Rigatoni with Eggplant and Pine Nut Crunch

So, I've been slacking in the food blogging department recently. I've had other things on my mind... most importantly getting ready to give birth to my second child! Instead of obsessing about what to make for dinner, I have been focusing my creative side on decorating and cleaning, readying my house for a new person's arrival. Obviously food has to figure into this somewhere in my house and I have been trying to plan ahead and freeze some meals for post-delivery chaos. When my son was born, almost four years ago, I had every intention of filling my freezer with easily reheatable meals. That never happened. I wanted to make sure this time I actually had a few things tucked away, so take out wouldn't be our only option.

In order to make sure this happens, I have been making one dinner per week that makes enough for at least two meals, eating one and freezing the other. So far only two things have made it into the freezer, but in my opinion that is better than zero. One of the meals is chicken pot pie, filling frozen in containers and the pastry topping frozen in plastic baggies. All I'll need to do is defrost and assemble. The other dish is this baked pasta that I found in the March 2011 issue of Bon Appetit. We had it for dinner last week and it is really tasty. It is a little labor intensive, so it's nice that it makes enough for at least two meals. You could always double it and pack more of it away if you wanted.


Rigatoni with Eggplant and Pine Nut Crunch
Adapted from Bon Appetit March 2011

1 1/2 - 1 3/4 pounds of eggplant cut into 1/2 inch cubes (I used about four Italian eggplants
2 medium yellow bell peppers cut into 1/2 squares
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half lenghtwise
5 cloves of garlic, divided
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes (San Marzanos make all the difference!)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 pound rigatoni
1 pound mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes


Preheat oven to 425

On a large baking sheet toss eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, 3 cloves of minced garlic, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, stirring often, 35-45 minutes.

Meanwhile combine 2/3 cup basil, 1/2 cup Parmesan, pine nuts and 1 clove of garlic in a mini food processor. Blend until crumbly. Season with salt.

Blend tomatoes with their juice, cream, 1 1/3 cups basil and 1 clove of garlic in food processor or blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta in salted boiling water until just tender and firm to bite. Drain and return to pot. Add vegetables, sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Transfer half to baking dish ( or all if you plan on making all at once) and half to a freezer and oven safe container (I filled a 7 cup Pyrex). Sprinkle both portions evenly with the pine nut topping and mozzarella.

If you are baking, add to preheated (425) oven and cook through, about 25-35 minutes or until bubbly and browned on top.

If freezing, seal well and tuck away for a lazy night. I am not sure if I will be defrosting this before heating or just putting the frozen meal directly into a preheating oven and cooking until heated through. Either way, I'll be happy that I planned ahead!

"Unboring" Salmon Casserole

This post goes out to my dear friend Renee. I will forever think of her as the source for this following recipe. She will tell you differently. Not sure why I am convinced that this was her recipe, but to this day, 12 years after first having made this, I still think of it as hers. She will tell you that she has never made tuna casserole. We'll agree to disagree, but I think you will have to agree that this is a pretty darn good casserole. My husband and son get pretty excited when it's on the weekly menu.

I call this a "pantry" recipe. All the ingredients required for the basic recipe are kitchen staples. Over the years I have fancied up this basic budget meal. Firstly, I make it with canned salmon instead of tuna. You get a good dose of omega-3 and I prefer the taste of the salmon over the tuna. Feel free to use tuna if you would rather. The second major change was adding tarragon. Tarragon has a licorice flavor that I think goes really well in this dish and elevates it to a respectable meal. So don't brush off this recipe. Try it at least one. I bet it will start making a regular appearance on your weekly menu!


Salmon Casserole

Serves 3-4

1 cup elbow macaroni
1/4 cup italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 Tbs unsalted butter- melted
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped shallots or onion (whatever you have on hand)
3 Tbs unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken stock
1 Tbs chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
6-9 ounces canned salmon, drained and flaked

Preheat oven to 375

Combine bread crumbs and 1 Tbs melted butter- set aside

Cook noodles according to package al dente (6-7 minutes)- drain and set aside

Meanwhile, melt 3 Tbs butter over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add celery and shallot and cook until tender. Add in flour, cook for about 1 minute then add milk and stock, herbs and salt. Cook, stirring, until thick.

