Archives for category: Meals

Penne with a Pancetta, Roasted Red Peppers, Pea and Cream Sauce

January 9, 2015 //

Penne with a Pancetta, Roasted Red Peppers, Pea and Cream Sauce

So, it may be January, when we all try to eat a little bit healthier, but Patrick and I had to squeeze one more rich dinner in before lightening it up. This dish, inspired by a recipe from Marcella Hazen’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, is so delicious and takes just 10-15 minutes to prepare (minus the time for roasting the peppers). You could use bacon instead of pancetta and if you want to skip the roasted red peppers, or just buy a bottle of already roasted peppers, that’s fine too.

2 roasted red peppers, diced into small pieces (directions below)
3 TB. butter
4-6 oz. pancetta, diced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 heavy cream
salt
pepper
1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan
12-16 ounces penne

Boil salted water and cook pasta according to directions on the box.

Put the butter and pancetta into a saute pan and turn the heat to medium. Cook for a minute or less, stirring frequently.

Add the thawed peas, and cook for another minutes, stirring to coast them well.

Add the little squares of red peppers, stirring for a half a minute or so.

Add the cream, salt and several grindings of pepper, and turn up the heat to high. Cook, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens.

Toss the sauce with cooked, drained pasta, swirling in the grated Parmesan. Serve immediately, with additional grated cheese.

Roasted Red Peppers

Place whole peppers into the broiler for 15-20 minutes. Turn occasionally so that each side is blackened.

Place roasted peppers into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, or place them in a paper bag and tightly close the bag. Let the peppers cool and then remove skin, seeds and inner ribs and dry peppers with a towel.

Tags cream, pancetta, Pasta, peas, red peppers

Categories Meals

Chicken Saltimbocca with Cheese + Sautéed Spinach

December 9, 2014 //

Chicken Saltimbocca with Cheese

I have already posted a chicken saltimbocca recipe, but I can never get enough saltimbocca. Unlike the original, this New York Times recipe has cheese, which is never a bad thing. Delicious!

1 ½ pounds boneless skinless thin chicken cutlets
salt and pepper
1 TB. chopped sage, plus 24 large sage leaves
2 garlic cloves smashed to a paste
1 pinch red pepper flakes, optional
olive oil
6 thin slices proscuitto
6 slices fontina cheese (about 4 ounces)

Salt and pepper each cutlet on both sides and place on a platter. Sprinkle with chopped sage, garlic, red pepper flakes (if using) and olive oil. Massage in the seasoning to distribute, cover and marinate at room temperature for one hour, or refrigerate for up to several hours.

Heat a wide skillet over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil looks wavy, add the sage leaves and let them crisp for about 30 seconds. Remove and drain.

Brown the chicken breasts in the oil for about 2 minutes per side, then transfer to a baking dish large enough to fit them in one layer.

Top each piece with 2 sage leaves, a slice of prosciutto and a slice of fontina. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling. Garnish with remaining sage leaves.

Sautéed Spinach

Popeye would approve!

2 TB. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 TB. pine nuts (optional)
2 bags or bunches of spinach, washed and dried well
salt and pepper
lemon wedge

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, when the oil begins to shimmer add the garlic and pine nuts, saute for 1-2 minutes. Add spinach to the pot and stir; as it wilts it will release water. Let the spinach saute for another 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until most of the water evaporates. Add salt and pepper to taste, and squirt lemon juice over the spinach to serve.

Tags cheese, chicken, sage, spinach

Categories Meals

Pork Chops with Apples and Onions + Braised Red Cabbage

December 8, 2014 //

Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

Found this recipe while I was going through the latest Penzys catalogue. It is perfect for autumn/winter and pretty quick to prepare. I didn’t use the Bavarian seasoning in the original recipe and it was fine.

4 bone-in pork chops, 3/4-1-inch thick
1 TB. fresh sage (or 1 tsp. rubbed sage)
salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste
1 TB. olive oil
2 TB. unsalted butter
1 large white onion, sliced
3-4 apples, cored and sliced
1 cup fresh apple cider

Rub sage, salt and pepper on both sides of pork chops. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat and add the olive oil. Sear the pork chops on both sides until good and brown (about 5 minutes per side). Remove the chops.

Add the butter, onions and apples to the skillet and sauté until the onions are caramelized and the mixture has thickened, 15 minutes or so. Stir in the fresh cider and return the pork chops to the skillet. Cook for about 10-15 more minutes, turning the chops halfway through. Serve pork chops with a big scoop of apples and onions.

Braised Red Cabbage

I love red cabbage and have posted a similar recipe before with pork tenderloin, but this recipe from Martha Stewart is just for red cabbage and it is delicious!

