Gnocchi

Another score for Mark Bittman! This gnocchi was much lighter than I've ever had in restaurants and, for that, I was very thankful since I could score some seconds and not feel horrible afterwards. Since I used Bitman's recipe, I'm not posting here. I made a simple garlic and olive oil sauce to go with it.


Garlic and Oil Sauce
1 cup olive oil
3 tblsp garlic, minced
1 tblsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tblsp fresh basil, chopped
1 cup chopped tomato
salt
red pepper
Saute all ingredients together until the garlic is lightly browned.

Pitas

I decided to try something different and make pitas instead of a loaf of bread. Since I just used Bittman's recipe from How to Cook Everything, I'm not posting the recipe, but I wanted to share the picture since they turned out nicely. Pitas are crazy easy to make, so you should give it a go if you like pocket sandwiches!

Tomato Frittata or Something

So, I thought I'd make something different for my friend's baby shower. I settled on Julia Child's Tomato Quiche because I had a bunch of frozen tomatoes ready to go and I was all about not going to the store. Then life got in the way and I didn't have time to make the crust. So, I had to change up a few things and made a frittata or maybe a gratin or something.... Whatever it's called, it ended up being a gorgeous red color and it had a wonderful, rich taste.


Tomato Frittata
1/4 cup minced onions
olive oil
2 lbs. fresh or frozen chopped tomatoes
1 clove minced garlic
2 tblsp basil
salt and pepper
5 eggs
1 tblsp anchovy paste
3 tblsp tomato paste
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheeses
Sweat onions in 2 tblsp olive oil. Add tomatoes, garlic, basil, and salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat for five minutes. Remove lid and cook on high until all liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Beat eggs, anchovy paste, tomato paste, paprika, cayenne and salt and pepper together. Mix cooled tomato mixture into eggs. Transfer to a 9" pie plate and top with shredded cheeses. Cook at 375 until eggs are set and cheeses are lightly browned.

Basil Egg Sandwich

I totally stole the idea for this from this recipe, but since I didn't have pesto on hand and don't know how to successfully make an eight egg omelet (or a two egg omelet), I made it this way... This ended up being too much egg for the four sandwiches I made, so you probably want to cut this back to six eggs if you're making four sandwiches. Also, she posted an instructional video of the original recipe if you want to watch someone make an omelet without being a spaz.


Basil Egg Sandwich
8 eggs
1/3 cup chopped basil
1/4 cup grated parmesan
heavy splash milk
salt and pepper
2 tblsp butter, divided
whole wheat bread
1 cup cheddar cheese
Beat eggs, basil, parmesan, milk, and salt and pepper together. Melt 1 tblsp butter in large skillet. Scramble eggs. Remove from pan and wipe pan clean. Melt 1 tblsp butter in skillet. Assemble sandwich with cheese on both sides and grill in pan.

Braised Short Ribs - Take Two

I revisited this recipe this evening and changed up a few things. It was delicious, so I figure it's worth posting the changes.


Braised Short Ribs
2 tblsp olive oil 
10 short ribs
flour for dredging
4 carrots
1 pt button mushrooms, quartered
1 1/2 cup red wine 
2 tblsp tomato paste
beef stock
salt and pepper
Heat olive oil in dutch oven over medium high heat. Dredge ribs in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Brown all sides. Remove meat from pot and brown the onions, carrots, and mushrooms in the fat. Season veggies with salt and pepper. Deglaze pan with wine. Stir in tomato paste and season to taste. Return meat to the pot and add stock until meat is almost totally submerged. Simmer for 3-4 hours or until meat is tender. Remove meat and veggies from pot and increase heat. Reduce sauce until it reaches a gravy consistency (15-20 minutes). Skim fat periodically while reducing. Serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or just with a hunk of crusty bread for sopping up the sauce.

Po-chilis?

We've always made potacos, but it's equally delicious to slop up a potato with some leftover chili as well. It's lacking in the cute nickname department... Kevin calls them phillies, but that reminds me of cheesesteaks, so it's not really working.


Po-chilis
4 baking potatoes
olive oil
salt
4 cups warmed leftover veggie chili
1 tblsp butter
1 tblsp flour
3/4 cup whole milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
plain yogurt
Poke potatoes repeatedly with a fork or knife. Microwave on high for 15 minutes. Coat with olive oil and salt and place in 400 degree oven or toaster oven for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan. Add flour and bring together a light roux. Whisk in milk and heat over medium heat until milk thickens. Remove milk from heat and stir in cheddar cheese. Cut open the potatoes, top with chili, cheese sauce, and yogurt. 

Veggie Chili

So, after the arrival of baby girl, people brought us food that somehow, always included a can of corn. I'm totally grateful for all the delicious food that people brought, so if it sounds like I'm poo-pooing the arrival of corn in our house, please know that's not the case. Anyway, I ended up with a few cans in the pantry and remembered this recipe from our friend, Rachel. She always downplays her cooking skillz, but this was a good recipe. 


Veggie Chili
2 tblsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 cup banana peppers, chopped (I used banana peppers because I have a ton of them left over from an overproductive garden. If I had jalapenos, I would have used those instead.)
2 1/2-3 cups black beans, soaked overnight (or 2 cans black beans for a faster recipe)
2 cans sweet corn
1 can chopped tomatoes and the juice
2-3 cups additional veggies (I like zukes, carrots, broccoli, but use whatever you like)
chili pepper
cayenne (probably not necessary if you use a pepper more powerful than banana)
garlic powder
salt and pepper
Heat oil in a soup pot (if you're switching to a crock pot, use a smaller pan) over medium high heat. Sweat onions and peppers and then season with salt and pepper. If you're switching to a crock pot, now's the time. Add beans, corn, tomatoes, and additional veggies. Season to your taste. You'll have to come back a few times to get it right because the heat will bring out the spices. If you're going for a quick cook, bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let it come together for 30 minutes. If you're using the crock pot, cook everything on high until the beans are tender (around 4 hours) and then reduce to low until you're ready to eat. I let the whole thing go for about an additional 3-4 hours. Serve with sour cream and cheddar cheese.