I Can Cook That | Food and Beverage Recipes

Gemelli with Yellow Squash Zucchini and Basil

One of my favorite parts of the CSA share is having a plethora of zucchini and summer squash at my disposal. I love these ingredients with a simple pasta, so I was happy to come across a Martha Stewart recipe fthat incorporated these ingredients. I thought I still had some snap peas left over and was going to throw those in, but I unfortunately was all out. Plus, I didn’t have any frozen peas in my freezer. If you have those, be sure to include them. I threw in a zucchini also because I had one on hand.

Ingredients:

Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 ounces gemelli or other short pasta
3 medium yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
Torn fresh basil leaves, as garnish

Cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water. Cook 2 minutes less than required for al dente (my pasta had to cook for 6 minutes).

While waiting for the pasta to cook, slice your squash and zucchini.

Add the squash and zucchini to the pasta and water, and cook for 2 minutes.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot.

Add the butter, lemon juice, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 1/2 cup pasta water. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Spoon into individual bowls and top with basil and sprinkle with Parmesan.

At first bite, I thought this might be missing something. But all it really needed was another seasoning of pepper and an extra squeeze of lemon. After that, it was quite yummy.

To really up the flavor, a few red pepper flakes would go a long way.

The flavor of this was nice and fresh. It was a solid vegetarian dish, but I think it works best as a base. I feel like you could really turn this into something special with some additional flavors included.

What would you do to customize this dish?

Yum

Gemelli with Yellow Squash, Zucchini, and Basil

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 ounces gemelli or other short pasta
3 medium yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
Torn fresh basil leaves, as garnish

Instructions

Cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water. Cook 2 minutes less than required for al dente (my pasta had to cook for 6 minutes).
While waiting for the pasta to cook, slice your squash and zucchini.
Add the squash and zucchini to the pasta and water, and cook for 2 minutes.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot.
Add the butter, lemon juice, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 1/2 cup pasta water. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
Spoon into individual bowls and top with basil and sprinkle with Parmesan.

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Peanut Butter Cookie Dough-Filled Crepes with Bananas

Food is just as much about the joy of the process as it is about enjoying eating the dish. So when I was sent The Cookie Dough Lovers Cookbook, I was excited to be more whimsical than I usually am when cooking. The cookbook is filled with recipes that incorporate an egg-less cookie dough, which means it is safe to eat it raw. Recipes range from breakfast foods to desserts. The photos are stunning as well, I had a tough time choosing a recipe! What I really love about this cookbook, though, is that it allows your creativity to wander. The recipes listed are probably fantastic as is, but can also work as a base for whatever you want to change. The cookbook is also filled with really helpful tips to successfully complete the recipes inside.

I was also asked if I wanted to take part in the Cookie Dough-lympics. Now who in their cookie dough loving mind is going to turn down a chance to be in the Cookie Dough-lympics? The competition is a month long, where me and other food bloggers have adapted recipes within this lovely cookbook. I’m the last (and hopefully not the least) blogger to participate so I hope you’ve had a chance to check out all of the other bloggers creative posts. If not, I have links to their blogs listed below.

I decided to make the Cookie Dough-Filled Crepes. I must have had some inspiration from Elvis because I decided to use a peanut butter cookie dough instead of a traditional chocolate chip. I also added some nutella to really make it delicious. I topped the crepes with sauteed bananas to complete my decadent breakfast.

Ingredients:

For crepes:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
2 eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooked to room temperature, plus more for cooking
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For cookie dough:

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk or cream
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
Nutella, to taste

For bananas:

1 ripe, but still firm, banana
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ratatouille

With the influx of vegetables in my life from my CSA, I am swimming in quite a large amount of highly perishable produce. So to preserve (and use) a bunch of my CSA veggies, I decided to try my first hand at Ratatouille. I looked at a bunch of recipes online and they can get really quite complex! There are some that cook each vegetable separately to bring out the flavor of each, some that layer the ingredients into a beautiful casserole. Well, I’m making this on a weeknight after work. So this is one of the easier versions, a one pot wonder if you will. One day, I will make the other version, but tonight, I just want a delicious meal that I can freeze for later.

