Easy Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup
(adapted from a recipe from Simply Recipes)


I was searching for dinner possibilities today on the internet and came across this one. I made a few changes and the result was great. Not only was it easy to make but it was really tasty too!

6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1/4 cup oil
1 onion, chopped (can use red or yellow onion or a combination of the two)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 T cumin (less if you are not as fond of cumin as I am!)
1.5 jalapeño chiles, seeded, veins removed, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained (preferably fire roasted)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
1 pound chicken (boneless and skinless), cooked then shredded
1 ripe medium avocado
1/2 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese (2 oz)
Chopped green onion
1 lime, cut into wedges

1. The recipe says you should try to use old, dried out tortillas. If not put them on a baking sheet in the oven at 200°F for 10-15 minutes . Cut tortillas into 1/4-inch strips. In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Fry strips in oil, 1/3 at a time, until light brown and crisp. Remove from pan; drain on paper towels. Reserve.

2. To cook chicken, place in a pot with 6 cups of water. You can flavor the water with whatever you have on hand. I used some spices (thyme, oregano) and 3 vegetable bullion cubes. Cook chicken until done. Remove chicken and shred after it has slightly cooled. Reserve 4 cups of liquid.

3. In a large pot saute onion, garlic, and jalapenos for 3-4 minutes. Add cumin and mix well. Stir in reserved chicken broth, canned tomatoes, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

4. Using either a blender, cuisinart, or immersion blender, puree soup. Add chicken to the soup and heat through.

5. To serve garnish with sliced avocado, green onions, pepper jack cheese, corn tortilla strips, and a lime wedge.

California Strawberry Cinnamon Muffins

One thing that is great about living in California right now is the abundance of strawberries. The other day while at the store I got 4 pounds of strawberries for $3.99. What better way to use them up then to make some muffins.


Strawberry Cinnamon Muffins

(adapted from a Cooking Light recipe)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup plus 3 T vanilla fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
2 cups chopped strawberries
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375º.

2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Make a well in center of flour mixture.

3. Combine yogurt, butter, milk, and egg in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add yogurt mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

4. Add chopped strawberries.

5. Place 12 foil cup liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray. Spoon batter into muffin tin. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

6. Bake at 375º for 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan; place on a wire rack.

A Taste of Puglia: Orecchiette with Garbanzos, Tomatoes, Arugula, and Feta

One of the stops on our Southern Getaway is Puglia, also known as Apulia. This region is the heel of Italy and has only recently become a tourist destination. It looks beautiful! It is very Greek and very Italian at the same time (it was actually part of Greece at one point). On our trip we are heading to Alberobello, Trani, Locorotondo, and Ostuni.

Alberobello- the trulli

Trani

Locorontondo

Ostuni

Most people know little about the region or it's products. In fact, Apulia produces 20% of the world's olive oil and 43% of Italy's olive oil! As a region, it also produces more wine than any other region and has 25 D.O.C. wines. I guess the Tuscans have just been more successful at marketing their product and their region!

The cuisine of Apulia is known as the poor man's cuisine. Vegetables have the leading role in the Apulian diet, including pasta sauces. Most sauces are simple, barely cooked and usually made from vegetables-barely cooked tomatoes; creamy ricotta; toasted breadcrumbs and garlic; broccoli and cauliflower, beans and chickpeas, fennel and arugula.

This recipe utilizes orecchiette or "little ears," the typical pasta of this region. It's made with hard flour and water rolled into sausage shapes and then cut into little disks with a knife.They are then pressed with a thumb to resemble little ears that catch and hold the pasta sauce.

Adapted from an Epicurious Recipe:

Orecchiette with Garbanzos, Tomatoes, Arugula, and Feta

1 pound orecchiette (ear-shaped pasta)
1 pound tomatoes diced (liquid reserved)
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small thinly sliced red onion (can also use green onions)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley plus sprigs for garnish
4 garlic cloves, minced (or to taste)
4 cups Arugula
1 15 1/2-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained, patted dry
2 cups feta cheese, coarsely crumbled

Preparation:
1. Combine diced tomatoes (and tomato juice), garlic, onions, oil, and parsley in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit at least 30 minutes.

2. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain.

3. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add garbanzo beans and sauté until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add garbanzo beans, arugula, and pasta to tomato mixture in bowl; toss to coat. Add feta; toss briefly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley.

Serve warm or let stand at room temperature up to 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

This came out quite good. Stay tuned for more information about our trip to Puglia and what we specifically plan on seeing while we are there!

Further reading: To read more about Apulia check out this post or the New York Time's article The Heel is Rising.

A Roman Feast

Last weekend we had the opportunity to go to Roma and had a blast. One of the great things was that we were able to bring back some stuff that we purchased at the market: Spices (Cayenne and Cumin for taco night); black beans (for taco night again!); artichokes; and squash blossoms. I was really excited to have the squash blossoms!


Rome is known for artichokes and we had artichokes at almost every meal when we were in Rome. In Italy, artichokes are grown in almost all of the 20 regions and Italy is responsible for 2/3 of the world population, followed by France, Spain, and the U.S.

The artichokes soaking in water....


The final product.......


The artichokes were great but my hands down favorite were the squash blossoms!

At the market........



We debated for a long time on what we were going to stuff them with and finally decided on a goat cheese/spinach/garlic mixture! Squash blossoms are really really delicate but definitely worth the effort!




Reed created a tempura batter (flour and sparkling water) so we could fry them up!

Farfalle with Gorgonzola, Arugula, and Cherry Tomatoes

This recipe is quick and east.

Adapted from a recipe that appeared in the New York Times.

1 cup light cream (can also use heavy cream or half and half)
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or other good blue cheese
1 pound farfalle
2 cups of arugula, trimmed, washed and chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes cut in half
salt and pepper
freshly ground Parmesan to taste

1. Cook pasta until just al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. While pasta is cooking, warm the cream and Gorgonzola in a small saucepan just until the cheese melts a bit and mixture becomes thick.

3. Add the Gorgonzola cream mixture, arugula, and cherry tomatoes to the cooked pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Top with Parmesan and serve.

Risotto Revisited

Roasted Beet, Pea, and Goat Cheese Risotto

This recipe is a little more time consuming than the other risotto recipe I posted a few days ago, mainly because I needed to roast the beets first. It came out very good and I think I like it better than the other one! This recipe would be perfect around Christmas time because of the colors, bright fuchsia and green.

The other day when I was at the grocery store buying the rice for the risotto I happened to get Carnaroli rice instead of the regular Arborio rice which is frequently used to make risotto and much more common. Come to find out, Carnaroli rice is considered one of the finest rices used to make risotto, sometimes referred to as "the caviar of rice," and is the preferred rice of Italian chefs. Carnaroli rice, like Arborio rice, is an Italian white rice grown in the Piedmonte and Lombardy regions of Italy. Carnaroli and Arborio rices are in the same family but the Carnaroli grain is shorter and plumper. When cooked it has a creamy texture with the inner germ kernel remaining firm.

Ingredients:
3 large beets (probably at least 1 lb), cleaned and chopped-I chopped each beet into 8 equal pieces
thyme
salt and pepper
1.5 cups Carnaroli rice
3 cans vegetable broth
1/4 cup white wine
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
olive oil
1 T butter
1/2 cup peas
1/4 cup Parmesan
4 oz goat cheese
Italian parsley chopped

1. To roast the beets, divide the chopped beets into 2 equal portions. Place 1/2 of the beets in the center of a large piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Fold up the aluminum foil to make a sealed pouch. Repeat the procedure with the other half of the beets. Place pouches on a cookie sheet and cook in the oven at 450 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until cooked (times will depend on the size of the beet chunks). Once the beets are done, remove from oven and let cool slightly. Make sure to reserve any beet juice that is with the beets. When you can handle the beets, remove the outer skin and chop into bite size pieces (I think I chopped each piece into one or two pieces). It was at this point that I learned that Oliver likes roasted beets!

Once the beets have been prepared, start making the risotto.

2. Combine 2 T olive oil and 1 T butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic and season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Let cook 2-3 minutes. Add rice and toss to coat each grain with oil. Once you have "toasted" the rice, add the reserved beet juice and the wine. Let the alcohol cook off for 1-2 minutes.

