Penne with Sausage and Pink Sauce

This has quickly replaced our "spaghetti night."

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb hot Italian sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup dry white wine
One 14 and 1/2-ounce can diced peeled tomatoes with juices
1 cup whipping cream
6 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

1 lb Penne pasta (I substitute)
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano cheese

Directions:

Melt butter with olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until golden brown and tender, about 7 minutes. Add sausage and saute until golden brown and cooked through, breaking up with back of spoon, about 7 minutes. Drain any excess drippings from skillet.

Add wine to skillet and boil until almost all liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices and simmer 3 minutes. Add cream and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

Stir in 4 tablespoons parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. (Sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until 'al dente'. Drain pasta; transfer to large bowl.

Bring sauce to simmer. Pour sauce over pasta. Add 3/4 cup cheese and toss to coat. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and 2 tablespoons parsley. Serves 6.

That's it!

Sicilian Corkscrews with White Beans

- The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper: Recipes, Stories, and Opinions from Public Radio's Award-Winning Food Show by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift

Serves 3 to 4

10 minutes prep time; 15 minutes stove time

Could be served hot or at room temperature, and reheats well with a few tablespoons of water.

With squiggly noodles and tomato, this is a gem of a kid's pasta. And it has a sneaky side - they will eat beans without even thinking about it. Whether they're called rotini, fusilli, or "squiggly," you want a corkscrew-shaped pasta for this recipe so it can hold the bits of sauce and beans.

The optional can of tuna is a standard Mediterranean combination. It is best to use tuna packed in olive oil. The chile vinegar may seem an odd addition, but it's found all over southern Italy, made from homegrown, stingingly hot peppers. Our Tabasco sauce is a respectable stand-in.

• 5 quarts salted water in a 6-quart pot
• 6 tablespoons good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 large red onion, sliced into thin half-rounds
• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
• 6 large garlic cloves, fine chopped
• 3 tight-packed tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarse chopped
• 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon hot chile vinegar or Tabasco sauce, or more to taste
• 2/3 cup water
• Two 15-ounce cans cannellini or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 pound imported Italian fusilli (corkscrew pasta; whole wheat or dried legume style preferred)
• 1/2 cup fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese
• One 6-ounce can tuna packed in olive oil, partially drained (optional)

1. Bring the salted water to a boil.

2. Combine the oil and onions in a straight-sided 12-inch sauté pan, and set the pan over medium heat. Sprinkle the onions with salt and a generous amount of pepper. Sauté until the onions are softened. Blend in the garlic, parsley, tomato paste, chile vinegar, and the 2/3 cup water. Stir and simmer until most of the water has evaporated.

3. With a wooden spatula, gently fold in the beans, and simmer for 2 minutes so they absorb the flavors. Taste for seasoning, adjust as necessary, remove the pan from the heat, and cover.

4. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes, or until it is a little firmer than you like it. Scoop up about 1 cup pasta water and save it; then immediately drain the pasta in a colander.

5. Reheat the sauce, adding the reserved cup of pasta water to the pan. Stir gently, scraping up any glaze on the bottom of the pan. Cook for a minute or so to blend, and to slightly reduce the pasta water. Fold in the pasta, warming it for a few moments. Blend in the cheese, and taste for seasoning. Turn the pasta into a serving bowl, and if you want, fold in the tuna. Serve immediately.

Foster's Balsamic Roasted Vegetables

This dish can be made with almost any vegetable, but I try to choose those that require approximately the same amount of cooking, so they can go into and out of the oven at the same time. And of course, choose your vegetables with the seasons in mind. Balsamic-Roasted Vegetables can be made several hours in advance and served at room temperature. Try them as a delicious side dish or as an entree, served on top of a large platter of rice, couscous, or orzo.

