This also makes a lot, but was also very tasty! I couldn't find the ras el hanout in our grocery store, so just didn't add a spice.
4 Tbs olive oil, divided
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3-4 Tbs ras el hanout
2 15-oz cans crushed tomatoes
4 carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 turnip, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 zucchini, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, divided
1 1/2 cups couscous (plain)
1 tsp salt
Heat 2 Tbs oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and saute 5 minutes. Add ras el hanout, and saute 1 minutes, or until spices darken. Stir in tomatoes and 3 cups water, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and summer 2o minutes. Add carrots and turnip, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Add zucchini and 3/4 cup chickpeas, and cook 5 minutes more.
Puree remaining 3/4 cup chickpeas in food processor until mostly smooth. Stir pureed chickpeas into vegetable mixture, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Pour vegetable mixture into 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Combine couscous and salt in large heat-proof bowl. Cover with 3 cups boiling water, cover bowl, and let stand 5 minutes, or until all water is absorbed. Fluff with fork, and stir in remaining 2 Tbs oil. Spread couscious over vegetable mixture in baking dish. Bake 30 minutes, or until conscious begins to brown on top. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Vegetarian Times, January/February 2012
Showing posts with label Zucchini. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zucchini. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Monday, April 5, 2010
Zucchini Casserole (for Passover)
I made this casserole for Passover this year, but it's so tasty that I might not wait until next year to make it again!
It takes likes latkas and zucchini!
butter (I used cooking spray instead)
3 cups thinly sliced, unpeeled zucchini
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup dry Passover pancake mix
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup veggie oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
pepper
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 13 X 19-inch baking pan with butter. Combine everything else in large bowl. Bake for 40 minutes of until brown.
Passover by Design, Susie Fishbein, 2008
It takes likes latkas and zucchini!
butter (I used cooking spray instead)
3 cups thinly sliced, unpeeled zucchini
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup dry Passover pancake mix
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup veggie oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
pepper
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 13 X 19-inch baking pan with butter. Combine everything else in large bowl. Bake for 40 minutes of until brown.
Passover by Design, Susie Fishbein, 2008
Monday, December 21, 2009
what's for dinner?
"what do you want for dinner?"
"I dunno, what do you want?"
"It's already getting late, so it needs to be fast and easy"
"and I want some meat in it"
"pasta sounds good to me".
Thank you The Kitchn, my problem is solved! Specifically, this recipe, which I simplified and quick-ified even further.
Pasta with Keibasa
1 lb pasta
1 lb read-to-eat polish keibasa sausage, sliced
2 shallots, chopped
8oz sliced fresh mushrooms
1 zucchini, sliced into half moons
salt & pepper
1/2 tbsp dried basil
pinch hot pepper flakes
2 tsp garlic powder
1 jar of your favorite store bought tomato sauce
parmesan cheese
Start the water to boil for the pasta. put the sliced keibasa in a very large skillet, and let it cook for a minute or two. It should give up some grease. Add the shallots, and cook 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, and stir and cook, to let the mushrooms soak up some of the grease. If you are using Turkey Keibasa, you may need to add some oil. add the zucchini and spices. try to get the zucchini peices down to the bottom of the pan. Once the zucchini is getting to a stage of done-ness, and if you have room in your skillet, add the tomato sauce right in there, and let simmer until the pasta is done. Otherwise, heat the sauce up on the stove or in the microwave.
when pasta is cooked, drain and rinse well. serve sauce & meat & veg over pasta, sprinkle parm on top.
The only things we had to buy for this was the sausage and the fresh mushrooms. Everything else we had in the house. doesn't get much easier than that!
"I dunno, what do you want?"
"It's already getting late, so it needs to be fast and easy"
"and I want some meat in it"
"pasta sounds good to me".
Thank you The Kitchn, my problem is solved! Specifically, this recipe, which I simplified and quick-ified even further.
