Dinner

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Pasta with Goat Cheese and Sundried Tomatoes

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Another weeknight wonder!  As much as I love to cook elaborate dinners and put together exciting menus, or learn new skills and try out new recipes… weeknights just don’t allow for that.  I get home at 7:00 and I’m starving, and I need something quick and easy.  Most nights, I’ve forgotten to take whatever I had planned on serving out of the freezer to defrost, too, so it helps to have a few vegetarian dishes or pantry stand-bys on the weekly menu.  This is one of the easiest, and one of the most flavorful.

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Pasta with Goat Cheese and Sundried Tomatoes

8 ounces pasta (in the shape of your choice)
4 ounces goat cheese
4 ounces sundried tomatoes
extra-virgin olive oil
splash of red wine (optional)
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon chopped chives

  • Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water, according to the directions on the package.
  • Meanwhile, roughly chop approximately 4 ounces of sundried tomatoes.
  • When the pasta reaches al dente, drain it and put it back in the pot.  Add the sundried tomatoes.  Crumble in goat cheese and moisten with a little olive oil, add a splash of red wine (if desired), and season with salt and pepper.  Garnish with chives and serve.

Yield: Serves 4.

Wine Pairing: Because the flavors of sundried tomatoes and goat cheese are quite robust, a somewhat fuller-bodied red wine can stand up to this dish.  Go for a Bordeaux blend or – if the budget allows – a Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Source: Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

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Chick ‘n Chick Curry

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Curry is one of my favorite slap-together dinners.  It’s about the easiest thing you can think of – bang your protein or vegetables in a pot, brown them a little (if necessary – sometimes you don’t even need to do that!), then toss in some crushed tomatoes and some spices and you’re there.  On top of the health benefits of curry, it’s just so gosh darned tasty and easy – this dish is as good as it gets on a weeknight!  What I call “Chick ‘n Chick Curry” is one of my favorites – Chick #1 is chicken, and Chick #2 is chickpeas – lots of yummy protein, and when you hit it with some tamarind and a lovely mix of Indian spices, it’s heady and warm and sweet and delicious.  Enjoy!

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Chick ‘n Chick Curry

1 package skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons natural tamarind sauce
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

  • In a medium cast-iron pot or French oven, heat some canola or safflower oil over medium heat.  Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and drop into the oil.  Brown on two sides.
  • Add chickpeas, tamarind sauce, and spices.  Stir to combine.  Stir in crushed tomatoes and make sure everything incorporates.
  • Put lid on the French oven, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 25 minutes.
  • Serve over basmati rice.  If you have some fresh cilantro, it would be wonderful to dice and add as a garnish.

Wine pairing: Indian foods go very well with Riesling wines.  I prefer a dry Riesling, such as a Kabinett from Germany or a dry Finger Lakes bottling.  If you like a sweet Riesling, which would also be nice, try a German Spatlese or Auslese.  There are also some nice off-dry Rieslings produced in the Finger Lakes.

Source: Inspired by Williams-Sonoma Tamarind Chicken Curry with Vegetables

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Grilled Tuna Steaks

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The hubs has a talent for logic.  He’s a lawyer, so I guess it comes naturally.  But so am I, and not everything that comes out of my mouth is as sensible and reasonable as everything that comes out of his.  Take the other day, for instance.  I was planning my weekly menu and the hubs – who doesn’t usually make suggestions – said “I have a question.  I love tuna.  You love tuna.  So why don’t we cook tuna at home?”  It was a good question.  I was a bit concerned because tuna really should be left extremely rare.  But the Wegmans fish counter is perfectly reputable, so I agreed to give it a try.  Clearly, my concern was misplaced, since I’m writing this post, which means I am definitely still alive – and the tuna, which was seasoned very simply and grilled to perfection, was unbelievably delicious; it was probably the best fish I have ever cooked at home.  Still, make sure that your fish is very fresh and that you trust your fishmonger before attempting this recipe.

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Grilled Tuna Steaks

This almost doesn’t qualify as a recipe, it’s so simple.  It’s also insanely quick to put together – season the fish, slap it on the grill (or grill pan, if you live in a condo like me) and then bang! done!  But, for what it’s worth, here’s what I did…

2 tuna steaks (one small for you, one medium for your gentleman)
extra-virgin olive oil
good sea salt (I prefer Maldon)
freshly ground black pepper

  • Prepare your grill or preheat your grill pan over medium heat.  There is no need to oil your grill pan.
  • Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the fish, and brush to spread.  Season with salt and pepper, to the point that looks good to you.  Repeat on the other side.
  • Slap the tuna steaks on the grill and cook very briefly – only a couple of minutes per side.  When the fish slides if you poke it with your tongs, you know it’s done and you can flip it.  It should still be rare – basically raw, really, in the middle when you serve it.
  • Take it off the grill the moment it looks like both sides have been cooked, and before the center is cooked.  You might even err on the side of caution and take it off before you think it’s done.  Trust me, it’s done.  It was pretty much done when you put it on the grill in the first place.  Serve it with a green salad.