3. Start adding the broth ladle by ladle (probably in 1/2 cup increments) to the risotto making sure to allow the liquid to be mostly absorbed before adding more (I used all three cans of vegetable broth in total and it came out perfect). Once all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, add the peas, chopped beets, and Parmesan. Toss gently. Crumble the goat cheese on top of individual servings and garnish with chopped parsley.

Enjoy!

Garlic

Garlicky Pan-Roasted Shrimp with Parmesan and Green Pea Risotto

This sounds like it would be really complicated but it is not at all. Risotto is easy because it is just a method. Once you have mastered the method, you can make any type of risotto you like. I based the shrimp recipe off of a recipe I found on Epicurious. According to Epicurious, this method of cooking shrimp is popular in Italy and throughout the Mediterranean. In American-Italian cuisine, this recipe would be referred to as "Shrimp Scampi," an interesting title since scampi means shrimp, which means the name, literally translated is "Shrimp Shrimp." I suppose my recipe might not qualify as authentic scampi since I added tomatoes. Either way, it is very good.

As a note, this recipe could be made in many quantities. I happened to make extra so I could have leftovers. Either way, for every 1/2 pound of shrimp you use, you should use 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and 5 good size garlic cloves.

If you are making the shrimp with the risotto, make sure to start the risotto first, which takes about 25 minutes. The shrimp take less than 10 minutes to prepare and should only be started when the risotto is nearly done.

Garlicky Shrimp
1.5 pounds shrimp (peeled and devained)
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
15 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion or 1/2 a large onion, chopped
2-3 t of crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
1/4 dry white wine
2 cans diced tomatoes (do not drain)
2 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach
Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
chopped fresh Italian parsley

1. Season shrimp in a bowl with salt and pepper.

2. In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, and crushed red pepper flakes being careful not to burn the garlic. Season with salt. Add shrimp. Cook 2-3 minutes until just pink. Do not cook thoroughly since you will finish cooking the shrimp later. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.

3. Add the wine to the oil mixture. Let the alcohol cook off for a few minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes start to break down. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

4. Add the shrimp back to the tomato mixture and cook until the shrimp are fully cooked (1 to 2 minutes). Toss in the chopped spinach. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley and serve.

Risotto
1.5 cups arborio rice
3 cans vegetable broth, warmed slightly in a sauce pan
1/2 medium onion
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (or more to taste)
salt and pepper

1. In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat oil. Add onion and garlic and cook 2-3 minutes being careful not to burn garlic. Add the rice and toss to coat with the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and let cook 2-3 minutes.

2. Start adding the broth ladle by ladle (probably in 1/2 cup increments) to the risotto making sure to allow the liquid to be mostly absorbed before adding more (I used all three cans of vegetable broth in total and it came out perfect). Once all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, add the peas and Parmesan. Mix well and enjoy.

The Epicurious recipe suggests serving the shrimp with some bread for "sopping up the good garlicky sauce."

Pasta con Crema di Peperoni

Pasta with an Orange Bell Pepper Cream Sauce

I found this recipe off the web site Mestolando. I made a few changes to the recipe, swapping light cream for the heavy cream, and using a blender instead of a food mill since we don't have one. Check out the Mestolando web site if you are looking for simple, easy, Italian dishes.

Recipe:
1 lb pasta (such as rigatoni or penne)
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 large yellow bell pepper, diced
olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 package basil, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup light cream (can use heavy cream)
salt and pepper
grated Parmesan cheese

1. Boil pasta according to directions. Slightly under cook the pasta since it will finish cooking in the sauce.

2. Saute the diced red and yellow peppers and garlic in olive oil. Add salt and pepper. Cook the peppers on medium high heat for about 10 minutes until cooked thoroughly.

3. Put 2 Tbs of cream in a blender. Add the cooked garlic and pepper mixture. Blend until a sauce is formed. Place sauce back in the saute pan and add remaining cream (you can add more cream if the sauce is too thick). Add basil and heat over low heat for a few minutes.

4. Add pasta to sauce and toss. Add a handful of Parmesan to thicken sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

When serving, add more Parmesan and basil if you want.

Tagliatelle con Asparagi, Piselli, e Carciofi

Tagliatelle with Asparagus, Peas, and Artichokes

This recipe was adapted from the book Lorenza's Pasta by Lorenza de'Medici. It is a great authentic Italian cookbook. The recipe calls for fresh artichokes, and those should be used if you know how to correctly clean an artichoke.

