Garlic Sticks

I listen to the radio as I drive to and from work every day which means that typically my entire day only consists of 20 minutes of radio listening. Therefore, I have to pick my station very carefully. In the mornings, I am always hard pressed to find a station playing music constantly so I pick my go-to station by the characters on the morning show. I've settled into a station that I like here and one of the things that they do shortly before 9am (which is typically when I'm finishing up my drive in) is list 5 random facts of the day. Sometimes they are funny, sometimes they make you think, sometimes they are a little gross. But regardless I can start my day off my learning something.

Earlier this week, one of the facts of the day was that not having friends can be hazardous to your health. The study they were quoting apparently said that being friendless is like smoking 15 cigarettes a day. How or why someone measured that is beyond me but it made me thankful for all of my wonderful friends. Throughout all of the stages of my life, my friends have helped to brighten my days and I suppose to keep me healthy. For that, my friends, I thank you. And as I move on to the next stage of my life and make new friends (here's hoping), I want to thank you in advance for keeping me healthy.

So put down those "cigarettes", invite some friends over, and fellowship over these garlic sticks. They are a perfect combination of garlic and cheese and soft and crunch.

Garlic Sticks (Topping adapted from One Preppy Cookie)
Ingredients:
1/5 recipe frozen homemade pizza dough (if you want to up the amount of garlic, when you make the pizza dough use garlic infused olive oil instead of regular olive oil)

1 tbsp freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Let the frozen pizza dough thaw over the course of the day in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature covered with towel for 10-30 minutes before baking.

Preheat oven and baking stone to 500F.

Whisk the parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and onion powder into the melted butter.

Roll or pull the dough into a circular shape, as thin as you can; brush with the butter mixture and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Transfer to the preheated baking stone.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden and crunchy. Let cool for about 5 minutes before slicing.

Serve with pizza sauce (homemade or other) for dipping.

Bacon and Leek Risotto

Dad: What are you making for dinner tonight?
Julie: Risotto.
Dad: Oh so what type of wine are you drinking?
Julie: Haha. I'm using a Sauvignon Blanc for the risotto.

Okay, okay. I admit it. I like to make risotto because it gives me an excuse to open a bottle of wine. What else would you do while you are standing over the stove stirring for 30 minutes instead of drinking a glass of wine?

And this bottle of wine risotto is as good as it sounds. I mean, bacon and leeks! What really puts it over the top though is the lemon juice. Do not forget the lemon juice.

Bacon and Leek Risotto (adapted from Cooking Light January 2014)
Ingredients:
3 cups vegetable broth (homemade or low sodium store-bought)
3 bacon slices
2 cups thinly sliced leek
1 small onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 cup uncooked arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Directions:
Heat the stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Cover and keep warm over a low heat.

Cut the bacon into pieces and then cook over medium high heat until crisp. Remove the bacon pieces from the pan, leaving behind about 1 tbsp bacon grease. Add the leek, onion, and garlic and saute about 4 minutes until tender. Stir in the rice and cook about 2 minutes to toast. Stir in the white wine and cook for about 5 minutes while stirring until the liquid is absorbed. Add the broth about 1/2 cup at a time stirring constantly until the liquid is absorbed before adding more. Cook until the rice is at your desired consistency. Stir in the lemon juice, butter and parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Serve topped with the reserved bacon pieces and parsley.

Serves 4.

Italian Stuffed Peppers

When I was a little girl, I was a figure skater. I would spend early mornings before school at the rink. And evenings for team practice. Saturdays I would volunteer to teach even littler kids. It was great.

I think I need to dust off my skates. Our weather warmed on Saturday afternoon resulting in freezing rain and a whole lot of melted snow. Of course when it refroze Saturday night, we got an ice rink on every surface. Like an inch of frozen solid ice on the parking lots and sidewalks. That makes walking (even in boots) difficult. Hence the need for ice skates.

These stuffed peppers are hearty and delicious for the cold weather. They may not protect you from the inevitable slipping and falling on your behind, but they will make you feel safe and warm at your kitchen table.

Italian Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
1/3 lb ground beef
1 medium tomato
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped peppers (red, banana, green, etc)
1 baby eggplant, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
handful of basil, roughly chopped
1/3 cup tomato juice
1/3 cup bread crumbs
handful of shredded mozzarella cheese
2 whole green bell peppers, tops removed, cored and seeded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F.

Brown the ground beef in a pan over medium heat until no longer pink, about 4-5 minutes. Drain fat. Add the tomato, onion, chopped peppers, eggplant, and garlic. Cook until the veggies are softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add the basil and tomato juice and stir to combine. Stir in the bread crumbs. Remove from the heat.

Place the whole green peppers in a baking sheet sitting up. Fill with the beef mixture. Top with shredded cheese. Bake for 40 minutes.

Serves 2.