Note: Tuna is intentionally undercooked.  If you are pregnant, please don’t eat this or any raw or undercooked fish.  Please check www.seafoodwatch.org for the appropriate varieties to buy.  I used a sustainable yellowfin tuna, for instance, not bluefin – and I urge you to make sustainable choices when cooking, especially when it comes to seafood; we all need to be vigilant against overfishing.

Wine Pairing: The hubs and I paired this dish with a medium-bodied red wine, Ruby from Hillsborough Vineyards in Purcellville, VA.  Ruby is a blend of Tannat, Petit Verdot and Touriga Nacional.  It’s delicious, and I would say that even if I didn’t love supporting the wonderful wine-producing community of Northern Virginia.  But if you don’t have access to NoVA wines, any medium- or light-bodied red would be nice with this dish, as would a French or Spanish rose, or a full-bodied white.  The tuna is rich, so you do want a wine with a bit of personality to stand up to your dinner.  Of course, you don’t want a wine that’s going to kick your dinner in the pants, either, so steer clear of really heavy reds.  The next time I make this grilled tuna, and I’ll be making it again and again, I’m going to try to use a little foresight and have a bottle of my favorite Hillsborough wine, Serafina, chilling in the fridge.

Source: Covered In Flour

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Tomato and Goat Cheese Frittata

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Frittatas are a standby in my kitchen – one of the easiest dinners imaginable, with endless variations so you never get bored.  You can throw absolutely anything into a frittata, and it’ll be delicious.  Well… maybe not anything.  Chocolate cake, for instance, would make a pretty weird frittata.  But almost anything else is welcome.  I’ve made frittatas with chicken sausage, feta cheese, and all kinds of other ingredients.  They are one of my favorite fridge-clearing meals and one of the simplest things to whip up after a long day at work.  I load them up with lots of veggies to make them filling and boost the nutrition.  They are also good at room temperature, which makes them great for brunches, and they are surprisingly delicious cold in a sandwich for lunch the next day – essentially, my perfect go-anywhere-do-anything dish.  To make them even easier, I oven bake them rather than cooking them on the stovetop and flipping them – a method I saw on “Everyday Italian.”  Bless Giada for making my life so much easier and filled with frittatas!

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Yes, I really love my Emile Henry Artisan baking dish in Pommeterra.  Why do you ask?

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Tomato and Goat Cheese Frittata

7-8 large eggs (try to get organic, free-range brown eggs if you can)
1/4 cup milk
2 scallions
3 Roma tomatoes
2 ounces Chevre
1/4 cup Parmesan (freshly grated if possible)
salt and pepper

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray an 8×8 baking dish with Pam and set aside.
  • Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk quickly to break up the yolks.
  • Add milk, salt and pepper and whisk vigorously to combine.
  • Slice scallions thinly and dice tomatoes coarsely.  Add to mixture.  Break Chevre into mixture and grate in Parmesan cheese.  Stir gently to combine all ingredients.
  • Pour into baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, until center of frittata is just set.  Let cool briefly and then slice.

Serves 4 for a light dinner with a green salad on the side.

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Note: You don’t have to oven bake this frittata, of course.  I like it because it’s pretty much as easy as falling out of bed.  But if you’re a frittata traditionalist or just have a super cool frittata pan that you like to use, feel free to follow your usual method for stovetop cooking.

Source: Covered In Flour, inspired by Giada de Laurentiis

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Stuffed Heirloom Tomatoes

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Sunday dinner.  The phrase conjures up images of grandmothers in aprons serving roasts on china platters, doesn’t it?  Growing up, we ate dinner at my grandparents’ house on many Sunday nights and whether dinner was of the roast-and-china variety or was more casual, my grandmother’s table was always warm and welcoming and full of love.   To this day, I love the idea of family coming together once a week for Sunday dinners.  Of course, having given up red meat ten years ago, and having moved hundreds of miles away to another state six years ago, I don’t do the whole big-family-eating-beef-around-the-table thing anymore.  But I do try to put a little bit of extra effort into Sunday dinners, because I have the time and because I like to reserve Sunday evening for my family (which is just my husband and I, most nights) to sit at the table, light candles, and relax together, or to pop in a DVD (tonight, it was “My Fair Lady” with Audrey Hepburn) before we jump back into the rat race for the coming week.