4 ounces bacon (about 4 slices), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 head red cabbage (2 1/4 pounds), halved, cored, and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup dry red wine
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons dark-brown sugar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tart apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Cook bacon in a large pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fat renders and bacon is crisp, about 8 minutes. Add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add cabbage, vinegar, wine, water, sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; stir to combine. Raise heat to medium-high, cover, and cook 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Stir apple into cabbage, and cook, covered, until cabbage and apples are tender, 25 to 35 minutes. Season with pepper.

Tags apples, cider, onions, pork, red cabbage

Categories Meals

Tangy Roasted Beets & Carrots

November 25, 2014 //

Tangy Roasted Beets & Carrots

I love to prepare roasted roots throughout the fall and winter. While their sweetness adds enough flavor, the addition of several savory spices in this recipe works really well and takes this traditional side dish up a level.

1 large bunch of beets (approx. 4) – trimmed, halved and/quartered if very large
1 large bunch of carrots – peeled, cut into 1/2 inch coins
3 TB. lemon juice
1 TB. olive oil
3/4 ts. sweet paprika
1/4 ts. cumin
salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread beets in a cake pan and cover with foil. Toss carrot coins with olive oil on a baking sheet. Place both beets and carrots into oven and roast for approx. 30 minutes. Remove beets, let cool and then peel and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Remove carrots when tender.

In a large bowl, combine lemon juice, paprika, cumin olive oil and salt and toss with roasted beets and carrots.

Tags beets, carrots, cumin, lemon, paprika

Categories Meals

Maple Sriracha Brussels Sprouts

November 25, 2014 //

Maple Sriracha Brussels Sprouts

I’m always looking for new ways to make Brussels Sprouts. As much as I love them roasted with some olive oil, salt and pepper a little twist is always welcome. When I saw this recipe from the blog So Let’s Hang Out on Pinterest I knew I had to try it. I was excited about the sweetness of the maple syrup and the spice of the sriracha. Sriracha can be quite spicy so feel free to use a little less.

1 pound of Brussels Sprouts (about 20 sprouts), sliced in half or quartered if large
3 TB. maple syrup
1 TB. sriracha

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and spray it with a little bit of olive oil spray (or other cooking spray you have on hand) then set it aside.

In a mixing bowl whisk together the syrup and sriracha. Place sprouts in the same bowl and toss thoroughly to coat.

Pour sprouts onto the lined baking sheet and spread them out evenly. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the sprouts are tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.

Tags brussels sprouts, maple, sriracha

Categories Meals

Sicilian Cauliflower and Black Olive Gratin

November 25, 2014 //

Sicilian Cauliflower and Black Olive Gratin

So many gratins are heavy – weighed down with cream and cheese, but this recipe adapted from The New York Times’s “Recipes for Health” series is light and flavorful. The addition of Kalamata olives is a nice surprise and makes it a great side for many Italian dishes.

1 generous head green or white cauliflower (2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
salt
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 TB. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
16 Kalamata olives, pitted and cut in half
pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino or Parmesan, or a combination

Break up the cauliflower into small florets while you bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously and drop in the cauliflower. Boil 5 minutes while you fill a bowl with ice and water. Transfer the cauliflower to the ice water, let sit for a couple of minutes, then drain and place on paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish or gratin dish. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 3 minutes, and add a pinch of salt and the garlic. Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds, until fragrant and translucent. Remove from the heat and stir in the olives.

Toss the cauliflower into the skillet with the onion and olive mixture, add the remaining olive oil, and half the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir together well. Pour into baking dish, spread it out evenly and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the cheese is nicely browned. Serve hot or warm.

Tags cauliflower, olives

Categories Meals

Butternut Squash Gratin with Blue Cheese and Sage

November 25, 2014 //

Butternut Squash Gratin with Blue Cheese and Sage

This is such an awesome side dish. I LOVE the combination of the sweetness of the winter squash and the saltiness of the blue cheese. And while you get a little cheese to enjoy it is still a relatively light and healthy dish. We love blue cheese in our house, but if you don’t I bet you could substitute it with another strong cheese such as gruyere or fontina.

5 cups (approx. 2 lbs.) butternut squash – peeled, and cubed (3/4 inch)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 TB. olive oil
1 large onion – thinly sliced (approx. 2 cups)
1 TB. chopped fresh sage
1/2 ts. salt
1/4 ts. pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Steam butternut squash, covered for 10 minutes or until tender.

Mix bread crumbs with 2 ts. oil and toss with a fork to combine.

Heat remaining 2 ts. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onion to pan; saute 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl. Add squash, sage, salt and pepper to bowl, and toss gently to combine. Spoon mixture into a 11×7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle crumbled blue cheese evenly over squash mixture, and sprinkle evenly with bread crumb mixture. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and crumbs are golden brown.

