Archives for posts with tag: Pasta

One year and 30 meal plans later (including this one) Everyday Banquet is celebrating its first anniversary! I had no idea when I started this blog whether there would be any readers, let alone whether the idea of presenting recipes in the form of a weekly meal plan would strike a chord. It has been fun to read your comments and follow your interest on Facebook. By far the most gratifying comments have come from those of you who don’t cook a lot or didn’t think you liked to cook but have been trying new meals and liking them. That was always the goal – to get more people into the kitchen, cooking relatively simple and quick meals seasonally. So, on what I hope is the first of many anniversaries, I thank you, my readers for sticking with me and supporting me through the year!

Bon Appetit!
Elizas 1st bday cake_web

Meal #1:Beer-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Red Cabbage
Meal #2: Penne in a Cream Sauce with Pancetta, Roasted Red Peppers and Peas
Meal #3: Sausages with Lentils and Green Salad
Meal #4: Roasted Wild Striped Bass with Lemon, Olives, and Rosemary + Roasted Fennel with Artichoke Hearts

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items: 

fennel – 1
rosemary bunch – 1
bay leaves – 2
lemon – 2
red cabbage – 1 medium
red peppers – 2
apple – 1
onion – 1
carrot – 1
greens for a salad
artichoke hearts – 1 can in water
frozen peas
heavy cream – 1 small container
Kalamata olives – 1/2 cup
penne – 1 box
red lentils – 1 bag
dried thyme (if you don’t already have it)
Parmesan (if you don’t already have it)
ground chili pepper (if you don’t already have it)
reduced-sodium soy sauce (if you don’t already have it)
brown sugar (if you don’t already have it)
apple cider vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
pancetta – 4-6 ounces
sausage – 1 lb.
pork tenderloin – 2 (1 1/2-1 3/4 pounds total)
wild stripped bass – 1 6-8 ounce filet per person
lager – 1/4 cup

 

Penne with a Pancetta, Roasted Red Peppers, Pea and Cream Sauce
Penne w Pancetta, Peas, Peppers in 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.
Peas, Peppers and Pancetta

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.

This time of the year it is hard not to get Christmas songs stuck in your head. As I type I can hear Andy Williams singing “It’s the holiday season, and Santa Claus is coming around…” It goes on and on…. I don’t know whether it is because Patrick and I snuck away to Charleston last weekend, but the Christmas season feels short again this year and I feel like I’m far behind. I have to catch up, because for the first year ever Eliza fully understands that it is Christmas. It is adorable to watch – she loves the tree, the caroles and Frosty, but it also means that we better step it up and plan some fun activities and get her (or ahem, ask Santa) for some good presents!

Despite the busy season full of shopping, decorating, baking and general merriment I am still trying to slip a home-cooked meal in when I can. It isn’t as often as I’d like (there’s a pizza on its way while I type this), but I am hoping to get a few dinners made without the help of a microwave. Here are a couple of repeats, and two new meals that are delicious and perfect for the season. Enjoy!

The first snowman of the season (I know, he is a little scary)

The first snowman of the season (I know, he is a little scary)

Meal #1: Pork Chops with Apples and Onions + Braised Red Cabbage
Meal #2: Chicken Saltimbocca with Cheese + Sautéed Spinach
Meal #3: Brussels Sprouts and Pork (or Beef) Stir Fry + Rice
Meal #4: Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp + Green Salad

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

fresh sage – 1 bunch (or 1 tsp. dried sage)
white onion – 2
scallions – 1 bunch (approx. 4)
red cabbage – 1 head (2 1/4 pounds)
lemons – 3
spinach – 2 bags or bundles
apples – 5
brussels sprouts – 1 lb.
carrots – 2
jalapeno – 1
ginger – 1 small piece
fontina (provolone or gruyere work too) cheese – 6 slices (approx. 4 ounces)
pine nuts (optional)
apple cider – 1 cup
linguine – 1 box
dry red wine – 1/2 cup
rice (if you don’t already have it)
apple cider vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
oyster sauce (if you don’t already have it)
reduced-sodium soy sauce (if you don’t already have it)
unseasoned rice vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
dark-brown sugar (if you don’t already have it)
bone-in pork chops – 4 (3/4-1-inch thick)
flank or skirt steak – 1/2 lb.
bacon – 4 ounces (approx. 4 slices)
proscuitto – 6 thin slices
chicken cutlets – 1 1/2 lb.
shrimp – 1 1/2 lb.

