Saturday, April 17, 2010

classic comfort

it's april 17th and it's cold outside! i wanted something that would warm me up while cooking it. i wanted something sweet, simple, comforting. i have rice. i have maple syrup. a-ha! quick and simple. i do mean simple. everything goes into the pot together, it boils and simmers and then you have rice pudding! doesn't it look yummy? don't you just want some right now? here ya go!

maple syrup rice pudding
5 cups milk
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup rice
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger

1. put all of your ingredients into a pot and cook on high until liquid begins to boil.
2. reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender, about 30-40 mins.
3. spoon rice into bowls and chill.
4. eat and enjoy!

Friday, April 16, 2010

country style rigatoni penne

it was my father's birthday today. i decided to invite my parents over and make dinner. whenever they dine at a certain italian restaurant around here, he always orders country-style rigatoni so i figured, why not? when my parents came over, they brought us a little housewarming plant. how pretty!





i bought this plate at an antiques barn recently. it copies my [would have been someday inherited until they were sold] plate set. i am sure it's not original, but i love it all the same. tonight it held some nice cantaloupe which had some leftover prosciutto to go with it.










i made more garlic butter to go with this yummy Hannaford bakery bread. it was suprisingly good. don't you just love my new serving bowls? antiques barn. love them.



















ok, so you say, what rigatoni? i'm stubborn and wouldn't buy pasta that wasn't whole grain so penne it was! it was a good dish overall and i would totally make it again! i would make some minor changes like maybe another can of beans...











country style rigatoni (or penne!)
1 lb mild sausage
1 can (15oz) of chicken broth
1 (or 2) can of cannellini beans
broccolli
1 lb pasta
1 med onion
3 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
3 slices of prosciutto
basil
oregano
salt
pepper
olive oil

1. over med/high heat place 2 tbs of olive oil into a large skillet and add onions and garlic. cook until soft.
2. add sausage and break up. cook for another 8-10 until sausage is done.
3. add chicken brother, seasonings, beans, and cheese.
4. cook until it begins to thicken (5-10 mins).
5. chop up and add prosciutto last.
6. cook pasta about 4 minutes.
7. add broccolli to water and continue to boil until pasta is done.
8. add pasta and broccolli to skillet and turn off heat.
10. eat and enjoy!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

inaugural dinner

we just got our stove hooked up in our new place! w00t! anyway, that means a first dinner, and what to make? i decided on mozzarella stuffed turkey burgers with homemade baked french fries. i started with the fries first. i used yukon golds because i love them to death. i decided to boil them slightly before baking them. it was a good move indeed. they drained and dried for at least a half an hour before i tossed them in some olive oil with some dill, oregano, parmesan cheese, sea salt, and pepper.





next i tackled the turkey burgers. i put in a bit of dijon mustard, thyme, and sea salt and mixed it. i divided it into 4 balls and then, one by one, divided the balls in half and formed patties. i only had shredded mozzarella. i made an indent in the middle of the patty and filled it with cheese. i put the two patties together, sealed the seamed, and reshaped them a bit so they would stay together.







so of course if things can go wrong, they do. the oven set off the smoke detector, so no "oven" french fries. i guess i have to clean it more thoroughly! anyway, i baked them off in the toaster oven, caramelized some onions, and toasted some buns. earlier in the day i had roasted a head of garlic and make some roasted garlic mayonnaise and some roasted garlic butter. i used the mayo on the burgers. it was so good!

mozzarella-stuffed turkey burgers
1 lb of ground turkey
2 tbs dijon mustard
2 tsp thyme (i like it a lot, you can use less)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1. mix mustard, thyme, salt, and pepper into the ground turkey.
2. divide into 4 equal balls.
3. take each ball and separate in half.
4. for patties out of each and make an indent in the middle.
5. fill the middle with a pinch or two of cheese.
6. sandwich the patties together and pinch the seams closed.
7. in a pan on medium-high cook the patties for about 5 to 6 minutes per side.
8. eat and enjoy!

seasoned oven baked french fries
4 to 5 yukon gold potatoes
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp dill
1 tsp oregano
olive oil

1. preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. peel 4 to 5 potatoes.
3. slice the potatoes in half, then slice the halves lengthwise 4 or 5 times depending on the size of the potato. sometimes i had to further slice the potato to get nice, even fries.
4. boil them until they are about halfway cooked through.
5. transfer them to a colander or strainer and run under cold water for awhile. you don't want them cooking more.
6. let them drain awhile, using paper towels if necessary.
7. once dry, coat them in olive oil
8. add almost all of the spices and cheese and toss until evenly coated.
9. line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (saves on cleanup) and coat with non-stick cooking spray. i didn't have any, so i used a bit more olive oil.
10. lay french fries down and place in oven for 30 minutes.
11. halfway through flip fries and use the rest of the cheese and spices to top fries.
12. bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
13. eat and enjoy!