jamie oliver spinach & mascarpone & parmesan pasta

jamie oliver makes me think of adorable British men, London, and pasta. more specifically this pasta- tagliatelle with spinach, mascarpone and parmesan. Ooooh so good. right now, ry is not eating as much dairy so when i make this dish, its mainly just for me. mmmmmm.

make it and tuck in! happy friday to you!

Tagliatelle with spinach, mascarpone & Parmesan

This is a dead simple dish and the mascarpone and cooking water make a fantastic sauce. Nutritional Information (amount per serving) Calories 826kcal Carbs 81.4g Sugar 7.6 g Fat 43.1g Saturates 25.5g Protein 25.3g

Serves 4

Ingredients 455 g tagliatelle or spaghetti olive oil 2 teaspoons butter 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced ½ nutmeg, freshly grated 400 g fresh spinach, washed thoroughly and finely sliced sea salt freshly ground black pepper 120 ml double cream 150 g mascarpone cheese 2 handfuls Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Method Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the pasta, and cook according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile get a frying pan or wok warm, add a drizzle of olive oil, the butter, garlic and nutmeg. When the butter melts, add the spinach. After 5 minutes it will have wilted down and will be nice and dark. A lot of the liquid will have cooked away and you'll have wonderful intensely flavoured spinach. At this point season with salt and pepper until it tastes good, then add the cream, mascarpone and a little ladle of cooking water from the pasta. Let this come to a simmer and then season again. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water, then stir it into the spinach sauce. Add the Parmesan and toss everything together. Loosen to a nice silky consistency with some of the reserved cooking water, so it doesn't become too claggy. Check once more for seasoning and serve straight away.

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golden mushroom & pea risotto from the vegan chef

last saturday night i had a craving for something creamy and comforting, so i decided to find a vegan risotto recipe that would still be "creamy" without the butter & parmesan cheese. found it! thank you Vegan Chef  for this great recipe.

there were some tweaks i made to the recipe:
- i used chicken stock instead of veggie stock
- i did not add asparagus (not at the supermarket right now)
- left out the "nutritional yeast flakes" & lemon zest

it was still so good! definately

original recipe from The Vegan Chef


  3 1/2 - 4 cups vegetable stock
1 lb. asparagus, tough ends trimmed
1 cup onion, diced
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 cups cremini mushrooms, destemmed, cut in half lengthwise, and sliced
2 T. garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine (optional) 
1/4 t. saffron threads
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
2 T. freshly chopped dill
2 t. finely grated lemon zest
  In a medium saucepan, place the vegetable stock, and bring to a boil. Slice the asparagus spears diagonally into 1-inch pieces and place them in a fine mesh strainer. Place the strainer in the boiling vegetable stock and cook the asparagus in the stock for 2 minutes to blanch them. Remove the strainer from the stock and set the asparagus aside. Reduce the heat of the stock to low. In a large saucepan, saute the onion in the olive oil for 3 minutes to soften. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute the mixture an additional 3 minutes. Add the Arborio rice, stir well to coat it with the sauteed vegetable mixture, and cook an additional 2 minutes while stirring constantly or until rice turns opaque.
Add the white wine (or use some of the stock if omitting) and saffron threads, season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir well to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook the mixture while stirring occasionally until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering vegetable stock and continue to cook, while stirring occasionally, until all of the stock has been absorbed. Repeat the procedure of adding a 1/2 cup of simmering stock, stirring, and cooking until fully absorbed before adding additional stock, until all but a 1/2 cup of stock remains. Add the blanched asparagus, along with the remaining ingredients, and stir well to combine. Cook the mixture an additional 2-3 minutes while stirring constantly, adding the remaining stock, as needed, so that the rice is tender and the risotto has a creamy consistency. Taste and adjust the seasonings, as desired.
Serves 4 (main dish) or 6 (side dish)

olive garden zuppa toscana soup

so good it's all gone

recently for a church potluck function i made a copycat of Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana soup.

it was so good that it was the first soup to disappear. 

make it- you will love it. 

and i love how its another kale recipe. 

we just can't get enough kale! 