Mushroom and Sausage Ragu

Winter is certainly here. In central Illinois we have wind chills below zero already. I bundle up to head outside in a puffy coat, scarf, hat, and mittens and I am still cold. The wind... the wind gets me every time.

With the weather chilling our bodies, it is essential that we eat good warm comfort food. Something like the lasagna soup I showed you earlier this week. Or let's be honest, any kind of soup will do. Maybe you aren't feeling soup, so please try this quick and easy mushroom and sausage ragu. I served it atop some creamy cheesy polenta in order to make it complete comfort. It'll warm your soul. I promise.

Mushroom and Sausage Ragu with Polenta (adapted from Cooking Light The New Way To Cook Light)
Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces Italian sausage (I used hot but pick your spice level)
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 lb button mushrooms, sliced
1 large garlic cloves
1/2 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth (homemade or low sodium store-bought)
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup uncooked polenta
1/4 cup Neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese)
1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Heat 1 tsp of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 3 minutes, stirring to crumble. Remove sausage to a plate.

Heat another 2 tsp of oil in the skillet. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 1 minute while constantly stirring. Return the sausage to the pan and mix in the tomatoes. Season with a dash of salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes.

Bring the broth and water to a boil in a saucepan. Whisk in the polenta. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 20 minutes until thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cheese and butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the polenta topped with the ragu.

Serves 2.

Wheat Garlic Rolls

My sister and her college friends did this thing that impressed me. They made a pact to find a part of their own bodies that they found most attractive. That way any time they were feeling self-conscious or unpretty, they could look at it, smile, and feel better about themselves. This is a great idea for people (not just girls) that sometimes struggle with the physical standards our society holds as attractive. And by a raise of hands, who else has had one of those frumpy, feeling fat and ugly days? I see you all out there with your hands up.

As for my sister, she really liked her forearms. Let me tell you, she has nice forearms.

I have been thinking about this lately and concluded my favorite part of my body is my ankles. I'm not going to lie but they look pretty darn cute when I wear crop pants with boat shoes or sandals. It makes me happy when I get to show them. :) Somehow they are one of the skinniest parts of my body and the bottom of my calf meeting the top of my foot is just attractive. Now, this is probably not the first thing that anyone notices when they see me (actually most people probably don't check out my ankles), but it is the fact that when I see them, I hold my head a little higher, remind myself that I am beautiful, and have a little better day.

Now, I'm giving you homework. Think about your favorite body part. Pick something with which you are always happy (okay, maybe my ankles may turn to cankles if I'm on a long plan ride without walking around much, but that is not very often). Remember this always... especially if you are having a bad day. If you care to share below, I'd love to hear what you have picked.

Now on to delicious garlic bread that can make me smile as much as my ankles. These rolls can compliment any Italian feast and come together quite easily on a lazy day at home. I made them into cloverleaf rolls by dropping three balls into muffin tins. Alternatively, you could roll them into logs for breadsticks or simply make buns.

Wheat Garlic Rolls (adapted significantly from White on Rice Couple)
Ingredients:
a little less than 1 cup warm water (about 115 F)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tbsp sugar
3/4 tbsp active dry yeast
75 grams all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cup)
75 grams whole wheat flour (about 1 1/4 cup)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/8 cup freshly chopped herbs (combination of parsley, rosemary, basil)

Directions:
Combine the water, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the flour and knead for about 3 minutes until the flour is completely incorporated. Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

Grease a muffin tin with cooking spray.

Lightly punch down the dough and separate into 11-12 pieces. Separate each piece into three equal pieces and roll into a ball. Place three balls into each muffin tin. Cover with a towel and let rise until puffy over the sides of the tin, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Bake for about 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

While the rolls are baking, heat the 1 tbsp olive oil and butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped fresh herbs and set aside.

Remove the rolls from the oven and brush with the garlic herb mixture.

Serve warm. Reheat in microwave or oven if you have leftovers.

Makes 11-12 rolls.

Garlic Breadsticks

Remember that garlic-infused olive oil I told you about? Remember how I also talked about this garlic salt I purchased? Well, I've been playing around with it a little bit and let me tell you, mix it into some butter, spread it on some toast and you'll be in heaven! Alternatively, use it for this breadstick recipe and it will be garlicky goodness reminiscent of those soft pillows of carbohydrates you eat by the basketful at that one Italian restaurant chain.*

They are A to the MAZING straight out of the oven! 

They are even G to the REAT after spending the night in a ziploc bag and being reheated in the toaster oven!

They are P to the ERFECT to round out a spaghetti night!

Garlic Breadsticks (adapted from Simply Scratch)
Ingredients:
For breadsticks:
1 tbsp honey
3/4 cup warm water (about 115 F)
1 rounded tsp yeast
about 2 cups all-purpose flour (maybe a little more)
1/2 tbsp thick granule garlic salt (or 2 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp garlic powder)
1 tbsp melted unsalted butter

For topping: 
2 tbsp melted unsalted butter
2 tsp thick granule garlic salt (or 1 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp garlic powder)

Directions:
Combine the honey, warm water and yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or alternatively in a large bowl) and allow to sit for 5 minutes and bubble up. Add the flour, garlic salt and melted butter to the mixer. Mix on low until a ball forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 5-6 minutes (alternatively you can knead by hand). Separate the dough into 8 equal pieces and form into breadstick shapes by rolling between your hands. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with a damp towel and allow to rise for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Mix the remaining 2 tbsp melted butter with the garlic salt and stir to combine. Brush over the top of the breadsticks. Bake for about 6 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with more garlic butter. Bake for an additional 6-8 minutes. Brush with more garlic butter when you remove from the oven.

Serve warm. Makes 8 breadsticks (easily adaptable to make 16 if you double the recipe).












*I'm not claiming that these are copy-cat breadsticks only that they taste similar in my opinion.

Homemade Basil Fettuccine

I have a problem. I have literally been listening to the Pitch Perfect soundtrack on repeat in my car since December 30. I cannot get enough of it. Unfortunately it has not been removed from CD player so it hasn't been synced with my iPod so I cannot rock out to it everyday all day. I think the people on my floor would thank my car for holding it hostage right now because I'm not sure if I would be able to refrain from dancing and singing along. Or putting my hands up when they sing "Party in the USA". I'm loving it. There is just something great about acapella, right? In case you need more explanation, Scott got me the CD for Christmas which meant that I opened it when we were in St. Louis before New Years. And it was put directly into the CD player. It has not even made a trip to my apartment yet.

However, one of my other Christmas presents has been thoroughly vetted in the apartment. Actually two of them-- Santa got me a red Kitchenaid Mixer (Thanks to the best two Santas in the world!) and Scott got me the pasta roller and cutter attachment. As you know, one of my bucket list to-dos is homemade pasta. These two presents allowed me to check it off the list... and want to do it over and over and over again. I have visions of spinach pasta, whole wheat pasta, beet pasta, squash pasta and etc etc etc. Don't worry, I'll share them with you. :)

I was surprised about how easy this came together. Step 1- Make the dough. Step 2- Rest the dough. Step 3- Roll the dough. Step 4- Cut the dough. Step 5- Boil the noodles. Okay, so maybe I'm belittling it slightly; it does take a bit of time but it is totally worth it. I made this quick garlic butter basil sauce to enhance the dried basil I put into the pasta and to let the pasta really speak out. I cooked up all I needed for dinner on that first night, tossed the rest of the uncooked noodles with flour and kept it in the fridge for later. They held up well to jarred spaghetti sauce and later cooked, refrigerated and reheated in the microwave worked out well.

So yummy. You should definitely do it!

Homemade Basil Fettuccine (adapted from Better Homes and Garden Cookbook)
Ingredients:
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp dried basil
2 eggs
1/3 cup water, plus more if needed
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
In the bowl of your stand mixer equipped with the flat beater, combine the flour, basil, eggs, water and oil. Mix on speed 2 for 30 seconds. Change the flat beater for the dough hook and knead on speed 2 for 2 minutes. Remove dough and hand knead for an additional 1-2 minutes. Let rest for 20 minutes. Divide into four pieces.

Flatten each piece to about 1 cm thickness. Connect your pasta sheet roller to the mixer and set to thickness 1. Turn on mixer to speed 2 and feed through the rollers. Fold in half and continue to knead until the dough widens to width of the roller. Lightly dust with flour as necessary. Continue to roll pasta increasing the knob from 1 to 2 and such until you reach 5. Repeat with the other 3 pieces.

Cut the dough with the fettuccine roller. Lay out flat, separating with your hands. Let dry for up to 1 hour. Cook immediately or after dried. To store in the fridge, toss in flour and refrigerate in an air tight container.



Garlic Butter Basil Sauce
Ingredients:
Per serving:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp garlic infused olive oil
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 cup fresh pasta (from above)
Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil.

In a small pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir and cook until browned. Add the oil and reduce heat to low.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 2-6 minutes (depending on how dry your pasta is) until al dente. Drain.

Add the basil to the butter and oil and stir to wilt. Toss the pasta with the sauce and garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Serves 1.

Ham and Ricotta Calzones

My mom told me about this new store downtown in my hometown that sells imported flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars. While I was visiting for Christmas I just had to check it out. It was so fun because I got to taste all the different flavors (yes, I tasted ALL of the them). The owner also had a variety of different salts. One was a ghost pepper infused salt; I tried one little speck and it burned my tongue for about a half an hour. In case you didn't know, ghost peppers are the hottest commercially available peppers and are 100 times hotter than jalapenos! It was a fun experience though.