1 can artichokes drained and quartered (or three artichoke hearts, cleaned and quartered)
olive oil
1 lb asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
salt and pepper
1 1/4 cup peas (can use frozen or fresh-defrost if using frozen)
1 cup light cream
1 lb pasta (if fresh pasta is not available, use egg noodles)
Parmesan cheese

1. Saute asparagus in olive oil until cooked through (you could also steam or roast the asparagus). Toss in artichokes and warm through.

2. Puree 1 cup of peas and cream in blender. When blended, put in a saucepan and heat over low heat. Add the remaining 1/4 cup peas, artichokes, and asparagus. Season with salt and better (use white pepper if you have it).

3. Boil pasta. Slightly under cook the pasta. When pasta is done, drain and add to the sauce mixture.

4. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad with Three Citrus Vinaigrette and Chevre

This is a recipe that I have not tried but want to.

1 lb assorted beets
1 c fresh orange juice
1/2 c fresh lemon juice
1/2 c lime juice
1 Tbs fresh herbs (no idea which ones-perhaps thyme, basil, oregano)
2" piece of ginger, sliced
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
3/4 olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lb baby arugulaw
fresh chevre

1. Clean, peel, and slice beets. Roast in a 350 degree oven in covered pan for 45 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool.

2. Add juices and ginger to pan and simmer for about 30 minutes until juices are reduced to syrup. Allow to cool. Mix juices with other ingredients (through salt and pepper) to make vinaigrette.

3. Mix beets with some dressing and arrange on individual plates.

4. Mix arugula with some dressing and arrange in the middle of the beets on top. Crumble the chevre (goat cheese) around the salad and drizzle with more dressing.

5. Garnish with additional black pepper.

Pasta di Pomodoro, Basilico, Aglio e Feta

Reed's Pasta recipe: Tomato, Basil, Garlic and Feta Pasta

1 lb pasta (such as penne)
1.5 lbs ripe tomatoes diced (reserve all tomato juice)
1 package fresh basil (about 1/2 cup chopped)
6 garlic cloves minced
2 Tbs olive oil
1.5 cups feta (or to taste)
salt and pepper

1. Combine chopped tomatoes, tomato juice, chopped basil, and chopped garlic in a bowl. Mix. Add 2 Tbs olive oil, salt and pepper. Let sit at least one hour.

2. Cook pasta according to box directions. Drain.

3. Add tomato mixture to drained pasta. Mix in feta.

Vorrei un caffe!

I want a coffee! Reed got me hooked on coffee, specifically espresso, after his trip to France. I found a really good recipe for ice coffee (caffe freddo) on the blog Bleeding Espresso.


Caffe Freddo:
Make a large pot of espresso or other coffee of your liking. After the coffee is done, add sugar, stir completely, and let cool. Refrigerate for a few hours or over night. After the espresso has cooled completely, add ice cubes and milk to the cold, sweetened coffee. Yum! Do not drink this before bed time!

En il negozio di caffe!
Vorrei un caffe per favore: I would like a coffee please
con latte: with milk
zucchero: sugar
barista: bar girl
il conto: bill
la mancia: tip
Quanto costa?: How much is it?

Types of Coffee:
Caffe (espresso): a small cup of very strong coffee, i.e. espresso
Caffe Americano: American style coffee, but stronger; weaker than espresso and served in a large cup
Caffe corretto: coffee "corrected" with a shot of grappa, cognac, or other spirit
Caffe doppio: double espresso
Caffe freddo: iced coffee
Caffe hag: decaffinated coffee
Caffe latte: hot milk mixed with coffee and served in a glass for breakfast
Caffe macchiato: espresso "stained" with a drop of milk; small version of a cappuccino
Caffe Marocchino: espresso with a dash of hot milk and cacao powder
Caffe stretto: espresso with less water; rocket fuel!
Cappuccino: espresso infused with steamed milk and drunk in the morning, but never at lunch of dinner!
Granita di caffe con panna: frozen, iced beverage topped with whipped cream

Fragola e Rabarbaro (Strawberry and Rhubarb) Cobbler

This is a great recipe that I got from Simply Recipes:

Fruit Mixture:

