There are days for lovingly simmering pasta sauce for hours. Then there are days like today, when we leave the house in the morning and don't return until 11 hours later, famished. This recipe is a tried-and-true lifesaver for a busy day. Quick, delicious, easy. I've been making it for years. Using bottled pasta sauce as the base saves mucho tiempo-- and the ingredients you add will make it taste as good as homemade.
Some of my ingredients: I LOVE that the wine is called French Maid!! (Hey, it was on sale!)
The great thing about this recipe is that it is very flexible and you can vary the ingredients depending on what you have on hand. No shrimp? Chicken works fine. So do those frozen meatballs. No peppers? No problem. Just leave 'em out. Want to use fresh herbs instead of dried? Go right ahead-- just wait to add them until the last minute or so of cooking. I've used linguine here, but you can use whatever kind of pasta you like. Also, we love things SPICY. If you don't, use a smaller amount of pepper flakes.
The shrimp version is a big favorite of DS's and we haven't had shrimp in quite a while. Since I got both the pasta and bottled pasta sauce FREE with coupons, I decided to splurge on the shrimp (on sale for half price). Actually, I got ALL the ingredients at a discount-- so I made this dish in poco tiempo for poco dinero! Unfortunately, this dish is kind of like me: not very photogenic! You'll just have to take my word for it that it's delicious. Everything just looks kind of.... orange... yes, that largish orange thing towards the bottom is a piece of eggplant.
Need a meal on the table pronto? Try
Hellzapoppin' Shrimp Linguine by DomesticMuse
1 lb. linguine or pasta of choice (I used whole wheat linguine) 2 T extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 t. red pepper flakes (more to taste) 1 onion, diced 1 sweet bell pepper, diced (I used red, you can use green, orange... or none.) 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 small eggplant, peeled and diced (see notes below) 3/4 c. wine (I used white to go with the shrimp) 1 t. dried oregano 2 t. dried basil 1/2 t. dried thyme (fresh would have been really nice here, but I didn't have any) 1 jar pasta sauce (whatever kind you like. I used Newman's Own Sockarooni) 1/2 pasta jar of water 1 t. sugar 1 T balsamic vinegar 2 T capers salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 1 lb. raw medium shrimp, peeled
Put a large pot of salted water on to boil while you are getting the sauce ingredients ready. Set a large heavy skillet over medium heat. When the onions are chopped, spray the skillet with nonstick spray and add the olive oil. Add the onions to the pan and saute until translucent. Add the peppers and saute for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and saute for about 1 minute (don't let it burn!). Add the eggplant and sprinkle with 1/2 t. salt. Saute for 3-4 minutes, until starting to get tender. Increase the heat to medium high and add the wine. Bring to a boil, and cook until wine is almost completely evaporated. Add the oregano, basil and thyme and stir for about a minute. Add the bottled pasta sauce. Fill the "empty" jar halfway with water, put the lid on tightly and shake to get all the remnants of sauce out of the jar. Add the water/sauce mixture to the pan, along with the sugar. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, until thickened.
Here's my sauce, starting to simmer
At this point, add your pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente (7-9 minutes, depending on what kind you're using). Drain the cooked pasta.
Taste the sauce at this point to check the seasoning. When I tasted my sauce, it Needed Something. So I added 1 T of balsamic vinegar and more red pepper flakes. That did the trick. (A bit of grated orange zest would have been nice too, but I didn't have any oranges.) Now add the capers and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Finally, reduce the heat to medium and add the shrimp. Stir until the shrimp is pink and cooked through, about 2 minutes. If you are using fresh herbs, add them now. When the shrimp is cooked through, add the pasta to the sauce and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Some chopped Italian parsley would have been a nice addition at this point, but I forgot to pick some up. By all means, feel free to add grated cheese if you like.
DS's bowl, up close & personal
NOTE: The basic components of this infinitely flexible sauce are 1)onion & garlic sauteed in olive oil, 2)protein & veggie(s) of choice, 3)wine or vodka, 4)Italian herbs (fresh or dried) of choice, 5)bottled pasta sauce of choice, 6)flavor booster of choice. Some components of the ingredients are only soluble in alcohol, so adding wine or vodka greatly enhances the flavor. NOTE: if you are using boneless chicken, ground beef, or Italian sausage, brown these items first and remove from the pan, then proceed with the recipe. If you add the meat after or with the onion, it will never really brown because there's too much moisture in the pan. Add the browned meat or chicken back to the pan when you add the bottled pasta sauce. Frozen meatballs and can be dumped in when you add the pasta sauce. NOTE: Many combinations of vegetables will work great here, depending on what you like. Peppers, mushrooms, eggplant, and zucchini in various combinations are all delicious. I have not had good luck with cruciferous veggies like broccoli or cauliflower, but you may. NOTE: some of the "flavor boosters" we enjoy are capers, drained, marinated artichoke hearts, green or black olives, fennel seed (add with the other herbs), grated orange zest, & balsamic vinegar. NOTE: it's really important to add only minimal amounts of salt as you go, because the sauce will get saltier as it thickens. A bit of salt draws the moisture out of eggplant and helps it cook better. Some ingredients, like capers or olives, are salty, too. You can always ADD more salt if the sauce needs it, but you can't take salt out! So wait until the sauce is pretty much done before adding salt to taste.
Today I tried out a new vegan cheese dish, "Unstuffed Shells" from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook. It simplifies the typical "stuffed" shells dish by simply tossing the pasta with the vegan ricotta cheese mixture, and then topping everything with a tomato sauce.
Not knowing how successful this attempt at cheesy shells would be, I decided to create a hearty salad to go along with them, sort of like an antipasto platter in a salad bowl. I had some wonderful Fra Mani salumi in the freezer, not enough to make more than 1 sandwich from, so this was a great way for everyone to enjoy the mortadella and salame rosa and not let them go to waste.