So what is ratatouille, besides a really cute kids movie? It’s basically a stewed vegetable dish, usually served with bread, or maybe egg noodles or polenta (something to sop up all the deliciousness). There are many different recipes for the dish, but most include eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and onions. The spices can range from thyme or marjoram to herbes de Provence.

I found this recipe on MarthaStewart.com and kind of messed with the ratio of ingredients, so be sure to check out the original recipe to see if that is more to your liking.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil (or enough to cover the bottom of your pot)
1 medium onion, chopped (I used a sweet onion)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 small eggplants, cubed
2 large zucchini, cubed
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
2 yellow or bell peppers, ribs and seeds removed, cubed (use any color pepper you want)

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
Chopped fresh basil, for garnish

To make, add the olive oil to a Dutch oven or other large pot that has a lid. Heat over medium heat. While waiting to heat, chop your onions, garlic, eggplant, and zucchini.

I want to take a minute to discuss a method of cutting eggplant. I googled this just as I was about to make the recipe so it was new to me too and it worked quite well. I found the method on recipetips.com.

To cut the zucchini, remove the skin using a knife by cutting the zucchini into a square shape (or close to a square.)

Slice the zucchini into smaller square disks.

Stack a few of them, and cut into fours to make smaller squares. This doesn’t have to be uniform, you just want them to be the same general shape so they cook evenly.

Add the onions to the pot and stir occasionally. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the eggplant and zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Add 3/4 cup of water, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring once half way through. While waiting for the 5 minutes to pass, chop your peppers.

Add the peppers to the pot and simmer, covered, for another 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and thyme and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. The recipe said to stir often. I didn’t. I got distracted and walked away. Oh well.

Remove from heat and serve. Top with a few slices of basil.

If freezing, leave the basil out and freeze.

For being vegetarian, doesn’t this look fabulously hearty?

I paired mine with day old bread which was a perfect amount of crispiness to go with the veggies. It may not be terribly pretty, but it was comforting and really flavorful.

I ate one serving and froze the rest for nights when I don’t have time to cook. I’m glad I did or I’d still be sitting here eating it!

TIP #1 for T-fal’s Healthy Summer Challenge, Eat More Vegetables

Today is my first of five different blog posts over the summer with a resolution on how to eat healthier. T-fal is hosting a 2012 Healthy Summer Challenge where I and five other bloggers will work towards a healthier lifestyle through some changes in our diet, exercise, etc. I will, of course, share my food resolutions rather than my exercise ones because, well, I’m a food blogger! 🙂 My first resolution of the summer is to eat more vegetables.

I find one of the easiest ways to do this is to find vegetables you actually like. No one is forcing you to eat broccoli if you don’t like it. Why not try that baby bok choy you’ve seen in the supermarket, or maybe throw a few slivers of radishes in your next salad instead of cheese? The change also doesn’t have to be extreme. Try to incorporate 1-3 more vegetables into your diet per week and go from there.My veggie intake is also being aided by joining a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture (I use Red Earth Farm). I did a CSA last year as well, but this year, I get to choose what vegetables are in my share! The CSA has just begun so I plan on trying out as many new vegetables as I can to expand my veggie horizons.

From last year’s share, I already know kale and I are not friends. Swiss chard is another toughie for me. But, I found out I really enjoy radishes. And zucchini. And a ton of other yummy veggies. So I can’t wait to see what comes my way this year! My first post uses one of my favorite vegetables: sugar snap peas. Even if you aren’t a normal pea fan, try these little guys out. I enjoy them more for the texture than for the taste honestly, the crunch is just so wonderful.

This recipe is a wonderful option for those that aren’t the biggest fan of vegetables and don’t want to just eat steamed veggies. The peas are mixed in with couscous and a vinaigrette that adds a ton of flavor.

Ingredients:

1 cup couscous
1 cup water
8 cups water
6 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed
The zest and juice of 1 lemon (grab a larger lemon if you can)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar (I used Stevia just because that’s what I had)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic scapes
1 tablespoon minced dill
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Begin by cooking your couscous. Add 1 cup of water to a small pot and bring to a boil. Add the couscous, mix, cover, and remove from heat. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.