Tags blue cheese, butternut squash, onions, sage

Categories Meals

Pan-Seared Scallops with Apple Cider Brown Butter and Brussels Sprouts Apple Slaw

November 7, 2014 //

Pan-Seared Scallops with Apple Cider Brown Butter and Brussels Sprouts Apple Slaw

This dinner is a great celebration of fall fruits and vegetables. Featured in The New Greenmarket Cookbook, this recipe is from Union Square Cafe, which is one of my favorite restaurants in New York. Sadly, Danny Meyer’s first restaurant is slated to close at the end of 2014, but fortunately we have recipes such as this one to keep us going…

This recipe serves four as an appetizer, and two as a main dish.

Slaw

1 small to medium-sized cored Honeycrisp apple
7 large Brussels sprouts
1 TB. fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
1 ts. apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper
2 TB. olive oil

Using a mandolin or sharp knife, shave or finely-slice the apple into short matchsticks. Shave or thinly sliced the Brussels sprouts and toss with the apples in a bowl. Dress with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil, and toss to coat. Set aside.

Scallops

16 large scallops, abductor muscles removed
salt and pepper
2 TB. vegetable oil
5 TB. unsalted butter
6 torn sage leaves
1 TB. fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
6 TB. apple cider

Pat the scallops very dry with a paper towel. Season both sides of each scallop with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a 10-inch saute pan over medium-high heat, until wavy but not smoking. Remove the pan from the heat to add the scallops, then return to medium-low heat. Cook until the scallops are nicely browned on one side, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the scallops over and cook the other side for another minute – they might not be as brown as the first side, but that’s okay. Transfer to a plate, dark side up.

Pour out the oil or blot the pan with a paper towel. Add the butter and return the pan to medium heat. When the butter is bubbly and golden brown, remove from heat and add the sage leaves to sizzle. Then add the lemon juice, apple cider, and pinch of salt. Swirl all ingredients together and return the pan to the heat, bringing to a full boil while scraping the browned bits off the bottom. Once the liquid boils, reduce heat to low and add the scallops, dark side up, and any juices that may have gathered on their plate. Lightly simmer until the sauce is smooth and thickened, swirling occasionally to keep combined, about 1 minute.

Place the scallops on individual plates with a couple of spoonfuls of apple cider-brown butter over each. Add a bundle the slaw to each and serve.

Tags apple, apple cider, brussels sprouts, butter, sage, scallops

Categories Meals

Pork Tenderloin with Maple Glaze + Roasted Roots

November 7, 2014 //

Maple Pork Tenderloin

This is another great fall recipe that doesn’t take too much time or effort. We had some leftover polenta which went really nicely with the pork, especially the maple glaze, which is delish!

Roasted Roots

When I was at the Farm School this was one of our favorite side dishes. So hearty and healthy. It is perfect in the fall when beets, carrots and potatoes are in their prime. You could substitute in parsnips, celery root or turnip. The bunches of carrots and beets caught my eye at the market, and I had a few extra fingerling potatoes in my pantry so that’s what I made, but try whatever you like!

4 beets, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 lb. potatoes, halved or quartered
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet, toss vegetables with olive oil, enough to coat, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 45-60 minutes – toss about halfway through.

Tags beets, carrots, maple, pork, potatoes

Categories Meals

Butternut Squash Polenta with Sausage and Onion

October 24, 2014 //

Butternut Squash Polenta with Sausage and Onion

Didn’t I once say that I had never made polenta before? Well that has all changed. I had no idea how easy it is to make! And if polenta is easy that means grits are easy, which is great because I LOVE cheesy grits with bacon. But, I digress…. This recipe from The New York Times‘ Melissa Clark is very delicious and perfect for fall. Especially if you are looking for another way to prepare butternut squash beside roasting it.

It is a funny recipe though. Once you start cooking it doesn’t take too long to make and it is pretty easy, but the prep feels like a lot. Mostly it is the butternut squash that you have to peel, halve, de-seed and then grate. It really isn’t that much work, but on a weeknight it feels burdensome. That said, once the squash is ready the recipe is pretty straight forward.

1 ½ ts. kosher salt, more as needed
1 bay leaf
1 cup fine polenta (not quick cooking)
5 ounces seeded and peeled butternut squash, coarsely grated (1 cup)
3 TB. unsalted butter
Black pepper, as needed
1 TB. extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
1 ½ lb. sweet or hot Italian pork sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds (or loose)
2 ts. minced rosemary
1 ts. fennel seeds (optional)
2 small onions, peeled, halved, and sliced into 1/4-inch half moons

In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine 4 1/2 cups water, the salt and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in polenta. Stir in squash. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until polenta and squash are very tender, 20 to 30 minutes. If the mixture gets too thick while cooking, add a little more water to the pot. Stir in butter and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

While polenta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, rosemary and fennel seeds if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is golden and cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. (Do this in batches if necessary, adding oil if the pan looks dry.) Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Add more oil to the skillet if it looks dry, then add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Return sausage to pan and stir to heat through. Spoon polenta into bowls and top with sausage and onion.

Tags butternut squash, onion, polenta, Sausage

Categories Meals

Penne with a Pancetta, Roasted Red Peppers, Pea and Cream Sauce