I have been wanting to make some homemade bread for the longest time, and this seemed like a great opportunity. If the shells turned out awful, we'd have salad and bread to fall back on! I chose the Modena Mountain Bread from Lynn Rosetto Kasper's marvelous The Splendid Table. It's very rustic, and includes potato and wheat berries in the dough.
First, the shells recipe. I used Pipe Rigate a sort of half-round pasta, instead of the shells. Owing to a "new" orthodontic device (Herbst appliance), DS is prone to choking. I was a little worried he might inhale a shell!
"Unstuffed Shells" from the Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook.
1 lb. firm regular tofu 1/3 to 1/2 c. vegan mayonnaise 2-3 T minced fresh parsley 2 t. dried basil 2 t. onion powder 1 t. garlic powder 1/2 t. salt 2 c. (1 16 oz. can) tomato sauce* see below 4 c. medium shell pasta
Break tofu into large chunks. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Drain well and mash fine. Combine tofu, mayonnaise, and seasonings in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside Heat the tomato sauce and keep warm. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain well and combine with reserved tofu mixture, tossing until evenly distributed. Divide among 4 dinner plates, and top each with some of the tomato sauce.
I made the following adjustments to this recipe: I used Hellmann's mayonnaise, to taste. About 1/3 c. After cooking and draining the tofu, I used the food processor to combine it with the other ingredients. Mashing fine didn't work for me, it left all kinds of icky lumps. Using the food processor yielded a texture more like ricotta cheese.
A note about seasonings: I dislike using onion and garlic powders, but concede it is sometimes necessary when a concentrated flavor is needed without adding the bulk or moisture of the real thing. Actually, fresh garlic probably would work fine here in place of the garlic powder. The powders taste "off" to me, and worse, tend to linger on the palate for several hours after dinner.
My ratings for the Tofu Ricotta Cheese: Color: 3 stars. It looked like ricotta with herbs mixed in. Texture:3 stars. It pretty much had the texture of ricotta cheese. Cheese Flavor: 1.5 stars: while it was reminiscent of cheese, a raw, beany flavor from the tofu still predominated when the cheese was cold. However, when warmed by the hot pasta ans sauce, this was much less pronounced, and the finished dish was fairly tasty. Taste: 2 stars: Good; but not by itself. In the dish, the flavor was not unpleasant, just a bit different. With pasta and tomato sauce, the beaniness was much reduced. If you like tofu, this probably won't be an issue for you. I wonder if cooking the tofu a little longer would help with the raw taste. Overall: 2 stars: Good. I would eat this again, but I would not serve it to guests. Actually, I will not serve it to DS again, as he just couldn't handle the vegan cheese. I will add, however, that he does not like dairy ricotta or lasagna. DC-O-Meter: "Tastes fine with the tomato sauce on it. I would eat it again."
I made my own quick tomato sauce by sauteeing half and onion and 2 cloves of garlic in a little olive oil and the dressing from a jar of marinated artichoke hearts. I added about half a jar of ready-made pasta sauce, 1/4 c. red wine, and the artichoke hearts and cooked until everything was heated through. This added a really delicious touch to the dish. With plain tomato sauce, I doubt this pasta would be palatable to most people. With my doctored-up jarred version, it was both quick to prepare and tasty. I really liked the pipe rigate in this dish, too. They are a bit smaller than shells, and less "hefty."
Antipasto Salad by DomesticMuse This is really more of an idea than a recipe. It's good for using up little odds and ends of things. Artichoke hearts would be delicious here, but since I had put them in the pasta sauce, I didn't add them. Here's what I put in the salad:
Romaine salad mix 3 slices Fra Mani salame rosa, julienned 3 slices Fra Mani mortadella, jullienned 9 cherry tomatoes, halved 1/4 roasted red pepper, chopped into large dice 1/2 pkg. button mushrooms, quartered, blanched and marinated 1/4 cauliflower head, broken into tiny florets, blanched and marinated
Divide ingredients among 3 salad bowls, adding as much or as little salad mix as you like.
For both the marinade and the dressing, I used an heirloom family recipe, my Aunt Edith's Italian Dressing. DS loves it, it's his absolute favorite. It's really more of a light vinaigrette than what most people would consider Italian dressing.
Aunt Edith's Italian Dressing
1 c. corn or other mild vegetable oil 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice 1/4 c. red wine vinegar 2 heaping t. Worcestershire sauce 2 cloves garlic, sliced fine 2 t. salt 4 t. sugar
Mix all ingredients except the corn oil in a blender or food processor. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow steady stream until it's incorporated and the dressing is emulsified.
The bread is one of my favorites, one that I haven't made for a long time. I always start it the night before, to give the sponge time to preferment. I usually prep the wheat berries and potato the night before as well, and zap gingerly in the microwave, stirring well to prevent hot spots, to bring it to room temp before adding to the dough.
Modena Mountain Bread from The Splendid Table
Sponge: 2 T. unbleached all-purpose flour 1 1/2 t. granulated yeast (I always cheat and just use the whole little packet) 1/4 c. warm (110F) water 2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour 1 c. warm water (110F) Dough: 5-6 oz. red skinned potato 1/2 c. (3 oz.) wheat berries 1 c. (4 oz.) whole wheat flour 2 1/4 t. salt 4 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour 1 T. flour (for sprinkling loaves)
Sponge: Make the sponge 16-22 hrs. before you plan to bake the bread. In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the 2T flour, the yeast, the 1/4 c. warm water. Let the mixture stand 5 minutes, or until the yeast is bubbly. Add the 2 c. flour and 1 c. warm water and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature for 12-18 hrs.
Dough: To prepare the potato, boil the unpeeled potato in water to cover 30 minutes, or until very tender. Drain, reserving 10 T of the cooking liquid. Cool and peel. Puree the potato with the reserved cooking liquid. Cook the wheat berries in fiercely boiling water to cover for 10 minutes, or until tender Drain and cool. Crush lightly in a food processor, blender, or mortar and pestle. Set the potato and wheat berries aside at room temp. If working ahead, cover and refrigerate, and bring to room temp before adding to the dough.
