We haven't eaten a meal with Brooks in a while and wanted to share with him a dish that we've always enjoyed and knew would turn out really well. We decided to make the Garlic Noodles with Shrimp dish that we love so much.
I tried to remove the tails from the frozen shrimp before they marinaded, but failed miserably. If I can remember in advance, I will thaw the frozen shrimp beginning the night before and remove all of the shrimp tails before the cooking begins. In the meantime, we're left to removing them by hand as we eat the meal.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Cold Sesame Noodles
This recipe showed up in a new food blog I've been following. I've always enjoyed a cold pasta dish and although Brit isn't the biggest fan of cold dishes, she was willing to give it a try. We ended up eating it at room temperature and it was delicious and filling. I would highly recommend this dish and I can't wait to make it again. Next time I would add some extra veggies to this dish, such as some julienned carrots, and also add some roast turkey on top to give the dish some protein and fill out the entree.
Cold Sesame Noodles
(Originally posted on The Perfect Pantry blog)
Serves 4 (as a main dish)
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar (we used white wine vinegar)
1 tsp chili paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tbsp sesame oil, divided
2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
1 lb linguine or lo mein noodles (we used regular spaghetti)
2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
3-4 green onions, diced
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, drain pasta, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Toss pasta with 2 tbsp sesame oil and refrigerate 30 minutes, until cold, or at your desired temperature.
Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, combine the first 8 ingredients and simmer over low heat. Whisk for a few minutes until smooth and set aside to cool.
When the pasta is cooled, mix in the remaining veggies. Use some of the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce and help it mix and stick well to the pasta. I didn't use very much of it at all.
Cold Sesame Noodles
(Originally posted on The Perfect Pantry blog)
Serves 4 (as a main dish)
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar (we used white wine vinegar)
1 tsp chili paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tbsp sesame oil, divided
2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
1 lb linguine or lo mein noodles (we used regular spaghetti)
2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
3-4 green onions, diced
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, drain pasta, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Toss pasta with 2 tbsp sesame oil and refrigerate 30 minutes, until cold, or at your desired temperature.
Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, combine the first 8 ingredients and simmer over low heat. Whisk for a few minutes until smooth and set aside to cool.
When the pasta is cooled, mix in the remaining veggies. Use some of the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce and help it mix and stick well to the pasta. I didn't use very much of it at all.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Roast Asparagus and Caramelized Mushroom Quesadillas with Goat Cheese
As is common these days, I found this recipe in one of the numerous food blogs I've subscribed myself to in Google Reader. Brit and I love asparagus, mushrooms, and goat cheese, so this dish was a no brainer.
Roast Asparagus and Caramelized Mushroom Quesadillas with Goat Cheese
(Originally posted on the Closet Cooking food blog)
makes 4 quesadillas
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 handful cilantro, chopped
10 spears asparagus, trimmed
4 oz goat cheese chevre, diced
1 cup monterey jack cheese, grated
4 (6 inch) tortillas
Sour cream
Salsa
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and saute the onions until they're soft. Add in the garlic, cumin, chipotle powder and saute another minute. Add in the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook until most of the liquid from the mushrooms has been released and evaporated. Remove from heat and mix in the cilantro.
Meanwhile, toss the asparagus with a little oil and lay out on a baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes until they are tender. Cut the asparagus into 1 inch pieces and add them into the mushroom mix.
In a clean pan, sprayed with cooking spray, gently heat up a tortilla. Add the mushroom and asparagus mixture, some goat cheese, and some monterey jack cheese. Place another tortilla on top and cook until the bottom is browned. Flip the quesadilla by placing an upside down plate on top of the pan. Quickly invert the two and then slide the flipped quesadilla back into the pan. Cook until the bottom is browned and the cheese is melty.
Serve with some sour cream, salsa, or any other condiment you desire.
Roast Asparagus and Caramelized Mushroom Quesadillas with Goat Cheese
(Originally posted on the Closet Cooking food blog)
makes 4 quesadillas
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 handful cilantro, chopped
10 spears asparagus, trimmed
4 oz goat cheese chevre, diced
1 cup monterey jack cheese, grated
4 (6 inch) tortillas
Sour cream
Salsa
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and saute the onions until they're soft. Add in the garlic, cumin, chipotle powder and saute another minute. Add in the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook until most of the liquid from the mushrooms has been released and evaporated. Remove from heat and mix in the cilantro.
Meanwhile, toss the asparagus with a little oil and lay out on a baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes until they are tender. Cut the asparagus into 1 inch pieces and add them into the mushroom mix.
In a clean pan, sprayed with cooking spray, gently heat up a tortilla. Add the mushroom and asparagus mixture, some goat cheese, and some monterey jack cheese. Place another tortilla on top and cook until the bottom is browned. Flip the quesadilla by placing an upside down plate on top of the pan. Quickly invert the two and then slide the flipped quesadilla back into the pan. Cook until the bottom is browned and the cheese is melty.
