Tortellini Capri

This colorful, cold vegetarian salad is from Nava Atlas' Vegetarian Express. It's a great recipe for summertime, when you don't want to heat up the kitchen. It takes less than 30 minutes to make. It's good as an everyday meal, but special enough to serve to company. My son loves it.


Tortellini Capri

1 pound good-quality frozen cheese tortellini or vegetable-filled tortellini
1 cup unthawed frozen green peas
2 cups finely chopped fresh broccoli florets
10 or 12 ounce jar roasted red peppers

Dressing
Juices from the roasted peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra-virgin
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Begin cooking the tortellini, according to package directions.

2. Layer the frozen peas and the broccoli florets in a large saucepan with 1/2" of water. Bring them to a simmer and steam over moderate heat, covered, until the peas are thawed and the broccoli is bright green, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the peas and broccoli and rinse then under cool water until they are at room temperature.

3. In the meantime, drain the roasted red peppers, reserving the juices in a small mixing bowl. Cut the peppers into strips.

4. Combine the red-pepper juices with the remaining dressing ingredients and mix.

5. When the tortellini are done, drain them and rinse under cool water until they are at room temperature. Combine them in a mixing bowl with the peas, broccoli, red pepper strips, and dressing. Add the Parmesan cheese and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss again.

Spaghetti with Parsley Sauce

I first tried this recipe over 20 years ago. My son loves it and frequently requests it, as he did when he called me last night, "Hi Mom, can I come over to dinner tomorrow? Can you please make the green spaghetti?"

It's not exactly figure friendly, and it doesn't keep, but it's very tasty and very filling. The recipe calls for one big clove of garlic. If you use two, the garlic is overpowering. The sauce is basically uncooked, so it's pretty potent. But we love it.


Spaghetti with Parsley Sauce

1 1/2 cups firmly packed parsley
1 large clove garlic
2 hard boiled egg yolks
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 pound cooked spaghetti

In a food processor, puree the parsley, garlic, egg yolks, scallion, walnuts, butter. With motor running, add oil in a thin stream.

Transfer to heated bowl. Stir in parmesan.

Toss with spaghetti, top with chopped red peppers.

Serves 4


from Gourmet Magazine

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

For my parents' 21st Anniversary, we all got together for a Family Dinner. My Mom asked me to make dessert, but not to make anything chocolate. After a lot of thought, I made this cake. It was a Hit. Everybody loved it.

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

For the cake:

2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup canola oil

1-1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups grated carrots (from 4 – 5 large carrots)

1 cup canned crushed pineapple, drained

2 cups walnut pieces

Set the oven to 350 degrees, with a rack in the center. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan and dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.

Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Beat the oil and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary. Beat in the vanilla. Add the carrots and pineapple to the batter and beat just until combined.

With the mixer set on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter and mix until the dry ingredients are moistened.

With a rubber spatula, fold in the walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. With a knife, cut around the edges of the cake to release it from the pan. Turn the cake out onto a rack, turn it right side up, and let it cool completely while you make the frosting.

For the frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 tablespoons orange juice

3 cups confectioner’s sugar (sifted)

Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary. Beat in the orange juice and confectioner’s sugar just until thoroughly combined.

To frost the cake:

Cut the cake in half to make two smaller rectangles 4-1/2 x 6-1/2 inches. Set one piece, right side up, on a cutting board. Set the other piece, right side up, on top of the first. Trim the hard edges of the cake (these are treats for the baker).

Remove the top piece of cake. Set it right side up on a cake stand or large rectangular platter. Use a long metal spatula to spread the cream cheese frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Set the other piece, right side up, on top of the first. Frost the two pieces together and serve.

Note: You can let the cake sit for several hours in a cool place before serving or it can sit overnight in a cool place without harm.

From The Way We Cook, by Sheryl Julian and Julie Riven, 2002

Feed Me Friday!

This is not what you think.
When I get home after a long day at work, I want something easy and quick, and something that doesn't leave a lot of dirty dishes. So I make a quick little pizza.
What makes this so quick? I don't use pizza dough. I use flour tortillas or some kind of flatbread. I know this is currently "in vogue," but I've been making pizza this way for years.

I use a small amount of pizza sauce, then cheese, then my favorite toppings. In today's pizza I have chicken sausage, red onion, broccoli, capers, mushrooms and yes, slivered almonds. I use some grated mozzarella cheese, of course, but I also add feta or goat cheese, parmesan or even Gruyere or blue cheese (but not all at the same time!)

I have a pizza stone and peel. I heat my oven to 500 F. While the oven heats, I prepare the pizza. By the time the oven is warm, the pizza is ready to bake. I bake it for 9-10 minutes, until the edges are crisp and the bottom is cooked.
I love thin crust, crispy pizza, and this "delivers."

One of these flatbreads will make a pizza for one person. When my son comes over, however, I need to make three!

Potato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup

This recipe is from Rick Rodgers, but I had a little something to do with creating it. I had emailed him about a similar soup my sister and I had tried at a local restaurant and wanted to reproduce. He graciously supplied this recipe. I made it, and emailed him that it was excellent. He subsequently added it his book The Carefree Cook.

I make this soup often, and it is a family favorite for Thanksgiving Day.

Rick says:
“Don't use bottled red peppers, as they are usually packed in vinegar, and that will make the soup too strong, especially with the balsamic on top.

“Here's an easy way to roast peppers. I broil them, which is much easier than any other way and you can do a lot at a time. The trick is to cut the peppers into large, long strips. Cut off the top lid and bottom inch of the peppers--set these two pieces aside, but poke the stem out of the top lid. Cut the pepper vertically down the side and open up into a long strip. Cut out the ribs and seeds (the strips make this chore easier, too). You can do 3 or 4 peppers in no time this way. Now lay the strips, tops, and bottoms on a broiler rack and broil in a preheated broiler until the peppers turn the familiar black. Set aside for a few minutes to cool, then peel.”

I usually dump the roasted peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let them cool. They peel very easily. In fact this whole process is so easy, and the peppers so delicious, I have never bought bottled roasted red peppers since.


Potato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Makes 6 to 8 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped (enhances the potato and red pepper both)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes (about 14 oz total, because the soup will be too thick if you use too much)
4 cups chicken broth (you may need more -- add if needed to the pureed soup if too thick)
4 red peppers, roasted and peeled (you want lots of red pepper flavor)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Balsamic vinegar, for serving

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the onion, celery and garlic.

Cover and cook until the onion is golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in the baking potatoes and broth.

Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, until the potatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, add the red peppers and oregano.

In batches, puree the soup in blender or food processor.
Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the vinegar drizzled over each serving.


By Rick Rodgers
2002

Chocolate Fudge Cake

My son loves this cake. It's an 8" square cake, and we think it's best served warm, with the chocolate chips still soft on the top. It is -very- fudge-y and almost demands to be served with a glass of milk. Or vanilla ice cream on the side.



This recipe does not double well - the chocolate chips sink into the batter if you try to make a double batch in an 11" x 13" pan. If I need to make enough for a double batch, I make two cakes.

Chocolate Fudge Cake

1/3 cup butter (5-1/3 tablespoons)
1 cup sugar
½ tsp vanilla
2 ounces baking chocolate, melted
1 egg
1-1/4 cups flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¾ cup water
½ cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Grease 8 x 8 inch square baking pan.
3. Cream butter and sugar together.
4. Blend in vanilla and cooled chocolate.
5. Add egg, beating well
6. Mix together flour, soda and salt, add to creamed mixture alternately with water.
7. Spread in greased pan.
8. Sprinkle with chocolate pieces
9. Bake at 350 about 30 minutes or until cake springs back when touched in center.
10. Cool in pan.

Curried Vegetable Stew

I've had this recipe for a long time. It came out of the Sunday newspaper many years ago. It's hearty and delicious. Occasionally I will add some rutagaba and/or sweet potato.


Curried Vegetable Stew

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1-1/2 Tablespoons curry powder
6 carrots, peeled, halved and cut into 1 inch lengths
3 russet potatoes cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 medium-sized cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small florets
4 cups vegetable broth
2 Tablespoons honey
1 cinnamon stick
1 can (19 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup golden raisins
2 cups seeded and diced plum tomatoes
1/2cup chopped flat-leaf parsley or cilantro
4 cups cooked pearl barley (optional; can use rice or couscous instead)

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over low heat. Add onion and cook 10 minutes, or until tender and translucent. Add garlic, cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Sprinkle curry powder over vegetables and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, to mellow flavors.
2. Add carrots, cauliflower, potatoes, vegetable broth, honey, and cinnamon stick.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add beans and raisins; simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Just before serving, stir in tomatoes and parsley. Serve in shallow bowls atop pearl barley (or rice), if desired.

Serves 8