Pasta with Keibasa
1 lb pasta
1 lb read-to-eat polish keibasa sausage, sliced
2 shallots, chopped
8oz sliced fresh mushrooms
1 zucchini, sliced into half moons
salt & pepper
1/2 tbsp dried basil
pinch hot pepper flakes
2 tsp garlic powder
1 jar of your favorite store bought tomato sauce
parmesan cheese
Start the water to boil for the pasta. put the sliced keibasa in a very large skillet, and let it cook for a minute or two. It should give up some grease. Add the shallots, and cook 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, and stir and cook, to let the mushrooms soak up some of the grease. If you are using Turkey Keibasa, you may need to add some oil. add the zucchini and spices. try to get the zucchini peices down to the bottom of the pan. Once the zucchini is getting to a stage of done-ness, and if you have room in your skillet, add the tomato sauce right in there, and let simmer until the pasta is done. Otherwise, heat the sauce up on the stove or in the microwave.
when pasta is cooked, drain and rinse well. serve sauce & meat & veg over pasta, sprinkle parm on top.
The only things we had to buy for this was the sausage and the fresh mushrooms. Everything else we had in the house. doesn't get much easier than that!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables
The chef who wrote this cookbook published some other books and is on the Food Network. Her books are not vegetarian, but the vegetarian dishes that I've made so far from her pasta cookbook have been very good.
This book also has some very useful pasta cooking tips and information on pasta in general.
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch strips
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb blend
1 pound penne pasta
3 cups marinara sauce
1 cup grated fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
On a baking sheet, toss the bell peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onion with the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and the herbs. Bake until tender, about 15 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure it is not completely cooked. Drain in a colander.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, fontina, mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the peas, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Gently mix using a wooden spoon until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.
Pour the pasta into a greased 9 X 13 X 2-inch baking dish. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese and the butter pieces. Bake until the top is golden and the cheese melts, about 25 minutes.
Everyday Pasta, Giada DeLaurentiis, 2007
This book also has some very useful pasta cooking tips and information on pasta in general.
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch strips
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb blend
1 pound penne pasta
3 cups marinara sauce
1 cup grated fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
On a baking sheet, toss the bell peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onion with the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and the herbs. Bake until tender, about 15 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure it is not completely cooked. Drain in a colander.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, fontina, mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the peas, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Gently mix using a wooden spoon until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.
Pour the pasta into a greased 9 X 13 X 2-inch baking dish. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese and the butter pieces. Bake until the top is golden and the cheese melts, about 25 minutes.
Everyday Pasta, Giada DeLaurentiis, 2007
Saturday, April 11, 2009
April 11th, part 2: food is better than the book
April 11th, part two. The food is better than the book.
Review of Gordon Dahlquist’s Glass books of the dream eaters. Not a bad book, but not particularly good either. If you were stuck on a desert island with nothing to do, it would be a good, long, book to have.
The Passover cooking is going strong, read on for recipes for a spicy north African Beef Stew, deliciously light Chocolate Walnut cookies, and Zuchini & Tomato gratin.
Moroccan Beef Stew (adapted from Faye Levy’s 1000 Jewish Recipes)
2 lbs cubed stewing beef
2-3 tbsp oil
1 large onion, chopped
Up to 3 cups water
4 tbsp minced garlic
Good pinch hot pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
Salt & pepper
2 lbs red potatoes
1 large (or two small) sweet pepper peppers, chopped
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Heat oil in large dutch oven over medium high heat, and brown beef on all sides. Remove beef, and add the onions to the pan. Cook onion till softened, 5-7 minutes. Add beef back to pan, stir in garlic, hot pepper, cumin, paprika and salt & pepper. Add enough water to barely cover the beef, stir, and bring to a boil. Simmer over low-medium heat for 90 minutes, adding more water if needed. Cube potatoes, and add to stew, pushing them down into the liquid. Simmer another 30 minuets, then stir in sweet peppers, cooking into they soften, 5-10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.
Chocolate Walnut Cookies off the interwebs, somewhere.