Zuppa Toscana

Rated: Submitted By: MARBALET Photo By: Traci's Kitchen Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 55 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 10 Minutes Servings: 6

"Smoked sausage, potatoes, onion, and bacon are combined in a creamy chicken broth in this hearty soup with kale and garlic."

INGREDIENTS:

1 (16 ounce) package smoked sausage 2 potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices 3/4 cup chopped onion 6 slices bacon 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 cups kale - washed, dried, and shredded 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder 1 quart water 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2.	Layer the sausage links onto a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, or until done. Cut in half length-wise, then cut at an angle into 1/2 inch slices.
3.	Place onions and bacon in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear.
4.	Remove bacon and crumble. Set aside.
5.	Add garlic to the onions and cook an additional 1 minute. Add chicken base or bouillon, water, and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes.
6.	Add crumbled bacon, sausage, kale, and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2013 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 3/25/2013

spaghetti & turkey meatballs

oh ina garten- how i wish we were friends! this spicy turkey meatballs & spaghetti dish was a big hit at our house. i left out the prosciutto and the Italian pork sausage (im sure it would have been even better with them included) and it still tasted amazing. there was still plenty of meatballs leftover to freeze for another time- win!


Spicy Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti

Prep Time:25 min
Inactive Prep Time:5 min
Cook Time:40 min


Level:
Easy
Serves:
8 servings

Ingredients
3 cups (1-inch diced) bread cubes from a round rustic bread, crusts removed
2/3 cup whole milk
2 pounds ground turkey (85-percent to 92-percent lean)
1/2 pound sweet Italian pork sausage, casings removed
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, finely chopped
1 cup freshly grated aged Asiago cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for brushing the meatballs
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
3 (24-ounce) jars good marinara sauce, such as Rao's
2 pounds dried spaghetti, such as De Cecco
Freshly grated Parmesan (or Asiago) cheese, for serving
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

Place the bread in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the bread is in medium crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a small bowl and add the milk. Set aside for 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, sausage, prosciutto, bread mixture, Asiago, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Lightly combine the ingredients with your hands. Add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the eggs, and stir lightly with a fork to combine.

With your hands, lightly roll the mixture into 2-inch-round meatballs and place them on the prepared sheet pans. Brush the meatballs with olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tops are browned and the centers are completely cooked.

Pour the marinara sauce in a large, low pot, add the meatballs, and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the directions on the package. Drain and place the spaghetti in individual bowls, and top with 3 meatballs and lots of sauce. Serve with Parmesan cheese on the side.

Copyright 2012 Television Food Network G.P.
All Rights Reserved

chocolate chip blondies

ive never had a blondie before. brownies always were more tempting and delicious looking than blondies. (this does not apply in my taste in men though-ha!) blondies seem dry and not very exciting that is until i checked out barefoot contessa family style from my local library. such a fun read. ina's recipes hardly disappoint. and this one has changed my mind about blondies altogether (but there is some chocolate involved).

instead of using chocolate chunks i used chocolate chips and they came out great.
my blondies did not turn out as beautifully as ina's did however, i think a smattering of chocolate chips on top of the spread out batter before putting in the oven would have made the dessert prettier.

basically a better tasting cookie but in brownie-esque form!

Chocolate Chunk Blondies
2011, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:15 min
inactive Prep Time: -- 
Cook Time:30 min

Level:Easy
Serves: 12 blondies

Ingredients
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 1/4 pounds semisweet chocolate chunks, such as Nestle's 

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 x 12 x 2 inch baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on high speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, and mix well, scraping down the bowl. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and with the mixer still on low, slowly add flour mixture to the butter mixture. Fold the walnuts and chocolate chunks in with a rubber spatula.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes exactly. Don't overbake! A toothpick may not come out clean. Cool completely in the pan and cut into bars.

