Tag Archives: Pasta and noodles

30-minute meals, Italian food, Pasta and noodles, Poultry

Chicken Saltimbocca, Farfalle with Pesto, and Sauteed Spinach

This menu is quicker and easier to prepare than you might think. The whole dinner took about half an hour to make, start to finish. Plain pasta could certainly be served in lieu of the pesto since the chicken has a nice sauce to it. But if you are trying to use up a pound of fresh basil, pesto is a nice compliment to the buttery, salty chicken. The pesto recipe below makes a large amount of pesto; you will need less than half of the batch for a pound of pasta. I spoon my extra pesto into ice cube trays, then store them in plastic bags in the freezer. For instant pesto year round, take a few cubes out while the pasta of your choice is cooking, then toss the cubes with the hot pasta and a splash or two of the pasta water. Top with freshly grated Parmesan.

Chicken Saltimbocca

Serves 4

1/2 cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 lb (680 g) chicken tenders (or chicken cutlets)
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
3 oz (90 g) thin slices of prosciutto, cut into pieces to match the chicken
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) white wine
juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
4 tablespoons (60 g) butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 200°F (100°C).

Combine the flour and pepper in a shallow dish. Pat the tenders dry with paper towels. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess. Sprinkle the tenders evenly with minced sage. Place 1 prosciutto slice on top of each cutlet, pressing lightly to adhere.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the tenders to the pan, prosciutto side down, and cook until light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. The prosciutto will adhere to the chicken. Flip and cook on the other side until light golden brown, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. (Note: If the skillet is not large enough to hold all the tenders, cook only half of the tenders, remove from pan, then add 1 tablespoon oil and cook the other tenders as directed.) Transfer the tenders to the oven to keep warm while preparing the sauce.

Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer until reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Turn the heat to low and whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Off the heat, stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the chicken from the oven and spoon the sauce over the tenders before serving.

***

Pesto

4 cups fresh basil
1 cup fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, chopped
about 1 cup olive oil
3/4 cup walnuts and/or toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Pulse the basil, parsley, and garlic in a food processor until finely minced. Add the nuts and cheese. While the processor is running, pour in olive oil until the desired thickness is reached. Season with salt and pepper to taste. For use as a pasta sauce, add about 1/2 cup pesto to 12 oz (340 g) cooked pasta and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan.

***

Sauteed Spinach

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 lb (450 g) fresh spinach, washed and thoroughly dried
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To a cold skillet, add the olive oil and garlic. Sauté over a medium-low heat until the garlic just turns golden, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and sauté over a medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the spinach just wilts. Season to taste and serve. Optional add-ins (after cooking): splash of balsamic vinegar, grated Parmesan, lemon zest, or toasted sesame seeds.

30-minute meals, Asian food, Pasta and noodles, Seafood

Orange and Soy Salmon with Soba Noodles and Roasted Broccoli

On my way home from picking the kids up at day care yesterday, I realized that I’d forgotten to buy green beans, which I’d planned to make for dinner that night. What I did have, though, was a head of broccoli, so I went online to search for a roasted broccoli recipe and found this one with soy sauce and sesame seeds, a perfect complement to the salmon I’d started marinating earlier that afternoon. I’d never roasted broccoli before, but when the first search result that came up was “the best broccoli of your life”, I had to try it. My 15-month-old baby certainly seemed to think so — he couldn’t get enough of it, as well as the salmon.

The best thing about this dinner is that broccoli and salmon are two of the top 10 super foods, so it packs a real punch for one plate. It also doesn’t hurt that aside from marinating the salmon (which takes 5 minutes to pull together earlier in the day), the whole dinner takes less than half an hour to make from start to finish, helped by the fact that the salmon and broccoli cook at the same temperature and for the same amount of time.

You could serve this dinner either by combining the roasted broccoli and soba noodles and then serving the salmon fillet on top, or by keeping the three dishes separate.