2 1/2 cups walnuts
3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup unsweeted baking cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 egg whites
1 tbsp vanilla extract
preheat oven to 350, and line baking sheets with parchment paper. finely chop the walnuts. if you are using a food processor, be careful because you don't want them pulverized, just chopped. toast the walnuts in the oven for about 7-8 minutes, and let cool. in a large bowl mix sugar, cocoa and salt. stir in walnuts. fold in vanilla and egg whites, stiring until the mixture has moistened, and darkened. do not beat or overmix, you just want it blended. Drop batter by teaspoonful onto baking sheets, and bake for 12-15 minutes, until tops are glossy and begins to crackle. let cool on baking sheets, then remove to racks. makes about 3 dozen cookies.
i was afraid these cookies would be overly rich and heavy. Nope. light, airy, and a nice balance of bitter chocolate to sweetness.
Zucchini & Tomato Gratin
I think I made this last year. it's from my French Provincial cookbook.
2lbs zuchini
salt
3-4 tbsp butter or oil
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 tbsp basil
1 cup matzah meal or breadcrums
4-5 tbsp grated Greyere, Danish Fontina, Swiss, or other swiss-like firm white oily cheese
Slice zucchini thinly, and layer in a colander with generous sprinkles of salt between each layer. don't be chinsy with the salt, it's important because it leeches the moisture out of the zucchini, and you'll be washing the salt off later anyways. Let zucchini sit for 1 hour, then rinse with cool water, and dry the slices on paper towels. Taste a peice. see? not as salty as you'd expect, and crispier and crunchier than unsalted zucchini.
Preheat oven to 400, heat the butter/oil in a skillet over medium heat. in batches, sautee the zuchini until browned. remove the zucchini from the skillet. add the tomatoes, garlic, basil and salt and pepper, and bring mixture to a boil. simmer for 5-10 minutes, until it has thickened a bit. Stir the zuchhini back into the skillet, and mix everything together. Pour into a baking dish. in a small bowl blend the matzah meal and the cheese, and sprinkle it over the zuchhini. dot with butter, and bake for 25 minutes.
Review of Gordon Dahlquist’s Glass books of the dream eaters. Not a bad book, but not particularly good either. If you were stuck on a desert island with nothing to do, it would be a good, long, book to have.
The Passover cooking is going strong, read on for recipes for a spicy north African Beef Stew, deliciously light Chocolate Walnut cookies, and Zuchini & Tomato gratin.
Moroccan Beef Stew (adapted from Faye Levy’s 1000 Jewish Recipes)
2 lbs cubed stewing beef
2-3 tbsp oil
1 large onion, chopped
Up to 3 cups water
4 tbsp minced garlic
Good pinch hot pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
Salt & pepper
2 lbs red potatoes
1 large (or two small) sweet pepper peppers, chopped
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Heat oil in large dutch oven over medium high heat, and brown beef on all sides. Remove beef, and add the onions to the pan. Cook onion till softened, 5-7 minutes. Add beef back to pan, stir in garlic, hot pepper, cumin, paprika and salt & pepper. Add enough water to barely cover the beef, stir, and bring to a boil. Simmer over low-medium heat for 90 minutes, adding more water if needed. Cube potatoes, and add to stew, pushing them down into the liquid. Simmer another 30 minuets, then stir in sweet peppers, cooking into they soften, 5-10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.
Chocolate Walnut Cookies off the interwebs, somewhere.
2 1/2 cups walnuts
3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup unsweeted baking cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 egg whites
1 tbsp vanilla extract
preheat oven to 350, and line baking sheets with parchment paper. finely chop the walnuts. if you are using a food processor, be careful because you don't want them pulverized, just chopped. toast the walnuts in the oven for about 7-8 minutes, and let cool. in a large bowl mix sugar, cocoa and salt. stir in walnuts. fold in vanilla and egg whites, stiring until the mixture has moistened, and darkened. do not beat or overmix, you just want it blended. Drop batter by teaspoonful onto baking sheets, and bake for 12-15 minutes, until tops are glossy and begins to crackle. let cool on baking sheets, then remove to racks. makes about 3 dozen cookies.
i was afraid these cookies would be overly rich and heavy. Nope. light, airy, and a nice balance of bitter chocolate to sweetness.