Combine the sponge, potato puree, wheat berries, whole wheat flour, salt, and 2 c. of the unbleached flour. Beat with the paddle attachment at medium speed for 2 minutes. Beat in another 1/2 c. of flour and switch to the dough hook. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a sticky dough. The dough will be soft but holding its shape around the dough hook while it cleans the bottom and sides of the bowl. If it puddles at the bottom, add a few T of flour. The dough should be very elastic, soft, and a little sticky. Knead about 10 minutes in the mixer. Lightly oil a large bowl. Add the dough, turn to coat with oil, and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside to rise at room temp 2-3 hrs., or until the dough is 21/2 to 3 times its original size. It will look blistered and soft. No harm will come to the bread if you let the dough sit as long as 8 hrs.
Lightly oil a cookie sheet with olive oil. Place a jelly roll pan on the floor of a gas oven or the lowest rack of an electric oven.
Punch down the dough and knead it about 5 minutes. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a ball, tucking the dough under itself until you have a taught sphere. Set the two pieces of dough on the oiled cookie sheet. Sprinkle the dough with the 1 T flour. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise at room temp 1 1/2 hrs., or until doubled.
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Make sure the rack is in the center of the oven. Place the cookie sheet with the two loaves on it in the oven. Pour 3 c. boiling water into the jelly roll pan, and close the door to capture the burst of steam. Bake 40 min. Turn the loaves over and bake another 10 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove the bread from the oven and place the loaves on a rack to cool. Allow to cool 1 1/2-2 hrs. before cutting.
I've already told you I'm not a huge fan of "substitute" or "imitation" foods. A food should taste good enough to be enjoyed for its own sake, not as just a pale imitation of something else. So when I saw the title of the book, this caseophile was extremely skeptical. As I have also said, I don't care HOW nutritious something is, if it doesn't taste good, I'm not eating it. The book is full of recipes with cutesy names like "Gee Whiz" (spread) and "Betta Feta," another thing which frankly, alarmed me. Stepaniak uses the term "uncheese" to refer to all of her homemade dairy-free cheese substitutes.
I have tasted several commercially available vegan "cheez" products and so far have not found one I consider fit for human consumption. However, as Stepaniak points out, when you make your own "uncheeses" you have control over the ingredients and since they do not need to have a long shelf-life, you can create much better-tasting and less expensive vegan "cheez" at home.
There is an extremely useful review on Amazon by Lisa Fowler that gives the real 411 on this book and convinced me it was worth a try. This review also gave me a realistic idea of what to expect from the recipes in the book.
Three ingredients that are frequently used in vegan cooking to impart a cheese-y flavor and/or texture to recipes are nutritional yeast, nut butters, and pureed beans. From my years of vegetarian cooking, I am familiar with nutritional yeast, and I happen to love it. It is the magic ingredient in two of my all-time favorite vegetarian dishes, Chicken-Fried Tofu with "Chicken" Gravy and a delicious Peanut Sauce that I serve over broccoli, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes, occasionally tossing in some Thai-flavored baked tofu for good measure. I have not made either of these dishes recently because DC has a thing about tofu. Nutritional yeast adds a wonderful savory, almost chicken-y flavor to foods. It is also reminiscent of parmesan cheese. Tofu, both firm and silken, is another often-used ingredients to mimic cheese.
Nutritional yeast is intended for use as a food, and should not be confused with the bitter and uber-disgusting Brewers' Yeast, a by-product of the brewski industry that is intended for use as a supplement (i.e, like a vitamin pill). Brewers' Yeast is supposed to be very good for you, but I have tried it and all I can say is: Be afraid. Be very afraid. And run the other way, fast.
Nutritional yeast comes in powder or flakes. Get the flakes-- they are better for cooking. I actually have never seen the powder, but you'll have to reduce the amounts in every recipe if you use the powder.
Here's my container of nutritional yeast, sometimes referred to as "nooch."
Lisa Fowler's review imparts this very useful information about the recipes in Stepaniak's book: "Recipes that are made up only of plain flour, nutritional yeast, and seasonings generally do not taste like cheese; they taste more like savory gravy. On a similar note, bean-based recipes are going to taste more like hummus than like cheese. That's not necessarily a bad thing if you're prepared for it, of course." Thank you, Lisa! While we may end up enjoying such recipes for what they are, we will not expect them to ring our cheese chimes.
Armed with Lisa's review, recommendations, tips and tricks, I decided my debut vegan cheese dish would be the "Cheez"-A-Roni. According to Lisa, "It's very rich and creamy, guaranteed to subdue any macaroni and cheese craving." Well, ok then! Checking over the recipe, I discovered it was first necessary to make an uncheese product for use in the dish: the Gee Whiz "cheez" spread. Well, Lisa had raved about that one, so I felt safe proceeding.
But just to be on the safe side, I picked up some salmon filets (0ne of DC's big favorites) to serve alongside the Roni in case it was disgusting. I mean, after a person has been deprived of cheese for several years, who knows? an old sneaker might taste like cheese to them, so a review can only take you so far.
A Note About Allergies: A nice thing about the book is that it includes info about what common allergens (like gluten and nuts) the recipes contain or don't contain in a handy little box on the lower left corner of each recipe page. You must read the ingredient list carefully, however. For example, with the recipe below, if you choose to use the tahini, then it's nut-free, but if you use the cashew butter, it contains nuts, but no tahini. Likewise for gluten-- youhave to make it gluten free by using gluten-free flours, pastas, and other substitutes. Nutritional yeast does not contain gluten. Here is what she says about gluten in the introduction: "Recipes that do not contain gluten or include gluten-free options will be marked gluten free in the box. Ingredients that commonly contain gluten (such as vanilla extract) will not be marked as such. You will need to use an appropriate gluten-free brand for these types of ingredients." Likewise for soy, tree nuts, and corn.Yeast-free recipes will be marked as such, but may contain fermented ingredients such as vinegar or miso. These ingredients are noted beneath the allergen-free box.
Stepaniak also includes nutritional data for each recipe.
First, I'll share the recipes. Then I'll give you my review (and I am a pretty harsh critic of "health food")
AND the results of the acid test: Did DC (health-food hater par excellence) think the Cheez-A-Roni tasted like cheese?
Gee Whiz Spread (Stepaniak's recipe)
Makes 2 c. Free of: gluten, soy, nuts, cornContains: sesame tahini
Before eating, be sure to refrigerate several hours. It may not be very palatable straight out of the food processor, so don't even taste it until it's had a chance to chill.
Ingredients: 2 c. drained cooked or 1 15-16 oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 c. roasted red peppers (seeded and peeled) 6-8 T nutritional yeastflakes *juice of 1/2 fresh lemon 2-3 T cashew butter or sesame tahini 1/2 t. prepared yellow mustard (the ball-park stuff) 1/2 t. salt 1/4 t. garlic powder 1/4 t. onion powder
Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until completely smooth and evenly colored (this may take several minutes). Stop processor and scrape down sides of bowl as necessary during processing. Chill thoroughly before serving. Keeps 5-7 days refrigerated.
Aged cheddar variation: add 1-2 t. light or chickpea miso (Lisa Fowler recommends this one).
Nutritional data per 1/4 c: 127 cal. 6 g protein 6 g fat 14 g carb 38 mg calcium 283 mg sodium
Cheez-A-Roni Makes 8 c. Free of : Gluten (if using gluten-free pasta), Soy, nut, cornContains: sesame tahini
1 recipe Gee Whiz spread 2 T. olive oil 2 large onions, finely chopped 1 t. crushed garlic 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained 2-3 T. nutritional yeast flakes Salt to taste 1/4-1/8 t. pepper Large pinch cayenne (optional) 12 oz. (3 c.) dry macaroni or other tube pasta, such as penne
Prepare Gee Whiz spread as directed and set aside. Heat oil in very large saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion and saute until tender, deep brown, and caramelized (adjust heat as necessary so onion doesn't burn)' Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add undrained tomatoes and stir. Then stir in the prepared Gee-Whiz spread, nutritional yeast flakes, salt, pepper, and cayenne and mix well. Simmer gently, stirring often, for about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well. Stir hot pasta into simmering sauce and combine gently but thoroughly.
Tip: As this dish cools, or if there are leftovers stored in the fridge, the pasta will absorb most of the moisture from the sauce. If you want to make the mixture more saucy, add a little tomato juice, plain nondairy milk, water, sherry, or 1-2 chopped fresh tomatoes when you reheat it.
Nutritional data, per serving: 334 cal. 16 g. protein 7 g. fat 55 g carb 99 mg calcium 311 mg sodium
DC's Plate: Up close and personal: I feel triumphant! DC ate every bit of his broccoli and said it tasted so good with the sauce on it, he would even eat it as a snack!
DomesticMuse's Reviews
Gee-Whiz Spread This was a snap to prepare! I just made the regular recipe, not the aged cheddar variation. I chose to use the cashew butter rather than the tahini, as Lisa Fowler's review said you can't go wrong with the combo of cashew + roasted red pepper. I also significantly reduced the amount of fresh lemon juice contained in the original recipe. **The amount given in the recipe above is what I used. Stepaniak calls for 3 T. of lemon juice, but Lisa's review said in her opinion, ALL the recipes contain way too much lemon, which can lead to taste failure. Also, since the flavors need time to blend in the fridge before eating, I prepared this several hours before I planned to make the Roni recipe. With some fear and trepidation, I tasted a tiny amount of the spread before adding it to the Roni, and I must say, it was pretty darn tasty. It would be delicious on crackers or pita bread or as a dip. Wonderful!
Below are my ratings in several categories for "cheesy-ness" and taste.
1 star: Bad. 2 stars: Good. 3 Stars: Fantastic! Color: 3 stars. It was certainly very orange and cheddary-colored from the red peppers. Attractive. Texture:3 stars. It was smooth, creamy, and appealing, like a dairy spread would be. Cheese Flavor: 3 stars: while there definitely was a bit of a hummus flavor from the beans, the overall impression was cheesy. Taste: 3 stars: Just plain delicious!! It was incredibly rich-tasting, and savory. I would certainly eat it by itself, with great enjoyment. Overall: 3 stars: Fantastic! A winner! I would bring this dish to a party with crackers and crudites. DC-O-Meter: He didn't get to taste the spread by itself.
Cheez-A-Roni: This would have been a very quick dish to prepare if it had not taken 25 minutes to caramelize the onions as instructed. It ended up taking close to 50 minutes to prepare. I used fusilli for the pasta, as it was on sale at WF for $1.29 per box. (Woo-Hoo!) I want to try this recipe without caramelizing the onions to see if that really adds enough flavor to the finished dish to justify the extra time and attention needed to caramelize.
I did not tell DC the pasta was dairy-free until after he had eaten it. We both thought it was terrific!! I served it with roasted salmon filets with Num-Num sauce and steamed broccoli with lemonaise sauce. It was a great combination of flavors!
The Cheez-A-Roni was fabulous, absolutely delicious. It was rich and creamy like real mac and cheese, but without the heaviness. I was pleasantly surprised by this.
Did it taste like Mac and Cheese? Yes and no. It was certainly evocative of "the real thing" in both taste and texture, but it has its own wonderful flavor, too. If I were craving Mac and Cheese, this would certainly do the trick. I loved it, since I nearly always serve my Mac and Cheese with with heated canned tomatoes on top of it, and that's very much what this dish tasted like.
