Penne with Broccoli Rabe

26. February 2013 · 52 comments · Categories: cooking, Dinner, food, life, recipes · Tags: , ,

Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rape

I just got back from visiting Nate in California again yesterday. It was another great, but too short, trip. I have to say that the weather out in LA is not as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, I can’t believe it gets as cold as it does! I guess I could live out there if I had to…let’s hope Nate finds something in the job department soon.

I got to see my uncle’s new puppy…she’s so tiny!!!

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And I got to see one of my best friends, and bridesmaid, Barrie. Nate and I met her at the LACMA where there’s this really cool lamppost sculpture.

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Anyway, since Nate’s been gone, I haven’t done that much cooking. I would cook a small amount but I just don’t like spending all that time and effort on a meal that will only last a day or two. So instead I only know how to make large quantities, but with only me eating it I can’t be doing that very often.

Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rape

So I’ve been forced to go back to some recipes I made but never posted. The photos aren’t great because I rushed to take them so we could dig in. I actually made this meal during the 4th of July weekend! But actually, I think this makes a great meal in any season :)

I don’t know why I never posted it, since it’s totally delicious. I guess it’s kind of similar to a couple other pastas i have on my blog already, but honestly this type of garlicky sauce with sausage is my favorite kind. I got this from my mom’s recipe box, but I think it’s from Gourmet or Bon Appetit or something.

Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rape

I promise I’ll cook up something new for you soon. I actually had high hopes for an oreo bundt cake I baked up while out in CA, but it didn’t come out as pretty as I thought it would. It was tasty, but nothing special in the chocolate cake department.

You guys looking for me to make any particular types of recipes?

Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rape

Penne with Broccoli Rabe

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Serves 5-7

Ingredients:

1 lb penne
3/4 pound raw italian turkey sausage
2 bunches broccoli rabe (rappini)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp capers
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 grated parmesan plus more to garnish
salt and pepper to taste

Cook penne in salted water.

While penne cooks, cut stems off broccoli rape. Cut remaining stalks and leaves into 1″ pieces.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in large skillet. Remove sausage from casings and cook, breaking up with wooden spoon until no longer pink.

Remove sausage from pan. Add another tablespoon oil and garlic. Saute garlic until golden.

Add broccoli rape, capers and white wine. Saute until leaves wilted and stalks are tender, 5 min. Season with salt and pepper.

When penne is al dente, drain and put in bowl. Add broccoli rape and cheese. Toss and serve with more cheese.

Chocolate Brownie Cookies, and a Valentine’s Day Sweets Roundup

13. February 2013 · 36 comments · Categories: Baking, cooking, Dessert, food, recipes · Tags: , ,

Chocolate Brownie Cookie

I teased you on Sunday with promises of another Valentine’s Day treat. This one, lucky for you, is of the chocolate variety!

Sometimes you just decide that you need freshly baked cookies NOW. Don’t tell me you never had thoughts like that. It’s happened to me on several occasions, but unfortunately most cookie recipes call for room temperature butter, which foils all hope for spontaneity.

These Chocolate Brownie Cookies though, like brownies, use melted butter! So you have no excuse not to make them this very second, no advanced preparation needed…except maybe making sure you have enough room in your tummy to eat a few fresh out of the oven.

Chocolate Brownie Cookie

I actually made these cookies months ago for Nate’s friend’s birthday. I have a million yummy chocolate cookie recipes (and I’m sure you do too), but this one was pretty darn tasty and you should consider adding it to your repertoire.

They call for nuts, but Nate thinks that nuts ruin all baked goods, and so I left them out. Personally, I think they’d add a nice crunch.

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The key is to take these out of the oven when they seem too soft to be done. If you cook them too long, they will be dry. Trust me on this one :(

If you do happen to overcook them slightly, make sure you serve them warm-15 seconds in the microwave will moisten them right up. In fact, they’re always best served warm regardless.

Chocolate Brownie Cookie

 

And in case you need some other Valentine’s Day inspiration, here are a few of my faves:

 

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Red Velvet Cake with Raspberry Mousse and Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting– I made this for my first Valentine’s Day with Nate!

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Chocolate Fudge Cheesecake

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Rich and Thick Hot Chocolate

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Chocolate Fudge Cheesecake

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Dark Chocolate-Cherry Ganache Bars

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Cider Poached Pears– a delicious, lighter dessert

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Chocolate-peanut butter pb cup cookies

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Butterscotch Rum Banana Spiced Blondies

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Chocolate Pecan-Pie Bars

Brownie Cookies

From Oxmoor House

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makes 2.5 dozen

1/2 cup butter
4 (1-oz.) unsweetened chocolate baking squares, chopped
3 cups semisweet chocolate morsels, divided
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chopped pecans, toasted (optional)

Combine butter, unsweetened chocolate, and 1 1/2 cups chocolate morsels in a large heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter and chocolate melt; cool.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer. Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture, beating well. Add chocolate mixture; beat well. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups chocolate morsels and pecans (if using).

