Red Pepper Pasta

Red Pepper Pasta

by | Pastas, Vegetables

 

red=pepper=pasta

I love this simple Red Pepper pasta, with a little kick of red pepper flakes.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp salted butter
  • 2 tbsp oil (EVOO)
  • 2 Bell Peppers
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ cup whipping cream
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes (use less if you have an aversion to spice)
  • 15 fresh basil leaves (sliced)
  • 1 box of spaghetti (300 grams) or 300 grams of fresh spaghetti

Instructions:

Boil water for pasta. I have my fresh pasta here which I will post the recipe to in a couple of days. Be sure to salt the water after water boils. Julienne the peppers into ¼” wide strips. Chop the onion into same size julienned strips. In a large skillet add the oil and butter to medium high heat, then add the onions and peppers, sauté for approximately 10 minutes until both are slightly browned. Add salt and toss. Add in the cream and the red pepper flakes and cook down till cream thickens. Pasta should be timed so that they are finished around the same time. Using pasta tongs, add spaghetti to the pan of peppers adding in some of the pasta water so that it dilutes the sauce a bit, so it’s not too thick. Stir pasta to coat all of the spaghetti. Place the pasta into bowls then add the sliced basil to the bowl. And voila!

Light and Fluffy Waffles

Light and Fluffy Waffles

by | Breakfast

Light and Fuffy Waffles

Perfect waffles for the weekend, also can be made in advance then frozen.

Fluffy Waffles

 

If you are looking for one of the lightest and fluffiest waffle recipe, look no further. Using the Hamilton Beach Waffle Maker this recipe is a perfect solution to those perfect weekend waffles.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup organic flour (I prefer italian Caputo Tipo “00”)
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 1 cup milk
  • 4 tbsp organic vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla

In a large Bow, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Set aside. Beat egg whites until stiff. Add milk and egg yolks to flour mix. Stir until smooth. Add oil and vanilla to batter and mix well. Fold egg whites into the batter. Pour one pre-measured scoop of batter (about ⅔ cup) into the middle of the waffle make. Cook 5 to 6 minutes on medium heat setting of Hamilton Beach Waffle Maker, or until golden brown.

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Large Batch Homemade Pesto

Large Batch Homemade Pesto

by | Pastas, Sauces

PESTO

This large batch recipe is a way to store your summer basil, and have access to homemade pesto all winter long

large batch pesto recipe

 

I planted basil in our garden this summer and was super excited when I discovered that I have enough to make a large batch of pesto, and freeze for the winter! I purchase the bulk pine nuts and Parmigiano Reggiano from Costco, which is so much more affordable than Whole Foods (Paycheck).  It is key to have a great food processor. I have a new “Breville Sous Chef Food Processor” that I received from my mother-in-law, that I absolutely love! Anyway, so here are the ingredients and the instructions.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound basil (9 oz leaves after removing stems)
  • ⅓ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 ½ cup fresh Parmesan Cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano)
  • 1 large clove of garlic
  • 1 Tsp. salt
  • 1 ½ cup pine nuts

Place the washed basil leaves, and oil in the food processor (using “S-Blade”), till minced, pausing occasionally to scrape in the basil on the sides. Add the cheese, garlic and salt and process until smooth. Add in the pine nuts at the end, you can make it as crunchy or smooth as you like. My son loves it chunky but my daughter likes it super smooth. You are now ready to place the pesto into ½ cup storage containers. Now you can freeze your batches. Thaw as needed, but please do not microwave. When you add to your pasta, please save some of the salted pasta water to thin out the pesto a little so it has a smooth and slightly liquid consistency.

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Pork Tacos

Pork Tacos

by | Meats, TOP Five

BAHN0MI-TACO

As you all know Instagram is “the go to” for all teenagers. My 17-year-old-foodie found this recipe for Bahn-Mi Puffy Tacos from Tastemade on Instagram, and of course wanted to make it. I jumped at the opportunity to spend “quality time” with my son. It was actually a super simple recipe, and didn’t take that long to prep or cook! Thanks, Tastemade, and thank you, Lucas! These tacos were amazing!  (Video link below).

