Clams and Steak

Ok... it's a random Wednesday night... nothing to do.. but COOK!  T and I had a long week (and we were only halfway through) but J&J planned a fabulous meal for us... all without recipes and homemade.. so you can totally do this at home!

Appetizer - Clams Whatever

We are not sure of the name of this - maybe clams casino?  Regardless - you throw some full uncooked clams on the grill.  They will start to open in about 5 minutes.. toss the top shell.  Then add some BBQ sauce and a few pieces of already cooked bacon and let steep for a minute.  Serve.  Delicious.  Amazing!  Perfect party meal right here!

Entree - NY Strip with Gorgonzola Sauce

There are a few things to discuss here.  First - steak.  Cook on grill to your desired done-ness.  Secondly - sauce.  This will take approx. 30 minutes.  Heat up some heavy cream, add a solid handful of blue cheese/Gorgonzola and let cook until thick and creamy.  Lovely topping (think Bearnaise on crack,)  Lastly, let's talk hash.  Chopped onions, bacon, garlic, shaved Brussels and kale, and Japanese sweet potato (see other blog for details) and you have an amazing hash that can go with any meal or even breakfast!

Dessert - Chocolate Souffle

Google any chocolate souffle and you are good to go!  

Weeknight Cioppino

Okay, on our primary blog we have definitely made a cioppino.  (In fact, I believe it was one of our first posts.)  However, I wanted to shout out another cioppino recipe that's a little less time-intensive and a fantastic weeknight "impress your last minute guests" type meal.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/cioppino-recipe.html

I pretty much followed the recipe exactly and it came out stupendous!  (Also, this easily serves 6-8 unless you're feeding a group of football players or something.)  For the fish stock, I used water and that "Better than Bouillon" lobster base.  I used 1 red onion and 1 fennel bulb and followed the instructions.  I did let it simmer on the stove for no more than the 30 minutes while I tidied up the kitchen and set the table.  I only used mussels, clams, and shrimp but that was plenty!  Cooking instructions for the fish were spot-on and the meal was a huge success!  And they were TONS of leftovers, so I saved the sauce/broth/whatever you want to call it and put it over gnocchi the next day!

Orecchiette with Sausage, Broccoli Rabe, and White Beans

Good Evening!

I snapped a pic of today's dinner (a regular dish on our household's rotation) and wanted to post with instructions for everyone to follow!

First off, broccoli rabe (aka rapini) is a bitter green but delicious when cooked properly.  (Normally, it's approx. 2.99/lb but during holidays, is usually 99 cents/lb.)  As a side dish, it is normally sauteed in EVOO with garlic and pepper flakes.  In this dish, it is mixed with homemade sausage and pasta!  Let's get started.

(Serves 4)

Step One - Start a large pot of water to boil.  In the meantime, crumble your Italian sausage and start to cook.  (I prefer sweet sausage, but that's a personal preference.  Tonight's dinner was made with T's father's homemade sweet sausage.)

Step Two - While the sausage is cooking, add the chopped broccoli rabe (bite size pieces) to the boiling water and cook for approximately 5 minutes until bright green.  (1 head of broccoli rabe will feed 4.)  Remove from the water with a spoon and drain.  Leave the water boiling and add your orecchiette.

Step Three - Add about 3-4 cloves of minced garlic to the sausage and continue to sautee until golden.  Add the drained broccoli rabe and a can of drained and rinsed white beans.  (Any type bean will do.... I used cannellini.)

Step Four - Finish pasta until al dente.  Reserve approx. 1-2 cups of cooking water and drain the pasta.  Add pasta to the broccoli/sausage/bean mixture.  Use reserved water as needed until desired pasta texture.  (Some like it soupy, some don't.)

Step Five - Plate and then coat with freshly grated or shaved Parmigiano cheese.

Step Six - Serve with crusty bread!  And enjoy tomorrow's leftovers just as much cold or warm!

Side Notes - Flexible dish, people!  Use any type pasta.  Use spinach or another green if you prefer.  Pancetta or shredded pork meat instead of sausage.. the possibilities are endless!

