October 8, 2012
I have the best intentions of cooking more at home and cooking GREAT things. And I'm not only talking about special occasions, but for everyday breakfast, lunch and dinner as well. My intentions can be seen occasionally by the fact that sometimes I do bust out one of the recipes from years and years of food magazine collections (Cooking Light, Food and Wine, Food Network Magazine, Bon Appetit and others) or cookbooks, but most of the time it can be witnessed by the stacks and stacks of magazine pages around my house that I've ripped out because the recipes looked good. It would be my dream to make a gourmet dinner or even lunch every day in between gymnastics, soccer games, trampoline, trumpet lessons, and now a new puppy. (Yes, you did read it correctly that my 9 year old daughter just took up the trumpet! Pretty soon she'll be able to play the background music for this blog!) Sigh... So I'm going to start smaller.
My new vow is to try one new recipe of some sort from one of the piles and/or a new product at least once a week and I will post it here for your reading enjoyment.
Last week, I traveled back to October 2010 and made Shrimp Fra Diavolo courtesy of Grace Parisi and Food and Wine magazine. It was super tasty, so easy to make, only about 30 minutes from start to finish, and not alot of clean-up, but be warned: this dish is spicy. If your skiddish about hot and spicy, you may want to cut back on the crushed red pepper and it will probably still be delicious. Bon appetit!
Shrimp Fra Diavolo (sorry, no picture- will post next time I make it!)
(4 servings)
1 and 1/4 pounds shelled and deveined medium shrimp
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce thickly sliced pancetta, finely diced (I used regular bacon because that's what I had on-hand)
1 small onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups jarred marinara sauce (Rao's is a good one, or I used homemade that was left over, but whatever you like)
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Crusty bread and/or pasta for serving (I served over whole grain penne)
1. In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the crushed red pepper; season with salt and black pepper. Let stand for 20 minutes.
2. Heat a large skillet until very hot. Add the shrimp and cook over high heat until lightly browned and nearly cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet along with the pancetta, onion and garlic, and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Return the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Add the marinara sauce and simmer over moderate heat until the shrimp are cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to bowls, garnish with the parsley and serve with crusty bread.
Breakfast for Dinner!
September 26, 2012
Hello fellow Foodies! I've missed you!
Sorry I haven't posted over the last week, but this Foodie Favorite has also decided to become a "Pampered Chef" and I've been spending some time kicking that off. Check out my new website at http://pamperedchef.biz/foodiefavorites to see all of the great products, get some new recipes and consider being a host. Great, great benefits for hosts where you can earn FREE products, half price products and discounted products. OK. Done plugging myself :)
So, going along with the Pampered Chef theme, I recently pulled out some old cookbooks from when I last hosted a PC party, 2002, and came across the "Farmstand Frittata"- the ingredients seemed so awesomely farmer's market and "end of summer" and I actually had most of them in the fridge so I decided to make it. My husband is more of a meat and potatoes (rice, really) kind-of-guy so you can imagine his excitement when he came home from work and I told him we were having a fritatta for dinner (and bacon). Hahaha. My kids would never eat this...too many eggs, too many vegetables, etc., but "Breakfast for Dinner" is a novelty idea in the kid universe so they were still excited and they did both try the bacon though they had alternate main courses.
Check out the recipe below...though it's good for dinner, it is also great for Brunch and/or for leftover breakfast which skeptical hubbie had the next morning!
Coming soon...Our very own Cabhunter will be back with his wine picks for the fall and Foodie will give an easy solution to delicious short ribs! Tell your friends to check us out by coming to foodiefavorites.blogspot.com and click subscribe to get direct e-mails whenever there is a post.
Bon Appetit!
Veggies + eggs= yummy frittata!
