to casserole dish, stir until intermixed. Sprinkle with buttered bread crumbs.

Bake for 30 minutes or until browned. Enjoy your homemade mac & cheese!

Eat well & Laugh often.

Mac ‘N’ Cheese, Please

February 22, 2006 | Posted by Allison as Pasta Please, The Facts / History at 12:48 pm | (1) Comment »

The ultimate in comfort food, macaroni & cheese is always welcome at my table. A common dish and favorite of soul food, macaroni and cheese is traditionally made with cheddar cheese and elbow macaroni pasta. Packaged versions are available, consisting of boxed pasta and a cheese powder which is added to butter and milk. The electric yellow-orange color of the end-product inspired Crayola in 1993 to add a “macaroni and cheese” crayon to their extensive collection. But packaged versions are for the birds, homemade is the only way.

To spice up mac & cheese, you can add just about anything. Ground beef, canned tuna, sliced hot dogs, tomatoes, onions or crispy bacon make fantastic additions to an already wonderful dish. Often macaroni & cheese is baked as a casserole combining several ingredients to form an even better experience.

Some believe mac & cheese was created by the founding father himself, Thomas Jefferson, who was known for his great interest in food. In a 1996 “Restaurants & Institutions” article, Barbare Matuszewski wrote that Jefferson served the dish in the White House in 1802. Food historian Karen Hess, however, states that he was not the inventor but returned from Paris with a macaroni mold.

According to John Mariani (almost macaroni), the author of The Dictionary of American Food and Drink, mac & cheese was first made in the 19th century, but took on great popularity in 1937 when Kraft introduced it as part of a Kraft Dinner. A company spokesperson stated that Kraft sells more than one million boxes of mac & cheese per day. That is a lot of mac & cheese, I dare say!

I stand by my statement that homemade mac & cheese is the only mac & cheese and I stay far away from the Kraft isle. Homemade mac is just as easy, takes a wee bit more effort and is not full of processed cheese or nasty little preservatives. It’s just pure, simple yum.

Stay tuned for the You’ll Never Go Back to Kraft Mac & Cheese Casserole recipe.

Eat well & Laugh often.

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