Spaghetti Pie

If you happened to have visited this little kitchen in the early days, you were subjected to dark and yellowy pics and you were assaulted by too many exclamation points. I still have a ways to go on my photography and I'm still excited about food... however, I've picked up a trick or two to make this food look as good as it tastes, and I've found other ways to express my enthusiasm.

Turkey Meatballs with Whole Wheat Spaghetti

I'm trying to be good.

I'm trying to eat less of these, drink these in moderation and maybe keep these to a minimum.

Self control is not my forte when it comes to food, but there is some major holiday eating to be done in the near future so I am trying my very best to give my bod a month of semi healthy eating.

But here's the newest problem.  There is finally the slightest chill in the air, which makes me crave hearty, stick to your ribs fall meals.

And here's the newest solution.  Turkey meatballs with whole wheat spaghetti.  All the comfort, but none of the fat and cals of most comfy fall meals.

It's get better.  Make a big batch, eat half (or a fourth) for dinner and stick them in your freezer.  They are just as good a week or two later.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Turkey Meatballs & Whole Wheat Spaghetti

For the Meatballs

3 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread
1/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (93% lean, dark meat)
3 scallions, finely chopped
2 small garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg
Coarse salt and ground pepper

8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti (preferably angel hair or thin spaghetti)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups prepared marinara sauce

Grated parmesan, for serving (optional)

Step by Step
Place bread in a small food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs with milk; set aside at least 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine turkey, scallions, garlic, parsley, egg, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and breadcrumb mixture; mix gently with a fork.  Form mixture into small balls, about 2 level tablespoons.

Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking With hands, form mixture into balls, each equal to 2 level tablespoons; arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

For Freezing

Place in freezer making sure that the meatballs are not touching.  After frozen through, at least an hour, you can transfer meatballs to a resealable plastic freezer bag.  Store for up to one month.  Meatballs can be cooked straight from freezer.  Add at least 10 minutes of cooking time.  Or meatballs can be thawed in the refrigerator over night for quicker cooking. 

For Immediate Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Salt the water heavily.  Cook pasta according to directions. 

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add meatballs (3 to 5 per person) and cook until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add marinara sauce and 1/2 cup water; cook until heated through, 5 minutes. Add spaghetti and toss to combine; serve immediately.

Makes 35 small meatballs. 

Prepared pasta makes 4 servings. 

Homemade Gnocchi

Homemade pasta use to scare me.  Maybe scare is the wrong word, but I would have never thought about diving into such a task on my own.  That all changed on my first trip to Italy and was reaffirmed this summer when I went back.  There are just a few ingredients and the taste you get doesn't come close to what you buy at the grocery.

I thought gnocchi would be a great first pasta dish to share because there is no special equipment needed... just patience.  This is not a dish for the faint of heart.  It can take practice and patience.  I am probably not winning you over right now on the idea of venturing into gnocchi making, but I don't want to make this seem like all rainbows and butterflies.  However, if you get it right, you will jump for joy at what you have created.

Gnocchi is little pillows of pasta made out of potatoes.  It pairs really well with fresh tomato sauces or thick cheese sauces.  I wanted to share the recipe I learned at Villa San Michele.  Simple and just so fresh.

So here we go.

Gather your ingredients. 

(We will chat about those riced potatoes at the end)

Place your flour, potatoes and egg in a bowl. 

Using your fingers, press the ingredients together until you get a nice ball of dough. 

Knead the ball of dough until smooth with no big lumps. 

Take about a 1/4 cup of dough and roll out into long strands about an inch thick. 

Cut into 1 inch pillows. 

To get perfect ridges, you would need a gnocchi paddle, but you can use the back of a fork to form ridges.  Press each pillow against the back of a fork to indent small lines.  This will help the gnocchi soak up sauce. 

Cook gnocchi in salted boiling water.  The gnocchi will float to the top when they are finished cooking. 

While sauce is still cooking add gnocchi and toss.  Serve hot. And just like that, you've made homemade pasta.

Go on, put yourself out there.. try this in your own kitchen.  If not, just make sure this class is on your bucket list.

Gnocchi
Recipe from Villa San Michele Cooking School
Recipe Notes
One more warning.  This is not the normal little kitchen recipe.  It's not quick, it's not something you are going to read and get on the table tonight, but instead a fun kitchen project that is rewarding if you stick with it.
Ingredients
About 2 pounds of starchy potatoes (2 or 3 large russets)
2 or 3 pinches of salt
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup unbleached, all purpose flour
Step by Step

Fill a large pot with cold water. Salt the water, then cut potatoes in half and place them in the pot. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender throughout, this takes roughly 40-50 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the water and allow to cool only enough for you to be able to touch them.  You want to mash them while they are still hot.   Place each potato piece on a large cutting board and peel it before moving on to the next potato. To get the potatoes mashed, you can either push them through a ricer or just use a fork.  If using a fork, you want to create a nice fluffy potato base so you do not want to mash it to death.  Run your fork through the potato until there are no noticeable lumps.  