It took a lot of self control (and realization that I am still a poor postdoc) to not purchase up all the oils, vinegars and salts. I settled on a garlic infused olive oil that would be perfect for so many dishes and a small amount of garlic salt and Hawaiian red salt. The garlic salt is quite delectable and the red salt is huge crystals and red (duh!) that I thought would be great for garnishing.

When Scott was visiting for New Years, he suggested we make calzones so I thawed out some pizza dough and we opened up the garlic infused olive oil. It really enhanced the dish when brushed on top; next time I may brush the inside of the dough as well!

I just had to show you this picture of how Scott cut his calzone into bite-sized pieces and topped them with pizza sauce. Me? I just picked it up and shoved it into my face. ;)

Ham and Ricotta Calzones
Ingredients (per calzone):
1/5 batch pizza dough
2 slices deli ham
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
olive oil (I used garlic infused) for baking
dried parsley, oregano, shredded parmesan etc (garlic powder if using regular olive oil) for baking
cornmeal for baking
pizza sauce, for serving

Directions:
If pizza dough is frozen, let thaw in fridge over the course of the day. Preheat oven with a baking sheet or pizza stone inside to 500 F. Remove dough to clean work surface and cover with towel and let rest at room temperature as the oven preheats, about 10-15 minutes.

Stretch the dough out into an 8 X 11 inch-ish rectangle. If desired, brush the topside of the dough with olive oil. Spread the ricotta cheese over half the dough, leaving a 1/4 inch edge. Top with deli ham slices and shredded mozzarella. Fold the un-garnished half over the half with the topping, pressing down to seal. Brush the top of the calzone with olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings.

Place on preheated baking sheet or pizza stone sprinkled with cornmeal. Bake for 8-10 minutes until puffy and golden. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.

Serve with heated pizza sauce for dipping.

Butternut Squash, Broccoli and Spinach Mac and Cheese

I have this white board hanging in my kitchen where I always plan out my meals for the week. The planning out of weekly meals probably stems from my mom who has been making menus on the backside of her grocery list for as long as I can remember. This ritual of planning is important to me for several reasons:

First, I can avoid all of those unnecessary trips to the grocery store by only going once a week. This cuts back on impromptu purchases that can make a dent in the wallet. If the menu planning goes along with looking at the grocery ads, it can also save some additional cash.

Secondly, it helps keep variety in my life. You know me and my love of cooking magazines, cookbooks, and food blogs. By planning out my meals I can insure I have the ingredients I need to whip up something new and different each week. It is easy, if you don't have a plan, to fall into the rut of the same recipes day-to-day or week-to-week. For me, that just isn't fun.

Thirdly, it helps me to eat healthy. The stops by a fast food joint or the popcorn for dinner don't happen nearly as often if I am looking forward to my planned dinners. I always make sure to have enough veggies for a side salad or something of the equivalent to enhance my main dish.

Lastly, since I cook for myself, it allows me to plan out what to do with leftovers. Like if I'm going to make a butternut squash for ravioli then I'll most likely have leftovers. And what should I do with that extra squash? Well, make a nice mac and cheese, of course. I came across a delicious looking recipe that used sweet potatoes and spinach in a hearty mac and cheese dish. I adapted it significantly to utilize the butternut squash, add some extra vegetables (like broccoli) and changed up the cheese for my preference (and to use what was in my fridge). It worked out great, I tell ya!

So are you a menu planner? If not, I would suggest trying it out. You'll save some money, add some variety to your life, and maybe even eat a little healthier. What's on your plan for this week?

Butternut Squash, Broccoli and Spinach Mac and Cheese (significantly adapted from Naturally Ella)
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked pasta (I used whole wheat rotini)
1 cup broccoli florets
1 handful fresh spinach
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup butternut squash, cooked and mashed
1/2 tbsp butter
1/2 tbsp flour
1 garlic, minced
1/4 small onion, diced
1 oz cream cheese
1 American cheese single

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 4-5 minutes until almost done. Add the broccoli and boil for another 2-3 minutes. Finally add the spinach and cook for about 30 seconds. Drain the pasta and vegetables.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Sprinkle in the flour and cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook until thickened slightly. Add the squash and cook until hot. Add the cream cheese and American cheese and stir until melted.

Pour the cheese mixture over the pasta and vegetables in a bowl. Toss to mix thoroughly. Pour into a baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Serves 1.

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Homemade pasta has been on my bucket list for a long time. I like the idea of making the dough, rolling it very, very thin, tossing it in boiling water for such a short time and ending up with a delicious bowl of noodles (of course garnished with some sort of delectable sauce). Aww... it would feel as if I was in Italy...

However, I do not have a pasta roller so although this dream may one day become reality, I rely these days on pre-rolled thin pieces of noodle for my homemade pastas. The first time I came across wonton wrappers as shells for raviolis in a Cooking Light cookbook, I knew I had to try it. Boy did they work great.

