Pastas & Breads

Pastas & Breads
May 27, 2025 Leave a comment In Pastas & Breads

Ingredients

  • 8 oz of Gemelli Pasta
  • 3-4 Tbsp of Sundried Tomato Oil (or whatever oil you have, butter works fine as well)
  • 16 oz of Diced Mushrooms (Beech Mushrooms or Baby Bellas)
  • 4 Garlic Cloves, Diced
  • 2 cups of Broth/Stock
  • 1 cup of Half & Half
  • 1/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese
  • Optional: Fresh Mozarella (I use the small snacking balls cut into 4)
  • 1-2 Tbsp of Soy Sauce

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil and cook the mushrooms with a touch of salt until it’s all golden brown (making sure the mushrooms are browned is really important; this has a big impact on the flavor)
  2. Add the broth/stock, soy sauce and half and half
  3. Add the garlic and pasta and cook until pasta is done and liquid has absorbed, medium simmer
  4. Finish with Parmesean Cheese and let melt to get smooth.
  5. Turn off heat and mix in fresh Mozarella.
Pastas & Breads, Vegetable Dishes
March 14, 2022 Leave a comment

Ingredients

  • Sunflower oil for frying
  • 6 medium zucchini
  • Salt
  • 14 ounces | 400 grams spaghetti
  • Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
  • Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (preferably aged 2 years)
  • 1 bunch fresh basil leaves

Directions

  1. Heat a generous amount of sunflower oil in a large saucepan.
  2. Slice the zucchini into thin rounds and then fry in the hot oil until they begin to turn golden. Drain the zucchini with a slotted spoon, place in a bowl and leave in the fridge to rest and soften for at least 2 hours.
  3. When you are ready to prepare the dish, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve some of the cooking water for the next step.
  4. Heat the rested zucchini in a large frying pan along with 2 ladles of the spaghetti cooking water and season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper if desired.
  5. Drain the spaghetti and add to the pan with the zucchini. Remove the pan from the heat, add a couple of handfuls of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and toss everything together well.
  6. Divide into 4 portions, sprinkle each bowl with more Parmigiano-Reggiano and top with a few fresh basil leaves before serving. For extra decadence stir through a spoonful of butter before serving.
Pastas & Breads
October 27, 2021 Leave a comment

Ingredients

  • 1 lb dry spinach fettuccine (or 2 pounds fresh)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (2 tablespoons reserved for garnish or finish)
  • 2 Tbsp minced fresh garlic
  • 2 Tbsp minced jalapeno peppers (seeds and veins may be eliminated if milder flavor is desired)
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter (reserve tablespoon per saute)
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock (preferably homemade)
  • 2 Tbsp gold tequila
  • 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 3 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 1/4 lbs chicken breasts, diced 3/4 inch
  • 1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions

  • Prepare rapidly boiling, salted water to cook pasta; cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes for dry pasta, approximately 3 minutes for fresh. Pasta may be cooked slightly ahead of time, rinsed and oiled and then “flashed” (reheated) in boiling water or cooked to coincide with the finishing of the sauce/topping.
  • Cook 1/3 cup cilantro, garlic and jalapeno in 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Add stock, tequila and lime juice. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until reduced to a paste like consistency; set aside.
  • Pour soy sauce over diced chicken; set aside for 5 minutes. Meanwhile cook onion and peppers, stirring occasionally, with remaining butter over medium heat. When the vegetables have wilted (become limp), add chicken and soy sauce; toss and add reserved tequila/lime paste and cream.
  • Bring the sauce to a boil; boil gently until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thick (about 3 minutes).
  • When sauce is done, toss with well-drained spinach fettuccine and reserved cilantro.
  • Serve family style or transfer to serving dishes, evenly distributing chicken and vegetables.
Pastas & Breads
September 14, 2019 Leave a comment

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
  • 2 tbsp miso paste
  • 3.5 oz finely grated parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 14 oz spaghetti
  • 7 oz thick cut bacon or pancetta, sliced into batons
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (optional)
  • Furikake to serve