Roasted Orange and Soy Salmon
from Bon Appétit, April 2003

Serves 4

1/4 cup (60 ml) dry white wine
1/4 cup (60 ml) orange juice
1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce
4 x 6 oz (170 g) salmon fillets, with skin

Mix the wine, orange juice and soy sauce in a glass baking dish large enough to hold all the salmon. Place the salmon, skin side up, in the dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, turning occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a baking sheet with foil. Shake any excess marinade off the salmon. Transfer the salmon to the baking sheet, skin side down. Roast until the fish is opaque in the center, about 14 minutes. Sprinkle the salmon with salt and transfer to plates.

***

Roasted Broccoli with Soy Sauce and Sesame Seeds
adapted from VeggieGardener.com

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 lb (450 g) fresh broccoli (1 large or 2 small heads), broken into florets
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce and sesame oil (or shake to combine in a screw-top jar).

Place the broccoli florets in a bowl and toss well with the soy dressing. Arrange the florets in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, stir and continue roasting for 5 minutes more, or until the broccoli is tender-crisp and slightly browned on the edges.

While the broccoli roasts, toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over a very high heat for 30 to 60 seconds, taking care that they don’t burn. When the broccoli is done, put it back into the bowl, add in the sesame seeds, and toss again. Serve hot.

***

Soba Noodles
from Bobby Flay

Serves 4

1 lb (450 g) soba noodles, cooked al dente
1/2 cup (120 ml) soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 cup (5 g) chopped fresh cilantro
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 scallions, finely chopped

Place the noodles in a large bowl. Whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, ginger, olive oil and sesame oil. Pour over the noodles, add the cilantro and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with scallion.

30-minute meals, Pasta and noodles, Vegetarian main dishes

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula

I love Ina Garten’s recipes — they always work and are always delicious — but my god, that woman uses a lot of butter and cream. I reduced the amount of cream she calls for, which makes the lemon flavor stronger. Add some finely chopped fresh chili or a pinch of dried chili flakes if you like a bit of zip. It goes without saying that a green salad and some crusty bread are perfect to round this off.

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula
adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten

Serves 4 to 5

1 tablespoon good-quality olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
zest and juice of 2 lemons
splash of white wine (optional)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
1 lb (450 g) dried fusilli pasta
1/2 lb (225 g) baby arugula or baby spinach
1/2 cup (25 g) freshly grated Parmesan
1 pint (250 g) grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cream, lemon zest and juice, splash of wine (optional), and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken.

Meanwhile, cook the broccoli florets in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain the broccoli and run under cold water to stop it cooking. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the directions on the package, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta in a colander and place it back into the pot. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over a medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add the arugula, Parmesan, tomatoes, and cooked broccoli. Toss well, season to taste and serve hot.

Cakes, Pasta and noodles, Poultry, Salads

Chicken Mozzarella Sandwich with Orzo Salad with Feta, Olives and Peppers and Black Bottom Cupcakes

My friend Alex hosted this month’s book club and amazed us with a delicious yet light sandwich and salad meal. I contributed black bottom cupcakes to the event. As with all Alpineberry recipes that I have tried, the cupcakes turned out great. I will never spend $2.99 on another Simma’s black bottom cupcake again!

Chicken Mozzarella Sandwich
adapted from Cooking Light

Serves 4

1/4 cup (about 2 oz) sun-dried tomato pesto or basil pesto
2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 x 8 oz loaf ciabatta – round is most fun!
12 large basil leaves
3/4 cup (3 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup sliced bottled roasted red bell peppers
1 large tomato, thinly sliced

Combine the pesto and mayonnaise in a small bowl, stirring to blend.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and cool slightly. Cut the chicken lengthwise into thin slices.

Preheat the broiler. Cut the ciabatta in half horizontally. Place the bread, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove the bread from the pan. Spread the pesto mixture evenly over the cut sides of bread and arrange the chicken slices evenly over the bottom half. Top the chicken evenly with basil leaves and sprinkle the cheese over top. Place the bottom half on a baking sheet and broil for 2 minutes or until the cheese melts. Arrange the bell pepper and tomato over the cheese and cover with the top half of bread. Cut into 8 equal pieces.

