ORZO
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces orzo pasta (tiny rice-shaped pasta)
3 roasted red peppers (from a jar, sliced)
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 small bunch mint leaf, chopped
salt and pepper
Directions:
1
Put the onion in a bowl, season really well and toss with the vinegar and olive oil. Leave to marinate and soften while the pasta is cooking.
2
Cook the orzo in salted boiling water until just tender, then drain and rinse under cold water and drain really well again. Toss with the onion mixture and gently mix through the rest of the ingredients.
ISRAELI COUSCOUS
Ingredients
" 1 cup Israeli couscous
" 1 jar roasted red peppers or 2 fresh red peppers (if you like to roast your own)
" Zest and juice of one lemon
" ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
" ¼ cup sliced almonds
" ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
" 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
" Extra virgin olive oil
" Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Directions
To roast your own red peppers, rub whole peppers (stems still on) with a bit of olive oil and season with salt. Place them on a sheet tray and into a 450 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until the skins are black and puffed. Remove from oven and cover with tin foil to steam (this will help the skins to come off). After about 10 minutes, uncover them and let cool. The skins should peel right off and stems and seeds scrape right out. For the couscous, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook Israeli couscous just like pasta, until al-dente, then drain and transfer to a bowl. Slice roasted red peppers into thin strips and add them to the couscous. Add red wine vinegar, lemon zest and juice, almonds and about 3-4 Tbsp of olive oil. Toss together and season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with feta and chopped parsley to serve
ORZO RISSOTO
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound orzo (rice-shaped pasta )
1/2 cup small dice onion
11/2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock, kept hot in a saucepan on the stove-top
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons butter
In a 2-quart saucepan set over a medium high heat, add the olive oil and butter. Once the oil is hot and the butter is melted, add the orzo and toast lightly, about 3 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring. Add the wine, stir, and cook to deglaze the pan.
Once the wine has nearly evaporated, add 2 cups of the stock, stirring constantly until the stock has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups of stock, the salt, and white pepper, and cook until it has been absorbed by the orzo. Add the parsley and stir to blend. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese. Stir in the butter and adjust the seasoning, to taste.
LASAGNA LIGHT
3/4 lb extra lean ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 jar of spagetti sauce
1 can Muir Fire roasted tomatoes
1 zucchini squash cut in rounds and rounds halfed
1 egg
2% low fat cottage cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan
9 no cook lasagna noodles
2 cups buffalo mozzarella, grated
Brown the meat in olive oil, add garlic, oregano and squash when meat is carmelized. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add spaghetii sauce and fire roasted tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Mix egg, cottage cheese and parmesan.
Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce on bottom of pan. Top with three noodles. Top with 1 cup of cottage cheese mixture. Top with 1/2 cup mozzarella and sauce to cover. Repeat layers and top with remaining noodles and sauce and some cheese. Cover with foil.
Bake 40 minutes. Uncover, top with remaining mozarella. Bake uncovered 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 min and serve.
COCONUT LIME RICE
1 cup coconut rice
1/2 cup water
2 T lime juice
1 T sugar
pinch of salt
3/4 dry basmati rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Bring coconut milk, water, lime juice, sugar, and salt to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Stir in rice, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 20 min. Remove from hat, let stand 5 min., then fluff with a fork and stir in cilantro.
CORN and FRENCH BREAD STUFFING
1 pound bulk pork
1/2 cup butter,
1 large Spanish onion, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped with leaves
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tablespoon fresh sage, crumbled
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 Bay leaf
4 cups cornbread croutons
4 cups stale french bread (1/2 loaf)
2 1/2 - 4 cups chicken broth (make it wet)
Poultry season to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Brown sausage in an ovenproof saucepot that has a lid. With a slotted spoon, remove sausage from the pot and pour out the drippings. Add the butter to the pot and melt over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, until softened. Add apple and cook, until softened. Add herbs and stir. Return sausage to pot. Add croutons and bread and chicken broth and bake stuffing in the oven at 375 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes.
RICE PILAF
½ c onion, chopped
¼ c celery, sliced
1 tbsp margarine or butter
1 ½ c water
2/3 c long grain rice
2 tbsp parsley, snipped
1 ½ t instant chicken bouillon granules
¼ t dried thyme, crushed
¼ t salt
1/8 t pepper
½ c chicken or vegetable, finely chopped (optional)
In a medium saucepan cook onion and celery in margarine or butter until tender but not brown. Stir in water, uncooked rice, parsley, bouillon, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 15 min. or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in vegetable or chicken. Cover and cook for 3 min. more or until vegetable or chicken is cooked thru.
