One of my favorite meals is leftover pasta. The sauce is always tastier the next day as flavors meld and it's just such a nice comforting meal. Reminds me of growing up.
And here's how to make it even better... pan fry it up. That's right - heat some olive oil in a large sauce pan and throw in the leftover pasta and fry it up till it's burnt and crispy on the bottom. I like spaghetti the best, but any shape pasta will do just fine. I am not a fan of cream sauces, so I have never tried this with alfredo, but any red sauce is good to go and even pesto works nicely. For pesto, I think you need to have more sauce than you think otherwise the pasta can dry out.
If you want to get fancy, add more garlic or other vegetables/herbs/meat, to give the dish a new twist.
Mmm mmm good.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Updating Posts
I am new to blogging so I apologize for posts getting updated to today's date after I made some changes to them. I fixed links on all the posts and didn't realize that today's date would get put on them after I published the changes.
Gluten free pasta - in for a penny, in for almost a pound
Gluten free pasta has come a long way. (My wife is gf or a glutard as she likes to joke which is why I cook so many gluten free items.) But there are some things that are sacred.
Pasta should be sold by the pound. Period. Not 12 oz, not 14 oz, but 16 oz (453 g for any non-Americans)
I grew up in an Italian-American household - I'm third generation Italian-American - and we have eaten a lot of pasta. It always comes in 1 lb containers. (Yes, I know there are a couple of exceptions, aren't there always? But I hope you get my point.)
There are 2 brands of gluten free pasta that I like - tinkyada (tinkyada.com) and ancient harvest quinoa (http://www.quinoa.net/145/163.html). Ancient harvest sells primarily by the half pound which isn't so bad, if the price weren't so exorbitant. And tinkyada, they are all over the place. Some shapes are sold at 16 oz, some at 12 oz, and some at 14 oz. It's extremely annoying. It messed up more than a couple dinners.
Pasta should be sold by the pound. Period. Not 12 oz, not 14 oz, but 16 oz (453 g for any non-Americans)
I grew up in an Italian-American household - I'm third generation Italian-American - and we have eaten a lot of pasta. It always comes in 1 lb containers. (Yes, I know there are a couple of exceptions, aren't there always? But I hope you get my point.)
There are 2 brands of gluten free pasta that I like - tinkyada (tinkyada.com) and ancient harvest quinoa (http://www.quinoa.net/145/163.html). Ancient harvest sells primarily by the half pound which isn't so bad, if the price weren't so exorbitant. And tinkyada, they are all over the place. Some shapes are sold at 16 oz, some at 12 oz, and some at 14 oz. It's extremely annoying. It messed up more than a couple dinners.
Awesome Roast Chicken
This roast chicken is possibly the best I've ever had!
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
Three 3-pound chickens
Salt
9 large rosemary sprigs
9 garlic cloves, quartered
1 lemon, cut into 12 wedges
Preheat the oven to 450°. In a small bowl, combine the honey, lemon juice and soy sauce. Set the chickens on a large rimmed baking sheet and tuck the wing tips underneath. Season the cavities with salt and stuff each one with 3 rosemary sprigs, 3 quartered garlic cloves and 4 lemon wedges. Brush two-thirds of the honey glaze over the chickens and season lightly with salt. Roast in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325°. Rotate the chickens in the pan and brush with the remaining glaze. Roast the chickens for about 45 minutes longer, until the juices run clear when the thighs are pierced; turn the pan halfway through roasting. Transfer the chickens to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve the chickens and serve.
Note: don't use a pan that you care about or cover it well with tin foil because the chicken juices/glaze make a mess of the pan.