Today, driving home from our long holiday weekend, I had a six hour car ride in which to mull over dinner ideas.  I came up with the idea of stuffed tomatoes with a crispy Italian-seasoned breadcrumb and Parmesan crust.  Stopping at Whole Foods on the way home, I found gorgeous heirloom tomatoes in the produce section – fate smiling on me!  This is the result…

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Baked Stuffed Tomatoes

4 vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes (small to medium sized)
1 lb ground turkey or chicken sausage
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup fresh basil, chiffonaded
1 tablespoon ketchup
salt and pepper (approx. 1 teaspoon of each)
extra-virgin olive oil

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Core tomatoes and remove seeds.  Cut off a small slice from the bottom of each tomato (for stability) and stand tomatoes in a shallow baking dish.
  • Remove sausage from casings and combine with egg, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs and half the chiffonaded basil.  Season with salt and pepper and stir gently until just mixed.  Add mixture to hollowed-out tomatoes.
  • Combine remaining breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the top of each stuffed tomato.  Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over top.
  • Bake 30-35 minutes, or until meat is cooked through.

This dish is quick and simple enough to make on a weeknight – in fact, I do something very similar with bell peppers, a recipe from Giada de Laurentiis, and it’s one of my favorite weeknight meals.  But it hits the spot on Sunday too, and served with a simple green salad, it makes a light but flavorful finish to the weekend.  In fact, since this dish is made with chicken or turkey rather than beef or pork, it’s healthy enough to justify dessert – maybe a peach and blueberry crumble?  Sunday dinner.  Think about it.

Note: This recipe makes double the amount of meat you need for four tomatoes.  You can either stuff eight tomatoes and feed 4-6 people on them, or reserve the remaining meat for another use – I made mini meatballs for tomorrow night.

Source: Covered In Flour, inspired by Giada de Laurentiis

And a bonus picture – the new view from my kitchen island, thanks to the incredibly talented artist Amy Giacomelli…

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Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce

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Despite the title of this blog, I am actually something of a neat freak.  Although I do flail about and throw flour everywhere while I bake, I’m an extremely tidy cook and am very conscientious about cleaning my condo – particularly the kitchen, since I spend so much of my time there.  But one cleaning chore that I geniunely hate is cleaning the refrigerator – especially the dreaded produce drawers.  Mostly, I hate doing this because it bums me out.  I end up throwing so much away – mostly vegetables that were intended for dinners which never materialized, because I worked late or came home exhausted or forgot about happy hour plans I had made when I wrote my weekly menu.  Throwing that stuff away makes me sad, partly because I hate to waste anything (especially money, and since I shop at Whole Paycheck, it really is like tossing cash down the drain) and because I was really looking forward to those dinners that never happened.

The solution?  Make something out of nothing.  I’m good at this – you should have seen my 1L Torts outline.

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I don’t always succeed, but I try not to get to the point where I have to throw food away.  Instead, once a week I try to do a fridge-clearing meal and actually use those vegetables that would otherwise be thrown out on the next market day.  Because I like alliteration and keeping my husband on his toes, I come up with cute, catch-all names for the dinners, like “Pantry Pasta” or “Fridge Frittata” so that he never knows what he’s going to get for dinner that night.  (Evil laughter.)  These dinners don’t really take to being written down in recipe form, but here’s one I made recently.  Alter as you see fit, depending on what’s languishing in your vegetable drawer…

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Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce

2 Japanese eggplants
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 cup shredded carrot
1 28-ounce can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 dried bay leaf
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons light cream (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

  • Cut eggplants and peppers into medium-sized chunks.  Toss on a baking sheet with extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt and pepper.  Roast in a 450 degree oven for approximately 40-45 minutes (keep an eye on it) tossing halfway through.
  • Bring remaining ingredients to a simmer over medium-low heat.  Stir in roasted vegetables and simmer together 20 minutes.  Remove bay leaf.
  • Process in a blender or in the pot with an immersion blender until sauce reaches the consistency you prefer.  Stir in Parmesan cheese and cream, if using, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

You can serve this over any pasta that you happen to have in your pantry.  I served it over whole wheat spaghettini, but it would also work well with linguine, penne, rigatoni or cavatappi, either classic or whole wheat.

Happy cleaning!

Source: Covered In Flour