Copyright 2012 Television Food Network G.P.
All Rights Reserved

linguine with shrimp & lemon oil

for the last night little sister was in town i decided to make a lemony shrimp pasta.

seriously so delish & easy

keeping frozen shrimp in the freezer makes this a quick dish i can make during a busy weekday 

Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:10 min
Inactive Prep Time: -- 
Cook Time:15 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

For the lemon oil:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon, zested

For the pasta:

1 pound linguine pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

16 ounces frozen shrimp

1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

1 lemon, zested

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 ounces arugula (about 3 packed cups)

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

For the lemon oil:

Combine the olive oil and the lemon zest in a small bowl and reserve.

For the pasta:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked linguine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Turn off the heat and add the arugula. Using a mesh sieve, strain the lemon zest out of the reserved lemon olive oil and add the oil to the pasta. The zest can be discarded. Add some of the cooking water to desired consistency. Add the chopped parsley to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

* Shellfish Warning

Consumption of raw or undercooked shellfish may substantially increase the risk of foodborne illness.

wasabi everyday brownies

we (sister + i) are chocoholics 

a happy sunday!

a few weeks ago ry brought home Lindt wasabi chocolate for us to try. not our thing.

via

after about 2 bites i was like- forget this! wasabi is for sushi.

 but i had an idea...wasabi brownies! my all-time favorite brownie recipe is Everyday Brownies from Nigella Lawson. love her. they taste amazing and they never dry up and get all "crunchy."and you can freeze em! frozen brownies are my favorite indulgence in the summertime.

 be sure to pack the brown sugar- i think that's what makes them so moist and perfect. i just chopped up the remaining wasabi chocolate into little cubes and sprinkled them on top before baking. the wasabi flavor added a yummy nuttiness to the brownies. 

if you want to give your brownies a nice update- add the wasabi! 

Everyday Brownies 

From Nigella Kitchen by Nigella Lawson. 

Copyright 2010 Nigella Lawson. 

Published by Hyperion. 

All Rights Reserved.

Prep Time:10 minInactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time:27 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

16 pieces

Directions

It's not as if I were short of a brownie recipe or two: I have over the years made them on easy autopilot; but I am no less grateful for this everyday, no-notice version. They are less extravagant - I use cocoa powder in place of the good-quality chocolate, and stud the mixture with a newstand's or convenience store's bar or two of milk chocolate - although to taste them, you would never, never guess. They ooze with such dark elegance and deep, deep chocolatiness.

This is the recipe you turn to when a child or colleague informs you last thing that you're expected to bake something for a bake sale tomorrow. You can just smile serenely and head for the cupboard. If you're working from a more restrained array, so are clean out of light brown sugar, and there's no chance to nip to a convenience store for the chocolate, then just use 1 1/2 cups regular white sugar and up the butter to 1 1/2 and the cocoa to a heady 1 cup.

A final note or, rather, nag: when I say cocoa powder, I do mean unsweetened cocoa; do not under any circumstance ever substitute drinking chocolate.

Ingredients

1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter

1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch salt

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

About 6 ounces milk chocolate, chopped into small nuggety chunks (or 1 cup chips)

Confectioners' sugar, to dust, optional

Special Equipment: Aluminium foil-lined baking pan or foil pan, about 13 x 9 x 2 inches

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Melt the butter over a gentle heat in a medium-sized saucepan.

When it's melted, add the sugar, stirring with a wooden spoon (still over a low heat) to help it blend with the melted butter.

Whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and pinch of salt, and then stir into the pan; when mixed (this will be a very dry mixture, and not wholly blended at this stage), remove from the heat.

In a bowl or jug, whisk the eggs with the vanilla extract and then mix into the brownie mixture in the pan.

Stir in the chopped chocolate and quickly pour and scrape into a foil-lined baking tin or disposable foil pan, spreading the mixture with a spatula, and cook in the preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. It will look set, dark and dry on top, but when you feel the surface, you will sense it is still wibbly underneath and a cake tester will come out gungy. This is desirable.

Transfer the pan to a rack to cool a little before cutting into 16 pieces and dusting with confectioners' sugar. I love these gorgeously warm. But then again, I love them cold, too. Actually, when cold they are properly speaking more brownie-like: gooily tender within and moreishly chewy on top.