I would not hesitate to serve this to company. It's certainly substantial enough to serve as a main course. For us, it (and real mac and cheese) works better as a side dish with a big hit of animal protein, both because of my blood sugar issues and DC's disdain of vegetarian cuisine. (He feels deprived without "meat" of some kind.) I also want to comment on the nutritional data for this dish. It's obviously much healthier than "the real thing," being lower in fat and rich with fiber and nutrients from the beans. However, Stepaniak just says the data is "per serving," without saying what a "serving" is. I assume the recipe is intended to yield 8 servings, since it makes 8 cups, making a serving 1 cup. But that is just my assumption. Bottom line: Fabulous! A total success. I am loving every bit of the leftovers.
Color: 3 stars. very appealing, a rich reddish-orange sauce. Much redder than real mac and cheese. Very pretty on the plate. Texture:3 stars. The sauce was rich, thick, and creamy without being heavy or greasy. No complaints. Cheese Flavor: 3 stars: Definitely cheesy. Taste: 3 stars: Heavenly!! Fabulous! All the flavor of real mac and cheese plus an extra hit of savory wonderfulness. I would not serve this just as a "substitute" for mac and cheese, but as a delicious dish in its own right. Overall: 3 stars: Fabulous! I would not hesitate to serve this to company, vegetarian or not. DC-O-Meter: Two thumbs up! Definitely tasted like cheese. He loved it.
So, our first foray into vegan cheese dishes was a total slam-dunk! Mrs. Jelly Belly, you must try this! We thought it was dee-licious. Maybe you could even fool Mr. Jelly Belly into thinking it was a pasta and dairy cheese dish. (I don't know though, he might object to the tomatoes.)
Yesterday, I actually did eat SOME dairy. I had some fresh mozzarella that needed to be used up so I had it for a snack, drizzled with some balsamic vinegar and evoo. DC was kind enough to have bought me a container of the little water-packed boconccini last week when I was craving fresh mozzarella-- and I am here to tell you I ate the whole thing all by myself! (Not all at once, of course.)
So today is really my first day that I am trying to go completely dairy free. For breakfast, I had a bowl of Vive whole-grain Probiotic cereal and blueberries with almond milk, and an egg. Generally I have Silk soymilk on my cereal, but my acupuncture doc recommended I switch to Almond Breeze instead. The Almond Breeze is not bad. I wouldn't drink it straight, but then I wouldn't drink Silk straight either, except for the chai flavor. I love the Chai flavor. The egg is something else the dr. suggested, to be sure to have some protein if I'm having cereal.
Trying to think of a quick and easy meal while I was at WF picking up some odds and ends, my eye fell on a can of clams and I realized it has been YEARS since I made pasta with red clam sauce, and I do love it. As does DS. I'm not sure DC has ever had it, but he recently tried some Tuscan-style mussels and greatly enjoyed them. Since traditionally, pasta with seafood is not eaten with cheese, this seemed like a great time to re-invent my red clam sauce recipe.
Here is my quick and simple recipe. Although linguine is typically used, I had some spaghetti so that's what I used. If you are in a roaring hurry and have NO TIME, you can skip everything, and just add some bottled pasta sauce to some sauteed onions and toss in your clams and your parsley, if you have some. Not as tasty as the version below, but it still beats take-out!
Pasta with Red Clam Sauce by DomesticMuse
1 lb. spaghetti, cooked al dente and kept warm 2-3 T extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 t. red pepper flakes (more to taste) 1 lg. onion, diced 6-7 cloves garlic, minced 1 T. Italian herb mix 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (I used one that had garlic, oregano, and basil added) 1 c. white wine 2 10 oz. cans clams, drained, with the juice of 1 can reserved Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 c. chopped fresh Italian parsley
1. Heat the evoo in a large skillet over medium heat, and add the red pepper flakes. 2. Meanwhile, force the large can of tomatoes through a food mill, and discard the solids. Reserve the strained tomatoes. 3. Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and saute until tender and fragrant, 5-6 minutes.
Don't you just love the way it smells when the onion and garlic hits the hot olive oil? 4. Add the herb mix, and stir to combine. Add 1/2 t. salt and some fresh ground black pepper. 5. Add the strained tomatoes, the small can of tomatoes, the white wine and the reserved clam juice to the onion mixture. 6. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, reduce to heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes. This just depends on how thick you like the sauce. I like mine just a little thinner than regular spaghetti sauce. If you get it too thick, you can dilute it with a little of the pasta cooking water. (I always save some in case I need it, which is easy since my pasta pot has an insert that you can just lift out of the water to drain the pasta and leave the pot of water on the stove.) 7. Once the sauce is thickened to your liking, add the clams and stir well to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. My sauce wasn't as spicy as I would like, so I added some more red pepper flakes at this point. 8. Add the parsley to the sauce. 9. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the drained pasta to the skillet, and toss to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, to thoroughly coat the pasta with the sauce.
Serve with warm, crusty bread and a green salad.
I forgot to take a picture of this plated-- I guess we were so hungry I didn't think about it! Everyone really enjoyed the pasta, and we had plenty of leftovers, enough for another meal for DC and me.
DS is headed off to chaperone the Raleigh Boy Choir's annual week-long choir camp up in Asheville. I'm gonna miss him! But I am so proud of him-- he got himself completely ready for camp, even using a checklist! When he was a chorister, he attended camp as a camper for at least 5 years, and I always dreaded getting him ready to go. I thought we were done with choir camp once he graduated from the choir, but he's been invited to chaperone this year and last, which he really enjoys. He's very good with the younger boys, and everyone always has a great time at camp. I guess this will be DS's 7th trip to see the Biltmore House, LOL-- that is always the big treat for the week. I grew up in Asheville and he's seen it more times than I have! Amazingly, the facility where the camp is held is directly adjacent to the elementary school I attended for 4th, 5th, and 6th grade. Back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth....
