Garlic Pasta

This recipe served three as a side dish.  Its easy to adjust to serve your crowd by just increasing quantities.  

1/3 pound dried pasta of your choice

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

3-4 cloves garlic, smashed

salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta as directed on package.

While pasta is cooking, heat oil and melt better in a small skillet over a low heat.  Add smashed garlic cloves and cook gently to infuse oil/butter mixture with garlic flavor.  Allow to cook slowly for entire time pasta is cooking - allowing garlic to slightly brown.  Swirl pan occasionally to mix.  Remove smashed garlic.  

Drain pasta and mix with infused oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  

Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.  If desired, sprinkle with fresh parsley, basil or oregano.  

Baked Stuffed Shrimp Caserole

I was too lazy to attempt a trip to the grocery store today, so I had to go with items that were on hand. I like to make sure to include some sort of vegetable - Things are reversed in my house, I have to convince mom to eat her veggies (I've even threatened to take away her dessert before unless she ate them). There are only a few veggies she will eat, spinach is one of those that she'll eat if its mixed up with other things... and its one I always try to have on hand in frozen form. So, here's a twist on a baked stuffed shrimp that had both fruits and veggies in the stuffing. It was quite tasty, and definitely one I'll make again.


1 pound large raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3-4 green onions, chopped
2 garlic clove, minced
6 ounces of frozen, chopped spinach
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions:
Lightly oil or coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Arrange shrimp on the bottom of the baking pan. Making sure to not overlap.

Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until golden. Add the spinach and cook until the spinach is warmed through. Add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, dried cranberries, lemon juice, butter, salt and black pepper to taste. Stir to combine.

Cool slightly and then layer evenly over the shrimp. Cook for 12-15 minutes, until shrimp are cooked through and topping is starting to brown.

Serve with garlic pasta.

Mexican Rice

This works as a great side to any Mexican dish.  I served it tonight with empanadas, but it goes with enchiladas, tacos, etc.  This version served three to four people.  

1/2 cup chopped onion

1-2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 a medium tomato, diced to a pulp

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin (you can add more here, but I'm not a fan of a strong cumin flavor so I don't use much)

1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (or to taste)

2/3 cups long grain white rice

1 1/3 cups chicken stock or water

1/2 lime, juiced

1.  Heat the oil to shimmer in the bottom of a heave bottom sauce pan.  Cook the onion and garlic for 5-8 minutes, until the onion is translucent.  Add in the chili powder, salt, pepper and cumin and cook until fragrant.  

2.  Add in the rice and stir to coat well with spices.  Toast slightly.  Add in lime juice and broth/water.  Bring to a simmer and cover.

3.  Cook for about 20 minutes, until rice is cooked through and liquid is absorbed.  Fluff and serve.    

Mussels, with a touch of Mexico

2-3 lbs of mussels (figure 1 lb per person)

3 cloves garlic, squished

2-3 scallions, chopped

1 medium jalapeno pepper, chopped (include seeds for more spice)

1 lime, zested and juiced

1 to 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

handful of cilantro springs

salt 

pepper

Olive oil

1.  Heat oil in a dutch oven.  When hot, add garlic, scallions and pepper.  Sauté until fragrant.  Add lime zest and juice.  Add chicken broth, butter and cilantro.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a simmer.  

2.  Add in the mussels and stir.  

Cover and steam for 5-7 minutes, until mussels have opened.  

3.  Serve along with crusty bread to dip in the broth.  

Roasted Garlic Mac and Cheese

1 head garlic

Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

4 Tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup shredded fontina cheese

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/4 cup shredded romano cheese

1/2-3/4 pound pasta of your choice

10 crumbled Ritz crackers

Salt

Pepper

1.  Roast garlic - slice head of garlic in half horizontally.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Wrap in heavy duty foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until garlic is very soft and fragrant.  Cool.

2.  Make the cheese sauce:  Melt the butter in a heavy bottom sauce pan.  Mix all the grated cheeses together in a bowl.  Toss well to combine.  Add the roasted garlic (remove garlic from skins by squeezing gently) and toast slightly.  Add flour and cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly.  Pour in milk, continuing to stir.  Bring to a simmer and allow mixture to thicken slightly.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add most of the cheese to the mixture and continue to stir until cheeses are melted and sauce is smooth.  Reserve enough cheese to sprinkle over the top of the mixture.  Add the cracker crumbs to this reserved cheese.  

3.  While you are making the cheese sauce, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt well, and cook pasta according to directions on box.  

4.  Drain pasta well, mix with cheese sauce, pour into a broiler safe baking dish and sprinkle with reserved cheese and cracker mixture.  Place under the broiler until cheese is melted and browned slightly.  

5.  Serve with roasted vegetables or salad of your choice.  

You can also add in italian meats when you mix the pasta and cheese together.  I like a few piece of torn procuitto in mine.  

Winter Spiced Quick Bread

further adapted from a recipe by Andy Husbands and Joe Yonan

3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup Harpoon Winter Warmer (or other winter seasonal beer)
1/2 cup milk
12 tbs of unsalted butter, at room temp
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs, at room temp
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1 cup of frozen cranberries
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven 350 and grease 2 loaf pans

Whisk together first 6 dry ingredients and set aside.

Combine milk and beer and set aside.

In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add vanilla then eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add pumpkin and mix well. Add dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with beer/milk mixture-beginning and ending with dry. Mix just until it comes together. Add in cranberries and pecans and stir to combine.  Divide into greased loaf pans. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out cleanly. Cool on wire racks.

Potato Soup

5-6 slices bacon, diced

1 medium onion diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium carrot, diced (or a handful of baby carrots)

1 quart chicken stock or broth

1.5 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced (startchy -- russets or yukon golds etc)

Salt

Pepper

Chili Powder

Sour Cream

Cheddar Cheese

1.  Start the bacon in a cold pan and render it until crispy.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and reserve until serving.  (DO NOT eat all the bacon while you are cooking the soup...  you'll just have to cook more later...)

2.  Saute the onions and garlic and carrots in the bacon fat.  Once they are translucent, add the chicken stock and diced potatoes.  Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender.  

3.  Turn off heat and allow soup to cool slightly.  Puree in a blender until smooth.  

4.  Return soup to heat and season to taste...  adding salt, pepper, chili powder, chives, cheddar cheese, butter, etc...  (season as you would season your baked potato)

5.  Serve topped with crispy bacon.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These truly chewy chocolate chip cookies are delicious served warm from the oven or cooled. To ensure a chewy texture, leave the cookies on the cookie sheet to cool. You can substitute white, milk chocolate, or peanut butter chips for the semi- or bittersweet chips called for in the recipe. In addition to chips, you can flavor the dough with one cup of nuts, raisins, or shredded coconut.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/8 cups bleached all-purpose flour (about 10 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark), 7 ounces
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 - 2 cups chocolate chips or chunks (semi or bittersweet)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Stir in chips.

3. Form scant 1/4 cup dough into ball.  Place dough onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheets, about nine dough balls per sheet. (Dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month—shaped or not.)

4. Bake, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes (start checking at 13 minutes). (Frozen dough requires an extra 1 to 2 minutes baking time.) Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store in airtight container

Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated.