The Menu
Angel Hair with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese
No-Grill Grilled Romaine Salad
crusty bread
BLUEBERRY TARTS
The Recipes
Angel Hair with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese
Should serve 4, but not in MY house
A friend wrote:
"This is a terrific recipe that covers the three most important cooking criteria for me: delicious, easy, affordable. All recipes need to be delicious of course, and I'm more than happy to try something complex, or spend a little bit of green on some higher priced ingredients (usually seafood).
But let's be honest here. We all want to know at least a few really tasty recipes that we can whip up on the fly, especially after a long day when you may barely want to be in the kitchen at all.
Now, granted, sun-dried tomatoes and goat's cheese aren't the cheapest things around, but you can dry your own tomatoes in the oven for a cheaper alternative and you can easily substitute a healthy portion of freshly grated Parm. Reggiano for the goat's cheese. The flavors from the white wine and tomato paste really pop here and it's a good enough dish with which to entertain.
Don't skimp on the parsley - it's a critical ingredient here. And as for the choice of wine, don't skimp either. You should always cook with a wine that you would drink. When it comes to tomato based sauces that call for white wine I generally use a Pinot Grigio, but you can go with whatever you like (maybe not chardonnay).
The recipe comes from Giada DiLaurnetis and it's well worth your time. The whole thing takes about a half hour. Oh... one last thing. I used spaghetti here instead of the Angel Hair pasta because that's what I had on hand."
1 (10-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped (oil reserved)
1 small onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
2/3 cup dry white wine
8 ounces angel hair pasta
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine and sun-dried tomatoes and simmer until the liquid reduces by half, about 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the tomato mixture and toss to coat, adding some reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the goat cheese and parsley and stir. Mound the pasta into bowls and serve.
No-Grill Grilled Romaine Salad
Serves: 4
This recipe was inspired by a FANTASTIC grilled hearts of romaine salad a friend had at a fancy restaurant that changed the way I will see Caesar Salad forever.
http://vegweb.com/index.php?top ic=22269.0
2 hearts of romaine lettuce, halved lengthwise
3-4 cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 small tomato (vine ripe size is great), cut into wedges
Caesar or Italian dressing, to taste
Heat 1 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Toss in the garlic and sliced mushrooms, and stir those about for two minutes, or until the mushrooms are softened and golden. You may think your garlic is going to burn, but that's the point, kind-of. To mimic the charred flavor of a grill, the garlic is there to get some black and crispy bits on the bottom of the pan.
Spread the mushrooms out to the sides of the pan to leave room for your romaine halves. Carefully place the halves cut side down in the middle of the pan, and leave them for about another two minutes. The romaine shouldn't heat through, but the backsides should get to room temperature.
While that is sitting in the pan, spread your desired salad dressing on the bottom of a plate(s). Nestle some tomato wedges off to one side, leaving plenty of room for your lettuce. When the backsides (uncut sides facing up) have reached room temperature, carefully snatch the romaine halves and lay them cooked side up on top of the salad dressing. You should be able to grab the lettuce with your bare hand. You're not trying to cook it, just char the edges and get some nice flavor floating up through the leaves. Place the mushrooms on top (or off to the side if they fall) of the lettuce, and voila!
Serve with crusty bread.
BLUEBERRY TARTS
MAKES 4 TARTS OR 8 SERVINGS
PASTRY:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut in pieces
1 tbs maple syrup
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
BLUEBERRY FILLING:
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp lemon zest
two 6 oz pkgs blueberries
1/4 cup cornstarch
PASTRY
---In bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add butter and mix into flour until crumbly. In a bowl, stir together maple syrup and 1/4 cup plus 1 tsp cold water. Add water mixture to flour mixture and toss together until dough begins to come together. Gather dough into a ball, divide in 4 equal pieces. Flatten each into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 2 hours.
BLUEBERRY FILLING
---Heat oven to 375ºF.
Place blueberries in a bowl. In bowl, stir together maple syrup, cornstarch and zest, combine with blueberries. Set aside.
Roll out one pastry disc to a 8" circle. Transfer to a baking sheet. Fold over 1/2" of dough all around pastry, forming a decorative edge. Repeat with remaining pastry. Divide blueberry mixture among pastry rounds, spread berry mixture in single layer. Bake tarts 35 minutes or until pastry is browned and filling is set, then serve.
Angel Hair with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese
No-Grill Grilled Romaine Salad
crusty bread
BLUEBERRY TARTS
The Recipes
Angel Hair with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese
Should serve 4, but not in MY house
A friend wrote:
"This is a terrific recipe that covers the three most important cooking criteria for me: delicious, easy, affordable. All recipes need to be delicious of course, and I'm more than happy to try something complex, or spend a little bit of green on some higher priced ingredients (usually seafood).
But let's be honest here. We all want to know at least a few really tasty recipes that we can whip up on the fly, especially after a long day when you may barely want to be in the kitchen at all.
Now, granted, sun-dried tomatoes and goat's cheese aren't the cheapest things around, but you can dry your own tomatoes in the oven for a cheaper alternative and you can easily substitute a healthy portion of freshly grated Parm. Reggiano for the goat's cheese. The flavors from the white wine and tomato paste really pop here and it's a good enough dish with which to entertain.
Don't skimp on the parsley - it's a critical ingredient here. And as for the choice of wine, don't skimp either. You should always cook with a wine that you would drink. When it comes to tomato based sauces that call for white wine I generally use a Pinot Grigio, but you can go with whatever you like (maybe not chardonnay).
The recipe comes from Giada DiLaurnetis and it's well worth your time. The whole thing takes about a half hour. Oh... one last thing. I used spaghetti here instead of the Angel Hair pasta because that's what I had on hand."
1 (10-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped (oil reserved)
1 small onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
2/3 cup dry white wine
8 ounces angel hair pasta
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine and sun-dried tomatoes and simmer until the liquid reduces by half, about 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the tomato mixture and toss to coat, adding some reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the goat cheese and parsley and stir. Mound the pasta into bowls and serve.
No-Grill Grilled Romaine Salad
Serves: 4
This recipe was inspired by a FANTASTIC grilled hearts of romaine salad a friend had at a fancy restaurant that changed the way I will see Caesar Salad forever.
http://vegweb.com/index.php?top ic=22269.0
2 hearts of romaine lettuce, halved lengthwise
3-4 cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 small tomato (vine ripe size is great), cut into wedges
Caesar or Italian dressing, to taste
Heat 1 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Toss in the garlic and sliced mushrooms, and stir those about for two minutes, or until the mushrooms are softened and golden. You may think your garlic is going to burn, but that's the point, kind-of. To mimic the charred flavor of a grill, the garlic is there to get some black and crispy bits on the bottom of the pan.
Spread the mushrooms out to the sides of the pan to leave room for your romaine halves. Carefully place the halves cut side down in the middle of the pan, and leave them for about another two minutes. The romaine shouldn't heat through, but the backsides should get to room temperature.
While that is sitting in the pan, spread your desired salad dressing on the bottom of a plate(s). Nestle some tomato wedges off to one side, leaving plenty of room for your lettuce. When the backsides (uncut sides facing up) have reached room temperature, carefully snatch the romaine halves and lay them cooked side up on top of the salad dressing. You should be able to grab the lettuce with your bare hand. You're not trying to cook it, just char the edges and get some nice flavor floating up through the leaves. Place the mushrooms on top (or off to the side if they fall) of the lettuce, and voila!
Serve with crusty bread.
BLUEBERRY TARTS
MAKES 4 TARTS OR 8 SERVINGS
PASTRY:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut in pieces
1 tbs maple syrup
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
BLUEBERRY FILLING:
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp lemon zest
two 6 oz pkgs blueberries
1/4 cup cornstarch
PASTRY
---In bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add butter and mix into flour until crumbly. In a bowl, stir together maple syrup and 1/4 cup plus 1 tsp cold water. Add water mixture to flour mixture and toss together until dough begins to come together. Gather dough into a ball, divide in 4 equal pieces. Flatten each into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 2 hours.
BLUEBERRY FILLING
---Heat oven to 375ºF.
Place blueberries in a bowl. In bowl, stir together maple syrup, cornstarch and zest, combine with blueberries. Set aside.
Roll out one pastry disc to a 8" circle. Transfer to a baking sheet. Fold over 1/2" of dough all around pastry, forming a decorative edge. Repeat with remaining pastry. Divide blueberry mixture among pastry rounds, spread berry mixture in single layer. Bake tarts 35 minutes or until pastry is browned and filling is set, then serve.