This butternut squash ravioli is a perfect use for that squash you picked up during one of the last farmers' markets of the season (the first time I made it I used a squash from my CSA box in NC). The squash and sage compliment each other perfectly, the butter becomes nicely caramelized, and the walnuts add a satisfying texture. You and your guest will feel like you are eating at a 4 star restaurant as you dig in to this dish.

Butternut Squash Ravioli (adapted from Easy Food and Wine)
Ingredients:
For ravioli:
1/2 cup low fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup cooked and mashed butternut squash* (about 1/2 squash)
dash of nutmeg
16-20 wonton wrappers

For sauce:
2 tbsp butter
1/2 small onion, diced
1/2 tbsp fresh sage, minced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Combine the ricotta cheese, squash and nutmeg in a small bowl and mix until combine thoroughly. Working with a few wonton wrappers at a time, add 1-2 tsp filling to the center and then moisten the edges with water. Bring the edges together and twist to seal. Repeat until all the wrappers are filled. Heat a large pot of water to boil.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add the onion, sage, and walnuts and cook until the onion is softened about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.

Once the water is boiling, add the raviolis and cook until they float to the top of the water, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from water with a slotted spoon.

Serve with the raviolis topped with the sauce.

Serves 2.

*You can roast the butternut squash until soft enough to mash. Or for a quicker cook, cut the squash in half, scoop out seeds, place the cut sides down in a baking dish, add 2 tbsp water and microwave for 7-10 minutes until the flesh is cooked.

Seafood Risotto

I think that risotto is becoming one of my most favorite meals ever! I am just impressed about how it goes from crunchy mealy rice to silky creamy smooth deliciousness; plus it is so adaptable depending on your pantry and fridge ingredients, mood, and desires. Was it really only a few months ago when I was intimidated by this dish? Although it does take a little bit of effort, you can put a restaurant quality dish on the table in less than a hour. Plus, it gives you an excuse to stand over the stove sipping wine (because of course you are going to drink the rest of the bottle of wine you opened for the recipe).

As I mentioned earlier this week, I made this seafood risotto for my parents while they were visiting. I think my dad enjoyed learning how to make it (you can tell he was excited enough to snap some photos). My kitchen is pretty small so my mom was tasked with peeling and deveining the shrimp then she retired to the living room to play on her iPad. :) 

Seafood risotto had been on my mind for awhile. Ideally, I would have sauteed up some scallops to set atop the rice, but since scallops do not play nice with my mom, we went with crab and shrimp. To tell you the truth, we didn't miss the scallops at all. I'm sure they would have been good, but the flavor of the crab really stole the show (and it was from a can!). We added some mushrooms to deepen the flavors and they complimented the seafood perfectly. I debated throwing in peas for a burst color, but my dad does not play nice with green vegetables so we skipped them. Didn't miss those either. I'd make this again in a heartbeat; you should too!

Seafood Risotto 

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 large onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

6-7 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth or seafood broth)

1 cup white wine

2 cups sliced mushrooms

6 oz can lump crabmeat, picked over to remove any shells

1/2 lb shrimp, peel and deveined

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

salt and pepper

1/2 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions:

Bring the broth to a simmer in a saucepan over medium high heat. Cover and reduce to low to simmer.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until softened about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and cook, stirring quickly until the rice in well coated, about 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently until the liquid is almost gone, about 5-7 minutes. Add the broth, about 1 cup at a time, and stir the rice constantly until almost all the liquid is absorbed, about 5-7 minutes. Continue to add broth until the rice has been cooking for 15-20 minutes. Add the mushrooms and add more broth continuing to stir completely absorbed. It will take around 35-45 minutes for the rice to cook completely. Taste periodically to see if the rice is tender and not mushy. Continue to cook, adding more liquid to keep moist until you reach the desired consistency.

When the rice is almost done, heat the 1 tsp olive oil in a small pan. Add the shrimp and sprinkle with Old Bay and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for about 1 minute on each side until pink and cooked through.

When the rice is completely cooked, stir in the crabmeat and cooked shrimp. Mix completely and remove from the heat. Stir in the parmesan cheese. 

Garnish with additional cheese as desired.

Serves 4.

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Monday mornings are rough.


Somehow I'm always tired on Monday mornings. Even when I haven't had a whirlwind weekend. Just something about the start of the work week that makes me tired.

My typically Monday morning consists of planning out the goals for the day (and week), catching up on emails, perusing recently published articles that are sent to my inbox via PubMed alerts and looking through my favorite food blogs (shh, don't tell my boss about the latter one). Then it is time to kick my butt into gear and get into the lab. Making molecules, purifying reactions, etc, etc. You know, getting the normal going. Of course, some Mondays are more productive than others... today, I wasn't having success with my purifications that were on deck today-- a super long distillation and preparative TLC that didn't want to separate my epimers despite my tests last week (no worries if you don't understand those words, just know it has been a long Monday in lab... I'm still here...).