Cool the potatoes enough so that egg will not cook when added to the potatoes.  When potatoes are cooled, place in a medium sized bowl.  Add the beaten egg and egg yolk, flour and salt. Mix together using your hands until you create a dough ball.  The dough should be moist, but not sticky.  Add a little extra flour if the mixture is too sticky.   Cut dough into 8 pieces.  Roll each piece out into a long skinny log, about a ½ inch thick.  Using a pastry cutter or knife, cut ¾ inch little pillows.  Dust with flour and repeat until you have used all of the dough.  Save the potato water.

Let the potatoes cool spread out across the cutting board - ten or fifteen minutes. Long enough that the egg won't cook when it is incorporated into the potatoes. 

To shape the gnocchi,  hold a fork in one hand and place a gnocchi pillow against the back of the fork prongs.  With pressure, use your thumb and press in and down the length of the fork.   With confidence and an assertive (but light) touch, use your thumb and press in and down the length of the fork. The gnocchi should curl into a slight curved shape, their backs will capture the impression of the fork prongs as tiny ridges, goodperfect  for catching sauce later.   Set each gnocchi aside, dust with a bit more flour if needed, until you are ready to boil them.  This is the step that takes practice.  My first five to ten always look a little rough, but you will get the motion down. 

When you are ready to cook the gnocchi, bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Drop in about 20 at a time so they are not too crowded.  They will let you know when they are done because they will float to the top.  Using a slotted spoon, remove from the water about 10 seconds after they have reached the top.  Add to whatever sauce you will be serving.  Continue until all gnocchi are cooked.  Lightly drizzle with more sauce or olive oil.  Serve hot.

Serves 6.

Spring Vegetable Pasta with Mushroom Butter Sauce

To the best I can tell, it is pretty much spring around these here parts.  We have had beautiful weather and I sure hope it stays that way.  This is pretty much one of the freshest pastas I have ever made with so much flavor.  A co-worker shared this recipe with me (thank you, Christy!) after going to a cooking class and I just had to try it.

I usually do not like my pasta to be bothered with any sort of vegetable, but the long ribbons that you make out of carrots, zucchini, and squash intrigued me.  The ribbons were so delicate and soaked up the mushroom butter sauce to just melt in your mouth.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Spring Vegetable Pasta with Mushroom Butter Sauce

Recipe Notes

The original recipe called for pappardelle pasta.  This is basically a skinny version of lasagna noodles, but I could not find it so I used fettucine.  Use whatever you can find.  If you are unfamiliar with leeks, they are really just a larger version of a green onion.  Wash them well and slice just the white part.  See picture above. 

Ingredients

1 lb. fettucine or pappardelle pasta *see recipe note

2 zucchini

2 yellow squash

2 carrots 

1 cup chopped white button mushrooms

2 leeks, washed and sliced *see recipe note

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 lemon, zested and juice

Step by Step

Peel carrot with vegetable peeler and throw away outer layer.  Continue to peel long ribbons of carrots and set aside.  Peel squash and zucchini into long ribbon pieces, stopping at seeds.  Make long strands one side of squash until you hit seed.  Then, rotate to another side and repeat until all sides have been peeled; set aside.

Saute leeks with butter on medium heat, 4-5 minutes until translucent.  Add garlic and continue to cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes.  Add mushrooms and wine and cook an additional 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Mushroom butter sauce can be covered and stored in the refrigerator up to one week.  Boil pasta according to directions on packaging in a large pot of salted water.  When pasta has 3 minutes left, add ribbons of vegetables to pasta and cook together.  

Drain pasta and vegetables and place in a large bowl.  Pour butter sauce on top and mix to combine.  Serve immediately. 

Makes 6 servings. 

Chicken with Artichokes and Angel Hair

Finally, a real dinner, a new recipe, in the new little kitchen.  You see, I have been cooking.  It's just that when things have been so crazy around here, it has been much easier to fall back on a few favorites than to explore a new recipe.  But something just felt so right about making this meal.  So the cooking will be picking up again.   Slowly but surely I'm getting comfortable in this new place.

This was a great quick night meal that jazzes up chicken just a bit.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

To deglaze the pan, simply scrape the bottom of the pan once the chicken broth is added.  This allows the bits of chicken that get stuck to the pan to add flavor to the sauce. 