Drop dough by 2 tablespoonfuls 1 inch apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

Bake at 350° for 10 minutes- they will look slightly underdone, do NOT over bake!

Cool slightly on baking sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Girl Time! and Sausage, Sweet Potato & Smoked Cheddar Pot Pie

06. February 2013 · 34 comments · Categories: Baking, cooking, Dinner, food, life, Savory · Tags: , , , ,

Smoked Cheddar Sweet Potato Pot Pie

While Nate’s been gone, I’ve been getting my fill of girly activities. This past weekend one of my best friends (and one of my Maid of Honors at my wedding), Emily, came into the city from Jersey. She spent all day Saturday with me, and we did a ton of walking.

Smoked Cheddar Sweet Potato Pot Pie

Since she had travelled so far to get to me, we planned for a sleepover! Since we had worked up an appetite walking around the city, we decided to make this yummy dinner. Then we watched chick flicks :) As much as I miss my hubby, getting to have girl time was great.

If you can believe it, I actually lightened up the recipe I based this from considerably, while adding veggies to give it more bulk per serving. It’s still fairly high in fat content (due to the turkey sausage…who knew??), but it’s only about 500 calories per serving, which is pretty reasonable for a tasty and filling dinner.

Smoked Cheddar Sweet Potato Pot Pie

The smoked cheddar is vital to this recipe, as it adds an amazing flavor. I don’t think it would be nearly as good with regular cheddar. In fact, the cheese sauce was so yummy, I feel like it would be great to make Mac and Cheese out of. I bought way too much cheddar, not knowing how much it would increase in volume when I shredded it, so I may just have to try it out that way next ;)

Smoked Cheddar Sweet Potato Pot Pie

This recipe is delicious and Emily gave it two thumbs up. Sadly it’s also a recipe that Nate would love. Plus, I have so much left and I’m sick of it, whereas he would have made short work of the leftovers. Another reason I need my husband to come back to the east coast!

Smoked Cheddar Sweet Potato Pot Pie

Sausage, Sweet Potato and Smoked Cheddar Pot Pie (lower cal)

Adapted from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

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Serves 8

1.25 lb lean italian turkey sausage
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2″ pieces
8 oz sliced mushrooms, coarsely chopped
10 oz. chopped frozen broccoli, thawed and well drained
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp flour
2 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup fat free evaporated milk
1 heaping cup shredded smoked cheddar cheese
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg

Take puff pastry sheet out of freezer so it has time to thaw (about 40 min at room temp). Preheat oven to 400.

Put sweet potato pieces in a pot with water. Bring to a boil and cook 8-10 minutes or until cooked but still firm. Drain and set aside.

Heat a large saute pan over med-hi heat and add turkey sausage to pan, removing casings. Cook turkey sausage, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon. When no longer pink, remove turkey with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside.

Add the olive oil to the pan. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook until mushrooms are soft. Add the broccoli, sweet potato and turkey to the pan and warm up. Turn off heat and set to the side.

In a saucepan, add butter until melted. Whisk in 2 Tbsp of the flour, continually cooking for 2 minutes. SLOWLY add the broth, whisking well so no clumps form and it evenly distributes in the broth. Whisk in the evaporated milk and the last tablespoon of flour.

Bring to a boil, whisking often. Simmer for 2-3 minutes or until it thickens. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cheddar. Add red pepper and salt/pepper to taste.

Pour the cheese sauce over the veggie/turkey mixture and mix thoroughly.

Place mixture in serving dish(es). I used individual ramekins for portion control, but it should fit in a 9×13 pan. Cut puff pastry into 8 pieces and place one on each portion.

Whisk egg with 1 Tbsp of water and brush tops of puff pastry. Place in oven, putting a foil-lined pan underneath to catch drips. Bake for 35-40 min or until puff pastry is golden brown.

Cool for 5-10 minutes before eating, as it will be VERY hot. Also, it thickens as it cools.

Crazy for Cauliflower!- Indian-spiced Cauliflower and Potato

31. January 2013 · 35 comments · Categories: cooking, Dinner, food, recipes, Savory, Side dishes, vegetarian · Tags: , , , , ,

Indian Cauliflower and PotatoSorry to barrage you all with cauliflower recipes, but as you know, I have a limited time period during which I can make them. I actually made this recipe once before but never got around to posting it. I’m kinda mad about that because I know I added something else last time that made it even tastier, but oh well. This was still really delicious.

In addition to my love of cauliflower, I have a love for Indian spiced dishes. Add a little Garam Masala and Tumeric, and I’m a happy girl.

