Oven Baked Parmesan Risotto

I think risotto is one of the most delicious foods ever.  I've tried making it a couple of times, and I discovered something. I hate making it.  I absolutely loathe it.  You have to constantly stir it and time things just right and it burns super easily.  So I was ecstatic when I stumbled upon a recipe for oven baked Parmesan risotto from the blog Once Upon a Plate.  It doesn't require constant stirring!  I am home for winter break, and I wanted to cook dinner for my parents.  I thought this would be a great recipe for my dad to come home to after a long commute!  I ended up improvising a little. We didn't have chicken broth, so I used turkey broth.  I also added chanterelle mushrooms, which may or may not have been a good decision.

Oven Baked Parmesan Risotto

1 1/2 cups arborio or other short-grained rice suitable for risotto
3 cups chicken broth (or turkey broth)
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese or parmigiano reggiano
1 1/2 ounces butter
salt and pepper to taste

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2) In an oven-proof pot with a tight fitting lid, add the chicken stock and stir in the rice.

3) Cover tightly with foil and/or lid and place in oven.  Bake for 45 minutes or until liquid is almost all absorbed and rice is al dente.  (Check to make sure the broth is boiling, otherwise it will take longer to cook).

4) Remove from oven.  Stir in the Parmesan and butter until creamy, and season with salt and pepper.  Add more broth is the risotto is too thick.

For some reason, the risotto didn't start cooking for a long time.  But an extra 20 minutes later, it was delicious and my parent's loved it!

3rd Annual Latke Dinner

For the past two years, Chanukah has been so early that I wasn't able to celebrate it with my family.  In lieu of being with my family and eating my mom's delicious latkes, I started my own tradition of cooking this customary Chanukah recipe for my friends up at school.  Even though Chanukah is at a reasonable time this year, I've really enjoyed this yearly shin-dig and have decided to continue my new tradition! So put on your yarmulke, it's time for Chanukah...I hope I don't burn my apartment down.

Latkes

6 large potatoes (about 3 pounds)*
2 yellow onions
4 eggs
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup flour
Peanut oil
*frozen shredded potatoes (hashbrowns) works just as well

1) Shred potatoes into a bowl of water (to help prevent browning).  Let them sit for a while, then drain well, keeping the starch at the bottom of the bowl.  Squeeze as much water out as possible.

2) Shred onions and add them to potatoes along with beaten eggs, salt/pepper, and flour.  Blend well.

3) Fry in hot oil.  If they fall apart, add more flour.

It tasted like home!  I am so thankful for the friends who came and ate my latkes! I also made some vegan latkes for one of my friends.  They were delicious too!

Pickling Adventure

There's an older lady whom I volunteer with at the hospital.  If you know me, then you've probably heard some of my crazy Carolyn stories.  Well despite some of her...faults, Carolyn is a sweet lady.  Maybe a little too sweet?  Last night she gave me approximately five pounds of cucumbers and a large dill plant.  I wish I was exaggerating.  Given the large amount of cucumbers I suddenly have, I figured it was time to try pickling again.  I say again because as a child, I would pickle the little cucumbers we grew in our vegetable garden. However, my mom later revealed that it had never worked, so she fed me store bought pickles and let me think I was the next Martha Stewart.  I found a pretty simple recipe for refrigerator dill pickles on cooks.com and, thus began the adventure.

Refrigerator Dill Pickles
6 cups water
2 cups vinegar
1/2 cups canning salt (or 1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon kosher salt)
pickling cucumbers
1 large bunch of fresh dill weed
1 large onion
2 or 3 whole cloves (I'm a rebel so I used 3)
Sliced garlic (2 teaspoons or whatever you feel like)

1) Combine water, vinegar, and salt in a large pot (if the pot is non-stick, make sure there are no cracks). Bring to a boil to make the pickling solution.

2) Wash the cucumbers.  Layer whole, unpeeled cucumbers, onion, cloves, garlic, and dill in jar.  Pour the pickling solution over the top.  Let the jars sit on the counter for 3 or 4 hours.

3) Refrigerate. They will be ready in 2 to 4 days.

One of many jars immediately after pickling. I will update in 2 to 4 days!

Vanilla Oatmeal Almond Cookies

I was bored and a tad peckish, so I decided to make cookies. However, my available ingredients were pretty limited.  I typed in almonds, oatmeal, and cookie into Google.  Lo and behold I found a recipe from a blog called Anja's Food 4 Thought for vanilla oatmeal almond cookies.  I still didn't have all the necessary ingredients for it (such as almond flour instead of all-purpose flour), but I improvised and it turned out pretty well.