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
Three 3-pound chickens
Salt
9 large rosemary sprigs
9 garlic cloves, quartered
1 lemon, cut into 12 wedges
Preheat the oven to 450°. In a small bowl, combine the honey, lemon juice and soy sauce. Set the chickens on a large rimmed baking sheet and tuck the wing tips underneath. Season the cavities with salt and stuff each one with 3 rosemary sprigs, 3 quartered garlic cloves and 4 lemon wedges. Brush two-thirds of the honey glaze over the chickens and season lightly with salt. Roast in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325°. Rotate the chickens in the pan and brush with the remaining glaze. Roast the chickens for about 45 minutes longer, until the juices run clear when the thighs are pierced; turn the pan halfway through roasting. Transfer the chickens to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve the chickens and serve.
Note: don't use a pan that you care about or cover it well with tin foil because the chicken juices/glaze make a mess of the pan.
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| Getting ready for the oven - stuffed but no glaze |
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| Ready to cook |
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| Half way |
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| Done! |
Great Clam Chowda'!
This manhattan style clam chowder is pretty darn good.
For the juicy grilled tomatoes - I preheated an oven to 450 and put them on a rack in the top half of the oven for almost 25 minutes instead of using a grill. My oven is old so that time may be a little long for a good oven.
Juicy Grilled Tomatoes -
4 tomatoes (1 pound), quartered
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes (10 ounces)
1 pint small mixed heirloom tomatoes, halved if large
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Light a grill. Arrange four 12-by-24-inch sheets of heavy-duty foil on a work surface. Mound the tomatoes in the center of each sheet, drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Fold up the foil to create tight packets.
Set the packets on the grill and cover. Grill over moderately high heat for about 18 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to soften and burst. Using scissors, carefully cut open the foil packets.
Clam Chowder -
Juicy Grilled Tomatoes (see above)
8 pounds cherrystone clams
Two 8-ounce bottles clam juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch dice
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Scrape the tomatoes and their juices from the packs into a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
In a large pot, combine the clams and clam juice and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat until the clams open, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the clams to a large bowl. Remove the clams from their shells, coarsely chop the meat and reserve. Strain and reserve the clam broth. Rinse out the pot.
In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the reserved clam broth, potatoes, chicken broth, thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over moderately low heat until the potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pot, cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Stir in the chopped clams and season the chowder with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
For the juicy grilled tomatoes - I preheated an oven to 450 and put them on a rack in the top half of the oven for almost 25 minutes instead of using a grill. My oven is old so that time may be a little long for a good oven.
Juicy Grilled Tomatoes -
4 tomatoes (1 pound), quartered
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes (10 ounces)
1 pint small mixed heirloom tomatoes, halved if large
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Light a grill. Arrange four 12-by-24-inch sheets of heavy-duty foil on a work surface. Mound the tomatoes in the center of each sheet, drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Fold up the foil to create tight packets.
Set the packets on the grill and cover. Grill over moderately high heat for about 18 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to soften and burst. Using scissors, carefully cut open the foil packets.
Clam Chowder -
Juicy Grilled Tomatoes (see above)
8 pounds cherrystone clams
Two 8-ounce bottles clam juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch dice
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Scrape the tomatoes and their juices from the packs into a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
In a large pot, combine the clams and clam juice and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat until the clams open, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the clams to a large bowl. Remove the clams from their shells, coarsely chop the meat and reserve. Strain and reserve the clam broth. Rinse out the pot.