Serves 8-10 as a side dish

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup mixed, chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary and parsley,
or 1 heaping tablespoon of dried herbs
2 sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 2-inch wedges
1 butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch wedges
1 red onion, peeled and cut into 2-inch wedges
1 pint cherry tomatoes (about 1 pound), stems removed
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 head of broccoli (about 1 1/2 pounds with stems), stem removed, cut into
florets
1 pound green beans, trimmed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fresh herbs, to garnish, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, and herbs together in a large bowl. Add the sweet potatoes, squash, and onion and toss until vegetables are well coated.
3. Transfer the vegetables with a slotted spoon (reserve liquid in the bowl) to a baking dish and spread them out in one even layer and place in the oven. Roast until potatoes are tender and slightly brown, and the vinegar mixture has evaporated to a thick glaze, about 40 to 45 minutes. Stir several times during the cooking.
4. Meanwhile, toss the tomatoes, red bell peppers, broccoli, and green beans with the reserved liquid, and spread them out in one even layer in a separate baking dish and place them in the oven. Roast until the skin on the tomatoes starts to shrivel, about 25 to 30 minutes.
5. Gently toss all of the vegetables together in a bowl with any remaining cooking liquid, just to mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper, garnish with fresh herb leaves if desired. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Variations: Cauliflower or Brussels sprouts can be used instead of broccoli; substitute any kind of potato for the sweet potatoes and try sweet Italian peppers or banana peppers instead of the bell pepper. Acorn squash or pumpkin can be used in place of the butternut squash. Carrots, garlic, and onions are a delicious addition any time of year.

-Foster's Market, Chapel Hill

Beef Bourguignon Stew

Absolutely the best soup I've ever made.

-Ina Garten

Ingredients

1 tablespoon good olive oil

8 ounces good bacon, diced

2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks

2 yellow onions, sliced

2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)

1/2 cup Cognac or good brandy

1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone, Burgundy, or Pinot Noir

1 can (2 cups) beef broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 pound frozen small whole onions (pearl onions)

1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

For serving:

Country bread or Sour Dough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.

Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.

Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and place on top of the stove.

Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.

Greek Chicken and Pasta Casserole

Great to make on a Sunday and munch on all week.  Fabulous.  I often double.

2 cups uncooked spiral pasta (6 oz)

¼ cup butter

1 large onion, chopped (1cup)

¼ cup wheat flour

1 can (14 oz) reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

3 cups chopped deli rotisserie chicken

1 jar (6 oz) marinated artichoke hearts, drained, chopped

½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, chopped

1/3 cup sliced kalamata olives

2 tbs chopped fresh parsley

Heat oven to 350º. Spray 11x7 inch (2qt) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile, in 3-qt saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour; cook and stir 30 seconds. Slowly stir in broth; heat to boiling. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cheese. Gently stir in cooked pasta, chicken, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, olives, and parsley. Spoon into baking dish.

Bake uncovered 25-30 minutes.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Deep pie plate, 2” at least

Box of Honey Maid graham cracker crumbs

(directions for making crust is on the box)

2 cans Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk, 14 oz

6 eggs (might need cream of tartar, shakes)

2 Tbs sugar

7-9 Lemons to make ½ cup juice

Make crust according to package. Put into oven according to package.

Separate 4 eggs. Pour two cans of milk into bowl. 3/4 cup lemon juice - pour into eagle brand milk. If not lemony enough, squeeze more. Take egg yolks, whip in bowl, and add to milk and lemon mix. Pour mixture onto the crust that has come out of oven. Open two more eggs and separate, now have a total of 6 egg whites. Beat egg whites, shake some cream of tartar in, and add 4-6 Tbs of sugar. Whip until stiff, but not too dry, until has good peak. Take spatula and spread on top of milk mixture on pie crust. Bake at 325º for 15 minutes, then check it for egg white browning, and might need another 5-10 minutes. Take it out, get to room temp, and put in the fridge overnight.

Thai Chicken Salad

Thai stir-fry rice noodles (the soft kind)
2-4 chicken breasts

Thai peanut marinade/sauce
1 finely grated/sliced carrot

2 stalks celery, diced

Bean sprouts

Romaine lettuce

For the dressing:
garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1-2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried ginger
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup coarsely crushed roasted peanuts, or to taste

Pour peanut marinade over chicken breasts. Grill, then dice for salad.

In a skillet, pour marinade over rice noodles and stir fry until warm and crispy.

In salad bowl combine the chicken, the carrot, celery, bean sprouts, noodles, and peanuts.
Make the dressing, pour over the salad and toss.


Gourmet Magazine