Lemon-Basil Pasta

I love a good lemon sauce. It goes with so many of my favorite foods, fish, chicken, pasta... Bacon.

I love basil - I could eat it with toast and butter everyday. But my family is looking for something a bit more substantial for dinner.

In one of my lemon sauce moods, I threw in the basil and crisped up some bacon - and Wa-lah. Dinner was served.

Here's the basics for the sauce:

1 Lemon, juiced and zested & another lemon for a fresh squeeze over the top in the end

4 T butter

4 T olive oil

A handful of Basil leaves

Crumbled Bacon

Parmesan Cheese, grated or shredded for topping.

Cook up some Pasta & reserve some water. (I used linguine)

Over a low heat, melt butter. Combine olive oil and slowly add lemon juice and zest. Making sure to stir between each addition.

Pour the sauce over the linguine - this is where you add some reserved pasta water if you feel the noodles are sticking. Just add a tablespoon at a time - you don't want to water the sauce down. Then sprinkle in the chopped basil. Stir to evenly combine.

Spoon portions into a pasta bowl, and top with more fresh basil, bacon and parmesan cheese. And squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over the top for a fresher tasting pasta.

Try it as a light dinner with some crusty bread. Or add a grilled chicken breast or your favorite fish to make it more substantial.

Enjoy!

PW's Sesame Noodles

I've made these noodles a few times now, after my mother-in-law recommended them to me.

The first time I made them, the kids were raving over the aroma of them. They continually asked, "When is dinner, mom?" And, "What are you making???" I believe this is the night that my middle child announced that she wants to be a 'cooker' when she grows up, just like me.

Then we sat down to eat.

My oldest loved them. I mean, looooovvveed them. Like, face-to-plate, sucking these noodles down.

My middle-est, not so much. She took one look at those scallions and decided it was gross.

My youngest thought they were ok. She ate a few bites, picking all green things out, and announced that she did NOT, after all, like these noodles.

Sigh. Most nights, though, are like this.

I decided to be brave and try them again. This time, not so much chili oil (the spice was too much for them) and put some aside sans scallions for the girls. But, again, the girls wouldn't eat them because they had already 'tried' them and the verdict was already in.

Jayden devoured his. And theirs.

But most nights are like this. It's always a fun-filled evening of, "Sit down and EAT!!"

So, after giving you all of that information, I have to tell you that I loved them. I think they are light and flavorful and such a great way to get the whole wheat noodle a spin. And most people who know me well, know that I am not a huge fan of asian cuisine. I mean, I like PF Changs, Pick Up Stix, Pei Wei, you know, the American-ized versions of these dishes. I enjoy making a stir fry every once in awhile. And I like white rice with soy sauce. Does that count? I liked fried rice, til I found out they put an egg in it. I liked egg-drop soup til I found out that it, too, has an egg actually dropped in it. (By now you are thinking, "Why is she surprised her kids don't like this?")

So, anyway, I knew I wanted to post this recipe as soon as I could smell them cooking. I knew it again, when it took like 5 minutes to throw together. And I knew it again when they looked so amazing sitting next to my oriental veggies and the skirt steak I prepared to go with it. And, finally, I knew it when I tasted them and their spicy, savory delicious-ness.

So, here it is (my notes are in parentheses & italicized):

PWs (Pioneer Woman's) Simple Sesame Noodles

• Ingredients
• 12 ounces, fluid Thin Noodles, Cooked And Drained (I used whole wheat angel hair)
• ¼ cups Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons Pure Sesame Oil
• ½ teaspoons Hot Chili Oil (This is where I held back the 2nd time. It didn't seem like a lot when at the time, but it was...)
• 4 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Hot Water
• 4 whole Green Onions, Sliced Thin

(I had some sesame seeds that I toasted, just for kicks.)

Preparation Instructions

Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed.
Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat.
Sprinkle with green onions (and sesame seeds!) and toss.
Serve in a bowl with chopsticks. Yummy!

Grilled Pesto Bread

Grilled Pesto Bread

We had this bread at Reef restaurant, here in Houston. If you watched "The Next Iron Chef" last season, Chef Caswell was one of the contestants - and Reef is his restaurant. We went there last May with my mother-in-law and her husband while they were visiting.

The bread basket they had at Reef had this delicious ciabatta bread with some pesto smeared on top and then lightly grilled. At the time, I was planning a birthday bash for my friend and new instantly that I wanted to serve this bread at the dinner.

So, I bought a baguette (mistake #1) and covered it with pesto then hubby grilled it (which could be mistake #2 - just cause he was entertaining friends at the same time, and a little distracted.) The bread turned out a little hard and crunchy. Not the way it was at Reef.