A good Monday night meal might be something like these stuffed shells. Especially if you follow the growing food trend of "Meatless Mondays". Me? I don't really stick to trends; I do meatless whenever I want, but if it was just a Monday thing, stuffed shells would certainly make it into the rotation. Overall, a pretty easy meal to put together; serve them with some garlic parmesan toasts and a side salad and you start out your week healthy and delicious.

Do you celebrate Meatless Mondays? If so, what's your favorite go-to meal?

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Ingredients:
10-12 jumbo shells
4-5 large handfuls fresh spinach leaves (you can substitute 1 package of frozen, thawed chopped spinach)
1 cup skim milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups of your favorite marinara (homemade or store bought)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Cook the jumbo shells in boiling water as indicated on the package. When the shells are finished cooking, remove with a slotted spoon to a strainer and rinse with water so they are cool enough to handle. Add the spinach to the hot water in the pan and cook with stirring until wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Drain the spinach and squeeze out as much liquid as you can; coarsely chop the cooked spinach.

Combine the cheeses and nutmeg in a bowl. Add the spinach and mix completely.

Spread about 1/2 cup marinara in the bottom of a baking dish. Working one shell at a time, fill with the spinach and ricotta mixture. Place in the prepared baking dish. Once all the shells are filled, cover with the remaining marinara.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. Serve hot.

Serves 3-4.

Italian Vegetable Stew

Ugh. My head is congested. My chest is congested. I slept for almost 48 of the 60 hours between Saturday night and Tuesday morning. It's crazy how you can sleep so much yet still be so tired. I guess that means your body is busy fighting off whatever disease you picked up from the fact that undergrads are back on campus. Don't worry that you have had like zero contact with them, it's just that they are back, bringing in their wake disease and destruction.

Okay, maybe it isn't their fault. But I'm blaming them nonetheless for my completely comatose state during this holiday weekend. I had grand plans of work plus rest and relaxation and updating a few recipes on the blog. Well, I got the rest, just not the relaxation nor the work. I sat on my couch watching episodes of Supernatural on Netflix, drinking Sprite Zero, and eating chicken noodle soup and mini-saltines. I didn't have the energy to open up my computer and come up with witty things about my recipes for y'all.

But before the sickness completely took me over (read, Saturday night at about 9:00 pm when I crawled into bed), I made this stew. I actually want to call it, clean-out-your-pantry-and-fridge-stew because that's totally what I did. I grabbed a half eaten eggplant, a 1/3 leftover zucchini, some mushrooms that wouldn't last another week, and a can of diced tomatoes. I mixed them all together with some seasonings and broth and let them simmer for about 4 hours on Saturday afternoon. I also threw in some browned Italian sausage because I felt like adding some meat to the mix, but that is totally optional, it would have been just as hearty without the meat. The stew turned out great, and it cleaned out my fridge. Which was totally a good idea when I was planning on grocery shopping for the week on Sunday, but in retrospec was a bad idea because now my fridge is practically empty and I didn't have the energy to plan out meals and go to the store.

At least I have leftovers. :)

Italian Vegetable Stew
Ingredients:
1/2 large eggplant, chopped
1/3-1/2 large zucchini, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
5-6 baby portabello mushrooms, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced, more or less depending on how spicy you want it to be
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 lb sweet Italian sausage, optional

Directions:
If using, brown the sausage in a small pan over medium heat, breaking up into smaller pieces. Cook for approximately 5-6 minutes until no longer pink.

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2-5 hours, until the vegetables are soft.

Serve hot with bread.

Serves 4-5.

Sandwich Week- Day Five- Italian Eggplant Grilled Cheese

In college, one of the most exciting days at our dining hall was grilled cheese and tomato soup lunch day. There's something about a hot, overly buttery, thickly sliced white bread sandwich filled gooey processed American cheese. A perfect compliment for piping hot tomato soup.

I make a lot of grilled cheeses at my house (no, I do not have any children). American cheese to go along with tomato soup. Pimento cheese BLTs. Roasted beets with pepper jack. And so many more. It's just something about that hot cheese goo-ing out during each bite. You can probably make just about anything into a grilled cheese.

Like earlier this week when I made this Italian Eggplant Grilled Cheese: eggplant, spinach, tomato and mozzarella cheese. Please forgive (or enjoy, depending on your taste) this eggplant kick I've been on lately. I can't help it when a beautiful eggplant is only a dollar at the farmer's market! If you wanted to adapt this sandwich for your meat-loving, eggplant-hating friends, just substitute in some Italian meat like prosciutto or pancetta or salami. Or I certainly won't judge you if you go for both eggplant and Italian meat ;)

Italian Eggplant Grilled Cheese
Ingredients:
2 pieces of sandwich bread (I used whole wheat)
3 slices of eggplant about 1/4 in thickness
3-4 thin slices of tomato
small handful of fresh spinach leaves
fresh mozzarella cheese slice

Directions:
Preheat a George Forman grill or grill pan.