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

When a chicken dish has 400+ reviews AND can be make on a weeknight AND doesn't involve bread crumbs or frying - I'm sold!  I found this recipe on Food Network, and it struck me as a coq au vin with a different flavor profile.  And since I had some chicken legs and thighs defrosting, it was the perfect way to change up a chicken dinner!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/chicken-with-forty-cloves-of-garlic-recipe.html

I made this chicken dish with some wild rice and roasted brussels sprouts for a fantastic meal.  However, I did make some changes, so let me walk you through it.  First off - I halved the recipe and therefore used 20 cloves of garlic and half the sauce.  Most grocery stores now sell tubs of peeled garlic - trust me - it's sooo much easier.  Secondly, I did 1/4 cup wine and 1/2 cup of chicken broth.  (I found a "chicken broth with white wine and herbs" at the grocery store - LOVE IT!)  And the reason I subbed out some of the wine was because 1) I was planning on drinking it and 2) I wanted to use up the half box of broth in the fridge.  I sauteed up in the oil and then while it simmered, I went ahead and made the sides and took that half hour to clean up the kitchen, catch some news on TV, and do a load of laundry.  The flavor was fantastic - light, rich, and not overwhelming with garlic.  Easy and fast to make, but definitely can be done for company!  (And flexible... winner!)

Cannoli Cream Desserts

Need a quick and beautiful dessert to impress at your next dinner party?  Who doesn't love cannoli cream???  Very simple recipe, let's run you through it...

First - Pepperidge Farm makes those cute puff pastry cups... spend the $4 and buy a box of 6.. they make for fabulous presentation.  Follow instructions on the box and then let cool.

Second - Using an egg beater, blend 1 pint of ricotta cheese with 1 cup of confectioner sugar.  At this point, you're pretty  much done so its about flavor.  I always add a teaspoon or so of vanilla extract and my favorite is to use mini chocolate chips and just add them and mix until I like the way the filling looks.  You can also use different nuts, candied orange, different flavor chips... the possibilities are endless.

Third - For a little "professional looking" garnish - take a chocolate bar and run over a cheese grater for some chocolate shards to dust your desserts.  Then add some fresh fruit and sliced almonds.

Voila - take a look!

And yes, it is as good as it looks!

Winter Fun with the Boys

So if you live in the Northeast, you'll understand that WINTER NEEDS TO END!  It's way too cold, there's been way too much snow, and it's just not fun anymore.

But you now what is fun?  These silly pictures of Ozzy and Pocho enjoying the winter weather!

Ozzy has this absolute need to eat the snow.  I don't know why.  

And then he drools wet snow all over the dang house.  Oh, Ozz.

Pocho feels the need to be dainty.  He doesn't like his paws getting too wet.

He was captured mid-shake!  Our dopey Dobie.

Channeling his inner Samuel L. Jackson

(I realize this post has absolutely nothing to do with food, but whatever, I'm on my 3rd cup of coffee and I'm kind of bored.  See the post below for some eggplant parm.)

Eggplant Parmesan

Good morning, everyone!  I wanted to throw on a quick post from a weeknight meal we had!  I've never been a huge fan of eggplant, but then I've also never really tried it, so that's just me being a food snob.  So Tony loves it, and I grabbed some while grocery shopping and we figured what the hell?  I mean, at first, I was trying to convince myself that it was "being healthy" but then let's be serious - fried eggplant covered in cheese?  How is that healthy?  That's ok, summer is still a while away, I have time!  

Let's get started...

Slice up your eggplant, drench in flour, coat in egg, and fry!  A few things...  First - I've always thought the eggplant was cut into circles, but I wasn't in charge of slicing it up - so I guess there's no need to be so OCD.  Secondly - I don't really think it's important if your flour or egg first.  I originally thought my sous chef was intending to flour/egg/flour again but he skipped the second flouring part and it turned out just fine!

First picture is the good stuff!  Freshly shredded parmesan and sliced fresh mozzarella!  Not the mozzarella in a vaccuum sealed wrapper - the stuff from the olive bar section of the grocery store.  And for the tomato sauce - T's family jars their own tomato sauce.  It's simply crushed tomatoes and basil.  So we saute up onions and garlic, add the tomato sauce and just let it cook.  Simple as that.  So start your layering - eggplant, sauce, parmesan, mozzarella, repeat.  And just bake until everything is melty and brown.

