Wednesday, January 5, 2011

2 more recipes from Barefoot Contessa

So I liked one of the recipes I cooked tonight.  I made Roasted Summer Vegetables and Spaghetti Aglio e Olio.  I wasn't a huge fan of the roasted summer vegetables, but I think that may be because of the time.  Normally I love grilled vegetables, but typically with just olive oil.  These used a ton of garlic and some thyme which maybe i'm just not a huge fan of.  I'm still learning the herbs I like.  I'll give you the recipe anyways.  But the pasta...delicious.

Erin! Your dishes!


Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

  • Kosher Salt
  • 1 pound dried spaghetti, such as DeCecco
  • 1/3 cup good olive oil
  • 8 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add 2 tablespoons of salt and the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package.  Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water before you drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pot large enough to hold the pasta, such as a 12-inch saute pan or a large shallow pot.  Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it just begins to turn golden on the edges - don't overcook it!  Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more.  Carefully add the reserved pasta-cooking water to the garlic and oil and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by about a third.

Add the drained pasta to the garlic sauce and toss.  Off the heat, add the parsley and Parmesan and toss well.  Allow the pasta to rest off the heat for 5 minutes for the sauce to be absorbed.  Taste for seasoning and serve warm with extra Parmesan on the side.

Roasted Summer Vegetables

  • 2 medium zucchinis
  • 1 red bell pepper, preferably Holland
  • 1 fennel bulb
  • 1 small red onion
  • 2 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

Trim the ends of the zucchini and cut them diagonally in 3/4 inch thick slices.  (The slices will seem large, but they'll shrink while they cook.)  Cut the peppers lengthwise in 1 1/2 inch-wide slices, discarding the core.  Trim off the fennel stalks and cut the bulb through the core in 1-inch wedges. (Cutting through the core keeps the pieces intact.) Peel the onion and slice it in 1/4 inch thick rounds, leaving the slices intact. 

Place the vegetables in groups on a sheet pan.  Drizzle with the olive oil, add the garlic, and toss gently to be sure the vegetables are lightly coated with oil.  Spread the vegetables in one layer on 2 sheet pans.  (If they're crowded they'll steam rather than roast.)  Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and place the thyme sprigs on top.  Roast for 15 minutes.  Turn each piece and put the pans back in the oven for 5-10 minutes, until all the vegetables are crisp-tender.  Sprinkle with extra salt and serve hot or at room temperature.    

Bakin' and Eggs

I completely forgot to write about a wonderful breakfast!!! On New Year's Day Kevin and I met up for breakfast with Biz and Dodo.  The only place they usually go for breakfast is Ann Sathers, so they asked me for a suggestion on where to go.  I've ran past Baking and Eggs on Lincoln between Barry and Ashland a couple of times so we decided to go there.  I'm so glad we did!  They had a FLIGHT OF BACON!!! Why has no one thought of that before!  The flavors included Cherry, Maple, Mesquite, Jalapeno and a couple of others that I can't remember.  The Jalapeno was the best.  It had a great kick to it.  We had the flight for an appetizer, but back to the beginning.  When we showed up I was expecting a huge wait because obviously most people had the day off, however, we walked right in and sat down.  Thank the lord for the hangovers on New Years preventing people from getting up early.  I ordered Blood Orange Green Tea for breakfast which they filled a small pot with hot water and tea leaves and left it at the table.  I love that!  I'd much prefer than just the packet.  I think everyone else just got coffee or water, but nothing was special about the coffee from what I remember.  Now on to the goodies... I ordered a BLT with egg and a basil-pesto mayo.  Mine was good, but it was what everyone else ordered that was phenomenal.  Kevin ordered Bacon Waffles.  Sooo good.  Two great dishes combined.  Dodo and Biz each ordered different french toasts - one was titled Lovely and the other was a banana bread french toast with different dippings including a chocolate hazelnut dip.

If you're looking for a good brunch place, I would definitely suggest trying Bakin' and Eggs.  Oh and they have WHOOPIE PIES! :)



 

Monday, January 3, 2011

So it begins! Recipe #1 (and #2) of 2011!



I made dinner tonight! I'm determined to cook a new dinner at least once a week in 2011!  I need to build up my go to recipes and I think what I made tonight will definitely be made again! It was delicious.  


I had gone out to lunch with Chelsea the other day and her kitchen gadget Christmas got us talking about recipes.  So she brought up one of her go tos: Parmesan crusted Whitefish.  I had forgotten the exact ingredients and details she had given me so I googled Parmesan Fish and a Rachel Ray recipe came up that was amazing!  I was thoroughly impressed as Rachel Ray's recipes are hit or miss.  

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

  • 4 Servings
  • Prep 10 min
  • Cook 10 min

INGREDIENTS:

  • ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 4 tilapia fillets (about 1 pound total)
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges

DIRECTIONS:

 

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a shallow dish, combine the cheese with the paprika and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and dredge in the cheese mixture. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the fish is opaque in the thickest part, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve the fish with the lemon wedges.

As a side, I was flipping through my new Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That? recipe book and decided to try garlic-roasted cauliflower.  It was phenomenal and a great side for the tilapia!  

Garlic-Roasted Cauliflower
  • 1 whole head of garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
  • 1 large head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into large florets
  • 4 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add the garlic cloves.  Boil for 15 seconds.  Drain, peel and cut off any brown parts.  Cut the largest cloves in half lengthwise.  

On a sheet pan, toss the cauliflower with the garlic, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.  Spread the mixture out in a single layer and roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing twice, until the cauliflower is tender and the garlic is lightly browned.

Scrape the cauliflower into a large bowl with the garlic and pan juices.  Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the parsley, pine nuts, and lemon juice.  Sprinkle with another 1/2 teaspoon of salt, toss well, and serve hot or warm.