Pomodori al Forno

Here we are, staring October straight in the face.  I've neglected my poor little blog ... again... but there has been a lot of activity in the Veggie Kitchen of late.  We've been cooking up a storm - yes, both M. and I have been busy.  But, we've been cooking seasonally using fresh ingredients procured from local farmers' markets and haven't really been following recipes.  As a result, I've been too lazy to track ingredients, keep measurements recorded or even take pictures of the final result.  Bad blogger, I know.  

But now that we're moving into fall, I'm beginning to seek recipes and be inspired to keep better track of what I'm doing.  Recently I was inspired by Stephanie's post about a recent Molly Wizenberg column in Bon Appetit.  The column caught my eye when I read the issue, but it took Stephanie's raves about the recipe to really get me to the farmer's market to buy some tomatoes to try it for myself.  

We really enjoyed this recipe.  We enjoyed it as recommended at first, and served it on french bread slices over a bed of goat cheese.  The creaminess of the goat cheese complimented the tomatoes nicely, and we had to work hard to remember that there were supposedly eight servings in the recipe.  Then I used it in a tried and true pasta recipe in place of sundried tomatoes.  The leftover Pomodori al Forno worked perfectly, and added a depth of flavor that I don't remember previously.  So that experiment was considered a success in my book!

I also reserved the flavored olive oil from the Pomodori al Forno, and have used it in numerous recipes where I thought it would compliment the dish.  And so far, the tomatoey taste of the oil has done just that.  So the versatility of this one recipe has really impressed me.  And it's simple (although time consuming) and tasty to boot!  What could be better?

So I will join the ranks of those encouraging everyone to try this recipe.  Tomato season is almost over - but there is still time!  Hurry!  And I apologize for the lackluster picture accompanying this post - we were so busy scarfing down the tomatoey cheesey goodness that taking a picture was an afterthought.  :)

[Recipes for pomodori al Forno and Angel Hair with Sund-dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese can be found by clicking the links above.]

Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons and Parsley Brown Butter

Perusing the aisles at my local market, I saw a packet of gnocchi and picked it up. It was a spontaneous, spur of the moment kind of thought, but I decided to go with it for dinner tonight. I originally thought of a baked gnocchi kind of dish, but then that didn't seem too appealing. I searched for ideas online, and came across this dish which I've actually made in the past. It's healthy, fairly quick (although I definitely spent more than twenty minutes prepping) and tastes much richer then it actually is.

I made a few subs. I don't like to do that the first time I try a recipe, but once I'm more familiar I feel more confident swapping ingredients. I didn't have zucchini so I subbed carrots, and I added a few cloves of garlic when I sauteed my red onion (didn't have shallots either). I was pleased with the resulting dish, the buttery taste shone through and the sweet vegetables harmonized with the gnocchi nicely.

Again, this image is courtesy of Eating Well as my camera continues to be trapped at school during my vacation.

Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons and Parsley Brown Butter
Eating Well

Thinly sliced ribbons of zucchini and nutty brown butter make for a gourmet supper. Make it a meal: Round out the plate with steamed broccoli rabe sprinkled with parmesan.

Makes 4 servings, 1 1/2 cups each

ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1 pound fresh or frozen gnocchi
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium shallots, chopped
1 pound zucchini (about 3 small), very thinly sliced lengthwise (see Tip)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook gnocchi according to package instructions until they float, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the butter is
beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add
shallots and zucchini and cook, stirring often, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes, salt, nutmeg and pepper and continue cooking, stirring often, until the tomatoes are just starting to break down, 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in Parmesan and parsley. Add gnocchi and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 327 calories; 10 g fat (6 g sat, 0 g mono); 25 mg cholesterol; 48 g carbohydrate; 12 g protein; 5 g fiber; 710 mg sodium; 540 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (70% daily value), Vitamin A (35% dv), Calcium (25% dv). Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 2 vegetable. 1 medium-fat meat, 1 fat; 3 Carbohydrate Servings

TIP: To make "ribbon-thin" zucchini, slice lengthwise with a vegetable peeler or on a mandoline slicer.