Vanilla Oatmeal Almond Cookies

1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped or sliced almonds

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine the egg and sugar and beat until creamy.  Add the melted butter and the vanilla, stir until combined, and set aside.

2) In a separate bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and almonds.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix well.

3) Drop teaspoons of batter onto a lined baking sheet, leaving 2-3 inches of room in between.  Sprinkle with a little more almond.  Bake for 10 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown.  Let cool completely.

They smelled absolutely wonderful, but weren't very flavorful. I guess the moral of that story is always add more butter and sugar!

Pasta with Goat Cheese and Basil Oil

I volunteer at the local hospital where I go to school.  It's a lot of fun, but sometimes it can be excruciatingly boring.  Thus, the hospital is the only place where I read magazines.  Now these are waiting room magazines, like Family Life, Martha Stewart, Better Homes and Gardens, and Sunset.  Although I am completely not in the target audience of these magazines, they do have some really tasty recipes in them.  So sometimes when I come across a good recipe, I'll grab a piece of scrap paper from the information desk and scribble it down.  Last Friday, when I was working I found a recipe for a pasta with goat cheese and a basil infused oil for sauce.  It sounds delicious, and I'm always looking for non-red sauce pasta options.

Pasta with Goat Cheese and Basil Oil (for 4 servings)

gemelli, rotini, or some other short spiral-like pasta
2 cups basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
4 oz fresh goat cheese
salt and pepper

1) Cook the pasta according to instructions on the box.

2) Puree the fresh basil leaves with the oil.  Pour through a fine mesh sieve and discard the solids.

3) Toss the pasta with the basil oil, the crumbled goat cheese, a handful of fresh basil leaves, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Well that was super easy and quite delicious!

Upside Down Banana Cake

Doesn't that just sound amazing? Upside Down Banana Cake.  My friend, Alison, and I have been getting together to watch Batman related films and anime recently.  Some sort of baked good usually accompanies that. Last night we made this delicious cake to eat while watching an anime called Akira.  I stumbled upon the recipe on a blog named The Wicked Noodle, and apparently this dessert is very popular in Brazil. As far as cakes from scratch go, this one was really easy.

Upside Down Banana Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar (for the caramel)
5 to 6 ripe bananas
2 cups flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 large eggs, divided
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups sugar (for the cake)
1 cup milk

1) In a metal baking pan (about a 10 inch round), place the 1 1/2 cups sugar and bring to medium heat to make a dry caramel.  When it is fluid and amber in color, distribute the caramel evenly along the bottom of the pan and on the sides. Set aside.

2) Slice the bananas lengthwise and place them flat side down over the caramel.  Place them close together and close to the sides of the pan.

3) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Set aside.

4) Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Set aside.

5) With an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and egg yolks until very light and creamy.

6) Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternative with the milk. Mix until flour is all mixed. With a big spatula, fold in the egg whites.

7) Pour the batter over the caramel and banana layer evenly.  Bake for 40-50 minutes until it is golden brown and passes the toothpick test.  Let the cake rest and cool a bit, but flip it out of it's pan while it is still warm so that the caramel will seep into the cake.

A bit of a warning: when you flip the cake out of the pan, molten caramel may drip on you! This cake was moist, light, and totally helped take the edge off watching Akira!  Thanks Alison!

Harry Potter Mini-Feast!

Last night, at the midnight premiere, my friend Noel and I held each other and wept as we witnessed the end of Harry Potter. To gear up for this momentous occasion, we decided to crack open my Harry Potter cookbook and try a couple recipes out.  For dinner, we prepared Kreacher's French Onion Soup (vegetarian style) and Harry Potter's favorite childhood treat, treacle tarts. In the books, we learn that Harry loves anything treacle, and  in The Order of the Phoenix, he enjoys a treacle tart in the great hall while Ron and Hermione argue.  In the seventh book, Kreacher says he will prepare his delicious french onion soup for when Harry, Ron, and Hermione return from the ministry.  Unfortunately, they never got to have that soup, but Noel and I did!  As for the treacle tarts....oy.

Kreacher's French Onion Soup

1 large onion
4 tablespoons butter
1 baguette
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon flour
4-6 cups vegetable or mushroom broth (if you don't want it vegetarian, use chicken or beef)

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Peel the onions, cut them in half lengthwise, and slice as thinly as you can.  Then chop those slices in half to make smaller onion pieces.  In a heavy soup pot, heat the butter then remove the pot from the heat.

2) Slice the baguette into six 1-inch thick slices for croutons. Dip a pastry brush into the melted butter in the pot and brush one side of each slice.  Place the slides butter-side up on a baking sheet and sprinkle with cheese.  Toast the bread in the oven for about 10 minutes or until browned.

3) While the bread toasts, return the pot to the heat and add the onions.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in the sugar and continue to stir over medium-high heat until the onions are browned, about 15 minutes.

4) Blend in the flour. Gradually add the stock while stirring and bring the soup to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes.

5) Ladle the soup into bowls and float one (or two) or the croutons in the center, then sprinkle more Parmesan all over.

It was so easy to make, and turned out wonderfully! I will be enjoying it for lunch for days! Now for the treacle tarts, sigh.  The recipe calls for you to make your own dough and to make one big tart that serves 8.  Well, we decided to be lazy and use pre-made graham cracker crusts, so this is the abridged version of this recipe.

Lazy Treacle Tarts

1 cup golden syrup or light molasses or corn syrup (we used molasses, I would not recommend it)
2 1/4 cups fresh bread crumbs
zest and juice of one lemon
pre-made graham cracker tart crusts

1) Warm the syrup or molasses in the microwave for one minute.  Combine with the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix well.

2) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Scrape the filling into the prepared crusts and smooth the top with a spatula.

3) Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375 degrees and bake another 25 minutes until slightly browned.  Serve with warm custard or whipped cream.

Then hand them out to unsuspecting people waiting in line for Harry Potter because these were not good. I guess we shouldn't have been surprised.  Ah well, the soup was good. Thanks Noel!

Rhubarb, Raspberry, Strawberry, Almond Pie! oh my!

I love rhubarb pie. It is my absolute favorite pie. For my bat mitzvah, I didn't let my mom (a professional cake lady) make me a cake...I had strawberry, rhubarb pie.  This is a recipe that I followed from Centsational Girl blog, but that I also altered to meet my own delicious needs.  Also got inspiration from a shop in Bellingham called Manpies, who made a very similar pie.

Rhubarb, Raspberry, Strawberry, Almond Pie

1 1/2 cups raspberries
3 stalks diced (or sliced) rhubarb
1 cup strawberries, chopped
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 package of Pure Almond Paste
1 handful of sliced almonds

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray pie dish (or 9 x 13 dish) with cooking spray.  Roll out the almond paste to make a bottom pie crust.  Place the crust in the dish.  Add the chopped fruit.

2)Mix the cornstarch and sugar together, then sprinkle the mixture over the chopped fruit.

3) In a mixer, or by hand, blend the flour, rolled oats. brown sugar, cinnamon, sliced almonds, and butter in tablespoon increments.  Pulse it in the mixer or by hand until blended (this part didn't go quite so well with me, but it was fine).  Use your fingers to crumble topping together.

4) Cover the fruit in the topping.  Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes until lightly brown on top and when the fruit mixture thickens and bubbles.

    It is soooooo good. It was also the first time my friend Roland has ever had rhubarb (I doubt it will be his last).

Rhinunion Fruit Spring Rolls

A year ago, I was in play called Rhinoceros.  That cast became my family.  We're still very close, and it was suggested that we have a Rhino reunion (aka Rhinunion).  So last night I had them over for homemade mac and cheese, dessert, and we watched a recording of our show! For dessert, i decided to make tropical kiwi strawberry spring rolls from the blog, How Sweet it is.  I doubled the recipe which made about 11 rolls.  There was also a recipe for a honey dipping sauce, but I didn't have time to make it.

Tropical Kiwi Strawberry Spring Rolls

rice paper wrappers
3 cups strawberries, chopped
2 firm yellow bananas, chopped
1 large mango, cut into matchsticks
6 kiwis, chopped
some fresh mint leaves

1) Chop up all the fruit into a large bowl, except for the mango matchsticks.

2)  Fill large bowl or dish with warm water. Dip rice paper into water for about 5 seconds. Pat dry on paper towel and place on clean surface.

3) Place mango in middle and spoon the fruit mixture on top.  Add a couple mint leaves.

4) Fold the top and bottom of the wrapper in on the fruit, then roll the rest of the wrap shut like a burrito.

The Rhinunion was fun, the food delicious, and the friends wonderful.  Thanks Rhino's!

Sweet Potato Rosti

I have been busy.  Very, very, unrelentingly busy.  That is my lame excuse for not cooking anything worthwhile recently.  Recently though, I made the resolution that I would cook more.  I found a recipe for a crispy sweet potato rosti that looked really good. I don't know what a rosti is, but I like sweet potatoes a whole lot.  It's a fairly simple recipe, the only tough part is flipping the rosti without breaking it (I did not succeed).

Crispy Sweet Potato Rosti

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

2 cups grated sweet potatoes

Kosher salt 

Black pepper

1) Heat half the oil in a 10 inch frying pan over medium-low heat.  Squeeze the extra fluid out of the sweet potatoes with a kitchen or paper towel.

2) Add potatoes to hot pan, pressing them with a spatula to make a flat surface.  Cook until the bottom is golden and crisp, about 12-15 minutes.

3) Place a small plate (small enough to fit in the skillet) into pan.  Invert rosti onto plate (wear an oven mitt for safety).  Add remaining oil to pan slide the rosti back in.  Continue cooking until the other side is golden, another 10-12 minutes.

4) Reduce heat to low and cook for another 2 minutes to crisp the bottom.  Season with salt and pepper.

So that didn't go quite as planned.  The rosti never really formed into one big pancake and fell apart both times I moved it.  That being said, it was delicious!   I paired it with an arugula, strawberry, and goat cheese salad which was perfect.  I'm going to try it again and experiment with it to really make it my own, and i'll keep trying to make it a perfect crispy sweet potato pancake.

Cookies for Beth

My best friend recently got hit by a car while biking around campus.  She's okay, but she lives 3000 miles away from me in New York so I can't do my normal mother henning for her.  Instead, i decided to bake her some cookies so chocked-full of chocolate, the chocolate endorphins will rush straight to her back and make her all better.  I found this recipe on A Cozy Kitchen, and I have to say this is absolutely not an acid reflux friendly cookie.  Will that stop me? No. That's what zantac is for.

Ooey-Goey Double Chocolate Cookies

1/4 pound (4 ounces) unsweetened chocolate
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound bittersweet chocolate (in chunks or chips)

1) Melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate in a saucepan over the lowest heat (or in a bowl over simmering water). Stir occasionally. When melted, remove from heat and let cool for a bit.

2) While the chocolate is melting, combine eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix until combined and set aside. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

3) Add the melted chocolate to the egg mixture until just combined.  Stir in the dry ingredients and mix well.  Then stir in the bittersweet chocolate.

4) Cover the batter with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

5) Spoon the batter onto a greased baking sheet lined with parchment.  Grease your hands (to prevent sticking) and shape the dough into balls.  Place the balls on the pan with about 2-3 inches room in between.  Bake until the edges are set and center is still soft, about 10-12 minutes.  Rotate the pan about half way through.

6) Place the cookies, still on the parchment, on a rack and cool completely before eating.

Warning: these cookies are decadently rich.  Don't eat too many at once, Beth!

White Sauce Eggplant Parmesan

One of my mom's staple meals that she served us growing up was eggplant parmesan.  When I was no longer able to eat the red sauce, my mom devised a white sauce version.   It's essentially a basic rue sauce, but that allows for plenty of experimentation.  Now whenever my mom makes eggplant parm for our family, she makes the originally version for my dad and brother and the white sauce version for me.  Dad and Jake always end up eating my version.  It's that good.

Eggplant Parmesan with White Sauce

eggplant cutlets (I usually get these pre-made at Trader Joe's, but you can also bread eggplant slices)
mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup heated milk
salt (to taste)
black pepper
oregano
parmesan cheese

1) Place the cutlets on a baking sheet for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.  While those are in the oven, make the sauce.

2) Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add flour and stir until mixture is well blended.  Gradually, stir in the hot milk with a whisk.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce begins to boil and thickens.  Simmer, stirring frequently, over very low heat for 5 minutes.  Season with salt, pepper, oregano and whatever other herbs you might desire.  You can add more milk if the sauce is too thick.

3) In baking dish, layer eggplant, sauce, and cheeses.  Repeat once and put in oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

This is great on a cold winter day!
Note: any kind of mozzarella works, but my favorite is fresh.

Banana Cake for Valentine's Day

Last year on Valentine's Day, my friend Annie and I made delicious carrot cakes.  I decided to make this a tradition, and this year we tackled banana cake.  This cake is my new favorite cake.  And the frosting?  It is so divine, don't even get me started.

Banana Cake

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 egg yolks
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
3 crushed bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs whites, beaten

1) Combine the sugar and butter and beat on low speed until completely combined.  Add the yolks and beat on high speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.

2) In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt), and whisk thoroughly so that soda is evenly mixed.

3) Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients (the milk), beating each time until it is just combined.  Start and end with dry ingredients.  You should have a nice, soft, fluffy batter.

4) Mash the bananas and add them to the batter.  Add the vanilla and beat until combined.  Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, but don't dry them out.  Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter, without deflating them too much.

5) Pour the batter into prepared, round cake pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a toothpick or knife come out clean.

Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting

1 cup milk
5 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt (if you used unsalted butter)

1) Stir the milk and flour together and mix over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until it thickens.  It thickens quickly, so pay attention.

2) Set the milk mixture aside to cool.  Combine the sugar, butter, and vanilla in a mixer.  Beat on medium speed for 5-10 minutes (colder butter will take longer), until the sugar is dissolved and you don't taste the graininess of it anymore.

3) Add the milk mixture to the butter mixture and stir until smooth.  The frosting is light and fluffy.

Annie ended up doing most of the work, but she did a fantastic job.  I cannot even describe how good it is.  Make it and find out.

Zucchini Bread for Rabbit Hole

I mentioned in the garlic knots post that I was starting work on a play at school.  Well, four very short weeks later and we're gearing up for our opening night!  The play features five desserts/baked goods that are consumed on stage.  As props manager, I have the joy of preparing all those treats (with the exception of the creme caramels, too much).  I grew up around cakes and lemon squares and tortes (thanks to my mom and my brother), but zucchini bread was a new challenge for me.  The recipe I found, on allrecipies.com, was extremely simple and was extremely delicious!

Zucchini Bread (this makes 2 loafs)

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 1/4 cups sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini

1) Spray two bread pans (about 8" x 4") with baking spray.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2) Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl.

3) Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl.  Add the dry ingredients and beat well.  Stir in the grated zucchini, and pour the batter into the prepared pans.

4) Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.  Cool in the pan on a rack for about 20 minutes.  Remove the bread from the pan and allow to cool completely.

So tasty.  The cast devoured it.  I will definitely be making this again!

Vegetable Fries Experiment

Since French Fries (well, really anything fried) cause my stomach to implode, I like to find nice baked fries recipes so I can enjoy the taste of French or sweet potato fries without the nasty heartburn complication.  Recently, I stumbled upon two fry recipes for portobello and avocado fries that looked divine.  I tweaked the avocado recipe, mostly because I didn't have panko, but also because I was short on time and it was easier just to combine both recipes.  My friend, who enjoyed this meal with me, helped me make a basil aioli for dipping.  The portobello fries are from A Cozy Kitchen, my favorite food blog to steal stuff from, and the avocado recipe is from Circle and Kitchen.

Portobello Fries

1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper
2 portobello mushrooms
2 large eggs, beaten

1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment, foil, or cooking spray.  On a plate, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, garlic powder, and oregano.  Beat the eggs in a small to medium sized bowl (big enough that you can dip portobello slices).

2) Cut the portobellos in 1/8 inch slices.  Individually, dip into the eggs and evenly coat with the bread crumb mixture.  Place the fries on the baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.  At about 10 minutes, flip them so they are baked evenly.

Avocado Fries

2 firm-ripe medium avocados, pitted, peeled, and sliced into 1/2 inch wedges
2 large eggs
salt
1 1/4 cups panko
grated Parmesan for serving

1) Repeat the same procedure for the portobello fries, using the panko and salt to taste instead of the bread crumb mixture.

Basil Aioli

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup packed basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 medium garlic clove
pinch of salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise

1) In a food processor or blender, combine olive oil, basil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt until mixture is smooth.

2) Combine with mayonnaise.

They were delicious! I saved the extra aioli and plan on making these tasty fries again soon!

Cauliflower Pasta

Today was a "me day".  I decided to take the day off and pamper myself.  I gave myself a facial, took a long, hot shower, and painted my toe nails.  And most importantly, I finally managed to get to the grocery store after a week of boxed mac and cheese.  To wrap up the day, I decided to try a new recipe.  Found on Kitchen Daily, this pasta recipe puts an Italian twist on cauliflower.  It originally calls for red pepper flakes, but I omitted those for my stomach's sake.  I also omitted anchovy fillets...just because.

Penne with Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into 4
olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons capers, chopped
2 to 4 tablespoons kalamata or oil-cured olives
white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped

1) Boil cauliflower until very tender, then drain.  Cook penne according to instructions.

2) Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high on a large skillet.  Add garlic and reduce heat to medium-low and stir.  Add capers and olives and saute with the garlic, but don't let the garlic brown.

3) Deglaze the pan with whit wine with just a splash.

4) Add the cauliflower to the olive mixture and mash with a fork, stirring it in and varying the textures.  Add salt and pepper to taste and even some pasta water if too dry.

5) Toss with the penne with the mixture and add cheese.  Top with parsley (which I, unfortunately, forgot to buy).  Sprinkle with a little more Parmesean for good measure, and serve.

It was great to eat something healthy again!  I will definitely be making this again.