Grill the eggplant slices until cooked, about 3-4 minutes (flip over halfway if using a grill pan).

Assemble the sandwich by arranging the cheese on one of the pieces of bread, layering with spinach, tomato and the grilled eggplant. Top with the other piece of bread. Grill the sandwich until the cheese is melted, approximately 3-4 minutes (flipping over halfway if using a grill pan).

Zucchini Pasta

Imagine this--


You're sitting on your couch on a Sunday evening (after drinking way too much coffee), watching some Breakout Kings (very good show, I would recommend finding it on Netflix), relaxing and preparing for the start of a new week. All of a sudden you hear a loud crash to your left. You look over wondering what in the heck just happened. You sprint to your laundry room thinking that something fell or broke. But no, nothing is out of place. Next you look around your kitchen trying to find the source of the noise. You open up your pantry and the top two shelves have collapsed.

The next couple hours include trying to unload all of the food from the pantry while trying to hold up the shelves and not cause any of the bottom four shelves to break as well, making a trip to Lowe's to find replacement hangers for the wooden shelves (and not finding exact replacements but instead splurging for metal instead of plastic ones in hopes of making them more sturdy), trying to get the shelves to go back in because the metal brackets stick out from the holes more than the plastic ones, and finally putting all of your food back on the shelves.


What a night! I mean, aren't shelves in pantries supposed to support a half dozen types of flour, multiple kinds of pasta and every type of canned bean? Plus you need your tomato soup and chicken 'n stars in case you get sick. And all your cooking oils and vinegars and seasonings and everything. Cheap-o apartment building.

I think I'll put in metal shelves that are soldered to the sides of the pantry when I have my own house.


So if you ever get mad at the inanimate objects in your house when they fail to do their job, make this nice and summer-y "pasta". It'll help you calm down and remember that even though you may have spent the evening yelling at your apartment, you are lucky to have a place to store lots of food and the money to buy that food.

You know, it'll put things in perspective.

Zucchini Pasta (adapted from food.com)
Ingredients:
1 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/8 in slices
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 lb ground turkey
1 large tomato, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme
3 basil leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
parmesan cheese, for garnish.

Directions:
Heat 1/2 tbsp oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the turkey and cook until browned, approximately 6-7 minutes. Add 1 clove of garlic, onion, tomato, bay leaf, basil and sugar. Cook, uncovered until moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf.

In a skillet, heat the other 1/2 tbsp oil and garlic clove over medium heat. Add the zucchini strips and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes until the zucchini is tender and golden.

Serve the zucchini hot topped with the turkey mixture. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese, if desired.

Eggplant Manicotti

I love coffee. Coffee. Coffee. Coffee.

I may be on my second large cup of the day. I brewed it to sit out on my porch to do some reading and enjoy the beautiful cooler weather outside. It was glorious.

Grad school turned me into a coffee addict. I admit it. I'm addicted. I'm okay with drinking a cup everyday for the rest of my life. Don't judge me, okay?

Sometimes my coffee drinking goes a little overboard. Sometimes the caffeine affects me in funny ways. Like this one time when I was proctoring an organic chemistry exam and my boss had brought in coffee for the students. Most students didn't come down to the front to get it and as a results, my boss and I drank almost an entire jug of Dunkin' Donuts ourselves. Needless to say, back in lab later that afternoon, I had waaayyy too much energy. And when I have way too much energy, I can be kinda funny. Or at least people laugh at me. ;)

Coffee has nothing to do with this recipe. But I figured I'd tell you anyway.


This eggplant "manicotti" is great. The eggplant replaces pasta as the shell. If you want to cut time on making this dish, just pick up a jar of marinara from the store. But the homemade version below is very good. You can make it ahead of time, if you'd like.


Now please excuse me while I go make coffee #3.

Eggplant Manicotti (adapted from Now Eat This! Cookbook)
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, cut into 1/6 in thick slices lengthwise
salt and pepper
cooking spray
1 cup of ricotta cheese (fat-free or low fat, preferred)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil and oregano
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (your favorite jarred or from recipe below)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 F.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the eggplant slices on the baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Roast eggplant until almost tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool until you can handle it.

Combine the ricotta, 1/4 cup parmesan, basil and oregano in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread 3/4 cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 8x10 baking dish.

Spoon 1/8 of the ricotta mixture on to each eggplant and roll up to encase the filling. Place the eggplant, seam side down, in the baking dish. Cover the eggplant with the remaining marinara. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and remaining parmesan cheese.

Bake until heated through, approximately 20 minutes.

Serves 4.