 

One of the best things about the local food movement is that it has brought to light so many underused vegetables and fruits. If it weren’t for farmers markets I wouldn’t know about or have gotten a chance to eat fennel, celeriac, or romanesco. Before the proliferation of farmers markets I bet many of you had never seen or eaten a heirloom tomato. Whether you get them now from a farmers market or your local grocery store, the demand for these special, and dare I say better tomatoes, stems from the growth and ubiquity of farmers markets.

It isn’t just brand new foods that markets introduce us to; markets provide a retail space for farmers to try out different versions of some tried and true favorites without the worry that a grocery store will reject them because they aren’t the right shape or color. That’s how I encountered these beautiful carrots seen below. While shopping at my local Greenmarket I stumbled upon a big bunch of carrots in shades of orange, yellow and purple. They were majestic and I had to have them! So, get a little adventurous and try a new vegetable or fruit this week. We are so lucky to live in an age when hard, pink tomatoes are no longer acceptable.
Carrots_Web

Meal #1: Pork Tenderloin with Maple Glaze + Roasted Roots
Meal #2: Penne alla Vodka + Green Salad
Meal #3: Pan-Seared Scallops with Apple Cider Brown Butter and Brussels Sprouts Apple Slaw
Meal #4: Lemon and Olive Chicken + Red Roasted Carrots

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:
Honeycrisp apple – 1
Brussels sprouts – 7 large
lemon – 2
onion – 1
beets  – 4 medium to large
carrots  – 1 large bunch (8 or so)
potatoes -1/2 lb.
crumbled dried sage leaves – 2 ts.
sage – 1 bundle
green olives – 1/2 cup
chicken stock – 1 cup
large (28 oz) and small (14 oz) can Italian plum tomatoes – 1 each
penne – 1 box
heavy cream – 1/2 cup
Parmesan cheese – (if don’t already have it)
dried thyme – (if don’t already have it)
crushed red pepper – (if don’t already have it)
maple syrup – (if don’t already have it)
apple cider vinegar – (if don’t already have it)
apple cider – (if don’t already have it)
Dijon mustard – (if don’t already have it)
cinnamon – (if don’t already have it)
paprika – (if don’t already have it)
chili powder – (if don’t already have it)
garlic powder – (if don’t already have it)
pork tenderloins – 2, 12- to 14-ounce
bone-in chicken breast halves – 4
scallops – 16 large
vodka – 1/4 cup

This recent post by Sarah Grey on Serious Eats about Friday night meatball dinners has been making its way around the Internet. And for good reason. For many of us having more time to relax with friends and family is a high priority, but one that usually gets pushed aside. For those of us lucky enough to live near good friends a night together feels like a luxury. Although I live within minutes of two of my best friends, we can go weeks without seeing each other. So, when I saw this post I immediately emailed it to them and suggested we give it a go. One of my wise friends suggested we aim for the first Friday of the month, rather than every Friday, and move the dinner around so that each of us host on a monthly basis.

And so, a couple of Fridays ago we began what I hope is a long-standing tradition. I hosted the first of our dinners and as Sarah Grey suggests, the dinner was open to outside guests. Along with friends, and a boyfriend we were joined by my friend’s parents who were visiting from out of town. Seven of us, plus Eliza on my husband’s lap, squeezed around our tiny dining room table in a our small Brooklyn apartment and had a blast. Showing our age and station in life, the night started by 6pm and we were cleaning up by 9pm. The time together was the perfect way to end the week and I can’t wait for next month!

