Spaghetti with Artichokes, Garlic and Olive Oil

Ingredients: 

1 package of dry spaghetti
10 garlic cloves, peel and sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
pinch of chilli pepper flakes
1 cup of grilled artichokes, chopped *
2 TBS chopped parsley
2 TBS freshly grated parmesan
or pecorino cheese

Directions: 

Boil a large of water and add a TBS salt.  Add the spaghetti and stir.  Set the timer for 9 minutes. Boil about 4 minutes and then start making the garlic sauce while the pasta is cooking. Pasta should take about 9 minutes in total.

Heat a frying pan to medium and add the oil and sliced garlic.  Add the chilli pepper flakes. When the garlic is lightly brown, add two ladles (about 2 cups) of the pasta water from the cooking pasta. This creates a pasta broth.

Drain the pasta after nine minutes of cooking. Add the pasta into the sauce pan with the garlic and pasta water. Continue cooking the pasta in the pan for another few minutes till al dente. Add the parsley and serve. Sprinkle with parmesan or pecorino cheese.

Notes: You can add cooked broccoli, or arugula, spinach or grilled red peppers and olives.

You can buy grilled artichokes either in an airtight bag or in a jar.

Chocolate Almond Cherry Clusters

Ingredients: 

8 oz of bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup of slivered almonds
1 cup of dried cherries

Directions: 

Chop the chocolate into 1/2" pieces. Place it in a small saucepan and heat on 'melt' or simmer, slowly.
Remove from heat. Add the nuts and cherries and stir to coat.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a small spoon, place a teaspoon of the chocolate mixture on the baking sheet.  Let them set in the fridge. Then remove them from the tray and store in an air tight container.

They make a lovely hostess gift.

Pasta with Garlic Shrimp and Tomato Sauce

We make this dinner every year on Christmas Eve.  For a vegan option, substitute roasted cauliflower or broccolini for the shrimp. 

Serves 4

Ingredients: 

20-24 raw shrimp, peeled and deveined *
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 TBS olive oil
1 25 oz jar of Italian tomato sauce,  (Rao) Marinara
2 TBS fresh parsley, chopped or fresh basil
Salt & pepper
1 package of fettuccini (dried or fresh)
1/4 cup of black olives (optional)

Directions: 

Heat the sauce in a small saucepan on medium-low. Add the olives Keep on a low simmer.

Bring a large pot of water to boiling. Add 1 tsp salt, and then add the pasta.  Cook according to package directions.

Heat a non-stick frying pan to medium.  Add the olive oil, chopped garlic and the shrimp.
Cook 1-2 minutes per side (turning once), till pink.
Remove to a bowl.

Place pasta in each bowl, and top with the sauce.  Mix. Then place the cooked garlic shrimp on top. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.


* I like to buy the 10-12 size of shrimp (10-12 = 1 lb)
So you would buy 2 lbs approximately.
Substitute your favorite vegetables for a vegan pasta dish.

Roasted Squash & Sweet Potato Soup

This soup is a recipe from my brother Al. Super easy and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes, halved
2 acorn squash, halved
8 shallots or a large onion, quartered
6-10 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
4 TBS olive oil brush on the vegetables
8 cups of chicken broth
curry to taste
salt & pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush the potatoes and squash with oil and bake for 35-40 minutes till done. Add the garlic the last 10 minutes.
Scoop out the potatoes and squash and put them in a pot.  Add the chicken broth and curry and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove and blend using a hand held blender, vitamix, or a blender.
Drizzle with a tsp of cream on individual servings.

Hazelnut & Anise Biscotti

Makes 30 biscotti

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp coarse salt
3 large eggs
grated lemon rind from one lemon
1 cups + 2 TBS granulated sugar
1 tsp anise extract or
   2 tsp anise seeds
2 cups chopped hazelnuts, toasted
1 egg white, beaten for glaze
Fine sugar for sprinkling - optional

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Spread the nuts onto a large baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes till lightly brown and toasted.  Remove from the oven and cool.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs, add the sugar, lemon rind and anise extract and whisk till combined.

Add the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon. Dough will be sticky. Add the cooled hazelnuts.

Put a little flour on your hands and divide the dough in half.  Roll each half into a log shape.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Press each log into a 3" wide, 3/4 inch thick log.

The wider you make it, the longer your biscotti will be.  Leave room between the two logs as they will expand and puff up.

Brush each log with a beaten egg white and sprinkle with a light coating of sugar.

Bake at 350F for 25-35 minutes till firm and lightly browned on top and firm to the touch.

Let cool about 10-15 minute.  Then slice the biscotti with a serrated knife into 1/4" slices.

Put the slices back on the baking sheets and bake at 300F for 10 minutes total, turning the biscotti over after 5 minutes.  This will dry them out just enough without making them too crispy.

Cool and store in an airtight container or cookie tin.

See the photos on the Pistachio Biscotti recipe.

Philly Cheese Steak Subs

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs of boneless beef short ribs or rib eye steaks
( I used the rib eyes) and barbecued them

3 TBS olive oil

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

1 green pepper, thinly sliced

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

salt & pepper

Processed cheese sauce or Provolone slices

4 Crusty Italian rolls, cut in half


Directions:

Put the beef in the freezer for about 45 minutes.  Remove and thinly slice if you are going to pan fry the beef in a cast iron skillet. Alternatively, barbecue the meat to your liking. Cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Slice the beef into thin slices.

Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet on medium.  Add the onion and peppers and season with salt & pepper. Cook stirring occasionally for 20-25 minutes till carmelized.  Remove from pan and set aside.

If you are cooking the beef in the iron skillet, heat to medium-high. Then add some olive oil and add half of the thin slices of beef.  Cook on one side and then flip.  Add half the onion and pepper mixture to the beef and cook on the other side. About one minute per side.  Then do the same with the rest of the beef and pepper/onion mixture.

If you barbecue the beef, just cook the peppers and onions and keep warm will the beef is sliced and you are ready to assemble the sandwiches.

Warm the cheese sauce.

To assemble the sandwiches, place the beef and onions onto the bottom half of the roll, add the cheese sauce or provolone slices and top with the bread.

** Toast the bread if desired, either on the barbecue or in the toaster.

Lobster Rolls - Super Bowl Food!

In 2018 it was the Patriots and the Eagles. So the food the Today Show recommended was the Lobster Rolls, for the Patriots and Philly Cheese Steak Subs for the Eagles. So I've included both recipes, with a few minor adjustments. I'm not a big fan of tarragon, so the fennel worked well.
These were delicious - one or two per person.

Makes 8 - 10 lobster rolls

Ingredients:

4 cups of cooked lobster meat, cut into 1/2" chunks
(about 8 lobster tails)

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

2 TBS finely diced dill pickle

2 TBS finely chopped parsley

2/3 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp finely minced tarragon, or 1/2 tsp finely chopped fennel seeds

2 tsp lemon zest

salt & pepper

8 - 10 slider rolls (small)

Unsalted butter, melted for grilling the buns

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the lobster meat with the mayo, celery, pickles, parsley and tarragon/fennel and the lemon zest.  Stir to combine and add the salt & pepper. Refrigerate. This can be made a few hours ahead.

Slice the rolls in half and lightly butter each cut side.  Heat a skillet over medium heat and place the rolls in the skillet, cut side down, and fast until golden.

Place the rolls on a platter and scoop about 1/4 cup of lobster mix onto the bottom halves.
Cover with the top halves and serve.