For the pork: 

  • 1/2 pound boneless pork chop cut into 1/4 inch pieces
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 2 tsp dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon garlic finely minced and ground black pepper to taste

For the pickled vegetables:

  • 1 carrot peeled and shredded
  • 4-5 few radishes thinly sliced
  • 1/2 medium cucumber thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

Taco Shells and Garnishes:

  • 4-6 corn tortillas
  • 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
  • cilantro, to taste
  • spicy mayo (equal parts Sriracha and mayonnaise)
  • oil for frying

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Combine pork and marinade ingredients. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  2. Make the pickles: in a bowl or sealable container, mix vinegar, sugar, and salt. Then mix in the vegetables and let sit for at least 1 hour.
  3. Drain off the pork marinade. Heat a little bit of oil in a pan, and cook the pork until caramelized. Should take about 5 minutes.
  4. In a shallow pot, heat oil to 375°F – Carefully lower one tortilla at a time into the oil. Once the tortilla begins to puff up and rise to the top, gently push the edge of a metal spatula into the center, bending it in half like a taco shape. Hold in place and cook until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and repeat the process.
  5. To assemble: Fill the puffy taco shells with the caramelized pork, and top with the pickled vegetables, jalapeño, cilantro, and a drizzle of spicy mayo.

Here is the instructional video from Tastemade Pork Tacos

 

Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho

Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho

by | Appetizers, Soups, Vegan, Vegetables

gazpacho

I wanted to make a gazpacho that was thirst quenching, nutritious and refreshing, so I married some juicy heirloom tomatoes, seedless watermelon, with the traditional bell peppers and cucumbers. All of which have a high water content, making it unnecessary to add tomato juice. This recipe was pretty simple even though the list of ingredients seems a bit daunting. As long as you have the right measuring tools it’s quite simple to make. Optional: make a big batch and store in the fridge for up to five days.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups of diced heirloom tomatoes + 2 tbsp for garnish
  • 1 ½ cups of diced cucumbers – seeded and peeled + 2 tbsp for garnish
  • 1 ½ cups of diced red pepper – seeded + 2 tbsp for garnish
  • 1 cup of diced onions
  • 2 cups of chopped watermelon – seeded + 2 tbsp diced for garnish
  • 1 cup of croutons
  • 2 tbsp of tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp for drizzle on garnish
  • 1 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp diced garlic
  • 1 tsp salt

Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Chill the soup for minimum 4 hours but can be stored in the fridge over night. Mix all the reserve garnish (tomatoes, cucumbers, red peppers, and watermelon) with olive and salt. Place a tbsp onto each serving. Serve with a cool cocktail, perhaps a watermelon margarita or mojito.

Whipped Ricotta Flatbread with Zucchini and Tomatoes

Whipped Ricotta Flatbread with Zucchini and Tomatoes

by | Appetizers, Dips, Favorite Recipes, Vegetables

Zan's recipe Flatbread whipped RicottaHere is a fun appetizer I created using some (store bought) pizza dough, ricotta, and some veggies. It’s not too heavy and you can make a little extra whipped ricotta as a dipping sauce.

Ingredients:

For the Whipped Ricotta

  • 16 oz. ricotta
  • 1 tsp. fresh rosemary
  • 4 small cloves roasted garlic
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil

For the Flatbread

  • 1 ball of pizza dough
  • flour for dusting surface and pizza spatula
  • 1/4 Tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 sliced zucchini (with cheese slicer)
  • 5 Roma tomatoes (sliced same thickness as zucchini)
  • 8 leaves of basil (sliced into strips)

Directions for Whipped Ricotta:

Place ricotta, rosemary, roasted garlic, salt, and goat cheese crumbles into the blender, blend on low speed, and slowly add in the olive oil until you reach a smooth consistency.

Directions for Flatbread:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees or grill. (I normally cook pizza on a pizza stone.) Roll out the pizza dough on a smooth floured surface, stretching on the edge of a counter then tossing in the air, as my husband normally does, (getting flour all over the place) until the pizza dough is evenly thinned out. You can leave the edges thicker (similar to regular pizza), which can be used for dipping into the sauce. Place 1/2 – 1 cup of whipped ricotta onto the center and spread to within one inch of the edges. Sprinkle with salt. Add the tomatoes and zucchini. Place onto the pizza stone and cook until the edges brown, and the center is cooked – approximately 5-10 minutes. Remove flatbread and drizzle the olive oil over the top. Sprinkle with the basil. Serve the extra whipped ricotta on the side. Slice into 3″ pieces and serve. Enjoy!!! Serves 4 as an appetizer.

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