Nothing is better after a long day than something simple, delicious and healthy. I've scoured the web for such dishes - it either boils down to the microwave or the stove. Microwaves create awful habits, so I've focused on the quickest possible way to get something good off the stove.
Enter: two stupid simple recipes mashed into one nomtastic blend of awesome.
Mixed / brown rice
- use 1 1/2 cups chicken stock (instead of water)
- add 1 cup of rice
- bring to a boil, stir once, let it simma for 15 minutes covered
- once done, squeeze in 1 lemon and stir
Edamame (I use the shelled + frozen jams)
- bring water to a boil
- add in 3/4 cup edamame
- boil for 3 - 4 minutes
- shock with cold water in strainer
Pancetta (probably do first so then you can snack on them)
- plop the cured meat slices onto pan
- crisp them
Plop the rice down first onto the plate. Add the edamame. Top with the pancetta and parmesan.
Degree of difficulty: super easy Time: 20 minutes prep (tops), 45 minutes simmer time with an occasional stir Serves: 6 to 8
Mmmm. Chili. Good for a crowd, or as a freezer option for a future cold winter's night, or as comfort food when the day's been rough. It's a dump-and-go type of cuisine and gets more flavorful after a couple days in the fridge.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground beef (optional)
4 cans beans, approx. 15.5 oz size (I used one Cuban style black beans with its liquid, one regular black beans [drained], one chili beans with its liquid and one white beans [drained])
8 or more cloves garlic, minced
3 yellow onions, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 or 5 Roma tomatoes, chopped, or 1 can (28 oz) chopped tomatoes, drained
1 bottle of beer
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup chicken stock, preferrably homemade
Bay leaf...1 or 2
1/2 can (7 oz size) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (more if you like a blasting heat)
6 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Toppings:
Sour cream, minced red onion, minced jalapeno pepper, red pepper flakes, grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
Brown the ground beef in a skillet. In a stockpot, saute onions and garlic in olive oil. Add bay leaf, tomatoes. Add beer. Add ground beef and beans, chicken stock, chipotle peppers, bay leaf, chili powder, cayenne. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes or so. Check seasonings before serving, fish out the bay leaf, and add heat (cayenne powder, red pepper flakes) if necessary. Serve hot, with desired toppings.
Degree of difficulty: easy Time: the red sauce takes 30 minutes, the Amatriciana part takes 20 minutes Serves: 8 to 10
Like Tom and June--and possibly all the guests from Lauren and Zack's tiny Italian wedding--Michael and I are already missing Asciano and all the great meals we had in Tuscany. Bucatini all'Amatriciana fills the void. It's based on the recipe in Mario Batali's Molto Italiano cookbook, can easily be doubled to serve a big crowd, and freezes well.
Make the red sauce first.
Tomato Sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Spanish onions, cut into 1/4 inch dice
8 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup red wine
6 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (be sure to use fresh, as it makes a big difference)
1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
Four 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes
Salt to taste
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for five minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 5 more minutes. Pour the red wine over the onions and reduce a bit. Add the thyme and carrot and cook until carrot is soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes (drain some of their juice out), breaking them up into small chunks, and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt.
Amatriciana
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
18 ounces thinly sliced guanciale, pancetta or good bacon (I used uncured bacon, cut into small pieces)
2 red onions, cut lengthwise in half and then into 1/4-inch thick half-moons
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes (or to taste)
Tomato sauce (see above recipe)
1 to 1/2 pounds bucatini
Freshly grated pecorino romano or parmigiano-reggiano
Bring a large pot of water to boil for the bucatini.
Meanwhile, saute the bacon in a large saute pan (in batches) until done but not cripsy. Remove bacon from pan, retaining drippings. Pour off some of the drippings and cook the onions and garlic in the saute pan. Sprinkle with hot red pepper flakes. Stir onion mixture and reserved bacon into tomato sauce.
Cook bucatini (or fettucine in my case, since we were out of bucatini) to al dente. Drain. Mix a little of the sauce into the noodles, Stir. Plate. Add mounds of Amatriciana sauce to top the noodles, sprinkle the grated cheese over and serve.
Suggested soundtrack: Luciano Pavarotti's "Torna a Sorrento"
Soon after returning from a wonderful wedding trip, June and I were discussing the great food we enjoyed in Italia. We decided to keep the Tuscany theme going. When you cut the tomatoe it seems to explode into a pomodoro sauce. This is a light but highly flavorful meal. Add a salad or a chunk of bread or both. A glass of vino with this meal is highly recommended. This recipe is for 2 dinners.
Finely chop all the herbs and Garlic. In a cup mix into the oil and set aside
HERE IS WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO GRILL AND FINISH
~ 1 Fennel bulb
~ 1 red or orange Pepper
~ 1 yellow Squash
~ 2 Tomatoes
~ 1 red Onion
~ 1 Eggplant
~ Salt and Pepper
~ chunk Parmesian Cheese cut into bit size pieces
~ 3 fresh Basil leaves
~ 3 fresh Italian Parsley leaves
Slice all the vegtables lenghtwise 1/3 - 1/2 of an inch thick except for the fennel and the tomatoe.
Slice the top of the tomatoe and cut the fennel bulb leaving a stalk for each cut. Fire-up the grill.
Liberally coat all the veggies on both sides. Salt and pepper to your liking. Grill the veggies on a medium fire until soft but not mushy. Do not turn the tomato. Plate and top with the chunks of cheese, basil and parsley.