The pictures are a little blurry, so I apologize.  But this was delicious!!!  You cannot go wrong!!!

Escarole and Beans

Hey guys... here is my go-to quick weeknight meal!  Seriously - it is healthy, packed with flavor, quick to make, and easy to reheat!  It's perfect!

Escarole with White Beans and Sausage

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Escarole-with-Italian-Sausage-and-White-Beans-15600

Okay, so Antonio totally got me hooked on this dish when he started cooking it for me when I first met him.  This is a classic Italian dish.  And the recipe above is more of a suggestion - this is super flexible.  My favorite way to cook this is with cannellini beans, Italian sausage, diced pancetta, and TONS of Parmesan cheese grated on top.

However - it doesn't matter what type of pork meat you use.  I've used boneless ribs, pork bones, pork fat, etc.  In this dish, it was actually the meat off some pork shanks.  You cook up the meat, and add some onions and garlic.  Usually at that point, I just pour in some white wine so the brown bits get scraped up.  Then add some chopped escarole and let it wilt.  (Warning:  Escarole is like spinach!  It wilts away, so you will need more than you think you need.)  After it's wilted, add lots of chicken broth, a little red pepper, and let it just simmer away.  At this point, I'll add whatever white beans we have in the house (cannellini, small white, etc) and then a rind of Parmesan cheese for flavor.  The beauty of this dish is that you can simmer it 10 minutes or 30 minutes - doesn't really matter.  Once you're ready to eat, simply serve, and grate tons of Parmesan cheese over.

Trust me on this, guys!  It's cheap, filling, flexible, easy to make, and reheating leftovers is equally delicious!

Braised Short Ribs with Penne

You guys are getting three total posts today!  Uh huh... it's like Christmas.

Okay, so there was this package of short ribs in my freezer that needed to be used up and it was a cold Sunday which means I had plenty of time to cook a dinner.  Usually I make braised short ribs, but let's be honest - they can be kind of greasy and fatty.  So when I was combing the Food Network, I found a Giada recipe that involved braising the short ribs, but then pulling them and making them into a pasta... see below:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/penne-with-braised-short-ribs-recipe.html

Okay, so if you're slightly food snobbish like me, you will look at this recipe and think to yourself "what's so special about this?"  Stop those thoughts, go to the grocery store, and do this!  Let me put it this way... my extremely picky straight-from-Italy boyfriend literally wrote on Facebook "the best pasta ever."

The method is fairly straightforward, but can be slightly modified.  You can either do it stovetop, oven, or in the Crock Pot.  I did it on the stove the entire time (on low) in my new dutch oven.  I don't think it really makes a difference how you cook it - it's all about the low and slow.

Secondly, I used homemade tomato sauce instead of the Roma tomatoes.  (And when I say homemade, I mean its simply pureed tomatoes by hand that is jarred with some basil.)  This is what probably kept me from having to puree it in a food processor.  I skipped that part entirely.  Brown, sauce, simmer.  Remove meat, shred, add back to sauce and then add cooked penne and stir it like crazy.

I'm not sure what exactly makes this such a home run.  Perhaps its the mixture of tomato/wine/beef broth?  Or the mustard gives it a special something?  It seems like such basic ingredients, but seriously - the best pasta I have ever made.  (And you can probably do it with any type of meat or roast, since in the end, you shred it off the bone???)

Strawberry and Champagne Cupcakes

Okay, so my boyfriend's sister is an amazing colorist at a very awesome salon in the area.  So every once in a while I go to get my hair done and I bring baked goodies with me for the staff.  This time I was trying to find a cute cupcake that was gourmet and "different."  I combed the Internet, and found these:

Strawberry and Champagne Cupcakes

http://www.20somethingcupcakes.com/2012/02/strawberries-and-champagne-cupcakes/

Okay, my pictures do this no justice, so make sure to head over the website above!  These were amazing!  I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly!  (Okay, I had no time to make candied strawberries, but I bet they would have been awesome.)

The only difference is that instead of champagne, I used a strawberry moscato from the liquor store.  This way there was a definite strawberry flavor!  It was fantastic!

(FYI - I used some of that strawberry puree in a margarita.. waste not!)