Make Ahead Note: The brownies can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in airtight container. Will keep for total of 5 days.

Freeze Note: The brownies can be frozen for up to 3 months in airtight container, layered with baking parchment. Thaw overnight in cool place.

bouchon bakery bacon cheddar scones

these scones are so good! they are a bit more work but they are totally worth it. i like eating them for breakfast or for lunch alongside a soup or salad. the best part is that they are freezable for a month so whenever you want a scone- boom! you can have it :)


*a big thank you to The Home Artist for posting this recipe.

Bacon Cheddar Scones 

*Adapted from The Bouchon Bakery Cookbook

makes 12 large rectangular scones

Ingredients:

All-Purpose flour          3/4 cup + 1 teaspoon flour       (107grams)         

Cake flour               1 1/2 cups + 1/2 Tablespoon    (196g)

Baking Powder            1 1/2 + 1/2 teaspoons               (8.1g)

baking soda                 3/8 teaspoon                             (1.6g)

Granulated sugar         2 tablespoons + 3/4 teaspoon  (27g)

Kosher salt                   1 1/4 teaspoons                        (3.6g)

Cold unsalted butter     4.7 ounces                                (132g)

  cut into 1/4 “ pieces

Heavy Cream. Plus        1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon            (71g)

additional for brushing

Creme Fraiche                1/4 cup + 2 1/2 tablespoons   (69g)

Applewood smoked bacon- about 4 slices                  (340g)

(cooked, drained and cut into 1/8” pieces)  (77 grams cooked weight)

Grated white cheddar cheese    2 cups                          (144g)

Grated white cheddar                1/2 cup                         (36g)

Minced chives                             1/4 cup                       (10g) 

Freshly ground black pepper

 Equipment needed:

Electric stand mixer, sheet pan, parchment paper or Silpat, plastic wrap, grater, room in your freezer to lay a pan with the scones.  

 Time needed:  at least 4.5 hours from start to finish baked good.  

 Method:

1. Place the all purpose flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted wih the paddle attachment.  Sift in the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda andd sugar and mix on the lowest setting about 15 seconds to combine. Then pulse in the salt. 
2. Add the cold butter pieces and on the lowest setting (to keep the flour from flying out of the bowl) pulse to begin incorporating the butter.  Increase the speed to low and mix for about 3 minutes to break up the butter and incorporate it into the dry mixture.  If any large pieces of butter remain, stop the mixer and  break them up by hand, and mix until just incorporated. (*many scone recipes are OK with larger chunks of butter, not this time or this recipe.)

3. On low mix, slowly pour in the cream.  Then add the creme fraiche and mix for about 30 seconds, until all of the dry ingredients are moistenend and the dough comes together around the paddle.  Scrape down the side and bottom of the bowl and paddle and pulse again to combine.  Add the bacon, 2 cups (or 144gram of cheddar cheese as well as the chives. Pulse to incorporate.

4. Mound the dough on the work surface and using the heel of your hand or a pastry scraper, push it together.  Place the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap and using your hands press it into a 7×9” inch block, smoothing the top.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours, until firm.

5. Make room in your freezer.  Line a sheet pan with a silpat or parchment paper.  cut the block of dough lengthwise in half and then cut each half crosswise into 6 rectangles (70g each).  Arrange them on the prepared sheet pan, leaving space between them. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until frozen solid at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.

*The scones can remain in the freezer for up to 1 month. (This is the genious part) Once frozen, you can transfer them to a plastic bag and remove them individually to bake as needed.

6. Preheat the over to 350F.  Arrange the frozen scones 1 1/2 inches apart on a parchment lined sheetpan.  Brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 up of cheese and black pepper.  Bake for 33-36 minutes until golden brown.  Set the sheet on a cooking rack and cool completely.

 The scones are best the day they are baked, but they can be stored in a covered container for 1 day.

 If you have a convection oven, now is the time to use that setting as scones baked in a convection oven will have slightly higher rise and even more color.  Preheat your convection oven 325 and bake 24-27 minutes.