Add noodles and salmon to the pan and stir to combine.

Transfer to a baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumb/butter mixture and bake for 20 minutes.

Christmas (or New Year's) Egg Bake

Who wants to spend Christmas morning making breakfast for a house full of people? Or for that matter, waking up after a night of ringing in the new year and putting together something to soothe your aching head? Usually after a night of a few too many cocktails (at least when I was able to drink!) we make a run to Panera to load up on bagels, eggs and pastries. Isn't it so much nicer to eat your own food? I am asking a lot of questions here, but the answers are simple. You don't want to cook after a night of wrapping presents. You don't want to cook after a night of drinking. And you DO want to eat a homemade breakfast!

This egg dish has been adapted over the years from a recipe my father-in-law gave me. When we would spend Christmas at his house this was always on the menu. When we started hosting Christmas at our house 4 years ago, I made sure to include this in our tradition, but changed up the original recipe. I think each year I make it, I do it differently. It is all about what ingredients you have around or suiting the tastes of your guests. My mother is a vegetarian, so every year I make two of these dishes. One full recipe that I include meat in, and one half recipe with just vegetables. I actually preferred the way my vegetarian version came out this year.

This recipe can be really really simple, or you can make it a bit more eleborate. All depends on how much time you have and how fancy you want to be. The options are endless on this all in one egg bake. Really any ingredient you would use to make an omelet with would work in this recipe. This recipe is a base for your own creativity!


Christmas Morning Egg Bake

serves 6-8

7 pieces white bread, torn into pieces (the original recipe has you remove the crust, but sometimes I just leave it on. I like it either way)
8 oz shredded cheese (the original recipe uses cheddar, I usually use "Fiesta blend" from Whole Foods for my Southwestern version, and for my veggie one this year I used crumbled feta)
6 extra large eggs
3 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste. I like my food well seasoned, but it also depends on the salt level of your other ingredients)
1/4 tsp pepper
6 strips cooked and crumbled bacon (this is the original recipe... for my Southwestern version I use 1 1/2 links Spanish chorizo- chopped that I cook in a bit of olive oil along with a chopped red pepper, and a small diced onion until softened)

For the vegetarian version (remember, I did a half recipe) this year I added (in lieu of the bacon or chorizo, peppers and onion) 1/2 cup chopped sun roasted tomatoes (off the Whole Foods olive bar.. the BEST!), and about 1/2 cup+ of defrosted, drained, frozen spinach.


Butter a 9x13 baking dish
Toss bread pieces and cheese together in dish

In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Add meat and/or vegetables to bread and cheese and toss lightly with your hands. Pour egg mixture over bread.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 350.
Bake 55-60 minutes until dish is puffed and golden.

'Tis the Season for all things baked!

There is something about the combination of cold weather and the smell of baked goods that gets me all excited. I usually avoid baking in the warmer months, then try and make up for it once the weather turns chilly. From Thanksgiving through the end of year I give myself a pass for baking whatever I want, regardless of the butter content of it. My excuse is that I'll give my creations away and all that butter won't end up on my hips. Most of it makes it out the door, but it is my duty to taste-test everything first, right?

I'm always looking for new things to try and have a bunch of blogs that I read for inspiration on a daily basis. Sometimes, recipes are found in less conventional spots, like the Today Show. A few weeks ago while at the gym (probably working off some other sugar laden masterpiece) I found myself glued to the Martha Stewart segment on Today. What drew my attention from my US Weekly, was her mention of the word "pumpkin." I LOVE pumpkin and anything that contains it or the flavor. Pumpkin Spice Lattes, pumpkin pancakes (my husband makes THE BEST!!), pumpkin ice cream (run to Whole Foods and get some!), pumpkin pie, and when Martha mentioned that she was making pumpkin donuts (!!!!!!) I was hooked. After watching the segment I realized that these are not your run of the mill donuts. Instead of them being plopped into a vat of hot oil, these are BAKED in muffin tins. No grease, no special equipment. Are you sold?