Eggplant Parmesan Sandwiches

So, after finishing the muffins (and baking a batch of brownies but more on those tomorrow) I was somewhat at a loose end. M. was still asleep, and I was definitely feeling pangs of hunger. But what to make for lunch? I remembered a favorite recipe for eggplant parmesan that we both really enjoy, and a certain white eggplant lurking in the depths of our vegetable drawer. Lunch was determined, and after sampling the dish it is safe to say that we still really like the recipe. While it is a Weight Watchers recipe, the addition of parmesan to the breadcrumbs adds a nice flavor to the sandwich. I used some of my homemade marinara, and a sprinkling of fat-free mozzarella cheese and we were enjoying our sandwiches within 35 minutes of my decision to make Eggplant Parmesan Sandwiches for lunch. I threw together a quick side salad using up the last of the quinoa salad along with some romaine lettuce, carrots and red pepper chunks in order to round out the meal. And I think its safe to say that this will be a recipe often repeated - it's even fast enough to be a weeknight dinner if I think far enough ahead and cook the eggplant while preparing the salad.

Eggplant Parmesan Hero ~ 7 Pts.
Weight Watchers recipe - Take Out Tonight Cookbook

Weight Watchers' Notes - "A favorite Italian treat, our hero is kept low in points by spraying the eggplant with nonstick spray and baking it. For best flavor, use olive oil spray."

My notes - I had a mini-baguette so I used one small eggplant to make only 2 sandwiches. The leftover eggplant pieces were topped with a little sauce and cheese, and eaten plain.

1 pound eggplant -- unpeeled, cut into 1/4"-thick slices
1 large egg
1 tablespoon nonfat milk
1/2 cup bread crumbs, seasoned -- dried
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese -- grated
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, part skim milk -- shredded
1 cup marinara sauce
4 Italian hard rolls -- split

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a nonstick baking sheet with nonstick spray; set aside.

Lightly beat the egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Mix the bread crumbs and Parmesan on a sheet of wax paper. Dip the eggplant in the egg mixture, then in the bread crumbs, and arrange in one layer on the baking sheet. Lightly spary the eggplant with nonstick spray. Bake until the eggplant is softened and lightly browned, about 25 minutes.

Divide the eggplant slices into 4 equal portions on the baking sheet. Overlap each group of slices so they are no larger than the dimensions of each roll. Top each portions with 1 tablespoon of the mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.

Transfer each eggplant portion to the bottom of each roll, top each with 1/4 cup of the sauce. Replace top of roll and serve at once.

Making Marinara....

... and lots of it.

Today's cooking project was to make a ton of marinara. Despite my claims that homemade food disappears into the freezer never to come out, marinara sauce is the one exception. And with going back to work rearing its head in six working days, I figured this would be a good project to undertake. Starting the school year with multiple little glad containers with either 1 cup or 2 cups of measured marinara sauce will definitely come in handy on those uninspired evenings when cooking seems completely ludicrous.

I used a recipe I've made before, although not in a while. Featured in Cooking Light a few years ago, it makes upwards of 9 cups. While the recipe itself is somewhat time-consuming (caramelizing the onions for 30 plus minutes as well as 3 + hours of simmer time), the yield makes the effort quite worth it. I like to switch up the type of tomatoes I add - today I used two cans of "crushed" Muir Glen tomatoes (which were actually quite chunky) and one can of Muir Glen tomato puree. I also add the wine to the caramelizing onions, as the pan dries out I pour in a bit of the wine. It makes them very wine-y, but keeps me from burning them. And, learn from my mistake and make sure that when sprinkling dried hot pepper flakes that you have the container open to the sprinkle setting. Not the spoon dipping setting which proceeds to dump a ton of hot pepper into the sauce which then must be spooned out wasting precious tomato-ey goodness.

