Ja cię kocham…

This dish is simplicity at its finest.  If you follow my blog at all you know how much I love recipes that consist of only a few ingredients.  Being the horrible multitasker that I am I need to have each and every ingredient prepared and right in front of me (and sometimes I put them in order of when I use them) before I start cooking or baking otherwise I will forget something.  This is especially true when I bake.  I have been known to forget key ingredients like eggs and milk in a cake.  I know.  It’s pathetic!  I blame it on the fact that I typically make vegan cakes that don’t require eggs and milk, but that’s not actually the truth.  I just get going and grab what’s in front of me – and if the eggs and milk aren’t in front of me, they ain’t goin’ in the cake.  Oops.

This recipe comes from a fellow foodie, and when I saw how simple the recipe is to prepare I leaped at the chance to make it.

I think what really makes this meal stand out is the homemade breadcrumbs.  They only take minutes to make and really add depth to the pasta.  This classic Italian dish is a good reminder that less is more. Recipes consisting of too many ingredients can get awfully expensive, and quite honestly I end up with far more dishes in the sink than I would prefer.  Stick with simplicity.  It never fails us.  Bearing that in mind, I really wish that I had doubled the recipe so I could share it with my friends and family.  This is definitely one to show off.  Bookmark it, friends!  This one is a keeper.

Pasta with Garlic Breadcrumbs
Source: Minimally adapted from Las Vegas Food Adventures
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups fresh homemade breadcrumbs
2 large garlic cloves, very finely minced
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
4 slices bacon, cooked, drained, and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound pasta, such as spaghetti, linguine or capellini

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute or two. Remove from heat; add the cheese, parsley, bacon pieces, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.

Cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain and add to pan with breadcrumbs. Toss over low heat until pasta is coated. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese.

Merry Christmas Ja cie kocham readers!

As you may know from reading my previous posts, I am the cooker and baker of this year’s Christmas Dinner!  And oh boy, this will be my FIRST sit down holiday meal for more than 6 people.  I’m not concerned about the food turning out, I’m more concerned about the timing.  I know some of you are with me on this.  Being that I’m not fortunate enough to own two ovens, I have to carefully plan how to bake several things for one dinner using one oven while keeping everything from getting cold or drying out.  I will let you know how THAT goes.

To make things a little easier for me, I’ve been prepping for the past week with a detailed schedule of things to be made so that I’m not frantic an hour before dinner.  On today’s to-do list, I made the macaroni and cheese.   This is such a tease!!!  The aroma of white cheddar and nutmeg is swirling through my home making my mouth begin to water and my tummy is now growling fiercely.  *Roar*

I have to say that this recipe was so simple, tastes so good (I HAD to test it!!), and left me with minimal dishes.  Solid deal.  Can’t ask for anything better than that!!  Plus the most of the ingredients should already be in your cupboard, and if they’re not, you can find them with no problem and spend next to nothing on them.  Merry Christmas to me!  Simple, cheap, and goooood.

I will be sure to post the rest of my holiday menu within the next few days.  Let’s just hope I remember to take pictures!

I wish you all safe travels and good eats!!

Simply Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Source: Smitten Kitchen
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup cottage cheese
2 cups milk (not skim)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch cayenne
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 pound elbow pasta, uncooked.

Directions:

Heat oven to 375°F and position an oven rack in upper third of oven. Use one tablespoon butter to grease a 9-inch round or square baking pan.

In a blender, purée cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper together.  Reserve 1/4 cup grated cheese for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining grated cheese, milk mixture and uncooked pasta. Pour into prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes.

Uncover pan, stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon butter. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more, until browned. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

I love pesto.  Basically anything with basil in it gets a thumbs up from me.  What I never thought about was how versatile pesto is.  Basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, cheese… that was pesto to me.  Oh how I was wrong!   You can change up the pine nuts with walnuts or almonds… change the basil to thyme… throw in red pepper flakes… or even sun-dried tomatoes!

A little bit of this particular pesto goes a long way.  I think I actually made too much.  Because I have so much left over, I’m putting on my chicken, crackers with cheese, on my sandwiches, as a dip for my raw vegetables, and anything else that I can think of.

I’ve cut the recipe in half.  The changes are reflected in the recipe below.

Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Red Pesto

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Serves 4

Ingredients:

12 plump, chewy sun-dried tomatoes (about 2 ounces)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
a couple big pinches of red pepper flakes
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
handful of fresh basil
1/4 cup walnuts or pine nuts, lightly toasted
zest of half a lemon

Directions:

Pulse all ingredients in your food processor until it reaches a crumbled texture.  If you are using the pesto with pasta, add 1/2 cup of the pasta water with 2/3 of the pesto sauce and then add the rest of the pesto to the mixture.  If not, use a small amount of hot water to thin it out.  I suggest gradually adding the water so you can get the consistency that you prefer.

