Archive for September, 2007

italian sausage and mushroom pasta

September 28, 2007 at 9:55 am · Filed under Recipes ·Tagged , , ,

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there is this pasta dish i love at a restaurant in long beach which has sausage and mushrooms in a creamy sauce. unfortunately, b is lactose intolerant, so i had to make some modifications for him. you can use sweet or spicy sausages for this, but i prefer the sweet version since it seems less oily.

ingredients
2 fresh italian sausages
10 mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 c white wine
4 sprigs of basil
pasta (i used about 4 handfuls of penne)

directions
start boiling water for the pasta.
remove the casing from the sausage and brown it in a nonstick pan, breaking it up as you go. when the outside has cooked, add the garlic and the mushrooms.
add the wine.
just before the pasta is done, remove it from the pot and mix it in to the sausage/mushroom mix.
add basil and stir until slightly wilted.

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Lemongrass-Steamed Fish

September 27, 2007 at 5:38 pm · Filed under Recipes ·Tagged ,

I subscribe to SFGate’s Food & Wine newsletter. Here is a recipe from their quick weeknight meals section. They said this takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.

INGREDIENTS:
2 stalks of lemongrass
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
3 tablespoons dry white wine
Vegetable oil
2 pounds mild white fish, cut into 4 fillets
Salt and pepper to taste
2 small shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
12 small dried red chiles, tops cut off
Lime wedges for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pull off and discard the tough outer layers of the lemongrass, and cut off the skinny end, about two thirds of the entire stalk. Finely mince the bulbous end and place it in a small bowl with the lime juice, fish sauce and wine. Stir to combine.

Place 4 large sheets of aluminum foil, about 12 x 16 inches each, on the counter. Rub half of each sheet with vegetable oil, leaving a 1-inch border. Place a fish fillet on the oiled side of each piece of foil. Season the fish lightly with salt and pepper, then top each with shallots and 3 chiles.

Drizzle each fillet with about 2 tablespoons of the lime juice mixture — enough to completely coat the fish. For each packet, bring the unoiled half of the foil over the fish, then starting at one corner, fold and crimp the edges to seal tightly. Place the packages on a large baking sheet (or 2 smaller ones) and bake until the fish flakes, about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the fillets. The fish is done when it’s flaky.

To serve, carefully unwrap, or cut open the foil packages with a pair of scissors, being careful of the steam. Transfer the fish and vegetables to serving bowls and top with the juices.

Garnish each serving with lime wedges.

Serves 4

Per serving: 285 calories, 50 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat (1 g saturated), 92 mg cholesterol, 1,168 mg sodium, 0 fiber.

Source: SFGate newsletter 3/8/07

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Braised Shortribs

September 27, 2007 at 5:36 pm · Filed under Recipes ·Tagged ,

From Laurent Manrique, executive chef of Aqua in San Francisco.

INGREDIENTS:
The Short Ribs:
1 tablespoon olive oil or duck fat
3 to 4 pounds short ribs
Salt and pepper to taste
1 head of garlic, cut in half crosswise
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
4 cups chicken or veal stock
2 cups dry red wine
1 bunch fresh thyme, or 2 teaspoons dried thyme

INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over high heat. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper on all sides. Add to the pot and brown well on all sides. Transfer the short ribs to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the garlic and onion and brown well. Return the meat to the pan. Add the stock, wine and thyme. Bring to a boil. Cover and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is falling from the bones. Transfer the ribs to a platter.

Strain the cooking liquid into a heavy saucepan. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until reduced and thickened.

To serve: Divide the ribs among serving plates. Spoon the sauce over the ribs.

Serves 4

Source: SFGate newsletter 3/8/07

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kimchi fried rice

September 27, 2007 at 4:05 pm · Filed under Recipes ·Tagged , ,

ingredients
1 c chopped kimchi and 1/4 c kimchi juice
2 c rice
1 tbsp butter
dried seaweed
meat
1 tbsp sesame oil

directions
Cook rice.
Add oil to large frying pan over medium heat.
Cook meat until the outside is cooked.
Add kimchee and cook until wilted.
Mix rice in.
Mix in the kimchi juice and butter.
Crumble dried seaweed over on top.
Mix and eat!

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Mango Ice Cream with Caramelized Mango

September 27, 2007 at 11:09 am · Filed under Recipes ·Tagged , , ,

By Roy Finamore from Tasty: Get Great Food on the Table Every DayYou could make this creamy, eggless, Philadelphia-style ice cream without the caramelized mango, but it’s so much better with.