Friday Dinners

For the kick-off I prepared a real Brooklyn meal – Sunday Gravy, or in this case, Friday Gravy.

Sunday Gravy – Serves 8

Sunday Gravy

olive oil
8 sweet or hot Italian sausage
8 meatballs
4 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
handful of basil
2 TB. tomato paste
1/4 cup water
2 – 28 ounce cans of diced tomatoes + 1 -14.5 ounce can
2 boxes linguine

In a large pot with a heavy bottom, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Brown sausages on all sides – about 5-7 minutes. Remove from pot and put aside for later. Repeat with the meatballs.

In the same pot, saute garlic and basil for 1-2 minutes.  Add tomato paste and water and stir constantly for about 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes to the pot and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes. Lower to a simmer and cover pot, leaving a portion of the pot uncovered, and cook for approximately 2 hours.

About an hour before you are going to eat add sausage and meatballs to the sauce and continue to simmer.

Cook linguine (or spaghetti – whatever you like) according to the directions on the box.

Remove sausage and meatballs and put them on a platter. Toss pasta with sauce and serve.

Mangia!

 

 

 

 

I certainly wouldn’t be the first to profess my love of autumn on the Internet. It is hard for me to let go of summer, but the arrival of tart apples, pumpkin beer and foliage help. And as much as I hate to say goodbye to tomatoes and corn, the new season allows me to indulge in cooking and eating some other favorites, such as roast chicken and winter squash.

This week’s meal plan is a bit of a transition into a new season and menu. Like farmers markets this time of year where you can still get some pretty good peaches as well as gorgeous winter squash this meal plan isn’t ready to completely concede to cooler weather. Roast chicken is back, but I haven’t started roasting Brussels Sprouts yet (they are better after the first frost). And a trip to a Connecticut apple orchard last weekend inspired the pork chops with apples and cider.

Apple Picking

Meal #1: Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Toast + Bacon
Meal #2: Hamersley’s Roast Chicken with Onions and Potatoes + Steamed Green Beans
Meal #3: Pork Chops with Apples + Sautéed Kale
Meal #4: Pasta Carbonara with Leeks and Lemon

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:
fresh (or dried) sage
dried thyme
dried rosemary
bunch of basil – 1
lemon – 2
leeks – 4
red onion – 3
bunch of kale – 1
green beans – 1 1/2 lb.
medium red potatoes – 6
tart apples – 2
apple cider – 3/4 cup
diced tomatoes – 1 28 ounce can
good bread – 1 or 2 slices per person
short pasts – 1 box
Dijon mustard (if you don’t already have it)
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
eggs – 1 dozen
1/2 -inch-thick boneless pork loin chops – 4 (5 ounces each)
bacon
whole chicken – 4 lb.

 

Every Wednesday morning I eagerly await my subway ride so I can read The New York Times’ Dining Section. First I check the restaurant review, hoping for either a 4-star or 0-star review – the two ends of the spectrum yield the most entertaining writing – and then the latest recipes from Melissa Clark and David Tanis. Rarely am I disappointed and this week was no exception. In fact, I was thrilled to see that the entire section was devoted to homecooking. They pulled out all of the stops, with all of their writers devoting an article and recipe to either a simple cooking technique or style – from vinaigrette to scallops to tarts.

The goal of this blog, since its inception, has always been to provide my readers with unintimidating recipes, organized into meal plans with grocery lists so everyone could see that they can squeeze 30 minutes into their evenings to cook. It’s nice to see that my blog is in the good company of some of my favorite writers and cooks!

Fall's here!

Fall’s here!