Tis the season for glorious tomatoes!   Driving to work I pass lovely produce stands filled with freshly picked tomatoes.  How could I not indulge?   For the fantastic price of $5.50 I got myself 11 beefsteak tomatoes just waiting to be used for a homemade sauce.

Given the fact that I am not a fan of jarred spaghetti sauce, I’ve made plenty of my own but never with fresh garden tomatoes.  I typically use canned crushed tomatoes and go from there.  It is by no means as wonderful as making a sauce from scratch, but it does save time.  This recipe is a little more time consuming that a typical Ja cie kocham post, but it is well worth the wait.

My only advice is this – if you are going to invest the time to make homemade sauce, you might as well make a lot so you have some for later.  Being a novice spaghetti sauce maker, I failed in this regard.  I made just enough sauce for one box of spaghetti.  Keep that in mind.

I have a few reasons for making this spaghetti sauce – 1.  I’ve always wanted to make it from scratch.  2.  I’ve made a pledge to Buy Fresh and Buy Local as much as I can for the months of July and August.  3.  My parents 30-year anniversary was on Monday, and as a gift I made them dinner.

This sauce was a huge hit with my parents!  I also sauteed some fresh zucchini, onion, and eggplant in olive oil and placed it on top of the sauce to give it some color.  I WISH that I took a picture of the final pasta dish that I made for my parents.  Looks like I’m going to have to make it all again just for you!

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Source: Loosely Adapted from Allrecipes

Time: Prep: 45 minutes  Cook: 2hr 15min

Serves 6-8 (makes enough for one box of spaghetti)

Ingredients:

**feel free to double or triple the batch for leftovers!!**

10 beefsteak tomatoes
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. butter
1 white or sweet onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
generous handful of fresh basil, torn (or 1 tsp. dried)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs. corn starch
fresh lemon zest

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Have ready a large bowl of iced water. Plunge whole tomatoes in boiling water until skin starts to peel, 1 minute. Remove with slotted spoon and place in ice bath. Let rest until cool enough to handle, then remove peel and squeeze out seeds. Chop tomatoes and puree in blender or food processor.

In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in oil and butter until onion starts to soften, 5 minutes. Pour in pureed tomatoes. Stir in bouillon cubes, basil, Italian seasoning salt and pepper. Place bay leaves in pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 2 hours.   Every 30 minutes, drain the excess liquid from the pot.  With a 30 minutes left or so, stir in the corn starch.  This will help the sauce thicken faster. When at desired thickness, discard bay leaf, add lemon zest and serve.

The only credit that I can take for this recipe is the basil on top and the steamy photo.  (I forgot to wipe off my camera lens, which has caused the steamy/smoky effect in the picture!)

I came home from work last week to find dinner piping hot on the table.   I plopped right in the chair, gave thanks, and DUG IN!   I am one lucky girl!!  Thank you, Sweetheart!!

What makes me even more lucky is how considerate this meal is because it’s from one of my Weight Watchers magazines.  My amazing talented, smart, and gorgeous sister is getting married next year, and we have to be fitted for our bridesmaids dresses in August.  Yep, I have a deadline.  The flabbie must go!   Needless to say, I have some weight to lose to get back into my running 5-6-7 miles a day, every day college bod (was I nuts???), so starting NOW I have to be careful about what I eat.  I have 3 months.  I can do it.  I hope… ;o)

This meal took as long to prepare as it does to boil your pasta.  Not to bad, huh?  Plus, it involves basic ingredients that most of us have in our cabinets.

Thank you, Jay for this wonderful meal! <3

Jay’s Tuna Pasta

Source: Weight Watchers Magazine, May/June 2009, p. 100

Serves 2

5 points/1.5 cup serving

Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat pasta
28-oz. can diced tomatoes
4 tsp. olive oil
1 Tbs. minced garlic
2 5-oz cans solid white tuna in water, drained
Salt to taste
Basil, to garnish (optional)
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, placed diced tomatoes, oil, and garlic in a large skillet and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in cooked pasta and tuna.

Season with salt, top with basil and red pepper flakes.

It’s that simple!

To all of my quirky friends out there, this dish was made with Soba Noodles.  My beautiful puppy, Noodles, was not boiled, tossed in oil, and served in a bowl.  She is alive and well, still loving her fluffy pillows and eating carrots and peanut butter.