In the interest of EVER getting this post published, I am putting it up without the photos. I have a newer post I am working on and want to share that with you asap. At some point, I will probably add the photos, but we're going minimalist for now.
Thanks to all for your support, patience, cheerleading, and friendship!! You are the foodie friends anyone could ask for!
I hope you enjoy this no-frills post.
I was thrilled to get back into the kitchen last night and even created a new recipe, for Orecchiette with Sundried Tomato Alfredo Sauce. I was really pleased with a) how quick and easy it was and b) how well it turned out. I picked up some salmon burgers to try and needed something to serve along side them. Having cooked mostly vegetarian for a number of years, I'm used to "one-pot" kind of meals so often find having to dream up real side dishes a pain.
But this pasta is a good one, simple, quick and yummy!
My son loves pattypan squash and the price was really good on the locally grown ones at WF, so I also decided to try my hand at my mom's recipe for squash-- which I've had mixed results with over the years. But I think I finally figured it out! Hers is just a very simple, good old Southern veggie dish, which I thought you might enjoy. Both dishes went well with the salmon burgers.
Orecchiette with Sundried Tomato Alfredo Sauce
I'm calling this "alfredo" for lack of a better name, though I don't think it really is an alfredo sauce, but it has some of the same flavor and texture notes. I'm sure Reeni or any of you other fabulous Italian food geniuses could clue me in on what goes into a real alfredo! DC loves alfredo, so my goal was to produce something similar.
First, get your pasta cooking. I cooked about 1/2 lb. of the pasta, and we have at least 1 serving left over, so I would say this serves 4-5. Of course you can use any kind of pasta you want, but I chose the orecchiette so it would really sop up the sauce! To make my sauce, I used the following ingredients:
1 c. heavy cream 1/3 c. julienned sundried tomatoes (dry, not packed in oil) Pinch of salt Fresh ground pepper to taste 2 lg. cloves crushed garlic, or more, to taste 3/4 c. freshly grated parmigiano regggiano cheese
Put the cream, sundried tomato strips, pinch of salt (you don't want to add much at this point because you are going to reduce this sauce and it could quickly get too salty) and pepper in a small, heavy bottom sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Turn the heat down and simmer until reduced by about 1/3, sitrring occasionally. This took about 7-8 minutes. Add the crushed garlic, stir to combine, and turn off the heat.
Drain your hot cooked pasta and toss with 1 T unsalted butter and 1/4 c. chopped Italian parsley. Back at the saucepan, stir in the grated cheese and add more salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss thoroughly. That's all there is to it! It was a big hit-- DC and DS loved it!
Mom's Good Old-Fashioned Southern Squash My mom's recipe is actually for yellow squash, but I substituted the pattypan instead. For pattypan, Mom usually battered and and pan-fried it, but I have yet to try that-- but, oh, it was sooooo good that way. We didn't get to have it often, because you couldn't buy pattypans at the store back in those days-- we got ours from a neighbor with a garden. The recipe below is a more typical Southern preparation for yellow squash, but is just as delicious with the pattypans.
I bought about 4 pattypans, for the 3 of us, because squash always shrinks down when you cook it. Again, we had at least 2 servings of leftovers, so this would probably serve 4-6.
Wash the pattypans and cut off the stem and blossom ends. Dice into 1" pieces, and set aside. Heat 2-3 T olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, peel and halve 2 medium onions and slice thinly. I forgot and diced one of mine, but I think sliced onions make the finished dish sweeter and tastier. Add the onions to the hot skillet, and season generously with salt and pepper. The black pepper is one of the keys to the great flavor of this dish, so don't be shy. I think I used at least 1/2 -1 t. overall.
Cook the onions until they are getting pretty soft, but do not brown-- 8-9 minutes or so. Turn up the heat to medium high, and add the diced squash, along with more salt and pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and cover. Cook for 5-6 minutes and check for tenderness. It should be just about right, not too hard, not too mushy.
Now, here is the real secret to getting that old-fashioned flavor: stir in 1-2 T unsalted butter. You won't believe what a difference it makes! I learned this trick from my friend Nathan's delicious recipe for Calabacitas. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
It tasted juuuuust like Mom's squash used to, so I felt really triumphant!! I think I have at last cracked the secret to making her recipe.
I've been AWOL from DomesticMuse. I have missed blogland-- reading the blogs that always brighten my day and posting to my own. Things around here have been, well, CRAZY. And look to stay that way for a while-- as I will be traveling for business this week AND next week. This week I'm going to Atlanta (work HQ) for the nostalgic occasion of the very last SOLINET Annual Membership Meeting. It's the last because on April 1 we merged with PALINET, another library consortium, to become Lyrasis. So SOLINET, the Southeastern Library Information Network, no longer actually exists. But our membership meeting has been scheduled for a year now, so SAMM09 it is. It should be a blast-- I really love getting to know our members. And I'll be getting to know my new colleagues as well. But it sure does make things so hectic at home!!
I'll be gone Wed.-Fri., back late Friday evening. And next week, I travel to the Johnson County Public Library (near Indianapolis) to begin working with staff there on redesigning some processes.
When I'm busy and stressed, cooking is very soothing, even though I don't have a lot of time. So I compromise by falling back on old (and new!) favorites--- that are easy to prepare and delicious and comforting to eat. That way, we don't have to be on what Kendra over at Homegrown Housewife so aptly calls the "all-fatty, all-nasty" chain restaurant diet. (Hers was the "all-fatty, all-nasty lunchables and peanut butter diet" that her poor family has been on due to illness.)
Here are my 5 EASY DISHES for when life is moving a little too fast:
Reeni's Spaghetti and Meatballs
Match-Made_in-Heaven Broccoli & Bacon Salad
Vanilla Malted Milk Ice Cream
Cherry-Almond Shortbread Crumble
Butterscotch Finger Cakes
Several of these tried-and-true gems are from the cherished blogs of pan-pals. (Thanks, ladies! What did I DO before I met you?)