And then I sort of forgot about trying to make it again (definitely mistake #3).

Last week I made some Mashed Potato Soup and thought, "OOOH, I should try to make that pesto bread again!"

This time I bought ciabatta bread. I grilled it myself and I will not wait 6 months to have it again!

Here's what you need:

Ciabatta Loaf, sliced thin

Pesto (I used Classico Pesto, yum.)

BBQ or grill pan

Heat your grill pan or BBQ to a pretty high heat. Smother a few slices of bread with the pesto and place on grill. I grilled both sides of the bread - and because your pan or BBQ are hot, it will cook fast.

I love the smokey flavor the BBQ gives - so I recommend using it!

It's so easy and so flavorful and so cheap!

Chili Relleno Rice

I have to confess that I did a very bad thing. I was browsing around Barnes and Noble this week and I came across Tyler Florence's new Cookbook, Family Meal. While I flipped through it I came across a recipe that sounded soooo good, and would match perfectly with the Ribeye Steak and Corn on the Cob Meal I was planning to cook for my family who was visiting from Colorado. I didn't want to be obvious (not sure on the rules about stealing a recipe without buying the book); which, by the way, is fabulous and is on the top of my Christmas list this year. So as I was trying to memorize the recipe, I decided to do this:

Camera phones come in handy sometimes. Is this illegal? Should I not be airing my dirty laundry on this blog? Well, either way, I will buy the book, I promise. And I feel much better now.
Amen.

Chili Relleno Rice

2 Cups Cooked Rice
2 Cups Sour Cream
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
2 (7 oz) Cans Chopped Green Chili's
2 1/4 Cups Cubed Monterey Jack Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375.
In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, cream of chicken soup, green chili's, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
In a casserole dish, add rice. Pour cream mixture and over the rice. Drop in cubes of cheese and stir to combine. Cover and bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes until warm and bubbly and slightly brown on top. Delicious!!
Recipe from Tyler Florence Cookbook, Family Meal

I'm calling this one Salad Pasta...

...instead of Pasta Salad :) Pretty Clever, huh?

A few months ago, a friend of mine made a pasta salad from a recipe on the back of a (gasp!) Simply Pasta box... That gasp! is tongue in cheek - who am I to judge where someone gets a recipe, as long as it is good! And it was. Good, that is.

I've tried to find that recipe a few different times. And when all else failed, I just made up my own. So here is my version of that recipe,

Salad Pasta

4 oz Gemelli Pasta, cooked and cooled

a couple of handfuls of Romaine lettuce (I used half of a bag of salad)

1 cup of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

4 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed

1 small can of black olives or Kalamata olives, sliced

your favorite dressing - i used a Kraft sun-dried tomato vinaigrette (one of our favorites for pasta salad), my friend used a jar of basil pesto and it was delicious!!

I also sauteed some chicken breasts in olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper and a few splashes of balsamic vinegar. Then sliced them and served alongside the salad pasta.

Pasta Salad with Goat Cheese and Arugula

It's getting warm outside!!  Time to hose off the grill and light er' up!
I love this salad. It is a perfect side dish to just about any grilled meat, or a roasted chicken, fish..
Or, if you're like me, just a fork.
I double the dressing. I like my pasta salad to have plenty of it. Also, since there is just the three of us, it sits overnight and the pasta soaks up the dressing. It can leave it a bit dry. The creamy goat cheese, peppery Arugula.. yum!

Serves 4

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3/4 pound gemelli or other short pasta
• 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese (3 ounces)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 bunch arugula (8 ounces), torn
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water. In a large bowl, toss pasta with beans and goat cheese.
2. Make dressing: In a bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and mustard and season with salt and pepper. (To store, refrigerate pasta mixture and dressing separately, up to 1 day.) To serve, toss pasta mixture with dressing, arugula, and onion.

Recipe and Photo,  Martha, Everyday Food, June 09

Chopped Salsa

Some friends of ours make this 'salsa' at most of their BBQ's. I stole it and made it my own!
I believe they said they got it from Sunset Magazine -- and I searched for it, but couldn't find the official name for it. I try to give credit where credit is due, in this case, I just can't!