Zucchini & Tomato Gratin
I think I made this last year. it's from my French Provincial cookbook.
2lbs zuchini
salt
3-4 tbsp butter or oil
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 tbsp basil
1 cup matzah meal or breadcrums
4-5 tbsp grated Greyere, Danish Fontina, Swiss, or other swiss-like firm white oily cheese
Slice zucchini thinly, and layer in a colander with generous sprinkles of salt between each layer. don't be chinsy with the salt, it's important because it leeches the moisture out of the zucchini, and you'll be washing the salt off later anyways. Let zucchini sit for 1 hour, then rinse with cool water, and dry the slices on paper towels. Taste a peice. see? not as salty as you'd expect, and crispier and crunchier than unsalted zucchini.
Preheat oven to 400, heat the butter/oil in a skillet over medium heat. in batches, sautee the zuchini until browned. remove the zucchini from the skillet. add the tomatoes, garlic, basil and salt and pepper, and bring mixture to a boil. simmer for 5-10 minutes, until it has thickened a bit. Stir the zuchhini back into the skillet, and mix everything together. Pour into a baking dish. in a small bowl blend the matzah meal and the cheese, and sprinkle it over the zuchhini. dot with butter, and bake for 25 minutes.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
you know, I'm not as Passover Crazy as I could be.
You know those crazy Christmas ladies, who have a themed Christmas tree in every room of their house? And when they go on vacation, they go shopping for the sole purpose of buying a commemorative christmas ornament? I'm working on being that obsessed about Passover. I buy cookbooks if they have good passover friendly recipes, the more non traditional, the better. I start planning Seder and other Passover meals a month ahead of time. I'm always surprised how many Passover friendly (or one ingredient away from Passover friendly) recipes I find in my favorite French Cookbooks, The Book of French Provincial Cooking, by Hilaire Walden. Best cookbook purchase ever.
Sure, I don't observe Passover as much as I could (non-Passover friendly food gets shoved to the back of the pantry or fridge, or tossed in the freezer), but i'm happily food obessed. We shared cooking responsibilities with another family this year. They hosted the Seder, we brought the side dishes and one of three desserts. I got to cook on a flat top range for the first time.
With recipes below, or links to the recipes:
Marinated Mushrooms (Adapted from The Book of French Provincial Cooking)
Zucchini Gratin (Same Source as above)
Sweet Potatoes and Apples
Garlic Roasted Potatoes
and Forgotten Cookies for Dessert.
Marinated Mushrooms
1 onion, sliced very thin
l clove of garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp coriander
1 cup red wine
1 lb button mushrooms, sliced if bigger than bite sized
2 large tomatoes, diced
salt & pepper
chopped parsley
bay leaf
Saute onion & garlic in oil for about 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, coriander, and tomatoes, salt and pepper and bay leaf. Pour wine over. Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes. If you want the sauce thicker, removed mushrooms and onions with a slotted spoon, and simmer until it's at a thickness you want, then add mushrooms and onions back in. garnish with parsley. Can be served hot or at room temperature.
Zucchini Gratin
2 lbs zucchini, sliced
olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chopped basil or parsley
salt & pepper
½ cup matzah meal
¼ - ½ cup shredded greyere cheese
1 tbsp butter
put sliced zucchini in a colander with plenty of salt (it draws the moisture out). Leave for one hour, then rise zucchini well (rinse it again, there is a lot of salt there!) and dry with paper towels.
Preheat oven to 400. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat, and saute zuchini until they begin to brown. You want them browned, not mushy. Remove zucchini with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add tomatoes, garlic, basil or parsley, and salt & pepper to skillet. Bring to a boil, then simmer till it thickens a bit. Stir the zucchini back in, then pour it all into a baking dish. Mix the matzah meal and cheese in a bowl, and sprinkle that on top. Cut the butter up, and dot the top of the gratin with it. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.
