March 1-14, 2010

Wednesday 3/3 - Once again, Oscar Mayer Naturals hot dogs and Hodgson Mills pre-packaged Mac N Cheese - we were going to do cooked and buttered carrots, but we got home late after visiting my cousin and their new baby at the hospital so we ate raw carrots while we cooked.

Sunday 3/7 - Risotto Primavera - very unusual, not what I expected at all. Good, but a bit too much lemon for my taste. Wouldn't do it again - keep searching on the risottos. Barbeque Ribs are not a favorite of mine - I don't enjoy the ketchup flavor of the barbeque sauce. But Allen loves them, so he cooked them and he enjoyed them!

Tuesday 3/9 - Bacon & zucchini pasta - a recreation of a favorite from Italy. Still scrumptious - this was perhaps our best attempt yet. Perfectly crispy bacon and nicely done zucchini.

Thursday 3/11 - Crockpot mushroom barley soup - fairly easy and delicious - definitely one to do again, although next time I would add carrots - could also add sirloin bites.

Friday 3/12 - Gnocchi pesto - the gnocchi is time-consuming, but well worth the effort. Homemade pesto - didn't have quite enough basil so I added thyme. Yummy! Cod with lemon brodetto was delicious - Greysen inhaled it! This is a rarity!

Baked Risotto Primavera
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup short- or medium-grain brown rice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 14-1/2-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth or 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
8 ounces asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces (2 cups)
1 cup sugar snap peas or snow peas, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup diced red bell pepper (1 medium)
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (3 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1-2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or ovenproof high sided skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in rice and garlic; cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in wine and simmer until it has mostly evaporated. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and transfer to the oven. Bake until the rice is just tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Shortly before the risotto is done, steam asparagus, peas and bell pepper until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Fold the steamed vegetables, Parmesan, parsley, chives, lemon zest and pepper into the risotto. Serve immediately.
*Recipe from EatingWell.com from FoodNetwork.com.

Pasta con Zucchini e Bacon
Serves 7-8
1 box pasta, any kind
12 ounces bacon, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 pounds zucchini, (about 2 large/4 small), diced
1/2 to 1 cup reserved pasta water
1 cup very loosely packed, finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Coarse salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Cook the pasta according to directions. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot and set aside. While pasta is cooking, in a large sauté pan, add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy. Add the zucchini and cook until it starts to soften (covering with a lid will expediate). Place the cooked pasta over low heat. Add the reserved pasta water, cooked bacon, zucchini and the grated cheese. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Sophisticated Mushroom Barley Soup
1 cup boiling water
1 package (1/2 oz) dried wild mushrooms, such as porcini
2 tbsp vegetable oil or butter
3 onions, finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cracked black peppercorns
1 1/2 lbs button mushrooms, sliced
2/3 cup pearl barley
7 cups vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup soy sauce
In a heat proof bowl, combine boiling water and dried mushrooms. Let stand for 30 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve, reserving liquid. Chop mushrooms finely and set aside. In a skillet, over medium heat, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Add onions and cook, stirring for 3 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, salt and peppercorns and cook for 1 minute. Transfer mixture to slow cooker stoneware. In same pan, heat remaining oil and cook button mushrooms over medium-high heat just until they begin to lose their liquid. Add dried mushrooms, toss to combine and cook for 1 minute. Transfer mixture to slow cooker stoneware. Add barley, reserved mushroom soaking liquid, stock, bay leaf and soy sauce. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours. Discard bay leaf.
*Recipe from Kelly Rossiter at Planet Green

Potato Gnocchi with Pesto
You can make the gnocchi up to 8 hours in advance and refrigerate them until 1 hour before cooking.
1 or 2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves (didn’t have quite enough so added ½ c fresh thyme)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more, as needed
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 2/3 lb. baking potatoes
Kosher salt, to taste, plus 2 tsp.
2 eggs, beaten
About 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving
In food processor or blender/magic bullet, add garlic and process until minced. Turn off, add pine nuts and pulse a few times to chop. Add basil and pulse a few times to chop coarsely. Then add the 1/2 cup olive oil and process until a smooth, moderately thick paste forms, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pesto for the gnocchi. Transfer the rest to a storage container, top with a thin layer of olive oil, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 week. In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the unpeeled potatoes with salted water to cover by 1 inch, cover the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes. Drain the potatoes and rinse with cold running water until they are cool enough to handle. Peel the potatoes and return them to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, shaking the pan often, to evaporate the excess moisture, about 2 minutes. Press the warm potatoes through a ricer or rub them through a coarse-mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in the eggs and the 2 tsp. salt. Gradually stir in enough of the flour to make a soft dough, taking care not to add too much. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently a few times until it is smooth, adding just enough flour to prevent sticking. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Lightly flour a rimmed baking sheet. Using floured hands, transfer 1 portion of the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Using your palms, roll the dough to make a rope about 3/4 inch in diameter. Cut the rope into 1-inch lengths and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add half of the gnocchi and simmer until they rise to the surface, then cook 1 minute more. Using a skimmer, carefully transfer the gnocchi to a warmed serving bowl and cover to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi, then scoop out 1/2 cup of the cooking water and discard the remainder. Add the pesto and about 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water to the gnocchi. Toss gently, adding more water as needed to make a creamy sauce. Serve immediately and pass cheese at the table. Serves 4 to 6.
*Recipe from Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food, by Rick Rodgers (Oxmoor House, 2009).

Cod with Lemon Brodetto
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, diced
2 lemons, juiced
1 lemon, zested
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
4 (4 to 6-ounce) pieces cod or salmon
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Warm the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the lemon juice, zest, and broth. Bring to a simmer, and keep warm, covered, over low heat.
Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Season the fish pieces with salt and pepper. Sear until a golden crust forms, about 4 to 5 minutes on the first side. Flip the fish and continue cooking until medium-rare, about 2 minutes more depending on the thickness of the fish.  Add the tablespoon chopped mint to the Lemon Brodetto and divide between 4 shallow dishes. Place a serving fish in each. Serve immediately.