***

Orzo Salad with Feta, Olives and Bell Peppers
from Bon Appétit, October 1997

This can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

12 oz orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
4 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons drained capers
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Cook the orzo in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse with cold water and drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the crumbled feta cheese, chopped bell peppers, Kalamata olives, green onions and capers.

Combine the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, mustard and cumin in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper. The sauce is very strong to the taste but is light when added to the orzo.

Add the dressing to the orzo mixture and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish salad with the toasted pine nuts and serve.

***

black bottom cupcakes

Black Bottom Cupcakes
from Alpineberry

Makes 15 cupcakes

for the cream cheese filling:
1 x 8 oz (225 g) package cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup (75 g) granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup (160 g) miniature semisweet chocolate chips

for the cupcake batter:
1 1/2 cups (170 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (225 g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (30 g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (don’t use Dutch-processed cocoa)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 ml) water
1/3 cup (80 ml) unflavored oil (canola, grapeseed, etc.)
1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter 15 wells of a standard muffin pan or line the wells with paper liners.

To make the cream cheese filling, in a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, egg, sugar, and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips. Set aside the filling while you make your cupcake batter.

To make the cupcake batter, sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, mix together the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined and the batter is smooth. Be careful not the overmix.

Divide the cupcake batter evenly among the wells of your muffin pan. (I would suggest that each well be no more than half full with cupcake batter. If you still have some cupcake batter left, then line and fill more wells of your muffin pan.) Spoon a few tablespoons of the cream cheese filling into the center of each cupcake, dividing the filling evenly. Your wells might be almost full but that’s just fine.

Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the cupcakes feel springy when gently pressed. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then gently remove the cupcakes from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Asian food, Cakes, Pasta and noodles, Salads, Seafood

Vietnamese Fish and Noodles with Asian Slaw and Lemon Yogurt Cake

Finding new ways to use unusual varieties and quantities of produce is one of the best parts of our weekly Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription. This week’s challenge: multiple bulbs of kohlrabi and a grocery bag full of fresh dill. The resulting Asian-inspired menu was both tasty and economical.

Vietnamese Fish and Noodles
adapted from Rare Earth Farm, July 2009 newsletter

1/2 lb (225 g) thin noodles
2 tablespoons Nuoc Mam (fish sauce)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons powdered garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 lb (450 g) fish fillet, cut into medium pieces
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup chopped dill
1/2 cup chopped basil
4 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped

Cook noodles according to the packet directions, then divide into four serving bowls and set aside.

In a bowl, combine the Nuoc Mam, turmeric, ginger, garlic, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the fish and stir until all the pieces are coated. Place in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.

Heat the remaining oil in a wok or heavy frying pan until it begins to smoke, then stir-fry the fish for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, then stir in the onions and half of the dill.

Top the noodles in each bowl with the fish. Cover with the remaining dill and basil, then sprinkle with peanuts. Serve with additional Nuoc Cham sauce and serve immediately.

Fresh Dill

***

Asian Coleslaw
adapted from Richard Palm, Pastry Chef at the American Club

2 kohlrabi, peeled and shredded
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
3 red radishes, cut into small julienne
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon chili paste
1 tablespoon minced cilantro

Mix the kohlrabi, carrots and radishes together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside. Whisk the honey, vinegar and sea salt together. Add the oils, cilantro and chili paste and mix well. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables and either chill or serve right away.

***

Lemon Yogurt Cake
adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten

Makes 1 loaf

For a real treat, top this no-fail cake from Ina Garten with fresh blueberries.

1 1/2 cups (200 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (200 ml) plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/3 cups (300 g) sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup (80 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

for the glaze:
1 cup (100 g) confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8.5 x 4.25 x 2.5‑inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup (200 g) of the sugar, the eggs, lemon zest and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup (80 ml) lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup (100 g) sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out of the tin and carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake once it has completely cooled.