While waiting for the couscous to absorb the water, bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the peas and cook for 30 seconds. Drain and add to an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, sugar, salt, pepper, and scapes in a bowl. (Garlic scapes are the green part that grows out of the earth while the bulb is growing in the ground. They have a subtle garlic taste which is really appealing. They can usually be found in the spring and early summer. You can substitute in 2 minced garlic cloves if you don’t have scapes. They were in my CSA share this week too!)

Stir with a whisk.

Add the peas and toss to coat.

Combine the peas with the couscous and 1 tablespoon minced dill.

Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.

I ate this with a simple grilled salmon and it was just perfect. The dressing with the peas helps bring out their fresh taste and the couscous is a wonderful complement. I actually saved some of this for lunch the next day and it was great then too!

Cherry Pie and Review of Taste of Home Cooking School Cookbook

I was recently sent the Taste of Home Cooking School Cookbook to review. Paging through the cookbook, I really loved the number of how-to’s included in the book. Everything from how to cook an omelette to what kitchen utensils every beginner cook needs. The recipes are really simple with beautiful photos to help you throughout; it’s basically a better version of my blog! 🙂

The cookbook isn’t just for beginners though, there are plenty of recipes that are helpful for any level of at-home cook. There is a recipe for gnocchi I can’t wait to try! (I attempted to make gnocchi once before, but they didn’t end up being happy little pillows of deliciousness; they were pretty dense. Sigh)

I decided to try to make their cherry pie. I have only made pie crust once before so I was excited to try again. Plus, I recently bought a Babycakes Pie Maker and had yet to try it out. The recipe for the cherry pie was followed by a how-to for making a lattice pie top so I wanted to try that out as well.

Ingredients:

Filling:
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 cup cranberry juice
4 cups frozen pitted tart cherries, thawed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pie crust:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
7 tablespoons cold water

Note: I will give the directions as if I was making a large pie and will add commentary where the mini pie maker has different instructions. (I’m guessing most people don’t have a mini pie maker lying around!)

To make the filling, combine the sugar and cornstarch in a large saute pan.

Stir in the cranberry juice until smooth.

“Smooth” might be more appropriate

Bring to a boil, stirring for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Remove from heat and add the cherries, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.

To make the crust, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening until crumbly.

Gradually add the cold water. Start with 5 tablespoons and add 1 or 2 tablespoons more if needed. Toss with a fork until a ball forms.

Divide the dough in half with one ball slightly larger than the other. (You don’t have to do this if making mini pies.)

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger ball to fit in a 9-inch pie plate. When ready to transfer to the pie plate, loosely roll the dough around your roller and unroll into the pie plate. Trim dough 1 inch beyond the edge of the plate. (The mini pie maker comes with a cutter so I used that to get the correct shape. I then used another tool that comes with the product to push the dough into the mini pie plate.)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Add the filling. (For mini pies, this is about 2-4 tablespoons of the filling per pie)

The book also goes through how to make a lattice-topped pie! Roll out the remaining pastry dough into a 12-inch circle. (I just used the cutter provided with my mini pie baker). With a pastry wheel (? No idea what a pastry wheel is. Feel free to use a pizza cutter or a knife), cut the dough into 1/2 inch to 1 inch wide strips.

Take half the strips (I just went every other that was cut) and lay them across the pie in with 1/2 inch to 3/4 inches between them.

Fold back every other strip.

Take one strip of dough and lay it perpendicular to the strips already on the pie. Unfold the folded strips over the perpendicular strip and fold back the strips that are running underneath that strip.

Lay down a second strip and continue the process until the lattice top is finished.

Trim the strips to fit in the pie and fold bottom pastry up over the edges of the strips and seal. (I couldn’t do this for mine, but I bet they would have looked much nicer!)

Bake at 425 F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for 45-50 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack. (I baked mine for 15 minutes and cooled on a wire rack).

I was quite happy with how these turned out. I think they needed a bit more sugar, but I think I used the wrong type of frozen cherries (mine were no sugar added). I also think a little lemon zest would really up the flavor of these quite nicely.