• 4.5 cups rhubarb stalks (about 1.5 lbs by my estimate) cut into 1 inch pieces (Make sure to trim outside stringy layer of stalks); discard all leaves which are poisonous
• 1.5 cups strawberries, stemmed and sliced
• 1/2 cup sugar (white)
• 2 Tbs of quick cooking tapioca
• 1 tsp grated orange peel

Cobbler Crust:

• 2 Tbs white sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup milk (I used skim)
• 1 egg, lightly beater

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a bowl, mix the rhubarb and the strawberries along with the sugar, tapioca, and orange zest. Let sit to macerate for 30 minutes to one hour.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the 2T of sugar, the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter in with a fork until the mixture resembles course crumbs.

4. Pour fruit into a 2 quart casserole dish. Drop the batter on the fruit. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

Serves 6

A New Take on Eggplant Parmesan

With a little help from Epicurious

• 1 eggplant (slightly larger than 1 pound)- I tried to get one that was about the same diameter the whole length
• 1 zucchini
• 2 eggs (whisked with 2 T water)
• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• tomato sauce (homemade or store bought)
• fresh basil (about 1/4 cup) chopped
• 4-5 oz goat cheese
• mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic minced (more if making your own sauce)
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

1. Start by making a simple tomato sauce (otherwise substitute with store bought tomato sauce). If buying the sauce, buy two large jars.
2. To make the eggplant start by slicing it into an even number of slices (about 1/2 an inch thick). When I made it, I got 16 slices out of one eggplant.
3. Dip the eggplant slices into egg mixture and then breadcrumbs. Place slices on a cookie spray coated with foil and cooking spray. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and let cool.
4. Meanwhile thinly slice the zucchini and toss with a small amount of oil, salt, and pepper. Cook zucchini about 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Set aside.
5. To make the filling mix garlic, goat cheese, small handful of mozzarella, and fresh basil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Once eggplant has cooled slightly (about 5 minutes) try to match the slices by size. Place a layer of sauce in a 13x9 dish with sides. Lay the bottom 8 slices of eggplant on the sauce. Evenly divide the goat cheese on all slices. Top with zucchini and Parmesan cheese. Top with the remaining 8 slices. Cover with sauce and mozzarella. Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees or until cheese is brown.
7. Enjoy!

Thursday is Gnocchi Day in Roma!

Gnocchi is the Italian word for dumplings. The word "gnocchi" means "lump" or "knot" and is originally a Germanic word that may describe the distinctive shape of gnocchi.

Gnocchi vary from region to region throughout Italy. The most common way to prepare gnocchi is with potatoes and flour. In Rome, gnocchi are made with semolina flour, milk, and cheese and are known as gnocchi alla romana. In and around Tuscany, the gnocchi are made with spinach and ricotta and are called strozzapreti, or priest stranglers. According to popular legend, a priest choked and died after eating too quickly because the gnocchi were so delicious! In the Lombardy region of Italy, the spinach/ricotta gnocchi are called malfatti meaning "malformed" since these gnocchi are made from leftover ravioli and do not have uniform shape of other varieties. Lastly, gnocchi di pane is a popular version in the Friuli and Trentino-Atlo Adige regions and is made from bread crumbs.

Want to make your own gnocchi, check out these recipes from Epicurious:
Gnocchi alla Romana
Traditional Potato Gnocchi with a Gorgonzola sauce
Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi (Tuscan region)

My Mom's Gnocchi recipe:
5 lbs (9-10) baking potatoes (i.e. russets)
2 1/2 tsp salt
pepper
2 3/4 tsp baking powder
4 egg whites
3 3/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour
pinch of nutmeg

1. Pierce potatoes and bake at 400 degrees for an hour. Peel potatoes while warms and press through a potato ricer.
2. Mix potatoes, salt, pepper, baking powder, and egg whites in a large bowl. Add flour (a little at a time) and mix with hands until the mixture forms a rough ball.
3. Knead dough on a dry, lightly floured board until smooth (about 7 minutes). If using 5lbs of potatoes, separate dough at this point and do in two batches. Keep non-working dough covered.
4. With a sharp knife cut a piece of dough and roll into a rope about the thickness of your index finger.
5. Cut rope into 1 inch pieces and form slightly.
6. Boil in gnocchi in batches in salted water.