Noodles loves her pillows…

Moving on to the soba noodles…  I’ve been really trying to find easy recipes using only the ingredients in my cabinets.  Often, these meals are what I would post on here because they are simple, no brainers, but this recipe is totally post-worthy.  From the time that I put the water in the pasta pot to the time I mixed the sauce in finished noodles, this meal took all of 10 minutes.  Fan-flipping-tastic!

And, I discovered that soba noodles are now my all-time favorite pasta.  I could eat them when they are crunchy and raw – yeah, I know, I’m weird.  The closest thing that I can compare it to is an angel hair pasta as far as consistency goes.  Regardless (or should I say, irregardless?  JUST kidding.  That word drives me nuts!), this meal is a winner.  It’s fast, it’s light, and it’s inexpensive to make.  Oh, and Jay gave me the HUGEST hive-five after his first bite!

Hot and Sour Noodle Salad (without my puppy)

Source: The Vegetarian Cookbook, p. 155

Serves 4

Ingredients:

12 oz. thin pasta (I recommend rice vermicelli or SOBA NOODLES!)
4 Tbs. sesame oil (canola or vegetable works well if you don’t have the sesame)
3 Tbs. soy sauce
juice of 2 limes
1 tsp. sugar
4 scallions, finely sliced (use any onion if you don’t have these on hand)
1-2 tsp. hot chili sauce (any hot sauce is perfect)
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Prepare the noodles according to the package instructions.  Drain, put in a bowl and toss with half the oil.

Mix the remaining oil, soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, scallions, and chili/hot sauce together in a bowl.  Stir into the noodles.

Toss in the cilantro and serve.

I just love when I look at the back of a box and find a recipe with ingredients that I already have in my kitchen!  This pasta dish is seriously one of my favorites of all time.  And yes, it has bacon in it.  I’m TRYING to gradually incorporate meat into my dishes.  It’s not really working, but every once in a while I succeed, and it’s usually with bacon.   I think because it’s chopped so small within a mound of other things that I am capable of eating it.

Okay so this pasta dish is indescribably amazing.  I got it off the back of a Ronzoni Whole Wheat Linguine box (which I mildly altered).  It’s super simple, super cheap, and super awesome.  I cannot tell you how many times I find winning recipes on the back of food boxes.  Don’t be so quick to throw boxes away!  There are some incredible recipes just waiting to be tested.

Linguine with Bacon, Baby Spinach, and Sage

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 packages of linguine
1/4 lb. bacon, diced
1 sweet onion, finely diced
1 egg
1 1/3 cup chicken or veggie stock
3 Tbs. fresh sage, chopped
1/2 lb. baby spinach leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon for 4-5 minutes or until ALMOST at desired crispiness.

Add egg.  Stir constantly until cooked.

Stir in stock and sage; simmer for 1-2 minutes.

Add spinach and cook until barely wilting.  Season with salt and pepper.

Toss linguine with sauce and serve with sprinkled Parmesan cheese.

I was beyond ready for dinner today.  I mean, I was trying not to eat my own hand as I drove home.  My stomach was gurgling and turning to the point that I seriously considered picking up a snack at a gas station in order to make it home.  This whole hunger extravaganza started because I woke up this morning at 4am for no apparent reason other than the fact that I was in the mood to exhaust myself today.  Grrr*  Eating breakfast at 5am, leads to an earlier lunch than usual, leading to wanting an early dinner.  The problem is that I work until 6 and have a 30-35 minute commute home.  Yeah, I was in no mood for a late dinner.  Crabby, perhaps?

Yes!  Crabby!!  Very, very crabby.  That’s just the sort of word that inspired tonight’s dinner.  Pasta is fast, fish is fast, and the two together are very tasty.  This was a night that called for throwing anything in your kitchen cabinets and fridge into a dish and calling it dinner.

I bought this canned crab from Trader Joe’s a little while ago and it was just sitting in my kitchen waiting to be appreciated.  I’ve been eating so many fresh fruits and vegetables lately that I have neglected my cabinet of goodies.  It was finally time for Mr. Crabby.  I was a little hesitant about the canned crab because I didn’t want it to be ridiculously salty or fishy.  Surprisingly, it was neither!  For $2.50 a can, it’s worth the investment for a nice pasta dish.  Of course fresh is better, but since it’s $30+ a pound, I stuck with the can.