In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the reserved clam broth, potatoes, chicken broth, thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over moderately low heat until the potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pot, cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Stir in the chopped clams and season the chowder with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Stir Fry
2-3 heaping teaspoons thai green curry paste
ground pepper
salt
1-2 t tamari
1-2 t rice vinegar (garlic flavored optional)
4 T coconut oil
1 c rice
1 bunch asparagus spears cut into thirds
1 small red onion
1/4 small bulb fennel thinly sliced
1 small leek (green and white thinly sliced)
1 large handful sweet peas
1 medium yellow pepper sliced
4 baby bok choy heads halved or quartered
1 medium-large jalapeno thinly sliced in rounds
10-15 cherry tomatoes halved
5-6 large basil leaves thinly sliced
1 container extra-firm tofu (optional)
cook rice
if using tofu, cut into cubes/rectangles, coat with adobo chile sauce and cook in 2 T oil on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, turning once
the stir fry part takes about 11 minutes including heating the oil
heat 2 T coconut oil in a large pan on high heat
add asparagus, salt and pepper to taste
cook asparagus for 2-3 minutes
add 1-2 t tamari, cover and cook 1-2 minutes
add onion and fennel and thai curry paste, mix well
cook till onions start getting soft
add leek
cook 1-2 minutes till green parts of leek start to glisten
add rest of vegetables and rice vinegar, mix and cover
cook till bok choy leaves wilt
serve with sriracha hot sauce
ground pepper
salt
1-2 t tamari
1-2 t rice vinegar (garlic flavored optional)
4 T coconut oil
1 c rice
1 bunch asparagus spears cut into thirds
1 small red onion
1/4 small bulb fennel thinly sliced
1 small leek (green and white thinly sliced)
1 large handful sweet peas
1 medium yellow pepper sliced
4 baby bok choy heads halved or quartered
1 medium-large jalapeno thinly sliced in rounds
10-15 cherry tomatoes halved
5-6 large basil leaves thinly sliced
1 container extra-firm tofu (optional)
cook rice
if using tofu, cut into cubes/rectangles, coat with adobo chile sauce and cook in 2 T oil on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, turning once
the stir fry part takes about 11 minutes including heating the oil
heat 2 T coconut oil in a large pan on high heat
add asparagus, salt and pepper to taste
cook asparagus for 2-3 minutes
add 1-2 t tamari, cover and cook 1-2 minutes
add onion and fennel and thai curry paste, mix well
cook till onions start getting soft
add leek
cook 1-2 minutes till green parts of leek start to glisten
add rest of vegetables and rice vinegar, mix and cover
cook till bok choy leaves wilt
serve with sriracha hot sauce
Magnalite pans...
Are amazing! Unfortunately they are not sold anymore. I have an old set that my folks bought years ago that are still going strong. I have seen some on eBay - if you get a chance buy them!
On a side note: always set a timer when boiling plastic items to sterilize them because they melt. :[
That's some of the post melt carnage. But the pan will survive with a little patience.
And the pan has been reclaimed. It definitely took some work, but it was worth it. So I boiled a small amount of water in the pan for a just a minute and then scrubbed the dickens out of it. I did that 3 times. After that, I just worked on the pan, scraping out any residue that I could find with a sharp metal spatula. I worked on it for several days, for a few minutes at a time, when I was in the kitchen doing something else. Then finally, once I was satisfied that I had indeed scrapped out all the residue, I made rice in the pan. I did this under the theory that it would help soak up any remaining stuff just like when your phone gets water damage and you put it in rice over night. I did this once with an electronic device and it worked, so I thought why the heck not with the pan. After cooking the rice, and tossing it (I hate throwing out food), I gave the pan a good scrubbing with soap and water and ta da! Here it is. As you can see, it has none of the waxy, glossiness of when the plastic was melted. I even got out a stain that had been in the pan for years.
On a side note: always set a timer when boiling plastic items to sterilize them because they melt. :[
That's some of the post melt carnage. But the pan will survive with a little patience.
And the pan has been reclaimed. It definitely took some work, but it was worth it. So I boiled a small amount of water in the pan for a just a minute and then scrubbed the dickens out of it. I did that 3 times. After that, I just worked on the pan, scraping out any residue that I could find with a sharp metal spatula. I worked on it for several days, for a few minutes at a time, when I was in the kitchen doing something else. Then finally, once I was satisfied that I had indeed scrapped out all the residue, I made rice in the pan. I did this under the theory that it would help soak up any remaining stuff just like when your phone gets water damage and you put it in rice over night. I did this once with an electronic device and it worked, so I thought why the heck not with the pan. After cooking the rice, and tossing it (I hate throwing out food), I gave the pan a good scrubbing with soap and water and ta da! Here it is. As you can see, it has none of the waxy, glossiness of when the plastic was melted. I even got out a stain that had been in the pan for years.
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| All clean! |
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