I took a picture while the sauce was cooking. It isn't the best, as I was desperately trying to keep the splatter from nailing the camera. This sauce does like to splatter, even on the lowest of low settings on my gas stove. Having invested all this effort into making sauce today, I think a sampling of this sauce will become my dinner. It will top some frozen tofu ravioli I re-discovered yesterday nicely, and with minimal effort on my part since I'm now feeling lazy.



Marinara Magnifica

Cooking Light's Notes - Dry red wine intensifies the well-blended flavors in this lusciously seasoned tomato sauce--magnifico!Serve over your favorite pasta.

My Notes - I like to switch up the type of tomatoes I add - today I used two cans of "crushed" Muir Glen tomatoes (which were actually quite chunky) and one can of Muir Glen tomato puree. I also add the wine to the caramelizing onions, as the pan dries out I pour in a bit of the wine. It makes them very wine-y, but keeps me from burning them. I also up the spices a bit depending on my mood.

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups chopped onion (about 3 medium)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, undrained
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion and sugar. Cook 30 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in wine; cook 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Yield: 9 cups (serving size: 1 cup)

CALORIES 169(20% from fat); FAT 3.8g (sat 0.5g,mono 2.3g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 5.3g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 131mg; SODIUM 960mg; FIBER 6.5g; IRON 2.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.9g
Cooking Light, AUGUST 2004

The Accidental Italian (Meal).

As I flipped through cookbooks yesterday afternoon, I noticed the recipe fo Summer Risotto with Tomatoes, Leeks and Fresh Corn. M. and I love risottos, but haven't made them at home for the longest time (for whatever reason). This particular recipe was in The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen by Peter Berley which is a cookbook I've not used nearly enough (although I seem to be remedying this fact of late). And just like that, dinner was decided. I decided to pair the risotto with a side dish of Pan-Seared Summer Squash with Garlic and Mint mostly because the recipe sounded very intriguing, and I had some lovely fresh spearmint needing to be used. Coincidentally, the summer squash recipe comes from Fresh Food Fast, also by Peter Berley. And, our meal would begin with caprese salad because we had some fresh mozzarella to use up from Friday. And, you can never have enough caprese salad.

Once I chose this recipe that involved corn kernels, M. and I both realized we'd need the Kuhn Rikon Corn Zipper. Luckily (or unluckily depending on your perspective) we have a kitchen store right around the corner who happened to have the Corn Zipper in stock. Using it was very easy, and despite the fact that it has somewhat of an eerie face I think it'll be a tool earning its drawer space frequently this summer.

It was only after I began cooking that I realized we were having an Italian meal of the evening of Italy's World Cup win. Sometimes I even amaze myself. :)



Summer Risotto with Tomatoes, Leeks, and Fresh Corn
The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen - Peter Berley (and Melissa Clark)

Author's notes - A quick and flavorful broth can be made from the corn cobs and leek tops.. Simply wash the leek tops well, place them in a pot with the corn cobs, cover with six cups of water and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain off and discard the trimmings, and proceed with the risotto using the corn cob broth instead of vegetable broth.

My notes - I missed this notation about corn cob broth and used store-bought broth instead.

5 cups All-Season Vegetable stock (or store-bought), or water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced leeks (white and tender green parts only)
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine such as a Sauvignon Blanc
2 cups kernels scraped from 2 ears fresh corn
1 lb ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup torn basil leaves
1 teaspoon unsalted butter (optional - I added)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional - I added)
Coarse Sea Salt
Freshly Milled Black Pepper

1. In a 2 quart sauce pan over high heat, bring stock to a boil. Reduce heat so that stock maintains a steady simmer.

2. In a heavy 3 quart pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add leeks and saute for 2 minutes until softened. Stir in rice and saute for 2 minutes, until grains are translucent. Pour in the wine and let simmer until absorbed.

3. Add the corn, tomatoes, garlicc and thyme. Add the stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until te liquid has been absorbed before adding each subsequent 1/2 cup stock. Continue stirring and adding stock, until grains are tender and creamy about 20-25 minutes. Add the basil during the last five minutes.