Chicken with Artichokes and Angel Hair
Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food
Serves 4
Recipe Notes
The original recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breast.  I used boneless, skinless tenders because that is what I had on hand.  Either will work, but the most important part is to pound it really thin.  If your chicken breast is really thick, you can cut it lengthwise first, and then pound it out a little more.  Another key is adding a good bit of salt and pepper to the flour for the chicken.  This is the main flavor for the chicken so add a good amount.  I used whole wheat angel hair pasta, but if I was making this for guests, I would probably use regular.... either will work great.
Ingredients

Salt and ground pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

8 thin chicken cutlets (about 1 1/2 pounds total) see recipe notes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts 2 tablespoons rinsed and drained capers

2 tablespoons butter

8 ounces angel-hair pasta (whole wheat or regular)

1/2 cup parsley leaves

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Place flour in a shallow dish, and season well with lots of salt and pepper. Dredge cutlets, shaking off excess. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Cook chicken in batches, adding remaining oil as needed, until light golden, 1 to 3 minutes per side; transfer to a dish.

Add broth to skillet, and bring to a boil; cook until reduced by half. Add artichokes, capers, and the chicken with any juices. Gently swirl to combine, and bring just to a boil. Remove skillet from heat. Add butter and stir until melted.

Add pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente; drain. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta, topped with parsley.

Lemon Arugula Pasta

This is my first official garden to table recipe (if you can consider a "garden," a pot on my concrete driveway and a "table" the tv tray that Mr. Hungry and I ate this on while we watched Lost).  Well, whatever you consider it I am very proud of the arugula in this dish.  I grew it from seed and I still consider it a complete miracle.  If you have been following me for awhile, you might have caught this disaster, but the only slightly green thumb thing I have ever done is to keep a few basil and parsley plants alive for a couple of weeks.

I wanted to try my hand at really growing something and arugula fit the bill perfectly.  You see, I often use a sprinkle of arugula on pizza or in a pasta, but you have to buy a huge tub for about five bucks and the rest goes to waste.  So I thought it was a perfect thing to try and grow.

This was such a great and refreshing summer pasta... now all I have to do is wait a month or two for more arugula.  This whole growing what you eat thing is exhausting.... but delicious.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Lemon Arugula Pasta
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti, dry
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup baby arugula
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Sea salt and pepper
Step by Step
Cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, heat oil and butter over medium-low heat. Stir in garlic, lemon peel, lemon juice, broth, salt and pepper and raise heat to medium-high. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes.

Drain pasta, return it to its cooking pot and immediately pour the heated sauce over it, along with the arugula, parsley and basil. Use tongs to gently toss the pasta and sauce together. Top with extra parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve hot. 

Pork & Chive Pot Stickers

And I quote, "This is the absolute best thing you have ever made." 

The context:  I made these potstickers for dinner and these were the exact words Mr. Hungry used as he looked at me with the most wide eyed happy face I have seen in awhile.  I don't think there is much more I can say to tell you how good they are (oh yeah, except I absolutely loved them too) so I will go on to trying to convince you to make these.  I could literally see the loss of interest in people's faces when I told them about these little sussies and I blame that wholly on the fact that the minute you hear about something you have only had in a  restaurant, you assume it is too complicated to be on anyone's list of things to try.

Well, let me tell you that couldn't be farther from the truth.  These are so easy and more than that, they were pretty fun to put together.  I don't have any munchkins of my own, but I have a feeling kids would love to help you make these for dinner.  Kind of makes we want to have children of my own so I could have a little assembly line of dumpling makers and crank these out by the hundreds.  (Okay, before you call Child Protective Services on behalf of my future children, I'm just joking...kind of).

Previously, I found my favorite version at our local grocery store (name to remain anonymous because of the rest of this story).  The small problem is the hair that Mr. Hungry found in his last batch that we got from there so I decided I needed to come up with my own.  And I actually prefer knowing exactly what goes into these.  As Mr. Hungry explained it, he says half the joy of eating the homemade version is not having to be worried about biting into something weird.  Moral of the story... these are actually the best pot stickers I have ever had including restaurant and store bought versions and I am extra happy to avoid the mystery of what is inside. 

Pork & Chive Pot Stickers

Adapted from Everyday Food

Recipe Notes

The key to making these really tasty is to let the fry up for awhile until they are golden brown and crispy.  If you are unfamiliar with wonton wrappers, they can be found in most any grocery store in the refrigerated section.  At my grocery, they are located next to the herbs and mushrooms. 