Indian Cauliflower and Potato

I had some leftover potatoes laying around and knew I wanted to make something with cauliflower, so this recipe came to mind. I had every intention of using a higher cauliflower to potato ratio, but alas the stupid NYC supermarket I went to only had the most tiny cauliflowers you have ever seen…and to make matters worse, they were $5.99 each! How absurd is that?! I would have just gotten two of them, but not at that price.

Indian Cauliflower and Potato

I also wanted to use up these potatoes I had laying around, so unfortunately there was more potato to cauliflower which, had I followed the original recipe, would have ended up being really dry. This was the main reason I edited the recipe. Also, I like things a little more moist and acidic, so I threw in some diced canned tomatoes and yogurt.

This dish was perfectly spicy and satisfying. Although i suppose you could eat it as a side dish, I put a hefty dallop of greek yogurt on top rounding out a great dinner for one.

Indian Cauliflower and Potato

Indian-Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes

adapted from Spicie Foodie

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Serves 4-6

1 cauliflower head, cut into large florets
4 small potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
small piece of fresh ginger, ginger and finely chopped
1 tsp-1 Tbsp chile garlic sauce (depending on how spicy you like it)
11/2 tbsp. garam masala
1 tsp. ground turmeric
salt to taste
1- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup greek 2% yogurt, plus 1+ cup more for garnish
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, plus more for garnish

Boil the cauliflower and potatoes until tender. Drain and set aside.

Heat the oil and cook the onion until soft and translucent. Add the ginger, garlic and chile sauce and saute for another 3 minutes.

Place the boiled cauliflower and potatoes into the pan. Add the spices to the pan. Use a potato masher and mash until the vegetables have broken up into a thick mash, leaving chunky. Stir well and cook for another 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes, 1/4 cup yogurt, 1/2 cup cilantro and salt to taste. Stir to combine all ingredients well, and cook another minute or two.

Serve with a large dallop of yogurt and a handful of chopped cilantro.

Simple Cauliflower Soup

22. January 2013 · 63 comments · Categories: Appetizer, cooking, Dinner, food, life, recipes, Savory, vegetarian · Tags: ,

cauliflower soup

Sorry for my absence. I was sick with some stomach virus and then a cold, and then I was in California for the long weekend. Being sick totally sucked, especially since I lost my appetite. I had poor Nate ordering pizza for dinner while I slept.

California, on the other hand, was so much fun. I got to spend time with my family and one of my closest friends, all of whom live in L.A. The weather was totally gorgeous. We went on a beautiful hike (and I realized how out of shape I truly am), and just spent a lot of time relaxing and eating yummy food. Thank goodness my appetite fully returned.

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I came back on Monday, while Nate is staying there for a month or so doing some job-searching. Since Nate’s gone, this is my perfect opportunity to cook all the foods I love that Nate doesn’t…starting with cauliflower!

The inspiration for this soup is another one of our honeymoon meals. Everyone told us we had to get a meal from one of the many food trucks while we were in Portland. Nate is kind of a picky eater, despite his claims otherwise, so the only food truck that seemed ok was a soup truck called Savor Soup House. Plus, it was a cold, rainy day and i love soup. We decided to get a 3 soup sampler- we ended up going with a basic tomato soup, a chicken tortilla and I think black bean with ham. They were all pretty awesome.

cauliflower soup

It was hard to decide between all the yummy choices, but I knew the cauliflower soup on their menu wasn’t an option since Nate says he detests caulflower. I guess the truck owner heard my lament about the fact that I couldn’t order the cauliflower soup, and so he gave me a little taste. It was seriously amazing.

The soup was so simple but so flavorful. I asked what was in it, and he told me it was just cauliflower, vegetable broth, salt, pepper and a little olive oil. I knew immediately that I’d have to find a way to make it myself.

cauliflower soup

In addition, I’ve been dying to use one of our wedding presents- an immersion blender! I made sure to keep my fingers away from the blade after this horrific article Nate sent me last week. Although, those people sound like idiots.

The soup came out great, but I honestly can’t remember if it was as good as the one in Portland. I wasn’t in the mood for plain cauliflower soup, so I added a drizzle of buffalo sauce and a sprinkle of blue cheese to take it up a notch. Seriously yummy.

cauliflower soup

Simple Cauliflower Soup

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Serves 5-7

1 head cauliflower
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil + more for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

Cut end and core out of cauliflower. Cut into chunks and put in large pot. Add the stock, cover and bring to a boil.

Simmer covered for 15 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.

Using an immersion blender, puree cauliflower and broth until smooth.* Alternatively, add soup and cauliflower in batches to a blender. Make sure not to fill blender more than half full because hot liquids expand.

Add olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of pepper. (or for something different, do what I did and drizzle with buffalo sauce and sprinkle with blue cheese- so good!)

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