Serve with some sour cream, salsa, or any other condiment you desire.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Fish marinade with Cous Cous and Green Beans
Making this fish marinade dinner is so easy and is always so delicious. We often vary the kind of fish and marinade that we use, but have had very good luck recently with tilapia from Trader Joe's and we have always enjoyed their yellow curry as well. The accompanying carb and green will also vary, but ultimately it doesn't matter. It's a simply, complete, delicious meal that definitely satisfies us both.
Fish Marinade
1.5 lbs fish fillets (we used frozen Tilapia from TJs)
Marinade (we used 1/2 a container of TJs yellow curry)
Black pepper
Place your fish (thawed if necessary) in a glass baking dish or a foil lined baking pan and cover with the curry of your choice. Season the top of the fish with some ground black pepper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Bake at 450 F until cooked through and the fish is flaky. I usually test by inserting a knife into the thickest part of the fillet. If the knife glides in with no resistance, you're done!
Cous Cous with pine nuts
1.5 cups water
1 tbsp olive oil
Cumin
Zatar
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Smoked paprika
Chili powder
1.5 cups cous cous
1/2 cup pine nuts
In a medium sized pot, bring to a boil the water, oil, and all of the spices. I add the spices to my own taste/desire, but I'd guesstimate 1-2 tsp per spice. Once the water has boiled, stir in the cous cous, turn off the heat, and let sit with the lid on it for at least 5 minutes. Fluff the cous cous with a fork. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a small saute pan until browned. Stir in the pine nuts to the cous cous after they've been fluffed.
Green Beans
1 cup of green beans
Salt
Pepper
Balsamic vinegar
Cook the green beans until tender in a medium sized pot of boiling water. Drain, return to pot, and season with the remaining ingredients.
Fish Marinade
1.5 lbs fish fillets (we used frozen Tilapia from TJs)
Marinade (we used 1/2 a container of TJs yellow curry)
Black pepper
Place your fish (thawed if necessary) in a glass baking dish or a foil lined baking pan and cover with the curry of your choice. Season the top of the fish with some ground black pepper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Bake at 450 F until cooked through and the fish is flaky. I usually test by inserting a knife into the thickest part of the fillet. If the knife glides in with no resistance, you're done!
Cous Cous with pine nuts
1.5 cups water
1 tbsp olive oil
Cumin
Zatar
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Smoked paprika
Chili powder
1.5 cups cous cous
1/2 cup pine nuts
In a medium sized pot, bring to a boil the water, oil, and all of the spices. I add the spices to my own taste/desire, but I'd guesstimate 1-2 tsp per spice. Once the water has boiled, stir in the cous cous, turn off the heat, and let sit with the lid on it for at least 5 minutes. Fluff the cous cous with a fork. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a small saute pan until browned. Stir in the pine nuts to the cous cous after they've been fluffed.
Green Beans
1 cup of green beans
Salt
Pepper
Balsamic vinegar
Cook the green beans until tender in a medium sized pot of boiling water. Drain, return to pot, and season with the remaining ingredients.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Spaghetti and Meatballs
I have made Brit my spaghetti and meat sauce several times before, but I have never made her any meatballs. In fact, my meat sauce recipe is actually a meatball recipe that I converted because I kept failing at making meatballs correctly. I would get so antsy and anxious about cooking the meatballs correctly, that I kept cutting into to them to check if they were done, and by the time they were done, I had a pan full of ground meat and no meatballs. So, after a recent trip home where meatballs were made, I was determined to give it another try.
Meatballs
serves 4-6
1 lbs ground turkey
1 onion, 1/2 diced and 1/2 minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 carrots, diced
12 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp sriracha
1 lemon, juiced
1 egg
Black pepper
Salt
Olive oil
1 can pasta sauce
1 package spaghetti
Parmesan cheese
1 large head of broccoli
Begin by boiling water for pasta and cook according to package instructions. Be sure to add olive oil and salt to the water, but only add the salt after the water has boiled.
Combine the turkey, minced onion, bread crumbs, ketchup, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, sriracha, lemon juice, egg, half of the garlic, and black pepper in a large bowl. Mix well by hand.
Saute the diced onion, remaining garlic, and carrots in a large pot. Season with a little salt and pepper. Once the onions are soft, add in the mushrooms and cook until most of liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Stir in the pasta sauce and simmer on low for a few minutes or turn off the heat altogether.
In a large and deep saute pan, heat 1-2 tbsp of olive oil. Form 1-2 inch diameter balls from the meat mixture and add to the hot oil. Cook no more than 5 minutes before carefully turning over and browning the other side for no more than 5 minutes. You don't want the meatballs to cook at this point, just brown the outside of them. I added another 1-2 tbsp of olive oil during the cooking process to help them brown a little faster. Finish cooking the meatballs by adding the veggies and sauce to the pan and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, steam some broccoli and season with a little salt and pepper. Serve the meatballs and sauce over the pasta. Garnish with parmesan cheese and dig in!
So, I successfully made meatballs and I'm so happy with how they turned out. Next time I'll even brown the meatballs for a little less time and I'll prob make the meatballs themselves a little smaller; they won't need as much time to cook anyways. I was experimenting when I added the sriracha and sadly it wasn't distinguishable at all. I'll add a bit more next time and see how it turns out.