So here's what you need:
1 can black beans (drained & rinsed)
1 avocado, diced (but since avocado's turn brown, try not to cut yours up until you are ready to serve!)
1/2 red onion, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 jicama ( i love jicama!! if you don't know what it is, click here)
2 ears of corn, shaved -or- 1/2 bag frozen corn, thawed

Dressing Ingredients:
a handful of cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 large lime or 2 small limes
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup evoo
cumin, toasted (heat a small skillet, pour a couple of teaspoonfuls of cumin and let it heat up... getting it nice and fragrant)
1 T honey
1 tsp garlic salt
-and if you like it to have a little kick, add a couple of drops of cayenne sauce)

Place all veggies on a platter, separated. Then, with a spoon, pour dressing over the top... use as little or as much as you want! (we also use the dressing for a marinade - it is especially good with chicken and shrimp.)

You can pretty much used any 'salsa' ingredient. If you like cotija cheese, I imagine it sprinkled on top is pretty good!

Serve with tortilla chips, in a salad, over steaks, chicken, etc... It's a really easy recipe and looks amazing all laid out of the platter.

Cauliflower Gratin

This is my second favorite recipe from the Holiday. I love Cauliflower. This was so creamy and yummy.

3 slices white sandwich bread, torn into large pieces - or you could use store bought bread crumbs

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cored and cut into small florets
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (1 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, combine bread and Parmesan. Pulse until coarse crumbs form, about 3 to 4 times; set aside.
In a large saucepan with a lid, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour; cook, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Whisk in milk.
Add cauliflower, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cover, and cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; gradually stir in Gruyere.
Pour mixture into a 2-quart baking dish, and sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture. Cover with aluminum foil; bake until cauliflower is easily pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Remove foil, and bake until breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Serve. Serves 4.
Everyday Food, Martha Stewart

Penne with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

                                           
This is what I made for dinner lastnight. This recipe is going in my "I fix all the time" book. It was FABULOUS. The recipe does not call for pine nuts, but I had them so I added about 1/4 cup to the food processor to complete the pesto. Yum Yum Yum. I served this with Chicken Breasts marinated in Italian salad dressing and grilled as well as crusty garlic bread. My 2 year old ate the pesto with a spoon!! So good!

12 ounces penne pasta
1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil - I used about 3/4 of the jar
2 garlic cloves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
I added about 1/4 cup of pine nuts, because I like traditional pesto
I also added about 4 tbs. olive oil, the pesto was too thick and dry otherwise
Directions
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, blend the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, salt and pepper, to taste, and basil in a food processor and blend until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer the tomato mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan.

Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper and serve.

Giada DeLaurientiis, Food Network

Balsamic-Baked Potatoes

1.5 lbs new potatoes, halved or quartered if large
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
8 (yes 8!!) cloves garlic, smashed
5 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In an 8-inch square baking dish, combine potatoes, broth, vinegar, garlic, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake until potatoes are tender and liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 1 hour - 1-1/4 hours, tossing twice.

everyday food magazine, november 2009

Applesauce

A couple of weeks ago now, I bought a bag of Granny Smith apples at the grocery store. My kids love these apples. In the midst of unloading, putting away, running out to go pick up my oldest from school and then coming home to finish putting the groceries away, I lost track of the bag of apples. When I questioned my girls, they admitted to the bag of apples being in their room. I knew this was not good! I walked into their room and found the bag emptied and one solitary, single, lonely bite taken out of each apple.
Well, how does the saying go? When life hands you lemons, make lemonade? Does this also fit for apples to applesauce?
Needless to say, I ended up with a pot of applesauce.

So, after thinking about what to do with these apples, I was reminded of something in my childhood. As a young girl, our family would go camping, a lot. We would camp with lots of other families. One family, imparticular, was very creative with their cooking. they made quesadilla's on a grill over the fire. And one time, while camping, they made applesauce. I still remember the recipe, probably one of the first recipes I ever learned, besides the tossed salad recipe in 2nd grade!

Applesauce
1 bag of apples (whole apples will do)
1-2 T cinnamon (depending on how many apples you have, and how sweet/spicy you like it!)
1-2 T brown sugar
Juice from one lemon

Peel & slice the apples (a pain, I know! My friend has the apple peeler and slicer, and jeeze-louise is that easy!)
Put all ingredients over low heat for about 30 minutes, until apples are soft and smash-able (yes, it's a word!)
Once the apples are soft, use whatever nifty tool you have to mash them! I used my mashed potato smasher...)

Let cool a bit and enjoy! I love this warm, with vanilla ice cream. My kids will live on applesauce if i let them!