I. At the top of my list isReeni's Spaghetti and Meatballs, from Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice. OMG, it is the stuff of the gods. I had to positively beat the guys away from the kitchen while it was cooking. They kept wandering over to say how good it smelled and ask when we would eat (in the middle of the afternoon!!). I call it "easy" because you can fix it and then let it simmer while you go about your very busy business.
I'm telling you, Reeni is an absolute genius. When we were growing up, my mother NEVER!!!! made meatballs. Never. Seriously. She told me it was because in our family "we" didn't like them. Having made them a few times myself over the years, I am now pretty sure that what "we" didn't like was not the meatballs, but the mess meatballs make in the kitchen. Reeni has solved that problem ingeniously by baking the meatballs. What an awesome idea! No muss, no fuss, and buh-bye, grease! Reeni's meatballs are fantastic! Spicy, flavorful, tender, juicy. Pretty much meatball heaven. You can find Reeni's recipe here.
First, soak some bread cubes in milk. Reeni says to take off the crust, but I cheated and didn't.
Then you combine all your meatball ingredients in a bowl, and form into golf-ball sized balls. (This is easier if with wet hands.) One thing I did was to add about 1 c. of water to make the meatballs fluffy and tender. Aren't they beautiful? They are about to go into the oven here. (Well, OK, some of them ARE litte conehead meatballs, but what's not to love?) AND coming OUT of the oven! Easy!!
While the meatballs are baking, you can make the sauce. First, saute the onion, garlic and peppers in olive oil. Then add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Add the meatballs and let it all simmer, Reeni says at least 35-45 minutes, but the longer the better. You should stir from time to time, but be careful, it does spatter! You can see it has just bubbled here.
I've added my meatballs to the sauce here.
Since my afternoon was going to be really busy, I started the sauce at about 2 and let it simmer several hours until dinner, while I dashed about doing stuff. Since there would be several hours for the flavors to blend, I added my own personal favorite "secret" ingredient for any Italian soup or sauce: some parmesan rind. When the cheese is too thin to grate anymore, I save the rinds, which are still 100% cheese, just for this purpose. (I keep 'em in the freezer, wrapped in waxed paper and inside a ziptop bag.) It's easy to see the distinctive little dots on the cheese rind that tell you it's real Italian Parmigiano Reggiano. It gives a wonderful, wonderful flavor to anything it simmers in! Depending on how long you simmer it, it will either stay mostly in one piece or just meld into the sauce/soup. If it is still in one piece at serving time, you can remove it and dice it up in little bitty pieces and then return to the sauce so everyone can enjoy it. (Or just save it for a special treat for you, warm with some crusty bread!)
Serve the meatballs and sauce over real spaghetti with more real parmigiano. It doesn't get much better than this!
II. Broccoli Salad This broccoli salad is perfect for rounding out a simple meal. It is colorful and super delicious. Even DC, never a big broccoli fan, loves this salad. It's so much tastier and fun than plain old steamed broccoli. I love steamed broccoli, but it's nice to get out of that rut sometimes. And the fact that it's a salad is particularly nice at this time of year when the weather is getting warmer. We had this for dinner on Saturday along with Kat and Matt's delicious Peanut Turkey Burgers and my beloved oven-baked sweet potato steak fries, both of which I blogged about here. The broccoli salad is nice for a potluck, too and very often is one of the first dishes to be emptied, I've noticed. It is a Shirley Corriher recipe which I have modifed a bit to suit my taste.
Mrs. Jellybelly, this is for you!! OK, let's be honest, is not everything in the world just better when you add THIS?? Yes, indeedy, here we have 8 crispy slices of WF's finest applewood smoked bacon, and one of the secrets to this salad's success. The other is the sweet-tart dressing, which I simply adore. I must caution you, however, from eating too much of salad at once, as it CAN be toot-producing.
Match-Made-in-Heaven Broccoli and Bacon Salad serves 6-8
Ingredients: 3-4 c. broccoli florets, with about 1/2 in. of stem attached (save the remaining stems for another use) 8 slices bacon (your favorite kind) 1/3 c. dried currants OR raisins of choice (I was out of currants so I used golden raisins) 1 sweet white onion, peeled, halved lengthwise (through the north and south pole), thinly sliced cross-wise and separated into "rings" 1/2 c. mayonnaise (preferrably Hellmann's or homemade) 1/3 c. sugar 3 T. apple cider vinegar salt and pepper to taste
First, get your bacon started. I like to bake mine-- first, you don't have to mess with it much, except to turn it once; and second, it cooks up flat and pretty and browns evenly. I put mine on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake in a PREHEATED 400F for 10 minutes, then turn and put it back in the oven. Check for doneness at 7 min. I like mine extra-crisp, so I often put it back in for a couple of minutes. Be careful not to leave it too long, because it can burn slap up on you faster than you would think. The kitchen timer is most definitely our friend here. When the bacon is browned to my taste, I let it drain on paper towels. The reason I say make sure the oven is already preheated is that I found, tragically, that stuff burns if you put it in the oven while it's preheating. (I could get away with this on my old stove.)
While the bacon is cooking, prep your broccoli. OK, let me just say it-- we are going to COOK the broccoli. I just can't handle raw broccoli, either taste-wise or otherwise. I think the reason many people do not care for broccoli is that it is either chronically undercooked, unchewable, and cabbagy-tasting, or over-cooked and bitter, or undersalted and bland.