Stay tuned for more Passover goodness, including Matzah ball soup (I made the best soup of my life the other night. I need to figure out what the heck I did!), Turkey and Leek Fritters, more Rattatoullie, Sweet potatoes with pears, and some other stuff. It's all good.
. . .sadly not much on the book front. I got Michael Moorcock's The Dreamcatchers Daughter from the library, and I've been staring at it for a week, unable to pick it up. If you've been following this blog, you know of my growing obsession with Michael Moorcock, so why can't I pick this thing up? The dust jacket summary mentions something about historical World War II characters (maybe one of them is an Eternal Hero?). . And you know what? I'm just not ready for my Elric fantasy world to be tainted by the contemporary. I want Elric to stay in the beautiful, surreal, idealistic fantasy world he belongs in. Sigh.
Hal Duncan's Vellum also made it into the library bag. I tried reading this book last summer, and I couldn't get into it. Too weird, even for me. So i'll give it another try. And i'm sure next year, i'll pick up The Dreamcatcher's Daughter, and just go nuts for it.
Finished Steven Brust's Book of Jhereg. Excellent book. Now I just need to find time to write a review.
Sure, I don't observe Passover as much as I could (non-Passover friendly food gets shoved to the back of the pantry or fridge, or tossed in the freezer), but i'm happily food obessed. We shared cooking responsibilities with another family this year. They hosted the Seder, we brought the side dishes and one of three desserts. I got to cook on a flat top range for the first time.
With recipes below, or links to the recipes:
Marinated Mushrooms (Adapted from The Book of French Provincial Cooking)
Zucchini Gratin (Same Source as above)
Sweet Potatoes and Apples
Garlic Roasted Potatoes
and Forgotten Cookies for Dessert.
Marinated Mushrooms
1 onion, sliced very thin
l clove of garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp coriander
1 cup red wine
1 lb button mushrooms, sliced if bigger than bite sized
2 large tomatoes, diced
salt & pepper
chopped parsley
bay leaf
Saute onion & garlic in oil for about 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, coriander, and tomatoes, salt and pepper and bay leaf. Pour wine over. Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes. If you want the sauce thicker, removed mushrooms and onions with a slotted spoon, and simmer until it's at a thickness you want, then add mushrooms and onions back in. garnish with parsley. Can be served hot or at room temperature.
Zucchini Gratin
2 lbs zucchini, sliced
olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chopped basil or parsley
salt & pepper
½ cup matzah meal
¼ - ½ cup shredded greyere cheese
1 tbsp butter
put sliced zucchini in a colander with plenty of salt (it draws the moisture out). Leave for one hour, then rise zucchini well (rinse it again, there is a lot of salt there!) and dry with paper towels.
Preheat oven to 400. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat, and saute zuchini until they begin to brown. You want them browned, not mushy. Remove zucchini with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add tomatoes, garlic, basil or parsley, and salt & pepper to skillet. Bring to a boil, then simmer till it thickens a bit. Stir the zucchini back in, then pour it all into a baking dish. Mix the matzah meal and cheese in a bowl, and sprinkle that on top. Cut the butter up, and dot the top of the gratin with it. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.
Stay tuned for more Passover goodness, including Matzah ball soup (I made the best soup of my life the other night. I need to figure out what the heck I did!), Turkey and Leek Fritters, more Rattatoullie, Sweet potatoes with pears, and some other stuff. It's all good.
. . .sadly not much on the book front. I got Michael Moorcock's The Dreamcatchers Daughter from the library, and I've been staring at it for a week, unable to pick it up. If you've been following this blog, you know of my growing obsession with Michael Moorcock, so why can't I pick this thing up? The dust jacket summary mentions something about historical World War II characters (maybe one of them is an Eternal Hero?). . And you know what? I'm just not ready for my Elric fantasy world to be tainted by the contemporary. I want Elric to stay in the beautiful, surreal, idealistic fantasy world he belongs in. Sigh.