Diane's Corn Salad

This is soooooooooo good. It required 2 posts on one day. Can you tell what I have been doing this weekend? oink oink
I got this from Pioneer Woman's new cooking community, Tasty Kitchen. My new favorite recipe website. I found this recipe here. I adapted this recipe a bit, specifically- I cut it in half since there is just 3 of us. I used about a ts of sugar instead of a tbs. And the best thing I did was took 2 fresh ears of corn and grilled them drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper. It gave the corn a delicious smokey flavor, which I would definitely suggest you do if you can. I also used about 15-20 cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters that I got at the farmers market. I added avocado to my husbands (because he is allergic to onions) and kept the avocado out of mine, onions in (because I'm allergic to avocado). Overall, it was fantastic. I served it with grilled Rib eye and garlic bread.

4 cups Fresh Cooked Corn, Cooked Frozen, Or Canned Corn
2 cups Ripe Tomato, Seeded And Chopped
½ cups Minced Onion, Any Variety, Including Green Onion
½ cups Minced Green Bell Pepper, Or Any Color
4 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Tablespoons Vinegar
Dash Of Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper To Taste
Preparation Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl with a tight fitting lid. Mix well, cover and chill until time to serve. Keeps up to a week in the fridge. Enjoy!

fancy pants baked potato

I got this idea from Emeril, but I did mine completely different and it turned out great. His called for cooking in a bath of chicken stock or some kind of liquid. Nah, who has time for all that business. I was off to an hair appointment, after all! Can't be late to such important things. This is what I did:
Preheat oven to 400. Wash 3 red potatoes. (I only needed 3, and I happened to have red. I'm sure any would work fine)
Slice them carefully and DO NOT slice all the way through. Melt 3 tbs butter. 1 for each potato. While butter is melting, mince 2 garlic cloves and about 1 tbs of parsley. Add the garlic and parsley to the melted butter, along with salt and pepper. Brush potatoes with the mixture, making sure to get in each nook and cranny. Yum.
Brush the tops with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake at 400 for an 30 minutes covered, and 30 minutes uncovered. They came out soft inside, and crispy and delicious outside. I love that you can play with your favorite ingredients and herbs and make these however your family prefers.

warm dijon potato salad with green beans

I regret that I don't have a picture of this really, really great potato salad. We made it for Memorial Day weekend to go with ribs. I couldn't get my camera out fast enough... but try it, its delicious.. and its great cold too. Thanks again and again and again Aubrey.. I wonder why I gain weight when I visit you...

3 pounds Yukon or baby white potatoes
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
1 shallot minced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
30 grinds black pepper
1/3 cup packed finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Directions
Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by at least a couple inches. Salt the water generously, bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
Bring another pot of salted water to a boil and throw the beans in just for a minute or two until they turn bright green. Strain them and run them under cold water to stop the beans from cooking.
In a mixing bowl combine the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth.
Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and then into roughly 1 inch chunks. Cut beans in half. Toss the potato chunks in the dressing and then toss in the green beans and the parsley.
recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman, Food Network

HOLIDAY POTATO CASSEROLE

There must be 100's of versions of this casserole, but its always a favorite. Here is mine.

1 package frozen hash browns (you can also use Potatoes O'Brien)
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can water
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup onions (omit of using Potatoes O'Brien)
1 stick butter (melt and save 1/4 for top)
1-2 cups cornflake crumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Place potatoes in 9x13 greased pan. In a separate bowl, mix together: cheese, soup, water, sour cream, onions and butter. Pour over potatoes. Cover with layer of cornflake crumbs. Pour remaining butter over the top and bake 350 for 1 hour.

JEFF'S AFTER SCHOOL SNACK (BRUSCHETTA W/ GOAT CHEESE)

This recipe was sent to me from Aubrey.. our cousin in San Diego~ between her and her husband Jeff, they are great in the kitchen.. food and drinks.
This is a wonderful appetizer/snack that Jeff makes several times a week when he gets home from work. We’re on a goat cheese kick and if you love it as much as we do, you’ll love this too!

Ingredients
2 roma tomatoes, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 or 4 large fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces soft goat cheese
Sourdough flute, sliced crosswise about 1/2 inch thick

Steps:
Preheat broiler
Mix tomatoes, garlic, basil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl
Place bread on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and lightly toast under broiler, about 1-2 minutes
Spread about 1 tablespoon of goat cheese on each bread slice
Top with tomato mixture
Place on baking sheet and place under broiler another 3-4 minutes
Make sure it doesn't burn : )

RED LEAF SALAD WITH ORANGES

2 oranges
1 head of red leaf lettuce, coarsely chopped
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Using small sharp knife, cut off peel and white pith from oranges. Cut oranges crosswise into round slices, then cut slices in half. Toss red leaf lettuce, orange slices, and red onion slices in large bowl. Add oil and vinegar and toss to coat; season salad to taste with salt and pepper.

bon appetit march 2008 amy finley