My broccoli-wrangling method, developed over years of rigorous testing, is simple and fool-proof. Fill a 4-qt. saucepan 3/4 full of water, and add 1-2 t. salt. (Worry not, we will drain off the cooking water, and the salt will bring out the best of the broccoli.) Bring the water to a boil over hight heat. Add your broccoli florets and cook for EXACTLY 4 minutes from the time you drop them in the water. Meanwhile, prepare an ice-water bath by filling a large heat-proof bowl with half ice and half water, and set on the counter. Set a colander or mesh strainer in the sink. When the broccoli is done, dump hot broccoli into the strainer in the sink (sayonara, cooking water!) and then plunk the whole thing, strainer and all, into the ice bath to stop the broccoli from cooking any further. It should be perfect-- tender, flavorful, and digestible, but not overdone. When it's completely cool, remove the broccoli from the ice bath and drain.
I also have a trick for making raw onions more enjoyable. Slice them up, then soak in water and ice for 20 minutes. Remove and drain well on paper towels. The ice water takes the edge off the raw onion flavor, and makes them incredibly crisp and juicy. I made the mistake of mentioning to confirmed onion-hater DS that I had added a sweet vidalia onion to the salad, and his response was "Onions??? I thought those were cucumbers!" whereupon he stopped eating them and began picking all of the onion slices out of his salad. GRRRRRRR!!!! Teenage boys!
In your serving bowl, combine the mayo and the sugar. Whisk well. Then add the cider vinegar, whisking well to get rid of any lumps. When you are ready to serve the salad, add the broccoli, currants or raisins, onions, and toss thorougly with the dressing. Crumble the bacon and sprinkle on top.
NOTE: if you are not planning to eat all of this at one time, use and combine only as much dressing and other ingredients as you will eat at one sitting. Package all the leftover components separately, and combine them just before you plan to eat them. Otherwise, your broccoli will turn a very unattractive shade of gray-green and your bacon and raisins will get soggy. Ewwwwww! Not pleasant.
III. VANILLA MALTED MILK ICE CREAM (makes about 1 qt.)
I have shamelessly adapted this recipe slightly from Kat's heavenly-delicious Red Velvet Gelato Sandwiches. If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, I might well choose the sandwiches!! This ice cream has an amazing flavor-- rich and toasty, and sooooooooo much better than plain vanilla ice cream. It's fabulous all by itself, but is also a perfect foil for all kinds of baked goodies. I oomphed up the flavor with some vanilla powder (I love that stuff!) and extra malted milk powder. You must have an ice cream maker to prepare this, but it could hardly be simpler.
In a 4 c. glass measure, combine 2 c. whole milk and 1 c. heavy cream. Heat in the microwave until warm, about 2 minutes. Add 3/4 c. sugar, 3/4 c. malted milk powder, and 2 t. vanilla powder (or vanilla extract). Stir until ingredients are dissolved. Pour into a stainless steel bowl and immerse the bowl in an ice water bath. Whisk until mixture is cold. Pour into your ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions. That's all there is to it! Store in an airtight container in the freezer.
IV. Cherry-Almond Shortbread Crumble
Looking for something to go with that ice cream?? This is the perfect accompaniment. DC is so totally a fruit pie man. I am so totally a cake and custard and chocolate nut. Can this happy home be saved?? Yes!!! Fruit dessert + creamy delicious accompaniment=relationship heaven. OK, just so you know, I am SO totally cheating here. I took Donna'sEasiest Fruit Tart EVER recipe from My Tasty Treasures, made a few small changes, and gave it a new name. I admit I am positively unAmerican (or at least, as unAmerican as an American Indian can be), but I have never really cared for cherry (any fruit, really) pie. Don't like pie crust in general, and am not so crazy about uh, glueyness of pie filling. However, this "tart" crust tastes just like shortbread cookies to me, and it has made me a fruit tart fan. Plus, it's so easy, even I can't mess up the crust!
Preheat your oven to 350F. Now, for the secret ingredient: process 1/2 c. slivered almonds (toasted if you like) in the food processor until they are the consistency of coarse crumbs. Next, combine 3 c. of flour and 1/2 c. of sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add 2 sticks of butter, melted, and mix until dough is crumbly, but holds together when squeezed. Pat 1/2 of the shortbread mixture into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a springform pan. (I need some new pans. The non-stick coating is starting to come off.)
Cover the bottom crust with the ground almonds, spreading them evenly. Now, open a can of cherry pie filling and pour a little into the pan on top of the almonds. Add 1 t. pure almond extract to the can and stir well. Then pour the rest of the filling into the crust, leaving about 1/4 "of crust around the sides. Now crumble the rest of the shortbread dough over the top of the cherries and almonds. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until golden. EASY!!!YUMMY!!!! Serve warm with malted milk ice cream. It's like a trip to the soda fountain, but better!
Papa Bear plate
Baby Bear plate
Mama Bear plate
V. Butterscotch Finger Cakes
These incredibly scrumptious little treats are from Bunny's Warm Oven. They are just fabulous, they literally melt in your mouth. Bunny's turned out much prettier than mine, but they are very simple to make and fantastic to have on hand for afterschool snacks or to enjoy with afternoon tea! DS adores them. The original recipe is from King Arthur Flour (my favorite!!!), who created them in memory of the long-departed and apparently deeply missed "Tasty Kake Butterscotch Krimpet." I never had the pleasure of tasting a Krimpet, but I cannot imagine it could be any more delicious than these wonderful finger cakes. Here is the recipe.
Bunny, you are a woman after my own heart!!
Well, these are 5 of my faves for when the going gets tough. I hope to be back soon with more exciting and original recipes, but lately, it's been back to basics at our house.
Hope everyone enjoyed Mother's Day yesterday! DS actually made breakfast in bed for DC and me. I was so proud of him! He is a real sweetie pie.
A true Gemini, I am the product of 2 cultures: the American South (on my mom's side) and the Anishinaabe nation. I'm a librarian, a CEO, and a mom to a teenager and a greyhound. Passions include cooking, fitness, wild rice, chocolate, fine cuisine, bbq (NC-style, of course) and hot buttered biscuits.