I also made a normal topped pie

I’m so excited about the lattice top! I obviously added a bit too much filling because it spilled over, but when I make a real pie, I now know how to do the lattice on top, yay!

To sweeten it up, I just topped the mini pies with ice cream. That solved the problem!

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

I am in love with all things warm-weather related, but one of my favorite parts of summer is the outdoor eating (surprise surprise). I used to work at a camp on the Chesapeake in Maryland and would spend one day a year stuffing myself with steamed Old Bay crabs. I now have friends who live in the general area and was thrilled when they decided to have a crab feast this past weekend. I, of course, wanted to bring something to eat with me and really had a hard time deciding what was appropriate: I needed a complimentary food that didn’t involve a fork and knife (when you’re covered in Old Bay, the last thing you’re reaching for is a fork). I finally realized the perfect accompaniment: cornbread!

This Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread is one awesome recipe, just be sure to limit your intake of these delicious squares, they are pretty darn decadent!

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups whole milk
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
1/3 cup chopped scallions, green parts, plus extra for garnish
3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

Knotty Daughters Apron Giveaway

I am a messy (and clumsy) cook. Because I usually start cooking as soon as I come home, I rely on aprons to keep my work clothes from being completely ruined by my latest culinary creation. One can never have too many aprons, so I’m happy to say that the lovely makers of Knotty Daughters Aprons contacted me about giving away one of their aprons to one of my readers!

Knotty Daughters design and sell cute and functional aprons. They have plenty of styles and are made with extra long lies so you can knot them in the front or the back, depending on your preference. The best part: The aprons are made of kitchen towels so they can stand up to your best kitchen messes! They are also machine washable. As they say on their site, these are “knot your mom’s apron” hehe.

Maya Apron- Front

Maya Apron- Back

Be sure to check our their selection of aprons here.

The ladies at Knotty Daughters will be giving away an apron of the winner’s choice! To enter, just use the widget below. The giveaway will be open for one week. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Vichyssoise (Cold Leek & Potato Soup)

I figured it was about time I posted another Julia Child recipe. I have to admit, the past two weeks recipes intimidated me quite a bit, so I didn’t even make them. Although I have to say, Coq au Vin is not even close to being a weeknight friendly meal. Vichyssoise, or cold leek and potato soup, is more my speed. I’m pretty “skilled” at throwing things into a pot and letting time do the work. This isn’t a meal you can make and eat within one night, unless you have the luxury of beginning your meal much earlier in the day. I cooked this one night, chilled it overnight, and served it for dinner the next night. The original recipe is quite simple. I added crumbled bacon on top because, well, what isn’t better with bacon?

Ingredients: (I didn’t want a ton of soup sitting around so I scaled the recipe down. This makes about 2 hearty bowls)

4 cups of chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian)
2 cups of sliced leeks, white part only
2 cups of peeled and chopped potatoes
3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 piece of cooked bacon, crumbled
Chives, for garnish

Continue reading Vichyssoise (Cold Leek & Potato Soup)

Egg BLT with Avocado

When I came across this recipe, my first thought was “why don’t people make Egg BLTs more often”? Why is this not a common brunch menu choice? Egg sounds like a logical upgrade to a traditional BLT. The addition of avocado to this just takes it over the top. I found this recipe on myrecipes.com and switched it around a bit, but the general idea is the same.

Ingredients (makes two servings):

1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes

1/2 avocado, diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, divided
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
2 pieces of ciabatta bread (or 2 ciabatta rolls)
1 cup firmly packed arugula
4 thick bacon slices, cooked

I bought one of those “bake at home” ciabatta breads that you pop in the oven for about 10 minutes. I thought some “freshly baked” bread would be nice with this dish. You can use whatever bread you happen to find if ciabatta is not available.

Cook the bacon according to package directions. Transfer to a paper towel to drain excess fat.