Meal #1: Mediterranean Chicken Thighs with Polenta
Meal #2: Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp + Green Salad
Meal #3:Pork Tenderloin with Plums and Red Onion + Corn on the Cob
Meal #4: Salmon with Potatoes in Tomato Sauce

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

lettuce – 1 large head
lemons – 2
orange – 1
plums – 4
red onion – 1
white onion – 1
corn – 1 per person
white potatoes – 3/4 lb.
parsley – 1 bunch
linguine – 1 box
polenta – 1 tube
reduced-sodium chicken broth – 1 1/4 cup
diced tomatoes – 2 cans (28 ounces each)
tomato paste – 1 small can
Kalamata olives – 1 cup
red wine vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
bone-in, chicken thighs – 8
pork tenderloin – 1 1/2 lb.
shrimp – 1 1/2 lb.
salmon – 4 (6 ounces each)

Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp

This is a perfect weeknight dish. You can pull the entire dinner together in the time it takes to boil water and cook pasta. I used Ina Garten’s recipe but I don’t really like Angel Hair pasta that much because it can quickly become mushy, so I used linguine instead.

1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound linguine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the shrimp on a sheet pan with 1 TB. olive oil, 1/2 ts. salt and 1/2 ts. pepper. Toss well and spread shrimp in one layer and roast for 6 to 8 minutes, just until they’re pink and cooked through.

Follow the directions for cooking the linguine. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Quickly toss the pasta with the melted butter, 1/4 cup olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper and about reserved cooking liquid (start with just 1/4 cup and add more as necessary). Add the shrimp and serve hot.

Green Salad

Sorry for the delayed post. I was all set and ready to go last week, but due to a business trip to Omaha, Nebraska I had no time to actually post the meal plan. Anyway, the trip to Omaha went well. Did you know that Omaha is the home of the reuben sandwich and the hometown of Henry Fonda, Marlon Brando, Fred Astaire and of course, the “Wizard of Wall Street” Warren Buffet? To cap off several days of business meetings I got a chance to check out the Omaha Farmers Market last Saturday morning, which was gorgeous. But, here’s a warning – the weather was chilly! If the Midwest is a bellwether than meals full of tomatoes and corn are quickly coming to an end so enjoy them while you can. I certainly am!

Nebraska - home of the Cornhuskers!

Nebraska – home of the Cornhuskers!

Meal #1: Pressed Chicken Thighs with Corn, Scallion and Pepper Saute
Meal #2: Zucchini, Tomato and Feta Bake + Any Protein + Corn on the Cob
Meal #3: Italian “Stir Fry”
Meal #4: Fennel Compote with Tomatoes, Olives and Fish + Corn on the Cob

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items: 

fennel – 1 large or 2 smaller ones
plum tomatoes – 13
red bell pepper – 2 large
red onion – 1
scallions – 1 bunch
zucchini – 2 medium
summer squash – 1
corn – 2 + 1 per person for 2 meals
green or black olives – 1/2 cup
feta – 4 ounces
capers – 1 jar (if you don’t already have them)
pesto – 1 jar (optional)
ricotta cheese – 1 small container (optional)
pasta – 1 box
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs – 1-2 per person, depending on size
white fish (bass, halibut or tilapia) – 6 ounces per person
whatever protein you decide to make along with meal #2

Summer Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella
Summer Pasta_Web

This is such a great dish for showcasing summer’s greatest gift to us – the tomato – and prep is so fast. You can’t eat this any other time of the year because tomatoes aren’t good enough to eat raw. I used to make this recipe without marinating the tomatoes (see below), but once I learned this trick from Jamie Oliver I never went back – it really makes them taste incredible.

¾ lb. pasta (I like penne or rigatoni)
3-4 tomatoes, chopped
salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
Handful of basil, torn up
olive oil, to taste
1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella – cubed

Boil water for pasta, when boiling add pasta and follow directions on the box.

Chop tomatoes, add them to a colander placed over a large bowl or in the sink, and toss them with a decent amount of salt (maybe 2 teaspoons?) and let sit at least 15 minutes while you prep the rest of the your ingredients. Mince garlic and cube mozzarella.
IMG_1605

When the pasta is ready, toss tomatoes into your serving bowl and drain the pasta in the colander you used for the tomatoes (the juice that comes out of the tomatoes should be thrown out). Add garlic, mozzarella, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper to the tomatoes and mix. Add pasta and toss.