Degree of difficulty: easy Time: 10 minutes prep, 10 minutes cooking time Serves: 2 to 3
When it's Tuesday night, you're just walking in the door, and feel the need for both veggies and comfort food, this might just be your go-to dish. It comes from a tattered recipe by Betty Rosbottom from years back, and can morph into an impromptu creation, depending on the vegetables in your fridge. With butternut squash, fresh baby spinach, caramelized onion and, yes, a bit of that bad-boy, bacon, it's a wonderful cool weather dish.
Ingredients:
6 ounces bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1 cup butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup chicken stock (go with homemade!), reduced
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary
1/2 pound uncooked penne pasta
Sea salt
Handful baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes
Saute the bacon, remove, and drain all but 2 tablespoons bacon drippings. Add butter to skillet, melt, add onions, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add butternut squash, cook a few more minutes. Add white wine and chicken stock, rosemary. Reduce slightly, remove squash and onions when squash is slightly tender but not mushy. Reduce sauce a little more, add lemon juice.
Boil a pot of water, cook penne to al dente. Drain pasta, salt the penne slightly, stir in the spinach leaves, then add the sauce and reserved bacon and squash. Stir in parmesan cheese. Garnish with parmesan shavings and serve.
Suggested soundtrack: Willie Nelson's "Moonlight in Vermont"
MIKE’S SMOKEY BLOODY MARY
All good things must come to an end… right?
Not for the classic Bloody Mary. It’s a cocktail that’s been around since 1921. Also known as “hair of the dog,”
it’s an alcoholic beverage consumed as a hangover cure.
After all these years the basic recipe hasn’t changed much.
The main ingredients: vodka, tomato juice, Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce, salt & pepper. I use Smirnoff Vodka because in New York Times taste tests, it always comes up number one. There are lots of ways to make a Bloody Mary your own; I just discovered that by using a dash of liquid smoke, it makes it special.
MIKE’S BLOODY MARY RECIPE:
• One or two shots of vodka
• Tomato juice
• Worcestershire
• Ground pepper
• Celery salt
• Dijon mustard
• Lemon juice
• Dash of Liquid Smoke
Garnish with celery stalk and wedge of lemon
Doctored Bloody Mary:
Clamato juice for tomato juice
Add horseradish
Celery stalks
Sliced jalapenos
Lime wedge
Fresh lemon or lime juice
Crisp Bacon slices
Looking for a veg alternative for chicken parmesean? This recipe uses baked eggplant - instead of first breading and then frying the pieces. It's healthier and has a fresher flavor.
I came up with this variation on eggplant parmesean because I made a large batch of breadcrumbs and didn't know what to do with them. As with all of my experiments, Lauren wants to make sure I use them before I forget about them. Can't blame her, huh?
If you guys are rocking a veg night a few times a week like we do, give this one a shot. You can pre-make this and throw it in the oven on a weeknight.
Process:
The first step is to wash and then slice the eggplant. I chose to make almost 1" slices so they'd create a nice bite.
Once you slice them up, salt them fairly generously and then let them sit in a colander for about 30 minutes. The salt will pull out the water by osmosis and some of the bitterness as well.
While the salt is being mysterious with your eggplant, start a fresh pomodora sauce. Slice your shallots, mince your garlic, and add it to a heavy-bottomed pot with some olive oil over medium heat. You'll want to sweat them for about 5 minutes. Add in your thyme sprigs, basil leaves, and cherry tomatoes.
Cook for another minute or 2, then add in the puree.
Cover the pot and cook for about 10 minutes. Add a pinch of salt after it's finished cooking to taste. The sauce can hang out until you are ready to use it.
Pre-heat your oven to 400F / 200C. Your eggplant should be about finished sweating by now. Brush the water off of the eggplant, give them a quick squeeze to make sure a good amount of the water is gone, and place on a baking dish with a generous drizzle of olive oil. Some cracked pepper never hurts.
You should roast them for about 30 minutes until they are nicely browned.
While this is goin, loosely chop your buffalo mozzarella. Make sure to drain the motz as much as possible. Mix it together with ricotta. If you let this sit for a while, the water will naturally run out and you can drain it further.
Go grab your baking dish and spread some red sauce over the bottom. Take the roasted eggplant out and place over top the thin layer of sauce. Then add the cheese on top of that.
The final step is to top this with breadcrumbs. I made mine from scratch, but feel free to use the stuff from the grocery store, combined with a bit of olive oil to give it some oomph.
When you're ready to serve, bake at 400F / 200C until the breadcrumbs are nicely browned and it's warmed through.
Ingredients: (makes about 6 dinner-sized servings)
56 oz tomato puree
Degree of difficulty: easy Time: 20 minutes Serves: 4
Lots of good veggies and fresh flavors make this a go-to recipe for weeknights when you're tired, starving, yet don't want take-out. Frankly, it beats most restaurant pasta dishes if you use homemade chicken stock, but will work fine with canned stock. A green salad and a hunk of crusty bread round out the meal nicely.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
1/2 pound asparagus, stalks trimmed and cut into 3/4 inch lengths
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup white wine
Several thin slices prosciutto, crisped in a frying pan for a few minutes
8 ounces penne pasta
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Basil and parsley for garnish
Bring a large pot of water to boil.
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, saute briefly. Add wine, reduce slightly, add stock, asparagus and tomatoes. Cook until asparagus is crisp-tender, 4 minutes or so. Add Parmesan cheese, stir. Add the fresh herbs. Swirl in the tablespoon of butter, taste, and season with salt and pepper.
While sauce is cooking, cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Drain. Return to pot and pour sauce over, stirring. Plate the pasta and garnish with basil, parsley and the crumbled crisped prosciutto.
(I'm sure you see the possibilities with tons of other vegetables--mushrooms, zucchini, snow peas, and/or a quick stir-in of spinach at the last...)
Suggested soundtrack: Phillip Phillip's "Home" (who named him, by the way?)