Makes: About 1 quart

Ingredients

For the caramelized mango:
1/3 cup sugar
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into large dice

For the ice cream:
2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
Pinch of coarse salt
2 cups heavy cream

Instructions

For the caramelized mango:
Pour the sugar into a heavy medium skillet. Cook over medium heat, swirling the sugar around in the pan often, until it is dark amber. Add the diced mango. The caramel will sputter and seize up. Don’t worry. Cook, stirring, just until the caramel dissolves. Scrape the mango into a bowl, cover, and chill thoroughly.

For the ice cream:
Process the mangoes in a food processor until you’ve made a smooth purée. Add the lime zest and juice, sugar, molasses, and salt. Process for a minute or so to dissolve the sugar. Scrape the purée out into a pitcher or bowl, whisk in the cream, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
Freeze the ice cream base according to the instructions for your ice cream maker. When it’s just about frozen, add the caramelized mango. Chances are the ice cream will melt some; just keep freezing it until it’s firm again. Transfer to a container with a lid, and let the ice cream cure in the freezer for at least 2 hours before serving.

Source: http://www.chow.com/recipes/10191

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oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

September 26, 2007 at 5:04 pm · Filed under Recipes ·Tagged , ,

this is my favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies. supposedly it’s based on the recipe for the cookies that you get at doubletree hotels when you check in. i don’t know if that’s true, but they’re still pretty darn good.

ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup rolled oats (chopped in food processor)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

3 dozen | 30 minutes 15 mins prep

1. Preheat oven to 350*F (175*C).
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
3. Set aside.
4. With an electric mixer, cream butter in large bowl.
5. Add both sugars and beat on medium for 2 minutes.
6. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
7. Add lemon juice and vanilla; mix well.
8. Stir in flour mixture, mixing well.
9. Add chocolate chips and nuts and stir to just combine.
9a. Chill mixture overnight or freeze for 1 hour.
10. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls on non-stick baking pans, 2 to 3 inches apart.
11. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.
12. Cool; transfer to wire racks and cool completely.
13. Store in tightly sealed container.

*****
Source: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/getrecipe.zsp?id=33621

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beef with broccoli and oyster sauce

September 26, 2007 at 5:01 pm · Filed under Recipes ·Tagged , , ,

this used to be my favorite thing to eat at chinese restaurants when i was growing up. the recipe looks kind of complicated since it involves lots of little ingredients, but when i made it, i just sort of eyeballed the measurements, and it still came out pretty good.

ingredients
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

0.5 pound lean flank steak
0.5 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoons water
0.5 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoons sugar

0.5 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
2 cloves garlic
3 cups broccoli florets (about 1 pound)
1/8 cup water
2 cups hot cooked rice

preparation
Combine first 6 ingredients; stir until well-blended, and set aside.

Trim fat from steak. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into 1-inch-thick slices. Cut slices into thin strips. Combine steak, .5 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoons water, 0.5 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 teaspoons sugar in a medium bowl; stir until well-blended. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 15 minutes.

Heat 1 teaspoons oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add steak mixture; stir-fry 2 minutes. Remove steak from pan; set aside. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil, garlic; stir-fry over medium-high heat 30 seconds. Stir in broccoli and 1/4 cup water; cover and cook 3 minutes. Return steak to pan, and stir in oyster sauce mixture; stir-fry 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Serve over rice.

2 servings

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spam and egg sandwich (10 min)

September 26, 2007 at 4:36 pm · Filed under Recipes ·Tagged , , ,

such an easy breakfast! and who can resist the deliciousness that is spam?

ingredients
6 slices of spam
4 eggs
4 slices of bread/toast

directions
cook the spam until browned. remove from pan. in the same pan, cook eggs as desired (i just fry them and roughly shape them to fit the bread.) put 3 slices of spam and 2 eggs on each sandwich.

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lemon/basil pasta

September 26, 2007 at 4:30 pm · Filed under Recipes ·Tagged , , , ,

one of my favorites. it’s so easy and it tastes very light and fresh.
ingredients
1/2 tsp salt
pasta (I usually just cook enough so that about half the dish is pasta)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 medium zucchini, sliced
4 or 5 sprigs basil, leaves shredded
3 chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
black pepper or crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

directions
Bring 4 quarts water to a full boil. Add 1/4 tsp salt and stir in pasta. Cook 1 minute less than what the directions show. While pasta cooks, warm oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic, swirl for a moment and reduce heat to low. Do not let garlic brown. Add chicken and saute. After the outside of the chicken has cooked, add zucchini and yellow squash and sauté gently until zucchini softens slightly and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season mixture with 1/4 tsp salt and remove pan from heat. When pasta is finished cooking, drain noodles. Using tongs or 2 kitchen spoons, combine noodles thoroughly with zucchini mixture over low heat. Add basil and tomatoes and season with remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Sprinkle with lemon zest and juice and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

The original recipe is here: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/232658

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