Small batch
2 lbs potatoes (about 4 lg. baking potatoes)
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1-2 egg whites
1 1/2 c flour

Toss gnocchi with sauce (tomato, butter and sage, Gorgonzola, or........)

-Ashley

General Taos Tofu

The three posts today don't really have anything to do with Italy. All three are really good, easy recipes worth making again.

This recipe would be equally good if using chicken, shrimp, pork, or beef. Source of this recipe is VegWeb.

1 box extra firm tofu
1 egg
3/4 cornstarch
vegetable oil
3 green onions, chopped
2 T minced ginger
2 T minced garlic
1.5 cup vegetable broth
4 T soy sauce
5 T sugar
red pepper flakes (can substitute chili garlic sauce)
2 T sherry (optional)
2 T rice wine vinegar
steamed broccoli
rice
1. Drain, dry, and cute tofu into 1 inch cubes. Beat egg in a bowl. Toss tofu with egg, coating each piece. Sprinkle 3/4 cup cornstarch on tofu, tossing to coat.
2. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan on medium high heat. Add green onion, ginger, garlic, and cook 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine stock, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, red pepper, and sherry. Add to green onion/garlic/ginger mixture. Mix 4 T water with 2 T cornstarch in a separate bowl. Pour into stock mixture. Add tofu and coat evenly.
4. Serve with rice and broccoli.

This recipe is even better if you add additional vegetables.

Spicy Moroccan Kabobs

Nothing really to do with Italy. This is just a really good, really easy recipe that I wanted to remember.

This recipe is adapted from a Cooking Light recipe. This recipe is better if the kabobs are grilled. If not, it can be prepared in the oven.

1 cup plain, fat free yogurt
1 T grated lemon rind
2 T fresh lemon juice
1.5 T grated minced ginger
2 t paprika
1.5 tsp salt
1 T ground coriander
1 T cumin
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
2.5 pounds beef sirloin, trimmed and cubed
cooking spray
2 T chopped fresh mint

1. Combine first 11 ingredients in a large zip lock bag. Add beef to bag, seal and marinate in a refrigerator 3 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil coated with cooking spray. Remove beef from bag, discard marinade. Thread meat onto skewers. Cook in oven about 15 minutes until desired doneness.
3. Sprinkle with mint.

Tandoori Shrimp

• 1 pound shrimp (shelled and devained)


• 1.5 cup of plain yogurt (fat free is fine)


• 3 T minced garlic


• 3 T minced ginger


• 3 chipotle peppers


• 2 t of leftover adobe sauce from chipotle peppers


• 2 T fresh lemon juice


• 1 T fresh lime juice


• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley


• 2 T cumin


• 1 T curry powder


• salt and black pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a ziplock bag. Toss to equally cover all shrimp. Marinade at least one hour

2. Line a cookie sheet with alumninum foil. Spray with cooking spray. Evenly distribute shrimp and marinade on cookie sheet. Bake about 20 minutes at 350 or until shrimp are pink and done.

3. Serve with naan and basmati rice.

Tuesday Tastings: Linguine alle Vongole

I adapted this recipe from a recipe I found on Epicurious.

Linguine alle Vongole
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 medium white (or yellow) onion
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs flour
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes (to taste)
1 lemon (zested and juiced)
handful of parsley (about 1/4 cup)
1 can white clam sauce (preferable Colavita white clam sauce)
1/2 can veg broth
1 lb. fettuccine (or linguine if you want to be authentic)
grated Parmesan cheese

1. Saute onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes in 1 Tbs butter until translucent (about 5 minutes) over medium high heat. Add flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until thoroughly cooked. Slowly add in the 1/2 can veg broth making sure to wisk out any clumps of flour. When sauce starts to thicken, lower heat to medium and add white clam sauce. Stir to combine
   
2. Meanwhile, cook 1 lb of pasta. Slightly undercook pasta.


3. Add juice of one lemon, zest of one lemon, salt and pepper to taste to sauce. Let thicken slightly over low heat. Drain pasta and toss with sauce and parsley. Add a generous handful of Parmesan to help thicken the sauce even more!

Review: Reed was at work when I made this, so he did not get to try it, but Ollie and I both thought it came out very good!

-Ashley