Meatballs
serves 4-6
1 lbs ground turkey
1 onion, 1/2 diced and 1/2 minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 carrots, diced
12 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp sriracha
1 lemon, juiced
1 egg
Black pepper
Salt
Olive oil
1 can pasta sauce
1 package spaghetti
Parmesan cheese
1 large head of broccoli
Begin by boiling water for pasta and cook according to package instructions. Be sure to add olive oil and salt to the water, but only add the salt after the water has boiled.
Combine the turkey, minced onion, bread crumbs, ketchup, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, sriracha, lemon juice, egg, half of the garlic, and black pepper in a large bowl. Mix well by hand.
Saute the diced onion, remaining garlic, and carrots in a large pot. Season with a little salt and pepper. Once the onions are soft, add in the mushrooms and cook until most of liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Stir in the pasta sauce and simmer on low for a few minutes or turn off the heat altogether.
In a large and deep saute pan, heat 1-2 tbsp of olive oil. Form 1-2 inch diameter balls from the meat mixture and add to the hot oil. Cook no more than 5 minutes before carefully turning over and browning the other side for no more than 5 minutes. You don't want the meatballs to cook at this point, just brown the outside of them. I added another 1-2 tbsp of olive oil during the cooking process to help them brown a little faster. Finish cooking the meatballs by adding the veggies and sauce to the pan and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, steam some broccoli and season with a little salt and pepper. Serve the meatballs and sauce over the pasta. Garnish with parmesan cheese and dig in!
So, I successfully made meatballs and I'm so happy with how they turned out. Next time I'll even brown the meatballs for a little less time and I'll prob make the meatballs themselves a little smaller; they won't need as much time to cook anyways. I was experimenting when I added the sriracha and sadly it wasn't distinguishable at all. I'll add a bit more next time and see how it turns out.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Chickpeas and Charred Tomatoes Pasta
This is a dish we have made a few times before and have even cooked for our friends Jeremy and Kendra in the recent past. It's super easy and delicious, so we're always willing to make it again.
Chickpeas and Charred Tomatoes Pasta
(adapted from a February 2011 Bon Appetit Magazine recipe)
Serves 4
1 package penne pasta
1 cup roasted garlic hummus (we doubled the amount of hummus and didn't use plain hummus)
2 tbsp olive oil
Pint of cherry tomatoes
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 cup halved and pitted kalamata olives
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Before draining the water, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and whisk the hummus into the liquid.
Meanwhile, add the cherry tomatoes to the heated oil over high heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook about 10 minutes until blackened in some areas. Add the chickpeas, garlic, and smoked paprika, crushing some of the tomatoes to release their liquids. Mix in the pasta, hummus mixture and then the olives and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Before draining the water, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and whisk the hummus into the liquid.
Meanwhile, add the cherry tomatoes to the heated oil over high heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook about 10 minutes until blackened in some areas. Add the chickpeas, garlic, and smoked paprika, crushing some of the tomatoes to release their liquids. Mix in the pasta, hummus mixture and then the olives and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Linguine with Pea Pesto
This dish is one that we've made before and turned out really well. Well, it was even better tonight. Previously we used a mix of fresh peas from the farmer's market that we shelled ourselves and frozen peas that we already had, but this time we just stuck with the frozen peas. Frozen peas are a lot less work and cook faster too. This is a definite keeper recipe and we plan to make it again on a regular basis.
Linguine with Pea Pesto
(Originally printed on the Smitten Kitten food blog)
1.5 cups peas
2-3 garlic cloves
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted and cooled
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup olive oil
12 oz package linguine
Boil a large pot of salted water with olive oil for the linguine and cook to according to package directions. Reserve up to 2 cups of pasta water before draining, drain pasta, and return to pot.
In the meantime, boil a smaller pot of water for the peas. Cook for 2 minutes, transfer to an ice bath, and drain. Also in the meantime, toast the pine nuts and set aside.
Mix half of the peas, all of the garlic and pine nuts, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, salt and blend. Add in the olive oil and blend for a few minutes until smooth.
Over a low heat, mix the pasta, remaining peas, and pesto. Mix well and slowly add the reserved pasta water to smooth out the pesto. We didn't actually use more than 1/4 cup of the reserved water, but add more or less to your preference.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.
Linguine with Pea Pesto
(Originally printed on the Smitten Kitten food blog)
1.5 cups peas
2-3 garlic cloves
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted and cooled
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup olive oil
12 oz package linguine
Boil a large pot of salted water with olive oil for the linguine and cook to according to package directions. Reserve up to 2 cups of pasta water before draining, drain pasta, and return to pot.
In the meantime, boil a smaller pot of water for the peas. Cook for 2 minutes, transfer to an ice bath, and drain. Also in the meantime, toast the pine nuts and set aside.
Mix half of the peas, all of the garlic and pine nuts, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, salt and blend. Add in the olive oil and blend for a few minutes until smooth.
Over a low heat, mix the pasta, remaining peas, and pesto. Mix well and slowly add the reserved pasta water to smooth out the pesto. We didn't actually use more than 1/4 cup of the reserved water, but add more or less to your preference.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.
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