Sunday, January 9th, 2011 - Fettuccine with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Recipe: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fettuccine_with_creamy_tomato_italian_sausage_sauce/

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1/2 pound spicy or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice
• 1 Tbsp dried sage
• 3/4 pound fettuccine
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

METHOD

1 Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic and sauté until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add sausages and sauté until no longer pink, breaking up the sausages a bit, about 5 minutes. Add cream; simmer 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices. Add sage. Simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

3 Return pasta to same pot; add sauce. Toss over medium heat until sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Serves 6.

Notes for making in Switzerland
-No fettuccine, so used spaghetti
-Halbrahm is single cream, which is a good substitute for heavy whipping cream


This was a lot simpler than I thought it was going to be and I really liked it.  I added some tomato paste.  I am keeping this around.

Friday, January 7th, 2011 - Chicken and Rice Casserole

Recipe: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_and_rice_casserole/

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces, patted dry
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine
• 1 1/3 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 cup raw, medium or long grain, white rice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon each of Italian seasoning and poultry seasoning (or 2 teaspoons of one of these herb mixes, or 2 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme, and basil)
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high or high heat (hot enough to brown but not burn). Sprinkle a dash of salt on the bottom of the pan. Season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown the chicken pieces on two sides, about 1-2 minutes per batch. Add a little more salt to the pan (and more olive oil if needed) after every batch. This will help prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan. Remove chicken pieces and set aside in a bowl. Note that the chicken does not have to be cooked through, only browned.

2 In the same sauté pan add 1 Tbsp olive oil, lower the heat to medium, add the onions, and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 30 seconds more. Remove onions and garlic to a shallow (9 x 13 x 2) casserole dish.

3 Raise heat to medium high, add the sliced mushrooms. Dry sauté them (no need to add butter or oil), allowing the mushrooms to brown lightly, and release some of their moisture. Add the mushrooms to the casserole dish.

4 Add 1/4 cup dry sherry or dry white wine to the pan to deglaze the pan, scraping off the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. (At this point, if you are making ahead, reduce the sherry to 1 Tbsp and pour off into the casserole dish. Refrigerate cooked onions, garlic, mushrooms, and browned chicken pieces until you are ready to make the casserole.) Let the sherry reduce to about 1 Tbsp, then add the chicken stock, and remove from heat. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, the cream, and the sour cream. Add the raw rice to the casserole dish. Then pour the stock, sherry, cream, sour cream mixture over the rice. Add the Italian and poultry seasonings (or fresh herbs) and paprika to the dish. Stir the rice, onion, mushroom, herb mixture so that they are evenly distributed in the casserole dish.

5 Place the chicken pieces on top of the rice mixture (in a single layer if you can, they will be crowded). Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in a 375°F oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil. If the casserole is still too liquidy, let it cook a few minutes more, uncovered, until the excess liquid has evaporated away.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.

Serves 6 (with leftovers)

Changes: I halved the chicken and mushrooms, but not the rice.

Mine came out looking whiter than hers, like I had too much cream or something.  I also dumped tons of spices in it because my recipes have been a little bland lately, so I think it had too much garlic taste in it and maybe a little too much salt.  But I thought this was good and it's a keeper.

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 - Red Lentil Soup

Recipe: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/09/dining/091arex.html?_r=1


Time: 45 minutes

3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch of ground chili powder or cayenne, more to taste

1 quart chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup red lentils

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro.

1. In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.
2. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.
3. Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.
4. Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.
5. Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.
Yield: 4 servings.





Changes: No cilantro in Zürich and I don't have a blender right now, so it was not pureed.

I made this twice and the first time was bland, but the second time it was a little better.  Darren still thought it was bland, but I want to keep this recipe around because it's something different, it's easy, and lentils are good for you.

Sunday, December 12th, 2010 - Spinach and Cheese Strata

Recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/12/spinach-and-cheese-strata/


I only refrigerated it for 5 hours and only cooked it for 30 minutes because the top was getting brown.

We didn't really like this.  The dijon mustard wasn't good, the frozen spinach was bland, and the top was crunchy while the bottom was runny.  I don't think I will make this again, though I will try other vegetarian breakfast casseroles.

Friday, December 3rd, 2010 - Baked Ziti

Recipe is from America's Test Kitchen website, you have to login to get it though, so I'm copying it here:

Serves 8 to 10

The test kitchen prefers baked ziti made with heavy cream, but whole milk can be substituted by increasing the amount of cornstarch to 2 teaspoons and increasing the cooking time in step 3 by 1 to 2 minutes. Our preferred brand of mozzarella is Dragone Whole Milk Mozzarella. Part-skim mozzarella can also be used, but avoid preshredded cheese, as it does not melt well. For tips on cooking with cottage cheese, see related How To Cook.