Hal Duncan's Vellum also made it into the library bag. I tried reading this book last summer, and I couldn't get into it. Too weird, even for me. So i'll give it another try. And i'm sure next year, i'll pick up The Dreamcatcher's Daughter, and just go nuts for it.
Finished Steven Brust's Book of Jhereg. Excellent book. Now I just need to find time to write a review.
Monday, December 31, 2007
home made pasta is suprisingly easy.
What do I do when I'm on vacation, and bored out of my bleeding mind? I make pasta. From scratch, without a pasta machine (i'm not even sure what a pasta machine is, or does).
For approximately 1 pound of pasta, blend the following in a bowl:
3 large eggs
2 cups flour
pinch of salt
when your mixture is smooth and mixed well, and has become a dough, divide it into 4 dough balls, put them back into the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. On a floured surface, roll out one ball at a time into a very, very flat rectangle. This stuff is not going to want to roll. Nope, it's elastic, and doesn't like stretching. And you want to stretch it and roll it, not crush it under the rolling pin. So, every few rolls, pick it up off the table, gently stretching it, and flip it over. Gravity will do most of the hard work for you. Get it as thin as possible (can you see the fake wood grain of your laminate kitchen table through the dough? It's thin enough), and cut into long strips with a pizza cutter.
The strips have got to dry. I dry them on my folding clothes drying rack, but you can use the backs of chairs, or lay a broomstick across two chairs and use that. Roll out at cut the rest of your dough. It's more tedious than difficult.
After your pasta has dried for about two hours (or whenever you want to eat it later), start a big pot of water boiling on the stove. Get out a big skillet, and chop up the following to go in the skillet with some olive oil or butter:
1 zucchini, cut in quarters and sliced
1 sweet pepper, diced
8 oz mushroom, sliced
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 tbsp minced garlic
salt & pepper
saute all that up as your water is boiling. Put the pasta in the water and boil for about 5 minutes, or until it's “al dente” (flexible, but still has a little bite to it). Because I used plain old regular flour, and not that traditional semolina stuff, this pasta won't be anywhere near as starchy or sticky as store bought pasta. It also cooks much faster, because it isn't industrially dried.
Pasta done? Good. Drain it and pop it back into the empty pot. Dump in sauteed veggies. Now, here's the cheating part. Dump in one jar of your favorite store bought alfredo sauce. Stir, enjoy.
What's with the store bought sauce? I suck at making white sauces, and I made the flippin' pasta from scratch, so i'm going to use a store bought white sauce. Deal with it.
Now, wasn't that tasty? Yes, it was!
I'm about half way through Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt's memoir of growing up poor and starving in Ireland. This book is hard to read, because it's damn depressing. Frankie's dad is a drunk, and his mother is simply powerless. I'm kind of surprised there isn't more suicide. Oh yeah, they're all Catholics. But if i'm going to finish this book, I better finish it soon, because it's on loan from a friend.
For something happier, i've gotten sucked into the warped singularity of insanity that is Tim Powers Last Call. Powers has that ability to write up rediculous magical happenings that are just wrong, and it works, and the only thing you want is more. The man writes literary heroin. This book is mostly poker and tarot card stuff, which I have just about zero knowledge off, but it's still really good, and no one does body swapping like Powers. Oh, it's good stuff.
Oh yeah, happy new year! We're making cookies and chili for the party tonight. I'll only give you the cookie recipe if they come out tasty, and I can't give you the chili recipe, because it's a secret.
For approximately 1 pound of pasta, blend the following in a bowl:
3 large eggs
2 cups flour
pinch of salt
when your mixture is smooth and mixed well, and has become a dough, divide it into 4 dough balls, put them back into the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. On a floured surface, roll out one ball at a time into a very, very flat rectangle. This stuff is not going to want to roll. Nope, it's elastic, and doesn't like stretching. And you want to stretch it and roll it, not crush it under the rolling pin. So, every few rolls, pick it up off the table, gently stretching it, and flip it over. Gravity will do most of the hard work for you. Get it as thin as possible (can you see the fake wood grain of your laminate kitchen table through the dough? It's thin enough), and cut into long strips with a pizza cutter.