Farmstand Fritatta
Ingredients:
6 ounces uncooked thin spaghetti
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
2 medium zucchini, sliced (1 and 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves snipped, divided
6 eggs
1/2 teasopoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt, divided
1 and 1/2 ounces fresh Parmesan cheese, grated, divided (about 6 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1. Break thin spaghettin into 2-to 3-inch lengths. Cook according to package directions; drain.
2. Meanwhile, chop onion and bell pepper. Slice zucchini. Snip basil with shears.
3. In small bowl, whisk together eggs, 1 tablespoon of the snipped basil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and black pepper using a whisk. Add 4 tablespoons of the grated Parmesan cheese.
4. In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, zucchini and garlic pressed with a garlic press. Cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are tender; stir in cooked spaghetti. Reduce heat to low. Pour egg mixture over pasta mixture in pan. Cover; cook 14-15 minutes or until egg mixture is set in center.
5. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes with remaining 1 tablespoon snipped basil and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Grate remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese over frittata. Cut frittata into wedges. Serve topped with tomato mixture.
6 servings. Calories 230, Fat 8 g, Sodium 400mg, Dietary Fiber 2g
Foodie Note: Keep an eye on the eggs while they are cooking. Depending on how well done you like your eggs and/or the pan you are using, cooking time may vary. I cooked my frittata a bit longer than the recipe called for.
Pampered Chef Notes: 1- With the spaghetti added, the frittata has a firm texture, making it easy to slice and serve. 2- You can cook the thin spaghetti ahead of time and refrigerate, or use 3 cups leftover cooked thin spaghetti. Use kitchen shears to cut leftover cooked spaghetti into 2- to 3-inch lengths.
Hello fellow Foodies! I've missed you!
Sorry I haven't posted over the last week, but this Foodie Favorite has also decided to become a "Pampered Chef" and I've been spending some time kicking that off. Check out my new website at http://pamperedchef.biz/foodiefavorites to see all of the great products, get some new recipes and consider being a host. Great, great benefits for hosts where you can earn FREE products, half price products and discounted products. OK. Done plugging myself :)
So, going along with the Pampered Chef theme, I recently pulled out some old cookbooks from when I last hosted a PC party, 2002, and came across the "Farmstand Frittata"- the ingredients seemed so awesomely farmer's market and "end of summer" and I actually had most of them in the fridge so I decided to make it. My husband is more of a meat and potatoes (rice, really) kind-of-guy so you can imagine his excitement when he came home from work and I told him we were having a fritatta for dinner (and bacon). Hahaha. My kids would never eat this...too many eggs, too many vegetables, etc., but "Breakfast for Dinner" is a novelty idea in the kid universe so they were still excited and they did both try the bacon though they had alternate main courses.
Check out the recipe below...though it's good for dinner, it is also great for Brunch and/or for leftover breakfast which skeptical hubbie had the next morning!
Coming soon...Our very own Cabhunter will be back with his wine picks for the fall and Foodie will give an easy solution to delicious short ribs! Tell your friends to check us out by coming to foodiefavorites.blogspot.com and click subscribe to get direct e-mails whenever there is a post.
Bon Appetit!
Veggies + eggs= yummy frittata!
Farmstand Fritatta
Ingredients:
6 ounces uncooked thin spaghetti
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
2 medium zucchini, sliced (1 and 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves snipped, divided
6 eggs
1/2 teasopoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt, divided
1 and 1/2 ounces fresh Parmesan cheese, grated, divided (about 6 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1. Break thin spaghettin into 2-to 3-inch lengths. Cook according to package directions; drain.
2. Meanwhile, chop onion and bell pepper. Slice zucchini. Snip basil with shears.
3. In small bowl, whisk together eggs, 1 tablespoon of the snipped basil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and black pepper using a whisk. Add 4 tablespoons of the grated Parmesan cheese.
4. In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, zucchini and garlic pressed with a garlic press. Cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are tender; stir in cooked spaghetti. Reduce heat to low. Pour egg mixture over pasta mixture in pan. Cover; cook 14-15 minutes or until egg mixture is set in center.
5. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes with remaining 1 tablespoon snipped basil and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Grate remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese over frittata. Cut frittata into wedges. Serve topped with tomato mixture.
6 servings. Calories 230, Fat 8 g, Sodium 400mg, Dietary Fiber 2g
Foodie Note: Keep an eye on the eggs while they are cooking. Depending on how well done you like your eggs and/or the pan you are using, cooking time may vary. I cooked my frittata a bit longer than the recipe called for.
Pampered Chef Notes: 1- With the spaghetti added, the frittata has a firm texture, making it easy to slice and serve. 2- You can cook the thin spaghetti ahead of time and refrigerate, or use 3 cups leftover cooked thin spaghetti. Use kitchen shears to cut leftover cooked spaghetti into 2- to 3-inch lengths.
Bargain Red Wines
September 17, 2012
I've been known to throw back a glass (bottle) or two of wine on occasion. I have my everyday favorites which usually are at a lesser price point then bottles for special occasions. Like alot of people, I've tasted wine from the inexpensive to the VERY expensive. I am not a connoisseur of wine and I haven't been formally trained or schooled, but I know what I like. As far as reds go, I generally like a light to middle bodied wine which can be found in almost all regions. There are of course many, many delicious wines but as a rule of thumb, once you start going over a 14%-ish alcohol level, you'll be falling down after a couple of glasses. Sadly, I speak from experience...
I gave 2 different bottles a try recently which were smooth and yummy and were from Whole Foods so you should be able to find them fairly easily. They were great buys for the money!! I hope you get a chance to give them a try.
Details below:
Altos Las Hormigas
Malbec-Clasico Mendoza
Argentina 2011
14.2% alcohol
www.lashormigas.com
$10.99 (at Whole Foods)
M.Chapoutier's Belleruche
Cotes-Du-Rhone
France 2010
14% alcohol
$13.99 (at Whole Foods)
Cheers!
The Lobster Roll from Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP
September 7, 2012
I've become a huge fan of the lobster roll this summer. One of our nearby restaurants, Boondocks, in Red Bank, NJ gets credit for turning me onto them. I don't really like mayo, but I gave it a try anyway because I LOVE lobster, and it was delicious- I can't get enough of it.
Soooo... When I saw a recipe come through in my own e-mail box, I thought I must share it. Gwyneth Paltrow started her own blog/website in 2008 called GOOP where every week she "reports" on a different category (make, go, get, do, be, see). This week not only does she "make" a lobster roll, french fries and martinis with a little help from her friends, but she reports on where to get great lobster rolls in various cities if you don't have the time or the energy to make your own.
Go to: http://goop.com/journal/make/191/the-lobster-roll
If you have trouble with the link, type in goop.com and under recipes search for the lobster roll.
You can also subscribe to GOOP to get her weekly postings. And subscribe to Foodie Favorites as well at http://foodiefavorites.blogspot.com.
Enjoy and Bon Appetit!
I've become a huge fan of the lobster roll this summer. One of our nearby restaurants, Boondocks, in Red Bank, NJ gets credit for turning me onto them. I don't really like mayo, but I gave it a try anyway because I LOVE lobster, and it was delicious- I can't get enough of it.
Soooo... When I saw a recipe come through in my own e-mail box, I thought I must share it. Gwyneth Paltrow started her own blog/website in 2008 called GOOP where every week she "reports" on a different category (make, go, get, do, be, see). This week not only does she "make" a lobster roll, french fries and martinis with a little help from her friends, but she reports on where to get great lobster rolls in various cities if you don't have the time or the energy to make your own.
Go to: http://goop.com/journal/make/191/the-lobster-roll
If you have trouble with the link, type in goop.com and under recipes search for the lobster roll.
You can also subscribe to GOOP to get her weekly postings. And subscribe to Foodie Favorites as well at http://foodiefavorites.blogspot.com.
Enjoy and Bon Appetit!
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