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, miso paste, parmesan and pepper.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta for its recommended cooking time.
  3. While the pasta cooks, heat the bacon in a large frying pan over high heat. You want the bacon to colour as well as render some fat. If there isn’t a sheen of fat on the bottom of your pan after 3-4 minutes, then add olive oil. Turn the heat off but let the pan sit on the warm stovetop.
  4. Reserve a cup of pasta cooking water. Then drain the pasta and add it straight into the warm pan. Add the egg mixture and toss with the pasta. Keep tossing the pasta in the egg mixture until it thickens (turn the heat on low under the pan if necessary). If the sauce becomes too thick you can loosen it with some of the pasta cooking water. Be careful not to scramble the eggs!
  5. When the sauce is thick, divide among serving plates. Grate over extra parmesan cheese and scatter over the furikake.
Pastas & Breads, Toddler Easy, Vegetable Dishes
March 15, 2019 Leave a comment
  • Make your own pizza dough or buy store-bought pizza dough
  • 1/4 cup – spinach
  • 1/2 medium – bell pepper, green
  • 1/4 cup, pieces or slices – mushrooms, white
  • 1/2 medium – onion
  • 1 medium – tomato, red
  • 1 medium – carrot
  • 1 medium – zucchini
  • 1 cup – spaghetti or marinara sauce

Directions

  1. Chop veggies (you will need two cups total of your choice of the vegetables listed) and saute for 3-4 minutes or until slightly tender. Blend in a high powered blender with marinara sauce.
  2. Combine 1 cup flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the warm water and the oil and add to the dry ingredients. Mix until well blended, about 1 minute. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky. Knead on a floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.
  3. Place dough in a large, lightly greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rest for 30 minutes in a warm, draft-free place. Dough should almost double in size.
  4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  5. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle, about 12 by 10 inches.
  6. Begin by spreading about 1 cup of sauce over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. If it seems like it needs more, then add 1 or 2 Tbsp at a time. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
  7. Begin rolling the dough until you have one large roll. Slice into 8-12 slices and place in a greased muffin tin.
  8. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until rolls are golden brown and cooked through the middle.
Pastas & Breads, Sauces & Dips, To Try
December 22, 2016 Leave a comment

Ingredients

  • 3 fresh red poblano chiles
  • 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
  • 1 small (2 pound) butternut squash, peeled
  • 1 cup heavy cream, Mexican crema or crème fraîche
  • 8 ounces fettucinne
  • 1 cup freshly grated Mexican queso añejo or other garnishing cheese such as Romano or Parmesan, divided use
  • About 1/4 cup (loosely packed) coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Note: We only get red poblanos in the fall when our local farmers leave them on the plants long enough for them to turn that saturated shade of lipstick red.  They can be roasted, peeled and frozen to use through the winter in this and other delicious dishes.

Directions

  1. Turn on the broiler and adjust the rack so that it’s about 4 inches below heat. Lay the poblanos and garlic on a baking sheet and roast, turning occasionally, until they have softened and blackened in spots, about 10 minutes for the chiles and 15 for the garlic. Set aside to cool.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the squash: Slice through the squash widthwise, separating the rounded bottom from the skinnier “neck”; reserve the bottom for another use. Cut the neck in half lengthwise and, using a mandolin, slice each half into thin, 1/8-inch-thick sheets. Slice the sheets lengthwise into ¼-inch-wide strips. You should have about 2 cups of butternut “pasta.”
  3. Peel the poblanos, pull out the stems and seed pods, then quickly rinse to remove stray seeds and bits of skin. Cut 1 poblano into ¼-inch strips to match the butternut; roughly chop the other 2 poblanos and scoop into a blender.
  4. Warm the cream (or one of its stand-ins) in a glass measuring cup in a microwave for 1 minute at half-power. Pour into the blender jar with the poblanos. Peel the garlic, roughly chop, add to the blender and blend until completely smooth. Taste and season with salt (usually about a teaspoon). Pour into a large (10-inch) skillet set over low heat.
  5. In a large (8-quart) saucepan, bring 6 quarts water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil. Drop in the squash strips and cook until al dente, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, shaking off the excess water, and add to the skillet with the poblano cream. Add the fettuccine to the boiling water and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, reserving ¼ cup pasta water. Add the pasta, reserved water and poblano strips to the sauce. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a simmer, all the while tossing the pasta, squash and poblanos together. Stir in ½ cup of the queso and divide the pasta among four bowls. Divide the remaining ½ cup of the queso among the bowls, and sprinkle each one with cilantro.
Pastas & Breads, Salads, Sides & Starters
December 21, 2016 Leave a comment

Ingredients

  • 1 (1-pound) box Israeli couscous or orzo
  • 1 head cauliflower, florets broken into pieces
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more to taste
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, more to taste
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 2 small carrots, peeled, finely diced
  • 1 cup vegan mayonnaise (or mayonnaise)
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 lime, juiced

