the lost recipes.

The other day I was looking though all my backup photos and I came across a few meals that I had made that never got posted... they didn't even get labeled in preparation for a post. They just got lost in the computer, waiting around to be found again and loved.

The main on that I wanted to post from that grouping is this one: my first experience making fresh pasta. I had a lot of fun doing it and I used it in this recipe because I, for some reason, thought that it would make it better. I don't really remember why now, but it was really good, so I guess I was right.

I will continue to make fresh pasta in the future, in fact I did it again just this week, but that recipe is still on the camera, so you will have to wait a little while for it. This one, however, is great and you should definitely give it a try. It is on the rich and decadent side, but it is something a little different then your plain old pasta dish.


Carbonara Deep Dish Pasta-Crusted Pan Pizza
adapted from Rachel Ray

Salt
1 pound fresh fettuccine pasta or 2 packages fresh linguine (9 ounces each)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 pound pancetta or bacon, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, grated or chopped
1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
4 large eggs
1/2 cup cream
Salt and black pepper
2 cups ricotta cheese
A handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese


Heat water for pasta in large pot, salt it and cook pasta for three minutes.

While water boils, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil. Add pancetta and brown, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook a minute more.

Drain pasta and add to pan to toss with the garlic oil and pancetta. Add the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Beat eggs with cream and pour over top of pasta. Let eggs begin to set up, one minute, and pat pasta into even layer to make the pizza pie crust. Place in oven and cook for five minutes.

Mix together the ricotta and parsley. Remove pie from oven and smooth the ricotta over the top. Scatter the mozzarella over the top and return to oven. Bake 10 minutes more until cheese is melted and golden at edges. Let ricotta sit a couple of minutes to settle, then cut into wedges and serve out of pan at table.

a new staple.

I had never made curry before. It just always seemed like something that was too out there for my kitchen. Something to eat out at dinner, not in. I don't know why. But when I read about this curry, for some reason, it struck a cord. I called my husband from the grocery store to have him look up the ingredients. It might have been the bean aspect. I have discovered a new love for beans that I never knew I had. And I am so glad that I discovered them because, man, this is good stuff. So easy to make and awesome for a quick and healthy dinner. Plus, great lunch for the rest of the week from the leftovers! We've had this for dinner once a week for the past month. It is that good.

Red Kidney Bean Curry [Rajmah]
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated fresh ginger
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 plum tomato, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large green chili, chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
8 ounce can of tomato sauce or puree
3 cups boiled red kidney beans or 30 ounces canned red kidney beans, undrained

Heat oil in a deep sauce pan over medium heat for one minute. Add ginger, garlic, onion, green chili, and let sizzle for one minute. Add the tomato sauce, salt and remaining spices and cook for an additional five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the kidney beans with water or canned red kidney beans (undrained) plus one additional cup of water, and tomatoes. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and let cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Garnish with yogurt for a little creamy-ness. Serve over rice or with naan.

an homage to jamie.

Jamie Oliver has a magazine! My mom came across it at Barnes and Noble the other day and I couldn't be more excited. I can't get enough of Jamie Oliver. He has always been my favorite. I was a huge fan of the Naked Chef... it must be the british thing that started it all, but I have been hooked ever since.

Last fall when I saw that Food Network was showing his new series "Jamie at Home" I immediately set the DVR (8:30 a.m. on a Saturday is a little early for me to commit to) and it really is a great show. The cookbook, also great. Jamie shows people how to cook using more local ingredients by cooking straight out of his garden. I love it! I also knew when I saw this recipe that I would love it as well. But I wanted to wait for the right carrots. You see, the carrots that Jamie used were all different beautiful colors and I never knew where I would ever find carrots like that. So I filed the recipe away and hoped that I would find some someday. And that someday came one of the first weeks we were in Lincoln. The little co-op around the corner, Open Harvest, had the most beautiful carrots! I immediately picked some up and that next day we had this salad. It has so much flavor and an amazing texture. Your meat-eating significant other won't even notice the lack of meat. So, in honor of Jamie's new magazine, here is that recipe for you.


Roast Carrot and Avocado Salad with Orange and Lemon Dressing
adapted from Jamie at Home by Jamie Oliver

1 pound medium mixed colored carrots, with their leafy tops
Sea salt
2 level teaspoons whole cumin seeds
1 or 2 small dried chiles, crumbled
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, peeled
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
Extra-virgin olive oil
Red or white wine vinegar
1 orange, halved
1 lemon, halved
1 lime, halved, optional
3 ripe avocados
4 (1/2-inch thick) slices ciabatta or other good-quality bread
4 handfuls interesting mixed salad leaves, washed and spun dry
2/3 cup sour cream or greek yogurt
4 tablespoons mixed seeds, toasted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Parboil the carrots in boiling, salted water for 10 minutes, until they are very nearly cooked, then drain and put them into a roasting pan. You should flavor them while they're steaming hot, so while the carrots are cooking get a pestle and mortar and smash up the cumin seeds, chilles, salt and pepper. Add the garlic and thyme leaves and smash up again until you have a kind of paste. The idea here is to build up the flavors. Add enough extra-virgin olive oil to generously cover the paste, and a good swig of vinegar. This will be like a marinade, a rub and a dressing all in one! Stir together, then pour over the carrots in the pan, coating them well. Add the orange, lemon and lime halves, cut side down. These will roast along with the carrots, and their juice can be used as the basis of the dressing. Place in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden.