The strips have got to dry. I dry them on my folding clothes drying rack, but you can use the backs of chairs, or lay a broomstick across two chairs and use that. Roll out at cut the rest of your dough. It's more tedious than difficult.
After your pasta has dried for about two hours (or whenever you want to eat it later), start a big pot of water boiling on the stove. Get out a big skillet, and chop up the following to go in the skillet with some olive oil or butter:
1 zucchini, cut in quarters and sliced
1 sweet pepper, diced
8 oz mushroom, sliced
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 tbsp minced garlic
salt & pepper
saute all that up as your water is boiling. Put the pasta in the water and boil for about 5 minutes, or until it's “al dente” (flexible, but still has a little bite to it). Because I used plain old regular flour, and not that traditional semolina stuff, this pasta won't be anywhere near as starchy or sticky as store bought pasta. It also cooks much faster, because it isn't industrially dried.
Pasta done? Good. Drain it and pop it back into the empty pot. Dump in sauteed veggies. Now, here's the cheating part. Dump in one jar of your favorite store bought alfredo sauce. Stir, enjoy.
What's with the store bought sauce? I suck at making white sauces, and I made the flippin' pasta from scratch, so i'm going to use a store bought white sauce. Deal with it.
Now, wasn't that tasty? Yes, it was!
I'm about half way through Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt's memoir of growing up poor and starving in Ireland. This book is hard to read, because it's damn depressing. Frankie's dad is a drunk, and his mother is simply powerless. I'm kind of surprised there isn't more suicide. Oh yeah, they're all Catholics. But if i'm going to finish this book, I better finish it soon, because it's on loan from a friend.
For something happier, i've gotten sucked into the warped singularity of insanity that is Tim Powers Last Call. Powers has that ability to write up rediculous magical happenings that are just wrong, and it works, and the only thing you want is more. The man writes literary heroin. This book is mostly poker and tarot card stuff, which I have just about zero knowledge off, but it's still really good, and no one does body swapping like Powers. Oh, it's good stuff.
Oh yeah, happy new year! We're making cookies and chili for the party tonight. I'll only give you the cookie recipe if they come out tasty, and I can't give you the chili recipe, because it's a secret.
Monday, January 1, 2007
Tangerine Scarves and Ratatouille
happy new year.
i tend to do better with stuff when goals are involved, so here are my goals for this blog:
make a new post at least once a week.
at least once a week, talk about a book i'm reading.
at least once a week, talk about a recipe i like, or have recently tried.
because that's most of my life folks: reading and eating. finding good things to read, and good things to eat. feel free to recommend books and recipes to me. if they look yummy, i might try 'em, and tell the whole world where i got them! i read a lot of science fiction (hence the name skiffy), some contemporary fantasy, and a little bit of every thing else. i tend to eat a lot of french, mediterranean, asian and middle eastern food, so you'll find a lot of those types of recipes here. personal preference, i eat no red meat, so you won't find any recipes for that here.
the first post starts . . . . . . . . now.
i recently finished "The girl in the tangerine scarf", by Mohja Kahf. beautiful narrative about about a Syrian born Muslim woman who is raised in the suburban midwest. Most of the book is a flashback of Khadra Samy, and she is remembering her early childhood, when she first started to wear the veil, what she calls "Muslim dating", arranged marraiges, culture clashes, etc. A veiw of Islam from the inside, from America, from a woman just trying to live her life, do her upbringing right, and be a successful American. I like learning about cultures i'm not familiar with, and Khadra is about the same age as me, so that was cool. reminded me of some Amy Tan i've read, in that my saddest moment reading it was realizing i'd never again be able to read it again for the first time. i tend to rush through a lot of books. too many books, not enough time. but not this one. i cherished my time with this book, like a fine chocolate bar, to be eaten in small peices.