INGREDIENTS

• 1pound whole milk cottage cheese or 1 percent cottage cheese (see note)
• 2large eggs , lightly beaten
• 3ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
•  Table salt
• 1pound ziti or other short, tubular pasta
• 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 5medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
• 1(28-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1(14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1teaspoon sugar
•  Ground black pepper
• 3/4teaspoon cornstarch
• 1cup heavy cream (see note)
• 8ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese , cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups) (see note)

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in medium bowl; set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain pasta and leave in colander (do not wash Dutch oven).
• 2. Meanwhile, heat oil and garlic in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in ½ cup basil and sugar, then season with salt and pepper.
• 3. Stir cornstarch into heavy cream in small bowl; transfer mixture to now-empty Dutch oven set over medium heat. Bring to simmer and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, and ¾ cup mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce.
• 4. Transfer pasta mixture to 13- by 9-inch baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle remaining ¾ cup mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over top. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
• 5. Remove foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve.

Changes: I switched the cornstarch for flour and used Italian seasoning, not basil and oregano.  I added a bit of onion when I was sautéing the garlic.  I forgot to buy aluminum foil, so we just baked it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes and it was ready.



We loved this!  It was a lot of ingredients, but the taste is just fantastic.  The fresh mozzarella (which is cheap here!) and the cottage cheese were my favorite parts.  I halved this recipe and still put it in a 9x13 and it was enough for the two of us plus some for lunch the next day.  I will be making this again!

Wednesday, December 1st, 2010 - Cottage Pie

Recipe: http://www.cookingbytheseatofmypants.com/recipes/cottage-pie-recipe/

Changes: I added canned corn and did not add celery or thyme.  The ingredient list calls for garlic, but then it's never implemented in the instructions, so I just left it out.

I'm still working on figuring out proportions with the ingredients here.  I should have had more potatoes.  I bought .3 kg of meat, which was enough.  I could have added peas, but I forgot I had them.

I thought this was good.  It's different than what my family cooks, but it was easy to implement with my limited kitchen supplies.  I didn't put enough salt in, so I need to be more careful about getting spices correct.  Also, I didn't finely chop the carrots, so they weren't done, so I should consider boiling or steaming them before adding them to the beef.  I'm keeping the recipe and will see if I can improve it.

Wednesday, November 22nd, 2010 - Mushroom Lasagna

Recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/10/mushroom-lasagna/


Mushroom Lasagna
Serves 6 to 8 (more as a first course)
Salt
Olive oil
3/4 pound dried lasagna noodles
1 large clove garlic, minced
4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup (12 tablespoons or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I used less, because this seemed like a lot)
1 1/2 pounds cremini or portobello mushrooms
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Bring a large, wide (if you use a wide one, you can save a dish later and saute your mushrooms in the bottom of it) of water to boil with salt and a splash of oil, that will help keep your noodles from sticking together as they drain. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Make béchamel: Bring the milk and garlic to simmer in a saucepan, or heat it in your microwave, and set it aside. Melt 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons or 1 stick) butter in a large saucepan. If your name is Deb, you will probably brown this butter, too. Add the flour and cook for one minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon. Pour in the hot milk, a little at a time at first and stirring until combined. Once you’ve added half of it, you can add the second half all at once, along with 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt, the pepper, and nutmeg. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring or whisking frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until thick. Set aside.
Prepare mushrooms: Discard portobello mushroom stems and/or trim the ends of the cremini stems. Slice mushrooms 1/4-inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium in the bottom of the large, wide pot you used to cook the noodles earlier, or in a large sauté pan. Cook half the mushrooms with a couple pinches of salt for about 5 minutes, or until they are tender and release some of their juices, tossing to make sure they cook evenly. Repeat with additional oil and butter, and remaining mushrooms.
Assemble lasagna: Spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8 x 12 or 9 x 13 baking dish. (Ina recommends the former, I only had the latter; if you’d like to freeze or give this dish as a gift, remember to use a foil pan). Arrange a layer of noodles on top*, then more sauce (about 1/4 of what remains), 1/3 of the mushrooms and 1/4 cup grated parmesan. Repeat two more times then top with a final layer of noodles, your remaning sauce and last 1/4 cup of parmesan.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until top is browned and the sauce is bubbly. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. To freeze for future use, allow it to cool completely and wrap two to three times in plastic wrap before freezing.





Changes: I didn't use nutmeg.

This was a time-consuming recipe, but I think all lasagnas are.  I had a mishap with the lasagna noodles because they all stuck together and I had to run them under hot water to separate some of them, but some were still stuck together.  So the lasagna noodles were tough and difficult to eat.

We though that this was pretty boring tasting though with just mushrooms, though I would make it again just because it's something different.