The other part of this recipe is that we found that they actually tasted better the next day. Thrown in the microwave for 22 seconds they bounced back to a nice donut consistency, and make the house smell delish. Oh, and they look really pretty sitting in a big bowl...maybe a holiday centerpiece??


Martha Stewart's Pumpkin Donut Muffins
makes 12 muffin donuts

FOR THE BATTER
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups pure pumpkin puree (from a 15-ounce can)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs

FOR THE SUGAR COATING
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 12 standard muffin cups.

Make batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions pumpkin mixture, and beat to combine.

Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each muffin cup and bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon. Let muffins cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Working with one at a time, remove muffins from pan, brush all over with butter, then toss to coat in sugar mixture. Let muffins cool completely on a wire rack. (Store in an airtight container...Martha says for up to one day, but we found they did great for a few, just needing a little warm up in the microwave)

Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding

What to do with a loaf of challah bread? If asked that question, the first two things that come to my head are french toast and bread pudding. Maybe I need to expand..but I am happy with these options since I don't tend to make them too too often. That was until this school year started... I now have a loaf of challah bread coming home with my son every three weeks from his school. Whew! Need to get creative here! So far I have only had one loaf to deal with and since I had company over for dinner the day I received my challah I decided to share (aka not get stuck with a loaf of bread to nosh on!).

Not everyone loves bread pudding. I happen to think it's pretty great. If you have a basic recipe for bread pudding you can pretty much add anything to it that you like. Nuts, fresh fruit, dried fruit, chocolate can all make a really delicious dessert. On this particular night I knew my guests were dark chocolate lovers so that's the route I went. I didn't need to look far for a recipe. I have watched enough Food Network to know that my girl, Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) has made a few bread puddings in her day. The recipe I based this one off of was for rum raisin, but I ended up transforming mine into a dark chocolate version. This recipe is just a jumping off point. You can add more chocolate than I did, use different bread ( I think Ina's recipe originally calls for croissants), or add some nuts to the mix. Whatever you fancy!



Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding
Serves 8-10

Adapted out of "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook", Croissant bread pudding

3 extra-large eggs (Ina always uses extra-large eggs. So do I. I don't question greatness.)
8 extra-large egg yolks (after this rich dessert, won't it feel good to wake up in the morning and make yourself an egg-white omelet??)
5 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 loaf challah bread, sliced or cubed or torn
1 cup (or more) dark chocolate chips (I like Guittard's Extra Dark Chocolate Chips which are 63% cacao)

Preheat the oven to 350

Whisk together the eggs, half and half, sugar and vanilla. In a baking dish (about 2 1/2- 3 quarts or whatever will hold all the bread and liquid) place a layer of the bread, top with chocolate chips, then top with the rest of the bread. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and allow to soak in for at least 10 minutes (I let it sit for about an hour), pressing down to get the bread to absorb the liquid.

Place the pan in a larger one filled with about an inch of hot water. Cover the entire thing with aluminum foil, making sure that the foil doesn't touch the pudding. Cut a couple holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 40-45 minutes, until it is puffed and custard is set. Allow to cool a bit before serving. Really good with a little vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!

Easy Lunchtime Pizza

Who doesn't want an easy lunch option when they have been running around all day long? I get sick of sandwiches, and picking through the refrigerator isn't the most exciting option, unless you are able to turn random items into a masterpiece. This is what I do when I make pizza in my house. Dig though the produce and cheese drawers and create a delicious pie. Making pizza can be simple, though making the dough, and rolling it out can take a little more time than one wants when eating midday.