RISOTTO
Approximately 2 pints stock (chicke)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 shallots or 2 medium onions finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 head celery, finely chopped
14 ounces arborio rice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 wine glasses dry white vermouth (dry Martini or Noilly Prat) or dry white wine
2 1/2 ounces butter
3 1/2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan, omit for the prawn recipe
Heat stock.
In a separate pan heat the olive oil, add the shallots or onion, garlic and celery and slowly fry for about 3 minutes. When the vegetables have softened, add the rice, season with salt and pepper and turn up the heat.
The rice will now begin to fry, so keep stirring it. After a minute it will look slightly translucent having absorbed all the flavors from the vegetables. Add the vermouth or wine and keep stirring -- it will smell fantastic as it sizzles around the rice. Any harsh alcohol flavors will evaporate and leave the rice with a tasty essence.
Once the vermouth or wine has cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock and a good pinch of salt. Turn down the heat to a highish simmer so the rice doesn't cook too quickly on the outside. Keep adding ladles of stock, stirring and allowing each ladle of liquid to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around 15 minutes. Taste the rice -- is it cooked? Carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite. Don't forget to carefully check the seasoning.
Remove from the heat and add the butter and Parmesan, if using. Stir gently. Place lid on pan and allow to sit for 2 to 3 minutes. This is the most important part of making the risotto as this is when it becomes outrageously creamy and oozy like it should be. Eat as soon as possible while the risotto retains its perfect texture.
MARY MAC'S PARMESEAN POTATOES
6 large potatoes
3/4 t salt
1/3 cup flour
1/8 t pepper
1/4 cup parmesean cheese
1/3 cup butter
Peel potatoes, cut in large french fry pieces, shake potatoe to coat in dry ingredients. Melt butter in large flat pan. Lay potatoes in single layer. Bake at 375 deg. for 1 hr. Turn once.
PENNE WITH PISTACHIOS, ASPARAGUS AND CREAM
1/3 cup pistachio nuts
1 lb this aspargus, cut into thirds
Saute in 1/4 cup unsalted butter
Remove and discard:
1 large clove garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise
ADD
Cooked asapargus
1/3 t ground white pepper
1/3 cup dry white wine
Pour in, simmer and season:
1 cup half and half
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 t sea or kosher salt
Prepare, combine and add:
1 lb dry penne pasta
Asapargus sauce
1/2 cup freshly grated parmiglano reggiano cheese
Garnish with:
Tasted chopped pistachio nuts
Toast the nuts on a baking sheet for 5 - 7 min. cool, chop and set aside.
Cook the asparagus in a stock pot in boiling salted water. uncovered, over med. high heat until tender, about 3 min. Remove asparagus saving the water so the pasta can be prepared in the same pot.
Saute garlic in butter in a saute pan over medium heat, pressing the garlic with a wooden spoon to release its flavor. When the edges start to brown, remove and discard the garlic. Add the aspargus and pepper. Increase heat to high and pour in the wine, stirring about 1 min. Reduce the heat to med. Pour the 1/2 and 1/2 and cream over aspargus mixture and simmer 2 min. Season with salt, keep warm while boiling the pasta. Prepare penne (in aspargus water), according to package. Drain and return to the pot. Combine aspargus sauce with pasta stirring over low heat. Add cheese, stirring until it melts. Transfer to a platter. Garnish with nuts.
EMERILS FAVORITE POTATO SALAD
Makes About 8 Servings
Ingredients:
14 small boiling potatoes, such as red bliss, about 2 ½ pounds, scrubbed well
6 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled 6 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup ranch dressing
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the potatoes are just tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain, cool, then cut the potatoes into halves (or quarters if large).
In a large mixing bowl combine potatoes with all remaining ingredients and gently toss to combine. Refrigerate the salad several hours before serving to allow flavors to blend.
SCALLOPED POTATOES
* 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
* 1 sprig fresh thyme
* 2 garlic cloves, chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* Butter
* 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for broiling
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a saucepan, heat up the cream with a sprig of thyme, chopped garlic and nutmeg.
While cream is heating up, butter a casserole dish. Place a layer of potato in an overlapping pattern and season with salt and pepper. Remove cream from heat, then pour a little over the potatoes. Top with some grated Parmesan. Make 2 more layers. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Sprinkle some more Parmesan and broil until cheese browns, about 5 minutes.
LASAGNA ROLL UPS
Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
Lasagna:
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1 large egg, beaten to blend
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)
To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.
Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.
Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread a large spoonful (about 3 tablespoons worth) of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamel sauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.