Ingredients

1/4 pound ground pork

1 tablespoon minced chives

1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons dry sherry

1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

20 wonton wrappers (from a 12-ounce package)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Soy-Ginger Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

Step by Step

 In a bowl, combine pork, chives, soy sauce, sherry, ginger, sesame oil, cornstarch, salt and 1 tablespoon water.  Place an overflowing teaspoon of the pork mixture in the center of the wonton wrapper.  Lightly wet the out edge of the wonton wrapper and press together to seal, forming a half moon.  Place on parchment paper or wax paper to keep from sticking to the counter.  Repeat with remaining dumplings.

Cook dumplings in two batches so they do not crowd the pan.  Cook in boiling water until cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon or an asian strainer.  Heat vegetable oil over medium-high.  In two batches, cook until golden brown and slightly crispy, about 2 minutes per side.  Serve with dipping sauce.

To make Dipping Sauce

In a bowl, stir together all ingredients listed above.  

To Freeze:

Prepare through the first paragraph (prepare, but do not boil) and freeze between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container.  When you are ready to make them, take them out of the freezer and continue with the steps.  You can stick them right in the boiling water in their frozen state.  Allow to cook a few extra minutes. 

Pesto Pasta Salad with Feta & Tomatoes

This little pasta salad seems to be just what almost any party needs.  It comes together so quick, which is essential for you, but it seems to be a star.  Yep, a real star.  There is something addicting about the combo.  Almost like a pizza, but fresher.  Yeah, that's it... fresher pizza.  All of the flavors, but none of the grease.  Who wouldn't want the flavors of pizza served in a dainty form?

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Pesto Pasta Salad with Feta & Tomatoes
Adapted from Dave Lieberman
Recipe Notes
Marinated mozzarella balls from Costco are amazing in this dish.  Feta provides a great kick if you do not have that option. To make this extra quick, you can use store bought pesto.  The pesto can make or break this pasta so you want to use a good one if you choose to do so.  Two fresh ones that I like can be found at Central Market on the fresh dip and sauces aisle or Costco has a great pesto as well.
Ingredients
1 pound bow tie pasta (also called farfalle)
3/4 cup pesto
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup crumbled feta cheese or 1 cup marinated mozzarella balls, cut in half
1/2 cup pine nuts
kosher salt and pepper
olive oil, as needed
Step by Step
Toast pine nuts. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread pine nuts in a thin layer on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown. Watch carefully so that they do not burn. Shake the baking sheet if necessary to get them browned evenly.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Stir in the bow ties and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and run it under cold water just until it stops steaming. Drain the pasta well to remove all excess water.

Dump the pasta into a large serving bowl. Stir in the pesto until the pasta is coated. Toss in the cherry tomatoes and the crumbled feta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can make the salad up to about 1 hour before you serve it. Check out the salt and pepper just before you serve the salad. If it's looking a little dry, add some olive oil and stir it around.

To do more prep work in advance, you can make the pasta the day before. Follow the directions on cooling the pasta and draining. Drizzle with olive oil and toss so that the noodles do not stick together. Refrigerate until ready to use.


Pesto:
5 big handfuls basil leaves (about 2 hefty bunches
1/2 cup pine nuts or 3/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
Juice of 1 small lemon
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Kosher salt
About 20 grinds freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients with 1/2 cup of the oil in a blender and blend. Gradually drizzle in the remaining 1/4 cup of oil until pesto is thick and smooth.

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups

If you have any leftover ingredients, you could make this tomorrow night for dinner!

Pasta with Brie, Mushrooms & Arugula

Sure, it's the new year and everyone is still holding on to those resolutions of eating ridiculously healthy.  But at the same time, it's still very cold outside (or at least to me) and everyone needs a good stick to your ribs meal every once in a while.   The brie melts into the pasta and makes a delicious creamy sauce. The onions give just enough of a crunch and the savory mushrooms pair perfectly with the peppery arugula.  I think it might just be the perfect, hearty winter pasta.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Pasta with Brie, Mushrooms & Arugula

Adapted from Real Simple November 2009

Recipe Notes

I recommend slicing the onions as thin as you can.  If they are too thick, it can be a little overwhelming, but if they are thin, they blend with the pasta perfectly.

Ingredients

6 oz of farfalle pasta (or penne)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 pound button mushrooms, quartered

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup dry white wine

Kosher salt and pepper

4 oz of brie, cut into one inch pieces (you can leave the white rind on the cheese)

2 cups baby arugula

Step by Step

1.  Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta, and return pasta to the pot.

2.  While pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add mushrooms and onions and allow to cook until mushrooms begin to release their juices, tossing occasionally.

3.  Add the wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until mushrooms begin to brown, 5 to 6 minutes.

4.  Toss the pasta with the Brie and reserved pasta water until the pasta is coated evenly.  Stir in the mushroom mixture and arugula.