Combine the tomatoes, avocado, basil, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Cook eggs over easy (or whatever style you prefer). To cook them over easy, heat a saute pan over low heat and spray with cooking spray. Crack one egg into the pan. Season with salt and pepper if desired (I honestly don’t think you need it ) and cook until the whites become opaque. To make sure the yolk cooks slightly, I add a top to the saute pan. Repeat with the second egg.

Now it’s all assembly. Spread 1 teaspoon mayonnaise on a slice of bread.

Add 1/2 cup arugula.

2 bacon slices (I tore them in half to fit nicely)

and the egg.

Top with the tomato avocado mixture.

This is the fanciest BLT I’ve ever seen.

It was fantastic too. I kept saying over and over again how yummy each bite was!

This recipe is so great because you can substitute whatever you want. Mess up the egg? Stick a scrambled egg on there instead. Hate arugula? Substitute baby spinach leaves. I suggest adding some extra sliced basil on top of the whole dish to add some extra freshness!

Lemon Earl Grey Squares

My sister and dad have their birthdays within 2 days of each other. And this year, my mom was away on Mother’s Day so we didn’t get to celebrate. So when I went home to celebrate the birthdays of my sister and dad, I wanted to bring a little something for my mom as well. When the last issue of Cooking Light had a recipe for Lemon Early Grey Squares, I knew they would be perfect. My mom is obsessed with everything bergamot. She’s also a huge citrus (specifically lemon) fan. I hope she likes them!

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

Cooking spray
5 3/5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 Earl Grey tea bags, divided
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into pieces

For the Filling:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons worth)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind (about 2 lemons worth)
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Continue reading Lemon Earl Grey Squares

Seared Chicken with Avocado Salsa

I have inexplicably been picking up an avocado each and every time I buy groceries. I didn’t have a recipe for the avocados, I just kept buying them. I guess my subconscious really wanted one. So I finally sat down and found a recipe highlighting them: Seared Chicken with Avocado. I added some tomato to give it a bit more freshness but the rest of the recipe is pretty intact.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons blackened seasoning
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 diced peeled avocado
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime), plus the zest of the lime
1/2 a tomato (or one plum tomato), diced

Continue reading Seared Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Homemade Chipwiches

I have many childhood memories of me chasing down the ice cream truck to get my absolute favorite ice cream treat: a Chipwich. I mean, honestly, what more could you ask for in a dessert? Two chocolate chip cookies with ice cream sandwiched in between. Mmm.

So I was, well, horrified, to find out that the Chipwich brand name is no longer in existence as of 2007. At that time, Nestle bought the rights to the name and stopped all production because it competed with their “Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich.” I mean, come on. The name Chipwich is exponentially more catchy. But hey, whatever floats their boat.

Since finding out this information, I can’t get the idea of making my own Homemade Chipwiches or Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches out of my head.

I was sent an Airbake cooking sheet recently and wanted to test it out. The Airbake Nonstick Insulated sheets are pretty snazzy. They are made of 100% aluminum and are comprised of two sheets surrounding a layer of air. This is said to reduce the temperature of the metal that actually comes in contact with the food which should result in more even baking. Airbake also claims that cookie bottoms won’t burn, win! (They also have natural sheets if you don’t want nonstick)

I decided to use a recipe from David Lebovitz for Salted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies because the only way I can think to enhance my homemade chipwiches would be to add a little salt to bring out the flavor.

Ingredients (makes about 12 hand-sized chipwiches, make cookies larger if desired):

4 ounces salted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt or kosher salt
1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 pint vanilla ice cream (or your favorite ice cream)
Mini chocolate chips, for decorating (optional)

Continue reading Homemade Chipwiches

Grilled Duck with Warm Mushroom Salad and Truffle Vinaigrette

Happy Memorial Day weekend! Grilling is synonymous with Memorial Day in my mind, so I was so happy to receive a Grilling Cookbook from Cooking Light a few days ago. The cookbook: Cooking Light Way to Cook Grilling: The Complete Visual Guide to Healthy Grilling is pretty darn snazzy. The photos are gorgeous, so um, please don’t compare my crummy photos for this recipe to the ones in the book, that will make me sad. Anyways, when I saw a recipe for grilled duck, I wanted to try it. I love duck, it’s a go-to for me at restaurants. But, I’m beyond terrified to cook it myself. It’s a tough meat to cook, and if overcooked, can be super crummy. Plus, it’s not exactly cheap! But grilling? I think I can handle that…

This recipe sounded like it was written just for me and my boyfriend. Before even opening the cookbook this was our conversation:

“We should try grilling a meat we’ve never made before, I’m not in the mood for a normal burger”

“Yeah, and maybe we can grill up some asparagus and mushrooms as well. I do want a meat as part of the meal though.”

