Saturday, August 21, 2010

Help, please!


I have to admit -- I am suffering from a complete lack of creativity these days! (Hence, the absence from blogging!)

One particularly disturbing area that's suffering is in the kitchen! I have no motivation to start cooking meals again, and I can count on my hand the number of times we've eaten frozen pizza this week (it's more than one!)

That's just depressing.

But that's also where you can help. Pretty please with a cherry on top leave a comment and post your favorite new recipe, or old family tried-and-true favorite. It doesn't even have to be easy necessarily, just good.

Barring any seafood dishes, I promise to make each one and will let you know how it goes. And if you know me, you know if it has a ton of lard I probably won't make it. Those are my only ground rules!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am looking forward to getting my groove back soon!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 pound hot Italian sausage (if links, remove casings)
1/2 pound sweet Italian Sausage (if links, remove casings)
4 slices provolone cheese
4 ciabatta rolls, lightly toasted
1/4 cup pesto

METHOD:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, peppers, and garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent and peppers are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook an additional minute. Remove from heat.

Preheat grill to medium high. Combine both sausages in a bowl. Form into four patties. Grill about four to five minutes per side, until cooked through. Top burgers with peppers and a slice of cheese, close grill until cheese melts. Spread rolls with pesto and top with burger.

Anonymous said...

Oh, the recipe's name is Italian Sausage and Pepper Burgers. Nice twist on a burger. Definitely guy food! Got it from Katie Lee's food site. She was the first host on Top Chef before Padma took over.

Stephanie said...

Wow anonymous friend - that sounds amazing!!!!! Thanks!

Unknown said...

Alton Brown's pork tenderloin

* 1 whole pork tenderloin, approximately 1 pound
* 1 lime, zest finely grated
* 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
* 1/4 cup honey
* 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce
* 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Trim the pork tenderloin of any excess fat and silver skin.

Place the lime zest, lime juice, honey, salt, and garlic powder in a small, lidded jar and shake to combine. Pour half of the marinade mixture into a 1-gallon resealable bag, add the chipotle pepper, and move around to combine. Add the pork tenderloin to the bag and seal, removing as much air as possible and place in a container to catch any leaks. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours, rotating the bag halfway through the time. Place the remaining marinade in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Remove the tenderloin from the bag and allow to sit at room temperature while preparing the grill. Remove the reserved marinade from the refrigerator.
Remove the tenderloin from the bag and grill (could also bake)till tenderloin reaches an internal temperature of 140-150 degrees F.depending on how pink you like it
Remove the tenderloin from the grill and place on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil folded at the edges to create a basket, and pour on the reserved marinade. Wrap tightly and rest for 10 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and slice. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

I didn't have the chipotle chile in adobo so I substituted dried ground chipotle chili powder. It was really good! And then we used the leftovers for fried rice one day and added bbq sauce to slices another day. Hope you enjoy!

Unknown said...

Cavatelli with Wilted Greens, Crispy Pancetta, and Chickpeas
The cavatelli pasta in Scarpetta chef Scott Conant's dish gets listed first, but it's the crispy pancetta and chickpeas everyone will talk about later.
By John Mariani

Maybe you live in Lost Springs, Wyoming (population: two), or maybe the finances this month are such that the only dining out you can do is off the dollar menu. That doesn't mean you shouldn't eat well, right? So we've asked two chefs from this year's group of honored eateries to supply us with a fairly easy and incredibly satisfying recipe for a dish they serve. Give them a try. It'll be like eating at one of the Best New Restaurants in America, and you won't even have to put on pants.

Ingredients

Serves four to six

* Kosher salt
* 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
* 4 oz pancetta, diced
* 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
* 1 15-oz can chickpeas (about 1⅔ cups)
* 1 small bunch mustard greens or other bitter greens, trimmed of tough stems, well washed, and coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
* 1 lb fresh or frozen cavatelli
* ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, or more to taste

Instructions

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon (but don't clean the pan) and reserve.

Add the other tbsp of oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the chickpeas and the greens, season lightly with salt, and cook until the greens have wilted, about three minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the cavatelli in the boiling water until just shy of al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Add the pasta, pancetta, and ½ cup of pasta water to the chickpeas and greens. Cook, adding more pasta water if the mixture looks dry, until pasta is al dente.

Add Parmigiano and toss again. Serve.

Read more: http://www.esquire.com/features/guy-food/cavatelli-with-greens-recipe-ll-1108#ixzz0xm33XAJP