Author: thedizzygourmet

Orecchiette with Mushrooms, Asparagus, Capers and Arrabiatta Sauce

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This is a fantastic quick dinner to make on a work night.  It took me less than an hour to pull it all together. This quick version uses a store bought arrabiatta sauce that I tweak a bit for more flavor. Of course, you can make your own – but for me, that’s a weekend project.  Arrabiatta is a slightly spicy marinara sauce that is great for pasta dishes with vegetables, it adds a bit of zip to the dish.  You can serve this with a quick salad. This time I just threw together some garlic Parmesan puffs and a glass of wine! Voila! (Wait, that’s French, not Italian……)

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You will need:

  • 1/2 of a 1 lb box of good quality Orecchiette pasta
  • One 24 oz jar of Arrabiatta sauce (shhhh, I used the private selection variety sold at  Ralphs)
  • 3 baby portabellas cut into about 1 inch pieces
  • About 10 shitake mushrooms (about 2-3 oz) cut into pieces
  • About 15 thin stalks of asparagus, bottom 3 inches trimmed off.  Cut stalks into 1 inch pieces
  • 1/2 white onion chopped
  • 2 tbsp capers
  • Three large cloves of garlic
  • 3/4 cup white wine (don’t use Chardonnay, use Pinot Grigio or similar)
  • 3/4 cup chicken (or vegetable) stock
  • Salt and pepper
  • Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

 Pasta:

  • Get you pasta started in boiling, salted water

Prepare your sauce:

  • Put about 4 tbsp olive oil in a large deep frying pan on medium/high heat
  • Add chopped onion, potabellas and shitake mushrooms
  • Saute for about 5-7 minutes
  • Add cut asparagus and saute another 2-3 minutes
  • Add three cloves garlic crushed and stir until you can smell the aromas of the garlic (do not let garlic burn or brown)
  • Add 24 oz jar of arrabiatta sauce and stir to mix
  • Then add your 3/4 cup white wine and 3/4 cup chicken stock (or veggie stock)
  • Let simmer on low for 5 minutes
  • Add your capers and salt and pepper to taste
  • Let simmer while pasta finishes cooking (do not over cook pasta, pasta should be al dente)
  • Then add drained, cooked pasta to your sauce, stir and let simmer about 3-4 more minutes
  • Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to finish and serve

 

 

Citrus Peach Martini

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So, we had all of these oranges hanging off our tree and thought, “What in the world will we do with all of these?! By george, we will make martinis!”  This fabulous martini is a refreshing delight. My mixologist husband created this with a vanilla twist.  You will drink more than one!

You will need:

  • 1 1/2 oz peach vodka
  • 1 1/2 oz good quality vodka
  • 1 oz triple sec
  • 1 1/2 oz fresh squeezed orange or tangerine juice
  • vanilla rim sugar
  • Zest of one orange/tangerine

Directions:

  • Pour all contents except vanilla sugar into cocktail shaker with ice.
  • Shake vigorously until chilled.
  • Rub rim of glass with orange and dip into vanilla sugar,
  • Pour cocktail into glass
  • Sigh and enjoy!

 

Garlicky Green Bean and Artichoke Salad

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So a lot of my recipes are invented out of necessity.  Garlicky Green Bean Salad is definitely one of those.  I bought one of those big bags of beautiful thin green beans from that big box store C _ _ _ _ O.  I used half of them and the other half remained in the fridge for a week. When I finally uncovered them I knew I had to use them before they got slimy! This salad was the quick result derived from ingredients I had on hand. IMG_1303 (1)

You will need: 

1 lb fresh green beans, ends removed and cut into 1 inch pieces.
1/4 medium white onion or sweet onion.
3/4 cup marinated artichoke hearts sliced into bite sized pieces.
Salt
Pepper
Garlicky dressing – recipe below
Crisp bacon chopped (optional)

Directions:

  • Blanch cut green beans in salted boiling water for about 2-3 minutes. You still want beans to be crisp.
  • Drain beans and run with cold water to stop the cooking. Lay out on clean dry towel and allow to dry off.
  • If you are using bacon, fry until crisp, drain, and chop into pieces.
  • Finely chop onion and put into a medium sized bowl.
  • Cut marinated artichoke hearts and add to bowl.
  • Add dry green beans to bowl.
  • Pour garlic dressing over beans, onion, artichoke hearts and stir until well coated.
  • Let salad stand at least 2 hours before serving so all the flavors can marry together.
  • Add chopped crispy bacon before serving.

Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • Two cloves crushed garlic
  • 1 tsp good quality Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp sugar or honey
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Mix until ingredients come together, taste for seasoning, adjust as necessary.

Food is a Time Machine

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I always say that food directly ties us to memories of our past. It’s like music that way. You hear that old song on the radio and it takes you back to a time or even a certain day or moment in your life and you get that warm Deja vu feeling.  For me, food memories are very strong.  My family often communed around food. Getting together for holidays where you anticipated the fabulous stuffing, mashed potatoes smothered in gravy , and great desserts made with love. My mom used to make homemade spaghetti sauce on Sunday mornings and let it simmer all day. To this day spaghetti and meat sauce is one of my favorite comfort foods. When I make jello, which for some reason doesn’t happen often, it reminds me of my grandmother who used to make jello for me every time I would come over to their house. I ate a lot of jello as I was there all of the time! She would call me in advance and ask what flavor and what fruit addition I wanted. She loved to make me grape jello with marshmallows. Sounds weird, but it was good. She had a pantry full of jello boxes. My grandfather made great milk gravy. He would toil over the stove slowly and meticulously stirring it on low heat until it was thick and perfect. He also loved to BBQ

Family food
Mom, me, grandpa and grandma – ready to eat!

steaks and hot dogs.  We ate a lot of BBQ hot dogs by the pool each summer. Today hot dogs are my guilty pleasure and remind me of my pop pa. Almost every weekend or so we would go to my grandparents and we’d make Mexican food.  Homemade  shredded beef tacos, rice, beans, salsa, etc.   I ate a lot of Mexican food growing up and I haven’t slowed down. I make many authentic dishes now and they are always family favorites.  My dad made great chipped beef and gravy over toast. This was a throwback from his military days in the Marines. He made it gourmet style and man was it decadent and good! He is actually a fabulous cook – very gourmet. My entire childhood is full of memories of loved ones gathering together around good food.

I sometimes worry that I might not have made enough food memories for my girls.  Of course I cook a lot and they love my cooking, but I make so many different things and I am always experimenting. They do have their favorites.  Maybe that’s what they will remember when I’m gone, that mom had no fear in the kitchen as long as she was making something that she knew her family would love.

Carrot Ginger Soup

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As I was digging through my veggie bin this morning I noticed a large bag of carrots that were starting to look a little sad.  Somehow things always get pushed to the bottom of the bin and sometimes its too late – but these I rescued in the nick of time.  My husband had picked up a root of ginger at the store the other day and I had been contemplating what in the world I was going to do with it.Ah-ha! Ginger carrot soup!  Should be simple and easy to throw together with what I have in the fridge and I figured we could eat on it a couple times during the week.

Here’s how I made it.  You will need:

14 carrots peeled, ends removed and cut into 2 inch pieces

Two large shallots

Two stalks celery

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger root

3 to 4 good sized cloves of garlic  (I like garlic, but you can add less if you want)

64 oz chicken or veggie stock (I used chicken for extra flavor)

1 cup water

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Juice of 1/2 lime

IMG_1283Directions:

Chop shallot and celery and saute in a heavy pot with two tbsp olive oil until translucent.

Add 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper while sauteing.

While that saute’s grate 1/2 tsp ginger and your garlic.

Add ginger and garlic to pot and stir briefly until you begin to smell the aroma of both.

Add your cut up carrots, your stock and water.

Let simmer until carrots are soft throughout – about 20-25 minutes. If your stock reduces too low, just add water a cup at a time.IMG_1284

Turn soup off and let sit about 10 minutes to cool.

Spoon contents into your blender and process until very smooth and silky.  If you are using a hand immersion blender, blend as smooth as possible.