We turn to this recipe, which managed to incorporate all of our requirements, and we were sold. The only thing we weren’t sold on? The marinating time. The original recipe suggested marinating the duck overnight, up to two days. We wanted duck, and we wanted it well before tomorrow, so our marinating was closer to 3 hours instead. There are also some pretty pricey ingredients in this dish, so this would definitely be a special occasion type of meal.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 (6-ounce) boneless duck breast, skinned
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
Cooking spray
3 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 5 ounces)
2 cups thinly sliced portobello mushroom caps (about 5 ounces)
3/4 cup (1/4-inch) diagonally cut asparagus
1 1/2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons truffle oil

Continue reading Grilled Duck with Warm Mushroom Salad and Truffle Vinaigrette

Lobster Mac and Cheese

I have wanted to make Lobster Mac and Cheese for the longest time. So when I was having a crummy week, I thought it would be the perfect pick-me up. (I treat myself really well, don’t I?) Continental, a restaurant in Old City and Midtown, Philadelphia, have the most fantastic Lobster Mac and Cheese. Made with orzo, the restaurants use Fontina and Gruyere cheese to make a creamy, crave-worthy meal. I used a FoodNetwork.com recipe as a base with Continental’s version as inspiration.

I headed to DiBruno Bros. to pick up my cheeses, and they were somehow out of both Fontina and Gruyere. Sad day. DiBruno Bros. never disappoints though, and the cheesemonger helped me choose two cheeses: Comté and Tomme de Berger. Comté is very similar to Gruyere but is from France (rather than Switzerland). It has a slight nutty flavor to it, and melts wonderfully (it’s commonly used in fondue). Tomme de Berger also has a bit of a nutty flavor and is a blend of sheep and goat’s milk. If you can’t find these, substitute Gruyere for the Comté and Fontina for the Tomme de Berger.

Ingredients:

2 cups orzo
1 pint milk
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
8 ounces Comté cheese, grated
6 ounces Tomme de Berger, grated
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 pound cooked lobster meat
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
2 garlic cloves, minced
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Shrimp Florentine Pasta

My boyfriend is allergic to shrimp. And I swear knowledge of this allergy makes me inexplicably crave shrimp. All. The. Time. So I wait for weekdays to make shrimp as much as my little heart desires. Another plus is that shrimp is a super quick meal. This Cooking Light recipe took a whopping 30 minutes from start to finish. And who doesn’t like shrimp, pasta, lemon, and spinach?

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked fettuccine (I used fresh pasta so it would cook faster)
2 tablespoons Melt buttery spread (or other margarine)
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
the juice and zest of 2 lemons
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach

Cook pasta according to package directions. If using fresh pasta, it will be done in 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Add Melt to a saute pan over medium heat. When melted, add the shrimp, garlic, and red pepper flakes to the pan. Cook for 4 minutes, or until shrimp are cooked. (It’s easiest to use tongs so that you can flip the shrimp after 2 minutes).

Add the cooked pasta, lemon juice and zest, black pepper, and spinach. The spinach will wilt significantly, so don’t worry if it seems like there is too much.

Cook for 3 minutes, or until the spinach begins to wilt. Serve immediately with a lemon wedge on the side.

I was not prepared for how strong the red pepper would be. If I made this again, I’d cut the red pepper in half. I actually ended up adding a tablespoon of whipped cream just to cut some of the heat.

I also wanted a bit more of lemon. I ended up adding lemon to the pasta throughout eating the dish. But the base flavors here were good! I just need to adjust the amount of ingredients and it would be a keeper! So, to recap: more lemon, less red pepper = perfect.