recently made Ratatouille for the first time. way easier to make than it looks, and mamma mia is that peppery!!
recipe:
3 small zucchini (i couldn't find the big ones this time of year), sliced thin
1 large onion sliced thinly
1 sweet red pepper, chopped
1 sweet orange pepper, chopped
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, chopped
olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 tspb thyme
salt & pepper
(every Ratatoullie recipe i've ever seen calls for Eggplant, which i don't like. so i don't put any in. if you like it, put some in. if you want to add more or less of something i listed, go ahead. it will still taste good.)
fry onions in about 2 tsp oil for 5 minutes. add peppers and fry another 2-3 minutes. remove onion & peppers and drain on paper towels. add a little more oil if your pan is dry. add the zucchini slices, and fry about 3 minutes, or until the slices are softened. once the zuchini is cooked, remove it and drain on paper towels. add the garlic, tomatoes (with juice from can), bay leaves, thyme, and some salt & pepper to pan, and cook until tomatoes start to get pulpy. Return all the veggies to the pan, and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occassionally. season with more pepper. this is supposed to be a peppery dish!
serve with crusty bread to soak up the yummy sauces. i have no idea how many servings this, or your version, will make. leftovers are delish in an omelet the next morning.
i tend to do better with stuff when goals are involved, so here are my goals for this blog:
make a new post at least once a week.
at least once a week, talk about a book i'm reading.
at least once a week, talk about a recipe i like, or have recently tried.
because that's most of my life folks: reading and eating. finding good things to read, and good things to eat. feel free to recommend books and recipes to me. if they look yummy, i might try 'em, and tell the whole world where i got them! i read a lot of science fiction (hence the name skiffy), some contemporary fantasy, and a little bit of every thing else. i tend to eat a lot of french, mediterranean, asian and middle eastern food, so you'll find a lot of those types of recipes here. personal preference, i eat no red meat, so you won't find any recipes for that here.
the first post starts . . . . . . . . now.
i recently finished "The girl in the tangerine scarf", by Mohja Kahf. beautiful narrative about about a Syrian born Muslim woman who is raised in the suburban midwest. Most of the book is a flashback of Khadra Samy, and she is remembering her early childhood, when she first started to wear the veil, what she calls "Muslim dating", arranged marraiges, culture clashes, etc. A veiw of Islam from the inside, from America, from a woman just trying to live her life, do her upbringing right, and be a successful American. I like learning about cultures i'm not familiar with, and Khadra is about the same age as me, so that was cool. reminded me of some Amy Tan i've read, in that my saddest moment reading it was realizing i'd never again be able to read it again for the first time. i tend to rush through a lot of books. too many books, not enough time. but not this one. i cherished my time with this book, like a fine chocolate bar, to be eaten in small peices.
recently made Ratatouille for the first time. way easier to make than it looks, and mamma mia is that peppery!!
recipe:
3 small zucchini (i couldn't find the big ones this time of year), sliced thin
1 large onion sliced thinly
1 sweet red pepper, chopped
1 sweet orange pepper, chopped
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, chopped
olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 tspb thyme
salt & pepper
(every Ratatoullie recipe i've ever seen calls for Eggplant, which i don't like. so i don't put any in. if you like it, put some in. if you want to add more or less of something i listed, go ahead. it will still taste good.)
fry onions in about 2 tsp oil for 5 minutes. add peppers and fry another 2-3 minutes. remove onion & peppers and drain on paper towels. add a little more oil if your pan is dry. add the zucchini slices, and fry about 3 minutes, or until the slices are softened. once the zuchini is cooked, remove it and drain on paper towels. add the garlic, tomatoes (with juice from can), bay leaves, thyme, and some salt & pepper to pan, and cook until tomatoes start to get pulpy. Return all the veggies to the pan, and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occassionally. season with more pepper. this is supposed to be a peppery dish!
serve with crusty bread to soak up the yummy sauces. i have no idea how many servings this, or your version, will make. leftovers are delish in an omelet the next morning.
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