Easy Low-fat Marinara (adapted from Now Eat This! Cookbook)
Ingredients:
1/4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup diced yellow onion
1 tsp crushed red pepper
28 oz can tomato puree
1/4 cup water
small piece of parmesan cheese rind
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

Directions:
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, salt and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and garlic are translucent, approximately 5 minutes.

Add the tomato puree, water and cheese rind. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 25 minutes.

Chop the basil and oregano and stir into the sauce. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Season with salt and crushed red pepper to taste.

Makes approximately 3 cups.

Italian Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

This week on "You Know You're Old When":

You know you're old when you ask for a vacuum cleaner for your birthday. You know you're old when you are excited that you get a beautiful Dyson Ball. You know you're old when you're happy after you've spent an evening putting said vacuum cleaner together and giving it a test run around the apartment.

I almost took a picture of the amount of dirt and hair picked up from around my apartment by the super-vac, but then I thought I probably shouldn't disgust you before I showed some yummy food. I'm not kidding you, it was grrrroooosss! I've known that my old vacuum has been pushing my hair into piles that I get to pick up by hand for a while now, but I didn't quite realize the suck-y sucking power. So, now my apartment (the floor, at least) is clean and beautiful.


Come on over.


I'll make you dinner.


How does stuffed zucchini sound?


It is summer squash time (at the stores and at the farmer's market) and I'm loving it. I could (and do) eat zucchini and yellow squash plain, dipped in ranch dressing, sauteed, stir fried, baked, etc. And certainly, when I find a big zucchini, I can't resist hollowing it out and stuffing it with delicious goodness. Here, I used sweet Italian sausage, green peppers, and tomato sauce sprinkled with parmesan cheese. However, as with so many of my recipes, feel free to get creative and do what you like. The zucchini is your canvas for our culinary art.

Italian Sausage Stuffed Zucchini
Ingredients:
1 large zucchini, cut in half
1/4 lb Italian sausage (mild or spicy depending on your taste)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 cup chopped onion
1/8 cup chopped green peppers
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Hollow out the zucchini halves using a small pairing knife and spoon to remove the seeds and some of the flesh. Chop up about 1/3 of the zucchini "insides" for stuffing.

Cook the sausage over med heat in a skillet, approximately 3-4 minutes breaking into pieces. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the meat is completely browned, about 3-4 minutes more. Add the green pepper, seasonings and tomato paste and mix completely. Add the tomato sauce and heat approximately 2 minutes. Add the zucchini insides to the pan.

Place the hallowed zucchini halves in a baking dish. Scoop the sausage mixture into the halves (it is okay if they mound over the edges a bit). Sprinkle each half with 1 tbsp parmesan cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes until everything is hot and the zucchini is slightly soft.

Serves 1-2 (depending on your appetite and the size of your "large" zucchini!)

P.S. If you come over for dinner, please don't spill this on the carpet. My new vacuum is great, but I'm not sure it would pick up tomato sauce stains.

Baked Ravioli

I had forgotten that in the Midwest, summer not only means high temperatures and heavy humidity but orange cones littered on every road. On Monday, my normal route to work was blocked because they are working on some railroads tracks, so I had to make a detour through a residential area and weave back and forth through the blocks to get to my parking lot. Today I thought I'd be smart and take a different route altogether into campus. On this route I pass, kid you not, 5 different sites of construction where two lanes merge into one. Of course, there is only a construction crew on one of the sites, but the others have the road torn up and are causing significant backups. So this week I'm 2/2 in late starts for work due to those blasted orange cones.


Okay, enough complaining. I guess I really should be happy because the temperatures are back to double digits and that means I can use my oven again. I've been trying to avoid it because my air conditioner has been working hard enough keeping the warmth from outside away.

I tend to have raviolis in my freezer for days that I need a quick and easy dinner without much thought. This recipe, however, takes the frozen ravioli from okay to gourmet (well, maybe not gourmet, but at least a suitable appetizer from a nice Italian restaurant). They are crunchy on the outside and full of melt-y cheese on the inside. I'm warning you now--- try super hard to let them cool for five minutes before you bite into them. If you don't, you may end up with a burned mouth (just like me :) ).

Baked Ravioli (adapted from How Sweet it is)
Ingredients:
10-15 frozen cheese raviolis
3 tbsp egg white substitute (or 1 egg white)
1/8 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic salt
one pinch each of salt and pepper
Marinara sauce, for dipping

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 F. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray.

Beat egg white substitute in a bowl until fluffy. Combine the flour, panko, breadcrumbs, cheese and seasonings in a shallow bowl and mix.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and then add the raviolis. Boil for approximately 2 minutes (about half the recommended time on the package), and drain. Dump the raviolis into the bowl with the egg white and toss to coat. One at a time, remove the ravioli from the egg whites and dip into the breading, pressing to adhere. Place the ravioli on the wire rack. Spray the tops of the ravioli with cooking spray.

Bake for 15 minutes, until crispy. Don't worry they will most likely puff up a bit in the oven.

Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.