My inspiration for this quick pizza came from a bite that I had at our close friend's house last month, grilled figs wrapped with prosciutto and stuffed with fresh mozzarella. In my opinion, the flavors in this combination hit a home run. Sweet, salty, creamy. As I was eating this, I kept thinking how good all these items would taste on a pizza (this is what I do with almost everything I eat..anything can be turned into a pizza.) On my next trip to Whole Foods I stocked up on the ingredients, but instead of grabbing yeast to make the dough, I bought a package of naan. Naan is an South Asian flat bread, popular in countries like India and Pakistan, that mimics that of a thin crust pizza dough when cooked. And the fact that a piece of naan is the perfect size for a personal lunch-size pizza made it my choice on this shopping trip.

The longest part of this meal is preheating the oven. I like to cook my pizza at 500, so waiting for the oven to heat can take a while. I cook it so high because it keeps the ingredients from getting mushy and overcooked but makes the crust charred and crisp. Just the way I like it. If you would rather cook your pizza at a lower temperature, no problem, you'll just have to cook it longer so the overall time may end up being the same. Take my advice...wait for the oven!

Use this recipe as a starting off point for inspiration. You can make any pizza on one of these little naans... even following the same cooking times regardless of the ingredients you use. Get creative, this is the perfect opportunity to create your perfect bite!


Fig & Prosciutto Pizza
serves 1

1 piece naan (I buy mine at Whole Foods)

extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper

Parmesan

1-2 small fresh mozzarella balls, sliced thinly (this makes all the difference for pizza. Don't buy the rubbery stuff!)
1 slice good quality prosciutto, torn into bit size pieces (I like to use San Danielle if I am cooking with it...go for the really good stuff if you are eating it cold)

3 fresh figs, sliced in half ( I like the green Kadota's since are softer and sweeter than Mission, but use whatever you can find. Figs are still in the grocery stores right now, at least they were earlier this week, but if you can't find them you can use fig preserves instead. Dab it on in about six spots- I like the Dalmatia brand sold at Whole Foods).

Preheat oven to 500. If you have a pizza stone make sure it in in the oven before turning it on. I prefer to use a pizza stone since it helps create a really crisp crust. If you don't have a pizza stone, drizzle a cookie sheet with olive oil and place in the oven before turning it on and heat it with the oven. Once the oven is preheated, place the pizza directly on the sheet. This will help you achieve the crunch without the stone!

To assemble your pizza:

Drizzle naan with a little oil. Rub it all over the bread with your hands (the best tools!) Sprinkle with a little kosher salt and freshly grated pepper. Finely grate some Parmesan, creating a fine base layer. Scatter mozzarella slices, figs and prosciutto on top and pop in the oven. This will take about 5-7 minutes to cook. After 5 minutes keep an eye on it so that it doesn't get too charred (unless you like it that way!)

Shrimp Saganaki

I know there are a lot of you out there that are looking for a quick, delicious weeknight meal. A lot of what I cook doesn't fall into the "quick" category, but I wouldn't cook something more than once that wasn't delicious. I've made this dish a bunch of times and everyone who I've served it to has been a fan.

This dish is simple because it only has a few ingredients. The flavors are fresh and bright and you can really taste each and everyone of them. The prep work is simple, just a few things to chop. If you use peeled and deveined shrimp that really cuts down the time you spend preparing to cook this meal. I made this tonight and prepped it while my son ate dinner, then cooked it while my husband put him to bed. 10 minutes of prep, 15 minutes of cooking. In my book, that's fast.

Oh, by the way. Fall in on and so is the cooking in my house. Stay tuned for lots of yummy recipes. Hopefully I'll be back here weekly to share them with all you food loving blog followers!


Shrimp Saganaki
Food & Wine March '09

Serves 4


2 TBS each olive oil and canola oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
salt to taste
Hot pepper flakes to taste
1 1/2 lb peeled, deveined and sliced in half lengthwise
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced in half lengthwise
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
3 oz crumbled feta

Hot crusty bread for serving

Heat oil in a large saute pan over med/high heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper flakes. Cook for another 5 minutes, crushing the tomatoes with the back of a spoon. Add in shrimp and olives. Cook another 3 minutes. Add in dill and feta and cook 1 more minute. Serve hot with the bread to soak up all the delicious juices!