Pour soup back into pot and put on low heat. Squeeze the 1/2 lime (this helps brighten the flavors) into the pot and add salt to taste.IMG_1291

Heat on low until bubbly.

Serve with garnish of thinly chopped scallions or chopped cilantro. Add an extra squeeze of lime if you like.IMG_1293

This soup was so simple to put together!  The added benefit to tasting great is that it is also healthy. But I did not tell Bruce or the girls that! God knows I need that vitamin A as it seems my eyesight is deteriorating quicker every day.

 

 

 

Grandpa’s Homemade Popcorn (with a modern twist)

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When I was a child I spent a lot of time with my grandparents. My grandpa loved to make popcorn. Not the stuff in the bag, but the real thing! Over the years I have learned to do it well and have added a number of modern flavor twists. However, I must say that I’ve never gotten accustomed to my grandmother’s habit of putting in it a glass of milk and eating it with a spoon….Yuck!  Now I can pop a batch in just minutes with no duds,  a variety of flavors and NO soggy ones. You would think it would be easy but there are a few tips and tricks I will share with you so that it comes out light, fluffy and perfect!Grandpa and me4

You will need:

  •  A sturdy, good sized metal pot.
  • 3 tbsp of canola oil
  • A piece of foil large enough to cover pot and fold over sides
  • 1/3 cup of white popcorn kernels
  • 1/2 stick melted butter
  • Seasoning of choice
  • Large serving spoon
  • Large serving bowl

Directions:

Put pot on burner at medium/high heat.

Add popcorn kernels.

Cover pot lightly with foil. You don’t want foil tight as it will keep steam inside and make the popped corn soggy.

Taking handle of the pot in your hand, slide pot back and forth over burner to move kernels and prevent them from burning.

Continue to move pot as you hear corn begin to pop and continue until popping stops.

Immediately remove foil to release any steam.

Pour popped corn into a large bowl.

Microwave butter to melt -about 20 seconds.

Ok, here’s trick #1 – DO NOT pour butter onto popcorn!  It will get instantly soggy and it will absorb into only a handful of the popcorn.

Take a large spoon (like a big serving spoon) and take up some of the butter and pour it down and around the side of your bowl. Then use the spoon to stir the popcorn along the edge of the bowl and keep stirring in a circular motion from the bottom of the bowl.  Then add a bit more of the butter on the side of the bowl again and follow the same procedure.  You will see as you stir the popcorn each piece picks up a little of the butter on the side of the bowl and as you continue to stir the pieces begin to distribute the butter among each other.  Don’t butter too much or you wont be able to avoid soggy popcorn.

Adding Flavors!

I love different spices and flavors and I get pretty creative here.  Savory flavors are great for eating in front of the TV or for cocktail parties. Sweet flavors are great when I have a craving and I don’t want to overdo it on calories.

“Carrie the Greek”  – Greek seasoning. You can buy it or make your own. I’ve done both, but the one I buy has salt, garlic, black pepper, oregano, sage, and “other spices.”  sprinkle on about two teaspoons and check for taste.  Add more if desired.  I usually don’t have to add salt when I use the purchased Greek seasoning because it contains enough. Stir to distribute seasoning.cropped-image1.jpeg

“Feeling Spicy” –Add 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, one tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Mix thoroughly and sprinkle over buttered popcorn and stir to distribute.

“Ole” – Sprinkle two tsp taco seasoning over buttered popcorn.

“Crazy Curry” – Add 1 tsp curry powder, one tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp cumin.  Mix thoroughly and sprinkle over butter popcorn and stir to distribute.

“Cinnamon Toast” – Blend 1/2 tsp cinnamon with 3 tbsp white sugar.  Mix well. Sprinkle over buttered popcorn and stir.  Yummie!  You can also add a very small touch of nutmeg if you’d like to add more sweet spice flavor.  Pumpkin pie spice works well during the fall months too!

If grandpa were still here I know he’d be proud of my creativity and my passion for carrying on his tradition. Miss you pop.Grandpa and me3