4. Stir in butter and cheese if using, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Pan-Seared Summer Squash with Garlic and Mint
Fresh Food Fast by Peter Berley (and Melissa Clark)

Author's notes- Pan searing the squash carmelizes it and produces a nice crust. The sugars become concentrated, and their juices locked in. You can use the same technique with eggplant slices, and onion rings.

My notes - This was a really tasty recipe, but kind of a pain to make. The pan-searing took forever, and I think were I to make it again (and I would) I might grill the veggies instead. I tinkered with the amounts since I only had 1 1/2 pounds of squash. I used all the lemon juice, garlic and mint but only about a tablespoon of oil. And it still tasted great. Very garlicky, but very good.

2 pounds summer squash, sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh mint
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus additional to taste
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly milled black pepper

1. Warm a large, heavy skillet, griddle or grill pan over medium heat. Arrange the squash in a single layer and sear until speckled with brown and beginning to blacken (about five minutes). Flip the squash and cook for five minutes more. Repeat with remaining squash.

2. In a serving bowl, combine lemon juicce, mint, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes and let marinade for 5 minutes. Whisk in oil.

3. Transfer seared squash to bowl, toss to coat with dressing and let rest for about five minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, and serve.


Technorati Tags: risotto, Italian, summer squash, mint

Pesto

On Tuesday, I stopped by our local farmer's market and scored this lovely bunch of basil for a mere $2.

Instantly, I thought of making pesto. Traditionally, I'm a red sauce kind of girl. But my dear college friend M (recipient of the rhubarb shortbread) worked her magic on me in college and opened my eyes to the delight that is a tangy pesto sauce. M. and I spent a few days on the Ligurian coast during our honeymoon in the summer of 2004, and there I got to taste pesto sauces to my heart's content. Pesto originally hails from the Ligurian part of Italy, and each restaurant had their own recipe but they were all delicious! And, since our wedding anniversary is quickly approaching, I thought this bunch of basil would be perfect for trying a new pesto recipe.

Pesto
Adapted from Bow-Tie Pasta with Pesto recipe
The American Test Kitchen Cookbook

1/4 cup pine nuts
3 medium cloves of garlic, threaded on a skewer
2 cups packed basil leaves
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (optional, I omitted)
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan
1 pound pasta (bow-ties, linguine, fusilli etc)

1. Toast nuts in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently, until nuts are just golden and fragrant (4-5 minutes).
2. Meanwhile bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large pot. Lower skewered garlic into water, and boil for 45 seconds. Run garlic under cold water. Remove from skewer, peel and mince. [I simply boiled water in a pyrex measuring cup in the microwave and boiled the garlic in that, since I wasn't cooking an entire pound of pasta.]
3. Place basil and parsley (if using) in a heavy-duty sealable plastic bag. Pound with meat pounder or roll with rolling pin until all leaves are bruised (I used the rolling pin method).
4. Place nuts, garlic, basil, oil and 1/2 tsp salt in workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as neccessary. Transfer mixture to small bowl. Add cheese and adjust salt. (Surface of pesto can be covered with sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to five days.


I just cooked a little pasta for me, since M. was working late. I served my fusilli with pesto along side the asparagus from our CSA share, and wilted swiss chard greens. I simply washed and chopped the chard, cooking with a touch of cooking spray, half a lemon and salt and pepper. The aspargus was glazed with lemon juice and a touch of basalmic vinegar, as well as a dash of salt and pepper. With a little homemade whole wheat garlic bread and a glass of wine, it made for a tasty and enjoyable meal.




After dinner I browsed through The America's Test Kitchen Cookbook as it is one I haven't looked at as often as I should. While not vegetarian, there are plenty of vegetarian options I should find occasions to try. Helios and I thought the thin crust pizza looked quite promising....



Technorati Tags: basil, pesto, Italian