Penne with Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese

I saw Giada making this and she said she could eat the whole thing. I've made it twice now and both times were a hit. If use whole wheat pasta, check out the size of the box, as it's usually less than a pound (talk about charging more for less!). anyway, I basically kept the ratios the same, but this recipe could be easily doubled.

The other good things abou this recipe is that it can be served, warm, room temp or cold.

I've been lazy the past few times I've needed butternut squash and have just paid more to use the pre-cut container at Trader Joes. It doesn't take long to make their chuncks smaller.

When you first mix the goat cheese and water you may think it's too runny, but once it cools the cheese becomes creamy and sticks onto the pasta. the butternut just falls apart as well.

Ingredients
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 (2-pound) butternut or kombucha squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 onion, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
Olive oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound penne pasta
1 cup (8 ounces) goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted (see Cook's Note)
1 packed cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan

Directions
Put an oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Spray a baking sheet, liberally, with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.
Mix the squash and onion together and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake for to 40 to 45 minutes until the vegetables are golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
While the squash mixture is cooling, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water. Put the pasta, goat cheese and 1 cup of pasta water in a large serving bowl. Toss until the cheese has melted and forms a creamy sauce. Add the squash and onion mixture, the walnuts and the basil. Toss well and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with Parmesan and serve.

Cook's Note:
To toast the walnuts, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until lightly toasted, about 6 to 8 minutes Cool completely before using.

Spring Pasta with Artichokes, Mushrooms and Peas

This recipe hails from The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison. It's kind of an old-school vegetarian cookbook, some of the recipes are fussy, but more often than not, you get a delicious result. I think if I were to make this recipe again, I'd just use frozen artichoke hearts, rather than trying (and not terribly successfully) trimming the globes down to hearts quickly enough before they turn brown.

Also, I made my own pasta with herbs. While, there really isn't a replacement for fresh pasta, it is a step that could be skipped. I won't go into the details of pasta making here... I'll assume if you're ambitious enough to make pasta you have a recipe.



Spring Pasta with Artichokes, Mushrooms and Peas

Ingredients:

8 oz of fettuccine or linguine
1 lemon
2 large artichokes (or use a package of frozen artichokes)
5 T. butter, unsalted
3 T olive oil
4 shallots, sliced (about 2/3 c.)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
6-8 oz. mushrooms cut into chunks (I used baby bellas)
2 stalks of celery, cut into small squares
1 10-oz. pkg frozen petit peas
1 T parsley, chopped
2 tsp. tarragon, chopped
parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Bring a large pot of water for the pasta to boil.

Squeeze the juice of the lemon into a bowl w/ about 2 c. of cold water. Trim the artichokes.. see this video on the how to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV7iU0NoYSs just be sure to dip in the lemon water as you go, otherwise you'll end up with a brown mess. Dice the heart cubes and keep in the lemon water.

In a large, wide skillet, melt the butter and olive oil. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme, and drained artichokes and stew them together for 1 minute.

Add one cup of the water from the pasta pot, cover and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes.

Raise the heat and add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the celery and the peas and more water (if the first cup has cooked off). Lower the heat again, cover and cook gently for 3-4 minutes or until mushrooms are done.

Cook the pasta, scoop it out when it's done and add to the skillet. Season with the fresh herbs. Toss with tongs to mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with Parmesan.

Spiced Carrot and Feta Gnocchi

From the top: minted cream sauce, spiced carrot and feta gnocchi, asparagus orange salad, and mashed roasted eggplant

So... when I was making this recipe, I was pretty sure it was going to fail. The recipe notes that the dough is softer than most gnocchi recipes, but I was not prepared for just how soft it would be. It's very wet and sticky, and I couldn't shape it without dipping it in flour first. Then, I couldn't remove the excess flour from the gnocchi before cooking them, so many of the cooked pieces had an ugly translucent coating over them. (Thankfully, the sauce covered that up.)

But I am very glad to say that this seemed to be everyone's favorite part of the meal. The gnocchi turned out light, fluffly, and gently spiced, and the delicate cream sauce provided a nice complement of flavors.

For those of you trying this at home, I highly recommend chilling the gnocchi in the fridge for at least a couple of hours prior to cooking them to help them hold their shape. Maybe you could even freeze them. Otherwise, you will end up flinging sticky doughballs from your fingers into boiling water, making a mess and probably scalding your hands in the process.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds carrots
• 1-1/3 cups crumbled feta cheese
• 10 oz. / 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala, plus more to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Minted cream sauce:

• 1 oz. butter
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons shredded mint
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Directions:

1. Cut the carrots into large pieces and steam, boil, or microwave until tender. Drain amd allow to cool slightly
2. Put the carrots in a food processor, add the feta and blend until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and sift the flour and spices over the top. Add the egg and mix to form a soft dough. Taste after this and adjust seasoning as needed. Lightly coat your fingertips with flour and shape teaspoons of the mixture into flat circles. Place on top of a floured surface and set aside in refrigerator (or freezer) to set. (Note: here is where I had problems forming the gnocchi. You may need to roll the teaspoons of dough in flour in order to shape them.)
3. To make the minted cream sauce, melt the butter in a frying pan and saute the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until the garlic is soft and golden. Stir in the cream, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
4. Meanwhile, cook the gnocchi, in batches, in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 2 minutes, or until they float to the surface. Transfer to warmed serving plates using a slotted spoon. Stir the mint through the sauce, drizzle over the gnocchi, and serve.

Serves 6-8.

Butternut Squash and Parsnips Baked Pasta

I bookmarked this recipe months ago when I was looking for new butternut squash recipes. I was hoping it would be similar to my favorite butternut squash lasagna, but easier and healthier. It still required the dreaded roux, but with Julie's help I was able to pull it off. I think I need to invest in a new whisk.