While the carrots are roasting, halve and peel the avocados, discarding the pits, then cut them into wedges lengthwise and place in a big bowl. Remove the carrots from the oven and add them to the avocados. Carefully, using some tongs, squeeze the roasted orange and lemon juice into a bowl and add the same amount of extra-virgin olive oil and a little swig of red wine vinegar. Season, and pour this dressing over the carrots and avocados. Mix together, have a taste and correct the seasoning. Call your gang round the table while you toast or broil your ciabatta slices.

Tear the toasted bread into little pieces and add to the dressed carrot and avocado. Mix together, toss in the salad leaves and transfer to a big platter or divide between individual plates. Spoon over a nice dollop of sour cream or greek yogurt and drizzle over some extra-virgin olive oil.

the perfect lunch.

I have trouble deciding what to eat for lunch. My husband comes home and he is perfectly happy to eat the same thing everyday. It is either a hot dog or a turkey sandwich. I, on the other hand, enjoy a little variety and sometimes a turkey sandwich just won't cut it. It seems boring. And bland. I need a little spice in lunch. So when I saw Giada making this recipe on Everyday Italian, I knew that it would join my lunchtime menu. I love white beans and this soup is so easy, it comes together in minutes. The perfect time line for lunch. I made a half batch and it lasted me through 2 lunches (one all soup, one soup and half a grilled cheese). Next time, I might make a double batch and freeze some for a quick heat up at a later date. A great lunch for any time of year, this light and fragrant soup is a must.

Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup
adapted from Giada De Laurentiis, Everyday Italian

I used rosemary instead of sage because I thought it would work well with the beans. It did. I think you could use any herb that you wanted here. I also ran out of stock when I made it, and used half water. It worked just as well if you need to do that, but I am sure it is better with all stock.

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 sage leaf or rosemary stalk
2 (15-ounce) cans cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, cut in 1/2
1/2 cup cream or half and half
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Place a medium, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil, and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and beans and stir to combine. Add the stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the garlic and simmer until the garlic is softened, about 10 minutes. Pour the soup into a large bowl. Carefully ladle 1/3 to 1/2 of the soup into a blender and puree until smooth. (Alternately, use an immersion blender right in the pot. It works great too and is easier in my opinion.) Be careful to hold the top of the blender tightly, as hot liquids expand when they are blended. Pour the blended soup back into the soup pan. Puree the remaining soup. Once all the soup is blended and back in the soup pan, add the cream and the pepper. Keep warm, covered, over very low heat.

alinea

Words cannot express how amazing this dinner experience was. All I can say is that if you have the chance to visit Alinea in Chicago, you have to go. The there is no restaurant that can compete with this experience. The photos that follow are just a few of my favorite courses from our 24 course tour.

super bowl, super chocolate.

Last year for my birthday my dear friend Sarah gave me a mini popover pan. I told her that day that I knew the first thing that I would make with it would be Bouchons au Chocolat, or mini chocolate cork-shaped cakes. What I didn't know was that it was going to take me a year to get around to doing that.

We were invited to watch the super bowl with some friends and I wanted to bring something fun for dessert... I finally had my chance to make these little chocolate wonders. The pan worked out perfectly and the cakes came out just as they should. A mix between brownie, cake and scone. They are great with ice cream, but I like them even better alone, maybe as an afternoon snack with some tea or coffee. They have a way of making you feel very french when you eat them. C'est bon!

Bouchons au chocolat
Adapted from Orangette, David Lebovitz’s The Great Book of Chocolate, and Pearl Bakery

3 ½ ounces bittersweet chocolate
3 ½ ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 ¾ cups cake flour
1 ½ Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a muffin pan or mini popover pan with butter or cooking spray.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates together by microwaving for 30 seconds at a time and stirring in between. When the chocolates are just melted do one final stir and set aside.

Sift the flour, cocoa, and salt together into a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the melted chocolate until well incorporated. Using a rubber spatula or spoon, stir and fold in the dry ingredients in three additions. Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine. The batter will be quite thick.

Divide the batter between the wells of the muffin tin or popover pan. Bake the cakes for 15-18 minutes, or until they still feel quite soft in their centers when pressed lightly with your index finger. Do not overbake them, or they will be dry.

Remove the pan from the oven, and allow to cool on a rack for about 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cakes from the pan and cool completely before eating or storing.

Store them at room temperature in an airtight container.

Yield: 12 cakes

our new taco tuesday.

Taco Tuesday is a tradition that my husband and I and our friends started in college. No matter how much work had to be done, we would all come together to eat and hang out on Tuesday night, enjoying tacos and some laughs. Dave and I still keep the tradition going... maybe not every week, but quite often as i am making our weekly meal plan we will save Tuesdays for tacos.

Tuesdays now, however, have mostly involved these tacos. Once I saw them in Bon Appétit a couple months back, I knew they would be my new favorite. They are super quick to put together, healthy and really yummy. Crispy and creamy and salty and rich all in one. I highly recommend that you put Taco Tuesday on your meal plan for the week and try these out.

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw
adapted from Bon Appétit

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 cups coleslaw mix
2 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 white or yellow corn tortillas or flour tortillas
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 avocado sliced
Bottled chipotle hot sauce or other hot sauce

Place beans, cumin and half the lime juice in small pan to heat; partially mash. Mix 2 teaspoons olive oil and lime juice in medium bowl; add coleslaw, green onions, and cilantro and toss to coat. Season slaw to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat 3 teaspoons olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tortillas in single layer. Spoon 1/4 of bean mixture onto half of each tortilla; cook 1 minute. Fold tacos in half. Cook until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Fill tacos with feta, sliced avocado and slaw. Pass hot sauce alongside.