I loosely adapted this recipe from Gourmet magazine (May 2008) that I found on Epicurious.  I needed some inspiration.  I didn’t just want butter.  Butter and Lemon would have been good, but I wanted something with a zing.  Something unique.  Add a little chipotle chili pepper and hot sauce to your crabby noodles and you’ve got pizazz in less than 30 minutes!  Just what I wanted…

Crabby Pasta with Lemon and Spice

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/2 pound spaghettini (thin spaghetti)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 can of crab meat (or if you want fresh crab – 1/2 pound shelled cooked crab meat, cut into 1-inch pieces (from about 1 1/4 pound thawed frozen king crab legs)
1 Tbs. chipotle chili pepper
1 tsp. hot sauce – your favorite brand (ours is D.L. Jardines)
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
zest of 1/2 a lemon
2 tsp. dill weed
2 tablespoons salted butter
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook spaghettini in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (3 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente.

Meanwhile, cook onion in oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, until softened, then add crab meat. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, just until crab meat is heated through.

Drain pasta, then add to skillet along with remaining ingredients and toss to coat well.

So unbelievably yummy!  Enjoy!

If you want to be festive but not slave for hours in the kitchen for St. Patty’s Day, a fresh basil pesto is in order.  It’s green, it’s lean, and it’s… awesome.  Sorry, I ruined the rhyme.  ;o)

Any meal based around basil can’t help but be incredible.  Pesto is simple.  Take a few fresh ingredients, zap them in the food processor, toss it in cooked pasta, and you’re DONE!   I threw in some chopped sun-dried tomatoes for extra flavor and some red pepper flakes for some heat.  So good.

I hope you enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day as much as we do!!

Angel Hair Basil Pesto with Sun-dried Tomatoes

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 lb. organic angel hair pasta
1 Tbs. pasta water
6 oz. organic baby spinach, washed
2 cups fresh basil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese, extra for garnish
Sea salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Save 1 Tbs. pasta water.

In your food processor add the spinach, basil, garlic, pine nuts, tomatoes, and a dash of oil.  Zap it in the processor for a few seconds.  Keep adding olive oil and pulsing the pesto until its a liquid consistency.

Add the cheese and pulse for a few more seconds.

Mix pasta, pasta water, pesto, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Top with parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Clean?  What is clean food?

Eating clean simply means eating fresh, whole foods in their natural state.   The food is minimally processed and does not contain any additives or preservatives.   Fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein, whole grains and legumes are all a part of eating clean.

I purchased an incredible cookbook: The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook by Dr. Lisa Hark, PhD, RD.  It is FILLED with wonderful clean versions of our favorite dishes.  If you’re looking for a way to eat without feeling deprived or famished, I suggest you look at this cookbook.  All of the meals are beautifully presented, flavorful, natural and filling.  Nothing frustrates me more than feeling starved after a meal.  This isn’t the case here!

Jay and I have a thing for ethnic food – African, Thai, Middle Eastern, you name it!  The only problem is that going out all the time gets expensive, and I would much rather make my own meals so I know what is in them.

Dr. Hark included a Pad Thai recipe that looked very light and figure-friendly.  We LOVE pad thai so I wanted to give this a try.  After making the sauce, I was initially put-off because it didn’t taste super delicious.  I felt the sauce had too much concentrated tomato flavor that overpowered it.   But I was determined to make it work since I had done all the legwork for it already.  And you know what?  It turned out pretty good!  I used about a 1/3 of the sauce that the recipe calls for, which I think was a smart move.  Personally, I have never tasted pad thai like this before, but I know what I have eaten in the past was very bad for me.

I enjoyed this meal.  I wouldn’t give myself a high-five or anything… I would give it a 3 out of 5, but next time I will use less tomato paste and I think that will do the trick!

Clean Pad Thai

Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook, p. 266

Serves 8

Ingredients:

8 oz. rice noodles, flat
1 Tbs. canola oil
2 cloves garlic, passed through garlic press
2 cups shredded savoy cabbage
2 thick carrots, peeled and cut into thin slices
5 egg whites, lightly beaten
3 cups bean sprouts
1 cup thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

Sauce:

3 Tbs. rice wine vinegar or rice vinegar
2-3 Tbs. tomato paste (original recipe calls for 1/4 cup)
2 Tbs. reserved noodle water
2 Tbs. unsulfured molasses
2 Tbs. low sodium soy sauce

Directions:

Cover rice noodles with boiling water in a ceramic bowl.  Read directions on container to determine length of time.

Drain, reserving 2 Tbs. of noodle water

In a small bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients.  Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Stir in garlic, cabbage, and carrot.  Stir-fry for 5 minutes.

Make a well in the middle of the pan and scramble the egg whites.

Add noodles and sauce and cook for 5 minutes.

Add bean sprouts, zucchini and green onions and cook to heat through.

Remove from heat, garnish with cilantro, and serve.