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
1 cup chopped parsnip
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
Cooking spray
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup 1% low-fat milk


Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, red pepper, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add squash and parsnip; sauté 10 minutes. Stir in sage, parsley, nutmeg, allspice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; remove from heat.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Combine squash mixture, pasta, and 1/4 cup cheese in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray, tossing gently to combine.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add milk; cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add reserved cooking liquid; cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Pour milk mixture over pasta mixture; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

From: Cooking Light

Orzo "Risotto" with tomato, mozzarella, and basil

Continuing on my Risotto kick, I made this mostly for Lana for when Joel and I were out of town. this is also from Emeril and since I knew Lana likes all the ingredients, I thought it was a safe bet. Plus since my dad doesn't like anything too exotic, i thought this would satisfy him too.

Ingredients:
3 T Olive oil
1/3 C minced red onion
1 T minced garlic
2 C orzo
4 cups stock heated (I used chicken, but veggie would work too.)
1 t salf
1/2 t pepper
2 C diced fresh tomatoes (I actually just poured in a can of diced tomatoes including the juice.)
1/2 C diced fresh mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 T thinly sliced basil

Directions:
1. cook onion and garlic in hot oil until fragrant ~ 30 seconds. Add Orzo and stir to coat.
2. gradually add the stock in 1/2 cup increments, stirring until all the liquid has been adsorbed before adding more.
3. if using can tomatoes, add in about half way through, if using fresh wait until end and just heat through 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. add mozzarella and cook until just incorporated 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Garnish with basil and serve.

Tastes like summer

Now that the weather has finally gotten over the whole 'rain every single day for 3 weeks' thing, it is finally starting to really feel like summer. I don't know if it's the warm weather or the fact that the humidity is 80 percent, but it really makes me crave those cool salads. This salad is great for those kind of days when all you really want to do is read with a tall glass of cucumber water or lie by the pool. (or perhaps I am the only one who has these sorts of days) This salad is cool and crunchy with lots of herbs to perfume your mouth with the tiniest bit of heat at the end. There is a little planning involved here, but I think it is worth the time. Anywho, here's the recipe.

Vietnamese Noodle Salad
From Moosewood Daily Special
Cook's note: I used shrimp in this recipe because it's what we had on hand. Tofu, chicken, or beef would also be lovely.
Husband of Cook's note: Mike thought this should have had more shrimp.

Dressing:
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. rice vinegar
1 T. dark sesame oil
1 T. sugar
1/4 c. lime juice, freshly squeezed
2 T. soy sauce
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 T. lime zest

Salad:
1 pound of shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 pound rice sticks (linguine will do if you can't find rice sticks)
4 c. shredded green cabbage (I Sandra Lee'd it and used the bagged cole slaw mix)
1 c. chopped fresh herbs: cilantro, basil, scallions (I actually did a little more than this, maybe 1 1/3 c.)
1 large bell pepper, cut into matchsticks

1. Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
2. Place shrimp in a bowl, toss with 1/2 c. of the dressing. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.
3. In a separate container refrigerate the rest of the dressing.
4. Just before serving saute or grill the shrimp for 2-3 minutes, until just cooked through. Set aside on a plate.
5. Heat up a large pot of water to boil.
6. Once the water has come up to a boil, add rice sticks (or linguine) and cook until al dente. The time for rice sticks will be about 4 minutes.
7. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water. Let drain.
8. Combine the noodles, cabbage, bell pepper, herbs, dressing and shrimp. Toss well with tongs.
9. Enjoy!

Elegant Orzo with Wilted Spinach and PIne Nuts

I found this when I searched allrecipes.com using the ingredients spinach and red pepper. In this case it was calling for red pepper flakes, which I went light on, but caught my eye none the less. This was good warm and cold (the next day as left overs). This strikes me as a very forgiving recipe so adding and subtracting at will is probably OK. I think adding fresh basil at the end would make it very good too.

INGREDIENTS
1 (16 ounce) package uncooked orzo
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup pine nuts
1 (10 ounce) bag baby spinach
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1 (8 ounce) package crumbled feta cheese
1/2 fresh tomato, chopped (I used 1 package of grape tomatoes cut in half)
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. (Firm or slightly undercooked orzo works best for this dish.) Drain, transfer to a mixing bowl, and set aside.
Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat, stirring to blend. Stir in garlic, basil, and red pepper flakes, and reduce heat to medium. Stir in pine nuts and cook until lightly browned. Add spinach, cover, and cook on low heat for 5 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.
Toss spinach mixture with orzo pasta. Portion onto serving plates with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of crumbled feta cheese and chopped tomatoes. Allow guests to adjust seasoning with salt, as needed.

Sesame Pasta Salad

This one is for Katie by special request. I like this pasta salad as it's easy to make and does not contain the white death in any form. It's also good cold and even better the longer it sits.

To make it even heartier you could add chicken (I've found that rotissery chicken works really well) or cherry tomatoes or red pepper strips or anything really.

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 (16 ounce) package bow tie pasta
1/2 cup vegetable oil (JHM - I usually use closer to a 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup light soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional - but I use it)
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup chopped green onion

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add sesame seeds, and cook stirring frequently until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain pasta, and rinse under cold water until cool. Transfer to a large bowl.

3. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine vegetable oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, sesame seeds, ginger, and pepper. Shake well. (a zip lock bag will do in a pinch, just make sure it's sealed tightly)

4. Pour sesame dressing over pasta, and toss to coat evenly. Gently mix in cilantro and green onions. (I usually put it in a zip lock bag - save room in refrigorator or cooler until ready to serve). Is ok at room temp for awhile as there isn't anything to spoil.