Directions

  1. Cook the couscous according to the instructions on the package. Rinse in cold water, drain well, put in a bowl and set aside. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
  2. In a separate bowl, toss the cauliflower with the curry powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, salt, cayenne, brown sugar and oil. Spread out on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven until cauliflower is browned around the edges but still crunchy, about 10 minutes. Remove just the cauliflower and put it in the bowl with the pasta.
  3. On the same rimmed baking sheet, place the carrots and, using a spatula, toss the carrots with the leftover spices and oil. Roast the carrots until brown around the edges but still crunchy, about 8 minutes. (If you find that the spices and oil are a little overly browned from roasting the cauliflower, toss the carrots using the same proportion of new spices, salt, sugar and oil.) Add to the couscous.
  4. Fold in the vegan mayonnaise, cilantro and lime juice with the pasta. Taste, and adjust spices and seasoning if desired. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
Dessert, Pastas & Breads
October 25, 2016 Leave a comment

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 2 cups Flour
  • ¾ teaspoon Baking Soda
  • ¾ teaspoon Nutmeg
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 3 Eggs
  • 4 overripe Bananas
  • 14 tbsp Browned Butter (let cool)
  • Optional: Orange or Lemon Zest

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, butter and flour 10″ x 5″ x 3 ½” loaf pan for batter when done.
  2. Put dry ingredients in the food processor and pulse to mix. Transfer to a bowl.
  3. Put wet ingredients in the food processor, including butter.
  4. Mix with dry ingredients.
  5. Pour into loaf pan and bake until cake tester comes out clean from the center of the loaf.  Approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Pastas & Breads, Sauces & Dips, Seafood, Vegetable Dishes
March 13, 2016 Leave a comment
  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 2 slices of Crusty Bread (1″ thick)
  • 1 c Almonds (blanched, chopped–can substitute peeled Hazelnuts)
  • 10-12 Garlic Cloves
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 15-ounce can of San Marzano Tomatoes (whole, drained)
  • 1 8-ounce jar of Roasted Bell Peppers (whole, drained)
  • 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika (or sweet)
  • 2-3 tbsp Sherry Vinegar or Red Wine Vinegar

Directions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, sauté the bread and almonds, stirring often, until they just begin to brown. Add the garlic and sauté another 1-2 minutes, stirring once or twice.
  2. Place the contents of the sauté pan into a food processor with the remaining ingredients—salt, tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, smoked paprika, vinegar. Purée until smooth. Spread the sauce out on a rimmed sheet pan and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges begin to caramelize. Allow to cool and scrape into a container to store.
  3. To use Romesco sauce, mix with pasta, shrimp, chicken or vegetables either before or after they are cooked, much like you would a pesto.
Pastas & Breads
January 8, 2014 Leave a comment
  • 5 Bacon Slices
  • 16 oz of Chicken Stock
  • 1/2 cube of Chicken Bouillon
  • 1 White Onion
  • 3 tbsp of Butter
  • 4 Garlic Cloves
  • 8 oz of Mushrooms
  • 1-2 tbsp Red Chilli Pepper Flakes
  • 1/2 tsp Hickory Bacon Salt (sounds weird, but I got a few of these as a present for friends and got myself one–it has such a nice bacon smoky flavor to it without adding additional bacon!  I purchased mine here.)
  • 1 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
  • Salt to Taste
  • 4 oz Mascarpone Cheese
  • 1 Med-Large sized Butternut Squash (mine was about 3 lbs. I believe)

Instructions

  1. Saute the minced bacon and butter on medium heat in a soup pot, add chopped onions and minced garlic until the onions are translucent.
  2. Add the mushrooms and cook until they have released their liquids.
  3. Add the cubed butternut squash, then add the chicken stock.
  4. Add the chilli pepper flakes, hickory bacon salt, nutmeg and garlic powder and let simmer until the squash is very tender.
  5. Puree until you get a nice smooth soup-like consistency. I used a hand blender right into the soup po but you may also use a food processor or a blender.
  6. Take off the heat, salt to taste and stir in the mascarpone cheese.

Tip: Continue to simmer if the consistency is too watery  from the broth until a thicker consistency is achieved. You can also substitute about 1 cup of stock to 1 cup of cream for a richer sauce and omit the cheese altogether.

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